Light (Buryoku Book 2)

by Aaron Oster

  “I’m honestly not sure. Maybe the influx of new memories wore me out? I honestly don’t feel all that tired. I feel as though I can go for another few months without sleep. I just did it last night because I was bored.”

  Roy thought on that as he rounded the spire and began his second lap. If what Geon said was true and he really could stay awake for the next few months, then perhaps the core didn’t need sleep like Roy did. Perhaps his mind simply became overtaxed at a certain point, and he needed to rest for a few hours.

  He’d have to keep track over the next few months, though he didn’t really think it would matter. Even if Geon was asleep, it didn’t affect his ability to use Essence. It was easier with him awake, as a second opinion was always good when training. Even one who wasn’t always especially understanding or nice.

  Roy did several more laps around the spire, stopping every other lap to do some pushups, sit-ups, lunges and squats. It was murder on his lower body, but he knew that it was necessary. Strong legs meant a strong foundation. One could get by with a weaker upper body, but not with weak legs.

  Not that he slacked on upper body training. As soon as his run was over, he moved to the heavy stones he’d gathered when they’d set up in this outpost and began a series of exercises designed to shred his muscles. He didn’t go so hard that he’d be unable to fight, he was in enemy territory after all, but went hard enough to challenge himself and build up a good sweat. He finished his muscle and endurance training after roughly two hours, then went to grab something to drink before heading back out.

  Taking up the main stance of the Unaru Kuma, Roy began moving through the forms with exaggerated care.

  “You know you’re doing that all wrong,” Geon said as Roy made a clumsy lunge, nearly stumbling as he did so.

  “I can’t help it,” Roy replied, recovering his balance and continuing the form. “This is designed to be used with a Movement technique. Without one, I can’t cover the distance quickly enough, so the moves end up looking all choppy and unrefined.”

  “You look like a fish flopping around on land,” Geon said flatly. “Why don’t you just give up on practicing until you’ve figured out a Movement technique?”

  “Because it builds up my muscles,” Roy replied, jumping forward with a flying knee and only closing half the distance needed for the move. “And it gets my body used to the movements, so when I do learn a Movement technique, I won’t have to learn everything from scratch.”

  “Won’t it affect you negatively if you get too used to it? If you continue doing the same move the wrong way over and over, when you finally can perform it, your body will want to continue doing it the way you’re used to. Then, you’ll not only have to learn to do the move correctly but fight against your own muscle memory the entire time.”

  Roy froze, halfway through a form. Geon had made a very valid point, one that he couldn’t argue. Muscle memory was a real thing, and if he trained himself incorrectly, he could hurt himself when attempting to do it the right way.

  “Huh. Now that you mention it, I can see what you mean. Maybe I should only be practicing forms that don’t require any Essence to perform.”

  “That would be the smarter option. Glad you see it my way.”

  Roy spent the next hour and a half working through the basic striking forms of the Unaru Kuma, focusing on punches, knees, and elbows. After that, he moved to an adjacent stone spire and began the moves all over again, this time, using the Exploding Fist.

  His Essence coated limbs smacked into the solid stone over and over again. When he’d first started training this way, he would leave with his knuckles and arms bruised and bloodied. He’d grown thick callouses in the areas he used to strike, and with the added benefit of the technique taking the brunt of the force, he barely felt it now.

  His attacks blew small chunks of stone from the spire, leaving cracks and indents where the blows connected. He was growing increasingly frustrated, as he seemed to be unable to regulate the amount of force he wanted to put into each attack. Aika had explained that control and mastery would come in time, but Roy wasn’t happy with that.

  When one punch blew a chunk of stone clean off and another barely left a crack, it made using it very risky. Then, there was also the part of his technique where he could build power by striking the same spot over and over. Aika had been surprised, then delighted, when he’d demonstrated this. She’d said that he’d found an improved version of his own technique, meaning that he’d discovered the second stage.

  She’d said that she never heard of someone doing that before knowing at least a few other techniques beforehand and that he should be very proud. He had been, up until he realized that an improved technique just meant less control and a greater Essence cost. His Exploding Fist: Increase, as he called it, took a massive amount of concentration. And, as the damage output increased with each consecutive blow landed, so would the Essence cost. Not to mention that the increase in power would be directly proportional to that of the first blow landed. So, if the first attack could crack stone, the fourth or fifth would probably turn it to dust.

  But if the first didn’t leave so much as a dent, the fourth or fifth would do much more than leaving some scarring on the stone. There was also the Essence cost involved. While he had been increasing his output every day by packing more and more into expanding his Core, the amount needed to sustain the technique could be anywhere from negligible to enormous.

  His most powerful Increase attack had been a series of seven punches that had torn through the base of one of the thinner spires. However, that single attack had drained his Core completely.

  Roy stepped back from the spire with a sigh, shaking out his arms to get rid of the lactic acid buildup. Control seemed to be his number one problem with the Exploding Fist right now, which was the exact opposite of his other technique, the Void Sphere. He had complete control over his Projected technique. The problem there was in the amount of time it took to conjure.

