1st Pov Xicor Samiel:
1 week later:
Beam of blood struck a tree on the other side of the creak from where I was standing. For a while, this has been my favourite spot to train alone when no one is bothering which has been rare.
Most of the time, it's been either Kyouka or my new brother Kazu pestering me to come play with them and forcibly drag me with them.
But even when I'm not here I still mess around with my blood manipulation, finding different ways to raise the template and I'd say it has risen to an amazing amount.
―――――――――――――――――――――
[Choso Kamo Template: 62% ]
[Cursed Technique: Blood manipulation]
[Speciality: Kyokushin Karate]
―――――――――――――――――――――
I could feel a grin form on my face as my eyes zeroed in on the numbers. Just a little bit more training and I'll be able to get a fresh template and hopefully it will be something useful and a lot easier to use than blood manipulation. While blood manipulation is good, the only downside side is that it uses my own blood as compensation.
"Hey, Xicor!" I could hear Kyouka call out from behind.
Sighing, I turn to her with other kids and Kazu with her, one particular kid was glaring at me like I stole his favourite toy.
Kyouka ran up to me a look at me curiously, "what were you doing?"
I glanced back at the damaged tree, "I was admiring the scenery" I lied.
"Ha admiring the view like some weirdo" the boy who was glaring at sharply remarked.
'I'll admire your mother once I'm in my teens you little shit' I was about say but I forced it down my throat.
It would come out weird and second, it would only fuel his ego that I respond to him so best thing to do is ignore him like he's air.
I inhale and exhale sharply, ignoring the remark as I wait for Kyouka, Kazu or anyone else to speak other than the brat that insulted me.
"Admiring the view is not a weird thing Yami, you would know what it looks like if look at it carefully instead of staring at me the whole time" Kyouka said before glancing back at Yami.
'Mega simp alert, I wouldn't be surprised he'll grow up to be a stalker, hell he might be one right now' I thought as I watch Yami straighten when Kyouka looked at him.
Yami was a boy slightly older than me judging from his height, he has medium length black hair going down to his ears and black eyes with some freckles on his cheeks.
He might become an enemy out of jealousy judging how close Kyouka seems to be and how increasing his glares have become as at this point I felt some killing intent.
I discovered killing intent back when those women wanted to capture me as one of them shot me I felt something I couldn't describe but with Yami giving me a similar feeling, I can deduce that it's killing intent.
"S-Sorry Kyouka" Yami stammered.
"Anyway, come on we're about play at the river and see what kind of animals we can find, wanna come" Kyouka offered but I doubt she'll take no for an answer since every time I refused I would be dragged along and forced to play.
"Fine" I agreed as Kyouka's expression lightened up and Yami's grows more annoyed.
Kyouka grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the creak to the river with the others. While walking there the adults would glance at us before returning to their duties but their glances were mainly on me, some lingering longer than others, like I'm some unknown creature.
That in itself annoys me slightly, I was born human and I'll die human. I'm not some outer god or anything else for these kind of reactions, it's probably due to the tribal tattoos on my body.
If I remember in class, a teacher was explaining Japanese culture and I got curious about it that I looked up things about Japan's old culture and it seems they tattoo their criminals as a punishment or a way to mark them in society.
The more heinous or worst the crime, the more tattoos someone would have. Sukuna was born in the herin era of Japan so this was a thing back then but I doubt someone did that personally to Sukuna so its likely he did it to himself as either a game or something to pass the time.
Sighing I continue to follow them with Kyouka holding onto my wrist in case I try to slip away. Soon we made it to a steady river with the tree tops covering it and casting a shadow over it.
The occasional frogs jumping into the water and swimming away, the fish effortlessly weaving through the water and the bugs flying over the water's surface gives the environment more life to it.
The children run forward and into the water splashing water everywhere, Kyouka and Kazu join them and soon Yami joined them. I sit down at the waters edge, standing their in daze at watch the waters ripple with each movement made by the kids.
Do I just join in?
Mentally, I'm not a kid and it's feels strange.
Physically, I am a child, a more strengthened child with a cursed technique and unknown origin.
As much as I want to try, the thought of reliving my childhood with friends I once had, I would take without a heartbeat but these aren't my childhood friends so it won't be the same.
And I guess I need to relax a bit since I've been on edge for quite a while, worried that those people hunting me while show up but it's been a week and so far no signs of them.
Plus when will it be the next time I experience being a normal kid again. With that in splash water at Kazu as I chuckled a little at his bewildered expression.
We played around all day, checking out the animals by the river, play sword fighting with sticks but Yami would deliberately target me.
I would always counter Yami's hits, much to his annoyance. Other than him, this has been fun but training is important since I'm close to gaining a second template.
Soon everyone started to go home as their families called them back which only left me and Kazu. The very moment we were alone, I immediately attempted to go to my personal training area to increase the template.
With how close I am, my greed for it grows by each second, "Xicor, where are you going?" Kazu asked.
I stop in my tracks, "back to that creek, I just wanna be alone since all this is still a bit new to me" I lied.
Kazu gave me a soft smile, "don't worry big bro, I know you get used it, I mean you were having a lot of fun while playing with us instead of distancing yourself like usual"
I let out a scoff of amusement, "yeah, it might be this place putting a curse in me"
Kazu laughed heartily, "well I'm gonna go home, don't be late for dinner or mom will scold you again"
I rolled my eyes, "yeah, yeah, I get it"
I only step an extra hour training and Renna got mad over it, must be some parental instinct.
Enough about that, now it's time to think of my blood manipulation. It takes time to generate an attack like piercing blood but the more this template goes up the less taxing each use of my technique.
