Last time on unnecessary word count we skipped to where we left off.
*BANG*SIZZLE*BANG*
Albert's shots tore through the area between their thorax and head. The bees fall and the light rays that got through also injured some bees.
He deactivates [Bright Wave] and reactivates [Shine Zone]. The bees start gathering around the shield and hitting it with their heads as even more draw near. Albert back up and leans on the tree's
Magnified 2-Star [LightRay]
With their large sizes and large numbers, Albert took advantage of it and herded them together. It seems to also work together with the [HiveCenter]'s mentality as the monster believed in overwhelming numbers.
Unfortunately, it still knew who was more dangerous so it sent most of the bees after Lin instead.
Albert's spell blasts and kills 8 bees, severely injure 17 bees, and wounded the rest of the bees. Since it wasn't enough albert shot 2 more exhausting a good chunk of his mana.
Multiple 2-Star [LightRay]
Albert turns to the bees chasing Lin and keeps a certain distance before making multiple light rays aiming either for their spines or wings. The bees start falling one by one. He takes out a mana treasure to restore his mana.
Lin stabs through the horde of bees and ups his speed after knowing Albert's assisting him. The bees in his way lessen and Lin concentrates on dodging instead. His pace went up.
Albert sweats as he concentrates on attacking the bees on Lin's path but the [HiveCenter] wasn't idle either. The bees that couldn't keep up with Lin changed their target to Albert and became meat shields.
Intensfied 2-Star [LightRay]
"Tch.", Albert clicks his tongue and concentrates his mana. He launches strong blasts of rays tearing through the meat shields.
Although it works for a while, Albert's mana kept depleting rapidly and he had to stop at some point. Fortunately, Lin already was near his target with his strongest move at its peak.
3-Star [Poison Rings: Hornet Ring]
He aimed at the closed entrance that looks disgustingly like some part of the human lower body. He pierced right into the center and the monster reacted by vibrating. The force of the attack spread through the body and lessened the damage but unfortunately for it, his qi slipped through like water and destroyed the inside with its inherent poison attribute.
The attack on the monster neural network causes the bees to go crazy. They went aimless and attacked the first animal race they see, that being Albert and Lin. Lin tried retreating but his spear is still stuck in the bee's nest.
Thinking fast, Lin retrieved his item back into his storage ring and did a leap to a lower branch. Getting back his footing, He runs back to Albert while attacking any rabid bees on the way.
The bees not knowing how to conserve their life use their stinger immediately and aim at Lin and Albert. A few hit the branches making the material burst and break instantly while it started crumbling at a visible speed due to the bee's venom.
Although a few missed, even more, were able to attack Lin. He blocked them effectively with his spear but it always took a lot of strength to do it, even so far as breaking the branch he is standing on. This forced him to always jump from one branch to another.
Multiple Intensified 2-Star [Shine Zone]
"[SHINE ZONE]"
The bees that acted as meat shields stabbed their stingers at Albert. He had to concentrate with all his might to run his mana, he also shouted the spell to keep its image in his mind.
His shields had to endure multiple punctures capable of killing a rank-4. Luckily for him, the poison is the one responsible for killing a rank-5.
Albert closes his eyes and sweat drips off his chin. He can hear the wooshes and bodies falling down one after another. Lin looks down at Albert and gets an Idea, he leaps down.
Lin lands on top of one of the bees and stabs a bee beside him. The bee below him who didn't have enough intelligence tried attacking above itself...using its stinger!!
Lin took advantage of its stupidity and stabs another bee about to break Albert's defense. His actions gain the ire of the bees and they change their target. Albert opens his eyes after hearing the stabs and he notices Lin.
"Jump!", Albert shouts. Lin did as told.
Intensified 2-Star [Bright Wave]
Lin lands beside Albert as all the bees get pushed back by the force of the spell. Lin repositions himself.
"Let's clean them up.", Lin smirks as Albert also smiles.
