Ash limps to the fire, unable to think, with a leg limping like a noodle. His eyes cross and his focus splinters. Why did it have to be like this? Ash could have just explained his intent, but nooooo, Baro had to get all "i MiSjUdGeD yOu." Even if he explained himself, would Baro have understood? No point in thinking anymore about it, since what's done is done. What happened, happened. Ash must focus on the now, to salvage the moment and save his friend.
Baro coughs, he's caught in the middle of all that trash, flames and smoke. The air he breathes, poisonous, used in a process of incomplete combustion. A chemical reaction all Khal Sect members are taught to avoid when first learning the incendiary arts. The incomplete combustion process results in the creation of carbon monoxide, an odorless and profoundly toxic chemical. Every breath strips time from a person's lifespan. There is no time for hesitations or what ifs. Ash reels his hand back as he forces himself forward, inching towards the flame. Veins ripple throughout his arm as blood vessels burst out from beneath the skin, reddening his arm. It's deep stings clearing his vision and stirring his mind. A moment of focus fueled by pain and adrenaline. Ash gathers his willpower, and summons what remains of his qi. He shifts with the Garbage Collector's glide, stopping inches away from the flaming trash engulfing Baro.
Preventing emergencies like these are one of the main reasons the Khal Sect developed the ancient arts. A mere dumpster fire now bares it's fangs like a real threat. A blind frog unaware of how small it's pond is. Even a novice trashman of the Khal Sect can deal with such a measly dumpster fire, if only Ash had enough time to grow into a novice trashman. The Toxi-grip is the most foundational pre-requisite of Junk-Fu, and the tool which allows trashmen to perform the garbage arts. As Ash is now, the toxi-grip is too much, and so are genuine Junk-Fu arts. Regardless, the ancient secrets live on in Ash. With them he moves forward, eyes set on saving his friend. Even if it's too much for him now, he must do something.
I won't let you die!
"First form, Garbage Removal Punch"
Ash's arm muscles rupture from within, tearing apart as the qi bursts forth and knocks aside a vast chunk of garbage. Baro gasps beneath the flames as Ash yanks him out with his other hand, bursting with Qi. An adrenaline fueled mistake. The toxi-grip has already taken it's toll, yet Ash dared to use it again. Ash could barely squeeze his hands into a fist as it was, what muscles he had left to pull with have already been ripped apart. As soon as he yanks Baro out, his grip gives way. He never had hope of holding on. Their eyes widen as their fingers slip apart.
Baro flies headfirst into the sewer wall, eyes rolling back from the impact, wall and skull cracking alike with spiderweb fractures. At least he's out of the fire. Ash collapses, burning trash enveloping his already scorched feet. Ash pulls himself away, inch by inch. Using the pain all over his body to keep himself conscious. He's at his limit, but stopping now means death.
Dammit Baro, you had to fight with fire.
Ash grabs his bag, and a handful of thunderblood potions. His last fight with Baro ended in a draw, with both of them badly hurt. He was under no false premise that it'd be easier the second time around. In fact, turns out Baro was holding back during the first fight. The sharpness of his counters and strikes, the rage in the qi that fueled his flames, the heat of the moment gave Ash no time for thought. He had no idea Baro was being so generous in their first exchange. In the first fight he could at least take a moment between exchanges to think. Not this time. Ash downs another bottle, quickly chugging through two.
He was impatient, and recklessly capitalized on the first opportunity to strike. By the time Ash realized his mistake, his arms were aching throughout, Baro was trapped in fire. The panic of the moment wasted too many precious seconds. Ash leaves three bottles by Baro, lamenting as he helps him drink one, it should be enough for him to wake fairly soon with enough strength to finish the rest himself. Ash had anticipated severe damage on both sides, so he bought as many bottles as he could. Sister Xiaojie thought it'd be better to sell ten concentrated mixes rather than fifty normal ones. The concentrated thunderblood potion being five times as potent. Even then, Ash needed three bottles to fix his arms. He's already had two and his body still aches all over. Ash drinks the last two bottles he brought, and it's barely enough to dull the rest of his pain. His body still fumbles like a sack of potatoes. Ash grabs his bag. It's late, and he's way too tired to go back home. Ash heads for his bed at Sec Academy.
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The next morning, Ash follows some classmates to his homeroom. Baro didn't come back home, and he never told Ash where to go after that one class. Ash opted to following his classmates he vaguely recognizes, and go through the motions of being a student. Good thing some of his classmates have recognizable hairstyles which help them stand out in a crowd. Namely this one group with a blue haired kid, a red haired kid, and a girl with a mushroom cap.
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They shoot Ash strange looks throughout the class, along with the rest of the students. The teacher herself gives a few snide remarks about him skipping classes and the consequences of his actions. It was very annoying, but it was mostly because of the mild aches across Ash's body. He's at about sixty percent strength, far from perfect condition. The teacher, Ms. Rutherspoon, creates a board from qi.
