by TurtleMe
Noticing that the sun had already set, I went back to my camp and took out a few strips of squirrel meat that I had smoked so that I didn’t have to keep hunting.
“I really wish I could use the aether orb for this,” I muttered, looking down at the charred, tasteless meat in my hand.
I had made significant progress since I first put a hiatus on my hunt for Clawed and devoted all of my time and energy into training this past week, splitting the days into training Burst Step and refining my mana core. The remaining two or three hours were used for sleep.
However, the more I practiced, the more I hungered to master this movement technique. With the tweak I had made using previous knowledge of human anatomy, Mirage Walk would become even more refined. Not only would it be instant and versatile, it would be as deadly as it was elegant.
The basics of Burst Step that I had executed when first succeeding in it looked almost like a wide leap, granted that it was still incredibly fast. This was because, although mana couldn’t be sensed under the effects of Mirage Walk, there were still a stance and a series of motions that were needed to be made in order for the human body to be able to take that step.
Kordri, an asura who had used Burst Step in his human form, also couldn’t ignore the mechanisms of his body despite his superior physique.
What I was working my way towards was consciously and deliberately manipulating mana into specific muscles in a specific progression at the specific, precise timing to artificially trigger a sequence in my body that mimicked the use of muscles without actually having the need to maneuver my body.
If I could get the timing and output of mana controlled perfectly, I would be capable of something even Kordri couldn’t do; I could execute Mirage Walk in, but not limited to, an orthostatic, or standing, position.
“Gah, even thinking about it was confusing,” I relented. Finishing my dinner, I headed back to the clearing I had crudely optimized in the last week.
Standing about five meters away from the bed of leaves that was made to soften my fall, I concentrated. Willing mana to manipulate my muscles was a lot like using your thoughts to make a dummy move. Most of the movements that people do were automatically done; I didn’t have to think of what muscles I needed to use in order to breathe. However, since I would be using a mediating factor, mana, in order to generate an action from my body, it was like learning to move all over again.
“Ugh.” I spit out the mouthful of leaves and wiped my tongue with my sleeve. Getting back up, I returned to my initial position and concentrated again.
I had somewhat succeeded in propelling myself using the bare minimum amount of movement, but coming to a proper stop was another, huge obstacle that I was having trouble overcoming.
Just like how a toddler couldn’t control how far or high he jumped, using mana to manipulate the inner workings of my body had made it hopelessly difficult for me to control.
However, at least the initial step and the very foundation of Mirage Walk where I manipulated atmospheric mana to conceal the fluctuations of mana in my body had become much easier for me. I still needed to balance the capacity of my mana veins to my mana channels in order for me to better control this, but I didn’t have time for that now.
After I had properly hidden my presence, I imagined the muscular system in my body. Recalling all the muscles responsible for using Burst Step, I tried once again.
The interior and exterior abductors around the pelvis, the quadriceps, the tibialis, the calf muscles, and the glutes all lit up on the imaginary figure of myself I fabricated to better conceptualize the specific order that I had willed the mana to trigger. I could feel the corresponding muscles pulse as mana coursed through in the sequence I had commanded. With just the slight shift of my left leg and the aid of mana, the landscape around me blurred as I executed Burst Step from a standing upright position.
“Woah!” I yelped as I tumbled forward onto the pile of leaves once again.
I had failed again in coming to a full stop. Even if mana could help me with the initial burst of speed, it was much harder to stop in the exact position and location that I had wanted to.
Letting out a defeated sigh, I continued practicing.
As the sun sank and a crescent moon shifted into view, I laid there in the bed of leaves staring vacantly at the night sky. Raising my hand, I pinched at where the moon appeared to be with my fingers. The moon looked so small from here... how small did I appear to be to the moon?
I focused on the left arm that I had lifted, staring the feather Sylvia had given me to cover the orb with and dragon will she had imparted me with.
This, and Sylvie were all I had left of the asura that had saved me, taken care of me, and protected me as a child. Would training like this really allow me to hear from her again, eventually?
Reminiscing my time with her had made long for everyone else. Despite how poorly we had parted, I missed my family.
“Enough, Arthur.” I slapped my cheeks and sat up from the pile of leaves. There were only so many hours in a day, and I couldn’t afford to waste more out here in this godforsaken forest.
Taking a deep breath, I began cultivating my mana core. It had been a slow process once I got to the light-yellow stage. I was chipping away at a mountain with only spoon in my hand, but there was definitely progress.
I got lost in the ever-cumbersome process of absorbing, purifying, and refining when the familiar chirps of morning birds snapped me out of my meditation.
I was covered in sweat and grime as my body expelled the impurities in my mana core, making me not only filthy, but hungry as well.
Looking at the remains of smoked meat I had left, I would have to hunt today. After gnawing through the remainder of my charred squirrel, I packed my water pouch and departed.
Keeping my mind placid and my presence hidden with Mirage Walk, I slowly trekked deeper into the dense forest. It had been harder for me to find wildlife near camp, so every time I hunted, I needed to go a bit deeper.
