It has been a few hours since I've received the System Objective, and my body feels warm despite my average body temperature. The energy absorbed from the surroundings is coming in at a steady rate and there seems to be no change in the consistency at which I absorb energy, which doesn't feel right to me, though oddly soothing.
To help me with my visualization of progress, I noticed the consistency between the absorption of energy and the amount of AE absorbed. Over the whole process, every 3 small specks of AE absorbed into my body, my progress increases by one.
Speaking of which, while I mention the rate at which I absorb energy, that was while I was still new at it. After the hours upon hours of doing the same thing, I've noticed a few shortcuts and observed some shortcoming I've had, and upon doing so the feeling which allowed me to absorb the surrounding AE has increased, decreasing the time of movement drastically and consistently.
It seems as if finding simple or complex flaws, as long as you can comprehend what slows down the energy absorption. The feeling of correction feels as if you make the discoveries, and a hand guides you into correction.
And finally, after about 7 hours of bliss, my AE fills up.
[Host Objective Complete]
[Absorb the needed amount of Astral Energy to activate a single ability.]
[Reward: Astral Cultivation]
I like what I see. After so many Cultivation novels, you can only anticipate such a thing coming true.
'System, pull up my Status.'
[System Status
Name: Hollow
Species: Astral Blood Wolf
Tier: 1.0
Alignment: Astral (Blood)
Points: 0
- Skills -
-Blood Dragon-
-Astral Movement 0/100-
-Blood Crystallization 0/100-
Hierarchy Position: Low]
Giving a satisfying look into the new AE progress bar, I find myself with a sense of satisfaction knowing that my patience has paid off. Deciding to look at Astral Cultivation in a few minutes, I make my way to an open area still within the small territory.
Standing on grass being swayed gently by the wind, I close my eyes and focus on 'Astral Movement'. The System, previously, instructed me on Visualization and how to direct the skill at the cost of energy, 100 AE.
In my head, the image of a shooting star shaded in red and blue intertwining while it moves deceptively fast, leaving afterimages across the skyline.
Taking a slow and steady step forward, I feel a blast of wind knock the air out of my longues as my footing becomes unsteady and a feeling of starvation stems from the depth of my soul.
Opening my eyes with a ravenous mindset, I slowly calm down looking at the greenery around me, amplified by the gentle sound of water running.
Looking back, I see shallow, yet compressed prints signaling where I was previous standing, yet that one step has moved me over a meter in distance by taking a step. What if.. I was running?
Of course, I don't have the AE to support that, or control, or anything else really. That'll have to wait. The fun part is this..
[Astral Movement +1]
'System, can you show my my skills progress?'
[System Skills
-Blood Dragon-
-Astral Movement 1/100-
-Blood Crystallization 0/100-]
Feeling around, and thinking back into my memory, that visualization has become a little bit less vague, reminiscent to an eccentric painting instead of a vague memory.
Well, I'm hungry for some energy. A feeling new to me yet it feels right, as if it's not hunger but a driving force for power.
'System, what is Astral Cultivation?'
[Astral Cultivation is a cultivation technique that transforms and condenses Astral Energy from the veins to a space reared for refinement.]
Well, that sounds great. While this warming feeling has transversed throughout my body, and nothing can fix that craving, I feel an urge to NOT feed that addiction. Somewhere to hold and refine that energy is incredibly appealing.
'System, how can I do that?'
[Host has to Cultivate without System help. All beings that transcend certain boundaries cultivate by themselves, and step by step guidance limits potential incapacitating the ability to become a God-Tier entity.]
Shit. That makes sense, but having the System guide everything and then have me do something independant feels incredibly foreboding. I don't feel good about it, yet I can only anticipate the potential I reach independently.
'System, can you show me Astral Cultivation?'
Waiting for a System automated response, words appeared inside of my head, which, now that I think about it is really similar to the System, yet instead of being represented by a voice it was represented by a thin, fragile and ancient book that proved its vicissitudes.
Reading the long yet direct passage, I try and flip the page and it won't budge. I mean, I get it, it's an imaginary book, yet I know I can flip the page here..
Opting to not ask the System for help, seeing as I've already gather sufficient information to start cultivation and probably shouldn't ask cultivation related problems. Closing my eyes like before, instead of changing my perspective to a spiritual one, I feel a ache in my stomach, and when I move my.. perception, a gold and red vortex suck up my soul, or whatever it is i'm sensing things with.
Reopening my metaphorical eyes, an eerie vision is presented before me. Like depicted inside of lots of light novels, my body is presented before my eyes in third person, everything surrounding me pitch black and the inside of my body has meridians going in and out in many sporadic courses, reminding me of hundreds of small puzzled shapes that can't be solved, capable of sculpting anything with its complexity yet useless with one missing piece.
Visually, they're glowing a dim blue light, as the manual has said, yet that doesn't mean they're full or something, they're actually empty, and due to the natural laws of.. well, everything, they're highlighted until they're.. 'open', and in use.
