Chapter 11: Jane's a Shaolin Master?
The rest of Jane's sophomore year was spent much like the first half, training.
That's not to say she neglected school, however. In fact, she quickly stood out as the most gifted student in her class. Something that left her teachers baffled, because they don't remember ever noticing this Jane person in class before. Yet there her tests were; scoring above her usual 92 points on average and answering all the questions correctly, even the AP bonus questions that few ever got right, to receive all possible points.
Jane considered homeschooling herself and taking the GED exam to directly graduate two years early when she noticed how easy school had become. She quickly decided against this. On one hand, it'd look great if she could enter college two years sooner, then test out of all the undergrad basic classes. This would allow her to finish her undergraduate degree by the time she was 18.
However, she'd be 16 in a university! She couldn't even enter most places her peers would meet up at, even if she didn't want to buy alcohol.
So Jane had a talk with her mother and told her that she was getting bored with school and felt like she could use a challenge. Her mother was fond of the 'c' word, so she was all for it. Together, they roped Ms. Winters in to act as a sponsor in talking with the school counselor and devised a joint enrollment with a university that offered online classes. Jane would continue her AP classes and also take two classes a semester online. This would earn her roughly the same amount of credits toward her basic undergrad classes by the time she graduated high school.
Another benefit would be that she'd still be able to train in the village and monitor those people from the organizations. Their respective quests didn't generate much in the way of rewards, just an additional inventory space. Then again, the information she got off their encrypted phones was basically the same as she had gotten off Phillip Browning.
~*~
Jane felt a little let down when she talked with Mrs. Pettigrew about training to world with the world's energy and infuse it into her body so that she could exceed the normal human limits. Her reply was, "Meditate, girl. You can already sense the Mana, just work with it."
She had hoped for something more, but after Observing the elderly woman, she couldn't deny that she had to be doing something right when she saw her stats.
[table=white]Elanor PettigrewLevel: 23Class: WitchHP: 210/210MP: 734/734 (44% Buff)Title: Grand MatriarchAffiliation: Sisters of the MoonStats:Strength: 12Vitality: 21Dexterity: 24Intelligence: 51Wisdom: 55Luck: 12 (+10)[/table]
The skill didn't list her skills, but it did suggest she must have an Advanced rank in Mana Control. When asked, Mrs. Pettigrew informed Jane that if she worked diligently in understanding how Mana flowed while she meditated that she'd be able to do more with it when she started trying to cast a spell and for longer periods.
This confirmed Jane's suspicion that a person couldn't normally tell their progress without some tool. A follow-up question about her memory improving after she had been meditating also informed her that she wasn't alone in having an eidetic memory. Mrs. Pettigrew said she hadn't heard of a skill that let one have complete access to the information their senses provided, but did tell her that with training someone could quickly memorize and read a book with a glance after infusing their mind with Mana.
Jane made sure not to take her skills for granted. Someone likely had one or more of her same talents, just under a different name.
~*~
Over brunch on a Saturday in February, Jane had gotten Mrs. Pettigrew, Ms. Winters, her Mom, and her mother's friends together. They all knew of one another, if not knew each other well. They all knew Jane had awakened so she didn't feel awkward in her request for advice.
"Ladies, I've been pretty secretive about my training up till now. I'm sure my mother has kept you all informed that I haven't really taken to working with weapons. And without joining Mrs. Pettigrew's coven she won't share their knowledge of magic outside the basics." Jane started, only to receive chuckles from those around her.
"Maybe I'm impatient, or naïve." Jane said, only to receive more laughs at her expense. "But I think there has to be a better way to train all areas. Body, mind, and soul. To work all three and do it efficiently."
Her mother interrupted. "It's the way it is, dear. You meditate to develop your sense of Mana and your mind. You exercise to develop your body. Specialized skills just tie those together."
"Right, and I don't mind exercise or meditating. I'm just saying that there has to be a way to incorporate all those benefits together so that I can raise my physique while meditating. Surely someone's done this. Otherwise a person focused on magic could quickly be killed off in a fight with someone who has an arrow or dagger." Jane explained.
"That's usually how it is. Most aren't like you and want to be proficient in all areas. Your training speed will suffer, girly. Jack-of-all trades, master of none." Berta said next to Jane's mother.
