Michael was very interested in the charts that had been written down on the third page. It was done meticulously, showing Michael clearly how large the territory's army was and how big the territory had grown in terms of population. That was very interesting and it kept Michael interested for quite a while as he read through the charts slowly to take in all information.
[Territory Population Chart
36031x Starless Summons[55%M/45%W] – 16,532 Lowest Tierless, 8,539 Low Tierless, 5973 Mid Tierless, 3317 Late Tierless, 1502 Peak Tier-0, 168 Lowest Tier-1
2648x 1-Star Summons(55% Tierless – 45% Tier 1)– 19x Architect, 3x Lesser Tamer, 236x Craftsmen, 127x Gardener, 119x Potter, 111x Artists, 86x Tailors, 5x Pub Owner, 3x Financial Managers, 30x Weaver, 3x Surveyors, 121x Masons, 85x Librarian, 249x Cooks, 123x Carpenters, 94x Scholars, 39x Alchemist Apprentices, 25x Enchanter Novices, 207x Blacksmith Apprentices, 20x Botanists, 415x Warriors, 203x Archers, 2x Aero Crossbowmen, 156x Spearmen, 4x Cavalry Rider, 64x Vanguard, 78x Assassins, 21x Knights in training,
133x 2-Star Summons(10% Tierless – 90% Tier-1) – 8x Doctor, 1x Architect, 5x Weaponsmith, 6x Expert Blacksmith, 3x Expert Tailors, 1x Tamer, 1x Old Librarian, 8x Expert Alchemists, 3x Merchants, 3x Master Chefs, 6x Enchanter. 2x Priest, 1x Aerial Scout(Eaglefolk), 1x Courier(Speedster Rabbitfolk), 17x Knights, 25x Berserkers, 11x Forest Walker, 2x Wolf Berserker, 5x Frenzy Rabbit Archers, 5x Shadow Panther Assassins, 14x Sharpshooter, 3x Forest Whisperer, 1x Summoner, 1x Earth Mage.
8x 3-Star Summons(New Units=Tierless – Others=Tier-1) – 1x Star Cook, 1x Master Enchanter, 1x Mythic Engineer(Rhinofolk), 1x Earth Elemental Mage, 1x Water Elemental Mage, 1x Master Alchemist, 1x Botanic Magician, 1x Tracker.
1x 4-Star Summon(Peak Tier-1) – 1x Nature Spirit
6x Awakened (100% Tier-2)– 1x Silverfang Tigerfolk, 5x Forest Elves
82x Tamed Monsters – 73x Bilrox, 1x Sun Demos(+673 Blood Oath Demon Monkeys), 4x 0-Star Horses, 1x 2-Star Heavy Armored Elephant, 1x 3-Star Golden Stinger Wasp, 2x 3-Star Greater Eagle, 1x 3-Star Forest Pixie]
At first, Michael was a little bit overwhelmed with all those numbers, but he quickly got hang of them. It was actually not that confusing.
The information provided to him was clearly separated according to the Summon's star-rating, Monsters, and Awakened. After reading through it twice Michael had successfully stored the information in his mind.
"Now…the Combat Chart. I wonder how my subordinates evaluated the military prowess of the territory," Michael mumbled, his attention moving to the second chart.
[Combat Chart
Total number of Combatants – 1714 (459x Tier-0, 1249x Tier-1, 6x Tier-2)
Size: Small-scale Army
Types of Combat Units – Vanguards, Assassination, Scouting, Melee, Rangers, Cavalry, Monkey Army, Monster Unit
Vanguard Unit: 21x Knights in Training, 64x Vanguards…
Cavallry: 4x Cavalry Riders…
…
…
Monkey Army: Tier-2 Monkey King(Sun Demos), 673x Peak Tier-1 Blood Oath Demon Monkeys.
Monsters: Heavy Armored Elephant(Mid Tier-1), Greater Eagle(Icarus – Peak Tier-1), Greater Eagle(New – Lowest Tierless), Golden Stinger Wasp(New- Lowest Tierless)]
Michael's mind rattled once he finished reading the second chart. It was very detailed but Michael couldn't stay focused on every single bit of information. So, he only paid attention to the rank of his combatants and the fact that he had only 1700ish combatants overall.
'With the Energy Nourishing Pill, the Body Strengthening Pill and the Warrior Enlightenment Potion it should be quite easy to exceed 2000 combatants and help everyone advance to the 1st Tier within a month. In a month some of the Peak Tier-1 Combatants should be able to break through to the 2nd Tier as well. At least the Blood Oath Demon Monkeys should be able to break through to the second stage – some of them.'
Given the details about his army and population, Michael could make a rough estimation of how fast his army could expand and grow stronger quickly. An increment in physical strength alongside the advancement of their Tier through potions and pills meant that Michael could train them using specific body refinement techniques.
Focusing on certain muscle groups with specialized body refinement techniques was definitely better than turning every Summon into a bulky, physically strong powerhouse. After all, Mages didn't depend on their physical strength, while Archers relied on their agility and dexterity. Archers would actually have the biggest problems with a bulky physique.
This fact was obvious, but Michael wrote down everything nonetheless. He noted down a few things, and was more than willing to keep investing most of his fortune into his army and other subjects. After all, his subjects – especially his army – could be considered the majority of his combat prowess. Nurturing them was comparable to enhancing himself.
Using the knowledge he procured in the Laxarta Library, Michael could provide some special secret techniques, share unique tips and tricks, and help his Summons in a lot more ways than he first thought.
When Michael was done making notes about his to-do list, he was informed that the first batch of pills had been created.
Both Energy Nourishing Pills and Body Strengthening Pills had been concocted. The proficiency of the Alchemist was not perfect, by far, but Michael could tell at a glance that both pill batches were extraordinary.
