Chapter 3: Concentration
My lungs burned as I took deep breaths of the ice cold air. My muscles were beginning to lock up due to over exertion and my I had pretty much lost all grip in my hands as I continued to drag the tree that I'd cut down back to Maria's cabin.
I'd initially assumed that I was going to spend the next month activating my Aura while Maria walked me through tips on how to better control it… I'd been wrong. Maria's instructions had been to exhaust myself doing physical things while using my Aura.
For the past week, I'd been cutting down trees, dragging them back to Maria's cabin and the chopping them into firewood. It was tiring, but the worst part by far was bringing them back. Maria showed me the spot in the forest where she collected all her firewood from. It was a mile hike downhill which wasn't so bad until I had to drag the trees uphill.
It was extremely demanding work, but as the days ticked by, I was beginning to notice that it was having an effect on my body. My stats had improved and my skill with using Aura had gone up two levels… There was, however a small problem with my Aura skill.
…
Aura (Active) Lvl 3
The power of the soul. Using this creates a field around your body, protecting you from all harm. STR DEX and CON are increased by 15%. Consumes 31 AP per minute and additional AP depending on exertion and injury.
…
As my ability to use it increased, so too did the cost. There would likely come a time when its progression would probably slowed down, but I don't think that will be soon. At the rate I was improving, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my end of the deal. I'd only been able to increase my AUR stat by 2 extra points after all.
…Breathe…
"Back already," Maria noted my arrival.
"Yeah," I replied weakly, just barely being able to drag the log forward.
"What's your Aura looking like?"
"Empty," I said as I continued to pull the log. "It ran out halfway up the hill."
The look Maria gave me was halfway between bemused and annoyed. "Alright. You're taking a break now. You can start chopping the wood in a few hours, once your Aura's had time to regenerate."
Dropping the log, I was too tired to argue with her. Instead, I took several steps towards Maria's cabin before sitting at the base of the stairs. Almost completely exhausted.
"You're not coming in?"
"It's too hot in there right now," I replied, wiping the cold sweat from my face. "I just want to cool off for a second."
"Well don't take too long," Maria said. "Without Aura, you've nothing but the clothes you're wearing to protect yourself and I doubt you'll be happy getting sick because of the cold."
"I'll go inside in a minute."
Maria gave me one final nod, before entering her cabin.
I wasn't improving fast enough. It was a simple matter of fact. I needed to be able to push myself harder, but I was limited by the size of my Aura and the rate of its recovery. There was, however a potential solution to all of this. I just wasn't sure if it would work.
Shifting myself so I sat in a crossed legs position, I placed my hands on my knees and took a slow deep breath while clearing my mind. I sat meditating for nearly ten minutes, only stopping when a cold breeze hit me, forcing me to stop. I would need to go inside soon if I didn't want to freeze out here.
Looking at my Aura level, I was disappointed to see that it hadn't refilled any more than normal.
AP: 60/600
I guess meditation was a bust then.
I shivered as a second cold breeze hit me. My Aura, when active, protected me from the elements, but it ended up depleting itself faster. If only there was a way that I could make my body more resistant to the cold weather.
… Wait a minute, there was a way. There were breathing exercises for this. I remember watching a few videos of some guy that was able to hike up Mount Everest in a pair of shorts and shoes without being affected by the temperature.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in through my mouth and nose, filling my stomach first and then my lungs before breathing out. I repeated this process several more times and soon began to hear a zinging sound in my ears as a tingling sensation began to climb from my fingers to my forearms.
The cold temperature suddenly didn't feel as bad. Don't get me wrong, it was still cold, but the edge had been taken off.
Ping!
Ah, so I was right. I was able to develop a skill that would help me resist the cold. Taking several more breaths, I opened my eyes and promptly choked on my spit.
…
Total Concentration Breathing (Active) Lvl 1
The power of the breath. By breathing in this pattern, your body absorbs more oxygen, making it more resistant to harsh climates and increasing the rate at which your body recovers. All stats are increased by 1% and every 10 levels Aura regeneration increases by 1%.
…
I recognized this skill. It was an ability that allowed regular humans to push themselves far beyond their limits… and it was from an anime. Gaining this ability should be impossible… but then again, so should waking up in Remnant.
This was the answer to my Aura problem. There was no inherent cost in using it and once I got it to level 10 it would allow me to use my Aura for twice as long.
A giddy feeling soon overtook me and I settled back into my breathing exercises. If I mastered this technique, then, instead of having to wait for nearly two hours to refill my Aura, I would be able to completely refill it in less than 10 minutes. This was a stat to grind if ever there was one.
I let the world around me fade and focused only on my breath. Feeling someone shake me, I opened my eyes to find a concerned Maria standing over me.
"You're awake?!" Maria said, relieved.
