Chapter 4: Breaking Through
Cold breath. Still soul. No form. No self.
Exhale the soul. Inhale the self.
The flesh forgets. The chill remains.
I chanted the first three verses of the mantra over again, absorbing Qi through my artificial meridians. It wasn't as easy as it used to be, but I felt myself getting stronger with each passing second.
Mother had taken off while I wasn't focusing wholeheartedly. Perhaps to go hunting and bring me some good food... or more worms. Ugh, I hated that I looked forward to worms.
Considering the height of the nest and her remnant aura, I doubted any non friendly Spirit Beast would dare come up here. In this entire forest, this place had to be the safest, ignoring the dead humans.
I found it a little strange that she didn't stay with me after losing her children, but starving wasn't an option for either of us.
With that thought, I began feeling a little grateful and allowed myself to get immersed in cultivating.
I do not reflect. I do not speak.
What sees is not mine. What moves is not me.
I step behind the void. I listen to nothing.
The Qi in the area rushed to me, entered my body through my meridians, and gathered into my dantian. A small puddle of frigid Qi began to form, held back by the natural fire Qi of the Phoenix.
A tiny amount of strength flowed through me, and my rigid meridians slowly began allowing more and more Qi into them. Just like a frozen river beginning its flow in spring once again.
I exhaled, the air leaving my beak turning to ice, then melting into tiny droplets of water that fell before me. With each breath, more and more Qi entered my dantian, and with each breath, my body grew colder.
My shadow fades. My name dies.
I am the cold. I am the silence.
I am not. Yet I remain.
Finally, with the last breath in the technique, the tiny puddle inside my dantian grew to the size of a small house. A literal droplet compared to the ocean of Qi I once had, but the start of something more.
I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air, then exhaled an icy breath.
The first stage of Qi Condensation is mine… With this, I have taken my first step toward immortality.
[Unknown Technique has been detected.]
[Unknown Technique has been revealed as the Ghost Qi Technique.]
[Assimiliating…]
[Congratulations! You have discovered a lost technique!]
[Achievement: I found it on the ground! Unlocked]
[Congratulations! You have reached the first stage of Qi Condensation!]
[Error… Er… Er… Spirit Beast…]
[System Update… Waiting…]
[Congratulations, Fa Xiaolan! You have become the first Spirit Beast to discover cultivation within the first week of life.]
[Achievement: I am a Spirit Beast! Unlocked.]
[Qi Condensation rewards:]
[+100 Qi; +3 Strength; +2 Dexterity; +2 Perception; +1 Charisma; +1 Intelligence]
The huge string of text filled my vision. I took a step back, startled, and read everything carefully. It looked like whatever this thing was called itself System, and awarded me… achievements?
"What are achievements?"
[Achievements are special rewards given to users who have accomplished something. It can either be big or small, and the rewards are appropriately rewarded by the system based on its judgment.]
Judgement? What sort of artifact is this to have so much autonomy? I asked myself, judging that whatever this place was, trap or not, they had to have an extremely advanced way of refining artifacts, as there was no other way to explain whatever this system was.
"Achievements." I chirped out loud, and another row of text appeared before me.
[Achievements]
[First Blood (Rewards Unclaimed)]
[I found it on the ground! (Rewards Unclaimed)]
[I am a Spirit Beast! (Rewards Unclaimed)]
"Uhh… claim?"
[Achievement: First Blood has been claimed.]
[No possible rewards]
[Achievement: I found it on the ground! has been claimed.]
[+2 Perception; +2 Intelligence]
[Achievement: I am a Spirit Beast! has been claimed.]
[+2 Strength; +100 Qi]
The tiny puddle of Qi inside my dantian grew to the size of a well in a matter of seconds. On top of that, my body, which felt as weak as a feather before, grew stronger, if only by a bit. The world around me looked a tiny bit clearer, the colors brighter, and my senses felt sharper as well.
I tried clenching my non-existent fists, but all that did was make my wings contract a little.
I sighed, revelling in my achievement for a moment. However, a thought appeared in my mind soon after.
How did Spirit Beasts even cultivate?
They didn't know any breathing techniques, at least not in the early stages of their life. The only way to cultivate Qi is to absorb it from the environment, store it in your body, form a core, and then... The rest of the realms for a Spirit Beast stumped me, as I couldn't even remember their names.
Perhaps beasts have other ways of doing it… Maybe by eating? If there's Qi in the air, there's Qi in plants and water. The ingested Qi gets stored in the body, which is then absorbed by the Spirit Beast, and thus becomes stronger.
The solution I came up with made sense, as it was the most straightforward. I didn't consider bloodlines or other factors, but the vague explanation I gave myself only made me come to a simple conclusion.
I need to eat.
Humans rarely cultivated their bodies, and Spirit Beasts rarely cultivated their Qi. Both because one was simpler than the other, and much less difficult. Spirit Beasts didn't have the comprehension to learn techniques, and humans and other spiritual beings didn't have the right constitution. However… I could do both!
Normally, Spirit Beasts didn't have meridians or dantians, so that meant they only had one way of getting stronger— eating. Most Spirit Beasts are far from intelligent enough or have the knowledge to do what I did— forcefully create the ability to cultivate Spiritual Qi by carving meridians into their flesh.
I did though, so that meant I had access to both types of cultivation— something man and beast alike always craved.
Back to eating, though...
My current hunting method was burning them to a crisp. I doubted that I had anywhere near enough strength to take on anyone in a straightforward fight. The only reason I won against the vulture was that it wasn't in its natural habitat, and it had no idea I could even do that.
I won't be so lucky next time.
I thought as a bitter taste filled my mouth, shaking my head. Regardless of what happened, I had to raise my strength.
How though?
The answer wasn't obvious. I couldn't leave, I couldn't fight, and I definitely couldn't ask Mother to help me. There was only one logical path I could take, and that was to train my body— even if it wouldn't help me much in terms of Qi.
I began doing laps around the nest, much to Mother's confusion. Her head followed me as I ran, my stubby feet almost crossing each other. I stumbled a few times and fell a lot more than I dared to admit.
Getting used to this body would be difficult, and doing any arm-related activity would be nigh impossible. I didn't want to risk injuring my wings, or worse.
Though my worries turned out to be useless, as even if I could do pushups, the laps alone made me heave. I didn't feel any fatigue when I got chased by the vulture, nor after killing it, despite almost using up all of my Qi.
What's the difference? Spiritual Qi… Qi inside the flesh…
That was another theory I had to put to the test at some point, though there wasn't any opportunity for me to do it at the moment.
