He wasted only a few moments luxuriating in the sweet sense of power coursing through his limbs before placing his skinned furs within the pit then filling it with liquid in a way he refused to think about too closely. Which, ironically, was exactly the way hides had been treated for thousands of years, for all that his alchemically-enhanced compounds were far more effective.
The massive abundance of spirit beast meat more than covered his nutritional needs as his Eternal Fox regeneration quickly restored all the nutrients he was using for the numerous compounds he was generating, the crystal clear pool nearby giving him plenty of the water he needed as well. Of course, the lake was far from placid, but Qi Perception and Olympic-level reflexes easily allowed him to avoid any predacious fish.
Adderstrike successful!
And he was more than happy for the variety in meat as the would-be predators became his prey, though he found the exotic sushi far less appealing than the greater spirit beast meat as one day bled into the next. Of course, Alex had only his internal body clock to go on, there being absolutely no change in light levels or illumination in this underground world. Nonetheless, Alex had the prudence to spend the following night in a crevice he himself chipped from the very face of the cavern wall, well away from the multiple tunnel ledges which simultaneously filled him with terror and exhilaration just to look at.
He had come so close to perishing to that massive flood of shadow jackals upon those tunnel ledges. And never had he experienced quite such a rush of euphoria as he did while fighting for his life against those spirit beasts, each death an explosion of sweet power searing and liberating his soul, flash-healing him in a second as their life force became his own.
Bullrush! Bullrush! Adderstrike! You have successfully jammed your stone spear into domed cavern wall! Strength check made! You’re able to hold on effortlessly to the brittle crevice with your glove of Dark Qi!
And after an intense hour of embracing his favorite Qi discipline and carefully smoothing jagged corners and clearing out all the splinters and dust, he soon had a comfortable person-sized crevice chipped into the stone with a gentle slant tucking him further against the safe inner wall, assuring that when he slept he would be well over a hundred feet above any predators below, such that only monsters able to climb slimy damp sloping walls at a more than ninety degree angle, or chain multiple Bullrushes together like he did, would possibly be able to get to him.
And though he was still naked and forced to sleep against cold stone, his Rank 2 Vitality and natural regeneration meant that discomfort and somewhat restless sleep were the only hardships he suffered, grateful to see that, again, no predator had dared to touch his curing meat, pounded dry after being soaked in brine. And when he brought his properly treated fur up to his sleeping crevice the next day, he savored the wonder of taking his ease in luxurious comfort for the first time in a shockingly long period of time, dozing off upon the silky soft and incredibly plush fur, surprised it had only the slightest odor after the dual treatment his former mentor had taught him. A dash of alchemy had made the process of tanning hides and preserving meats so much more efficient in a world filled with mystical energies than it could ever have been back on Earth.
But what Alex was most grateful for were clothes, humble as they were, having used jagged rocks to cut himself what was effectively a crude poncho made from the most luxurious and resilient beast hide imaginable.
He took a deep breath of satisfaction after donning his clothing, including a fur sack and the crudest of boots that were little more than bundles of treated fur and hide with sinew laces looped through holes punched by exquisitely sharp spirit beast canines. A cross between socks and moccasins. His final piece of manufactured clothing included leather strips and a pouch containing his one greater and five lesser spirit stones, having every intention of keeping his most valuable treasures close.
And after making sure all of his meat and his filled water bladder were safely stored in his expanded crevice, he decided it was finally time to explore the massive cavern and the tunnel complexes beyond.
He also decided it was a good thing he had finally finished preserving and storing his supplies a hundred feet above the caravan ruins. Because the yelping cackles and guttural howls he first heard upon waking up that morning made it clear that predators had finally summoned the courage to enter jackal territory.
He had no doubt that fresh company would be coming very soon.
Stealth check successful! Perception check successful!
Though he had no mystic talents that would allow him to fade to mist or invisibility like the ninjas in his favorite movies, or, perhaps, kitsune, even he could learn to walk quietly, and his increasing ability to sense the pressure of another’s awareness, if not catch the tiniest flicker of their thoughts, thanks to his affinity with Spirit Qi, meant that he knew just when to dart away or find cover out of any predator’s line of sight. That, combined with Qi Perception now so acute he could sense even which way an opponent was facing, meant that he was able to maneuver around the massive abomination he sensed slithering across the ancient stone tiles within the ruins of the city.
Base Stealth skill has been recorded at Rank 2. Multiple bonus modifiers in effect.
He flashed a grin of satisfaction, though he was certain the system was acknowledging his growing proficiency passively, and he would never be able to actively channel core or kill experience into bettering that skill, or ever receiving perks.
Then again...
Bullrush executed! Finesse check made! Lightness in effect! You are perched atop a crumbling edifice! You see your target below you!
Alex gazed down upon a massive creature of whipping tentacles and slime, feeling chilled to the core, glad he decided to take the measure of unknown predators before attempting to charge in like a fool as cultivator and monster both explored the vast, ancient ruined city of shattered marble buildings all around them.
