Chapter 132

140 Days Extra

Pain.

There was an intense pain in my chest that broke me from the depths of sleep and into the reality of consciousness.

Badump, badump, badump.

My heart was racing, the first thing I thought was that I was having a heart attack, though I was too young for one of those in this avatar at least. I scanned my body inwardly with my third eye and found that my body was glowing unnaturally bright, like the sun was attempting jump right out of my chest and brighten the hidden chamber of books that Kujo and I were sleeping in. Or had been sleeping in, as Kujo was instantly awake as well, having apparently sensed my pain and the panic that was taking over me.

Move.

I needed to move, my heart was racing and I realized that I needed to move if I was going to stay alive. At least that is what my instincts were telling me to do to stay alive.

Phase.

There was the shift of time and space as a third entity attempted to enter our private dwelling. Instantly my mind went to defense mode, as I felt a power and pressure coming from the creature in the void that was deadly.

Before I knew it I was standing up, and lashing out against the entity that was attempting to phase slowly through the reality of the alternate plane and into our own reality.

Tap.

My glowing fingers tapped, gently, or what I assume to be gently at the creature in the void.

Only after I had a second to calm down, did I realize the shape of the creature.

With a start, I manifested, or at least made manifest the form of the female phase dire wolf, or Ms. Kujo as I was beginning to think of her in my mind.

Yipe!

Ms. Kujo appeared in our reality but let out an instant yipe in surprise and pain.

I paused, trying to see if Ms. Kujo was going to be malicious towards me or Kujo. Just what had he done to make her so angry? As I had felt clear killing intent, which was why I sprung to life and acted in defense of both of us, though most of my instincts were clearly telling me to protect Kujo as I had placed my much smaller body between Ms. Kujo and the still laying down Kujo.

There was a look of shock, as time seemed to be going by so slowly.

I remember the blur and anticipation that I felt from using my Celerity trait, and while this was similar to that state, it was also different. For one, I had not tapped into my Celerity, but I could feel currents of energy flowing through my body the same way that I had during my duel with Belton. Yet now, I could also cast magic, meaning the strain I was under was not limited to just taking physical actions. Still, for some reason I knew that I didn’t want to cast magic here either, as that would be an extra strain on my body that I couldn’t quite afford. Though again, I couldn’t tell why I couldn’t afford it, just instincts.

Wobbling, I felt my body wobble slightly, especially while I tried to regain my balance and equilibrium.

I paused there, my heart beating wildly, something was clearly wrong with my body. My Qi was cycling fast, far faster than I had ever managed before. Faster than I thought was possible from an automated perspective, as the energy was clearly cycling on its own at this point.

Ms. Kujo, for her part, looked just as confused as I was currently.

There was an odd moment of recognition in her features, I saw her sniff the air, and then I realized something. “You aren’t here to hurt Kujo, are you?”

With that, Ms. Kujo looked at first perplexed, and then seemed to have a duh look crossed her long snout.

Seeing her reaction, I then said. “So, your aggression just now, that was to protect Kujo?”

Then after a second, I add, “protect him from me?”

At that, I felt a moment of calmness take over me. As so many things were crossing my mind. Ms. Kujo had been watching over Kujo this entire time, letting him do whatever he wanted. Then the moment she felt he was threatened, she came running.

Realizing all of this, on some deep instinctual level, I smiled. “Oh Kujo, you thought you had lady troubles, but clearly she is head over heels for you.”

I turn to look back at Kujo, but then suddenly feel my chest tightening as my Qi is suddenly going crazy. There is just too much, and I know I need to burn it off.

Pain.

I grip my chest again, and before I know it, I begin running.

Normally running away from two apex predators like Kujo and especially Ms. Kujo would be a recipe for disaster, but either my movements were so quick that they couldn’t follow, or there was a danger that I released as I ran away that told the two to stay.

Either way, the two just stared at me, as I began running around the long sealed off catacomb of books and random archways.

Running wasn’t enough.

I began spinning over obstacles, climbing up parallel pillars by jumping from one to the next, then back. I was like a spider monkey on crack, and yet it was all I could do to keep moving, to keep pushing my body.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I was able to burn away the excess golden Qi energy within my body. This did multiple things, first it caused my remaining Qi to be more concentrated as I seemingly distilled away the weaker parts of Qi. That freed up some spaces in my body that felt like they were ripping and tearing from the strain of so much energy being forced through tiny Qi veins in my body. Yet, rather than decreasing the strain, I only felt an unbearable increase as my chest began to tighten.