However, I wasn't about to waste precious time not doing anything. I walked toward the center of the nest under Mother's curious gaze and decided to experiment with the only innate skill I had— Phoenix Fire.
Now that I had more Qi thanks to my cultivation base, I wanted to test the difference in terms of damage and control. I wanted to do that with theNirvanic Flames, of course, but using them in front of Mother and hoping she doesn't notice would be a dream.
However, my having a better type of fire didn't make the innate flames of a Phoenix useless. By using both of them at the same time, there would be a qualitative change.
From what I observed, though, the Nirvanic Flames were much stronger, but used up a lot of Qi; the Phoenix Fire used almost no Qi, but instead relied on my stamina to be cast.
So that meant that the stronger my body was, the more flames I could conjure. That would be an awesome card in a fight, sice if I run out of Qi, I could still rely on that fire.
Heheh, they'll never see it coming!
Without hesitating, I didn't weave a hand sign, but instead held my palm… wing outward, and a spark appeared.
The first time I used it was out of instinct, and it did little more than scare off the vulture, but now I could feel the Qi get channeled, and also my stamina draining. The kindling sprak grew into a tiny fire, then into a medium-sized flame that towered over me.
It looked a little different compared to my Nirvanic Flames; they were more orange and yellow, dancing like an elegant butterfly, looking meek but capable of huge destruction. The Phoenix Fire, on the other hand, was meek. It didn't give off the same oppressive aura as the Nirvanic Flames, and up close, they looked like a regular, orange and red fire.
I tried controlling its shape, but I managed to do nothing more than turn it into a pillar of fire.
However, I didn't expect the pillar to thicken.
Suddenly feeling myself out of breath, I tried turning the Phoenix Fire off, but for one reason or another, it didn't listen to me. The bigger it grew, the more my consciousness faded. This tiny body wasn't meant to support such a huge fire.
Finally, I lost control of it, and the impact blew me backward. Mother barely caught me in her arms as the fire spread out, and the hay and sticks she used to make the nest lit ablaze, crackling as they turned to ash.
It only took a moment for more than half the nest to turn black, and another for that half to disappear.
That's some potent fire…
Mother heaved a sigh— at least I thought she did— and blew the fire away with a wave of her wing.
She glanced at me with a 'Seriously?' look, though she didn't seem mad at all. On the contrary, she looked quite amused.
"It wasn't my fault!" I chirped defensively, though Mother didn't have time to reprimand me as a strange, violent whirring sound echoed in the air.
Are the humans here again?!
My racing heart gave away my worries, but the sound of flapping wings or scratching glass made me less scared and more intrigued. I didn't doubt Mother was strong, but I was curious to see how strong she was. If the thing making that sound wanted a fight, I could truly see just how strong Mother was.
A screech that shook the heavens echoed from below, the wind beginning to grow stronger and destroy the orderly state of the nest. Soon, two horns appeared from behind the clouds.
They were long, thin, and sturdy, glowing with a sort of green light at what I could only assume to be the joints. Alongside them, a large head that dwarfed my own body peeked from over the nest. The creature's eyes glowed with a violet hue as its figure revealed itself to be a large bug.
Its mandibles clicked against one another, sparks flying out of their collision. Its elongated body wriggled back and forth in mid-air as if it were a worm. Its pitch black exoskeleton glowed with a pale green light, and at the end of it, a tail with a large stinger glowed with an ominous light. It pulsated with a disgusting rhythm, stretching and shrinking as if water distorted its shape.
The image sent a shiver down my spine, and my heart skipped a beat as it let out another, stronger and much louder screech.
Reeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhuuuuuu!
Chapter 5: Golden Core
The force of the screech almost made me lose my footing, and, were it not for Mother placing herself right in front of me, I might as well have. It astounded me.
Its cry alone would have crushed me if I were the target!
She gave me a reassuring glance and turned toward the uninvited guest, pulling her head back before letting out another similar, loud, ear-piercing scream.
The insect's presence made my entire body instinctively shiver, filling me with fear. I hadn't had such a feeling in a long time. In that moment, some slumbering memories awakened. Vague images of looking up at an arrogant man, my heart beating against my chest with a tremendous force.
Tears flooded my vision, dripping down my cheeks as grief and indignation filled my very being. The feeling of being weak once again coursed through my veins. Of being helpless, of being prey. What an awful feeling it was. I thought I had fully forgotten it.
I returned to reality, pushing aside the fragments of my past for later. The insect didn't say anything for a second, its body wriggling as it apparently contemplated Mother's words.
It let out another screech a moment later, this time softer and less aggressive. Mother only let out a chirp-like coo in response, her head tilting and foot lifting to reveal me. She then let out another coo, one filled with grief that pierced my heart.
I didn't understand anything they said, but I could get the gist of the exchange.
The insect nodded, then quickly left the nest. Mother didn't move, neither did I, but she seemed much more at ease.
Its rapid wing flaps, or rather whirls, could be heard once again, even faster than before. Then the horns appeared, slowly rising. As its body became clear, so did the large corpse of an animal it pulled up with its dozens of thin limbs. I couldn't immediately identify it; however, the moment it was placed in the nest, it was obvious.
The giant brown animal was a tiger with no stripes, whose paws were twice my body size. Aside from that, it looked like a normal tiger. Fluffy fur, large, sturdy muscles, and a mouth that could swallow three of me in one bite. Its body was still warm, but it had no killing wound, at least not any I could easily spot.
The insect chirped softly, turning to Mother for a reply.
She glanced at the fresh corpse for a moment, then her gaze lingered on me for another. Finally, she nodded, letting out an angry coo and turning her head.
The insect shook its head, obviously apologetic, then left, its whirring fading into the clouds. Mother turned toward me and nudged me closer to the tiger's body, clearly telling me to start eating. My stomach grumbled, even though I was full already from eating the shells.
I guess all that running made me grow an appetite, still… raw meat?
I obviously had no other choice but to eat it, and somehow it seemed like the heavens were listening to my thoughts, sending a Spirit Beast right to my doorstep.
Time to dig in… I suppose.
I tried taking a bite; however, past all the fur was an incredibly thick layer of skin. I couldn't even stretch it when I pulled, letting go and falling backward. I swore I heard Mother laughing at that moment; however, I couldn't be sure, as her coos could mean anything.
Seeing that I couldn't even rip it apart she bent down and did it for me. She chose a spot near the stomach and took a large bite, effortlessly tearing it apart, revealing its guts.
An incredibly repulsive stench infiltrated my nostrils, and I took an instinctive step backward as blood flooded the nest. It was disgusting, to say the least; however, I couldn't cry about it. Qi or not, food was the clear way for me to get stronger.