  Aika said that a proper Projected technique should be near-instantaneous. Yet it took him a full five seconds to conjure his. In a battle, five seconds was a lot of time. Especially in a battle between Martial Artists. He sighed once more and went to sit with his back to the other spire, getting into his cycling position

  “Do you really think it’s a good idea to be cultivating when you’re so sore?” Geon asked.

  “I don’t see why not,” he replied, wiping the sweat from his brow and calming his breathing. “Sore muscles never stopped me from exercising, so why should this be any different?”

  “Good point. Carry on, then.”

  Roy closed his eyes and began once again cycling the same way he had the day before. He’d looked over the old scroll containing the technique the previous evening after he’d finished eating. And sure enough, he found that he’d been doing it wrong all along. He also discovered that he’d been sitting wrong and breathing wrong as well.

  Luckily, the channels he’d formed around his Core had been correct, as that would have been disastrous. Geon had helped him decipher most of the scroll, though there was still some of it he couldn’t understand. But he figured that when he understood his Path better, or when he advanced, he’d be able to figure it out.

  After all, he’d figured this much out already, hadn’t he? And now, he could cultivate way faster than he could before. He felt a connection with Power Essence like he never had and was beginning to understand it on a deeper level.

  For example, when his Core expanded, pushing out vast amounts of Essence at once, he didn’t try and force it to obey his will. He merely guided it, nudging it so it would…

  Roy’s thoughts screamed to a halt, and his eyes snapped open, throwing off his cycling rhythm.

  “That’s it!” he exclaimed excitedly, shooting to his feet.

  “What’s it?”

  “I figured out what I’ve been doing wrong! Why I couldn’t seem to get the Movement technique!”

  “Really? I haven�
��t, so do tell,” Geon said, sounding excited as well.

  “Until now, I’ve been trying to follow Aika’s advice. Even though we’re not on the same Path, I thought the basic principle would be the same. But that’s not how Power Essence behaves. Power does not bend to the will of another. You can’t force it to do what you want. But you can guide it.”

  “Oh! Now I get it!” Geon replied. “All you have to do is guide the Essence as it flows through you and attempt to turn that into a technique.”

  “I think so, though it would have been near-impossible before I found this improved cycling technique…Well, maybe not,” Roy amended a moment later. “There are other Power cultivators out there, and I know for a fact that Irusaru didn’t have my cultivation technique, so there must be another way. But as far as I’m concerned, this is what will work for me.”

  “You know, as excited as you are about getting started right away, I don’t think your channels can handle it quite yet. That’s why you didn’t use this cycling technique when training your other techniques earlier, right?”

  Geon’s words hit Roy like a boulder to the face. How could he have been such an idiot? Just a couple of hours ago, he’d been bemoaning his inability to have control over his techniques. And the entire time, he’d been using his old cycling technique!

  “Um, yeah, that’s exactly right,” Roy responded, getting back into his cycling position.

  If Geon assumed he’d thought this up on his own, he wasn’t going to contradict him. If he knew that he’d done so just because he hadn’t thought of doing it another way, he’d never hear the end of it.

  7

  “I think I’m finally ready,” Roy said, rising from his cycling position and stretching mightily.

  It had been just over a week since Aika had left, and he’d filled his days with training and exercise. He’d been working his improved cultivation technique as hard as he could to get his body used to it, and although it wasn’t perfect just yet, he was comfortable enough that he could begin attempting to learn a Movement technique.

  He was growing a little worried about Aika. Though Roy knew she could defend herself, there was an ongoing war between the clans of The Cater. More than once, he’d been forced to stop his training and run to hide in the spire. He’d almost been caught once when his concentration had slipped and he’d allowed his Spirit Sense to waver.

  A patrol had sensed him and moved to investigate. It was only because of Geon that he’d managed to make it inside. And even then, the patrol of Orange and Green-Belts had poked around the area far too long for his comfort. Now, he kept his Spirit Sense wide open at all times and at the smallest hint of danger, immediately stopped what he was doing and went to hide.

  The continued absence of the Tonde clan told him that they were likely too tied up in the war to come after him. He was still on guard for them, but by now, he’d begun to relax somewhat.

  “Are you sure about that? You haven’t already forgotten what happened this morning, have you?”

  Roy rubbed at his still sore arms, remembering what had happened when he’d tried using his Physical technique with the improved cycling technique.

  “How was I supposed to know it would be so effective?” he asked, feeling a bit defensive.

  The resulting blast had emptied half his Core and blown a massive chunk of the spire to rubble. Geon had speculated that something like that might even be enough to seriously injure a Base Orange-Belt if he connected with a solid blow. Roy was astonished by the sheer power of the attack but knew it would be wholly impractical if it took so much Essence just to use. He decided that for now, he’d be going back to the old cycling technique.

  He would test it a few more times to see if the power output was the same each time. And if it was, he may be able to use it once he increased the amount of Essence he could hold at once. He’d decided he would test the Void Sphere another day, maybe when Aika was around, just in case. If he lost control or the area affected would be larger than anticipated, he wanted someone around who could get him out of there. Then again, if he could figure out a Movement technique, perhaps he could do it himself.