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Again, normally I would try to clutch my chest and cast healing magic on myself, but this had nothing to do with magic, nor my physical body. Instead, this had to deal with the way my body was using and reacting to the golden energy that felt like it was nearly endless and seemed to burn as bright as the sun.

The circulation of Qi began to speed up, as I felt it pushing my blood around. I could almost feel the Qi acting with centripetal force, causing the dense Qi to cycle in, while everything else was being pushed outwards.

Sweat.

I felt sweat begin to pour from my body, but this was just mana at this point. Mana that was then instantly reabsorbed back by my Qi and changed into denser Qi that began sifting down into one spot towards the top of my stomach.

There at the center was a spot, that grew and pulsed with power and pain both.

I was hot, so hot, as I felt like I was going to sweat my body weight in water. Water that was of course replenished by my Spirit Sustenance spell that was constantly working. While I did feel a flux as more and more mana was being used to replenish the water I was sweating out seemingly by the bucket, I continued to move. Even as every step caused my body to burn hotter, thus causing me to sweat more, causing me to then reabsorb the mana-infused sweat back into my body in a repetitive cycle of pain and momentary reprieves.

All the while this was going on, I saw with my Angel’s Sight how Ms. Kujo went over to Kujo and stood shoulder to shoulder with him as they both stared at me. I can’t say I blame them, as I likely looked like a psycho jumping around, doing flips, rolls, and tumbles all over the catacombs. I did make sure to avoid damaging books, even in my pain induced haze of near constant adrenaline, I did have my morality in place of preserving these sacred books. Which was why I found myself mostly jumping and twisting around the empty stone walls, and the patchwork floors that had eroded away due to time. Floors that were a mixture of intricate floor tiles, with loose patches of bare rocks, followed by dust and dirt.

Then finally after running around crazily for what felt like hours, I felt it.

Collapse.

I fell to the ground, scraping my knees, tumbled once and then lay panting on the floor with tight gasping breaths, as I tried to stop the world from both spinning around me, and to keep the spot just above my stomach from imploding and destroying me in a mini-blackhole that felt like it was suddenly forming.

I felt so much pain that it was immeasurable.

Then it stopped.

For a moment I felt a twinge of relief. It was as if all the pressure that had been building up was suddenly released, only to have it instantly ratchet back up to double in the next second, as apparently round two began.

I was in so much pain that I felt my world fading away. No longer was I in a cave filled with monsters that were staring at me as if I had suddenly gone crazy. No longer was I in a treasure trove of ancient knowledge and writing. Instead, I was inside myself, watching the formation of a mini-sun beginning form and burn within my body.

Then just as the heat from the mini-sun grew too hot. Just when the light from the mini-sun became too much, I felt it solidify.

Ring.

There was a tense crisp ringing sound that echoed through my body. One that I felt seemed to expand out from me in the way a supernova would, when a star exploded in the vastness of space. Yet, unlike the effects of a supernova, where a star died, I felt the sudden formation of a star within me.

It was so bright and beautiful. My body, the star that I had created within my body was beautiful. It glowed in the way that I imagine gold would to an excavator. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and it was glowing brightly within me. I almost felt the joy I had when I gave birth, but this was different, simultaneously just as amazing, and joyous, but different all the same.

Gasping.

I had been so enraptured by the sight of the golden sphere within me, that I forgot to breathe. Then with the breath I took, I paused half expecting pains, similar to the ones I had been feeling for so long moments ago, but no everything was calm and perfect.

Off in the distance I could see Kujo take a tentative step forward towards me, but then pause, as he seemed to realize that while I had collapsed, I was still okay.

Seeing his reaction and the way Ms. Kujo was seemingly worried about Kujo, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

Finally, after a long moment, I managed to push myself up to a kneeling position. The power and energy that I had a moment ago was gone. My muscles were exhausted. My everything was exhausted.

I felt the clammy feeling of dried mana sweat coating my body and forcing my clothes to cling to me with glittery sparkles of glue.

I was clutching at my chest and felt relief take me as I realized my heart was slowly calming down.

Then just as I asked the question, “what the heck was that?”

That was when I was hit with a system message.

Hidden Cultivator Quest Completed (Upgradeable): First To Form A Perfect Qi Core: You managed to be the first person to create a perfect Qi core. Your minimalist lifestyle has made your first transition to the realm of cultivation flawless, as you had a body purity rating of 99.9999999%, resulting in your formation of a perfect base for cultivation. Rewards: Experience, Title, Badge, Qi Core Stage I.

