The journey had finally begun. Ash was mentally prepared, yet his physicality was lacking. In a world where people were capable of effortlessly destroying mountains in a single swift strike and creating entirely new habitats and ecosystems when they clashed. Ash's greatest achievement so far was barely managing to slice through a slightly thicker tree with all his might. His efforts were unimpressive, to say the least.
Shaking off the discouraging thoughts, Ash postured his mind; he needed to focus now that he was on the road. He had been walking on the dirt road for nearly six hours now. During this hour, he hadn't met any life besides the occasional critter here and there. It was now sunset, and Ash had to find a place to stay for the night. He was hungry, tired, and yearning for some rest. A few moments past, and he spotted a large tree in the distance with thick branches capable of holding at least three people width-wise.
'I guess that's where im staying for the night.'
Ash soon reached the tree and swiftly climbed it. It would be a lie if Ash said the climb was easy. The rough, strong bark on the trees left him with a good vantage point to climb, but due to the sheer size of the tree, which spanned at least two hundred meters in height, Ash was struggling. A few minutes passed, and Ash had finally made it up to a suitable height on the branch that had the most suitable cover for what was in store next.
'My hands feel numb,' Ash sighed
The thick, rough, and stong bark was assaulting Ash's hand the entire climb. It felt as if the tree itself was telling Ash that he was not welcomed in the slightest, but Ash nevertheless overcame it and now stood on the branch around fifty meters shy from the top of the great tree.
He decided to sit down and gaze at the sunset. Both his mind and body felt as if they were rejuvanating by the second. The rigorous climb had left Ash feeling far more alert and excited.
'Somethings probably going to happen tonight.'
Ash was 100% certain that everything had been going far to smoothly and that a lot of beasts would likely come out to hunt after sunset. Ashs goal? Hide. He knew very well that fighting in the evening would be a near death sentence for him. Most of the beasts that adapt to hunting in the evenings are usually carnivorous, ruthless, desperate for a meal, and ready to do anything to get one. Yes, he could maybe defeat one or two with mild difficulty, but what happens when another beast sees this fight, waits it out till a winner is decided, and then decides to take the opportunity to hunt the weakened human? Ash would be killed. No matter how great the reward would be, his life was far more valuable.
'Its about time I regain a feel for my body.'
Ash had only regained all his memories a few hours ago, and during that time he hadn't actively practiced his energy absorption. Due to his new-found memories, he also wasn't able to properly control the spiritual energy passively to the same degree as before, resulting in him being weaker and more tired. Ash has a strict training protocol, which he tries to follow every single day. The usual routine went like this: physical training, whether it be resistance training or swordsmanship, followed by spiritual training, which involved energy absorption. During physical training, he was also practicing his energy control in each movement, attempting to be as resourceful and effective as possible. Ash had technically done his physical training for the day, which included his walking and climbing the tree, but he had yet to do his spiritual training.
Ash proceeded to lay down on his back, erasing all thoughts from his mind. He focused on all the sensations he felt from and in his body: the taste of his palate, the trees rustling, the smell of nature, the rough tree bark, and the darkness in his closed eyes.
Ash exhaled slowly, his breath steadying as he reached inward. He let his senses extend outward, feeling the hum of energy that pulsed faintly through the great tree. The spiritual energy wasn't just present—it was moving, flowing, and coursing through the air like an endless stream of water.
'Focus'
Ash repeated it whenever his mind drifted away.
'Focus'
With each inhale, he imagined the energy seeping into his body, a steady stream that travelled through his limbs and pooled at his soul core. It was a warm and soothing, yet invigorating feeling, preparing him for the cold night. He let it fill him slowly and carefully, ensuring the flow of energy remained controlled and steady.
During all of this, Ash ensured that all his senses, excluding sight, were heightened to the max to ensure no ambush could prevail against him.
Minutes passed like hours as the energy within him steadily grew, lighting up his core like a small flame steadily growing brighter. He remained still, his body relaxed yet his senses heightened. The more energy that entered, the more in unison he felt his entire being becoming.
Ash had been meditation on his back for four hours at this point and was truly feeling enlightened, but unfortunately he was shortly cut off.
