When I awoke, I assumed it was night with all the noise I heard from critters all around me, it oddly enough reminded me of earth. I attempted to sit up forgetting the fact that nearly ninety eight percent of my body was covered in burns, the pain brought me back to reality.
Looking around the room, it appeared that ten bulls had been on a rampage through here. Leaving only my sleeping area untouched. The desk that once acted as Nurtarla's medical station now appeared grinded to splinters. "What happened... no what's changed?" I thought finally gaining the strength to sit up.
This sensation was odd but I felt as if I knew there was something within me that had changed, it was like having a second mind I could pour my thoughts into... I closed my eyes tightly focusing on this second mind...
I appeared to exist without a form, but when I encountered anything, I had a near complete understanding of what it was, for example though my body has not moved in the slightest I know I'm currently gripping the blanket that covered my legs.
It felt as if I had touched it with my own hands, I could feel how thin it truly was. More similar to a bedsheet than an actual blanket. However, the mere act of lifting it was a strenuous endeavor. I could sense my mind reaching a sort of bottleneck that needed to be broken through.
I could feel this bubble of sorts in my mind expanding more and more as I lifted the blanket higher and higher. Just as I reached the ceiling of this room I felt and swear even heard it pop... My eyes shot open, everything felt as if it happened in a split second, like my mind went through a sort of destruction then rebuilt itself. The pain felt unreal but it was quick like a nerve had been flicked then the memory of the pain was forgotten.
I watched as the blanket flowed down from the ceiling just missing my bed and falling to the floor carried by chance. "This is my power" I thought having finally gained an understanding of the situation.
This is useful I seem to have awakened a sort of telekinesis, not very powerful version but I do believe it can be improved upon, that must be what the bubble represents. As I near the limits, the ability seems to "level up", for lack of a better word.
Just as I started to relax feeling like I finally had a leg up in this new world. I remembered the words of Nurtarla, the trainer will be here. I can't say when but I know my days of laying in this bed won't last forever.
This world isn't kind to weaklings I knew that much for sure and I figured I had two choices to choose from. Either I wait here and rest as much as I could before I'm thrown out back into the sect's training facility, or I use the time I'm expected to be recovering to instead train this new power.
I layed back in bed, yet I couldn't take my eyes from the training sword that I guess was thrown across the room during my awakening. My plan was obvious, use my telekinesis to reduce the weight of the sword while I'm holding it. To make it appear that I had made a full recovery, I still wouldn't be able to keep up with the other disciples' movements but I would be able to exchange blows with them.
The only problem I could see with this plan was just how much concentration was required to use my power, that and the fact that even lifting a blanket to the ceiling was considered my current best I could muster.
Training I need to train my mind for my body is of no use to me now, not until I can figure out a means to releasing myself of these burns. "Again!" I thought I'll do it again and again until that sword is as light as a feather in my hands. I had squeezed my eyes shut, I realized that I had not yet fully recovered but still I forced my ability to work, reaching towards the blanket on the floor.
I was just barely able to get it above my bed before I felt it pop again... The feeling was now not as haunting as it was at first. This time I let no time pass even as the blanket was falling to my bed, I again tightly shut my eyes and began lifting it again, more aggressively. I wanted to shoot it towards the ceiling with all my might.
I did this for several hours managing to get the blanket up to the ceiling around two hundred times, the pops got more and more painful, reaching to a point where even closing my eyes required a level of will power, it felt as though my entire being was exhausted.
After the two hundredth time of getting the blanket to the ceiling I knew it was time to move on to something heavier, If I ever wanted to be able to hold a sword in my hands. I well actually had to hold the sword in my hands.
Getting up wasn't an option for me, the medicine was no longer fresh and as such wasn't as potent. If my feet had touched the ground in my current state, I knew I would feel the full brunt of the pain that my burns can produce.
Looking at the sword that now rested on the other side of the room. I kept my eyes open but I focused so intently on that sword that you could land an elephant right next to me and I would be none the wiser, I know that I can't close my eyes every time I seek to use my ability. As such I began practice with using my power with my eyes open.