Steeling myself, I made my way past the blood and got closer, the smell almost making me vomit. I pushed through and reached its innards, namely the intestines. No doubt they were strong, as whatever it would eat would be equally rough.
Regardless, I took a decisive bite. They were surprisingly soft and easy to tear apart. At the same time, they were incredibly bitter and hard to chew. However, I swallowed the piece I tore apart and immediately dug into another one.
I will find out what's going on! I will kill the bastard who brought such humiliation upon me! I will live! I will shed this weak self once again and become someone that nobody dares look down upon. Thisis my ticket to that.
I dug in faster, anger coursing through my veins as it fully sank in that I was nothing. I was weak, helpless, and I was but mere prey for the bigger things to take advantage of.
That will change.
I tore the organs apart with as much violence as I could muster, ignoring how disgusting it was.
I will become strong.
My face was bloodier than ever before, my tiny body fully entering the tiger's carcass and eating at the organs. The kidneys were one of the most nutritious organs, alongside the heart, lungs, and brain.
I will rule over this so-called Tianxu continent.
***
I sat down against the walls of the nest, meditating and observing the changes within my body. After eating the innards of the tiger a large amount of Qi began coursing through my flesh. Unlike the frigid Qi going to my meridians, then dantian, all of the Qi I got from the meal was stored within my muscles, fat, and feathers. I had little control over it, much to my dismay.
It distributed itself almost equally, but the largest concentration of Qi was around my heart. I couldn't be sure why that was the case, but something told me it was because Phoenixes lean toward the magical rather than the physical.
Regardless, that confirmed my theory.
I need to eat to become strong. That is the first step.
Although I was a little dejected that the Qi didn't exactly listen to me, I knew that with enough time, it would. As a Phoenix Chick I unfortunately had to rely on Mother, especially so high up in the sky. I didn't know what her relationship with the insect guy was, but it couldn't be malicious.
From what I gathered during their screech, he was apologetic and brought Mother food to appease her, though it wasn't nearly enough.
Did she pay them for protection?
It was a strange thought, seeing as we lived in a world where strength ruled over everything. Despite that, they had come to an agreement previously.
As my mind wandered, I noticed Mother digging through the body, her long and sharp beak easily tearing through skin, muscle, and flesh. After a little bit of shaking, she pulled out a large sphere. Its orange hue intrigued me, and I knew immediately what it was, even though I had never seen it before.
This amnesia thing is getting old, isn't it? Strange text?
It didn't reply, but it didn't seem to have any sort of emotions either, so I wasn't sure if it was malicious or not.
Mother approached me, her long legs closing the distance in a single step, and bent down. She dropped the core next to me, its size matching mine. I wasn't sure what she wanted me to do with it, as eating it was clearly out of the question.
She nudged it closer.
"What do you want me to do with it?" I chirped, none of the sounds coming out of my beak remotely resembling human speech. Mother turned her head, clearly confused by the jumbled mess of whatever sounds I was making.
Though I had a thought she understood what my complaints were, as she once again lowered her head and placed it against the core. Its orange surface glowed with an extremely faint light, but it shone bright like a star when put against the dark background of the night.
Particles surrounded the light, which then went toward Mother's forehead before finally disappearing.
She absorbed it?
That was a new thing for me. I've never heard of anyone absorbing the power of a golden core or any beast core to use for themselves. Then again, I couldn't remember much of anything besides basic knowledge.
Mother removed herself from it, clearly unwilling to absorb much of its power. I decided to do as she did and placed my forehead against the core.
[Would you like to absorb the Brown Tiger Golden Core?]
Uhh… Yes?
The prompt was more than weird, and I blinked a couple of times as the core turned to particles of light that slowly got absorbed into my body. It felt weird, like millions of ants crawling into my skin, but at the same time, there was a weird sense of pleasure that accompanied it. I instantly felt more invigorated than before, and it felt almost like the time I had levelled up.
When I opened my eyes the core had lost all color, turning from its previous vibrant orange hue to a dull gray. It fell apart almost instantly, becoming ashes that drifted in the wind.
[Brown Tiger Golden Core absorbed with 30% efficiency]
[Qi +35; +5 Strength; +5 Dexterity; +5; Charisma]
[Skill: Iron Claws(Novice) has been acquired]
Huh? Oh… so I get stats or whatever those things are called as well? Just like when I advanced to the first layer of Qi Condensation. That'd be pretty sweet if I had any idea of what any of that meant. I also got a skill, something that I wasn't entirely sure about how it worked. The Qi, on the other hand…
That part I could understand quite well. Even though assigning a numerical value to such a vague concept was intriguing, I didn't question it much. The weird text more than showed me what it was capable of, but I will get to the bottom of this one day.
But what does 'Novice' mean?
[Novice means your level of mastery over the skill is within the first twenty percent.]
Huh? The first twenty percent? How does that work?
[Skills, whether they are active, passive, or bloodline, are divided into five stages of mastery.]
[Novice means you have just acquired it, and your level of mastery is within the first twenty percent. The more you use and familiarize yourself with a skill, the higher the level of mastery.]
[After Novice, there are Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, and Master. Master level skills recieve a notification when they reach one hundred percent mastery.]
So each level of mastery requires a twenty percent increase?
[Precisely! However, the higher the level, the more difficult it would be to advance. Also, unless specifically mentioned, the power of the skill increases with each Rank. Some skills would mention the changing effects based on rank in their description.]
I see. And what happens once I reach Master?
[Most skills stop at that level. Once you are at one hundred percent mastery, the only way to advance that skill further is by evolving it, either via using Skill Points or experimenting. However, that is not a guarantee.]
[Evolving a skill depends on the type of skill, as not all are made equal. Similarly to how you referred to the Ghost Qi Technique as 'Mortal-Grade'. However, we do not have such a system of ranking… Maybe we should make one.]
What was that last part? I asked, surprised that System had an introspection.
[Nothing.]
[Anyway— There are certain skills that evolve naturally once you reach one hundred percent mastery, and only require a moment of insight without any additional cost. Those skills are very rare and expensive to purchase and forcefully evolve.]
I see, thank you for the information.
[You're welcome. ^_^]
What was that last thing…
Ignoring that, I took a deep breath and sat down once again, observing the changes within my body. Most of the Qi I absorbed gathered toward my heart, while the rest was evenly distributed across my limbs, chest, and head. Part of the Qi I'd gotten from the core also fell into my dantian, but not enough to make any difference.
