Training with (Violent) Sticks

Cao Tai POV

When we arrive in a clearing a decent distance away from the monastery we open the scroll, and as the monk promised, it was pretty easy to get the hang of it, mind you, that doesn't mean that it was easy, those are two very different words.

I could only emit a weak green flicker on my twig, and I guess the dimmer it is the less 'enhanced' it was, considering it bent like a scroll of paper.

Sasha did a little better but she says it broke like a piece of fire wood, while well Violet...

Hers just broke apart, more like it simply exploded, she put way too much power into it, after that she said she will be gone for the rest of the day, I wonder what she's going to do.

While she has become more responsible since my recent statement about her being a wife of mine she has become much more composed but also for lack of a better word... doting? I find this truly concerning since I have a feeling people don't just hand out gifts, they expect something in return.

*

Violet POV

I must be perfect to be Master's wife! There is no way I can look him in the eyes after my violent stick explosion, since it was not perfect! Like a wife should be!

I break off several branches and plant a few trees to please the local Entian in case there is one before sitting down and concentrating, I imitate what the book tells me to do, sit down with a straight back with the stick in front of me, 'When you are ready pick it up and let a small trickle of Magical Essence through, gradually build up to a stream,' that I understand, start slow and build up, but then the tricky part comes in, 'Now build a waterway, so that the excess may break off and return to your body' In words that makes sense and is simple. [If it's cryptic it's meant to be and if it just flat out makes no sense, sorry but I'm too sleepy to edit it]

For more efficiency and also so that way explosions don't happen, and that's what happens to me, and at an alarming rate as well, since Master and Sasha aren't blowing theirs I must be doing it very, very wrong, I can't shame master in front of anyone, even Sasha, so from now on I shall improve in the woods, at least till I can see that master is satisfied with my progress.

<5 Hours Later>

I finally made the waterway, since I didn't really read past that I didn't know if there was an easier way to do it or not, but at least I'll be able to teach Master! Maybe he'll reward me~

As well as finally not making the stick explode, I've managed to shorten the charging time from roughly a minute to a little more than 5 seconds. Maybe I'll try it out, on some deer, for dinner...

I take break off a decently large branch and summon a dagger, and begin to shave off the excess wood, shaping it into a katana roughly 3 feet long, a perfectly straight one, if I'm successful I will offer it to Master. Maybe he'll give me some pats...

I stand up and but both hands on the sword, the instructions says that you must 'Build a Waterway,' that was complete bullshit, the real lesson of this cultivation is to use the right amount of Magical Essence without overloading it. I shut my eyes and inhale before I direct the Magic Essence to my right hand, I open my eyes to see my sword quickly begin to light up, before starting to turn red.

I exhale and begin to tell my Magical Essence to go up my left, I haven't managed to control my Magical Essence to let it go up in just one arm, as the red slowly goes back to a bright green I take a swing at a nearby tree, it didn't fall down or burst into flames, but it left a mark of a sword, and don't forget, this is a stick, not a real sword, or a tree would probably be a stump, or even less.

This stick was nice and all but I think it's too large to be used on a deer, after all, I want to eat it, not pulverize it.

So I break off it into individual quarters, giving me 4 shots to kill a deer. [In case none of you knew what quarters are]

It didn't take too long to find a Maton (Made up Boar-like creature), eating a bunch of what seems to be truffles, but a boar is not worth Masters tongue, but maybe mine, I'm starting to get a little hungry after all. Also I need a test subject.

I toss an enhanced blade and it went clean through the Maton and hit the dirt, dead.

I expand my Barrier to see if there is anyone around, sensing none, I feast on the Maton's corpse, slightly fatty but mostly lean, just the way I like it.

*

When I return to the camp carrying a stag with gigantic antlers Master looks up, sensing the motion, he's getting better at this, I'm so proud! And that slut has it nearly under control, it seems like Master scooted away from her cause she seems to still smashes a stick 1 out of every 3 tries.

Master on the other hand is just laying there, defeated, there were no broken sticks around him, so it was obvious that he didn't have issues with it exploding in your hands, which is good, we don't want Master ruining his beautiful hands!

"Master! I have dinner! I can also help you with the technique if you want!"

*

Cao Tai POV

I'm not really sad about failing, no. I'm sad about how much Magical Essence I lost, 723 units to be precise, and I'm not like Sasha who's getting close, I've barely made any improvement since Violet's left. I got a dim light, maybe a torch bright at best, but Sasha keeps getting a the brightness of a light, and sure sometimes it gets bright red and explodes but at least she finally reached that threshold.

"Master, you seem stuck, do you want me to help you?" Violet interrupts my sulking. "Sure, but why don't we have lunch first?"

Violet nods eagerly and I get up dusting my shorts and search for a large enough rock. Because I was too dumb to actually bring a stove.

After finally finding a monolith large enough with the aid of Violet (Mostly Violet). We set the deer on the slab, opening it up and removing the organs and leaving them aside, before heating the table with fire. Before returning to attempt making my sword work, Violet now patiently explaining how it works, not even getting mad, but she was getting impatient time to time...

Finally I got to red, but for some odd reason as soon as I reached that color she pulled the stick away from me, explaining that red is not a good thing, bright green is the best, and then she shows me.

Her speed was incredible! I wasn't counting but it sure was fast. On top of that she reached the color of bright green, "Hey Violet, aren't you just jealous that you can't reach red like I can? (Forgets that Sasha did several times)

Violet snorts but quickly fixes herself before asking, "Take a few steps back, Master"

I scooch back maybe 10 feet and watch as it turns to bright red before exploding, so I guess she was correct, also that reminds me that I can do this in my training space, hopefully I won't be spending more Essence cause I really need to move up, or Sasha and Violet will leave me in the dust.

Well, before that I guess I need to kill a Manticore, I wonder where I can find that... Drowned will be easy though, considering they are near any decently-sized body of water.