So quick Author note here that may asnwer a few quiestions: Before I said zombies only die when the parasites die inside their bodies is true, but why did the giant zombie die is, because of the meatball he gave the zombie. I wrote this as an explanation if you are puzzled as to why that happened. Secondly I messed up as I switched up the turtles and tortoises so I changed all the turtles in the older chapters to tortoises.
--- Author out ---
As I created spiritual points within my body, I began gathering spiritual energy into them. Forming my hand into a fist, I tried to recreate the motion of turning a feigned attack into a real one—like when you pretend to strike someone but hold back at the last moment. Like a fake attack, but isntead of the air hitting their faces it would be spiritual energy.
I aimed to train my body to adapt to this technique, intending to discharge the energy in the same manner. However, practicing this proved far more challenging than I anticipated. My muscles cramped, sending waves of horrible pain through me. The agony was unbearable!
Time seemed to stretch into eternity as I fought to reverse the cramp, but it felt as though even the gods had abandoned me to my suffering. A full minute passed before the pain subsided. They say that once you evolve, you no longer have to worry about your body—becoming almost immune to everything. Lies! All lies! If anything, the muscle cramp became even more excruciating.
After finishing my internal rant, I returned to practice, this time pacing myself. Between each attempt, I allowed my muscles more time to recover, unwilling to endure another rebellion from my body.
My goal was to find a way to discharge spiritual energy through my fist, but without a weapon, it was exceedingly difficult. The energy seemed to cling stubbornly to my body, anchored to the spiritual points within me. Each time I tried to release it, the energy recoiled, returning to my body and causing my attempts to fail.
Using a weapon simplified the process. By channeling the energy into the weapon—an object devoid of spiritual points—the energy could flow unimpeded. Once in the weapon, it moved forward into the surrounding environment, free from the influence of my body. This allowed the energy wave to manifest properly.
But how could I separate the spiritual energy from my body without relying on a weapon? How could I make it follow my command rather than cling to me?
I tried using the same method I had employed to generate spiritual pressure, but that required expelling all the energy from my body at once. Controlling the energy to exit in only one direction was infinitely harder. It required precision not just in channeling the energy within my body, but in directing it outward as well.
After countless failed attempts, I gave up—at least for now. Perhaps I needed a new refinement of spiritual energy to uncover the solution.
Resigned, I returned to my Refined Short Sword. Its weight felt lighter, and its sharpness more pronounced. It was a weapon of unparalleled precision, and I could wield it effortlessly.
Satisfied with its performance, I stepped out of the cave, eager to test my new weapon in the real world.
With a swing, I drove my blade into the side of a tree, cutting about 7 cm deep. Not much, but it was a good start.
Next, I used a new method to channel spiritual energy into the sword and release an energy wave. A green trail lingered in its wake, a mere after-effect of my spiritual energy. The energy itself moved faster than the green wave that followed closely behind.
The wave struck the tree, raising a cloud of dust as it stirred up the ground. When the dust finally settled, I saw the results—my energy wave had already cut halfway through the tree. Considering the tree's diameter was an impressive 160 cm, being an oak, I had not expected one energy wave to nearly slice it in half.
I sucked in a cold breath, a mix of awe and fear swelling within me. Awe, because of the raw power I now wielded. Fear, because I dreaded the thought of such a technique being used against me.
To the untrained eye, the spiritual energy itself would be invisible only the green wave trailing behind would be visible. How many people would misjudge the attack speed or fall victim to its deceptive appearance the first time they faced it?
Curious to test further, I channeled the energy differently, this time coating my entire blade. Without effort, the tree behind me split cleanly in two. I approached it and had to push it over before it toppled to the ground. The blade had cut through so swiftly that I had felt no resistance at all.
Eager to understand my limits, I began calculating the cost of each attack. I discovered that I could perform a spiritual slash a maximum of six times if I didn't use spiritual energy for anything else. Coating my blade in spiritual energy, however, could last for about 17 seconds. This duration would decrease significantly if I faced resistance, such as the defensive side of a mutant.
