Crawling out of the pond with the bamboo stick and two large bass stuck on it, I smiled cockily at my master and showed off my achievement to him by waving it. I looked like a kid waiting to be praised.
But I did not want that, I just wanted to show off how much of a genius I am.
'How's that, you shitty master? I learned without much of your guidance didn't I? Hah!'
But my master just stared at me with a bored gaze before scoffing.
"Idiot."
He said, and the moment those words left his mouth, I suddenly felt the energy of nature wrapping around me slowly disappear and suddenly, pain ate my whole body as it collapsed to the ground, I was paralyzed.
What is happening?
"Dumbfuck. You overexerted your body"
My master approached me with a sneer and then grabbed the fishes that I caught and headed back inside the Cabin.
"Thank you for this, I will be eating all of this alone~ kekekeke"
I saw my master cackle as he was heading back inside the cabin, I stared at the fishes that I just caught and....what the fuck? He will eat all of those by himself?
Thinking about that, I felt hunger coming onto me. I struggled to move, but my body was paralyzed...I was left there on the ground, watching my master step out of the cabin and then take out a grill infront of me.
"Now now, enjoy the mukbang that I will be doing infront of you~"
Master sneered at me as he started grilling the bass. This shitty master, I caught those fishes and he will eat all of those alone?
"WHAT THE FUCK, I CAUGHT ALL OF THOSE ALONE. YOU SHITTY MASTER!"
I snarled at him with embers growing in my eyes, but my hateful words were just met with a cackle by that shitty master of mine.
The aroma of the grilled bass has spread through the air as I start to starve further and salivate. Shit, why can't I move now? Move! Fuck!
"You cannot move for at least a few hours....you must rest for now, What you are experiencing is the backlash of using [ Overdrive ] or is what I call your stupid way of using the energy of the world"
My master who had finally started feasting on the bass that was cooked under a minute—how the fuck did that even happen— stated with his mouth full, whereas for me, I just glared at him.
"Energy of the world? Nature?"
Throwing my master a glare and also a longing look of the bass that he was eating, I asked that question, in which he just smiled.
"Ah? Is that how it is to you? Nature? How strange, only elves call it that Haha. Regardless, what you just used was the Energy surrounding you called 'World Energy'....it shouldn't have been used like that, it is toxic for your mortal body."
My master spoke in a tone that is finally befitting of him being called a master. If only not for that damn bass that he was eating.
Glancing at me and seeing my attentive expression, he ate another piece of that fucking bass that I caught by the way....and then continued.
"You must have been taught about Science right? I mean it is in that Academy of yours. Just like how a 100% pure oxygen is toxic to a human, 100% pure world energy is also toxic to you. Since you have no filteration from Gods like those blesseds and easily absorb World Energy or in their case, Mana, like they are....you need to have another method"
My master started engraving on me some lessons as I eagerly listened to him with my paralyzed body, and the more I listened to him, the more I get enlightened and have questions.
Mana? World energy?
"Why do you call Nature, World Energy, and Mana differently?"
Curious, I asked my master and finally gave up on glaring at him. My master who heard that question, smiled and then easily answered it.
"Well, it is because what I am doing is a primal practice. World Energy is the ancient word for Mana. Since the Elves have a Nature fetish, they call The energy in the world "Nature Energy". Each individuals who have learned about this technique actually have a different way of calling it. But anyway, you shouldn't take in World Energy like that"
My master finished explaining to me as he finished eating the first bass and moved on to another one. Taking all of the knowledge that he just taught to me, I start to think about it and process it. As I was processing it, I notice some strange things that he used.
'Primal practice? Ancient word? How old is this guy anyway?'
I heard stories about his reign of terror 30 years ago but I had a feeling that he existed longer than that. I wanted to ask him about that, but feeling that something bad will happen if I ask him that, I chose to not do so. There are things in this world that are better left unsaid.
Instead of asking that question, I asked him something different instead.
"How should I take it in, then?"
I asked him in a sincere tone, and my shitty excuse for a master just grinned. Shit, is he acting up again?
"Hahaha, say 'My master is the most handsome, the greatest, the coolest, the strongest and the best in the world, I will forever serve him' first then I will tell you how"
I knew it. This guy is a fucking piece of shit. Clicking my tongue, I gave up on asking him and just thought about a solution myself.
Seeing that I had no desire to sing words of praises for him, My master just shrugged and finally finished eating the bass..just leaving me to starve and paralyzed on the ground.
After eating and cleaning up, My master left the Cabin and went out for a walk, he said. Yeah like hell. He must be going to a nearby town to drink, he always do that before and because I am a wanted man, I cannot go with him and was just forced to stay here.
Watching my master disappear, I was just left there on the ground, lying around and waited until I can finally move. After an hour of lying down on the ground, I can finally move weakily and so I got up.
I did not use my energy to move around a lot, so I just decided to use it by starting to meditate on a lotus position and think about the words that my master uttered.
"Never take in Nature Energy like that....so, what should I do?"
I entered back into my deep sea of consciousness and stare at the spherical object I called a Core, floating above. I cannot call it a Mana Core since I am using a different methods than other people, Just Core for now.
I stared there for what felt like minutes and hours until in the reality I could feel the sun setting, my master still has not returned...so I just stared at that pure red mass of energy— wait energy?
Since it has been a few hours since I rested, I finally got some of my strength back as I started taking in the Nature energy around me again. This time though, I did not let it inside me immediately, instead, I willed the mass of pure red energy in my core and then let it mix with the Nature Energy.
If I cannot take in 100% pure nature energy in me, then shouldn't I taint it with my Mortal Energy?
Doing that, the pure nature energy was finally tainted with my mortal energy, then gambling that...I let it inside my core as I absorbed it. After absorbing the now tainted nature energy, I let it run around the veins of my body as I soon then felt my muscles growing stronger.
Standing up from the lotus position, I start to perform some basic techniques of my family barehanded combat.
Moving my waist and bringing my fist forward, I performed the basic 'One, two' and then moved onto a full on combo.
Right hook, weave, liver blow, weave, step back, twist, roundhouse kick...
....
I went on like that until the Sun had finally set, and I became exhausted. Panting with my back lying down on the ground, I groaned and got up as I looked around me.
Bamboo trees have been felled, craters formed on the ground, Ground prints that looked like a large snake was slithering around was seen all around me.
Seeing that, I smiled as I let out a satisfied huff.
"This is amazing..."
I mused watching the mess that I made all around. The new power that I got sure packs a hell lotta shit. Although this is not as exciting as those Magical Abilities from Gods, I am already satisfied with this.
"This is very cool...."
I once again uttered as a smack was done on my head, it hurt and when I turned to where it came from, I saw my master holding a stick sword....which he used to smack me, And was smiling with a terrifying glint on his gaze. Oh, seems like I will die today.
"Cool? You better clean this mess if you don't want to sleep while hanging upside down tonight."