Chapter 44. Qi Breath

'This technique isn't bad, not the best I can get out there but something that will give me a good foundation. Hopefully I can reach level ten before I'm out of this place.'

Taking stock of his items, techniques, and the map; Ash then went to sleep.

Waking up Ash looked at the map as today was the eighteenth day, twelve more remained. Grim was still asleep but Ash popped a healing pill in his partner's mouth and proceeded to read the cultivation technique.

Levels were increased depending on the amount of qi you accumulated, as well as experience, and knowledge. Every ten levels were a threshold: (1-10, Beginner) (20-30, Experienced) (40-50, Veteran) (60-70, King) (80-90, Emperor) 100 Overlord.

Ash would be able to use this manual until he hit level 11. The qi breath technique focuses on strong breathing, circulation through the body, and building dense qi.

He started to use the manual while breathing in accordance with it. The description said that the stat increase were well rounded, so he would have a pretty even gain over time. He started the technique kind of late, but nothing some extra time spent practicing the technique wouldn't fix.

As qi drew from the area, his dantian region began to expand the area. Ash followed the process until it was nighttime. Once it reached night, he switched to increasing his skill proficiency. He worked on using qi radar and bone shell the most.

As morning set in he slept. Some time around midday, he got up to see his partner pecking some insects out of the ground. Little worm like creatures that were otherwise harmless.

'Taste good bud?'

Grim responded with a jovial caw as he seemed to slurp up the fat but nutritious insects. Sighing, Ash couldn't help but remember laughing with his father when he tried eating insects for the first time.

They made him barf, but his pops comforted him, and they laughed about it. Shaking his head Ash laughed a little before he saw something of concern. A firework shot high in the sky as purple and black colors flared.

That wasn't too far from where he had seen the dagger blessed zombie. Deciding to move further he packed up camp and left to enter the jungle area once more.

Grim flew close to his partner as they took a path up the valley area, into the jungle. Having made it to the jungle area, he heard a roar that seemed to embody the sound of violence.

Looking back at the valley area where the zombies were located, he thanked God that he left. Something that powerful would kill him easy.

Looking at the map, Ash found the area he started at and also saw that he was half way between there and the middle of the realm. The middle of the realm was marked with dilapidated buildings and the strange looking statue.

Deciding to look for a good area to train, Ash picked the swamp region. There were a couple of spots that seemed ideal to fight. Getting some experience for Grim with flying and aquatic creatures was on the list of things to do.

Ash and Grim ran through the jungle. Cutting through foliage, jumping from tree to tree and sliding on the dirt was all good fun to Ash.

"Been a pretty chill day, huh buddy." Grim was about to respond until Ash stumbled upon a corpse.

It looked fresh, the neck snapped as the boy's mouth was open with horror. The duo were on alert immediately.

Ash drew his saber and approached the corpse. Looking at the eyes he saw the fear still held within.

"Damn, that's some nasty-----

As he spoke a flash erupted from the mouth of the dead boy. A needle like projection cut his cheek, turning it green.

"Shit, Grim cover me!!"

Ash's motor skills immediately dropped as he felt his body locking up.

The assailant was a mosquito the size of a cat. It crawled out of the boy's mouth with bloody squishes and sloshes. It's sharp glass like wings fluttered intensely as it reared up about to attack. It's body was slender and sleek with saliva and bile from the corpse still on it.

Grim used necrotic shard in order to get the thing to retreat. The opponent dodged easily as it's wings continued to make a fluttering noise.

Ash struggled to take out an anti-toxin pill. By the time he had the bottle out he could no longer move. Using his link Ash talked to Grim.

'I can't move buddy. Your going to have to finish this and fast. The poison is attacking my nerves slowly but surely.'

Grim gave his affirmation as white light radiated in his eyes. The mosquito had sharp legs and a spear like proboscis.

The compound eyes staring steadily at it's prey. Grim flew at the mosquito to miss horribly. A blood light erupted from the proboscis as a ray hit Grim directly on it's back. Blood flowing out as the bug brought all four tips of it's legs together and dropped with incredible speed.

Grim was slammed to the ground by the initial attack. Sensing the danger, he used his claws to push away from the ground.

The attack of the mosquito penetrating the ground as a yellowish green erupted form the ground.

By this time Ash was seeing things slower and thinking slower. The numbness felt repulsive.

Grim took flight again with anger and wariness. His opponent didn't let him breath however, holes opened on the proboscis and yellowish green fluid shot out like focused projectiles. Grim flew up and down, zipping past trees as his opponent stuck to him like glue. Blood rays and poisonous shots constantly targeting him.

The white in his eye glowed more as the fight continued. Grim used necrotic shard as defense and resistance to keep his opponent from completly locking him down. Coming to a tree, Grim flew directly at it before flying straight up it, keeping parallel with it. The mosquito continued it's assault but the little bird noticed certain movements associated with his opponent.

The mosquito was only able to move fast in one direction and could not realign so quickly if he used sharp maneuvers. It's attacks were focused on locking his movements down.

Ash kept count as, it had been 1min and 20seconds since the two started their battle.

Grim was already starting to improve enough to fire more attacks at his opponent creating even more space between the two.

Spinning around a tree like a spiral, Grim charged piercing ray while channeling his blood affinity to gain more speed. Flying fast enough for a whoosh sound to be heard, Grim fired at the insect as it used a now different move, recognizing that it was no longer able to dodge the attack. A bloody shield blocking most of the attack as the rest pierced through one of it's antennas.

A short zzzzzzz noise was made as hook like projections lined the previously sleek legs. The thorax produced similar sharp projections as the bug's wings became encased with blood. Patterns on the glass like wings shining as it moved so fast Grim could hardly defend.

A sharp leg stabbed through Grim's wing from behind, the bug had gained an advantageous position. With one of it's legs attached to the opponent's wing, it tried to fire a close range [blood shot]. Grim quickly spun at the expense of a now shredded wing. He was previously defenseless with his opponent having stabbed him from the back.

Now face to face Grim used a claw swipe and blood let combination that pushed the mosquito off enough to miss the shot as well as tear it's wing out from the leg. Grim and his opponent were both on the ground, trying to capitalize on this. Grim used claw swipe repeatedly.

The mosquito was staggered as Grim did his best to leap off one leg while attacking with the other one. A flurry of claw swipes came at the mosquito who was left reorienting as the claw attacks chained. After a couple of momments the mosquito reoriented enough to fire off a blood shot. Grim immediately met it with a piercing ray head on. The two attacks clashed with an explosion as Grim flew forth firing another piercing ray.

The insect had hardly retreated far when it had to dodge close to the floor again. The hope of entering the air was shelved.

Grim kept using claw swipe as he started to enter a fury. His opponent could no longer dodge at the speed of the attacks as it used it's proboscis to try and parry the attacks.

The white light in Grim's eyes seemed to focus, finding a point on the mosquito's body and what followed was the end.

Grim's eyes stopped glowing as it found it's claws through the back of his opponent's head. A bit confused, Grim went back to his partner. Awkwardly using it's claw, grim uncorked the bottle in Ash's hands and fed him a pill.