The hard part was done, the dregs only had to be wiped out
------------------------------------------------------
"You know, I could be in a cinematic fighting scene right now...BUT HERE I AM LEVELING THIS TEDIOUS SKILL!", Drax theorizes that leveling through killing was originally invented because training like this is the same thing as training in the gym! You're not even motivated to go there in the first place!
"You sound like the kid asking if we've arrived every minute.", Kaitlynn furrows her brows.
"*Sigh* It's just- no, I'm sorry. I never get to complain in my workplace. yeah, I think I'm being too lax right now. Always complain to my only friend... I wonder how he's doing now.", Drax stares off into the distance and Shinji looks on with a smile that hasn't changed since the morning.
"No, it's not annoying that you're complaining. It may just be a problem in the future if you keep complaining as your means of getting stronger has to do with it.", Kaitlynn shakes her head and quietness regains itself with only the sound of knocks and swaying leaves staying.
Shinji with his undeteriorating smile assures Drax, "You don't see me being mad for hearing your complaints every cycle. plus... I don't think your the worst out of all of us here.", he is leading the group while being unfazed of gutting the eyeball of a monster in a bowl.
Drax decides to shut up but he also smiles. Different emotions go through his mind. He thinks to himself, 'I really can't afford to complain like this...what is my problem anyway? Aren't I just restless cause my levels aren't growing fast enough?'
Drax takes out a fruit and bites into it as a familiar ding finally rings in his mind, 'It finally levels up... This is at least better than how it took 2 days just for one of them to level up.'
He turns to Shinji, "Why don't I try using a bow?"
Shinji answers, "To make the bow strong enough to kill people I would need to turn the string into steel. Another danger is that your finger may be severed the instant you pull and let go of it. Making steel string is hard both because I have to make steel from a strong magic alloy and I'll have to do a complicated process just to thin out the metal.", He lights up a flame on his palm and spits into the gory mixture bowl.
Kaitlynn finally asks, "Ok, I think I know what your making, and maybe I have to drink that but do you really have to spit into it?", her spine cringes with disgust.
"So you noticed this is a potion of illusion? Yep, it's for you to drink but it is also for Drax and Sirena to drink. As for my spit? I concentrated pure poison into it and it took a toll on my mentality. Don't think much about it.", Shinji says as he places the bowl on his flaming palm. He takes out a blue grass that was found near some of the many [Unblinking], the flower monster with an eye for a center.
Before Drax could voice out his disgust Shinji adds, "Cover for me since there is a horde of monsters coming. Not at all on purpose.", The latter points in a certain direction.
It was not at all on purpose.
Drax looks at the horde and he sighs, 'Other than leveling there is another strategy of making a lot more skills, spells, and spell combinations. The danger is that the spells don't come into my head immediately due to them not being registered in the system'
1-Star [Reinforce] + 2-Star [Temper] + 2-Star [Iron] = [Iron Enforce]
2-Star [Shock] + 2-Star [Temper] + 2-Star [Copper] = [Copper Shock Impact]
2-Star [Flash] + 2-Star [Temper] + 2-Star [Tungsten] = [Tungsten Bullet]
2-Star [Insulate]
We're starting to reach spell names reaching the xianxia category!!!
It took him 2 minutes to do this so you can imagine how much pressure Kaitlynn and Sirena were under. Of course, the payoff was even better.
Drax's tungsten-covered feet bang off the ground, Drax swings both his arms each having different properties. His Left arm is stronger and harder but his right has a high amount of electric shock and strength. He also uses his legs to attack. As a mage, he is ironically talented at brawling with his hands and feet[1].
The monsters were whittled down at a fast rate. It also didn't stop Sirena and Kaitlynn from also assisting. Both of them were adept at dealing with those monsters who have stealth and ambush capabilities.
When the horde was done with they took a rest. They observed as Shinji purged the juice out of a fruit and added it to the bowl.
Shinji takes out a stone from his pouch and adds mana into it making fire. He places the bowl and mixes the potion with an appropriate utensil for mixing, also from his pouch.
