“Now let’s see how much damage you can do on your own,” Demeris said to three more floating blobs that he had created. Before sending them out to attack another tree, he shaped them into spheres and then let them fly. The spheres hit the tree and Demeris quickly walked over and checked the damage they had caused. After a careful examination, it became evident that the Qis carrying rocks inflicted more damage than the bare Qi spheres alone. Then, an idea occurred to him.
Instead of spheres, he shaped his Qi into a sword, yet he was met with failure as a sword is too big for his Qi to form into; the sword Qi ended up incomplete, resembling a jigsaw puzzle missing parts. The Qi’s mental signal conveyed to him that his control over the construct would be limited. So, instead of persisting with a sword, he crafted a dagger instead, which materialized effortlessly before him. He created two more daggers and sent them one after the other towards the same nearby tree. All of them hit the target uncannily precisely. Upon examining the damage, Demeris was elated to discover a puncture that was perhaps an inch deep where the daggers hit.
Eager to put his daggers to the test, Demeris embarked on a stroll in search of potential targets. It didn't take long before his eyes fell upon an unusual rabbit, its appearance seemingly ordinary except for disproportionately large feet and a single horn adorning its forehead. Intrigued by the peculiar creature, Demeris saw it as the perfect opportunity for target practice.
Summoning three daggers, his limit, he directed one towards the rabbit's neck. To his dismay, the dagger inflicted only a shallow wound. What followed, however, was even more astonishing: instead of fleeing, the rabbit charged towards him, its six-inch horn poised menacingly. Panic set in, and as Demeris instinctively moved backward, a rogue twig ensnared his foot, causing him to stumble.
Quick on his feet, Demeris managed to shout, "Hit it in the eyes!" to his remaining two daggers, willing them to move. Obediently, they swiftly positioned themselves to intercept the oncoming rabbit, each dagger finding its mark in one of the creature's eyes. Piercing through without much resistance, the dagger tips sank deeper, reaching the rabbit's brain. In an instant, the once-charging rabbit succumbed, its life extinguished on the spot.
Demeris quickly got up from where he fell and went to check on the rabbit confirming it to be dead. He noticed the rabbits sturdier than usual hide, the reason why the first dagger failed to inflict a more substantial wound. “Crazy rabbit..” he muttered.
As he reached down to pick it up, a menacing snarl echoed from behind. Slowly, Demeris pivoted and beheld a wolf emerging from the thickets. However, this was no ordinary wolf; it bore striking zebra stripes and stood twice the size of any wolf he had encountered. Saliva dripped from its snarling mouth as it charged toward him.
Undeterred, Demeris was prepared this time, having already summoned his Qi blobs. Stretching one blob, he sent it forth to trip the advancing wolf, causing it to stumble. Following up, Demeris directed two Qi spheres towards the wolf's head.
The wolf, shaking its head in stunned disarray, felt the impact of the Qi spheres. As its focus returned to Demeris, two more spheres, now accompanied by fist-sized rocks, struck the side of its head. The wolf whimpered, and in that vulnerable moment, the rocks floated once more and homed in on its head.
The relentless assault continued, with the wolf enduring several more hits before finally succumbing. Demeris persisted, raining down blows with the rocks until the wolf lay lifeless on the ground, its head battered and bloodied.
Drawn by the scent of blood on the ground, three additional zebra wolves emerged from the dense underbrush. Reacting swiftly, Demeris channeled Qi to his arms and legs, enabling him to ascend a nearby tree before the wolves could reach him.
Perched safely above, Demeris observed as the wolves began to ravage the carcass of their fallen comrade. The wolf pack grew in numbers, reaching a total of at least eight, all engaged in a fierce struggle over the deceased wolf's body. Meanwhile, another wolf had already carried away the lifeless form of the unicorn rabbit.
Unmolested in the tree, Demeris harnessed his Qi to lift rocks and aimed them at one of the wolves, compelling it to flee. Skillfully changing targets, he continued to pelt the wolves with rocks. Gradually, the wolves retreated from the area, unable to effectively defend against the onslaught, leaving Demeris safely perched above.
Assured that no more wolves lurked nearby, Demeris swiftly descended from the tree. Mindful of the potential danger in the vicinity of blood and gore, he made a conscious decision to keep a safe distance, wary of encountering more deadly beasts. Armed with prepared Qi spheres, he ventured towards the distant sound of running water, determined to explore a path away from the recent encounter with the wolves.
