The MTV was far, barely visible if not for the flickering headlights which for some reason were on in daylight.
'Are they stupid or something?'
I continued watching them from up above in the comfort of my hammock tent thing. I considered going after them but I doubt they would stay in the area long enough for me to get there.
'If they would even let me on.'
My curse might cause a serious problem but even without it I would be doubtful they would let me on. Unless of course one or more of their squad had died.
Honestly I was considering whether I even want to become part of a squad again. I would have to deal with all the problems that I had just left. I knew however I couldn't survive out here. Even if I survived the constant perils, I had a limit on my food and anything I find in the wild can and likely will be contaminated along with the fact I have no clue what would be safe to eat.
The constant thumping Jebb made with his footsteps stopped for a moment before a scream so loud I saw the ground around me vibrate. My hearing had disappeared instantly on reflex to protect my ears otherwise no doubt I would have gone deaf.
'Yup, Jebb noticed them. Idiots.'
The MTV turned around faster then I thought it ever could. Jebb was chasing after them after all, they would die if they actually tried to do anything. As they ran the hatch on top opened and a head poked through for a few seconds before they ducked down.
'What the hell are they doing?'
'Was it some scouting attempt? That would mean when they tried to analyse Jebb... No, no. Surely not. Surely they aren't here on a mission to kill Jebb that would be suicide.'
At this point it was impossible to see the MTV despite my enhanced senses but Jebb was still pretty clearly visible but when a few moments later it turned around and walked back to it's territory it became clear that Jebb had given up on the chase.
After some time to think I realised that no obviously they weren't going here to kill Jebb. He is just far too powerful, instead just scouting seemed like a obvious strategy especially for something this powerful
'If they are doing this type of scouting does that mean the communication towers are up?'
One of the briefs we had before all of this instructed us that certain groups would be doing tasks to create a communication network. This was needed because geo synchronous satellites were too far and too weak to give enough signal to any of our equipment because of whatever caused the interference across the entire surface of the earth.
In any case the only thing that could communicate with us is the low earth orbit satellites which have problems of their own.
A communication tower would solve both of these issues by first being able to constantly communicate with geosynchronous satellites and also communicate to each MTV.
I remember something about the laser calibration being incredibly annoying. You would have to find the exact angle to a tower which involved some math which I had never learnt. Like what in the actual hell is a sohcahtoa.
I closed the zipper to my hammock and laid down to relax for a bit. Well I say relax but I used it as its own type of training.
Shutting down all non essential senses I poured the entirety of it towards my motion sense. It took a bit of practice at first to focus more of the enhancement on a single sense rather than it be split between all my remaining senses. I had also consequently found how to weaken a sense, giving a lesser enhancement to my other senses while not completely removing the sense.
I was still trying to figure out how to create new senses. I knew it was possible, the motion sense was a clear example. Even without the ability I could use my blessings to create the sense so long as I knew what the actual sense was.
For example I am unable to create a sense to see infrared light even though I know what sight is like and what infrared light is. I lack some essential component of what the sense should actually feel like which makes it almost impossible.
And that type of sense should be easier than creating an entirely new sense as I would just simply be expanding a sense I already have.
I have felt like I was on the precipice of creating an all encompassing sense for roh, not just my own but also roh within others bodies too but alas I was unable to on top of the fact I had no clue if I actually was making progress for the simple reason that there was no roh to sense other then my own which I could do already.
'I'm getting side tracked.'
I focused on my motion sense again. This time I didn't get distracted and so I was beginning to see more and more. I noticed the flowing water of the river, the air around it moved in very similar ways but lighter and more chaotic.
I had continuously gotten better at this sense by understanding how wind naturally flows and when abnormalities in movement occurs which in most cases were objects like trees or the ground. Up this high where the wind was much faster and more chaotic the constant filtering needed grew exponentially.
It was excellent training, in fact it even made me reflect on an mistake I hadn't even realised I did previously. My sense was far too focused horizontally, making things above and below me much harder to sense and almost completely erased the distance I could see in those directions.
Training on the side of a cliff almost immediately exposed this for obvious reasons. Trust me, trying to climb a cliff while completely unaware how far down it could possibly go is an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone.
I was better now, being able to see down all the way down the cliff to the bottom albeit barely. It still made me proud of my progress, my muscles had even finally started growing a bit.
I had always wanted to be some figure of strength. That was hardly unique to me but being in the outer rings with what I was shocked I even called food back then didn't exactly give a good environment for personal growth. I actually was somewhat convinced that was the whole point, to make the weak stay weak and have the strong prosper.
'I'm letting the old man's conspiracies get to me.'
It was clear something weird was happening but I didn't have any clue what it was. Creating theories with so little knowledge was foolish, especially when I had no reason to think of it in my current predicament. Surviving was tough enough at the very moment, maybe when I am able to make actual change in the world I will have long thoughts about it.
'Ahh, I'm getting side tracked again.'
Training was getting boring, I liked it sure but that was only for the breakthroughs I sometimes had. These tedious sessions of just doing something again and again with little to no progress were now getting to me.
I rocked my head back and fourth against the cloth of the hammock, of course I couldn't feel it or hear the fabric move but with my motion sense sure enough I saw myself swing my head around like some crazy person.
I was just brain storming for something to do at this point other then just use my motion sense and by the time I left my hammock again I found myself even more tired than before I 'rested'.
Before I left my hammock I made sure to activate and strengthen or weaken some senses for my needs which were currently just whatever helped me go down the side of the cliff safely.
It didn't take long to reach the bottom and once I did I once again wondered what I should do, in the mean time I decided to look at the atlas system. I hadn't done it in some time because I had no need to, my memory was perfect so the only thing I had to look out for were changes.
Name:
Description: A knowledge seeker without a hunger for new knowledge is truly a pitiful existence. Who would object their own existence?
Species: Homo Sapiens
Step: Beast
Mana: 2.61
Drain: 0.0000023/s
Traits: Incomplete Perfection, Knowledgeable
Blessing: Knowledge Seeker
Curse: Loathsome
Features: Translation
The description changed... Its almost like the atlas system is actually saying something to me. It was basically telling me that I need to actually gain knowledge instead of the training I have been doing.
'What more could I possibly do?'