He also heals his palm with magic as Sirena holds his hand concernedly.
Drax's eyelid twitches, "You just burned your hand..."
"Yeah, forgot about that...", Shinji chuckles.
It earned a brow twitch from everyone.
10 minutes later as Shinji's concoction finished, everyone's stamina and mana have been almost recovered.
Shinji poured out three vials, "Bottom's up.", he then passes it to them.
Drax closes his eyes and tries not to think about it. Kaitlynn just suppresses the memory that saliva is disgusting temporarily. They immediately went into a daze.
Shinji sticks his pinky and the tip immediately becomes purple. A cut from the knife in his pouch made the highly concentrated poison leak out. It drips into Sirena's vial and makes it even more potent.
"Can't Have [Mind Immunity] interfering with my training plan, can I?", Shinji says and personally pours it into Sirena's lips.
"Be careful, okay?", Sirena says before going into a daze.
"I'm always careless but for you? I've learned to take care of my lives. I won't die this time.", Shinji's spread with both joy and melancholy but strangely they don't affect each other.
Shinji whistles, "Man, kinda edgy or cringe? Ah, whatever. I'm still too awkward.", Shinji looks at Drax who stood up in his daze.
"You know when I said that training won't be torture? Yea, I meant for you guys.", Shinji reveals to them even though they couldn't hear him.
Kaitlynn stands up and backs away but the surrounding shadows ripples making danger alarms and bells ring with anyone with common sense...fantasy sense?
Drax's arms and legs are covered in spells. The metals covering him were seemingly alike to busoshoku haki but neither black nor invisible[2].
"Mission: Typical Batman
Objective: Survive the onslaught of overpowered berserkers until their effects wear off.
Warning: They will also try to kill each other so it's the dark knight's responsibility to ensure their safety." Shinji's anxiety peaks
Ensuring the safety of everyone, fulfilling Sirena's request, the future disaster, his death, ensuring he breakthrough his cultivation today, and remembering every single detail of his plan.
If this isn't stress then I don't know what is.
[Death Reversal: Einstein]
You didn't forget Shinji's cheat, did you?
Shinji's body went into an agitated state. His mana and qi went twice as fast as usual, so does his passive cultivation and so does his mental strain double. Even so, he gathers paralysis poison to all the tips of his fingers.
"Here cues my monologue Drax, let me explain to you the principle of memory transfer like how every villain does-?!", Shinji immediately dodges a punch from Drax.
The fist breaks the ground. Drax didn't stop and kept attacking.
"You didn't give me enough time to-?!", A shadow in the form of a morning star lands on Shinji's place. He dodges again with a spell to boost his speed.
"Tch, all right then! I'll keep my secret-?!", He takes out a spear and pierces a [Water Bomb] hurled towards him.
'My precious monologue! The chance to be a stupid villain!', Shinji wanted to cry but he forgot how to tears.
I'll explain it for this cretin.
The full capabilities of memory transfer, not only encompass neural memory, specifically brain memory and muscle memory but also the memory of controlling mana, qi, and psyche.
Psyche is easily explained, it is closely related to the mind as such the reason why Shinji could preserve his abilities whenever he returns.
Mana has the second greatest benefit, mana is like an extension of the body so it still needs to be trained to bring its speed to the fullest but Shinji's control or flexibility of mana is exceptional. Coupled with Shinji's familiarity with spells make the downsides of going back in time worth it.
Qi has very little benefit, the speed of cultivation doesn't change and techniques need to be remastered from the ground up. At least he is still capable of training at perfect speed due to being familiar with the higher proficiency of a particular technique for example.
The potential of memory transfer is fully shown in training growth due to Shinji knowing the direction to take in perfecting his techniques.
Now kowtow to your grandfather for giving you this!
Shinji's grin grew larger although he was complaining just seconds ago. He grips his spear with his left hand tightly as he blocks a swift spell from Sirena. It seems she has tweaked the velocity aspect of the spell, truly she is talented among mages.
