I stood by the corpses of the moles, including the alpha and beta as I pondered my situation for a moment.

“……”

No doubt, my growth recently had been smooth, although it was a bit painful.

But, recalling the fact the way I broke through heavily depended on the burning vitality from Asya’s heart, I don’t think my way of growing ad breaking through is the common one people would take.

Would humans or practitioners in this world use these materials for medicine or nutrients, refine it firstly to remove all the harmful substances and reduce the backlash before finally consuming it?

“High possibility this speculation is true.” I said so to myself, as I slowly dropped my body as I sat on the fertile soil.

Thinking along this train of thought, the most imminent issue would be whether my way of breaking through solidly consolidate the foundation of my growth or not.

However, after remembering the fact that my body was also being strengthened as I consumed the moles flesh before, I then began to think that it might be fine in its own way too.

However, it might be a good idea to try out some new ideas that popped out in my head right now….

Without much thinking, I immediately tore the arm muscle of a mole in front of me.

Even though my grip and arm strength had already reached a level where tearing muscles easily, it could be said that the moles have a very strong body despite its size and a very sturdy compressed muscles.

With a ripping sound of flesh in my hand, I then opened my mouth and chewed the raw flesh, dripping with blood using my teeth vigorously. Every bits of flesh ruptured in my mouth as I forcibly tried to swallow it down, filling my gut with an indescribable feeling of grotesqueness.

“……”

One second passed another, the first mole’s flesh was devoured completely, entering my stomach. I then felt a rampaging wave of savageness in my gut, rumbling and wreaking havoc as if trying to erode my being from the inside.

As the feeling of my insides being ravaged by this unknown substance flared wantonly, I focused my mind in the midst of this agony to direct the pain, which signals the tempering energy towards every parts of my body evenly so as to assure myself that there is no weak spot that hadn’t been developed in my body.

The pain continued to torment me only for a short half of a quarter hour before finally subsiding quickly.

“It hurts less than before…..”

I sat myself up and began to analyze my condition.

There is no significant growth like before. It seems that my prana source point and body had already grown enough that savage energies and various substances from the mole can no longer enhance it.

I then proceeded to absorbed the lingering prana inside its body, all the way till I sucked in the meridians. It felt like my hand absorbed a net of feeble and fragile fibers, and it felt so transparent as if the slightest lack of attention will let my hand lose control of it.

“Hm…?”

Wait…. Meridians?

This sensation I felt in my hand was new, and it excited my curious heart. With a thought, I focused my mind to its peak and carefully guided the meridians of the mole slowly, as if pulling a net made of thin and fragile spider silk.

Slowly……. carefully…… observe every little motion and change…… without a single mistake……

However, as the fragile and transparent net of meridians touched my arms, cracks appeared on its illustrious lusters and the meridians immediately shattered inside the body into pieces, along with my excitement and focus.

“……”

What is going on here?

I fixed my sitting posture as I began to think of this mystery.

When did it explode?

When the meridians I pulled touched my hand.

Why was it pulled in the first place?

After pondering for a moment, I can think of two possible answers.

The first is that my attack had already struck it hard enough when it was alive, that not only the body was heavily injured, the meridians had sustained damage too, making it easier to

pull.

I can deduce this answer and then determine this answer was possible by thinking along the imagination that if a body was the container of energy, the dantian was the source point of energy, then the meridians or sometimes I also referred it as prana veins were the channel where energy flows to every parts of body.

As the body which is the container becomes damaged, the inner structures within the body which is the meridians and dantian will also sustain a certain amount of damage, depending on the kind of attack it suffered.

Even though the kind of attack method the body suffered would make differences towards the damage the meridians and dantian, there is always a margin that can be used to calculate the changes that occurred within them after a certain amount of damage had piled up in parts of the body, each parts with different coefficient.

And when the heavily damaged body of the mole had its prana absorbed by me, the already breaking body with frail solid and ethereal structure had already become tattered. And with my absorbing force becoming even stronger every time my strength grows, it was pulled along with the prana I tried to absorb.

Although there are still unsolved mysteries and unanswered question in regards to this hypothesis, I can still fairly calculate that it is not that very far off the mark.

The second is that because my absorbing ability had improved, allowing me to absorb the meridians itself.

It is said that long before the creation of cosmos, the universe was just a substance of highly compressed energy. After an unknown amount of time it exploded, and from then on the

leftover energy mixed, collided, and fused with one another, finally resulting in the birth of various particles and substance.