"But what about incorporating moving meditations while using weights? I get that your Yoga, Berta, is suppose to be this. However, what about doing it while after entering a meditative state?" The women looked at Jane, confused.
"Yoga works the body's strength, vitality, and dexterity. Meditation is suppose to work the mind and spirit. Incorporating the two better would strengthen weak magic users and increase the degree of Mana that could be used for the warriors." Jane summed up.
"That would be nice." They all agreed together.
"So I need your help. At the library, I had an idea several months ago that Yoga and Meditation, when incorporated some of the books there would meet all these goals. Tai Chi is a form of moving meditation that incorporates the ideals of Yoga and meditation. Qi Gong is an umbrella term for a lot of different things which incorporate the spirit. Tai Chi is derived from this." Jane stated.
Mrs. Pettigrew smiled. "Indeed, but I haven't had much success with either in strengthening my body that some of the things the coven has in its lore doesn't do better."
Jane looked at the woman who was holding out on her and gave a withering smile. "I'm sure you do. But all the stories if Shaolin monks performing amazing feats because they worked with Qi and developed Qi Gong can't be unfounded. Maybe some were supernaturals, but a lot of normal people reach peak fitness and probably even surpass it to a degree when they dedicate their lives to it."
Jane continued after a pause to see if they were listening. "I did some research and there are many forms of Qi Gong. Some use energy to heal things that traditional medicine can't, such as reversing eye damage or even pushing cancer into remission. Other forms can work with the mind to give the user access to psychic abilities and divination. Others are more of a martial art, but all of them strengthen and enhance the body, mind, and soul in some way."
"So you are telling us all of this to get us to hunt for resources on this Qi Gong?" Jane's mother questioned.
Jane nodded. "You have contacts I don't. And I want to gather the resources without it being traced back to me, if possible." Jane looked at her mother. "I know you said our neighbor that the spies the supernatural organizations have here are harmless, but I still don't want them to know I've awakened just yet. Especially not when I start working on this."
Mrs. Pettigrew put a hand on Olivia's shoulder to stop her comment. "I think that's a good goal, dear. The longer you stay off their radar the better. Even if the chances of them getting involved in your affairs is low."
Jane leaned forward. "It is imperative. I did some digging during winter break, and combined with some random bits of information from how the plants the organizations have here communicate in conjunction with some things I found in the government's classified information on supernaturals I think they're monitoring everyone in safe-havens more closely than they let on. So much so that I think they're concerned with our activities not being what we let on."
Jane paused, "And people do stupid things out of ignorance and fear. Their attention has taken a noticeable up-tick over the past decade based on my findings. So I wouldn't be surprised if one or all of them try and pull those hiding out in safe-havens back into the power plays they originally tried to escape from."
"Yes, I know. How did I find this out? It's the same way I started standing out at school and plan to implement my plan with Qi Gong: when I awakened, my already good memory got even better through Meditation and Yoga. I went and learned a lot of interesting ways to access encrypted communications and got their discussions. Not all, mind you, but enough to see patterns." Jane said to stupefied and concerned faces.
"Anyway, that's not important. I just said it to let you all know to not take your safety here for granted. Also, to not casually discuss what I'm asking you to be involved in. I plan on finding a way to use Qi Gong to enhance our training, as well as to be a better form of martial arts and increase our potency with magic." Jane explained to the group of women. "And eventually, if our safe-havens are no longer safe, you all will be better prepared."
A few minutes of silence ensued while everyone digested this. "So you're going to come up with a new skill and teach it to us?" Berta questioned.
"That's the plan. It won't be immediately. It'd take several months until I've gotten the experience needed to incorporate all the information and work it into an art. One that could be trained with and also provide a lot of different benefits. I'd also want to write up the instruction material in a way that could be taught to others when I'm not around." Jane waved her hand to emphasize her points.
Jane's mother smiled in chagrin at her daughter. "Honey, I'm proud of your enthusiasm, but I think you're overestimating the work involved. But we'll get you your materials, you can at least find some way to practice that would suit you better than what I'm trying to teach."
"Thanks." Jane said. "And maybe some materials on enchantment as well. Also in how to set up an Instance."