He stuffs his mouth full of fruit meant for recovery using his right. The next second he made his palm face the head of his spear while making azure runes appear forming a water spell.
2-Star [Hydro-Spiral]
He adjusted the size of the shield while also changing the target to his spear making the water torrent. He stabs the spear straight into an incoming shadowy mass about to slam into him.
The shadows start to swirl slowly and Shinji had to pump even more mana into his spell until Kaitlynn's shadow disperses out of force.
A punch coursing with lightning from Drax approaches Shinji but he hadn't recovered from the attack from Kaitlynn's attack.
He reverses the spear and faces the fist head-on with the blunt end of his spear. The punch connects and the lightning blast was insulated by the specially planned metal by Shinji but the dispersed shock still spreads to his body but especially his hands, suffering from both force and electricity.
Shinji grits his teeth as he kicks Drax in the stomach and backs away. The fruits eaten dissolved and released gentle qi healing his sores and torn muscles.
Shinji smiles again. He had adopted another method to harvest as much growth in strength as possible and that involved wearing metal weights.
You mean that it's cliche? Of course, it is but there were also a few other supplements added to make the training more effective... and painful.
To start, your grandfather shall explain the nature of the qi and how it interacts with the body and core.
Natural Qi, the qi that can be found everywhere and isn't refined by people, is a raw chaotic qi that can be harmful to the body if not utilized well, hence why one should have a well-trained body.
This is also why qi needs to flow through your meridians rather than your muscles due to it possibly disintegrating the muscles.
This is also a reason why cultivators must be calm and level-headed to not overestimate their talent. The speed of qi refining depends both on talent and technique but the speed of gathering qi into the system not only depends on talent and technique but can also adjust on command. Forcefully gathering qi faster than the speed of refining is dangerous and can cause qi deviation.
Qi deviation could harm the body, the meridians, and the qi core. Damage to the body might not be as dangerous as harming cultivation but damage to the spine might guarantee loss of mobility.
Damage to the meridians may not cause direct effects but the after effects such as qi leaking to the body and speed of qi transportation might be compromised, this can also cause qi blockage or make even more damage to the meridians.
The core being damaged can cause cultivation to stop, regress, or even cripple. The backlash of these events happening may even cause internal damage to the body and meridians and will likely cause death.
Shinji opted to forcefully gather qi into his body, purposefully avoiding entering the meridians and letting the qi break the muscles and bones apart. The qi from the fruits will bind them back together somehow supplementing the protein strands in the body.
With Shinji's meticulous qi control, he can move qi to go break the muscles while also sending an adequate amount of qi to circulate a cultivation technique. The refined qi in turn used solely for advancing his cultivation.
Lastly, he plans on stuffing his body with nutrients and slapping in a healing spell just to get the nutrients to go faster. A fun fact about cultivation is that even though it is known to preserve you from hunger with qi, it also speeds up food digestion when cultivating.
All of these methods together make a hell-like torture regime that will make even Dongmei applaud.
Shinji took out downed a bottle of nutrients when he got the chance and he used his movement technique immediately. Kaitlynn is about to lop Sirena's head off.
[1]: [It seems the Author was careless and forgot to add the skill [Melee Combat] and [Brawling] into Drax's skills]
[2]: [Busoshoku Haki is a form of spiritual energy utilized to make invisible armor around oneself. From One Piece]
.
.
.
Author's Note:
School started and I just started living in the dorms *pain*.
Do you know how annoying it is to know 500 words are left to write and yet you couldn't do it till 3 days later? ;-;
Anyway, I'm still trying to post new chapters, not dropping anything if your thinking.
being stressed (not like I wouldn't be stressed even after I dropped this) and busy is but a hindrance haha!
I also thought of putting the references at the end of the chapter to not break immersion or whatever you call it. Any with the willingness to learn the reference can just connect the numbers.
I also made an info dump due to my want to give some sense of the cultivation system.