After a long period of time, under the guidance of fate, particles gather one pace at a time, forming masses of gas. After a long period of time, as the said gas become compressed due to the gravity its core emitted, nuclear fusion reaction occurred, finally giving birth to stars. After that, using nearly the same process but with different results, came out the planets and so on and so on.

After a long period of time, somewhere in this very universe, life sprouted out from the dirty waters, filled with microscopic organism and so on and so on the theory of life goes.

But what I am trying to say is not this theory that explain the possible origins of life.

I am trying to say that everything in this world, originated from the condensation of energy.

In other words, Heavenly Prana.

If, my hypothesis is following this way of thinking, then the universe is a condensation of Heavenly Prana.

If, my hypothesis is still following this way of thinking, then the event where the meridians were absorbed when I tried to absorb prana remains in the mole’s corpse means somehow, an ethereal substances like the meridians is also a condensation of prana.

And if, my hypothesis is still following this way of thinking, then the fact that the meridians were pulled by my prana absorption means my prana can somehow directly consume an ethereal substances which was a condensation of prana.

If that is so,

Then ethereal substances can also be considered as nourishment for me.

However, the previous absorption left me with failure in devouring the attracted meridians.

I began to empty the prana remains from the first mole, and then after relishing myself with the invigorated feeling the absorbed prana gave me, I proceeded to the second mole.

I strained all my six senses to the absolute limit and probe for any changes and happenings as I slowly and carefully absorb the prana remains on this body.

Second by second passed unhurriedly, as bits of prana surge entered my body, nourishing my meridians yet again with vitality. I kept my focus at its highest as I slowly absorb the prana, waiting for the prana remains to dry up.

A short moment after, the prana had been completely dried up, leaving only the fragile meridians waiting for me to absorb.

This is the moment of truth.

Now, reveal thy secret before me!

I shouted as such in my mind as I powered my absorption skill, slowly removing the meridians of its attachments to the body in every important points of the body.

10 points, 17 points…..

I kept removing the meridians, which was as frail as a spider web from the important points of the moles as I poured my undivided attention towards it. Not long after, all the attachments of the meridians have been removed.

This way, all the attachments have been removed, and all hindrance should have vanished.

I then gradually make an attracting motion with my prana as I kneaded the meridians which were like spider silk like rolling a string of threads, collecting it in a stick so as to let be neat.

Strands of meridians slowly gathered into a ball of woven threads, and silently occupied my hand as it began to touch the most outer skin of my palm.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

I then carefully controlled the ball of meridians into strings again as I let it enter my meridians and slowly guide it to every inches of meridians in my body.

After having completed all of that, I began to merge it.

It felt slightly painful.

But little by little, I can feel some changes in my meridians.

Like a river being dug, it made my meridians as if it became deeper and more robust.

The feeling was as if I am becoming more capable of channeling more prana with more intensity and speed. The circulation felt more refreshing and unperturbed, as I revolve prana while observing the changes in my body.

“……”

Using my senses, I could feel that my meridians have a small changes in its attribute too.

It was as if the prana that originates from the source is being colored by something new as it revolves around my body, passing through the newly forged meridians.

“…?”

Could it be that, my meridians obtained an attribute based on what it devoured?

Never heard of someone encountering this phenomenon before.

Although that being said, none of what happened around me before can fully be explained though.

At least, for now.

After having finished consuming the meridians I absorbed, I began to continue to eat the corpses while absorbing the prana, consuming the meridians.

After 2 more corpses, the process was even more easier. Rather than eating poisonous meats like before, it felt like eating uncooked rice.

Hard, and a bit disturbing to the innards. But still incomparable to the agony that made me writhe before.

4 hours later, all the meat I could eat and the prana and meridians I can absorb had been cleaned, not even an ounce of it remaining.

I could feel the palpitating sensation in my stomach as it refined the meats I just devoured, into raw vitality as it nourished my blood and marrow, strengthening the foundation of my body.

However, even after all this, I can’t feel the feeling of breaking through, unlike before.

After drinking gulps of water, Asya’s heart which had been dormant for a while finally let out warm current of energy, as it surged into the meridians and nourished my body along with the refined vitality and prana I gained from the corpses.

The two foreign energies met and slowly but surely blended and merged into my being as one, forging me with strength.