I walk aimlessly to my creak as the people glance at me again as I go by. Soon I made it to my training ground the area is still peaceful with little to no signs of a fight here, there are a few marks on the trees that were hit by my piercing blood.
I was training to control the strength of the attack, my strongest output can shoot through rock and my weakest output can leave a mark in the tree.
I've mainly been using techniques I was give, by memory, from the template but when I was in a desperate situation like when I was shot, I used my imagination to create spikes from the blood pool created by my arms wound.
I need to be more imaginative with my technique if I'm gonna keep using it since this technique is quite good for ranged combat and surprise attacks.
Not to mention, I can create armour out of hardened blood. I sat down in a meditation position as I brought up a small ball of blood, it was about the size of a golfball.
The blood inside flowed around by my will, I manipulated it to coat my index and middle finger, the blood answer its form slithered around the air and onto my fingers.
An idea from the king of curses, I swipe my hand with my blood coated fingers as a horizontal slash made of blood shot out and cut through a rock on the opposite side.
I felt a grin form on my face. The attack was fast, I'd say it's as fast as a bullet but the cost would need to be looked into as even it's just a 2% decrease it's still an improvement as well it's better than nothing.
Not only has my blood manipulation got better but also my physical body, my strength increases with each percentage. My punches can go through wood and damage rock slightly.
Though my main focus is blood manipulation, I can incorporate my hand to hand combat into it.
My mind buzzed with my own ideas and memories of the template of such attacks. I used the blood slash several times, trying to find out its error's and fixing them which earn me a decrease in how much blood is needed for it as well as controlling the size and strength of the attack.
Next was an attack I called scattering spikes where I throw droplets of blood on the ground, overtime they will expand about the size of a puddle and launch spikes out them once something steps on them or, at my command, fire a piercing blood that would track the opponent.
This attack costs a lot so it will be hard to master but once it's done, it will be a very supportive attack and a very useful trap setup.
―――――――――――――――――――――
[Choso Kamo Template: 70% ]
[Cursed Technique: Blood manipulation]
[Speciality: Kyokushin Karate]
―――――――――――――――――――――
I'm so close yet so far. Just need 5% and it's rolling time. Getting off the ground, I stretch my body a little as I need to head back home or else Renna would scold me and possibly ground me, which is something I want to prevent as this spot is ideal for my training but I can use blood manipulation in my system to increase my reaction time, strength my body and other things to increase productivity inside my body.
The walk back was quiet with a few voices coming through the homes walls, faint but hard to make out without placing my ear against the wall.
The occasional chirping of crickets distract me most of the way there as my mind was split between absence and thought.
I wonder what other attacks I could create with blood manipulation?
Blood threads? Maybe but will require and immense amount of control over blood manipulation but I believe the increase in the template would be worth it.
Blood puppets? No, that will mean I will be using most if not all my blood to create a living puppet with a mind of its own.
Blood wings, maybe but like the blood threads theory it will require immense control but will be worth it in the end.
Blood weapons, yes, at the moment I can probably make a dagger or a sword at best.
Soon I could see my new and probably temporary home not too far, my steps went slightly faster at the prospect of the food there, Renna's cooking is amazing that it's something I don't want to miss or be left out of.
Entering inside I food Kazu playing with some wooden figures as Renna was cooking in the kitchen with a blue apron on, I hear a faint hum from her direction.
On the table is a man fiddling around with papers, like a checklist. He has brown hair with a faint beard growing and dark blue eyes.
His name is Kazuma, Renna's husband and Kazu's father. Kazuma is a farmer here at this village and he is currently ticking off his crop list of what he has planted down earlier.
"Ah, Xicor, I see you've come back for dinner" Kazuma greeted me with a smile as he spotted me out of the corner of his eyes.
"Yeah, I was dying for mama Renna's cooking" I said walking over and sitting down at my seat.
It surprised me that Renna was the cook of the family, considering the whole dominate women thing in this world but it would seem that these people at this village are different which is a good thing.
This is probably what I'm gonna get as close to my original world as possible.
Kazu was too engrossed with his toys to notice my presence and Renna was too concentrated on the pot to notice me as well.
Kazuma went back to his list as his thoughts went back to the crops, not that I mind since my own thoughts are filled with options about blood manipulation and also stuff about my cursed energy output.
I have a lot of cursed energy, not an overwhelming amount like Sukuna or Gojo but still a lot and without proper control of the output, I will tire myself out faster than my enemy can tire themselves out.
With enough control I could fight more overwhelming foes as coating my fists in cursed energy for increased damage and coating my whole body in it to minimise the damage constantly drains my reserves.
Sukuna had an amazing efficiency of his control over his cursed energy output that it was almost seemed like he had an infinite amount and Gojo had the six eyes which made his techniques use almost no cursed energy at all.
I need to gain more strength as I'm being hunted but fun is something that won't happen another time so I'll have bits of fun here and there to relax my mind from so many thoughts hitting me all at once.
"Dinners ready" Renna's voice broke me out of my thoughts.
Kazu immediately put down his toys and join us on the table, "Oh Xicor you're here, I thought mama Renna would have to force you here again"
"I'm weak to her cooking" I said honestly as Renna's giggled and stood proudly with a smug smile stretching at her lips.
"Of course, who can not resist my cooking"
The food was passed around on our plates, we chatted about of daily life, we ate the food that brought us relief and laughed at each joke everyone make.
It's perfect.
The perfect family.
The perfect life.
But deep down, it's something that is just an illusion I don't want to break.
I'm being hunted and a peaceful life is something I can't have unless those people are dead, but for now I just wanna enjoy the limited peace I have in front of me before it's gone for good.