Ruins that reminded Alex of both ancient Grecian and Central American architecture, with graceful curves and box-like shells of buildings. In addition to spotting the rough outlines of structures looking remarkably like the Parthenon, the Colosseum, and numerous buildings that reminded him of nothing so much as Aztecan temples, there were structures here so ancient and alien that they had no equivalent to any earthly bits of architecture he had ever seen.
Yet, for the most part, only fragments of their shells remained. A mazelike series of walls that hinted at the magnificent wonders that had once been an incredible city lost in the depths of this underworld.
Of course, he was neither architect nor geologist, so as to how the massive cavernous chamber arcing so high overhead managed to shelter an entire lost city without collapsing, Alex truly had no idea. He only knew that it was so.
And whether the Dark Qi saturating everything had once been its curse or salvation was a question only the original inhabitants could answer.
And today the ruins, with only one intact building that Alex could see, served as the perfect maze for wandering predators and beasts of prey alike.
Sated as he was, Alex had still enjoyed stealthily scouting the terrain using the ruins to his advantage, leaping from one ruined edifice or crumbling wall to another, well out of sight of the predators lurking below, taking the opportunity to both map the city via his internal matrix and work on developing his perception skills by analyzing the dance of predators and scurrying ratlike prey that had stayed firmly in their burrows for a full day after Alex and the jackals’ titanic struggle.
He had felt a growing sense of confidence when the pair of shadowy puma-like creatures he had been stalking earlier had failed to spot him, though both had abruptly darted off when Alex’s present prey had made itself known, his eyes alighting on the enormous amoeba-like creature even now making its rounds.
Alex wondered if it was more sentinel than wild animal as his exercise continued, for this was the only creature he had found making a deliberate circuit, and it just so happe
ned to be around the one intact structure in the entire city, as far as Alex could tell, modest though it was. A small pyramid of obsidian stone in pristine condition, it was a striking contrast to the marble and granite rubble that made up the rest of the ruins.
Then Alex froze, feeling a sudden cold chill when the slimy horror he was stalking abruptly stiffened, long slime-covered tendrils stretching away from its body, as if transforming into a sensory membrane well able to sense the overconfident human daring to hop from ruined wall to ruined wall tailing it. And before Alex could even leap away, monstrous tendrils whipped downward with killing force, piercing a handful of squealing rat-like beasts darting between broken walls.
Alex let out a shuddering breath, heart hammering.
He could all but taste how close he had come to suffering a handful of spear-like tendrils piercing his own flesh, glad he hadn’t decided to charge the beast head-on like an idiot, more interested in learning the terrain and movements of the creatures below. Then Alex flashed a fierce smile as it all clicked into place, finally spotting that which would make confronting the gelatinous beast secreting caustic sticky slime anything other than a fool’s gamble.
Soul Sight skill check successful! Find Weakness skill check successful!
The body itself was like a gelatinous cube in slug shape more than anything else. Punching or kicking or stabbing the body would be near pointless.
Yet even from here, he could sense the faint pull of a powerful-looking beast core he sensed in its heart. But with no standard organs and no circulatory system, he feared deadly arsenal of poisons was all but worthless. He could think of nothing save flame that would trigger the exothermic catalyzation of that chaotic storm of living Wood and Water Qi before him.
He had no access to fire, unfortunately, and as far as acid went, the creature was covered in caustic slime that would eat right through Alex’s clothes if it so much as touched him.
But after spending countless moments measuring his prey, he could finally sense the strands of Wood and Water Qi spiraling out from the beast core nestled deep within the gelatinous slug, which gave him a certain measure of satisfaction. If he actually had to fight the creature, he now thought he had a good chance of survival.
But now that he had mapped out the heart of the city, his focus was almost entirely upon the obsidian temple that even now seemed to call out to him, wondering what secrets it held.
Perception check failed!
And perhaps it was simple momentary distraction that had nearly cost him everything, or perhaps his opponent was just that good.
For the gelatinous cube had proven quite clever for a beast without a brain, seemingly focused entirely on the squirming rodents its pseudopods had so effortlessly wrapped up before retracting, its victims’ flesh already dissolving within the translucent slug, such a horrifying sight that Alex didn’t even notice the slimy tendril until it had wrapped tightly about him, twirling him around and smashing him into the hard granite surface once, twice, thrice, before snapping back, drawing a stunned Alex in its massive body of slime.
You have been caught off-balance.
You have suffered a Stunning Blow!
Three ribs cracked.
You have failed to save against disorientation!
You are unable to breathe!
Alex’s awareness was shattered by hideous pain when his body was smashed against the hard, stony ground. He heard the crack of splintering bone, jolted to temporary senselessness as the world spun frantically around and he faded out of consciousness only long enough to suffer the horrific sensation of drowning once more, ripped to panicked wakefulness as he sucked in breath... inhaling only caustic slime.
Desperate choking coughs that would spell his panicked end in seconds.
Too terrified even to think of how much of a fool he had been.
And no matter how many times he pulled his broken body free of death, there was absolutely no coming back from being consumed by a creature of slime.