“Ah, how refreshing…”

My body stays at 4th layer of altered body. Not sure what kind of level were above the altered body, though.

However, the road is still long.

I can just take things steadily.

With this thought in mind, I treaded my legs towards the tallest tree I had my sight on before, little by little while at the same time, carefully observing my surroundings.

My heart was filled with joy and glee as I felt the strength in my body had once again soared leaps and bounds desite not having any breakthrough.

This means, the foundation of my strength had become stronger!

However, that didn’t diminish my wariness.

After all, one can never be too careful in the wilds. Especially, when one is by oneself like me.

Moments later, I climbed the tree as I kicked its branch while clawing it with my hands, and finally got a good look of my surrounding for the surrounding 100 kilometers radius around me.

Hm? This tree was only 250 meters tall at most, if not less than 300 meters tall. Should I contribute this visual acuity because of my sight?

The greenery filled my eyes with refreshing light as I scanned every angle with great detail. From this, I could gain some information that would prove important for my survival here.

Like how Annie said earlier, this wilderness is indeed north of a city called Eyrie city of the grand Assirean Empire. This, I could verify from the faint smokes rising into the sky from the left direction from where my shadow protruded.

Since the day was still early, the sun was still on the east side, meaning the shadow will always lean to the west side. Obviously.

However, if the faint smokes the society let out was this much, does this mean that the residents of this world is in the era of charcoal and gunpowder?

No use in speculating this much. When I get there I will naturally learn everything I need to know.

The north of my position…… seems vague.

About 70 kilometers away, white clouds covered the sky as if a soft and fluffy blanket covering a baby in his sleep.

No need to think through so much, I can safely deduce that from there laid a winter plain of some sort.

Not an environment I can contend for now, so I will have to put off the idea of exploring that place.

The east of my position…. Lays a towering mountain.

No, I think it should be a valley.

However, the shape of the valley was a bit weird.

Rather than having an upturned V shape, the valley domineeringly stood above the ground like a sword, as if daring to pierce the sky and rend the earth with its might.

Hell, I’m being a bit poetic.

Of course, that is not the only thing I got from observing this valley.

Although I am already this far from the valley, the aura of the valley, as if being brought along by the flow of the wind, grazed my body in smooth touch.

Yet the whispers of darkness heavily ignited the suppressed rage, wrath and vengeance I hold in my heart.

For a quarter of an hour, I silently stood on my position as I focused my mind to resist the whispers of darkness that amplified the suppressed feelings in my heart and clouded my clear and serene mind.

By the time I regained my former calm and serenity, the aura of the valley that gave me the chills before as if approving me of my worth suddenly became a cooling yet warm wave, a warm embrace holding my body with the gentleness of Mother Nature.

Hell, I’m being poetic again!

“…….”

The society lying in wait in my south was a good place to visit.

But this valley in the east of my position, gave me a different impression whatsoever.

Could it be that the dangerous yet delicate matter that Annie mentioned before had something to do with this valley?

If yes, then with the current strength I possess, I don’t think I can keep my life from anything that comes out from whatever hidden spots around that valley.

If no, then I would also not choose to go there now since there are so many things I need to learn and earn from the society that deeply planted its root in this world.

I vanquished all unnecessary thought and turned my attention towards the west of my position.

50 kilometers of my position, it was…..

A beach.

Precisely, it was a bay. Even from this far, I can vaguely catch the sight of its beautiful senery, and the freshness of the sea water despite having a harbor which would make it like a road in land for humans. 

A location which held many merchants, peddlers, outsiders, shops, and most importantly…

Inns.

A perfect place for an outsider of this world like me to blend in.

And that is my arcadia.

Simply put,

“North is a winter plain. East is a mysterious valley. South is a city, west is a harbor.”

For a starting point, I got a good one.

The city holds the center of civilization of this region, so I might be able to find things like the martial academy Annie mentioned before. I can also observe the happening in this region, or even in this country should I take the right move in gathering information.

But as for buying and selling, and most importantly learning all the habits, etiquette and all the common sense this world use, my choice for starters would be the harbor in my west.

After all, outsiders come and go from harbors, making the residents would automatically have a more open minded way of thinking and less suspecting.

Well, at least not suspecting someone who is clearly harmless.

This way, I can just blend in as an outsider with outsiders from outside this land, which is not lying at all while at the same time fulfilling all my needs.

Okay, that would be my destination for now.