Quickness 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population)
Finesse 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population)
Spiritual Characteristics
Scholarship 11 (Exceeds 62% of Population)
Perception 13 (Exceeds 83% of Population)
Willpower 14 (Exceeds 90% of Population)
Qi pool 14 (6 Meridian Gateways Open)
Health Points: 225
Perks
Insightful – Rank 2
Charismatic – Rank 2
Favorite Skills
Golden Realms Kung Fu – Rank 4
Fangtian Ji (Halberd) – Rank 4
Long Spear (Pike) – Rank 4
Gladius (Short Sword) – Rank 4
Poison Spitting – Rank 4
Additional Skills
Terran Grappling – Rank 2
Terran Fencing – Rank 1
Terran Capitalism – Rank 3
Mathematics – Rank 2
Dagger – Rank 3
Dao (Saber) – Rank 3
Short Spear – Rank 3
Cleaving Polearms – Rank 3
Qi Disciplines
Adderstrike – Rank 4 (Insights achieved: Expanded Mastery. Can be used with all thrusting attacks, straight-line punches or kicks, and all shin strikes. Whole body potency insight! With further practice and appropriate technique, you are almost positive that your entire body can be made invulnerable during the instant you strike! Cost to use: 1 Qi point per strike.)
Bullrush – Rank 2 (4) (Two level-up specialization points invested. Effective Rank is 4. Insights achieved: Extended Range & Maneuverability: you can blink forward or back, up to 30 feet, without falling over. You can pivot and strike without needing a finesse roll, so long as you have practiced the maneuver. Cost to use: 1 Qi point per blink.)
Piercing Strike – Rank 0 (You have yet to fully comprehend this art.)
Qi Deflection – Rank 0 (You have yet to fully comprehend this art.)
Interface Enhanced Skills
Biochemical Mastery – Rank 5 (Now includes Alchemy – usable in Divine Artifact only.) You may now synthesize or cure any poison or formulae mastered. Limitations apply.
Botanical Formulae mastered: 26
Botanical Poisons mastered: 8 Ancient / 4 Modern
Biocontaminants mastered: Tetanus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
60% Immunity to the effects of all caustic compounds or inhaled irritants. (Full immunity to the caustic and toxic effects of all poisons mastered.)
30% Immunity to ethanol intoxication.
Full Immunity to Tainted Spirit Beast Blood.
Arcane Formulae witnessed:
- Enhanced Cycling Pill. 95% comprehension achieved.
Arcane Formulae mastered:
- Meridian Rejuvenation Elixirs for all known combinations of Fire, Metal, Water, Wood, & Earth Affinities.
- Unorthodox Shadow Meridian Rejuvenation Elixir (Fire/Earth/Metal/Shadow)
- Meridian Purification Elixir (Will cleanse 1 clogged meridian channel. Use no more than 1 per month.)
Note: divine artifact is needed to facilitate all alchemical elixirs. Silverbells are needed for all known Cultivation Elixirs. Shadow blossoms are needed for all Shadow Meridian Rejuvenation Elixirs. All elixirs must be diluted to 1/12 potency for safety. Only elixirs that restore meridian channels or heal the body can benefit the creator.
Full Regenerative Capacity (Heal rate based on Vitality. Injuries will be free of scarring. Missing limbs will require one week per pound of biomaterial lost to regenerate fully.)
_______________________________________
2
Alex was both amazed and humbled by how far he’d come in such a short time. Though he had made tremendous strides as a basic cultivator in an incredibly short period of time, he had gone from beloved disciple with an absolute fortune in alchemical treasures to a penniless slave who couldn’t even properly cultivate. His unlimited storage ring so vital to safely storing away the vast amounts of entangled Dark and Light Qi blocking his meridian gateways was now empty of all its prizes, and worse, utterly closed off to him.
At least his body was in one piece, and stronger than it had ever been before. All four of his physical attributes were now at a remarkable 15, which, if he recalled correctly, put him in the top 5% of the population in terms of physique and athletic potential. He was no professional athlete, but he could probably make the cut of any college varsity team, if he were still back on Earth. Thoughts he quickly pushed out of mind, as homesickness for a life forever lost to him wasn't something he could afford to be distracted by right now.
