As I stare into the distance my head feels muddled with thoughts only my footsteps can be heard gently taping on the asphalt. Before reaching any significant distance i have to stop for the night as the sun has set and the last rays of light get swallowed by the darkness. I don’t want to confront anything I cant see, well on that point I don’t want to confront anything at all but yeah.

Without really noticing it, morning came as exhaustion hit me yesterday evening. I think I fell asleep the instant I lay my head on my backpack. It was quite cold but I was too tired to really care.

I was already starting to work up some sweat trekking the distance between my sleeping place and the village I left my luggage when one of these monkeys stepped out of the woods blocking my path.

Annoyed at having to fight this creature again I grab my spare backpack again and my trusty knife wielding it in my right hand I get into a crouched position expecting a charge. Strangely thou it just started walking in my direction prodding me without underestimating me like the ones before. Without stopping it shortens the distance between us step for step. I was unmoving not wanting to leave myself open. Just as it got into reach I try to obscure its sight by fainting a hit with the bag while going for its neck again but it dodges before I even got close. Seeing that I lost the first bout I tried to wait for an attack from its side so I could block it with my bag to counter it just like I did it with my other two confrontations. My heart pounding in my chest as I still wasn’t used to fighting I see it swing its right arm trying to grab me which I parry with my bag. My knife again on the path to its neck when I just see a blur.

The next thing I knew I was on my back greedily sucking the air back in which it pounded out of me.

I wheeze as my lungs try to resist the air intake for some reason when I see it walking over here again. I push my arms against the ground to lift my body back up when this time I hear the air whistle only to have a second to try to contract by belly muscles as I see its foot coming up beneath me the force lifting me up into the air. “puah-gh” I spit out some blood as I got flung against a branch above me ultimately letting gravity take me in its embrace again I fall back down just to get backhanded in the face. I get a glimpse at it expression depicting it feeling apathetic as it lost its cortion to the wind seeing as I cant even fight back. I slide over the rough road stopping only after the cold tar had enough of scraping my skin off. This time I have a harder time getting up as my spit dribbles onto the ground. With closed eyes I listened to its claws clacking. The shiver inspiring noise getting louder and louder the closer it came, but I was only barely able to hear it as the thumping of my heart was overpowering any other sound in my vicinity. “I don’t understand….” I get out in between breaths as I lift myself onto my behind leaning against a tree I slowly open my eyes. The red hazy figure only a few steps away know. I bite my lip as every time my heart pushes blood through my body my shallow scrape wounds flare up in pain. I feel helpless and another feeling, which I normally try to supress when I’m in society. I’m cornered……

“st-t..o.p“

why did the world change?

why did my friend have to die?

why am i not with my parents?

I don’t want to die

"stop.."

"stop..I don‘t want to die"

"I said stop you piece of shit!"

why won‘t it stop?

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I said stop didn‘t I?

why isn’t it listening..

“No I said to fucking stop damn it!!!”

As it stabs its hand in the direction of my heart I feel my rage. The rage I normally supress the rage of my life, the one directed at the world for what happened and at myself for letting it happen surging with renewed vigour, when I notice that I intercepted his lethal blow with my knife.

we both look at each other dumbly, when I just couldn‘t help but suddenly grin a tooth filled smile.

"so it‘s this easy is it?"

I stab two of my fingers from my left hand into its right eye socket letting it register the pain and shivering from its painfilled screech before yanking its skull to the ground subsequently digging my thumb into its left eye before trying to find a way into its brain.

feeling a resistance, I subconsciously direct my inner energy into my fingers feeling them harden before hearing a crack.

A death screech and then.. sudden silence.

I just stare at its face stained with bloody tears as I reminisce in its final moments

I staid like this for a minute before taking my fingers out if its scull with a squishing sound.

looking at my hand and back at its disfigured face i concentrate some of my energy into my fist before hitting its head.

breaking its nose I continue crushing its skull with each subsequent hit

getting better and more efficient at manipulating my energy until only a small crater filled with juices and mush is in the place of its head

I lift my hand only to see my skin only slightly blistered.

"seems as it also hardens my skin and bones.." I speak out loud before putting my hand into a prayer wishing my friend in the afterlife some fun with my little present I just sent him before ripping out its core noticing its purer form when compared with my other cores.

After retrieving my knife from the tree it was stuck in I inspect the core for real this time.

“that was quite exhausting wasn’t it Mr. Core?” I say softly seeing has I felt drained. Not mentally in no way no more like something was missing but slowly being filled by each breath I took. Thinking this must be the cause of me using my inner energy as would be said in xianxia novels I feel my heart flutter as I may just have discovered a way to cultivate without even trying!

But it wasn’t enough I felt. The ambient energy I was breathing in would be good enough too fill me up and maybe strengthen me but it felt so inefficient. That when my gaze landed back onto the bright yellow core in my hands. Just this one had enough energy to fill my reserves thrice and I suspect it used some of the energy in it meaning this is just the leftovers. I licked my lips while I already started to see how I can tap into this well of energy but it didn’t move even when I tried to cast my will upon it.

“Ok..what to do what to do~” I melodically hum.

It seems like this energy is resisting any attempts as if it still knows who its owner is and where it belongs too….

Trying something different I try to will the ambient energy to rush into me which does seem to speed up my intake but only slightly as this feels like very thin smoke which I’m try to grasp with my hands to breath it in faster, but the difference between just normally breathing in the smoke and with the help of my hands doesn’t seem to be that strong of an effect. Turning back to the Core I sit down cross legged and tried many different “passive” approaches when I had enough. Not wanting this puny thing to spoil by good mood which I was finally able to build up I just push some of my regenerated energy into my hands and crush it…..

Whooosh~

My eyes open wide as the formally stubborn energy was dispersing into the surroundings. Without further ado I started greedily moping it up feeling my energy tank fill to the brim before expanding bit by bit as If I was pushing against the “walls” of my Core to expand it just a bit at a time feeling like a rushed job would just tear my core apart subsequently leading to an implosion or something like that heh. 

After a refreshing session of cultivation as I will term it after my most beloved eastern novels I stand up. Before stopping in my tracks as another problem showed up..

I am hungry!!!

***

Not sure which fruits are edible and which are not even more so now that many new ones that most likely never existed on earth before as some are square pink blocks of something hanging from trees I just cut some meat of little’o monkey over there of course not before kicking it in the balls two or maybe five times. Crudely pelting it as it really wasn’t my profession before…I am or was a student….meaning I was good with iphones and nothing else other than that cough anyways..

I make a small fire with some twigs and with the help of my lighter and start roasting the meat. It was a hard time just waiting for it to finish seeing the fat drip deliciously into the fire only to make a slight sizzling noise.

“sho gjood” I stammer in bliss

I didn’t think of anything in that moment. Content of discovering cultivations, happy to be alive and filled by a new discovered delicacy. The only thing missing would be music but I don’t want to rid myself of my hearing when I’m potentially in danger every second I’m in this jungle… I just laugh that this already has become normality after only one night and day…

“Welp” I cheer as I stand up to continue my path to the village. This time with a spring in my step

….