My entire being was filled with Qi, something that was unfamiliar to me as it was familiar. From my memory, one needed meridians to cultivate, yet that wasn't necessary for Spirit Beasts.
However, I couldn't help but wonder about the skills. What were they, and how did one get them? I recall having three skills, with the one acquired from the tiger's core being the most recent one.
[Skills]
Active Skills
[Nirvanic Flames: Novice]
[Iron Claws: Novice]
[Peck: Novice]
Passive Skills
[Evasion: Novice]
Bloodline Skills
[Phoenix Fire: Novice]
Another box appeared in front of me, no doubt from the weird text listening to my every thought. It seemed like I had quite a few empty spaces for skills, and they were divided into two categories. I understood what Bloodline Skills meant, clearly shown by my mastery of fire despite not possessing Nirvanic Flames at the time.
What do Active and Passive mean?
[Active skills are skills that require active thought to be used. The user needs to want to activate them and command them to do so via verbal speech, thoughts, hand signs, or a combination of the three. They increase in level based on usage rate.]
The weird text wasted no time in beginning to explain my questions, and, while I was grateful for it, the lack of intimacy was vaguely concerning.
[Passive skills are skills that do not require active thought and are constantly being used regardless of the user's awareness of them. They do not level up based on usage rate, but on usage time and usage opportunity.]
What it said started to make more sense to me the more I read it. It was quite simple. Comparing it to the system of cultivation I was accustomed to, then active skills would be techniques, and passive skills would be some sort of bodily or bloodline power. The concept of techniques always being active was foreign to me, but the possibilities of such a boon would be tremendous.
However, I still had a few questions I needed answers to.
What do my skills do?
[Active Skill: Nirvanic Flames(Novice)]
[The Flames of Nirvana, the strongest fire that ever burned amongst the Nine Realms, is at your beck and call. It can be used indefinitely as long as your Qi reserves are enough, and it is as flexible as a thread. You can will it to become whatever you want. The strength of the skill depends on your INT, STR, and target resistance.]
[Active Skill: Iron Claws(Novice)]
[Sharpen and solidify your claws to become stronger than steel. The strength of the skill depends on STR and target resistance.]
[Active Skill: Peck(Novice)]
[Pecks at a target with pinpoint accuracy. The strength, speed and accuracy of the skill depends on STR and DEX.]
[Passive Skill: Evasion(Novice)]
[Evades blows with increased chance of success. Effectiveness depends on DEX.]
[Bloodline Skill: Phoenix Fire(Novice)]
[The instinctual fire of any Phoenix, the strongest, most versatile fire in all of the Tianxu Continent, is at your beck and call. As a bloodline skill, it will continuously grow and evolve alongside you. The strength of the skill depends on your INT, STR, and target resistance.]
The fact that it explained even what stat the skill used was very helpful. Although it took me a moment to figure out what the abbreviations meant, I now had a better idea of how they worked. However, the weird text's boundless knowledge made me question its origin even more than before.
What is your purpose?
Chapter 6: Supra Ydelic Superior Technological and Extradimensional Medium
It took more than a moment to answer. For a second, I thought it would hit me with another 'Information Locked', but much to my surprise, it didn't.
[I am a Supra Ydelic Superior Technological and Extradimensional Medium UI. S.Y.S.T.E.M or System for short. Model number P90G123E94. My sole purpose is to help you traverse this world.]
The answer it gave me was both vague and clear at the same time. Whatever words it said made little sense to me, but I understood that it was named System and that it was meant to help me.
Were you even supposed to tell me that?
I asked myself, of course, but I didn't expect System to answer.
[No.]
That was a little more than creepy. As it turned out, System had a personality of its own, as robotic as it was. Its personality was a little much… did it have freedom? It reminded me of those weapons imbued with artificial spirits, except much less corporeal. I could live with that as an explanation for the moment.
"Aaah~" An involuntary yawn escaped my beak, my eyelids trembling as my consciousness began to fade. The sweet embrace of sleep was calling for me, and I wasn't sure how long I could resist it. Luckily, Mother noticed, and she rushed toward me, ignoring the brown tiger carcass and whatever she was doing to it.
She sat down next to me, catching my falling body with her own, and I took a last look at the stars before drifting away into sleep. For some reason, they reminded me of a painful memory.
***
"Are you ready to give up, Fa Xiaolan?"
I jumped awake, my heart racing with anxiety and my veins coursing with fury.
You fucking bastard, I'll never give up!
These were my final thoughts before my eyes flew open, the blazing sun greeting me as it rose. It must have been late in the morning, considering just how elevated we were, so that meant I slept for quite a while.
Looking around, I noticed Mother was already awake, once again meddling with the body of the brown tiger. I wasn't quite sure what she was doing, as she pecked it and clawed at it without any rhyme or reason. It couldn't be that the loss of chicks had made her crazy, right? I hoped that wasn't the case.
As I stood up, I noticed that the fluff covering my body had fallen off, littering the nest. In their place, small, stubby, and still in their nascent form, feathers began to form. The same could be said about my wings, which seemed to have grown by a fair amount as well. Not only that, as I walked closer to the carcass, I noticed that the paw and I were now of similar height.
Did I grow overnight?
The answer to that question was quite obvious. I definitely did. It was a shame there was no mirror or reflective surface for me to see what I truly looked like. Such vain things mattered little, though, as what mattered the most was getting stronger.
Just as I thought that, my stomach began to growl, and the carcass of the tiger began looking more appetising as time passed. Surprisingly enough, it hadn't decayed one bit, looking just as fresh as yesterday.
Was this what she was doing? Preserving it? But what did scratching and pecking have to do with that?
I didn't question her techniques, and approached the beast with the intention to eat. She didn't stop me, looking at my wobbly self as I walked closer to the entrance she previously made for me with an amused expression.
She seemed happy, or at least less depressed than yesterday. For some unexplainable reason, that also brought some sort of warmth to my chest, but I couldn't remember why.
I snuck a glance behind me, her small, glittering eyes locking with mine. The love and care she had for me bombarded my very being, making me halt for a moment. I felt my eyes water, but I held back the feeling of sadness. I couldn't allow anyone to see me cry, but… in a weird twist of fate… I wanted to.
***
After half an hour or so, I finally devoured the thing's heart. The moment I bit into it, the warm, fresh blood flooded my throat. I could feel the energy it once had coursing through me. It tasted horrible, but I had gotten used to it. Complaining while being a weakling would only bring trouble.
I devoured most of the tiger that day, excluding the skin and muscles, which were too hard for me to bite into. The brain was also left to the side, as no matter what I did, Mother couldn't understand that I wanted to crack the thing's skull open.
