Well, here I am. Face-to-face with the familiar face of death. And I had just barely begun to live in this world. A true pity. It's my fault that I paid too little attention to the sun's position. Now I pay the price with my life. Do you suppose I'll get another chance at this? At another life...
No. I did get a second chance. It's this life right here. A miracle won't happen a second time. This is something I have to value if I want to keep it going. And I will do my damnedest to try.
The Direwolf towered over more than twice an adult's height and each of it's legs were the size of one. I was a child, so this only worsens the comparison. It felt like I stood no chance against this beast.
Uncaring, the beast bent down to my level, preparing to pounce. It has deemed me its prey. I must assess just how much of a disadvantage I'm facing first before forming any stratagems. I'll try to use a basic palm technique with roughly 20% of the Qi I amassed. I just need to wait for it to strike.
After what felt like eternity, the beast released the tension in its joints as it leapt through the air with its teeth out in the open, closing the gap immediately. Reflexively, I strike it with an open palm on the side of its face, releasing the energy in tandem. The beast wasn't expecting this and is veered off course to my side before crashing into the dirt.
Although the attack was successful, I could immediately tell it was a failure. In order to reach maximum force, the energy needs to be released at nearly the exact same time as the hand comes into contact, or else it is split into two impacts that only reach a surface-level force. If one succeeds, the resulting energy hits the target faster than the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom. The world of Murim called it the Thunderclap. It was the mark of skill needed to be recognized as a true master. It was foolish of me to think I could do it here, after all these years.
Slightly dazed, the Direwolf picked itself off of the dirt and turned to me, this time with more care. It began circling me for a bit before entering a sprint towards me. I don't have much Qi to spare, so I'll focus on evading it for now. With one paw, it raises its claws against me and swipes. I duck and manage to dodge, only to be met with its gaping maw approaching with haste. I gather Yang Qi to the muscles of my feet and leap across the field. Fortunately, the Yin-Yang process wasn't necessary to simply enhance the body's strength. The body is powered by Yang Qi, so increasing it's flow in turn strengthens the muscles and also slightly hastens the nerves as well. And unlike Yin Qi, Yang Qi naturally replenishes inside the body so it can be used incredibly consistently, although fully depleting it would force one into a deep sleep until it can be dispersed along the body again. I narrowly avoided its fangs, although it caught a bit of my clothing and tore it off. I turned to look back, only to see the beast's absence. My instincts took over as I ducked under its pounce from behind.
The fact that this beast was capable of keeping up with an improvised Light Step technique meant that even using Martial Arts, I'll only even the odds of survival. In this body, I am completely outmatched.
This time the beast recovered thrice as fast as it veered its gaze towards me once more. I won't keep getting lucky forever. My fortune is bound to shift. I need to come up with something. Maybe I could grab an improvised weapon? Like that branch from the fallen... tree...! That's it!
I dart over towards the thickest tree I can see. The wolf follows suit, slightly outpacing me. But it's fine. Since I'm closer to the objective, we'll even out and get there at the same time. This oak is tall, towering and, from the absurd amount of wear and tear, it evidently has a plethora of its own stories it wishes it could tell. I would remorse you, but given the impeding death behind me I shall only leave you with my thanks.
I gather Yang Qi in my legs while I mix some with the Qi in my Lower Dantian. This one is a Sky Dragon Company signature, although it'll be much, much weaker than any soul had ever seen. The essence of this technique is to use the Yin-Yang energy to gather more power into a jump that had already been enhanced with Yang Qi.
"Sky Dragon Leap"
I jump high into the air, about 15 paces, and grab on to a branch, while the wolf is charging at my afterimage and cannot stop in time.
*DOOM*
It rams headfirst into the oak with a shuddering thud. The shock echoes throughout the tree, loosening my grip to its branch. Without time to lose, I swing to the other side of the tree. It's almost collapsed from the beasts side, so even my weak strike should do the trick. I toss my foot around me and turn before swinging it back from the other side with added force. I slam the heel of my sole into the tree with all my soul. The tree begins to fall, splitting and leaning to the side the wolf was on. By the time the beast recovers from its failed attack, it is already too late. The enormous weight of the Mighty Oak crushes into the wolf's massive body, it letting out a painful whimper. I land back down on the ground with.. less than optimal form before taking a look at the results.