By the time I noticed, however, I realized that the forest had gotten much quieter. Birds chirped in the nearby distance but there were no signs of raptor squirrels or other mana beasts in the vicinity
“Hmm,” I muttered, surveying the area. Releasing the use of Mirage Walk, I concentrated mana into my ears. I wasn’t able to hear anything at first but after a few minutes I caught on to a faint noise. It sounded like a growl. I couldn’t tell how far away it was, but the sound was familiar; there was a silver panther nearby.
I got a little closer, making sure to hide my presence again. I enhanced my hearing once again, but this time, I was able to make out more noise. I could hear the faint gurgling sound of running water, and a bit past that to the northeast. What I also noticed was that it wasn’t just one silver panther. There were two panthers in the same vicinity.
“That’s odd,” I noted. My understanding of the silver panthers, from what I’d seen so far, was that they were fairly territorial amongst each other and hunted by themselves.
Perhaps they were fighting over territory? That would certainly explain the lack of prey in the vicinity...
Implementing Mirage Walk again, I hastily made my way towards the ensuing battle. I couldn’t help but grin at my luck.
My speculation had been correct; as I stealthily approached the sound of the silver panthers, I spotted their distinct silver coat near a small clearing of trees alongside a cliff. It was impossible to tell how deep down the fall was from here, but just from the fact that there was a good two hundred yards from here to the other end of the chasm and I couldn’t see the ground meant that if those silver panthers fell off, it wouldn’t be easy for me to retrieve their bodies.
Hiding behind a nearby tree, I observed. It was easy to figure out that they were clearly hostile to one another, but what caught me by surprise was that one of the silver panther was Clawed; the distinct scars on his back made him easily distinguishable. His opponent, on the other hand, was unfamiliar to me. He
was clearly larger, but by the fresh wounds on its face and side, it seemed like Clawed had the upper hand.
As the two mana beasts slowly circled each other, they let out a low gnarl, baring their sharp teeth.
The opponent was the first to make a move. The larger cat pounced with its claws held high as it let out a fierce snarl.
Clawed reacted instantly, dodging the swipe and countering with his teeth. I became captivated by their fight. Since silver panthers had innately accelerated reflexes and intuition, their exchanges were a relentless flurry of continuous dodging and countering, neither of them incurring any deep wounds. However, for every gash that the larger panther had made, Clawed had given him three in return.
As their battle continued, I didn’t know why, but my heart began pounding restlessly. I was anxious about something, afraid. I had been so caught up in their duel that I didn’t realize how deadly quiet the forest had become, almost mute. There were no sound of birds chirping or mana beasts moving; there wasn’t much as a rustling sound coming from the trees, as if even the wind was afraid of something.
Clawed seemed to have noticed as well because he began behaving very cautiously. His fur was standing on end, his tail sticking straight up as he constantly sniffed for something. The larger cat, unaware of the disturbance, took advantage of the opening and pounced at Clawed. Dodging his opponent, Clawed actually turned and started running away.
I didn’t get it. There was something going on but I couldn’t sense any other presence from here. Why did Clawed run away like that when he was winning?
Putting aside my wariness, I took action on the larger silver panther that still remained. He was injured and his escape routes were limited because of the cliff.
Spotting me, the larger cat began growling, lowering itself into a posture to flee. It knew instinctively that, in its state, it had no chance against me.
The air around us grew heavier as it became harder to breathe, but I maintained my stance.
Now!
The moment I lifted my foot up, the silver panther leaped to the side.
“Got you,” I smirked. I executed Burst Step from my standing position, using the fake step as a feint to get him to move. My surroundings blurred, my eyes focused only on the movement of the wounded mana beast. I had succeeded in cutting him off but the distance I had cleared was insufficient by just over a meter.
As I lost my balance, I desperately grabbed onto the panther’s neck with my arms and held on tightly.
“Gah!” My body jerked unnaturally from the abrupt change in direction and I left was hanging onto the silver panther with all of my strength.
“You’re mine!” I hissed between my teeth as I used mana to strengthen my hold on him. My only hope was to choke him.
The panther I was riding on let out vicious snarl as it whipped its head, trying to throw me off but I endured. Its sharp claws tore at my clothes, ripping fresh wounds on my sides and legs before it buckled feebly from lack of air.
Just when I thought the panther was about to relent, it suddenly jerked. As if possessed, it used the last of its strength to throw itself backwards. By the time I realized what it had done, the ground underneath us was gone as we plummeted down the steep gorge.
Hurtling down, I was reminded of a very similar scene from when I was just a toddler, thrown off the edge of the mountain in order to save my mother.
A thousand scenarios ran through my head as I struggled to decide on the best option to take. The silver panther that had dragged me down to hell was out cold from my choke and was helplessly falling beneath me.
Uttering a string of curses, I slowly balanced myself on top of the unconscious mana beast and exerted mana into my legs. The scene around me was a constant blur from the speed that we were dropping.
“Windsom would understand!” I convinced myself aloud as I propelled myself off the panther.
With the push, I had slowed down but not nearly enough, and there was no place to grab onto on the edge of the cliff.