He came across a small river and began walking downstream, hoping to find a village or settlement. As he walked, he practiced his Qi skills, concentrating on enhancing his speed by manipulating rocks and sticks around him. In the afternoons, he delved deeper into the forest, honing his abilities by fighting with unicorn rabbits and the occasional wolf. He had three spheres constantly throughout the day, summoning them until it became a habit.
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In the evenings, just before sunset, he would ignite a fire to roast rabbits and indulge in a feast. Although his Qi could sustain him, he still enjoyed the savory taste of roasted rabbit meat. Yet, he remained vigilant, alert for the presence of wolves or other predators that might attempt to steal his dinner.
On the third day in the forest, tracing the river, danger struck once more. This time, it was a sizable tiger, its customary orange fur marked by patches of light blue, akin to a flickering fire in motion. Demeris, troubled by the absence of nearby trees for a quick escape, opted for the next best option: to run. He sprinted towards the trees lining the riverbank, employing his Qi to empower his legs. Simultaneously, he directed the three spheres in his possession to gather rocks and launched them towards the approaching tiger.
The tiger remained unfazed, treating the incoming rocks as if they were mere bubbles. With a roar, it leaped, targeting Demeris's back. In response, Demeris swiftly molded his Qi into a shield, sending it flying to strike the tiger from the side. The impact caused the tiger to miss its mark, its claws finding no purchase in slippery moss, slowing its pursuit. Seizing the opportunity, Demeris pressed on with his escape, summoning three shields behind him, poised to strike the tiger once more if needed.
The tiger's speed, though, proved formidable as it charged once more and leapt over Demeris, effectively blocking his path. Faced with limited options, Demeris made a split-second decision and jumped towards the water. Simultaneously, he directed his three shields to intercept the tiger's approaching claws. With a splash, Demeris landed on the water's surface.
Swiftly adapting, he summoned a Qi dagger and hurled it toward the tiger's eyes. In a surprising turn, the tiger attempted to swat the dagger away, but to its dismay, the dagger remained ethereal, passing through its claws. The moment it reached the tiger's eyes, the dagger solidified, causing the creature to roar in pain and instinctively claw at its injured eye.
Still in the water, Demeris summoned another dagger and launched it towards the tiger's other eye. Displaying intelligence, the tiger, having learned from the previous encounter, deftly dodged the oncoming attack.
Disappointed, Demeris swiftly swam to the other side of the river, with the injured tiger stumbling in pursuit, leaping onto the big rocks like platforms to cross the river. It seemed the tiger had become wise to him making the daggers ethereal until right before impact.
Taking advantage of the tiger's slowed pace due to its injury, Demeris successfully reached the trees. With agility, he swiftly climbed a tree, securing a temporary sanctuary from the wounded predator.
Persisting, the tiger tried to leap multiple times, relentlessly trying to reach Demeris to no avail. It came to a brief stop, gazing at Demeris with pure hatred, its remaining eye seemed like candlelight. Abruptly, the tiger opened its mouth and spewed a jet of flame towards Demeris.
Instinct taking over, Demeris flattened the three spheres into shields and swiftly directed them to intercept the oncoming flame. Crossing his arms in front of his face, the shields collided with the fiery onslaught one after the other, significantly weakening its intensity. Despite the successful defense, the flames still managed to burn Demeris' arms raw and singe his hair. Reacting promptly, he summoned three more spheres and initiated the process of healing, ready for another attack.
The tiger circled the tree where Demeris had taken refuge, now seemingly content to wait for him to come down. However, Demeris had different plans. With his burns now healed, he summoned daggers, commanding them to relentlessly target the tiger's remaining eye. The tiger adeptly dodged the initial onslaught, but it soon found itself tiring as daggers continued to materialize seemingly out of nowhere. When the tiger tried to fire another jet of flame, Demeris was ready.
In that moment when the tiger paused to aim, Demeris sent a dagger that flew straight and true, piercing the tiger’s uninjured eye. The pain caused the tiger to lose its focus and its flame attack flickered out. Truly blinded now, more and more daggers found their mark on the soft tissues of the eyes until one dagger pierced through its brain effectively killing it.
Upon the tiger's demise, Demeris sensed an increase in his Qi. While the increase was marginal, the revelation exhilarated him. He realized that his Qi could increase without relying on the Qi Consolidation technique. Now, he was determined to unravel the mystery behind this random boost, eager to replicate the experience.