Next, I experimented with channeling spiritual energy into the spiritual points within my body instead of releasing it. The effect was immediate—I felt lighter and stronger as I moved. When I slashed at the fallen tree again, my blade cut twice as deep as before.
Pride swelled within me at this clear progress, though I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. I still wasn't like the superheroes who could fall a tree with a single swing. It would take multiple tries, but even so, I was making great strides.
Confidence surged as I thought about the Praying Mantis from before. I felt I could handle it now. Yet, even as my body burned with the desire to fight, I reminded myself that there were monsters out there far stronger than me. I couldn't afford to lose myself to overconfidence.
But still, it's worth it for practice, right?
I bought some food from the system and cried as I ate. It was extraordinary monster flesh, but knowing how much I had wasted on it made the meal taste bitter. Finishing my meal, I drank some water I had gathered from the river, though it tasted awful.
Getting up from the ground, I stretched and moved my body around to shake off the stiffness. It was time to put my newfound strength to the test and gain some real combat experience.
Leaving the cave, I walked for about half an hour before encountering my old foes the iron clawers. This time, I resolved to test my frontal strength.
I didn't bother laying a trap or drawing them in. Instead, with a swift movement, I dashed out from behind a tree, heading straight for the larger of the pair. The iron clawers, startled at first, likely mistaking me for a bigger predator, soon grew enraged when they realized I was the threat. Their fury drove them to charge at me, claws raised, as if they were eager to rip my face apart.
The male was faster, reaching me first. But I was ready. With a practiced swing, I unleashed an energy wave that tore through its body, slicing it cleanly in two.
The sight of its fallen companion paralyzed the female with fear. I stood in awe of how much stronger I had become. Turning to the motionless iron clawer, I released another energy wave, cutting it into two as well.
Selling the remains of both clawers earned me a combined total of 44 copper. Frustrated, I muttered to myself, One day I'll figure out how this system works. How does it decide what's worth what?!
Despite the victory, I felt empty. I hadn't been able to fully test my strength. I had no choice but to venture deeper into the forest in search of stronger prey.
As I moved forward, the landscape began to change. The forest transformed from a typical woodland into a dense, almost jungle-like environment.
The further I went, the louder the sounds of buzzing grew. Looking around, I saw nothing at first. But when I glanced up, I froze. Swarms of bees crowded the treetops—a mass of buzzing chaos that stretched as far as the eye could see.
I tried to get as far away as possible, knowing that alerting the bees would be disastrous. If they besieged me, the outcome wouldn't be good. My armor might offer some protection, but it wasn't full-body armor—it wouldn't save me from a swarm of stingers.
As I left the bees behind, the faint sound of water splashing reached my ears. Moving cautiously, I followed the sound and discovered a lake nestled in the middle of the forest.
The lake wasn't large, only about 20 to 25 meters wide. Its depth, however, was a mystery. The water was so dark that I couldn't see the bottom, and even if I moved closer, I doubted I'd be able to.
Curiosity pulled at me. Why not take a closer look?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I froze. A deer, grazing too close to the edge, was suddenly dragged into the lake by a massive tentacle.
What the hell?!
An octopus—here, in this lake? The tentacle alone was at least 10 meters long, and I hadn't even seen its full size.
Taking a step back, I quickly realized I might already be within its range. If that monstrosity was lurking in this small lake, then it had to connect to something far larger. A creature of that size couldn't survive here on such limited prey. After all, this lake wasn't the forest's only water source.
Another forbidden place. Better to find such dangers this way than to stumble into their territory unknowingly and provoke them.
Continuing deeper into the forest, the environment around me began to change. The trees grew denser, and the familiar oaks gave way to kapok and mahogany trees.
How did I know their names? I'd collected their seeds earlier, thinking they might have value. I was right—they could be sold through the system. Unfortunately, earning a measly 1 copper for my efforts endeavored feels utterly pointless.
As I navigated the increasingly cramped forest, a strange scent reached my nose. It was sweet, almost intoxicating. My thoughts became fuzzy, and I felt my mind slipping.
Shaking my head violently, I snapped out of it and turned fearfully in the direction of the scent. My blood ran cold.
A giant Venus flytrap loomed before me. The monstrous plant stretched several meters wide, and at its center was an enormous flower, radiating the alluring scent.
