Camping in the Night

Silence lingered in the air.

The cart rolled down the road, passing by the countless towering trees that lined each side of the road’s path erratically. The forest was full of thriving flora, but the fauna had long retreated to their abodes under the moon’s lunar gaze.

“Will our arrival in Kandar be delayed?” Jimin asked, rubbing her butt as the cart rolled past a shallow pothole.

“No,” Derrick said, confirming the numbers showed on the floating screen above the steering wheel. “In fact, we may arrive earlier than expected.”

“Why?” Jimin asked.

Voidborn looked down at his blade, which was no longer invisible. The Cloth of Light was untied from the sword’s guard and tucked beneath him.

“We’re actually going at a much faster speed as compared to when we were in the sedan.”

“How though? Isn't the sedan more expensive?” Jimin asked.

Voidborn took out another cloth from his pocket and started wiping the bugbear’s blood off his blade.

“Well, compared to the sedan, this construct focuses entirely on propulsion and movement,” Derrick explained as he guided the mechanical horse around a fork in the road. “There are no defences or turrets whatsoever, so the energy from the stone can dedicate everything towards speed.”

“Ohhh…” Jimin nodded her head.

Silence returned.

“Hey, what happens if you don't clean up the blood?” Jimin asked.

“Rust.”

“Oh.”

Silence again.

“Why don’t you put the Cloth of Light into your pocket?”

“My clothes weigh less than five kilograms.”

Jimin blinked. “So?”

“They would turn invisible.”

“…Isn’t that good? You’d become invisible too.”

“I am not less than five kilograms,” Voidborn said flatly. “You would only see my naked body.”

“…Oh.”

Silence greeted the four again.

“Are you guys alright?” Jimin suddenly asked.

“Yes.”
“I’m alright.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?”

The answers left as quick as they came.

“You guys have been awfully quiet since we left the town. I'm worried…”

“I'm tired,” Rei said, scribbling something on her summoned tome.

“I need to focus on the road,” Derrick mumbled without looking back, making another turn.

Voidborn simply raised his sword slightly, gesturing to the blood still coating the blade before continuing to clean it.

“Do you all secretly find me annoying?” Jimin narrowed her eyes.

“No.”
“No.”
“No.”

This time, the replies came together.

“I appreciate the talking,” Derrick said, “keeps me awake.”

“But it feels weird if I'm the only one talking!”

“I could speak, but it would bore you to death,” Rei said, looking up briefly as a red glow shone on her tome’s open page before fading. “I would be explaining to you about the circles and symbols I’m drawing right now, and how I need to balance the energy flow within them so that the—”

“Hold up. Never mind. I don’t think I want to hear that.”

“I do,” Voidborn said.

“What?” Jimin exclaimed. “Why are you even interested? It’s not like you’re a scholar.”

Voidborn ignored her and sheathed his now-cleaned sword, before tying the Cloth of Light back on.

“What exactly can you—no, what can Scholars do?”

“Well, I'm glad you asked,” Rei said. She waved her hand and the pages on her book flipped. “As you already know, I'm a Rebirth 2 Scholar — a Scribe. Rebirth 1 Scholars are called Readers. It’s a terrible name, I know, but I wasn't the one who named it. But yeah, Readers are granted the ability to use basic spells.”

The tome rotated towards Voidborn.

Countless diagrams filled the pages. Some glowed red, others blue or yellow. Circles overlapped squares. Triangles connected through lines and symbols he could not understand.

“You see these diagrams here? They are spells.”

“Why are you dumbing it down for him? When I asked you, you gave me a whole ass lecture on your mumbo jumbo?”

“That's because I’m re-explaining it to you,” Rei sighed, rolling her eyes. “Didn't you say you needed a refresher for the event?”

Jimin looked away guiltily.

“Anyway, whilst it may sound simple, it's not that straightforward. As a Scholar, our Reborn powers thrive on the amount of knowledge we know. We need to have an in-depth understanding of how the spell functions, how energy flows through it, the scale, speed, composition and stability.”

Voidborn looked at Rei without a change in expression, but he was nodding every few moments.

“Remember when I said ‘Reader’ was a lame name? There is a reason for it.”

“Take the fireballs from earlier for example. During the fight, I kept launching countless fireballs at that stupid bugbear. It may not seem like it was effective, but I assure you, it should be. That bugbear is an anomaly. I've fought bugbears before and I could always deal with them using basic fireballs.”