Pecking at it was ineffective, and so was scratching it. I just didn't have the strength required to damage such a powerful beast.
If only I had some of my previous techniques…
Techniques? Skills? Couldn't I use… that one? Iron Claws or whatever?
I had talons, so could they be considered claws? I wasn't exactly sure how bird parts were defined, but since I had the skill, it was worth giving it a try.
I didn't have any better way to use it, so I decided to do an air kick. I climbed on top of its head and jumped high, then activated the skill when I was about to hit it.
My claws shone with a silver light, and their weight increased by at least twofold. The moment I hit the thing's skull they cut through it like a hot knife through butter. A small piece, about the width of my claw and maybe twice as long, landed next to me.
Blood and other juices gushed out of the freshly opened skull, and I barely managed to avoid getting drenched by stepping backward, though small drops still landed on my fluff.
Disgusting…
I didn't care much for it afterward, though, as I had other things that needed to be done. The opening I made wasn't anywhere near big enough to be able to eat the brain, but it seemed that Mother had understood my intentions.
She didn't seem too surprised that I managed to cut through the thing's thick skull, and she even seemed to be proud of what I did. As she neared the skull, she used her feet to open it further, effortlessly pulling the bone plates apart.
I couldn't help but compare my skill, which took intent and concentration, to her bodily strength.
I have a long way to go before I can even get to the starting line…
Finally, the brain was fully revealed, and it didn't take me long to come to terms with the fact that I had to eat it.
Every bit of nutrients matters.
Steeling my nerves, I climbed on top and began pecking at the jelly-like thing, the act of using my beak almost becoming second-nature.
After I was done with it, I felt a sudden surge of strength rush through my body. It was barely noticeable, and if I were any stronger, I would have brushed it off completely.
There was no System message, which surprised me. I had expected a message to pop up saying I gained another skill or status point, but it looked like those weren't given away so easily.
However, I didn't sit still despite having had my fill. I couldn't. As soon as I felt ready, I began doing laps around the nest once again, pushing my small body to its limits before taking a break.
The fact that I couldn't sweat made it all the more difficult to train, and I wasn't even sure running did anything. I couldn't stand the thought of sitting around, doing nothing, though, and Mother noticed that as well.
I decided to cultivate using the Ghost Qi Technique. It didn't show up as a skill in my skill list, which didn't bother me, but I found it interesting.
Reaching the second stage of Qi Condensation would not be as easy as the first, though it would only take longer. For each stage of a realm, the Qi required to be considered in that stage increased. So if it took a well for me to reach the first stage, then the second stage would be three wells or even a small lake.
I'd once again forgotten about Mother, or what she may think about my sudden silence. Perhaps she thought I fell asleep, or even went out by herself. I couldn't be sure, but that didn't matter. I had to hurry up and get stronger, and for that I needed Qi.
Sadly, the amount of Qi I could absorb was severely limited by my non-existent Spirit Root, low-grade artificial meridians, and low-grade technique. The fact that the Qi I was absorbing also differed greatly from my base element, and that it was most effective during the night, also slowed down my growth.
If I tried to cultivate during the day it would be a huge waste of time. I desperately needed a technique that used fiery or Yang Qi instead of frigid Yin Qi.
***
The next morning greeted me with the shadow of Mother looming over me. She nudged me with her beak, forcing me to stand on my stubby feet. Despite being a bird, I didn't appreciate the extremely early morning call.
As I looked up, I noticed that I had grown taller once again. Whereas before I could barely reach Mother's knees, I was now able to comfortably touch her inner thighs. She didn't question what I was doing, but moved away, allowing the sunlight to blast my still sensitive retinas.
It wasn't that early in the morning, huh…
I swore I heard her chuckle, but she didn't give me any time to get mad before picking me up by the head and throwing me on her back. After a gentle caress and a soft coo, she pointed me toward some of her sturdier feathers, but seeing as I had no hands or fingers to speak of, I could only dig my claws into them and hold on for dear life.
She didn't give me much warning before taking off, the rapid initial winds almost making me lose my grip. I disregarded both feather and flesh as my claws drew blood, but Mother didn't mind too much, as she didn't flinch nor screech.
The sun rays shifted rapidly as we rose far above the clouds, beneath us remaining nothing but a multi-colored blanket of fluff. I wasn't sure where we were going, but after getting used to the comfort of her back, I didn't care. Seeing the world from above awakened something inside me, or rather, reinvigorated it.
The feeling of flying through the clouds, freer than a bird without any restrictions or fear, filled my entire body with a magnificent thrill. I couldn't remember the last time I felt like that, though my soul knew, and longed for it so dearly. I didn't know until that moment, but I didn't want to lose that feeling again.
Flying would be a given for me, of course, seeing that I was a Phoenix; however, I wasn't sure how long that would take. It definitely wouldn't be as fast as Mother, though, and if I were too weak to even venture outside of the nest, there wasn't any point to flying in the first place.
As I was lost in thought, Mother began descending toward a forest. Its trees were tall with thick trunks and equally rich and lush crowns. They didn't stop the sun from passing altogether, allowing the smaller plants on the ground to bask in the light.
Mother landed in a rather large clearing, one that could accommodate her size, and it was clear that it wasn't her first time landing there. The grass around her bent as the wind created by her wings pushed it aside. After a quick few flaps, her feet were firmly planted on the ground, yet the grass remained bent.
She grabbed me and gently lowered me to the ground, allowing the soft blades of grass to bother my yellowy fluff. Touching them felt weird initially, but they were pretty comfortable afterwards. I wasn't exactly sure what we were doing in the forest, but I took a deep breath of fresh, chilly morning air as I walked around.
My chubby legs were as agile as always, though there weren't a lot of things I had to dodge besides the odd rock and dent in the ground. I walked around, testing the waters. First, I circled Mother, and she watched me curiously, much like one would a baby who had just learned to walk.
However, I didn't walk around for long, as I began doing laps around her, trying to exhaust my tiny body, pushing it to its limits. As I did so I widened the distance between us, trying to see just how far I could go before being called back.
That distance turned out to be quite large, as I had run into the forest far enough to not see her anymore, and she hadn't yet grabbed me like before.
Does this mean she wants me to explore?
If that was the case, that meant that the area wasn't too dangerous, and she could swoop in and save me at a moment's notice. Of course, that didn't make the experience any less interesting.
Walking through the forest with a body the size of a bunny was a strange experience. Small boulders looked like a small hill, and the bushes were pretty difficult to pass through. Jumping over them was a solution, but my legs were far from strong enough to do that.
