Body Cutlivation Hurts - Chapter 14

The party of four decided to make the hot springs their staging area, lumbering into the woods to hunt a few zombie-demons, then returning to rest. After returning the seconds time, the women had warmed enough to him to approach and offer to heal him. Kenya was the elf lady’s name, and she was a holy mage that specialized in healing.

“Thank you, but no. If I overdo it, though, I’ll come running.”

With a wave, she returned to her orc, but Shandra lingered behind.

“I was wondering, do you have anything a little stronger to smoke?”

Nathan shook his head. “I’m not a good one to ask. I’ve only researched the herbs used for tempering. There are more traditional recreational drugs to purchase in the system, but…”

She shifted to one hip, crossing her arms over her chest. “But?”

He wanted to laugh at the attitude, only to shake his head. “You’re an elementalist, right?”

After a moment of glaring at him, she nodded.

“Then if it’s a high you’re looking for, just wait a few ranks. Once you’re nearing the peak of your realm, your body will contain much more mana. From what I’ve heard, the more you can manipulate the better the rush.” If she had addictive tendencies, he might as well push her toward an addiction that could benefit her.

She pursed her lips. “How good are we talking?”

“It’s like an energized sensation all over the body. One you can direct however you like. And the more you master your control, the stronger you can make it.”

“It is rather tingly,” the woman said, holding up her hand and gathering mana in her fingertips. With a shrug, she took a step forward and grinned up at him. “Thanks, sweaty-man.” She then proceeded to look him up and down while licking her lips. With a spin, she walked away giving each step extra emphasis.

Nathan looked past her to the dwarf and orc who were watching the show. Putting his hands up in surrender, Keyshawn doubled over in laughter as Terrel snorted.

It could be worse. They could be trying to kill him.

When noon came, and the heat was reaching its hottest, Nathan felt his first bout of dizziness. Heatstroke was a very real danger and could even kill him if he wasn’t careful.

He pushed off the wall to use his balance as a gauge and heaved in a massive breath through his nose and mouth. He held it for a second before forcing it out and doing it again. It was no time to drink water or retreat from the heat. This is why he was here. This was the danger that would break down his body, inside and out. Losing control of his mind and making foolish mistakes was just a breath away. Nerve, brain, and organ failure could come soon after.

Holding his shoulders back with his arms out to the sides, he gave his chest all the room it needed to expand. Either his body would break, or his cultivation would soar.

How many long minutes he stood in that state where his mind was juggling back and forth between consciousness and madness, he couldn’t tell. As his consciousness faded, visions appeared. They were as lucid as if he were standing there.

Divine Realm demons took on a variety of shapes and sizes. Some were monstrous spike-covered reptiles or large cats. The most dragon-like of the bestial demons were the fiercest, but it was those that looked most human that were power incarnate.

Images came and went, but they all shared one thing. He had been there before. The final battle before his death where he’d seen humanity ripped apart rattled his mind. Like the hammer to a glowing blade, he didn’t fracture. The relief he felt after waking ten years in his past melted away, giving way to the fear and agony that took its rightful place.

He hadn’t mourned, but why should he? The pillar of fire that turned his father to ash was future, not in the past. Seeing Yuma Takao torn limb from limb before being devoured by a horde of bestial demons had no bearing on the current Yuma. As for her grandfather, Jun Takao, Nathan watched as the man once again traded his own arm for a chance to attack. He removed the head of the monster before an ethereal serpent shot through his chest from behind.

Fear is debilitating. Mourning lacks hope. But with each breath Nathan took, shafts of light shone through his dreamscape. He had a second chance and was armed with the knowledge of his first life. While the qi kept him alive, an angry unwillingness started to escape from his chest as a low growl.

Becoming a ranker took more than talent—something he had little of in his first life. It was his dogged tenacity that allowed him to push into their ranks. If he’d had the talent, or found a few more natural treasures, becoming a high ranker wouldn’t have been out of the question. But that wasn’t enough. In a matter of ten years, a forsaken demonic horde would descend upon his world. Reaching the top spot on the combat list wasn’t even enough.

Unbeknownst to Nathan, the change was already happening. The steam of the hot springs swept toward him. The rays of sun on his body seemed to grow brighter as if being focused on a single point. As the stubbornness he cultivated during his last life resurfaced, the muscles of his body grew taut. The qi flowed to where it was needed.

As his body began making better use of his qi, his visions dissolved. The moment he realized he had broken through to the third small realm, he quickly examined his state and knew what he had to do next. As a forged blade needs quenching, he needed the cold—and he needed it now. There was an opportunity here, but the icy pool was at least a mile away. How could he make it there and keep his temperature up?

Looking down at his pipe, a grin spread across his face. He packed it with more herbs and took a deep pull, holding his breath even longer this time.

Grabbing his stuff, he took off at a run, only sparing the odd group that had been watching him a wave as he rushed off at full speed.

***

“You got to be kidding me,” Terrel said, raking his thick fingers through his beard. They had seen the change in the environment as well as felt the absence of energy in the air. The tension in the man’s body had pulled their attention even before that, especially the girl’s, but he was sure there was more to it than just physical strength. It was like power was hiding beneath the surface of the guy’s skin. They’d all leveled up once, but this?

“Did we mess up by not picking a cultivator path?” Keyshawn said, mostly to himself.

Glancing at the giant lizard the guy had killed, he wondered. Then to see him run off like that. Not even Kenya who was built for speed could even get close to that guy’s top end.

“He said that all of our paths could become top tier as long as we put in the work,” Shandra replied with a shrug. “Let’s go.”

Terrel looked at Keyshawn who met his eye. They’d played football in college together, but never been good enough to start at the division one level. They instead chose a division two college and spent their glory days near the top of the league. In many ways, this was a second chance for them, and they’d already discussed it. It was better to struggle against the best than resign themselves to an easier path.

Shandra might have said it, but the two of them marched off as if it had been their idea and the girls hurried to catch up.