Today's lesson is on breathing. The teacher describes a series of breathing techniques. Fundamentals for basic meditation, and the foundation for sensing qi. Ash naturally suspected as much from the very start. The way mystic energies are utilized in this world are very similar to his old one. Khal Sect disciples, on the path to being trashmen, are first taught breathing before anything else. It was also Sect Master Khan's first lesson to Ash. Years later, when Ash became an accomplished Trashman, Sect Master Khan still gave him lessons on the breath.
Garbage breath serves many functions for the Khal Sect. It's the root of Junk-fu and the foundation for performing the garbage arts, and it's the number one preventer of Olfactory Trash Fixation Disorder, or OTFD. OTFD is a mental disorder which occurs when long-term exposure to foul stenches causes the brain to develop triggers which "re-live" said foul stench. Even after years of therapy, OTFD may trigger from the slightest reminder of the garbage stench. It's often the case that victims smell garbage from normal objects. A torturous state of existence, guarantees a cocktail of successive psychological conditions, such as depression. Such are the risks of Trash disposal. Truly, Garbage Breathing is the most important tool for a Trashman.
The breath after all is a source of energy, and the teacher says it's a source of qi in this world. Qi can be gathered by breathing, making meditation an extremely popular form of cultivation for all martial artists. Ms. Rutherspoon guides the class through some basic deep breath techniques, and quick breath techniques. Diaphragm exercises, lung capacity exercises. Basic stuff. Most students got it on their first tries, very few needed additional pointers. Ash has been doing all these and more since he was a baby.
The Khal Sect has known for many years that even if you wash away the physical stench of garbage, the stench may seep deep into a person's mind. Garbage Breathing is foundationally important for surviving in the Trashman's world. It's no coincidence it's one of the first things taught to disciples. The Trashman must suffer foul odors for as long as they fight for the people, a taxing affair in a seemingly endless battle. The reality of this world is that even mountains can erode into hills when exposed to enough rain. The vile odors which sect members suffer each day will inevitably take a toll over dozens of years, that toll is OTFD. Though many disciples steel their minds against these stenches, and suffer incredible daily pains to develop that mental fortitude, the sect believes it's better to simply work around the stench and avoid the risk of OTFD alltogether. For this reason, Garbage Breathing, in tandem with being used to fuel all Junk-Fu techniques, has been developed into the number one defensive tool for maintaining the psychological health of sect members.
"Ash, you're doing it all wrong. Are you stupid?" Miss Rutherspoon said.
Huh.
Students around laugh as miss Rutherspoon lists issues with nearly every aspect of Ash's breathing. Problem with his posture, diaphragm work, length of his breath, deepness of breath, expansion of chest, expansion of stomach, and it just went on and on. Of course his breath is different in every shape or form, Garbage Breathing is extremely stylized. To her it seems like inefficient breathing, but the reality is that if he breathes the way she says to breathe, he'll smell garbage normally. If garbage breathing isn't instinctual by the time he debuts as a Trashman, Ash's risk of OTFD will increase by three hundred percent. His cultivation teacher recommends a breath that could ruin his cultivation, and calls him stupid for not doing it. The other kids laugh.
"This trash doesn't even know how to breath." A red haired kid said.
What? No, this is garbage breathing.
"Save your breath, Brother Bou, a country bumpkin like him would never understand," a blue haired kid said. Ash frowns. He remembers now. It's the kids who wasted food couple days ago, the Sar brothers. A girl with a mushroom cap looks at him, and ducks her head under her hat as an entourage of students gather around them.
"A trashy fatty who can't even breath is nothing compared to master Lou Sar," a background character said, amongst a sea of taunts. Ash struggles to keep up with who's hurling what insult. The cacophony all melding into some vague aggressive noise directed to him, though a few comments stood out.
"Nobody likes you, weirdo."
"Just leave already, lazy trash loser!"
The students continue their relentless taunts. Ash blames himself, he was too focused on his own path to realize what was going on. Ms. Rutherspoon literally just taught this class how to breath, and breathing isn't in any way a difficult lesson. Even back at the Khal Sect, people who struggled with such a simple concept were mocked by the other students. When Ash asked the Sect Master why the teachers encourage such behavior, he said it was a necessary evil. Breathing is foundational for progressing through the Khal Sect disciplines, and it's the easiest part. Someone who struggles at such an early stage must work a hundred times over in order to make up for it. If they persevere without being truly qualified, their inadequacy could come at the cost of people's lives. Sect Master Khan believed it's better to be harder on them, to hurt their feelings and be a little rude in order to drive them away or give them the extra pressure needed to succeed. It's better than fake smiles which encourage them to walk to their deaths. Is this teacher doing the same thing? She probably doesn't realize that Ash is already on bad terms with the class, that she just tossed a bunch of steak in front a pack of wolves. One of the kids throws a shoe at him.
"Lynch him!" Lou Sar said, charging in with the other students.