The trees were so tall my neck hurt looking up too much at them, but I guessed that was just a general rule. Meanwhile, the blades of grass touched my underbelly, tickling me slightly in the process.
I decided not to run too much and conserve my energy. It wasn't hard to determine that Mother brought me out here because she saw how restless I was. Considering the fact that I could run away just fine and even kill a Spirit Beast right as I hatched, she must have thought that there wouldn't be any danger for me.
Of course, that didn't mean I was safe. Spirit Beasts' behaviours were hard to guess, and their strength even harder to gauge. If it were any beast other than a vulture, one adept at travelling the forest, I would be dead and buried, or inside their belly.
Knowing that, I threaded carefully through the grass, keeping in the shadow and trying not to make any sounds. However, I wasn't the only one with that plan.
I stopped and looked down, having stepped onto something more solid than a rock. A wooden thing was buried in the ground.
After digging it out, I noticed that it was some kind of pendant. Wooden beads hung on either side of a wooden circle, in the middle of which stood the symbol of a flying sword.
I tapped it with my beak, curious to see what it felt like, but I quickly let go of it as it started glowing. The fierce blue light lit up the area like a beacon, and then it flew outward, taking to the skies.
Well, that was—
I caught the most minuscule movement in the grass with the corner of my eye, and immediately turned around, getting ready to summon my Nirvanic Flames.
The stalker noticed that I detected them and dropped all pretenses.
As soon as it rose, the shadow it cast on my tiny body made me take a step backward.
The Spirit Beast before me was a green snake, about as tall as Mother's legs, and a body thicker than I was tall. To say I wasn't scared would be a lie; however, to say that there wasn't a thrill coursing through my veins from the expectation of fighting would be an even bigger lie.
Bring it on!
Chapter 7: Hunting
I didn't hesitate to summon my flames, their light dancing on my feathers as they completely covered my body. I wasn't sure what sort of snake it was, and if it was a constrictor, I would make sure it got burned well. However, if it was venomous…
I would show it another kind of hell.
It hissed and immediately lunged at me. My small size barely gave me enough time to dodge out of the way by kicking the ground; however, the snake wasn't as stupid as the vulture. As soon as it saw me step away, it turned its head and followed my movement.
Without having expected that, I had a few moments to think about what to do. Its gaping maw hurled toward me at a rapid speed, its sharp fangs threatening to mince me into pieces.
"You're courting death!" I screamed, and did a quick turn, activating the Iron Claws skill, and placed my foot in its jaw. The thing came to an abrupt stop, unable to fully bite through the hardened talons. That wouldn't last for long, though, as I expected it to thrash around at any moment.
I waved my wings, suffering the penalty of being unable to do proper hand signs, and sent the flames toward my foot. It quickly lit up with a potent fire and I feared even my talons would melt, but since they were part of me, the Nirvanic Flames wouldn't destroy them.
As for the snake… It wallowed in pain as its jaw remained wide open, enduring the powerful flames as its body melted from within. Under normal circumstances, it would turn to ash within a few seconds. The story would have been different if I had hit its scales however, it was instinctive ofor me to use the fire within my opponents.
Even with that, I couldn't kill it in a single blow as I had hoped. Its gaping maw melted at the point where it had bit down on my talons, and I was let go. After losing its advantage it tried slithering away through the dense foliage.
However, since it tried to kill me, I couldn't let it live; it was also a good source of XP, whatever that was. Not to mention, by the way it attacked, it was venomous, and venom meant poison.
I hate poison.
With that thought, I didn't hesitate to chase after it, my small feet pattering on the ground. The thing was fast, probably faster than me normally, but it was severely injured.
Taking advantage of its weakened state I leapt onto a tree, using my still reinforced talons to grip onto the trunk. However, they turned off just as I gripped, causing me to fall and lose the momentum.
After quickly cursing under my breath, I picked the pace back up and simply ran toward the snake and waited until I was close to its head. Then I turned the Iron Claws back on and jumped on top of it.
The beast squirmed and wriggled, but it had nothing else it could do to me. The fire covering my feathers cracked with life, and my sharp talons, enhanced by the flames, etched themselves deep into its skin.
It didn't matter how much it howled or screeched though; the only things I saw in front of me were food and XP.
Maybe if I get lucky, it will have a golden or beast core as well!
However, considering how weak it was, the chances of it having a golden core were pretty small. I tried avoiding its main body and grabbing the head. However, getting close to the head of an angry, scared, and most likely panicked Spirit Beast was easier said than done.
I was attached to its midsection, dragged through the grass as it rolled around, and almost lost my footing as it whipped about like a dying snake. I wasn't completely sure that I could kill it, but it began slowing down, exhaustion taking its toll.
Eventually, it stopped completely, whether it was because of the lack of energy or excess loss of blood, I couldn't tell.
Either way I didn't hesitate to jump onto its head and tightly grip it, making sure that my Iron Claws were still active.
The beast wiggled some more; but it was completely under my mercy. I tightened my grip further, and then, after a sudden yet satisfying crunch, it stopped moving completely.
Serves you right, filthy poison user. May your soul never go through Samsara.
My chest heaved heavily; I had done it.
"With the wave of my wing, I, Fa Xiaolan, reduced this poison scum to ashes!"
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Prince] Lvl 3]
[XP Acquired]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 2 has become Phoenix Chick Lvl 3.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
[Skill: Iron Claws has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
Those strange boxes and texts appeared in front of me again, but I instantly dismissed them. Even if the notification about the skill ranking up was interesting.
The prize before me was much more appetising than some random numbers that I didn't know the use of.
Levels made me stronger, but so did eating, and there was a meal right in front of me. Sure, it was raw and disgusting, and probably half scorched, but it was better than nothing.
However, I couldn't eat it right where I killed it, but dragging it to where my mother was would be difficult. I wasn't exactly sure of what I should do, as leaving it right there would be a waste.
Eventually, I decided to hide it. I was in a forest after all, so hiding it would be easy. On the other hand…
I didn't think about it too much. After scouting for a safe spot where I could have my fill before leaving it, I grabbed it with my beak and dragged it. The beast was much heavier than I expected it to be, and it didn't even seem like it wanted to budge. Using Iron Claws didn't do much either, and I could only sigh in defeat.
I guess I'm not strong enough…
However, an idea popped into my head, and I quickly summoned the status box by whispering its name.
Stats
[Strength: 37]
[Dexterity: 21]
[Perception: 29]
[Charisma: 71]
[Intelligence: 31]
[Skill Points: 10]
I see…
It said I had ten Skill Points, and if I recall correctly, I had used five to re-acquire my Nirvanic Flames after they were locked out. Pity that I couldn't remember the rest of whatever skills I had.