I devised this due to the collapsed tree I saw when I first encountered this beast. It was a relatively sturdy tree, so the fact that it could knock it down meant that I could be confident in its ramming power. While it was able to charge straight through that one, this Mighty Oak stood out to me when I did a deeper examination of my surroundings. It was as tall and sturdy as a foundation pillar of a sacred temple. Circling around the branches was a hassle, especially in a hurry, due to its sheer width. I gambled on whether or not the wolf could cause enough damage to it to knock the oak down and sure enough, it did. Hopefully this put an end to-
As per the norm at this point, my thoughts were cut short as the beast let out a howl. The smoke of the previous impact cleared and what I found was the wolf's massive hind leg and lower body smashed beneath the log. It was whimpering in pain, struggling to get out and, if my eyes weren't deceiving me, succeeding. The scattered dirt fell off the log as it was being raised up steadily. The beast lifts it up before rolling out of the way of the tree's radius and, with a loud boom, frees itself from the log, the raised tree suddenly coming back down. It was standing on three legs, with its left hind leg raised above ground. It readied itself, before pouncing at me for what would probably be the last time. Sky Dragon Leap coupled with a back roundhouse kick really drained me of my strength. This body's legs appear to have suffered immense damage as well due to its incompatibility with such a level of Martial Arts. Both me and the beast were heavily injured and exhausted.
This next exchange will finish it.
I slowly begin building up the remainder of my Qi and mixing it together. I should have just enough for this. I carefully balance the Yin and Yang before shooting the energy into my pathways, then back around into my brain, then back outside and inside again and again. A storm of energy begins brewing inside of me.
The wolf and I lock eyes and, in unison, we charge towards each other. I am not using Light Step, so it is faster by leaps and bounds. Still, that's exactly what I was looking for. I focus.
The world around me vanishes. I can't hear, feel or see anything. I can only sense it. The life of the trees, the grass, the adversary hunting me down as I speak. I feel it all. My previous life flashes before my eyes...
****************
High in the clouds, atop the realm's peak, stands a mountain of impossible proportion. Based triumphantly on its peak is a palace of silver and white, with jade decorations spread throughout. Behind it lies a reservoir surrounded with greenery, decorating the mountain's peak with a jade jewel. This mountain is therefore called "Treasure Peak". Such a high mountain would normally be glaced with snow, yet such was not the case. In fact, it was always the same season and the same warmth up on its top: the brisk, fresh air of spring in its peak. No one knew why.
In a wide field near the reservoir there stands a child, clutching his arm. He seemed battered and bruised. Facing him was an aged, stalwart figure, nobly dressed and tidy. This one was completely unscathed, in stark contrast to the child.
- "Again."
-"Haaaaaaah!"
Stumbling, the child charges and prepares to strike. He attacks and then two lackluster impacts fly off of his blow. The larger figure had caught the fist in his hand. He seemed disappointed.
- "Hah... remember, don't rely on sight or hearing when attempting the Thunderclap. You must base everything off of the flow of Qi. Qi is a sixth sense. You can use it to determine your surroundings without even looking, or react to attacks faster than the sound can reach you. You have to feel it in your soul."
- "I know, but it's so hard to do! It sounds simple, but you're practically asking me to see spirits! I just can't do it all the time."
The man approaches the child. Then he circles around its back and places his hands on its frail shoulders.
- "Imagine that your very existence is a body of water. An ever-coursing river, it branching off endlessly."
The child closes his eyes and concentrates.
- "Now, try to change the course of any of its branches. Manually direct it in any way you can. Use any means."
The air around the boy's hand begins to shift. His muscles ever-so-clearly define over his robe, his hand now significantly strenthtened.
- "And now, keep changing its course until it comes around in a full circle, crashing into the original flow. Do the same for each branching path. Squeeze it harder and harder together until it is but a single sphere. Carefully manage its shape. A single uneven surface could make it all break apart."