Jane was met with wide-eyed stares. So she elaborated. "If I'm going to do this, I don't want to be watched. Also, when done, we could hardly keep it a secret and train others if we were passing around written manuals. I also don't want people outside this group who are invited to learn after I'm gone to be put off if they learned it was developed by a girl my age."
The women smiled as if humoring a kid and just agreed to all of Jane's requests for books on a variety of things.
~*~
It took Jane the rest of her Sophomore and Junior years to develop her own skill and incorporate Aura and Mana manipulation and control into it. She didn't lose those skills, but their concepts were merged along with Unarmed Combat and Yoga. Those later two did get removed from her Skills list as they were obviously redundant. Meditation was merged, but not removed.
In addition to the concepts of those skills, she also added Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Those two were entire skills by themselves and took her several months to read thousands of books and watch thousands of videos for her to learn. Jane wasn't sure how, but her mother also brought in a few experts to share their insights in those areas to Jane.
It seemed that every branch of these two arts led to other branches. During this time, Jane also studied books and videos on other martial arts, grappling, boxing, parkour, etc. Basically anything that could be related to the human body and movement.
With all of the knowledge Jane had of these areas, in addition to some books she received regarding Mana Control and use, she began to see similarities and ways to apply it with other disciplines. Jane even used her Medical Science knowledge to make better use of movement, moving Mana, and other things that went into Qi Gong.
She finally succeeded. After sixteen months, Jane had merged and integrated all of the skills that had developed, all of the knowledge and insights she gleamed. These became Advanced Qi Gong.
[table=white]New Skill: Advanced Qi Gong - Beginner 1Qi Gong is Life. For truly understanding this concept and its applications in all areas of your life and applying it to your knowledge, you see how it could better work with the world's energy, Mana. You've truly mastered the goal of Qi Gong and gone a step beyond. You are now able to use Mana instead of the body's energy to better aid your training and instruct others.
True masters of this art have a chance of exceeding humanity's limits and approaching the purity of the gods.
Effects:
* Unarmed and Weapon combat is 1% more effective in offense and defense per level.
* Health and Mana regeneration occurs 2% quicker out of combat and 1% in.
* Your Mana can be used to heal minor illnesses. Major illnesses can be healed at a chance of 2% per level.
* Senses are 3% more effective per level.
* While Meditating, has a 1% chance of Divination per level.
[/table]
"Yes!" Jane exclaimed inside her bare Instance dungeon she had hidden behind a waterfall she found in one of the mountains. Jane danced around for several minutes while she read that System prompt. She didn't even care if the System started it at 1 unlike the other merged and integrated skills. She had it!
"I had never thought developing a skill with desired traits would be so hard!" She sighed.
Jane had, of course, had multiple variations of this prompt over her months of learning. All of them couldn't compare to this one, however. This skill replaced her others and brought in added benefits in such a way that they could grow, possibly even past the Grandmaster level. The last line in the description hinted at this, and it wasn't in any of the other prompts while she was reading up on more and more disciplines.
Looking around, Jane decided that she'd keep her success private for now. Jane wanted to use her Enchantment skill to develop this Instance into something she could use while training, eventually adding in education resources to train the other ladies.
These past months had increased Jane's knowledge of combat quite extensively, even though she didn't use Mana to enhance her body. This left Jane at a Player level of 24 with 95 unassigned stat points. Jane decided to hold off on assigning them until she had better understanding of the new skill, then would put them into areas where it wouldn't quickly enhance.
~*~
Another several months passed. Jane was finished with her high school senior year and was now 18. She had trained in private and added to her Instance behind the waterfall as she came up with new ideas she wanted to experiment with. Each trail and error helped her fine-tune her Enchantment and Mana Control skills, increasing them to Advanced 6 and Master 1 respectively.
Jane was quite happy with the Advanced Qi Gong skill. Since Qi Gong incorporated a wide-variety of activities and infusing those with Mana while doing them could ease or increase resistance of the body, the training possibilities were nearly endless. This is what inspired Jane's construction in the Instance.
Looking over her progress, Jane smiled. "I'm ready to show the others, now."
