Chapter 46 - Translation

Chapter 46: Mandu’s Lifelong Regret Inala only had 12 Prana at present. The previous day, he had twenty. But to fool Resha, he blew up eight Spirit Containers, causing him to lose 8 Prana. His control was improving day by day thanks to his practice with the Spirit Reinforcement Skill. But it would still take him time to catch a Prana Bomb thrown by a Zinger Captain. That would only be possible once he reached the peak of the Spirit Stage. But that didn't mean he didn't have other means. 'Puppetry Skill allows dextrous control of a complex arrangement of Spirit Weapons. With that, I don't need to face the Prana Bombs head-on but can deflect them.' The glove would catch the Prana Bomb anyway. Moreover, this would happen many metres away from Inala. That meant he had a window anywhere from 0.1 to 1 second, depending on the distance to react. By making the glove move at an angle, he could divert the projectile path of the Prana Bomb. As long as he diverts it by a metre, he would avoid an impact to his being. Inala intended to reach such a level of skill. 'It seems I cannot avoid classes thanks to Instructor Mandu. Might as well use his good grace and train under his protection.' He intended to stick close to Instructor Mandu for the purpose, 'Besides, he reached the Life Stage. I can obtain some valuable information regarding it from him.' Only information regarding the Spirit Stage and the early phase of the Body Stage were taught in class. Information about the Life Stage was only available to elites that crept towards the peak of the Body Stage. Too many things beyond one's control would happen in Sumatra Continent. Therefore, at the first sign of a variable, one would have to alert their plans accordingly. Inala had been repeating this statement to follow it by heart. And now, it was effective, seeing how he didn't even waste any time thinking about having to scrape his original plans. Rather, his brain began to think up new schemes naturally, 'My mental training is working. My mind is acclimating to this world.' Seated at the back of the class, Inala listened to the lecture while controlling his glove. Whenever a Prana Bomb came in range, he caught them. When the Zinger Scouts observed his actions, they avoided the area. But that was only temporary. On every mountain lived a Zinger colony. As the Empyrean Tusk moved and walked past a new mountain, the Zinger colony there raided it. So, every time this happened, a group of Zinger Scouts would attack the academy. That also meant there would be short intervals free of attacks, which was when Inala took a breather. Eventually, it was evening time as classes had ended. 'I somehow survived through that.' Inala sighed in relief. Not a single student had died to the Zingers, thanks to the protection of the Instructors. But there was no guarantee of it all the time. And that uncertainty was what gave him the loosies. "Inala, you need to be prepared." Instructor Mandu approached him right as he was about to leave. He brought Inala to a corner and whispered, "In two days, you'll be visiting the 43rd Settlement. Their leader wishes to see you and told you to prepare something called an Imagination Art." "What is this Imagination Art?" He asked in curiosity. "It's an advanced version of the portraits I make," Inala said, purposefully expressing pride, "They are useful to train our emotions." "Does it work?" Instructor Mandu pondered. He wasn't the type to believe something unless provided with solid proof. "We'll know in two days. I boasted about it to one of the 43rd Settlement Chief's daughters. I'm sure this summons is to test the veracity of my claim." Inala nodded. "Work hard to succeed," Instructor Mandu patted him in seriousness, "Succeed and become valuable to our clan. That way, you'll have a future." "If only you didn't have the Fragment Disease…" He trailed off and walked away, muttering softly, "Your talents would have granted you a solid future." "At least better than mine." His last statement held his regret. Inala silently stared at the retreating figure of Instructor Mandu, 'Mandu, an unfortunate character.' When he was a student, Mandu slacked off during training. He hailed from a decently well-off family. His parents were well-known elites and possessed enough power to take up important tasks in the Clan. He never felt a strong drive to improve himself. As a result, when he graduated, the Clan's evaluation of his potential was merely C-Grade. The task of the Instructors in the Academy wasn't limited to teaching the students. But from the age of ten when a student entered the academy to when they graduated, the Instructors would evaluate them on many criteria. Resourcefulness, Survivability, Desire for Survival, and finally, Potential Contribution to the Mammoth Clan. The last factor was the most important of them all. Over the course of five years in the academy, the student would be evaluated. The Instructors would pile up all the data and present it to the Settlement Leader and the council of masters. The masters would grade the students from D to A. A D-Grade student would receive a Beginner Iron Grade Pranic Beast egg to fuse with. Intermediate Iron Grade egg for C-Grade students, Advanced Iron Grade egg for B-Grade students, and finally, Expert Iron Grade egg for A-Grade students. The Settlement Leader would be the one that decided the type of Pranic Beast a student would get in their grade. And finally, if there turns up a genius student with a frightening potential in terms of Clan contribution, the Settlement Leader would up the student's grade from A to S. An S-Grade student would receive a Beginner Silver Grade Pranic Beast egg. A Mammoth Clansmen that had fused with a Silver Grade Pranic Beast would become a master. It was not to mention the sheer increase in lifespan a Silver Grade Pranic Beast granted, allowing masters to live for many centuries. Mandu was granted an Intermediate Iron Grade Pranic Beast. It implied that the Clan had no expectations of him. The fact that Instructor Mandu became a master was a show of his sheer talent. He realised his talent on the day he became an elite, regretting his decision tremendously. Had he done his best, he would have become an S-Grade student. Instead of a weak master, he would have been a true powerhouse and supported his Clan better. That was his regret and the reason he constantly urged the students to work their hardest. But during the First Major Disaster, that regret would only envelop him fully, causing Instructor Mandu to curse himself nonstop as everyone dear to him dies. !