He frowned, carefully looking over his other stats. It seemed his Qi pool had also jumped from 10 to 14, perhaps due to his sixth gate being cleared and the two spare points from his maxed out physical attributes, though why Strength and Vitality couldn’t go beyond 15 he had no idea. Just looking at some of the burly slaves, to say nothing of Zeng Zeng and Scar, made it clear he had by no means reached the pinnacle of strength, or anything close to it.
He sighed, giving a bitter shake of his head. If nothing else, he was alive and relatively unharmed, at least for now. Of course, his stomach lurched at the prospect of having to face down terrible spirit beasts that had gored the last fool to wear the armor now covering his clammy skin, and he with no way to make use of his ring or even use his Qi powers without risking the vile Tang Dan setting him ablaze.
Alex had no idea whether or not the Ogre Magi could really sense surges of Qi through his artifact, but if Alex did anything obviously extraordinary, his captors would realize they had actually managed to capture a cultivator, and his chances of escape would probably fall to zero.
A cold chill came over him as he met the fire-mage’s glaring eyes before quickly lowering his head.
Would the ring work for him at all now?
At least he took some comfort in the fact that the same odd interface ability he had entered this world with, that could pull up a quantized version of his growth, assured him that he had not lost his ability to fully recover from any injury he could survive, or gain immunity to toxins from simple exposure to them.
His heart raced when he thought back to one ability he did have, but as soon as he felt a certain citrusy tang in the back of his throat, he stumbled in sudden dizziness.
Damn. It seemed his ability to generate poisons, painfully slow as it was, had been impaired as well. He’d be a fool draining his body of precious nutrients when he still hadn’t completely recovered from whatever ordeal had brought him from the brink of death, only to find he had collapsed just feet away from a band of slavers. Besides, he had no way of storing any toxin he did make, and if anyone suspected him of anything in the days to come, he was as good as dead.
“You stumble this soon, you’re as good as dead,” muttered one of his fellow prisoners, the burly man ahead of him not even bothering to look back.
Alex felt chilled by the offhand warning, quickly allowing the faint tingle in his throat to fade, and he immediately felt better, focusing only on conserving his energy and putting one foot in front of another, tuning out the muffled sobs of women and children in the wagons, those that weren’t walking like the men. The female captives forced to walk wore wide-brimmed straw hats to protect their skin from sun damage, Alex supposed, with the glimpses he caught of them following the second wagon. They seemed to be secured by nothing more than rope tied about their necks, though there looked to be plenty of give.
He guessed the slavers didn’t fear whatever threat they might pose, or them fleeing, alone and defenseless, with nothing but dangerous forests all around. Perhaps he should feel flattered that the slavers had invested a magical collar in binding him. But if all they had was thin rope, it made sense why all the men were collared. Heavy chains were absent, no doubt because they would both slow down the caravan and mark their flesh, decreasing their value, Alex assumed, as horrific as he found the thought to be.
After a time, the slave w
ho had spoken earlier looked his way again. “How are you doing, kid?”
Alex held back a frown. He was eighteen, an adult, even by this world’s standards. Yet his admittedly fair skin was nothing like the weather-roughened and often pockmarked hides sported by every other male slave; craggy features roughened by hot sun, grime, years of manual labor, and despair. If anything, he knew he should be grateful. Did he not have his fair features and the dash of charisma his character sheet indicated, he would probably be suffering far worse than he was at present.
“I’m doing fine, sir.”
The man smirked. “I’m no sir, kid. Call me Peng. No need for any more name than that, where we’re going.”
“I’m Alex.”
The man nodded, frowning thoughtfully. Alex made sure to keep his voice low as well, and since their pace didn’t slow, they stayed beneath the guard’s notice.
“You’re lucky, Alex.”
Alex’s eyes widened at the sheer audacity of the statement. “I’m wearing an enchanted slave collar,” was all he said.