Stopping as if she forgot something, Jane said to herself. "I better assign those stat points now." She was now at a Player level of 32 after her understanding of the new skill increased to an Advanced level of 6. This left her with 135 unassigned points.
She pulled up her Player Information menu and looked at her progress.
[table=white]Jane BlackthorneLevel: 32Class: PlayerHP: 440/440MP: 992/992 (60% Buff)Title: NoneAffiliation: NoneStats:Strength: 41Vitality: 44Dexterity: 48Intelligence: 62Wisdom: 64Luck: 32 (+10)[/table]
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Her stat points didn't increase as much as she had hoped during the past several months. Granted, it was decent, but not at the speed of the first few months after she was uplifted. Jane didn't mind, she knew that gains would only slow as she trained. She was lucky the System was giving her 5 points per level.
Even the level, Jane had realized, would slow as she understood combat concepts and trained in the use of Mana. The only reason Jane had gained some levels after forming the Advanced Qi Gong skill was because she gained insights into applications outside of the knowledge she'd learned from the books, videos, and consultations. Her last level, Advanced 6, in the skill had taken her two months to get. She was sure 7 would take her much longer.
Looking at the stats, Jane admitted that she'd be okay with the physical improvements. Her main focus was on how she'd train when she went to University. She wouldn't have access to this Instance unless she came across a teleportation tool. Her mother insisted she'd have to find her own.
So during the semesters, she'd be stuck to a normal gym at school. She'd be able to do most of her movements on the grass outside in the mornings. Her room would be too small. She could meditate in her room, so she could still work on her mental stats that way. However those rely on her also having a strong body or they'll stall.
Plus, Jane wanted to reach 75 in both to ensure her thoughts weren't picked up by anyone she ran across at University. Who knows what devious characters and plots she'd run into. So the added bonus of hearing thoughts within 10m of her would also be a bonus.
Jane added points to Intelligence and Wisdom to top her stats out at 75. This left Jane with 111 points. She was tempted to just dump more into those stats, but decided to bring up her other physical stats to 65 first so that she could still train her mental stats. She didn't want to be stuck with no progress, even if it'd all end up the same anyway.
This left Jane with 49 points. She was looking at her menu and stats wide-eyed. She started laughing. "People watching, I know you are going to likely put me up against some really powerful people, but right now I am thanking you for making me a cheat character. Please don't patch this."
Jane put 30 more into bringing all her stats aside from Luck to 75. She was down to 19 undistributed points. Since all her mental stats would likely take forever to level up now, she decided to bring her physical stats up to 80 and put the rest in Dexterity. The mental ones would increase eventually and she really wanted to be able to run away if she had to, then strike from the shadows.
~*~
In the early-morning hours of the Saturday following Jane's graduation, she invited the women on a natural walk. This wasn't out of the norm, because all of them had been going on runs since their meeting to initially discuss Qi Gong resources. So, to anyone watching, it was perfectly normal.
Jane did scout the area before the women met up, and with her new telepathy-like ability, she would have picked up on anyone hiding. Jane's control over her aura and Mana since practicing her Qi Gong also enhanced her awareness, which was much further and subtler than her telepathy.
Leading the women onto her trail to the waterfall, Jane refused to discuss this surprise. All of them knew she had a secret Instance, she had mentioned it during her Sophomore year after all. But none knew where it was. So they were shocked to be led behind the roaring waters and discover a damp area where all the women could fit, but barely.
Jane smiled. "Watch carefully ladies. Look at this wall." Jane said as she gestured to the one farthest, and to the left-most corner. Jane didn't want to put it directly facing the waterfall, everyone would expect that. So she put it on the nearest wall and at the back, to annoy anyone looking.
The women peered over shoulders to see, clearly knowing something was there but not seeing it.
"Watch, activating this panel requires you to extend your thumb and ring-finger. Either hand is fine. Your other fingers are extended upwards, forming a sort of 'E' shape. This will prevent the panel showing if someone is just feeling around." Jane demonstrated, showing the panel after she did the steps.
"Next, the combination requires a voice phrase and a series of 8 numbers." Jane told them and she led them into a white room, with the entrance closing behind them.