**Chapitre 46 : L'éternel regret de Mandu** Inala ne disposait plus que de 12 unités de Prana. La veille, il en comptait encore vingt. Mais pour duper Resha, il avait sacrifié huit Conteneurs Spirituels, lui coûtant 8 Prana. Sa maîtrise progressait jour après jour grâce à l'entraînement avec sa Compétence de Renforcement Spirituel. Pourtant, intercepter une Bombe de Prana lancée par un Capitaine Zinger restait hors de portée. Seul le sommet du Stade Spirituel lui offrirait cette possibilité. Mais il n'était pas sans défense. *« La Compétence de Marionnettisme permet de manipuler avec précision un réseau d'Armes Spirituelles. Je peux ainsi dévier les projectiles plutôt que les affronter frontalement. »* Le gant capturerait la Bombe de Prana à plusieurs mètres de lui, lui laissant entre 0,1 et 1 seconde pour réagir. En ajustant l'angle du gant, il infléchirait la trajectoire du projectile. Une déviation d'un mètre suffirait. C'était le niveau de précision qu'Inala visait. *« Impossible d'échapper aux cours avec l'Instructeur Mandu. Autant profiter de sa supervision pour m'entraîner en sécurité. »* Il comptait rester près de lui. *« Et puis, il a atteint le Stade de la Vie. Une source d'informations précieuses. »* Les cours couvraient seulement le Stade Spirituel et les bases du Stade Corporel. Le Stade de la Vie était réservé aux élites approchant du sommet du Stade Corporel. Sur le Continent de Sumatra, trop d'éléments échappaient au contrôle. Chaque imprévu exigeait un réajustement des plans. Inala s'était imprégné de cette philosophie. Aujourd'hui, cela portait ses fruits : plus de temps perdu à regretter ses plans initiaux. Son esprit élaborait désormais des stratégies avec fluidité. *« Mon entraînement mental fonctionne. Je m'intègre à ce monde. »* Assis au fond de la classe, Inala écoutait tout en manœuvrant son gant. Dès qu'une Bombe de Prana entrait dans son champ d'action, il l'attrapait. Les Éclaireurs Zingers, remarquant ses actions, évitaient sa zone. Mais l'accalmie était temporaire. Chaque montagne abritait une colonie de Zingers. Lorsque la Défense Empyreenne passait devant un nouveau relief, les attaques reprenaient. Les assauts se succédaient ainsi, entrecoupés de brèves pauses où Inala pouvait reprendre son souffle. Le soir venu, les cours prirent fin. *« J'ai survécu, d'une manière ou d'une autre. »* Inala exhala, soulagé. Aucun élève n'avait péri sous les attaques, protégé par les Instructeurs. Mais cette sécurité était précaire, et l'incertitude le glaçait. « Inala, prépare-toi. » L'Instructeur Mandu l'intercepta avant son départ. Il l'emmena à l'écart et murmura : « Dans deux jours, tu iras au 43e Campement. Leur chef veut te voir et exige une préparation : l" Art de l'Imagination". » « Qu'est-ce que c'est ? » demanda Inala, intrigué. « Une évolution de mes portraits », expliqua-t-il avec une feinte fierté. « Ils affûtent nos émotions. » « Efficace ? » Mandu fronça les sourcils, sceptique. « Nous verrons dans deux jours. J'en ai vanté les mérites à une fille du Chef. Cette convocation doit vérifier mes dires. » Inala opina. « Donne le meilleur de toi-même », insista Mandu en lui serrant l'épaule. « Réussis, et deviens indispensable au clan. C'est ton seul avenir. » « Si tu n'avais pas la Maladie du Fragment… » Sa voix se brisa avant qu'il ne s'éloigne, murmurant : « Tes talents t'auraient ouvert toutes les portes. » « Bien plus que les miennes. » Ces derniers mots suintaient l'amertume. Inala observa la silhouette de Mandu s'évanouir dans l'obscurité. *« Un destin tragique. »* Étudiant, Mandu avait négligé son entraînement. Issu d'une famille influente, il n'avait jamais senti le besoin de se surpasser. À sa graduation, le clan ne lui accorda qu'un C-Grade. Les Instructeurs ne se contentaient pas d'enseigner. De dix à quinze ans, ils évaluaient chaque élève sur quatre critères : Ressources, Survie, Volonté de survivre, et surtout, Contribution Potentielle au Clan des Mammouths. Cinq années d'observation minutieuse. Les données compilées déterminaient le grade final, de D à A. Un D-Grade recevait une Bête Pranique de Fer Débutant, un C-Grade de Fer Intermédiaire, un B-Grade de Fer Avancé, et un A-Grade de Fer Expert. En cas de potentiel exceptionnel, le Chef pouvait accorder un S-Grade – une Bête d'Argent Débutant, clé vers la maîtrise et une longévité séculaire. Mandu, classé C-Grade, n'avait obtenu qu'une bête de Fer Intermédiaire. Pourtant, il était devenu maître malgré tout, preuve de son talent latent. Trop tard. Le jour de sa révélation, le regret l'avais dévoré. S'il s'était investi plus tôt, il aurait pu prétendre au S-Grade. Au lieu d'être un maître médiocre, il aurait été un pilier pour son clan. Ce remords le rongeait, motivant ses exhortations envers ses élèves. Mais lors du Premier Désastre, ce regret deviendrait son tombeau. L'Instructeur Mandu sombrerait dans l'auto-flagellation, impuissant face à la perte de ses proches.