Chereads / Murim: The rise of Alexander / Chapter 17 - Fail and try again. Forever changing

Chapter 17 - Fail and try again. Forever changing

"Hey Mercia"

"…. Why haven't you been picking up your phone?"

"You know I've been… honestly, I just haven't been in the mood. I'm sorry"

"…."

"Mercia I've been working…. and you know I haven't been feeling well."

"I know Alexander… its jut I called you over 13 times. 13 times! Alex calling someone 13 times is a number I'm not proud of but…. I wanted to talk to you"

she spoke between gasps she was holding back tears I could just tell.

"…"

"Hello Alexander, are you still there say something."

I could hear the worry in her voice growing rapidly.

"I'm still here I won't leave until I make things right between us"

"HAHA geez don't be so weird about everything…. bu… bu…. But I'm serious don't just ghost on me like that."

"I won't"

"… If you don't want to talk its alight…. don't worry too much about me Alexander get whatever you're doing done."

Her voice sounded hurt she was sad and wanted someone to talk to. But Its as though by talking to her I gain an understanding of just how foreign I've become to her and myself. There was once a time in which both of us would talk from morning to night. Laughing and giggling the whole time. Mercia, I wish I was still the person you were used to however now though my mind is always so desperately wanting to get back to understanding qi. even now while talking to her I'm molding qi into soccer balls, it's all for a theory I'm working on.

"…. Alright bye then whatever" she shouted.

"What no Mercia I'm still here"

I said while starring at the qi molded soccer ball I had molded. I honestly didn't feel the same anymore. After a few attempts at greatly improving just how solid I can make my molds I managed to get the qi molded soccer ball to a level of solidity, realness, and appearance I've been wanting for about an hour now. I'd say there was no difference between the mold and a real soccer ball, other than the lack of elasticity.

After many attempts, It would seem that I cannot add things like movement, or anything that goes beyond just creating the object, for example just a few hours ago I managed to create a gun. It was a Mossberg Patriot, Bolt Action, 300 Winchester Magnum, 22" Black Barrel, 3-9x40mm Scope, 4 Rounds. I crafted all the required parts to make it function, but it still didn't fire.

It was a gun my father allowed me to use during our hunting trips, the mold for it took the entire night. Nothing I did seemed right but with persistence and hard work, I managed to fully mold every piece of the gun. The pain in my head was alarming, like a large running river thrashing violently against my skull. But with the gun and bullets fully molded I still couldn't fire the gun; I did manage to create the gun power necessary to fire the gun but nothing I tried could mimic the ignition of gun powder. This led me to my second realization no matter how detailed my mold I can't cross over to manipulation. I can't add functionality.

Any change to the way qi functions are left to the manipulation stage. The theory I'm currently attempting to try what I call the solid object test. The reason for the test is to find out if I mold qi into such a hard-solid object could I then interact with said qi as though it were a real object, If so, then for how long? To what extent? I chose a soccer ball for this because I had a soccer ball in my cabin room closet and could observe it closely. If this test goes the way I want it too ill be able to create an endless number of handheld weapons, things like bats, swords, brass knuckles, etc. this test will determine the value of the qi molding stage.

It's around 7 in the morning right now I haven't slept an ounce or really felt sleepy. I've been working on different qi molds, the first thing I learned after a while is that with continues qi use It requires less concentration and qi to use qi the next time. It feels as though I'm creating a path for the qi to follow which makes qi use simpler.

After I put the soccer ball on the floor I walked a few feet away from it and sat down. The first test I wanted to do was to find out exactly how long the qi can hold its shape without me interacting with it. This test will be different from the last one simply because of how solid this soccer ball is. This will greatly determine just how I use the qi mold stage, the last time I tested this was just a few hours ago but 30 minutes didn't seem like a very long time.

...…..

The soccer ball mold held still for just about 3 hours without me interacting with it. watching the mold fall apart was quite the sight to behold, it would break apart into tiny particles that would then lift up in the air just a few millimeters then evaporate into nothingness. I don't know what's changed in me but sitting down and watching a soccer ball of qi for 3 hours didn't feel like a bore to me. It wasn't fun or anything, but I wouldn't say it was a hard thing to do.