The energy-rich and potent smell they exuded naturally was several times stronger than the faint scent of ordinary energy pills.
The Energy Nourishing pill was white, and it had a clear, polished surface. It looked like a piece of marble that had been ground and polished for several hours. The pill in Michael's hand exuded a chill that contained a tremendous amount of energy.
'I should purchase some boxes with perfect Seal enchantments.' Michael thought, looking at the Energy Nourishing Pill slowly losing its energy as it seeped out of the pill. It didn't release too much energy at a time, but it would only take a few days before the Energy Nourishing Pill' would lose it exceptional potency and effects.
Michael's attention moved to the steamy red pill. It was the Body Strengthening Pill that exuded searing heat. Just looking at the pill was enough to tell that its potency was high enough to cause some discomfort once consumed and digested.
But instead of shying away from the incoming discomfort of the searing heat, Michael headed to the training ground where he consumed one white and one red pill. The pills disappeared in his mouth and Micahel swallowed the next moment.
Near instantaneously after the digestion of the pills started in his stomach, Michael could sense a frosty aura and a heatwave spread through his body.
The frosty aura spread throughout his body, reaching every single nerve. The frosty aura even spread across his skin, yet it never left his body. It stayed inside him and continued to spread in waves as layer after layer of the Energy Nourishing Pill was removed through his rapid digestion. The amount of energy released inside his body increased with every wave, filling Michael's body to the brim.
'So much energy!' Michael exclaimed while trying to endure the heat waves that spread through his bones, veins, and muscles before seeping inside the marrow.
Michael was not even sure what was happening to him while the Body Strengthening Pill's potency affected his entire body. It felt like every cell in his body began to itch and heat up – increasing with intensity with every additional heatwave the Body Strengthening Pill released.
The discomfort of the searing heat waves was considerable and quite hard to endure for ordinary people. However, the frosty aura that permeated every inch of his body cooled down the heat spreading through him, while also drastically reducing the itching all over his body.
It was almost like the effect of the Body Strengthening Pill and the Energy Nourishing Pill complemented each other. Michael was not sure if their effects would weaken upon clashing, but that was something he could find out later.
For now, Michael could think clearly without being too affected by the frosty aura, the heatwaves, and itching. This made it much easier for him to change his stance and start practicing Sacred Rectification.
Sacred Rectification was a body refinement technique that required a tremendous amount of nutrients and origin energy to stimulate the energy veins, muscles, flesh, and so on to precisely refine flawed bodies into the epitome of perfection. At least, that was what the description of the technique said.
Michael was pretty sure that there was no way the technique could create a perfect physique. Nonetheless, Sacred Rectification stimulated his body to grow faster and use the hoarded nutrients and energy to strengthen his physique while refining his body.
Since Michael had already refined his body to the second stage of the Sacred Rectification technique, all the body refinement technique did was use the energy and nutrients inside his body to regain his former physique.
Michael quickly noticed that the itchiness and heat all over his body intensified as he practiced Sacred Rectification. Strengthening his physique felt like insects crawling all over his muscles and flesh under normal circumstances. However, the effect was amplified manyfold due to the Body Strengthening Pill's miraculous effect and high potency.
Time passed slowly and it was already dusk by the time Michael stopped. Several hours had passed without him realizing and a thin smile formed on his sweat-drenched face.
He was exhausted beyond measure and sore all over his body. But even then, Michael felt alive. It was a good feeling, something he wished to feel more often from now on.
Being alive was great.
Life may be filled with horrors and many bad memories, but Michael was the type of person, who recalled good memories more easily than bad memories. Slumping to the ground exhausted, Michael recalled the times he had been working out with his brother when he was not yet an Awakened. Afterward, he always worked out alone, or with Kaleb and Frederik after forcing them to join the Limit Breaker Course alongside him.
His friendship with them had a rocky start, but they slowly grew closer to each other. Even the Barbaric Couple's nasty personality improved over time. Beating them up a few times was enough to punch some sense into them.
Thinking about the others and everyone's tireless efforts to grow stronger, Michael knew that it had been a good decision to join the Saphirelake Military Academy.
He might have been pulled into some nasty schemes, but that was something that would have happened to him sooner or later. The timing was messed up, but Michael learned a lot from it. This time, Michael also learned that he had many people to rely on and that he was not all by himself.
The Barbaric Couple had recorded the battle. Their records were edited and released on Starnet even though Alice tried her best to take their original video file away. The Barbaric Couple edited the video to clearly show that Michael had been bullied and that he was innocent, gaining the public's pity, and sympathy.
Michael didn't want the public's pity, but he could tell that the Barbaric Couple had meant well. It was a means to protect Michael from losing his War Rune – which was one of the worst possible punishments an Awakened could obtain.
For most Awakened even death would be better than losing their War Rune. It was their only means to become superhuman existences with high status wherever they went. Being an Awakened, whether it was being an Adventurer or a Lord, meant that one's status exceeded more than 90% of mankind.
Losing your status and accumulated power obtained from the War Rune was likely to drive most Ex-Awakened to insanity. The thirst for power and the feeling of a great loss would kill them after they suffered for weeks, months if not years.
Michael heard some stories about criminal Awakened – people who had betrayed mankind to plead loyalty to other races in exchange for power and great wealth. Some of them had been caught and stripped of their War Rune after their interrogation revealed the dirty secrets of the criminal members of the traitor organizations that had been created to tarnish mankind's reputation, and the relationship between the human race, the Berserkers and the Warlock Centaurs.
All Michael could say was that the videos he had seen were horrifying. They were a clear example of what would happen to traitors of the human race. Their War Rune would be removed, and they would be driven to insanity.