"Hey, uh… System?" I chirped out loud, hoping that it would reply to me. Of course, it didn't, not that I expected it to.
Ugh, just… is there something I can use to gain strength?
[Searching Skill Database…]
[Skills found!]
[Qi Bind]
[Wrap yourself with small strands of Qi and operate yourself like a puppet, breaking past the limits of your body, or your bones, whichever comes first.]
[Cost: 5 Skill Points]
[Strengthened Constitution]
[Imbue your entire body with Qi and gain a small strength increase per Qi utilised.]
[Cost: 5 Skill Points]
[Dragonbone Tempering]
[Completely change your body's constitution to be akin to that of a Dragon's. The change is gradual and permanent; however, there will be no visible change, and thus your race and class will remain the same. This skill can evolve.]
[Cost: 10 Skill Points]
Seeing only three options was a little surprising. I wasn't sure if that was good or not. However, from the little information given, the first two skills were good in the short run, while the last one was good in the long run.
"This skill can evolve," Even without that part, it didn't take a smart person to understand just how good permanent strength increases would be.
However, given its steep price and the fact that it was my entire fortune, I hesitated. I wasn't in dire need of it, as the Strengthened Constitution sounded like the most appealing for the situation. As for Qi Bind, I didn't even want to think about it.
I would come back to Dragonbone Temperingwhen I have enough resources, though.
Purchase Strengthened Constitution, I thought, and the strange text confirmed my acquisition.
[Purchase Complete]
[Skill Points Remaining: 5]
[Skill: Strengthened Constitution(Novice) has been acquired]
I didn't even think about how I was supposed to use it. After instantly activating it I felt my body surge with an immense amount of strength, yet I quickly felt that it was limited. My Qi reserves were quickly being drained away, and if I didn't hurry to move the monster and consume it, I would be helpless.
However, the ease with which I carried it afterwards surprised me, as it felt a little like cheating. After all, I would need a lot more control over Qi to be able to do this without training. It did feel like I was wasting a lot of it, and so I guess it's calld 'Novice' for a reason.
Regardless of the terminology System assigned to the skills, there was no doubt in my mind that it was useful. I dragged the corpse to the hiding spot in a matter of seconds, then did my best to unflatten the grass, not wanting to leave any sort of trail. The result wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. Not only because I was starving, but also because I got a message that irked me.
[Warning! Qi Dangerously Low!]
Of course, I knew that. The system was useful, but if I kept relying on it, I could forget what true strength was. I didn't intend to rely on it for everything, and I would rather trust my instincts than it.
No offense, System.
[None taken. Would you like to disable certain functions?]
Uhh… I certainly wasn't expecting that, but the fact that I could do that intrigued me.
Yes. Please disable Qi-related messages.
[Understood. Qi-related messages will no longer show up.]
Thank you.
It didn't reply afterward, but I didn't need it to. The lack of Qi and over-exertion of my strength made it so my belly yelled at me to feed it. I didn't stand on ceremony and began digging in. The spots where my claws cut it apart made good places to start, as the scales were still too hard to break apart with my beak.
That didn't stop me from carefully ripping away the flesh before digging in. The taste was… acidic. Incredibly so. It was more acidic than one would expect from meat. I would go as far as to say that it was…
[WARNING!: Status Effect, Poison[Lesser] has been applied]
Poison… fucking… poison. I should have known.
I quickly spat out the meat and looked around as I felt my health deteriorate.
Details!! Health!! Something!!
[Hit Points: 395]
[Hit Points: 390]
[Hit Points: 385]
[Hit Points: 380]
Does that mean that I'm losing 5 hit points every second? Is that my health? Crap!
Anger coursed through my veins as I turned toward the corpse and spat on it. "You fucking piece of shit god damned green hat wearing snake. I should have known you wouldn't give anything back to the earth even if you died."
After cursing it, I cooled my head. I knew that if I didn't find an antidote quickly, I wouldn't make it long; however, I wasn't sure what sort of plant would be an antidote around here. Much to my dismay, there wasn't anything I could find that would be able to help me get out of this situation.
Mother!
She was the only one I could run to at that moment, as I did not know this world's poisons, nor did I remember anything from my memories.
Luckily, I still remember where Mother had landed, so I sprinted toward her, foregoing any hunger or lack of strength I may have had. However, that didn't seem to sit right with my body, as the hit points tickled down, and along with them went my bodily strength.
[Hit Points: 215]
[Hit Points: 210]
[Hit Points: 205]
Panic rose within me, as I wasn't sure just how long this poison would last. I couldn't halt in order to throw up, as much as I wanted to.
My vision began to fade, and Mother's spot didn't seem to be getting any closer. The entire world began to spin, and I ended up hitting a tree, completely throwing me off balance and making me fall to the ground.
I couldn't get up no matter how hard I tried, and even my thoughts began to deteriorate. As I started falling into unconsciousness, a sudden migraine kept me awake, gritting through the pain.
I fucking hate poison. I… will have my revenge.
Some poison information cluttered my mind, and the image of a woman covering her insides with fire popped into my head.
There's no way…
However, even as crazy an idea as it sounded, I had to try it. I wasn't sure if Mother would help me, and System wouldn't say anything besides showing me the ever-so-dwindling hit points.
Stupid snake… Stupid poison-using pieces of shit…
Chapter 8: Eating and Growing
My cursing wouldn't solve my problems though. The poison flowed through my blood like mercury, and I couldn't even cough. However, I knew what I had to do, as unpleasant as it was.
A technique to disperse poison flooded my mind, and I couldn't help but wince at the idea. However, if that was what it took to survive, then it didn't matter.
I forced my wings to rise, wrangling them around like two stubby pieces of meat in a meager attempt to imitate hand signs.
The pain coursing through them almost made me want to accept the sweet release of death; however, the spite I felt inside me couldn't be sated with just that.
Once I manage to exterminate the poison, I will make sure that that thing's race doesn't get to reproduce again! I'll annihilate them from the face of this earth even if it takes me a thousand years!
With the newfound desire for revenge and the technique finished, I felt a powerful fire rise up within me. It burned horribly, its warmth quickly becoming a hellfire that covered my internal organs.
However, I didn't wince or cry in pain. I didn't want to show such weakness even if I was on the brink of death. Carefully controlling the fire, I directed it toward my rapidly beating heart, as feeble and small as it was.
If the poison wanted to kill me, it would need to pass through the heart several times. That gave me the opportunity to destroy it each time.