Alright, now I know that a qi ball with nigh-perfect realism and solidity can hold its shape for about 3 hours. Now onto the actual test, can I interact with the qi ball as though It were a real ball Honestly, the means at which I adapt to qi is scary. What took me a few hours to create now just took me 3 minutes, with the qi ball now fully molded its time for the test. I took a few steps back took a few deep breaths, it's not as though I was scared or anything. It was more of a strong want for this to work. I swung with all my might wanting to fully dedicate myself to this working.

1,2,3,4,5, 6...…10th attempts didn't work "it didn't work," I thought why laying on the ground. My heart was racing faster than ever before, I would say that instead of despair or frustration this could be more described as a burning persistence. "My foot whooshed through the ball but for a moment I felt a slight connection," I said while getting up. "What does this mean?" I thought while getting a notebook and drawing/describing the stages of molding qi.

I need to create a means of interacting with my qi molds without the need of qi manipulation. There must be a function of qi molding that I'm missing, my first thought was to create the qi mold then cloak a body part in qi and see if that's what's needed. I believe this is what I most likely thing I need to do, simply because I managed to kind of hold the qi mold of [core creation for idiots] I say kind of because it was still tied to me viva qi.

The second idea that I thought of was maybe I'm simply being arrogant in assuming my qi molds have been up to the needed standard. The reason for this is simple I've been assuming that I'm some genius when it comes to qi molding, when in fact it could be the opposite, a frog in a well looking up at a small portion of the sky type believing it sees the world type situation.

Though I don't believe this to be the case may be attempting to create a qi mold that transcends simply being a mold... Instead of making temporary mold maybe the true purpose of qi molding is to make the mold into real objects to transcend the bounds of the spiritual and physical.

This would all have to wait though; I first need to do confirm something that's been on my mind for quite some time. For this I ran outside, I ran at a controlled speed in hopes of controlling my qi more effectively. Its something that ill needs to learn properly if I ever want to engage with normal people. The run through the forest wasn't long and I don't know how far I went but I was deep into the forest.

When I got to a large open space, I examined the space in more detail making sure that people frequently come here, then I plopped down and began focusing on molding my qi into an object that Id been drawling and brainstorming about for quite some time.

You see I still haven't fulfilled my desire for a weapon, I didn't want anything basic or overly exotic no I've promised myself that I wouldn't limit my imagination. I started molding my weapon. I knew that starting with the core of the weapon would be the best so I began with the centermost piece of it, it would be 1.8 yards long made completely of a long baseball bat-shaped steal.

With five thousand small holes pushed completely through the outer iron layers of it leaving the core to remain in untouched, in which small threads of steal will be weaved through each hole around the bat creating a strong outer most layer that would create more durability. It would then be covered with a ghastly white cloth seeming made of thinly cut leather that would mainly cover the handle of the bat.

Even after completely creating the shape of my weapon I couldn't properly maintain the shape for what felt like days, I would fail at a particular stage of it, then have to start over only to be stuck at another stage. Then there was the fact of keeping in check the different layers of the mold, which honestly felt impossible, id manage to get the core created then fail to add the next iron layer. I say all of this only to justify to myself if it all turns out looking dumb.

After quite some time of not throwing in the towel and giving in to the feeling of my mind going numb. I finally managed to not only get all the layers completed but hold the shape. It required that I constantly give large amounts of qi to feed the weapon my qi so that It maintained its shape and size. When I finally got off the floor and took a look at my creation, I was honestly surprised by how amazing it looked, the look of it resembled steal and the feel of it made you think it could destroy a brick house with only one swing. Even though I still had to constantly feed it qi it was a viable weapon to me.

I spent another 34 minutes to touch upon some minor issues with how solid I wanted it. but with all that done, I was ready to test the most important part of it. I walked over to a tree and poured a large portion of my qi into the weapon, took a batter's stance and stared at the tree before me as though it were a monster coming to destroy everything I loved and held dear in the world.

And with a warrior's yell resembling a growl of some wild animal.

With cold sweat slowly trickling down my face I took and a deep breath, deeper than any human could ever hope to and as though my final attempts to make this work, I pumped the weapon with even more qi. then took one large step forward, the bat laid behind me slightly off the ground I swung with all my effort, the feeling of my body itching enveloped me. I closed my eyes hoping for the best and waited for the confirmation that all this worked... I waited for the bat to hit against the tree confirming everything I had hoped.