The man smirked. “True. And if you hadn’t looked like a fine prize who would score a pile of silver, sold to the right buyer, and so close to death that they debated whether or not you’d pull through last night, you wouldn’t even be standing here now.”
"Really."
The man flashed a bitter smile. “The screams we heard today would have been your own.”
Alex clenched his fists, holding back the bile that could no longer scald his throat. “Why?”
The man shrugged. “To break you. Body and soul. So you’d be too terrified to even flinch at their presence, willing to endure any degradation or humiliation, if it would spare you further torment. The collar? Could easily kill you, sure. But it would be a quicker death than the one you would receive if you actually dared to displease them.”
Alex paled at those words, near stumbling.
“Walk straight!” the man hissed. “Don’t draw attention!”
Alex jerked a nod, shaking legs walking straight once more.
It was several long, tense moments before Peng bothered to speak again, the pair enduring a cold stare from one of the guards before the man rode ahead on his mount at the sound of Scar’s voice.
“As I said, kid, you’re lucky. You look a fresh enough prize they even gave you a hat, so your skin doesn’t weather in the sun.”
Alex flushed at that. It was true, and at the time he hadn’t even questioned it, though only a few of the men wore the same.
Peng smirked. “I’m sure you can guess why they wanted to keep you looking as pretty as the ladies ahead.”
Alex flushed. “I can imagine.”
“They were debating whether or not to break you in. Since you were delirious last night, they decided to wait until you pulled through.”
Alex paled again.
His companion chuckled softly. “You’re damn lucky you recovered so quickly, boy. You look nothing like that ragged, broken boy they dragged up from the river. I guess some meat and a good walk in the sun’s all you needed to perk back up.”
Alex shrugged. “I guess so.”
Peng’s gaze hardened. “And here’s where I talk and you listen. No lip. Our captors do more than just trade slaves. Since few slaves can cultivate, of course they take the Trade Road, not the High Road above. So what takes those damned cultivators a single day to traverse, takes us over a month. Or longer. Understand?”
Alex nodded.
“And I’m guessing you already know the one advantage we have on the ground they don’t have in the air.”
“Foraging for alchemical ingredients and hunting spirit beasts?”
“Didn’t think of foraging. Our masters don’t bother with that. Though of course we’re expected to harvest whatever leaks, celery, and wild cabbage we find by the riverbed every night before camp. But yes, boy, spirit beasts. And the minute you got up today and everyone saw that you had a man’s strength, well, Scar’s interested in anyone who can brace a spear and earn their keep in other ways besides on their backs.”
Alex clenched his teeth at those words.
His companion grinned. “Fierce as a hell-cat. Best rein in that temper, boy. The fact you’re pretty and were bordering on death the night before is why they haven’t bothered breaking you. Yet. And that you’ve actually got some muscle on you means you might actually avoid a nightmare of a different sort. But you’re walking a tightrope, lad. If any of the masters think you need breaking, if you can’t hold your own during a hunt...”
“I get the picture. I’ll keep my head down, avoid pissing anyone off, and I’m more than willing to hunt to earn my keep.”
Peng nodded. “You do that, and you just might make it to the capital with your honor intact.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t count on it, but you can always try.”
Eventually they stopped, and Alex could hear groans of fatigue and exhaustion all around. He was surprised to find that, save for surprisingly sharp hunger pangs, he didn’t feel any more strained than if he had enjoyed a brisk hike. No doubt this was due to all the intense training his mentor had put him through.
He felt a curious pang in his chest as he thought of his friends, hoping that Liu Jian and his daughter were both okay. He could only hope that the captives he had freed had found their way to safety. Maybe his friends had pulled them through.
“Eat, boy. And ready yourself for what comes next,” Peng said.
Alex took the bowl he was handed with a grateful nod, finding the stew just as delicious as it had been before, surprised to find it still piping hot, for no fire had been lit.
His fellow captive smirked at Alex’s surprised expression. “Fire-mage’s cauldron. Whether he heats it with elemental Qi or it does it itself, I don’t know, and I wouldn’t advise asking. You done? Good. Now come with me, we’re presenting ourselves before the master.”