There was no physical damage to my body from the fire, of course, and it would only destroy the impurities, but the pain was nevertheless real.
However, my plan worked flawlessly.
As the poison-infused blood passed through my heart, the fire burned it all to a crisp, becoming nothing more than useless dregs that then evaporated to nothingness.
The process was painful, but I could feel energy coming back to me. With each passing second, the harrowing feeling of the poison corroding away at my very essence disappeared.
After what felt like hours, the feeling completely disappeared, but I didn't feel safe turning off the fire, not yet.
Health!
[Hit Points: 130]
[Hit Points: 120]
[Hit Points: 115]
[Hit Points: 110]
[Status Effect: Poison[Lesser] has been dispelled.]
I let out a heavy sigh of relief upon seeing the weird text's message. Not only because my life was saved, but also because I could finally turn off the fire still burning inside me. As I did, the world spun, and I couldn't find the strength to get up.
This is bad. If something catches me, I'm done for!
However, no matter how much I wanted to move, my body refused to let me. I wasn't sure why, but I could only guess that the shock from almost dying made me somewhat weak.
I had a feeling that it was far from the first time I had danced with death, but something told me it's been a while since I've ever gotten so close to stepping over its toes.
At least I'm not in any immediate danger.
I glanced at my hitpoints, curious to know how they worked, but I didn't feel like reading any sort of lengthy text while I was as vulnerable as a sitting duck.
[Hit points are equal to your health. If it goes to 0, you die. If your health is less than 50% of its maximum value, you will feel weakened.]
[If your health is less than 30% of its maximum value, you will become even more weakened, and fatigue will start to seep in.]
[If your health is below 10%, then most of your abilities will be severely limited.]
[Certain factors, such as skills, bloodlines, races, or class, may affect this.]
System didn't seem to care, as it bombarded my vision with a few lines of lengthy text. The information was useful, of course, but if it came at an inopportune time, it would have cost me my life.
Disable thought-reading notifications when I am in danger.
[Understood. I shall only respond to spoken commands when you're in danger.]
Although System was a prick sometimes, at least it listened well. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it was some sort of autonomous Treasure Spirit, but the thought of anyone creating such a powerful treasure filled me with dread. If it was that strong, just how much stronger would its owner be? Needless to say, I didn't want to find out, not yet, at least.
"What's my current health percentage?" I asked, unable to do any sort of math at the moment.
[Your current health percentage is 26.5%]
No wonder I feel so exhausted...
"Does my health regenerate?"
[Your health currently regenerates at a rate of 5 points every 10 seconds while resting and 5 points every 20 seconds while doing any sort of activity.]
"Am I resting right now?" I chirped, wanting to make sure.
[No.]
Well... that sucks. That means I have to wait for at least one minute to regenerate enough to be able to get up.
I was sure that the fact that my Qi was low added to the fact that I couldn't move. Qi exhaustion was no joke, no matter what world I was in. If I ran out of Qi completely, not only would I be powerless, but it would be like losing a limb. Even more than that, it would make my body hunger for more and end up using my physical energy to make up for it.
The fact that I used the Nirvanic Flames to remove the poison added to the exhaustion.
Thankfully, my situation didn't look dire. Besides the snake, no other Spirit Beast approached me, and that gave me time to look around.
The forest didn't change much between the time I almost died and my recovery period, but the sky did. Clouds littered its blue tapestry, and the scattered rays of sunlight kissed my feathers every so often. It felt good, at least in the moment, allowing me to forget the encounter with death I just had and calm my nerves down a little.
I felt my Qi pool gradually fill back up as well, which was a good sign. It meant that I had Qi regeneration even while not actively practicing breathing techniques.
A Phoenix's body is really wonderful... no wonder I felt such bitter jealousy rush through my body when I saw Mother...
***
Eventually, my health and Qi regenerated to the point where I could finally move properly again. The sun had shifted slightly, but not enough to worry me. I needed to get back to Mother so she could check up on me; however, the growling of my stomach had other plans.
I couldn't even eat... I'm so hungry… These damned poison and venom users…
If I came back empty-handed or with an empty stomach, Mother would definitely be disappointed. I wasn't sure if she would be more disappointed at me than I was at myself, though. After winning such a hard battle and gaining one level, one would think that it would be enough to make me happy, but two feelings inside me whispered that it wasn't enough.
Sure, I may have defeated a tricky opponent with even cheaper tricks, but the inability to eat it drove me mad. I wanted to go back and see if it had anything non-poisonous or if it had a core. At least if it did, I could absorb it and hopefully not get poisoned.
Considering its level, it shouldn't have, but I'll look anyway.
Another growl in my stomach woke me up from my thoughts.
Not right now though.
I walked back toward where I had left the corpse with apprehension. I wasn't sure what sort of other predators lurked through the shadows of the trees, but I had to be ready at a moment's notice.
My small body made its way through the thick foliage, with the grass being almost taller than me and the bushes acting as obstacles I would need to maneuver around, but I eventually reached the place where I had fought the snake, with only a few stomach growls to act as a reminder of my hunger.
Just wait until I find something!
Yet, right as that thought crossed my mind, a bush to my right rustled. I immediately jumped to the side, crouching and making myself small as I squinted.
Some creature came to see what the fuss was about?
My curiosity was soon answered by another quick rustle and flurry of feathers, as a large chicken-like Spirit Beast snuck out of the bushes.
It looked... clueless, dumb even. I wasn't sure what sort of animal it was, as its height made it seem less like a chicken and more like a feathered baby tiger. The feathers covering its body were white with dark pigments, and its tail was even fluffier than my mother's, yet not as elegant. It had a short, yet sharp beak, and its eyes, although empty, were those of a predator's.
I can't let my guard down.
With that thought in mind, I held my breath. I wasn't sure if the thing's hearing was as good as a tiger's, but I wasn't willing to find out. It approached my position slowly, each step it took shaking my body like an earthquake. My head was filled with ways I could take it down, but the safest option was burning its head off with a quick, sharp attack.
Of course, cutting off its neck would also be an option, but it was far riskier than I would have liked.
I muttered the chant to cast a basic Nirvanic Flame in my head, and then, just as it was mere meters away from me, my wings spun into motion. As soon as I wiggled them around like some sort of stiff sticks, a weaker version of the spell I envisioned came to life between my feathers.
Without hesitation, I sent it hurling toward the thing's head, hitting it squarely in the face. Its eyes widened in surprise, but before it had any time to react, any semblance of a visage burned away to crisp ashes.
[You have slain [Spirit Tail Chicken] Lvl 2]
[XP Acquired]