  “You have a brain, right? Shouldn’t you have realized that a more powerful cultivation technique would result in a more powerful attack?”

  Roy didn’t dignify that with a response, instead taking up a fighting stance and beginning to cycle his Essence through himself according to the improved technique. He focused on nudging the Essence down to his legs; his mind bent completely on the task at hand.

  “Look out!”

  Geon’s shout startled Roy so badly that he reacted before thinking. Diving to the side, he felt something catch the back of his fluttering robes, tearing it off. Rolling to his feet, heart pounding, Roy whirled in place, feeling his heart practically leap to his throat.

  A massive, towering, very familiar-looking monster deer stood where he’d been just a second before, its glowing eyes locked on him in anger, sure that it had caught him unaware.

  “How did that thing manage to sneak up on me?” Roy asked, trying to calm his racing heart as the deer spun on him, drool pouring from the corners of its mouth. Which, coincidentally, was absolutely full of jagged and misaligned teeth.

  “Don’t ask me,” Geon replied. “That thing must have been hiding pretty well though, because I didn’t feel it either until it was practically on top of us.”

  The Beast let out a roar, then dashed toward him, mouth hanging open and eyes locked on his throat.

  Roy slid into a defensive position, channeling Essence up to his arms in preparation to use the Exploding Fist. As the deer closed with him, he pivoted, just barely managing to get out of the Beast’s razor-sharp antlers. In the same move, he used the momentum to slam two quick punches into the deer’s side.

  An explosion of force rocked the Beast, throwing it off balance. Roy immediately followed up, chasing after the deer and raining blows into its unprotected side. Unfortunately, it seemed the deer was made of tough stuff, as it was able to shake off the first three and reacted quickly enough to stop a fourth from landing.

  It whirled in place, kicking out with its hooves, and two sharpened spikes made of stone shot from the ground aimed directly at his chest. Roy stumbled back, disengaging from the deer and narrowly avoiding being skewered.

  “Watch out. It's coming after you!”

  Roy leaped to the side, feeling the hem of his robes tear as they caught in the deer’s antlers. He shoved down as he landed, using the force of his technique to shove himself to his feet. Then, he unleashed another blast from his foot to spin him one hundred and eighty degrees midair. He powered up his other leg as he spun and caught the deer in the rear end, sending it tumbling across the ground.

  “Wow! I had no idea you were so nimble!” Geon crowed as he landed back on the ground and dashed toward the fallen Beast.

  He was already out of breath, and his Core had been diminished by nearly half with that maneuver. He was honestly shocked he’d been able to pull off such a feat of acrobatics and precise control over his body. Then again, he’d acted without much thought, so he had to give his instincts credit rather than his mind for thinking of it. Either way, the Beast was barely scratched, meaning it would take a heck of a lot more to put it down.

  A wall of stone shot from the ground right before his face, but he was moving quickly enough that he was able to vault it by using the Exploding Fist. Essence shot from his feet, propelling him five feet into the air, and he performed a half somersault midair before coming back down on the other side.

  The deer was back on its feet by the time he reached it, and it lashed out with a spinning kick, throwing its rear hooves into his face. Seeing that avoiding the attack wasn’t an option, Roy vented Power Essence from his body in an attempt to soften the blow.

  There was an explosion of force as the hooves impacted the cloud of Essence, sending both him and the deer flying in opposite directions. Roy didn’t land on his feet this time, h
itting the ground hard and rolling several times before coming to a halt.

  Groaning, he forced himself back to his feet, wincing in pain from all the new bruises he was sure he’d picked up. Turning his attention back to the Beast, he could see it was still unhurt. Then, the worst came to pass.

  The deer roared, its body shining a dark brown as it channeled Earth Essence, then shot forward, the stone beneath its feet cracking under the force of its Movement technique. Roy knew he couldn’t avoid that attack and by what he’d felt so far, it seemed that it was at least at the Orange level.

  Where was Aika when he needed her?

  The deer slammed into him, launching him into the air with half a dozen puncture wounds from its sharp antlers.

  Roy cried out in pain, feeling as the antlers scraped the bone in his shoulder, as well as one of his ribs. But he still managed to spin in the air and land on his feet.

  “That did not look pleasant,” Geon said. “Looks like he’s not gonna give you a break, either. Better do something quick.”

  “Thanks for stating the obvious!” Roy yelled, gathering his Essence to form another Physical technique.

  If he could throw the Beast off balance, then perhaps he could make a run for it. Fighting was out of the question, as he hadn’t managed to do so much as a scratch. The deer wove skillfully around his strikes, then whirled in place and lashed out with its rear hooves once more. Only Roy’s quick reaction saved him from losing his head. He no longer had the Essence required to repeat his earlier feat, so he simply crossed his arms before him and hoped for the best. His right arm buckled under the blow, the bone snapping with an audible crack, and his left arm was severely bruised.

  Roy screamed in pain once more as his arm fell limply to his side, panting hard to keep his blurry vision fixed on the enemy. The deer whirled back around and began glowing with the telltale signs of its Movement technique once again. He felt fear overwhelm the pain he was in and tried desperately to dive to the side.