Alex immediately followed Peng’s lead, along with all the other collared men, all of them dropping to one knee and bowing their heads in unison before a smirking Scar, holding a spear in his hands.
Alex made sure to bow his head just as low as everyone else, but he had sensed the deadly shimmer around the head of that boar spear. Was it enchanted? Was it Scar’s own Qi? He’d need a more thorough look to be sure, but it radiated a piercing deadliness.
Metal-based Qi, Alex was sure. If Scar was himself channeling elemental Qi, that meant he was at least a Bronze Ogre. If Alex dared even to offend him in his current state, he was as good as dead. Of course, it made sense. What else would determine rank within of a band of slavers but strength? And cultivation seemed to be the source of all strength in this world.
Scar sneered down at them. “You all know why you’re here. To earn your keep. Master Tang has sensed Death-boar in the area.”
Several of the men visibly shuddered at that. Scar’s smile grew. “And you lot are going to help me hunt it down. Those of you who do your jobs, and do it well, will earn a prime cut of meat tonight! Our cook will even roast it for you. Should one of you fools actually manage to track down a beast, you’ll earn my regard and the chance I’ll keep you on. At the very least, I’ll make sure you don’t end up a castrate. But if you dare to fail me… you’ll be singing falsetto before the season’s out.” He laughed coldly, and Alex could all but feel the man’s icy regard pinning him in place.
“What say you, boy? Can you hold a spear? Are you willing to earn your keep on the hunt, or would you rather do it on your back?”
Alex, cheeks flushing hotly, kept his head lowered. “Yes, I can hold a spear, master.”
The powerfully built man smiled, though his eyes were cold as winter snow. “Good. You already know your place, and I haven’t had to whip you once. I like that. Marring your flesh would reduce your value. Alright, boy, today you get to prove yourself. You show you’re a man? I’ll treat you like one. You fail to measure up? Well, I think you already know where you’ll end up with those pretty eyes and your porcelain skin.�
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It was all Alex could do not to clench his fists. “I will not let you down, master,” was all he said.
“Good. See that you don’t.” Mocking smile gone, those icy words froze him in place.
Then he blinked, the slaver known as Zeng Zeng roughly shoving a spear into his grip. “You gonna try to poke me with that, boy?” The man challenged, his foul breath washing over Alex.
It was all he could do not to gag. “No, sir.”
Then Alex groaned, falling to one knee, his stomach exploding with pain.
“It’s master to you, boy. We’re all master. Understand?”
“Yes, master.”
“Good.” Zeng Zeng eyed him for some moments before jerking a nod. “Get up, follow the others. Follow their lead and don’t do anything stupid, and you might just survive the day with a juicy cut of meat. If you don’t…” He rubbed a bronze bracelet on his wrist and Alex winced as his metal collar suddenly grew painfully hot.
Perception check made!
“Understand?”
“Yes, master,” Alex said, carefully schooling his features to hide the surprise in his eyes.
And before Alex could figure out what it meant that the copper wrist band that Zeng Zeng had rubbed radiated absolutely no Qi at all, or why the fire-based cultivator Tang Dan was glaring at him so intently, Alex was following the others into the woods, the melancholy noises of their little caravan soon replaced by the rustle of leaves and the sharp pine scents of primeval forest stretching as far as the eye could see, a luxurious verdant green canopy overhead serving as welcome shade from the bright sun above.
Abruptly, Zeng Zeng raised his hand. “Quiet, louts! See if you can pick up fresh spore.”
And within moments, one of the men abruptly raised his hand, pointing at the ground, then arrowing his hand west.
Their keeper grunted, sniffing the ground before heading forward, the rest of them close behind.
“We’re getting close,” whispered one of the slaves, and even Alex could make out signs of what must have been a massive beast’s passage, broken branches and twigs so numerous as to be visible even to his eye, cloven hoofprints scoring the forest floor.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reforged: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 2 Page 2