As sucky as I am, what the Manual said was very simple. Looking to where my cerebral cortex was, a thick yet slightly more dull Meridian is highlighted going up and down what would be a Meridian representing my spine.
Though I can't explain the process, it's like looking at something and trying to move it with your mind, except instead of looking stupid and nothing happening, something DOES happen. As the highlighted visual disappears, that like down my back disappears, making a weird sight.
Getting outside of the meditative cultivation state, I absorb a small orb of energy into my body, circulating it through my veins, and instead of willing myself towards the vortex, I will that speck of energy floating around my body into the black hole that is cultivation.
Going inside, instead of the blue lines coursing throughout my body, my body appears just like outside of it, pitch black with very, very dark blue highlights, while compared to them, the Meridian throughout my back and head is like a dimly lit room, with a string of energy moving back and forth, getting thinner yet brighter, a silky white, and pure.
Next step, it's said, is use the filled Meridian as an attractive force to pull more Energy through the vortex, basically an automation System so that instead of absorbing it through my body, and then into the Meridian, I can absorb FROM the Meridian, and continue to cultivate and purify the AE.
Gathering strand after strand of AE, instead of making one long line, I entwine each piece to resemble a rope in form, as it refines itself making laps around the meridian, no longer looking like a small string. While cultivating, If I focus I can look at the AE flowing, and every lap small, grey particles are pulled out of the energy and.. eaten.. by it. Consumed to make up for a little bit of energy lost during the process of refinement. Deciding that it's good for now, I inspect my body noticing the lack of energy, and feel slightly content, instead of that ravenous craving that was driving my every desire after being drained.
Although still occupying that slightly empty feeling, I don't feel hungry or tired despite the fact that it's magically night outside and I.. was inside of myself for what only felt like a few hours of leisure.
Looking at my status, I feel a sick sense of pleasure i haven't felt since I was starving and killed that Prided Deer.
(A/N: I won't print out the Status every time. That sounds stupid.)
As I look at AE, it increased like it said it would before, although it's been what I'd guess is 3-4 hours, the System is adamant that during this time, 9 hours have passed. Though, as I've seen in the Cultivation manual thing, it's much harder to enhance, purify, condense, and increase the general amount of energy you have then to restore it back to its previous form using energy from the atmosphere. Though, it may look tedious, it's very effective during fights and that'll never change.
And so starts the grind of learning to control Astral Movement. The points out of 100 represents my current level or mastery, but not how much I can control that level or mastery. Although in a sense that doesn't mean anything, and is a very broad statement, it's needed. You could obtain a high efficiency in using the AE to activate Astral Movement, yet utilizing the skill of Astral Movement itself is another task, that while it can give you points of mastery, is a whole new task on it's own on your road to control.
So, what's my AE level at now, you're asking?
AE: 346/346
That's right, I've increased my capacity. 9 (oddly satisfying) hours of refinement, and I've now got room for 3 Astral Movements, while will make that 4 of 100 until I fill up that 'experience bar'.
Using the 3 Astral Movements left, I correct my positioning the second time of the three to resist the air blowing against my torso and keep a steady balance.
[Astral Movement +1]
[Astral Movement +2]
[Astral Movement +1]
From the looks of it, and how obvious it is, improving with technique is just as important as efficiency. Instead of 4/100, my stat for that skill is 5/100, which is great, just doesn't seem so satisfying to count up in hundredths.
Going back to cultivate, it took about half as much time to replenish my AE, and the Manual says it'll get shorter and shorter, but I still have to progress. Although the amount of AE I regenerate within said time will increase, so will my capacity hence making it harder to fill me up to the brim.
7 hours later, my AE is replenished and the capacity was increased to 400. Looking at it now, it wont be too long before instead of canceling because of my inability to walk, I'll be able to take multiple steps at a time, and maybe.. RUN! Fun, right?
Although correcting my posture once was enough to get a +2 in regards to experience, with another 4 attempts I could only get it once more. Adjusting my posture to resist against the pressure of using the ability, I also adjust it to a walking stance similar to prowling so as to have to wind go overhead instead of... not.
[Astral Movement +1]
[Astral Movement +1]
[Astral Movement +2]
[Astral Movement +1]
[Astral Movement 11/100]
Feeling the lack of the need to sleep, I feel a sharp exhilaration noticing the approach of being able to walk like some Wolf Jesus, take a step move a meter flashing all over the place.. which would be great if not for me only being able to do that 4 times, with full concentration, not in battle or without a few seconds of harsh concentration beforehand.
[System Status
Name: Hollow
Species: Astral Blood Wolf
Tier: 1.0
AE: 7/407
Alignment: Astral (Blood)
Points: 0
- Skills -
-Blood Dragon-
-Astral Movement 11/100-
-Blood Crystallization 0/100-
Hierarchy Position: Low]
That's great, now I can take baby steps. Blood crystals sound pretty badass too.
'System, how much AE is used to activate Blood Crystallization?'
[Blood Crystallization utilizes a start of 500 AE]
Yeah, not convenient at all.