Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 426: Professor Alenora

Chapter 426: Professor Alenora

"The Bake-kujira, a skeletal whale, unknown in size but estimated to be over a hundred feet long. Bones are white and heavily dense. Traditional weapons up to Class Four are almost useless against its frame. Being in the water, its bones are glossed and wet and so explosive and fire element attacks are ineffective. Weapons will need to be designed to penetrate the bones."

"So lightning will be super effective."

"Yes. Do not expect it to be easy though. Its flames are a whole other problem—mana-infused yokai fire that can incinerate an island in seconds. And then, of course, there’s the plague."

"And steam."

"Steam?"

Ah, so the professor didn’t know. It seemed the history books didn’t know everything.

"The steam is the big one and the whale’s primary method of attack," Kazi explained to the professor. "It does seem to have a limit. It’s how the samurai were able to resist. If it emits steam at its skull, left fin, right, and tail, for example, everything else is vulnerable."

"Except with its magnetic sense and echolocation, it is able to predict your attacks," the professor countered. "Unless...you have a plan to disable one?"

Kazi grinned.

Samantha interjected, her pen scribbling furiously. "The plague, how does that work, professor? The steam is tangible and conjured like we would a spell but the plague...how? How is it mana-based?"

"Mana-based is indeed the correct train of thought here. Upon sufficient time, the Bake-kujira spreads corrupted mana, which manifests as something close to a Territory although not quite. Do you know what a Territory is?" Kazi didn’t have to say it because Professor Alenora explained anyway. "It is a term the Old Mage Tower coined regarding the ’Territories’ the gods established. The most popular, for instance, is Mount Olympus. That is Zeus’ Territory and he is utterly omnipotent there. Hades rules over the Underworld. Another Territory. Athens became a Territory of Athena after a contest against Poseidon."

"Sort of like our personal dimensions," Kazi supplied.

"Exactly like your personal dimensions. Those dimensions were in fact based on the Territories of the gods. It was a way to keep you players from being too influenced by their divine will."

Huh. The more you know.

"Within these Territories," Professor Alenora continued, "gods were able to shape, watch, and manipulate. Their mana was in every particle and so they could do miracles wherever their ’Territory’ of mana stretched on. Quiz for Samantha, despite knowing so little, why am I so certain it is not a Territory?"

Blink, blink. Then a smile. "Because of intention and range?"

"Correct. Territories are the peak of magic. It is the domain of the gods and the Supreme Sorcerers. Your player dimensions are but a pale imitation of a Territory. You cannot create cities or bring forth rivers. You can hardly change the sky. This is the same. This plague is transmitted through the air and likely only the air. A real Territory warps and touches everything within the space: the earth, the underground, the air, the natural Etherparticles. Everything. The Bake-kujira’s plague is based on instinct. The criteria for a Territory is therefore not met."

"What makes certain it’s not just cursing who it wants?" Kazi asked.

"Did the villagers feel it?"

"Yes."

"Cursing an individual or a group requires intimate contact of some kind. Key word: intimate. Blood, hair, a hand, a mark. Spiritual contact too. A piece of hair in a cauldron, for example, is an instance of spiritual contact. Has the Bake-kujira even seen the villagers?"

Samantha replied, "They hid in their homes, so no."

"So if it is affecting villagers, its mana is spreading itself and encroaching onto the very air. Therefore..."

"Something close to a Territory but not quite." Samantha nodded. "I understand, professor."

"If it is the plague I believe it is, it is not a physical contagion, but an assault on the body’s very life force. Those affected will experience weakness, disorientation, and eventual death if left untreated."

Kazi presented his arms on the table. "What about its summoning ability? The swarms of monster birds and fish? How would you deal with them?"

"Troubling, but manageable compared to the other threats," Professor Alenora said. "The swarms are a distraction, meant to overwhelm and divide your forces. They’re not invincible, but they will require coordination to deal with effectively. An offensive coordination spell is my suggestion."

So what they were doing, minus the bombing.

"Is there an organ responsible for the monster creation?"

"No. I am sure the witnesses have told you that it is created from its bone."

Kazi rubbed his chin. "And in the history of the Heavenly Games? What do we know about it? Any secret moves it has?"