Desperate arms struggled vainly to swim as he jerked his limbs through the gelatin-like medium, looking down at his own trembling hand, trapped in slime before several truths tore into his brain.
He was seeing through eyes that had not been dissolved by acid his body was now all but immune to, and the creature’s insides now shone in brilliant contrast to his Qi Perception, thanks to the glowing beast core at its heart.
And for all that his lungs shrieked for air, he instantly realized how foolish it would be to swim for the creature’s surface membrane, assuming he could even bulge through, tendrils easily tearing him free and smashing him into a pulp before plopping him right back in, and all before he could draw even a single desperate breath.
He had no choice.
Enduring lungs desperately screaming for air, he pushed himself like never before, like a drowning man still swimming into the pool’s deepest corner.
He could feel consciousness fading as he started to slip away, biting his inner cheek so savagely blood was drawn, jolting his dying brain awake, refusing to perish in this ancient city as he choked on Dark Qi, abominations, and death.
Grasping on to desperate hope.
Dark Qi.
A near endless supply of it.
That which almost all other cultivators did all they could to expel, Alex had learned the secret of not only channeling but using to strengthen his body from within. Like oxygen to primitive life forms that died as oxygen levels rose billions of years ago, before mitochondria fused to every cell of every air-breathing creature, transforming that deadly poison into the most efficient energy catalyst imaginable, the flood of ATP fueling every cell in his body.
Cells screaming for oxygen even now.
Something hopelessly beyond his reach, as his struggling limbs weakened, just inches away from the pulsating beast core at its heart.
Alex blazed with desperate intensity, his hand clawing for the gem even as he visualized his peripheral meridians flooding every cell of his body with sweet Dark Qi, far beyond the ratio he normally used for regeneration.
He wasn’t just using the potential of ordered chaos and directed change for cellular repair. He actually dared to use it for sustenance itself, infusing Dark Qi into every crevice of every cell, as if it weren’t chaotic energy at all, but rather sweetest air, sustaining him from death otherwise just seconds away.
His mind flashed with sudden mad insight as time seemed to slow, and he tore free that massive core in the heart of his foe and claimed it for himself.
For a heartbeat, he was the pulse of Dark Qi throbbing through every fiber of his being, revitalizing exhausted cells, transforming carbon dioxide and cellular waste into fresh oxygen and cellular fuel, thriving on the sudden flood of Qi roaring through his frame as he claimed the beast’s core in its entirety.
The silent screams of the gelatinous abomination vibrated through Alex’s bones before he was sent hurtling through the air, bursting free of his foe as it exploded into a viscous pool of hot, caustic slime. A handful of lurking shadow beasts began shrieking and scurrying off as they were splattered by the acidic substance that easily wiped free of Alex’s exhausted, shuddering frame, along with the shredded remains of his clothes.
Insight gained! Struggling on the cusp of asphyxiation while channeling a Greater Beast Core has given you additional insights into the harmonious flow of life and Qi!
Eternal Fox Body Cultivation is now Rank 10! You are now utterly self-sufficient! You no longer need food, air, or water for survival! Note: focus is still needed at your level of skill. Healing rate and Qi Pool will suffer a significant reduction, depending on how extreme your environmental hardship is. For peak performance, external food, water, and oxygen sources are ideal!
Additional breakthrough made! Regeneration is now automatic! Your cells will automatically begin regenerating when injury is taken, even if you are not focused upon it, even if you are in the middle of combat! (Note: Power Healing is not automatic, but can now be em
braced with a skill check, even in the middle of combat! A brief respite is best, however, no matter how slight.)
Yet Alex was in too much agony to pay the notifications any heed as he took great heaving gasps of air, every nerve within his body howling with pain beyond anything he could fathom, before he finally blacked out.
Because healing brought its own agony, no matter how brilliantly he could do it, vibrant nerves making their presence known just as healthy nerves should, and no matter how bright the flashing notification in his mind’s eye, his desperate attempt to sustain every fiber of his being with Dark Qi alone had been as abrupt and shocking to his system as an athlete being thrown into arctic waters.
A shock to his system beyond belief, which he had never endured before.
When he jolted out of his dazed stupor, it was to the guttural rumbles of a handful of red-eyed shadow cats flashing wicked teeth as they snarled, a chilled Alex realizing he was buck naked once more, and that he would probably have been disemboweled already, were it not for the pool of extremely caustic slime he was currently lying in the heart of, all that remained of the hideous abomination that had come so terribly close to killing him.
As it was, the trio of hunting cats would touch the gelatinous liquid with tentative paws, hiss at smoking claws, and back away, snarling.
Alex shuddered at the slimy goop still covering him. Never mind that he had triumphed against a massive collective of shadow jackals by the slimmest of margins, or that he was now all but impervious to any poison or acid. Just the thought of having to face any amoeba-like horror ever again filled him with revulsion. The memory of every cell in his body screaming for oxygen even as they subsisted on some strange fusion of Dark Qi and internal rejuvenation was nearly as terrifying as dying itself.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4 Page 32