"You're all wondering why the secrecy. Well, after you look around and start learning from the materials I've provided here, you will understand. Even after you learn and understand, I ask that you not bring people carelessly here to learn. And when you showcase some of the skills that you learn to the outside world, I ask that you conceal them as others. I think you'll understand what people will do if they know that such a skill and resources here exist." Jane said gravely.
The women all looked at her with perplexed expressions. They were all standing around in a featureless white room. They clearly knew that enchantments in an Instance were hidden and Jane had obviously done a few, but what could she have done and what progress could she have made in an entire art in two years? People spent entire lifetimes perfecting those.
Jane saw their expressions and smiled. "We'll start off with some of those benefits I mentioned." Jane then spent the next several minutes showing some skills: healing, Divination (she had only been able to look a day into the future so far, so she prepared before she invited them over and saw what each had ate for breakfast), Mana controlled combat, manipulation, etc.
After seeing just these and listening to Jane's casual admittance to some of her discoveries and the benefits in training, they were all fairly eager. Even if it was a small increase in efficiency, they would happily learn the methods Jane's provided. Especially since those focused on physical combat had sub-par regenerative abilities.
Jane then smiled and walked over to a far wall and started walking them through her babies, her enchantments.
"This next showcase is something that you all should not even discuss in private outside the Instance. From this panel you can control the training and teaching materials. The access instructions to get into the Instance is for standard use. I have another that I use to make changes. I won't tell you that, so just know that if you want additions, I'll take requests whenever I'm back in the village from school." She then started up the show.
Jane showed them her waterfall. The waters were fed by a person's Mana and doubled the force exerted back onto the person sitting beneath. It could be fed by someone standing to train their Mana manipulation to a greater effect on the person sitting, or the person sitting to the standard effect. The person sitting would train their body and control of Mana to resist the waters.
She showed them a meditation area that helped assist subconsciously the people sitting in the circle of mats so that they better understand Mana flow and correct their technique. She showed them a tidal pool that people would compete against one another with in Mana control by swimming against one another's flows. The changing rock wall that would train agility, perception, grip while using Mana to make contact with the wall, but not too much or you'd fall off.
For the next hour Jane walked them through these and other innovations. The Instance seemed endless with training materials. Finally, she showed them the room that had guided instruction with an Illusion-based instructor for specific Qi Gong exercises and techniques. There were dozens of these rooms, and each were numbered to tell the person what order they should learn and master them.
Jane's mother was clinging to her arm as she showed them these. "Honey! These are amazing. You are truly my daughter. I doubt your father's genes could have made a tenth of this."
Jane just shook her head and laughed.
Berta came up and slapped Jane on the back. "Girly, when you were talking about all this stuff, well, we just thought it was idle fancy. That Shaolin-Buddist-Mumbo-Jumbo is fine for the Asians, but we never saw any use. This, though, this is amazing. If you make Berta stronger, I don't mind following your teachings. So you can be my master, Shaolin girl."
[table=white]A new title of Shaolin Master has been awarded. Monks throughout the world will revere you.[/table]
I thought we were getting on so well, System? Jane grumbled.
Updated list of Stats and Skills in Spoiler
Spoiler :
[table=white]Jane BlackthorneLevel: 32Class: PlayerHP: 800/800MP: 1200/1200 (60% Buff)Title: Shaolin MasterAffiliation: NoneStats:Strength: 80Vitality: 80Dexterity: 84Intelligence: 75Wisdom: 75Luck: 32 (+10)[/table]
[table=white]Acting - Advanced 8Through the use of emotional manipulation, body language, and tone of voice you have shown you have what it takes to sway hearts and minds. With each level increase your lies become 1% more believable, even if they are poorly constructed.[/table]
[table=white]Advanced Mind - MaxThrough your ever expanding cognitive abilities, you have noticed the benefits of and nurtured amassing information and knowledge. You have surpassed the abilities of an eidetic memory to store, sort, and manipulate information quickly and efficiently. Your mind has truly become a machine.
Effect 1: 50+ Intelligence and Wisdom, all information obtained through the senses is perfectly remembered and can be recalled instantly without conscious effort.