It took several minutes but I felt what I normally feel when using my power, it wasn't anything I could see but I felt my mind make contact with the sword. I gripped it hard, pulling it slowly towards me. I knew lifting it wasn't something I was yet capable of but I didn't ever intent to lift it solely with telekinesis.
As the sword traveled to me passing through all the broken objects on the floor it finally reached the edge of my bed, I used every bit of strength in my body to sit up and grab it. Unsheathing the blade, it was truly beautiful sword, its blade was short but had an under tone of pink that shown through the cold steel. Holding it out in front of me, captivated me I felt strong with just this in my arms. But it was very tiring to hold it I needed to adjust the weight of the sword so that I could swing it with ease.
Even just holding the blade sent spasms throughout my arms, it's strange it was mixture of both physical and mental strength, I needed to think about every move I made, before my body could act... "My body was a secondary force." I thought staring intently at the blade.
If I attempted to move the blade with just strength, I would run into the problem of my body being too weak to go through with the movement. Every act needed to first be conducted by telekinesis, When I focused more on the blade with the intent of holding it in place in the air, the blade became so much lighter. I thought hard about what I wanted to do, I noticed the blade begin to slowly move in the direction I was thinking of, I needed to allow my body to follow after my mind, I then added a bit of physical force.
The blade seemed to cut the air; it was powerful. Though the buildup is slow when everything falls in line it becomes such a powerful attack. The only issue was that even if telekinesis made the blade lighter my body still could not maneuver, it in an impressive manner even just this light slash I did. Felt as though my burns were torn open with puss seeping out.
With just this swing I felt it again pop... and just like that, my mind became foreign to me forcing me to drop the sword, I gripped my head as hard as I could everything felt as if it were being compressed together.
It ended nearly as quickly as it began, this was the drawback of this power. Whenever I push past my limits, I could find myself debilitated during a fight if I pushed myself too hard. But the upside was that after every pop the ability became stronger more potent. Allowing me to do what I previously struggled with, with greater ease.
This time was different, with every attempt I made to reactivate my ability my mind felt as if it were being compressed down to the size of an ant. With that my training ended there as I waited for my second mind to repair itself.
During the wait I began studying the entry level swordsmanship of the sect, I knew I wouldn't be able to actually preform any of the movements myself but I wanted to get an understanding of how people fought in this world.
As I looked through the book that consisted of mostly drawn figures, slowly moving through the basic movements of the sect's swordsmanship. A fighting style that could only be described as "polite". The first figure shown a gesture of two men facing one another with swords pointed towards the ground, these men would tab their swords against one another.
Throughout the fight they would be in constant contact with one another, whether that be circling each other or standing still facing the other. The attacks were grand, the figure shown a man whipping the sword around his back towards the side of his opponent, I could tell it was meant to be quick meant to catch the enemy off guard and slice them deeply. The secondary figure after the first attack was a quick step back then a dash forward thrusting the blade into the enemy's heart.
Looking at this I wish I had the body to fight as described here, but I knew I wouldn't be able to. So, I had to look at things from a differing stance, for starters I am starting the fight in an advantageous position. With my ability to lighten the weight of my sword. I'm confident my opening attack would be much faster than every other disciples.
I would open most fights with the thrust seeing as if I manage to catch my opponent off guard, I would essentially end the fight right then and there. There was a lot to think of and the book was filled with many attacks and defense formations, I looked over each only to gain an understanding of how to minimize my needed movements in pursuit of ending my fights as quickly as possible.
After thirty or so minutes my second mind was completely healed, I closed the book and began training again. While it was difficult at first to even complete one swing, after the recent popping the act of swing my sword just once seemed effortless. I managed to complete five swings before once again I heard it "pop".
This was how I spent the remainder of my night, going from study to training. I had gone through the entire book on swordsmanship over twenty times memorizing nearly every attack and defense form listen inside, and I even managed to consecutively swing my sword fifteen times before in succession, I repeated this until I could no longer fight off the urge to sleep and my eyes shut involuntarily.
"What a night." I said finally able to put my mind at ease.