“Yeah, that one had unusually tough skin,” Jimin said.

“I know,” Voidborn said. “I couldn't cut through its skin.”

“It was as if it was enhanced with an insane amount of durability,” Jimin added.

“Right. Anyway, back to the point. To create a basic fireball, I need to understand three major things,” Rei said, tapping a glowing diagram on her tome. The lines on the picture glowed and floated up, hovering in mid air for all to see.

“First, the exact gas composition in the air — especially the oxygen-to-fuel ratio. Get it wrong and the fire either dies or goes out of control.”

“Second, precise heat formation. I have to generate and hold the right temperature for ignition.”

“Third, I supply the igniting spark with my own energy.”

She pointed to the floating symbols. “These act as flow regulators. They control how the energy moves and how stable the spell is. Mess up even one symbol or ratio… and the spell fails. Or explodes.”

Jimin blinked. “So you basically have to be a walking chemist, mathematician and artist?”

“Didn't I already explain this to you a month ago?” Rei gave a tired laugh of exasperation. “But pretty much. Well, Not so much on the artist part. The geometry needs to make sense, so that's more math than art.”

“People think Scholars just wave our hands and cast spells. In truth, we have to fully understand the spell before we can use it properly. And that is why we are called Readers. We have to read a lot.”

Voidborn nodded.

“Aren't you a Reborn too? Why do you sound like you don't know any of these stuff?”

“I only know I was a Reborn, and a Savage. That's it.”

Rei smacked her palm on her forehead.

“Anyway, remember this. The names of each Rebirth is not solely there for decoration. It is symbolic.”

“Then what about that last spell you used?” Voidborn asked.

“That's slightly different. “Readers can only use basic spells, and those are finite. Every time we cast one, the diagram disappears and needs to be redrawn.”

“But once I advanced to Scribe, two things changed.”

Rei raised a finger.

“The first is enhancement of my Reader skill. Basic spells are now permanent and their spell diagrams won't disappear after use.”

A second finger rose.

“The second is the endowment of a new skill. I gain access to intermediate spells, but they are consumables, just like how basic spells are one-use when I was a Reader.”

“How long does it take to draw a spell?”

“Minutes for basic ones, since I am already familiar with them, but for intermediate ones, hours. It depends heavily on the spell’s complexity. Plus, there’s the tome limit. There's only a fixed number of pages available. Used pages regenerate over time, though.”

“Can I ask something?”

“Did I already explain it before?” Rei said, looking at Jimin suspiciously.

“No… or at least I don't remember you telling me.”

Rei sighed.

“Ask.”

“Since every Reborn is granted with the same skill at every Rebirth, wouldn't every fight end up the same?”

“No. Absolutely not.” Rei waved her hand and the pages flipped to one with countless red diagrams. “Look at this.”

The first on the left page glowed and an orb appears on Rei’s head. She waved her hand once more and a fireball shot out from it, landing on a small bush in front of the cart’s path. The bush burst into flames, and it was grazed to the ground in mere seconds.

“Isn’t that the same fireball you casted during the fight earlier?”

“Correct. Now look at this. This is another diagram similar to the first, but I have changed the symbols here, here and here. I also reduced the diameter of the outermost circle.”

She waved her hand and the newer red circle glowed once again. Another orb appeared above Rei in a similar fashion. However, when she raised her hand this time, it was not a fireball that shot out.

The orb morphed into the shape of an enlarged nail, flying to a tree at a great speed. The sharp edge of the nail pierced into the tree’s trunk, fully embedding itself until the flat end pressed flush to the bark.

Rei clenched her fist.

A loud boom erupted.

The tree exploded from within. A jagged crater tore into the trunk, black and scorched, as if a miniature bomb had detonated inside the tree. Charred splinters and blackened bark sprayed outward while deep, spiderweb cracks spread across the damaged section.

What remained was a smoking, hollowed-out wound, the wood burnt pitch-black and cracked like shattered obsidian, the edges of the crater jagged and uneven.

“Oookay?” Jimin opened her eyes wide, unsure what to say.

“You're hopeless.”

Rei shook her head.

“What I did was change the inherent formula of the entire spell, forming it into an entirely different one.”

“Well, I can see that. The spell is definitely different.”

“Ugh. The point is—”

“The way powers are used is not fixed.”

Voidborn finished her statement.