Another scene flashed into my head; it was the time when I had fallen down the hole in the dungeon, Widow’s Crypt.
‘Was falling down deep chasms going to be some sort of reoccurring theme in my life?’
A surge of wind gathered into my palms as I stared straight down at the approaching ground, concentrating on coalescing my mana into the spell.
Now!
[Typhon’s Howl]
Releasing the spell gathered my palms, the blast of wind surged toward the ground, a deafening screech echoing throughout the steep ravine.
Gritting through the pain in my arms as they held the brunt of the strain from the recoil, I continued exerting mana into the spell.
I could feel the force of the spell negating my fall as I came to a slow hover. Suspending Typhon’s Howl, I dropped down the remaining few meters onto the ground in the center of the blast radius.
A thick cloud of dust had arisen from where my spell had collided with the dirt floor, impeding my vision. Masking my mouth and nose from the debris in the air, I began making my way out of the dust cloud when an earth-shattering roar resounded.
After the thunderous howl subsided, the ground shook once again at the sound of heavy footsteps approaching me.
The force of each resonating stomp threw me off balance. Immediately, I dashed toward the edge of the gorge, praying to whatever divine being that ruled this realm that the cause of such devastating sounds were from an earthquake.
Chapter 116: What Lied Within
As I made my way toward the edge of the ravine, desperately looking for any place to hide, a deep thud shook the ground. A surge of wind then blew toward me, dispersing the cloud of debris that had been my only source of cover.
It was too late to hide.
Whipping my body to face my new enemy, I waited for the last of the dust to clear. Heavy footsteps approached my direction and the suffocating pressure I felt from the top of the cliff had been magnified tenfold.
Out from the fog of rubble, the shadowed figure stepped out into full view, leaving me all the more confused.
Letting out another devastating roar, it took another step toward me. “For two meals to fall in front of my home just before my deep slumber, how lucky of me.”
I didn’t know what to expect when coming face to face with the titan bear, but I sure as hell didn’t expect it would be half my size and have the ability to talk. Titan bear my ass, there was nothing ‘titan’ about it. Maybe it was just a cub? In which case, this was a good opportunity.
I stood my ground, not knowing how to proceed. I would’ve rather avoided a direct confrontation with this mana beast until I knew more about it. The pressure the beast had emitted was no joke, despite its appearance. If this titan bear was only just a cub, I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with a full grown one. Or maybe it was an adult titan bear, and it had the ability to alter its size like Sylvie?
The titan bear looked down, regarding the dead panther in front of him before turning his gaze back to me. “This meal isn’t going anywhere. I should start with you,” the beast, less than a meter tall, growled, licking its lips.
There was no way for me to get out of this without fighting. Lowering my stance, I prepared to fight. I had expected the titan bear to come charging at me, but it stood in place.
Abruptly, the mana beast thrust its paw in my direction, somehow propelling me backward.
The bell tied to my waist rang mockingly as I tumbled on the hard ground.
“Guh!” I gasped for breath, relieved that it wasn’t blood that I had just choked out.
‘What the hell was that? It felt like I was shot in the stomach by a cannon.’ Getting back on my feet, I concentrated on the titan bear that was about ten meters away.
“Ooh! A tough meal,” the bear snickered. The sight of a bear, no higher than my elbow, standing on two legs and speaking coherently was an odd sight, but I had no room to be amused.
His attack just now was definite
ly some kind of long range spell, but I couldn’t understand why I had felt no mana.
The bear slowly lifted his paw, as if mocking me. As soon as the titan bear swung down, I activated Mirage Walk and used Burst Step.
My jaw clenched as I gritted through the ache that had intensified throughout the past several days.
A sharp pain suddenly came from my left leg. Looking down, I could see fresh blood flowing from a gash on the back of my calf.
I had expected the attack to be like the last one, but this invisible spell had taken the form of something sharp.
This attack as well; I wasn’t able to sense it.
The smile on the titan bear’s face was gone. It seemed like he wasn’t expecting me to dodge another one of his attacks.
“Stop running!” It growled, swinging his paw once more.
Immediately dropping to the floor, I narrowly avoided the slash attack, the severed tips of my hair sprinkling down on my nose.
It was a risky gamble, but through that last attack, I was able to figure it out. When he slashed with his paw, the attack that was released was also a sharp slash. When he punched with his paw, like he had for the first move, a blunt force was shot out.
The titan punched at me from the distance, sending another invisible cannon my way. Even when I concentrated mana into my eyes, I wasn’t able to see the attack, leaving me no choice but to blindly throw myself out of the way.
The mana beast’s spell hit my side and I felt ribs cracking. Not giving me time to prepare again, the bear swung his other paw, releasing another spell immediately after his first one.
I made too wide of a movement to dodge the previous attack for me to be able to avoid this one as well.
Gritting my teeth, I willed more mana to protect my body, waiting for the brunt of the next attack.
The force of the titan bear’s spell knocked me off the ground. Blood spurted from my chest as four horizontal gashes formed just below my collar bone.
“Damn,” I coughed out, suppressing the searing pain. I wouldn’t be able to handle any more direct hits.