Ash opened his eyes wide with no time to evaluate any of his progress. He immediately gripped the sword that neatly lay next to him and rolled his body to the side.
"Clang!"
An unknown beast had nearly landed an attack on Ash but had narrowly missed only managing to graze his cheek. Ash jolted up instantly, posturing his body in the same way he had practiced thousands of times. He soon began analysing his opponent, but nothing was there.
In the passing second, his senses began screaming for him to dodge, and he diligently followed them. A strong, thrusting sound reverberated throughout the area where Ash's head was a second prior.
'Invisbility'
Ash soon realised that he was dealing with a beast with an ability that allowed it to hide its body from sight.
"Damn," Ash mummered
His frustration was resonable, as these beasts were often the trickiest to deal with but also usually the weakest when it came to attack power and durability. All Ash needed was to land one clean attack, and the beast would either die or be gravely injured, revealing its true form.
'Just my luck'
The unknown beast continued to attack, and Ash continued to dodge, thanks to the help of all his heightened senses. Ash was soon starting to get into the rhythm of dodging and attempting a counterattack. As the assault continued, Ash was at a clear disadvantage, as every few dodges would result in him getting grazed by the beast's relentless blows. During all of this, Ash's mind was working overtime when thinking and evaluating the best way to counter this beast. All he needed was one solid blow.
Ash's theory on the beast having poor durability was likely to be true, as even when the beast landed a clean blow against Ash, it wouldn't be a critical injury. This was further proven as Ash had been hit in his head twice yet he only had a somewhat bad headache but nothing severe.
The duel continued, and Ash was clearly losing, or was he? As the fight dragged out, Ash began to dodge more and perform more counterattacks. Ash could admit that the speed of the beast was overwhelming, but the power was severely lacking.
Ash finally saw a way to win; if it worked out, he would be victorious; if it didn't, he might lose his life, but there was no other way for the current him. Ash was patiently analysing when the best time was to strike till he saw the chance.
"Cling!"
Ash's blade and the unknown beast connected, with Ash coming out the victor of this exchange. The beast was momentarily stunned in place, and Ash knew this was the only proper chance he would get to know its exact position.
Closing his eyes, Ash focused on his entire body. He inhaled, feeling the relaxation of his muscles, then exhaled, contracting every muscle he needed. His blade slashed vertically, nearly cutting the unknown beast in half and most certainly rendering it immobile.
'"Ahhhh," Ash panted in exhaustion
The mysterious beast was no longer mysterious at all, with its ability wearing off and its small, fragile body lying on the ground.
'A bird, and one no bigger than an average-sized textbook.'
Ash was speechless. This was the imposing foe that resulted in multiple bruises and cuts on his body.
'At least if it was a mighty phoenix or something.' Ash chuckled
Ash proceeded to finish the crippled bird off with his blade and extract the soul core.
'Deep Red Core,' Ash sighed. 'Well, it made sense if we spoke of speed but the power was laughable.'
Ash decided to call it a day and end his efforts by absorbing the soul core he had acquired. Settling down in a quiet spot, he crossed his legs into a lotus position, the cool wood pressing against him as he steadied his breathing.
With a deep inhale, Ash let his eyes shut, focusing on the soul core in his grasp. He could feel the spiritual energy radiating from it, like a heartbeat in the palm of his hand.
Moments passed in silence. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat steadying as he allowed the energy to flow through him. Ash exhaled slowly, opening his eyes to check his surroundings-
And froze.
A shadowy figure loomed before him, standing motionless, its features cloaked in the suffocating veil of darkness. Green eyes glowed faintly in the shadowy outline of its face, staring straight at him with an unblinking, predatory focus.
Ash's chest tightened; his breath caught in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't even think. The weight of its presence bore down on him, as if the air had grown thick and heavy.
His muscles screamed at him to run, but his body refused to obey.
Then, in an instant, the figure took a single, deliberate step forward. The wood beneath it seemed to groan as though it bore the weight of something far greater than what it could handle.
Ash blinked once more, and the figure vanished, only leaving behind absolute terror in the vicinity.
His voice trembled as he whispered, barely audible, "Luminaro."