“Exactly. Learn from him, unnie. He’s understanding it so well. There are countless ways to use powers. Individuality plays an important role.”

Voidborn looked at the many red diagrams floating across Rei’s tome.

“Is that why most of your spells are red?”

Rei frowned.

“Are you calling me violent?”

“I did not say that.”

“HAHAHAHA!” Jimin burst out laughing. “Get destroyed, Rei.”

Rei glared at her.

“Oh, why didn't you use that spell just now?” Jimin asked.

“It wouldn't work,” Rei shook her head. “Looking at how my fireballs tickled him, my Blast Nails wouldn't have done much either.”

Then she tilted her head curiously.

“But seriously, with everything you’ve explained, that's just Scholars as an example right? I still don't see how other Reborns can be creative.”

Derrick finally spoke.

“Perhaps I can show you.”

He glanced up at the full moon up in the night sky. “It's getting late. We should set up camp and rest.”

“There’s a good spot.”

Voidborn pointed toward a dense cluster of trees. Their thick buttress roots were surrounded by heavy bushes and scattered boulders, while ferns clung to the trunks and lower branches, offering excellent natural camouflage and concealment.

Derrick slowed the cart to a stop.

“You picked a good defensive spot, but it’s barely comfortable.” He turned and pointed to a different area nearby. “That spot over there has fewer trees and much flatter ground. More open, easier to sleep on.”

“There's no natural defense.”

Derrick smiled silently.

He guided the cart towards the open clearing, stopping near the edge of the open, flat terrain. He closed his eyes and focused, muttering complex terms that Voidborn would never understand in his entire life.

Once again, the familiar clattering and tinkering echoed from beneath the ground.

The earth rumbled.

Walls rose before their eyes.

Thick metal slabs surfaced from the soil and locked together with heavy mechanical clanks, towering into existence. A reinforced ceiling unfolded overhead while massive gears decorated the top of the front-facing wall.

Right as Derrick’s eyes shot open, barrels popped out from hidden compartments on each side of the outer walls, turrets ready to shoot down any enemy.

“What the hell is this? I didn't know you could do this?!” Jimin walked forward, mouth open in awe.

“You don't know a lot of things, unnie.”

Derrick sighed as he stopped Jimin from rebuking Rei.

“It's my latest gadget. I call it Gunrage.”

“Hah?” Jimin stared at Derrick who had his chest puffed out proudly. “That doesn't tell me anything.”

Derrick ignored her and walked forward to the terminal on the side of the front wall. He placed his face directly against it.

“Scanning… Derrick Yoo, authorised for entry.”

“Welcome to Gunrage.”

The gears at the top of the front wall started turning. With a deep mechanical rumble, the front metal wall retracted upwards, revealing the marvel inside.

“How is this a gadget?”

“See? This is why I said creativity is crucial.”

Derrick shook his head and motioned for everyone to enter. The insides of the mini building were divided into different sections, each serving a different function.

“That is where I store my weaponry,” he said, pointing to the room hugging the back wall, before pointing to the left right and their adjacent rooms. “That is the shared bunk room, the pantry, the shower, and my development room.”

“Every room is filled with machines and gadgets that contributes to Gunrage’s overall functionality as a multi-purpose device.” He spread his arms proudly. “So tell me, which part of this is not a gadget?”

“Wow, I knew you were smart, but I didn't know you were that smart~”

Derrick ignored Jimin completely and continued explaining. “The corresponding names for Rebirths 1, 2 and 3 for Mechanists are Tinkerer, Engineer, and Machinist. As a Tinkerer, I’m granted the skill to create simple gadgets. Sounds lame, I know, but that's only you believe it to be.”

“I did not say anything.”

“Right, you didn't. But it's written all over your face, dear Jimin.”

“No? I'm only giving you this face because Gunrage is such a lame name for something this cool! You should be naming this like Robot Box or Gun Stash. Isn't that much cooler?”

“No,” Derrick answered flatly.

“No?” Rei gave her a disgusted look.

Voidborn blinked in confusion.

“Hmmph.”

“As I was saying, Tinkerers are able to make simple gadgets. However, the gadget one Tinkerer makes differs completely from another. There are virtually no restrictions besides creativity and the laws of the universe.”

“I started out with that cube you see over there,” Derrick walked over and picked up a small box-like structure, each side painted a different colour. “This was my very first gadget. Each circle is a button that does something different when pressed.”

He tossed the cube to Jimin.