The boy is deep in focus. A single bead of sweat on his sweat-ridden face rolls down his scalp. Within him mixes a fierce energy that seems like it could explode at any moment, yet it doesn't. It is perfectly balanced, both the purity of life and the impurity of mortality.
The larger man then returns to where he was standing before. He holds out a palm lightly.
- "Now, move this sphere as if you're moving your body. It needs to correspond to your movements."
The boy moves his arm around slowly, then his legs, then each of his fingers.
The larger man's muscles shine through his attire, revealing an even sturdier figure than before.
- "Can you feel it? Another body of water, surrounded by a sharp gale. That one is your enemy. Break through the gale with your sphere. Strike at it with all your might!"
The boy readies a stance for a punch. The shifting air transforms into a whirlwind, power steadily building up in the stance. Finally, the boy opens his eyes and, without pause, strikes into the man's palm.
****************
With a thunderclap, my fist rams into the beasts jaw, its previous momentum adding into the impact. The resulting force cracks the wolfs snout open while its body's inertia bends the connection between its head and torso, snapping its neck. It then flies past behind me in a whirl as it traverses through the air before landing on the cold ground, motionless.
A Thunderclap was heard. I succeeded. If I hadn't, it wouldn't have been enough force to move its head and I would've been torn apart by those deadly fangs before I even knew what happened. The heavens were in my favor this day. But to this world, a 7 year old child killing a Direwolf - a C Tier Monster, would be barely believable as a fairy tale, let alone a real story. I guess I would be considered some kind of prodigy, huh.
- "Hmph!" A light smirk appears on my face for but a moment before I wipe it off and take a look back. The beast laid there, it having become the very prey it hunted. Upon closer inspection, it seems as though it was quite famished. Its body was frail and its stance wasn't very stable back when it attacked. Poor thing. Looks like it was just trying to survive.
Aside from its pitiful state, something else was coming out of its corpse. It was glowing. Like a swarm of teal fireflies, it surrounded the area. It's almost like...!
- "Of course!"
I quickly approach the body and sit down. Relaxing my body, I begin to draw in the mana around me. The blue particles get drawn closer and closer before dissipating into my Lower Dantian. It seems I've figured it out.
Monsters are animals forced to mutate due to an overexposure of Mana. And they seem to seek the highest sources of Mana in the vicinity. If they are filled with Mana, then that means they collect it by simply existing. The reason why there is little to no Mana in the air is because it's being taken in by living beings constantly. Monsters and Users mainly, as the System apparently requires Mana to use. This means that I can gather Mana into my Lower Dantian at a much faster pace than Qi, as long as I keep killing Monsters. Thankfully, a C Tier Monster offers quite the load of Mana to absorb, so I'm already off with a good head head start. I should be able to gather Mana at a stable pace in the future now, when I'm strong enough to hunt Monsters on my own.
As I was finishing this thought, an explosion erupted in the distance. I gauged the direction and location and tracked it back to...
Oh no... It's my home!
That's right! Direwolves move in packs! No less than 3! If I just only barely managed to kill one, then...
I use my newfound energy to hurry back with Cloud Dance Step. I can spare no expense here. I sprint over faster than the wind and arrive outside our little house before being greeted with quite the ominous sight, but not before the smell caught up to my speed. The air was rich with ash, and the ever-so-familiar smell of burning corpses. To my left was my father and mother next to a Direwolf that had been split in two pieces starting from along the left side of its neck to the right side of its tail. Seeing as how my father was holding a sword in his hand, it seems as if he cut it open himself. Remarkably done.
But to my right, an even more remarkable sight. The source of the smell and lingering ash. A large figure, even larger than the two Direwolves I and my father killed, lay there on the heated ground, a bright and powerful flame dancing on its corpse. Next to it is a smaller, pint-sized figure, even smaller than me. It's simply dressed and standing on two legs, holding out a hand with an open palm facing the carnage. Smoke is coming off the hand. This was my sister, Seraphine. She... killed the Direwolf. In one shot...
It was then that I brought myself down to reality and gazed upon the power I could never hope to match. She was far above me, our parents or any other mortal under the heavens. She was...
A true Prodigy.