"Um… yeah," I replied, tilting my head. "I… just decided to meditate for a few minutes."
"A few minutes," Maria began. "It's been over an hour since I went in. I came to fetch you and you were unresponsive. I thought you'd passed out and were freezing to death!"
"Sorry," I winced. "I didn't mean to be out here that long. I just lost track of time."
Maria gave me a hard look before sighing. "Just come inside and warm up. I've cooked some food on the fire."
Nodding, I ignored the stiffness of my muscles and pushed myself up. I'd been out in the cold for over an hour and I barely even felt it. It made me wonder what it would feel like when I fully maxed out total concentration breathing.
Speaking of, I took a quick peek at the skill. It now sat at level 2 which gave a 2% increase to all stats. The increase wasn't that impressive, especially when compared to what Aura gave me, but there was one important thing to remember. I could only use Aura for a limited amount of time, while, with this, I would eventually be able to use it indefinitely.
Assuming that each level increased the percentage my stats went up, once I hit level 100, my stats would be permanently doubled.
…Breathe…
The next week passed in a blur of physical activity. With total concentration breathing, I was able to push myself much harder than before. I kept it active at every moment that I could and while it was difficult learning how to breathe in a different pattern while I exerted myself, I was able to adapt.
…
Ping!
Total Concentration breathing has leveled up.
Ping!
Aura has leveled up.
…
Coal
Semblance: Gamer Lite
AP: 840/1035
STR: 15 = (23.7)
DEX: 11 = (17.4)
CON: 18 = (28.5)
AUR: 17 = (20.7)
Status effects:
Fragmentation (Passive)
Due to a sudden case of transmigration, the Gamers mind is 45% fragmented.
Aura regeneration (Passive)
Aura regenerates 3% per minute.
Total Concentration Breathing (Active) Lvl 22
The power of the breath. By breathing in this pattern, your body absorbs more oxygen, making it more resistant to harsh climates and increasing the rate at which your body recovers. All stats are increased by 22% and every 10 levels Aura regeneration increases by 1%.
Aura (Active) Lvl 6
The power of the soul. Using this creates a field around your body, protecting you from all harm. STR DEX and CON are increased by 30%. Consumes 40 AP per minute and additional AP depending on exertion and injury.
…
With only two weeks worth of training and a single week of total concentration breathing, I'd managed to improve by such a degree that I'd almost completed my deal with Maria. I nearly able to keep my Aura active for a full 2 hours, being less than 5 minutes short.
I was nearly a month and a half ahead of schedule.
Bringing my axe down, I easily cut the last bit of the log in two.
"I'm going to fetch some more wood," I announced.
"Yeah, yeah," Maria waved me off.
I left for the area that I'd been chopping down trees in a fast paced jog. The woods blurred around me and Soon I found myself back in the clearing I'd become extremely familiar with. There were several dozen new tree stumps here now due to my handiwork. Before, I'd only been able to handle about one to two trees a day, but that had increased dramatically when I learned total concentration breathing.
Stopping in front of a medium sized tree, I brought my axe up and swung down rapidly, cutting through almost half of the trunk. Pulling my axe out, I swung it down again, cutting through the rest of it. There was a snapping sound as the rest of the trees wood broke and it fell to the forest floor.
Hoisting it under my arm, I was ready to drag it back to Maria's cabin when I heard a deep growling sound coming from behind me and froze.
Turning around, I found myself staring at a single Beowolf standing on the other end of the deforested clearing. Before, when I went with Maria to Black Rock, I hadn't gotten a good look at a Grimm because they were covered in snow and Maria took care of them pretty fast.
Now, however, I got to see what one really looked like. The Grimm was large. Even while it was hunched over and on all fours, it was still bigger than me. If it were to stand up, it would likely be over twice my height. It had inky black skin, bone armor that grew out of it and glowing red eyes.
I felt a brief moment of panic before I calmed myself down. This was only a single Grimm that was separated from its pack. While it was true that I didn't have any experience fighting Grimm, I believed that I could handle this one… and baring that, I would likely be able to make my way back to Maria's cabin.
Sliding the axe into my hand, I readied myself.
The Grimm charged forward and jumped towards me, slashing at me with its large claws, but I ducked and rolled forward.
My heart thundered in my chest as I watched it carefully. This was still a very dangerous situation, but it was also somewhat manageable.
The Grimm charged again, following the same attack pattern and I ducked again, only this time, I slashed at it with my axe, just barely cutting through its skin.
Turning around, I was immediately met with the Grimms claw, smashing into me and sending me flying into a tree stump.
-50 AP
Scrambling to my feet, I raised my axe as I prepared for it to attack again. Being hit by the Grimm hadn't felt that bad, it was mostly disorientating with a brief hint of pain.
Focusing my breathing, I summoned every bit of strength I could from my body, pushing my body to its limit. As the Grimm charged at me again, I readied myself.