If not for my spiritual awakening fortifying my mind, I would have walked right into its trap, becoming an easy meal.
The flytrap remained motionless, waiting for its prey to succumb.
I narrowed my eyes. This might just be the perfect practice partner.
Channeling energy into my sword, I aimed for the flower and unleashed a powerful slash.
Sensing danger, the plant snapped its massive jaws shut, but my attack still landed.
The ground beneath me trembled, and vines erupted from the soil, slithering toward me with terrifying speed. I backed off, my confidence faltering. I had assumed the Venus flytrap wouldn't be capable of ranged attacks. How badly I had miscalculated.
With no other choice, I channeled energy into my legs and leaped backward. Slashing at an approaching vine, I severed it cleanly, only to watch in frustration as it regenerated almost instantly. My jaw tightened in annoyance, but I didn't stop. I continued hacking away, though each cut seemed futile.
Just this brief skirmish had already drained about 30% of my total energy. Realizing I couldn't win this fight, I dodged a few more attacks before vanishing into the jungle.
The vines pursued me for a while but eventually halted, their reach unable to extend any further.
I sighed, berating myself. I shouldn't have been so reckless. I was too eager to test my strength, and now I've paid for it.
Still, the encounter was a valuable lesson. I could escape for now, but what about next time?
A bigger problem loomed over me—I was lost.
I tried using the sun as a guide, but the dense canopy of the forest blocked most of the sunlight. Left with no better option, I guessed at the direction I'd come from and began walking.
Several hours later, I finally emerged from the jungle. Along the way, I had several close encounters that left me shaken.
First, I crossed paths with a tiger. It had decided I would be its next meal. As I fled, I stumbled upon a silverback gorilla. The tiger turned its attention to the gorilla, and I foolishly thought I might get lucky like before.
But luck wasn't on my side this time. The tiger dispatched the gorilla with brutal efficiency. Luckily for me, having secured its prey, it no longer seemed interested in chasing me.
Later, I found myself pursued by a group of chimpanzees. They were relentless, forcing me to run for what felt like an eternity. Just when I thought I couldn't keep going, we stumbled upon the Venus flytrap.
The chimps, lured by its alluring scent, fell into the trap. Some of them were devoured instantly, while the others, terrified, fled in panic. I took the opportunity to move in the opposite direction, avoiding further confrontation.
As I continued, I found myself back at the lake. Keeping a respectful distance, I carefully made my way around it.
But an unsettling feeling crept over me—like I was being watched. It was as if something was silently beckoning me, urging me to take just one more step toward the lake.
I kept calm as I left the lake, though the feeling of being watched lingered long after. It clung to me, a heavy presence, before finally fading.
Continuing my journey, I passed by the bees once more. This time, they paid no attention to me, fully engrossed in their work collecting honey.
The sun had climbed high into the sky by the time I made it back to the cave. Exhausted, I sat down and began to meditate.
As I focused, I tried to sense the spiritual energy around me. To my surprise, I noticed tiny sparks of light swirling around my body before slowly entering it.
Wait… this wasn't part of the meditation technique.
Curious, I concentrated deeper, watching as more and more of these lights flowed into me. It was strange—I could only perceive them in this meditative state.
What are these lights? And why hadn't I noticed them before?
My question was answered as I observed the lights emerging from the walls of the cave itself.
Is this some sort of spiritual gathering place?
It clicked. I must have triggered the spiritual energy the last time I was here, and now it was gradually regenerating.
The realization left me both intrigued and resolved. I needed to start planning my next steps.
The jungle? Too dangerous. It was teeming with enemies I wasn't yet ready to face.
The mountain? Already stripped of resources—there was nothing left for me to gain there.
That left me with my original plan venturing out to find a new location.
This cave was useful, no doubt, but its ability to help me recover spiritual energy faster wasn't enough to justify staying. Not yet, anyway. If I waited for it to gather enough energy again, I could trigger it and absorb it for a significant boost. But that would take time, and time wasn't something I had in abundance.
With no other choice, I began preparing to leave, my mind set on finding new opportunities.