She turned the cube around, inspecting it. There were four buttons on every side except for one.

“Is it going to explode?” Jimin asked cautiously, finger hovering over a red button.

“Yeah. It's loaded with explosives and you have exactly three seconds to find cover after pressing it.”

“Then I shouldn't press it.”

“No, you idiot! That one tells the time.”

Jimin heaved a sigh of relief and pushed it with her tongue sticking out, watching a holographic clock projecting from the blank side.

She pressed it again and the clock disappeared, before turning the cube to another side. She pushed a blue button, and soft rain sounds began echoing from the cube, the gentle pitter-patter filling the room.

“Woah, this is cool…”

She continued playing with the cube, pushing different buttons. One on the green side exuded a calming eucalyptus fragrance, while another on the yellow side caused the cube to glow brightly like a miniature star.

“How's that? This would not be possible without being a Mechanist. As I advanced to Engineer, I gained the ability to construct combat gadgets, which were the orbs and cubes you saw earlier. I call my cuties Beam and Bomb by the way. They’re part of my B-Set.”

Voidborn nodded silently as Derrick showed him the cubes and orbs which he scattered earlier during the bugbear fight.

“Then as a Machinist, I gained the ability to materialise constructs in real time. As long as the necessary materials exist within my surroundings, I can construct anything whose blueprint I fully understand.”

He closed his eyes once more and began muttering under his breath.

His eyes snapped open.

Dozens of small metallic objects materialised around the room in flashes of blue light.

“Meet Tear and Teeth. They are part of my T-Set.”

Some unfolded into curved metal plates with gatling barrels supported by tripod-esque legs, each no taller than a person’s shin. Others flattened themselves against the ground, iron jaws protruding upwards like shark teeth surfacing from liquid soil, snapping open and shut with bone-crushing force.

The machines scattered on their own.

The tiny sentry turrets skittled away with their jointed tripod legs, settling outside the perimeter of Gunrage at regularly spaced intervals. Hooks curled out from beneath each leg and dug into the soft soil, anchoring them firmly in place. The curved metal plates rotated slowly between fixed angles, scanning the darkness beyond the camp while the gatling barrels tracked every movement.

The bear traps behaved differently.

Small metallic spheres popped out from the bottom, allowing them to slide through the undergrowth in erratic patterns before burying themselves beneath leaves and mud. The shiny metal then dulled, changing colour as they blended into the brownish dirt under the dark sky, hidden even from trained eyes.

Jimin stared in disbelief.

“They move by themselves?”

“Of course they do,” Derrick replied casually. “What’s the point of traps if I have to place every single one manually?”

One of the turrets suddenly turned.

Its barrel locked onto a rustling bush.

Brrrt.

A short burst of blue beams tore through the leaves.

A rabbit bolted out from the bush and sprinted away in panic, but it was struck squarely in the body. It fell limp onto the ground, smoke wisping out from the perfectly burnt hole through its heart.

The turret lowered to its barrel and returned to scanning.

“...Okay, that’s terrifying,” Jimin muttered. “Fuck. Poor rabbit. Are you able to exclude wildlife?”

“Yes, but I will not take the risk. What if it was an animal mutated into a monster? Or a crow trained to spy on us?”

“The most I can do is to adjust their settings such that the sentries prioritise hostile targets and the bear traps to be pressure and intent activated.”

“Intent activated?” Voidborn asked.

Derrick pointed at one of the hidden traps near the edge of the forest.

“If one of you walks over it, nothing happens. If something approaches with killing intent…” He grinned. “Crunch.”

“Are we done?” Rei complained, scratching her hair irritably. “I wanna wash up and sleep already.”

“Do the showers have running water?”

Jimin sniffed her own clothes, before scrunching her nose at the unpleasant mixture of sweat, smoke, and dried blood.

“No,” Derrick said flatly, shaking his head helplessly. “Unfortunately, I am not a portable water tank. Unless you have a water source that can be connected to the inlet pipe outside, the showers wouldn’t work. In a forest though, they’re basically useless.”

“Awww…” Jimin complained. “I don't want to be smelly for two weeks!”

“Unnie.”

“What?”

“Say please.”

“Why should I?”

Rei smirked and walked into the shower. She closed the door, and the sillouhette of her undressing behind the frosted glass could be seen. A few moments later, the three outside heard the sound of paper being torn, followed by a blue flash of light.

Then—

Splashes.

Infographic