Experience Gained: 50,000 / 25,000 / 25,000

Ding.

Level Up.

Your class Akashic Qi Master has increased to level 106.

Your class Ethereal Simulacrums Master has increased to level 179.

Your class Ethereal Healer has increased to level 209.

Title Gained: Perfected Stage I Qi Core.

Perfected Stage I Qi Core: You have managed to create the perfect stage I Qi core and have begun your path on the realm of true cultivation. Effects: Longevity I, Body Improvement I, Movement I, Qi Core Size I, Qi Circulation I.

Longevity: Your body has begun to slow down the effects of aging. You will now age at a rate of (N times 10%) slower.

Body Improvement: Your Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Attractiveness, Perception, and Willpower will all be increased at a rate of (N times 10%).

Movement: Your movement speed has been increased by a rate of (N times 10%).

Qi Core Size: The size of your initial Qi core is (N times 10%) larger than standard cultivators will experience.

Qi Circulation: The speed of your Qi Circulation will be (N times 10%) faster.

Note: All ratings are at (N times 10%), where N equals the current stage of your core listed.

Having seen that, I realized that I had a lot of growth, but I didn’t quite know why I did. The entire exchange seemed odd to me, as I don’t remember doing anything remotely worthy of forcing an advancement in my Cultivation like the one I had experienced. Let alone one that would cause me to awaken from a deep slumber to outright panic, until I remember back to the odd dream I had, one where the books and stories that my Simulacrums managed to read over the day suddenly flooded back to me.

Then going through my progress made, I realized that my second simulacrum had managed to find a seemingly invaluable book. One that they were apparently practicing on their own.

New skill gained: Golden Qi Formation has reached level 1. Golden Qi Formation is a Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Attractiveness, Perception, and Willpower based skill.

Seeing that message, I paused, as I realized that my Simulacrums were awesome, as not only could they get me additional experience, but then they could learn and act upon the information they gained in the same way I would, then that would trickle back to me as well.

I was so excited, but then something else hit me.

Longevity: Your body has begun to slow down the effects of aging. You will now age at a rate of (N times 10%) slower.

If I was reading that right, I had effectively slowed down my aging by 10%, which would be great, fantastic even if I was forty, or a hundred, but right now I was fourteen. Then with that realization I did a bit of mental math, taking 365.25 days per year, multiplying that by four, then subtracting the sixty-four days that I had already been fourteen, then getting ten percent from that and I was left at 139.7 days, or roughly 140 days extra that I would be forced to be a teenager.

“And yet you find another way to make my old flaws come back to bite me.” I say out loud. I of course am talking to the system, a presence that I am certain is able to watch me even now. Then shaking my head, I realize I did this to myself, well my simulacrums did, which of course comes back to me ultimately being both the boon and bane of my own existence.

I also realized a few things.

The first thing I realized was that, this game world seemed to have some of the old cliches related to cultivating as were written about. Namely when you first formed your Qi Core, you would experience intense pain and then expel all impurities from your body. The rate that you managed this would directly relate to your Qi core’s grading. As I haven’t eaten or had any impurities other than my own mana within my body for months now, I guess I had an easier time than others? Though if my time was easy, then I wonder how bad it would be for others.

Also, with this I realize that both of my Simulacrums can cultivate themselves, which will have a direct impact on me. Which was likely why I had so much energy build up that I felt like I needed to run off some of the excess. This is theoretically great, as long as my heart doesn’t burst of course, but this process will be harder to replicate with others, as I don’t think I can convey all of this to my students.

Then just as I have that thought, I am reminded of my terrible day of teaching.

Part of me wants to call it a day, at least for teaching magic. I am too tired to continue to wrestle with people who know that they know better than me.

I am about to call it a day, and head back up, when I realize there was still one last part of my upgradable quest.

New Feat Recorded: First To Walk the Path of Enlightenment (5,000): You were the first to walk the path of enlightenment and form your core on your own.

Seeing the Badge awarded, I realized the reward there was just as much as I got for awakening my Legendary Bloodline, meaning that apparently this accomplishment was enough to put me at one of the elites in the world, at least when it came to cultivation.

Seeing that badge, I realized I can’t quit teaching. Just because it is tough, the students are mostly disrespectful, and the pay is minimal, I realize that I can contribute something beautiful to this world. With that, I decided that I will go back to teaching.

Then I see all the books I managed to knock loose from the various shelves, picking up a book, I realize “I will go back to teaching, but after I finish reading.”