Chapter 5: Step By Step.
I saw different colored specks of light around me. Well, not really see but rather perceived. I had my eyes closed after all. These specks of light were just floating around like dust.
Is this– no, are these mana?
Why are there many colors?
I tried reaching out and touching it with my thoughts. When I touched a red colored speck of light, I felt warm.
Are these perhaps the elements like fire and ice?
I tried touching the other colors of light. Each of them had a different feel. Including red, this is what I came up with:
[Red felt warm like when you're out in the sun.]
[Blue felt like you're dipping your toes in the water.]
[Green felt like you're gardening or in a forest and close to nature.]
[Orange felt like when you're building sandcastles or digging the earth.]
[White felt like the breeze hitting your face or when you wet your finger with saliva and put it in the air looking for wind.]
[Purple felt like getting electrocuted like when you're on a carpet and you touch the doorknob.]
[Cyan felt cold, opposite to the red speck of light.]
[Gold felt holy, if that makes sense. It has the similar feel to when you're at a church.]
[Black felt evil, opposite to the golden speck of light.]
[And finally, gray, it doesn't have a feeling to it.]
Each color has varying amounts floating around. I don't know if some colors are just naturally scarce than others or if it's because of my perception.
You see, for some whatever reason, I felt comfortable when I touched the gray color. Although I just said it felt nothing when I touched it, that's because it really felt nothing, this comfort that I'm speaking of is more like familiarity and not the same feeling as the others like warm and cold.
Moreover, gray has the highest amount of lights floating around. It was then followed by red which has around 50% the total amount of gray. Likewise, I also felt familiar with it about 50% compared to gray. As for the others, they're too insignificant compared to these two. If I were to put it, all the remaining colors add up to about 50% of the gray speck of light. Purple is the fewest while white is second to the last.
At this time, I started to try and absorb these specks of light. I didn't particularly target a color but the gray and red specks of lights started getting attracted towards me as if I'm a magnet. As they entered my body, it felt comfortable. The other colors just stayed the same with no movement whatsoever.
After about a minute, I felt bloated. The same feeling when you overate at a party and you feel like shit. Although the gray and red specks of light are being replenished as new ones appear after I absorb the ones that's originally around me, I couldn't absorb them anymore. If I did, I would explode.
I opened my eyes and examined my body. I still feel bloated just like when I was in my subconscious. I stood up and walked to the couch from the carpet. I just sat there waiting for the heavy feeling to lighten a bit.
Approximately five minutes passed and I felt like I digested enough of the mana to be able to properly move again. My brain also regained some of its thinking capability.
Then, it dawned upon me. After I trained, I felt myself get stronger. That's probably the mana getting absorbed by my body. But why would mana get absorbed into my body if I wasn't meditating? It should be because I was exhausted or rather, if we were to continue with the food analogy, my body is hungry and mana is food. When mana is digested like normal food, it would bring nutrients to the body, in this case, strengthening it.
It's basically just working out!
But instead of just protein and other nutrients to help fix your muscles, there's mana added. It's also a much stronger form of nourishment for the body.
...
After I digested the mana, I started meditating and ate till I felt bloated again.
I waited for the mana to digest again and was about to meditate and absorb more but I couldn't anymore. If I tried to, my head would start aching.
I was a bit worried that I might have overdone it and disabled my ability to meditate but fortunately, I can meditate again when I try in the night.
Obviously, there is a limit to how much your brain can tolerate and you need rest. It seems that I got too addicted feeling my strength get stronger every time.
You're talented, that is a fact. But just because you can keep breaking through, doesn't mean you should!
Think back to it for a second, when you breakthrough, what do you feel? Amazing right? But what about when you keep breaking through again and again? Did it feel good? No, right? You feel like ass each time you breakthrough right?! That's because the body and mind needs rest!
Didn't I tell you many times not to rush things?!
I suddenly remembered the scene of my grandfather scolding me after being bedridden for recklessly breaking through multiple Martial Arts stages one after the other.
Back then, I was still young, about 7 or 8 so it's understandable that I did not realize it. But now that I'm an adult, it's shameful that I actually lost myself in greed. More importantly, I made the same mistake!
Let's not lose ourself again… Let's do it– step by step.
•×•×•×•
I felt that the mana I digested acts the same with the energy in the body that is used in Martial Arts. But with mana, you can circulate it in your body without having to do full movements! Curious, I tried doing a palm thrust while just sitting on the couch and circulated mana.
[Whoosh~]
There was a whooshing sound and one can certainly feel the power behind the strike. This is useful when you need immediate movements.
This time, I stood up and performed a full movement to create momentum, the same way I normally send a strike to the enemy, and then did another palm thrust.
[Boom~]
I felt the air in front break and there was a tearing sound. If mana is combined with momentum, it is much stronger without a doubt.
•×•×•×•
Three weeks have passed and during these three weeks this sort of experiment and test has been happening.
This is partly because it's an act of consolidating your level before moving onto another – it's getting used to your strength and knowing how to properly utilize it all. This is also partly because I'm fueled by the mistake I made and the vow that happened after.
I also made a plan or a system that would help me be in check. Meditating once in the morning and then once in the evening. As for what's happening in between, it would be things like combat training, physical training and tests.
Everyday life was monotonous, but I didn't hate it. Firstly, I was used to it since this type of training comprised most of my childhood up to my early teens then I started working. Secondly, it's been a long time since I've felt progress like this ever since I've reached Peak in my Martial Arts.
It was at the start of the fourth week, around Monday, June 7, 2021 when the government suddenly announced a gathering in the subdivision's gymnasium. Since there are no electronics, the personnel have to go door to door to inform the people that there will be a gathering that will start once each house has been informed. There is no clock to tell the time since that is also affected. Hence, this crude way of informing people and when the gathering will start.