Matias kept his head down on his way back from morning training. He only had one day until the test that would determine the trajectory of the rest of his life. After 5 years of grueling training he has finally crested the third rank, making him an F-4 cultivator and still the weakest in his class. He needs the test to go well, it's the only thing holding back the crushing reality of his existence and the promise of a droll and shame filled future.
He will show them all, he secretly hopes to have more meridians than some royals. He'd love to see the looks on their faces when they realize that the weakling they all mock mercilessly has more potential than them.
He rounds the house into my back yard was was greeted with the stomach churning sight of hours old blood soaked feathers. He does not know what kind of bird was unfortunate enough to be in some kind of weird infernal ritual, but he hopes it finds peace in its next life. His father has become increasing enamored with the occult recently, trying to dig up any information on infernal rituals. According to him they are the only source power outside of cultivation, and what will return the family to prosperity.
Matias was unsure of that, he finds it more likely that they could restore themselves to prosperity if dad would stop spending all their hard earned coin on booze and random books claiming occult powers, but of course he could never say that to his father's face. His father is the other reason he needs the test to go well, for as long as he can remember he has been trying to "make me strong" whether that was forced exercises, beatings, or working the fields, the one consistency was his desire for Matias to be strong and his disappointment when he fell short of those expectations. Matias is not sure what his father would do if he fails his test tomorrow, but he is sure he does not wish to find out.
Matias snuck through the back door, passing his father where he bent over an aged tome with weird symbols sprawled across its pages. He held back a gag as he took in his bloodied apron and the empty bottle from the cheapest local distillery. Heading up the stairs, careful not to step on the boards which always creak, he first stopped by his little sisters room to check on how she is doing. Seeing the smile light up her admiration filled eyes always brings him peace and increases his dedication to safeguarding her from all the shortcomings of the family. She is his ray of hope in an otherwise barren wasteland of despair. After assuring himself that she survived another day with her childish innocence, he made it to his room and collapsed in a dissatisfied heap on the bed. He reflected on his current stats and couldn't help but balk at his meager progress.
Matias Holcrum
Stats:
Strength - 4
Dexterity - 6
Constitution - 4
Charisma - 3
Intelligence - 7
Willpower - 10
Cultivation:
- Rank: F-4
- Requirements for next rank:
- 3/50 Essence
Five years and he could only reach F-4. His biggest tormentor at school Brad recently reached F-9 and is a guaranteed shoe in for acceptance into the church. Not only that, Matias' physical stats are lower as well due to not having enough high quality food. At least his intelligence is fairly high from studying and his willpower is at an impressive ten from always striving to better himself despite his circumstances.
With only a single day before the test it is impossible for him to advance another rank, but that won't keep him from putting his all into his training. He sat up into a lotus position on the bed, father Gustov says this is the best position for communing with essence and the gods, and sank his awareness into his body.
Sitting centered in my chest just above my belly button is a vibrant well of power, or that is what he has been told he should be seeing... what he sees is more similar to a candle light sputtering forth from an opaque puddle. One day at a time. The first time he ever saw it there was no light at all, only a void to his essence senses. He felt for the essence around him, feeling the swirling power of air essence. A cultivator can learn how to cultivate from all sources of essence, but first they must develop a resonance with the essence. For Matias that is a connection with air essence, he relates to it longing for freedom and to its disappointment when it is constantly running into things more solid that slow it down. They both have very little control over where they go, but a deep yearning to be far away. He pictures his pool of energy as a wide open sky, inviting the wind to come play. Gradually the energy he could sense around him starts to drift into his body towards his core. Some of it leaked out of course, very few people could absorb all the essence they could suck in at once.
He sat there for hours, focusing with all his might on being inviting to the winds. In addition to trying to suck in the energy, he tried to focus on taking the air energy in his core that was drifting above the pool of pure essence and condensing the air essence into the pool, before trying to expel all the air aspect left over. He wasn't all that successful.
Matias decided to skip dinner tonight, since he doubted he could keep it down and the last thing he wanted to see right now was the expectation on his fathers face or his mothers despondent look of a woman who gave up long ago and is waiting for death. No, he would stay in his room and get a good nights rest before his big day tomorrow. Before he went to bed Matias took a moment to check his progress and couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.
- 6/50 Essence
All that work and he only gained a measly 3 essence. With that bitter thought he went to sleep, dreaming of the epic adventures he would have once he was found to have amazing potential in the test tomorrow.