Ping!
Ping!
Ping!
I ignored the message and instead focused on the Grimm. It grew nearer, its body dwarfing mine as it lashed out with a clawed strike.
I moved forward instantly. My axe let off a whistling sound as it rapidly cut through the air racing towards the Grimms neck. Instead of the Grimms body resisting my axe like it had when I attempted to cut it earlier, it passed straight through as if it was simply striking air, killing the Grimm instantly.
Unable to move out of the way, the Grimms body collided with me, sending me tumbling to the floor while its body hit the ground and came to a rolling stop.
Pushing myself up, I walked over to the Grimms body, my hands shaking lightly from either the adrenaline flowing through my veins or from the exertion.
The Grimms head was partially connected to its body by a small bit of skin and muscle that my Axe hadn't been able to reach. Its body quickly broke down as black smoke erupted from its neck wound and before ten seconds had even passed, the Grimm had vanished, almost as if it had never been here to begin with.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and was just about to see why my Gamer Semblance was pinging me, before stopping as a new sound entered the clearing… except this time it wasn't a Grimm. No, it was clapping.
Looking for its source, I found myself staring up at Maria who was high up in a tree that overlooked the clearing, sitting on a branch. "Good work there," She called out before effortlessly dropping to the floor.
"You were hear all this time?" I asked incredulously.
"Of course," Maria grinned. "Even though it's pretty close to my home, the woods can still be dangerous and there's always a chance that a strong Grimm could have come across you. I put a lot of effort into ensuring that you stayed alive and I'm not going to let some random Grimm ruin that!"
"But there was a Grimm here!"
"Yes, an Alpha Beowolf and you handled it all by yourself," Maria nodded. "They normally hunt in packs of ten, it's pretty lucky that there was only a single one here… That's what you'll regularly be facing if you become a Huntsman!"
I see, so this was some kind of test of will then.
"So should we go hunting for the rest of them?" I asked with a smirk on my face as I readied my axe.
A surprised look crossed Maria's face, before she laughed it off. "You're one stubborn brat, you know that?! You've taken every challenge that's been thrown your way and ask for more." She shook her head. "No, there are no more Alpha Beowolves here. I've already made sure of that."
"Oh, good," I muttered. I didn't really have it in me to go searching for Grimm right now. I think I'd rather have some actual fighting experience under me before I actively go hunting for Grimm.
"Come, let's go back to the cabin."
Nodding, I slipped the axe into my belt, grabbed onto the tree that I'd cut down before the Grimm attacked and began dragging it with me.
Maria eyed the tree before sighing. "You're really putting me in a tough position, you know," She muttered. "The life of a Huntsman isn't a glamorous one. You're often out on dangerous missions, clearing out Grimm infestation and occasionally bandits. The end of a Huntsman isn't pretty either. Very few make it to retirement, most end up dead in a ditch or so wounded that they can no longer continue to be a Huntsman."
"Well not being a Huntsman hasn't exactly worked out for me either," I shot back.
"Touché," Maria smirked, before turning serious. "I just want you to know all the facts before you devote you life to becoming a Huntsman. It's not great and it's more than likely that you're not going to make much of a difference. Trust me on that one. It's still not too late to stop. You can move somewhere safe, like Atlas or Vale and do something else with your life… something more worthwhile."
Even if I wanted to do that, there isn't really a safe place to live on Remnant, especially with what's coming. Vale is going to be attacked, Mistral is currently being sabotaged by the headmaster of their Huntsman academy and Atlas is going to fall… There was always Vacuo, but that place honestly sounded like a hellscape and that was without Salem's involvement.
"I still want to be a Huntsman," I replied evenly. "Regardless of if I succeed or fail, I'm still going to try and make things better."
"I felt like that once," Maria chuckled humorlessly. "I trained hard and became strong. There were very few Grimm out there that could actually challenge me, but then I got hurt and had to stop being a Huntress." She touched her glowing blue goggles. "I used to kill a ton of Grimm back in my day and when I quit, there was no noticeable change to the number of Grimm that attacked settlements. I don't want you to repeat the same mistakes I did and end up wasting your life on some pointless task."
"With your help, I won't," I replied. "I'll probably still make mistakes though, but they'll be entirely my own."
Maria sighed heavily. "Fine, you win. I can see that you're not going to give this up, so I might as well make sure that you don't learn any stupid habits that'll end up getting you killed."
I grinned happily. I'd finally convinced her to train me properly. "If you're sure."
"Me being sure has nothing to do with it," Maria shot back. "You're entirely too stubborn to quit… and more than that, you've got a ton of potential. We're barely halfway through the month and you're already able to keep your Aura active for a full two hours."
"Actually, I'm 5 minutes short."