Effect 2: 75+ Intelligence and Wisdom, your thoughts are unnoticed by others. Theirs, however, are communicated to you within a 10m radius.[/table]
[table=white]Advanced Qi Gong - Advanced 6Qi Gong is Life. For truly understanding this concept and its applications in all areas of your life and applying it to your knowledge, you see how it could better work with the world's energy, Mana. You've truly mastered the goal of Qi Gong and gone a step beyond. You are now able to use Mana instead of the body's energy to better aid your training and instruct others.
True masters of this art have a chance of exceeding humanity's limits and approaching the purity of the gods.
Effects:
* Unarmed and Weapon combat is 1% more effective in offense and defense per level.
* Health and Mana regeneration occurs 2% quicker out of combat and 1% in.
* Your Mana can be used to heal minor illnesses. Major illnesses can be healed at a chance of 2% per level.
* Senses are 3% more effective per level.
* While Meditating, has a 1% chance of Divination per level.
[/table]
[table=white]Alchemy - Intermediate 5You have learned to see that all Sciences share a common root. Alchemy is the heart of Science and can unlock the potential in all things. True Masters of Alchemy can take the mundane and transform it into the Divine.
Each level increases the probability of a successful potion by 1%, regardless of preparation.[/table]
[table=white]Aura Manipulation - MaxBy acknowledging how your emotions and will affect the world around you, you gain the ability to control your Aura. True Masters who are at peace with their actions and memories and accept their place in the world can maintain a tranquil state and pass through life without affecting the lives of others.
Each level reduces the chance of unintentional leaks of personal aura by 2%.[/table]
[table=white]Cooking - Advanced 4You have decided to join the lovers of domesticity and gastronomy in this age-old art. True masters of Cooking understand that food is as much an art as it is a science splashed with a dab of magic and love. Meals you prepare have a 1% chance of being edible per level, regardless of your effort.[/table]
[table=white]Enchantment - Advanced 6True crafters have long suggested that the creater of a masterpiece is able to imbue a part of themselves for others to discover. You, an enchanter, understand this and use it to convey your desires to the rest of the world. True Enchanters are able to work with Alchemy to reshape reality.
Each level reduces the chance of a failed enchantment and loss of material by 2%.[/table]
[table=white]Language Comprehension - Intermediate 1Through your careful study of the parts of text and speech that form to allow beings to communicate, you have learned Language Comprehension. True Masters of language are able to quickly communicate with anyone, regardless of knowledge of the other's language.
Each level, spoken and written communication become 1% more effective, regardless of knowledge and fluency of the language.
Current Languages:
* Arabic (Written, Spoken)
* English (Written, Spoken)
* French (Written, Spoken)
* German (Written, Spoken)
* Italian (Written, Spoken)
* Japanese (Written, Spoken)
* Mandarin (Written, Spoken)
* Spanish (Written, Spoken)
[/table]
[table=white]Mana Control - Master 1Through looking beyond the commonly accepted reasonings for how the Universe works, you realize that Mana behaves in a more unique way. True Masters of Mana use the energy of creation with ease, treating it as an extension of themselves.
Effect 1: Each level reduces Mana consumption by 1%.
Effect 2: MP is boosted by 2% per level.[/table]
[table=white]Meditation - Master 6Through calming your mind and centering yourself, you've found the benefits of self-reflection and introspection. Stillness brings oneness with the Universe and all life within it. True masters of Meditation can sustain themselves solely on the energy of the Universe.
Each level increase in Meditation brings a 1% quicker recovery rate of Mana per minute while meditating.
Gains towards Intelligence, Wisdom, and Luck have a chance to slightly increase while meditating.[/table]
[table=white]Mental Fortitude - Master 7Through sheer resolve and determination, your mind resists being affected by outside influences. True Masters of Mental Fortitude push through even the strongest opposing perspective.
Each level increases Mental and Illusion magic resistance by 2%.[/table]
[table=white]Observation - Master 2Through careful study of the world and those that live within it, you have gained insight into being able to assess your surroundings and not be taken by surprise. True Masters of Observation glean hidden insights without prior knowledge.
Each level increases the probability of additional helpful insights by 1%, regardless of prior knowledge or Player level in relation to the target's difficulty.[/table]
[table=white]Singularity - MaxThrough the use of your Aura, the ability to interface with technology in your immediate area becomes available. The System's visual interface can be used to display and interact with the data received.[/table]