Professor Alenora hummed to recall. "As I remember it...Bake-kujira has only appeared twice in recorded history, both during the Chaotic Era of the Heavenly Games. In neither instance was it killed. It simply... retreated, as though it had accomplished its purpose. Some theorize it is immortal or that it gives birth and passes on its will to its child, but we lack the evidence to confirm or deny that."

Samantha frowned. "So it’s never been defeated?

"Not in the conventional sense," Professor Alenora said. "It’s a creature of mystery, even to Yokai scholars."

Kazi exhaled slowly. "Not the most encouraging history."

The professor gave a curt nod. "No, but history is not destiny. You’re already preparing in ways most would not. That gives you an edge."

"Speaking of preparation," Kazi said, "what about countering the plague? Is there anything that can protect my team?"

The professor’s expression turned thoughtful. "There are anti-plague amulets, but they are rare and expensive. You would need one for every member of your force, and I suspect you don’t have the resources for that."

"Not yet," Kazi said. "What about potions?"

"Potions could work," Professor Alenora admitted, "but they have their own drawbacks. They’re consumable, which means you’d need a constant supply. The Templar Order or the Sapphire Order could do it; you likely cannot. The cost of brewing enough for your entire team would be astronomical. My suggestion is something that’s both effective and sustainable."

In other words, only the big guilds could afford to do it.

Kazi sighed, leaning back in his chair. "So, amulets are too rare, and potions are too expensive."

Think Kazi, think...

"I have to turn my thinking around. It’s not about what to get them. It’s about how I can distribute it."

Zip-zap. Crossed arms. Blink. Brows raised.

"Hm. Would that work though...?"

Alenora studied him for a moment, her green eyes piercing. "You’re remarkably calm and thorough."

Kazi smiled faintly. "I do my best. Besides, I’m not alone in this. We’ve got a phenomenal team and we’re doing everything we can to prepare."

"You’ll need every bit of that preparation," Professor Alenora said. "If you succeed, you will make history."

The three sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Kazi broke the tension with a grin. "Well, I appreciate the honesty so far, professor. Actually, what I really came here to ask about was biology."

"...biology?"

"I want a sketch of the innards of the Bake-kujira. See, I deduced it has two types of sensing; one for sensing metal and another for echolocation. And like all creatures, there has to be an organ responsible for it. I have theories. Guesses. The magnetic sensor is likely in the skull and the echolocation is easy enough to figure out. But I want accuracy down to the last millimeter and that is the one thing I can’t do. I can’t begin to guess how it operates on a deeper level because this world fundamentally operates on different laws. Physics, biology, chemistry, pretty much all known science on Earth is obsolete here."

All Kazi could inherit was the critical thinking.

"I see. I can...try and make a guess. I have not personally seen the Bake-kujira so my guess will be but a guess."

"Don’t worry." Suddenly, a sketchbook that perhaps might have been there the whole time was pushed forward. "I asked those that saw it what it looked like. My sketches should help."

The professor opened up the sketchbook to see a hyper-realistic, pencil-done side sketch of a skeleton whale. She flipped through. "You have an amazing pen finger. Wow. The inking is phenomenal."

"I did front sketches, side sketches, bottom side, every angle you could think of. A bit of testimony contradicted so I tried to bridge what I could."

"Tried? I believe you succeeded. These sketches are much better than what we have at any library in the Abyss. Glorious. Gorgeous. You already theorized that the magnetic sensor was located in the skull somewhere and drew down several potential areas."

’Saying its located in the skull doesn’t help. We’re talking about a hundred foot long skull. Too much ground to cover for us to afford to guess and make mistakes in the middle of battle. We need precision.’

Professor Alenora arrived at the last page. That was where he drew out his theory of how its echolocation functioned. "I will consolidate with my peers. In a week or two weeks, we should be able to come up with a semi-accurate theory of its inner workings."

She stood up, gripping the sketchbook.

"Thank you for this, Kazi Hossain. A challenge like this does not come by often."

Professor Alenora jogged out of the cafe. Samantha reached out to try and stop her until Kazi laughed and remarked, "That went better than I hoped. I thought I was going to have to pay her."

The triumph of passion in academia was genuinely wonderful to see. Kazi was glad he could help with it.