"First lesson of the day, Coal, don't argue with someone when they're complimenting you," Maria said. "When we get back, you can take a break and then we'll start you off on some basic training."
I nodded. I had been running out of space to stack the logs from all the trees I'd cut down. I'd been single-mindedly cutting down trees and stacking firewood in my pursuit become stronger that I ended up with enough wood to build an entirely new cabin… that is if I hadn't chopped it into easy to use logs.
Let's just say that it would be quite a few years before Maria ran out of firewood.
Arriving at Maria's cabin, I dropped the tree and went to sit on the stairs while she went inside. It'd been our routine ever since I learned how to use total concentration breathing. Maria would normally go inside to either cook something or keep warm by the fire while I sat outside and continued to practice my breathing.
This time, however was a little different. I was resting so I would be ready for when Maria returned to start my training.
Remembering that I'd gotten several alerts while I was fighting the Grimm, I pulled up my menu.
…
Total Concentration breathing has leveled up: Lvl 22 - 23
…
A new skill has been created:
Sun Breathing (Active) Lvl 1
Using this breathing pattern on top of total concentration breathing increases the effectiveness of sun breathing techniques by 5%, increases the cutting potential of your weapon and burns all things made of darkness.
…
A new technique has been created:
Sun Breathing: Dance(Active) Lvl 1/10
A single downward slash empowered by sun breathing. Consumes 100 AP per strike.
…
An esoteric art has been created:
Fusion (Active) Lvl Max
One time use. By forcing physical energy from the body and spiritual energy from Aura to merge, all stats are forcefully increased, resulting in temporary exponential growth. Warning, using this technique will disable Aura and lock it for a cool down period of 1 week. Warning, using this technique without a constitution level of 100 and complete mastery of Total Concentration Breathing will result in your death.
…
"Holy shit!" I cursed aloud.
That was insane. First off, addressing the elephant in the room. Fusion… There's no way that I'm going to be touching that any time soon. Using it right now would kill me straight up. No, if I ever used it, it would be as a last resort when things are looking grim.
And sun breathing! That was just crazy. I don't even know where to begin with it. The cost was kind of extreme, I'd only be able to use it ten times in a row before I had to stop and seeing as Grimm attack in groups… I would have to pick and choose which Grimm I used it on.
I first needed to massively increase my stats and maybe even max out total concentration breathing before I could even think about using sun breathing to fight Grimm. Then again, maybe if I train the skill some more, it'll decrease the cost. I was going to have to level it up to see which way it would go.
"Alright, breaks over," Maria announced as she walked out of her cabin. "How's your Aura looking?"
"Completely recovered," I replied after quickly pulling up my status window.
"Good." Maria grinned as she handed me an old battered wooden sword. "Here, this is going to be your weapon for the foreseeable future."
"It's a stick."
"That it is," Maria said cheerfully. "But it's not just any stick… no, that wooden sword is the first thing I ever trained with… well… technically it was the last wooden sword I trained with. All the other ones broke during my training."
Standing up, I took a test swing with the wooden sword.
"So how are we going to do this? Are you going to show me how to swing the sword and then you'll watch me practice it?"
"Hah," Maria let out a short laugh before shaking her head. "No. I'm going to teach you the same way that my father taught me," She said. The scythe blade sprung out of her walking stick and a nostalgic smile crossed her face. "I'm going to attack you and you're going to try and not die."
"Are you sure that you don't want me to practice swinging this thing?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Logic wise, I knew Maria wasn't really going to hurt me, but the fact that she was going to be hitting me with a real scythe didn't exactly fill me with joy.
"Nope," Maria said cheerfully. "You can do that on your own time. Now stop stalling and come down and face me. You faced down an Alpha Beowolf just fine, you shouldn't have any problem with little old me."
"Yeah, I struggled to kill that Grimm while I've seen you behead dozens of them within a few seconds. I think I'm right to be a little cautious," I replied.
Walking down to the small clearing in front of Maria's cabin, I grasped my wooden sword with both hands and readied myself. I was going to lose, that much was already clear. It didn't matter though. I was still going to give this fight my all.
"And… begin," Maria said before rushing towards me with her scythe at the ready.
So, yeah. This fic uses some elements from Demon Slayer, mainly the power system. It might seem fairly weak, but given time to grow, it'll increase Coals power.
Anyways, I'm up to chapter 8 on the P word website. I'm 5 chapters ahead on there.
P
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I go by the name of ThatKircguy. Just copy the name and paste it in the Patty Rio On search bar. It'd help me out immensely, but don't worry if that's not your style. I will be uploading weekly, so it's not going to be stuck there permanently.
Also, I post my original stuff there as well. It's nothing much, just two short stories for now, but I'll post more as I write them.
The next chapter will be posted on the 20th of May.
See you all then my dudes and dudettes. Have a good day.