I finally closed my eyes as well and focused on the Enma that was running all around us and the crystals in their hands. They had no idea what they were doing or how to absorb it, but Gary and Don came pretty close.
I focused on Gary and his crystal first, shrinking the energy flow down to a needle, and kept pushing it up to his palms. The problem was that they had no idea how to absorb Enma and so couldn’t circulate any of the energy.
I groaned inwardly and tried to come up with a new approach that could work, but this world’s rules weren’t the same as… hmm, that might work to my advantage. This world’s rules were different than they had been, and now with crystals dropping from dead monsters, there had to be a way to absorb the energy. Even if it would have to be brute-forced.
“Well, to hell with it,” I cursed and turned to Gary, who had been the closest to understanding how it all worked. I placed my hands on his, startling the man, but when he saw it was just me, he closed his eyes again.
“Something wrong, Viktor?”
“No, don’t worry. Just endure no matter what happens with your hand, alright?”
He nodded and calmed himself to the point he was barely breathing. I grinned. He sure was good at following orders, but it remained to be seen if he’d endure the pain.
I let out a sigh and focused on his palms, infusing a trickle of my Enma to mix it up with the crystal’s power. It immediately became more tangible, almost as if it were liquid clay I could mold and sculpt however I wished.
“Fuck!” he cursed and tried to pull his hands back, but I held him in place.
“Don’t you dare move, or I might cut your hand off accidentally,” I said, trying to project my calmness onto him as two thin beams of Enma formed above his palms.
His skin started sizzling and melting where the two threads passed and new Enma entered. The holes widened, and an entry point appeared where I focused the energy.
“What the hell are you doing?” Kang demanded as he shifted in his seat.
I could hear Mark from beside me pull his gun out and point it at the other man protectively. Heh, it was interesting to see how quick he was to react.
“You’ve agreed to something right here in this room, Kang! Don’t you dare disturb them now even if he was to slice his hand off!”
“Almost there. Hold on just a little longer! When you feel a sudden surge of energy, start drawing it in! Pull at it with your very soul!”
He shuddered and gasped as his meridian stabilized, and he calmed down visibly. The faintest trickle of Enma finally entered his system, and it was formed. The change was so abrupt that I could only imagine it as if someone gave him a mental slap. Energy flowed from the crystal and into his palms, closing the tiny holes in his flesh. They didn’t regrow right away, so I focused on burning the skin to close it for him. Should do for now.
I opened my eyes and let go. He pulled his hands away and gasped, glaring at me. But then something changed in his demeanor. He gasped again and grinned as I felt more and more Enma circulate around him, and he laughed madly.
“This is incredible! Just look at it!”
He showed us the small burn marks, which started to heal up, a tiny bit at a time.
“You’re a natural, Gary,” I mused. And he really was. No wonder he’d almost managed to do it himself.
“Thanks, but what the hell is this? This energy is overflowing!”
“That, gentlemen, is called opening up your first meridian and vein point. It’s only the first step in becoming something much greater than an ordinary human.”
“Yeah, but what is it called?” Gary asked.
“Cultivation. As for you, gentlemen, you’re going to become some of the only cultivators in this world.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Vik, it’s almost dawn. You need to get some rest, even if only for an hour.”
Melina sounded worried about me, and it was only natural. I’d been up all night, spending my Enma reserves to try to unlock all their first meridians. I managed to brute-force it in the end, but it took its toll on me.
“Has the last group come in?” I asked as I turned to look at Mark.
He shook his head. “Not yet. They should be here in forty minutes.”
I got up and stretched, then stumbled and almost fell, but Melina caught me just before I was to slam into the table.
“Vik! Damn it! Enough is enough!”
I let out a sigh and let her help me stand. Slight nausea struck me, and I barely managed to keep it together. Expending my own life force wasn’t a smart idea, but it had to be done.
“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go up to our room. Mark? Can you help me?”
The man got up and put my arm around his shoulder, helping me stand on my feet. I was drained. I was exhausted. I couldn’t even make a single step by myself.
“There’s no need. I’ll take it from here.”
Scar’s voice rang out in the hallway and was followed by him appearing right in front of us. Mark tensed and went for the gun on his hip, but I stopped him.
“Don’t. He’s part of me.”
“Wait, what? Part of you?”
I nodded weakly.
“Yeah, he is. I’m scared of him as well,” Melina whispered. “Thanks, wolf. Don’t light the building on fire, alright?”
Scar snickered with his wolfish grin. “Aren’t you joining us upstairs?” he asked, sending a stare her way.
“Oh, I am, but I’m not getting on. You keep sending sparks in all directions.”
“She said the same thing.” He snickered.
“Who did?” I asked, trying to figure out what he was getting at. “You idiot! You’ve never had any lightning element in your… you know!”
He shrugged and lowered his body as Mark slumped me over his back.
“Do you need me to stand guard?” Mark asked as he looked at us strangely.
“No, it’s fine. Tell them to absorb every damn crystal when they’re back. I’ll be up at seven.”
I didn’t remember what he said next, as the moment I lay down on Scar’s back, I was out of it, either by electrocution or by exhaustion.
“Vik? Wake up.”
A soft, melodic voice whispered in my ear. My eyes fluttered open.
“What… where? Shit, how late is it?” I cursed.
“Almost seven in the morning. Time to get up.”
The room was still dark. All of the shutters were down, and the only source of light was that of the lanterns at the entrance. Melina’s tired face looked down at me as she sat atop my hips and was leaning down on her arms.
Her warm breath caressed my lips as she bent in closer and planted her lips on mine. It was just a slight caress, but it was there. I traced my tongue across the strawberry-flavored layer of… whatever it was. Candy? That was probably why she had sweet breath.
“I could get used to this kind of wake-up call.”
“Oh? Me too,” she whispered, leaning in for another kiss.
“You should at least wear something longer so your skin isn’t all over me, or I might want to have breakfast right in bed.”
“Oh? Do you think I’d mind eating in here?”
“Hah! What a lover! What a Don Juan DeMarco!” Scar snickered.
“Why the fuck do you know who that is?” I hissed and threw my middle finger his way.
“We share the same mind, so it’s only natural, isn’t it?”
“Does he need to be here all the time?” Melina asked.
“No, but I have no idea how to get rid of him. He’s a part of me.”
“Whatever. He’d better not be around when we have… you know. It’s creepy.”
“You hear that? You big furball. Get lost.”
“Oh? You’re so manly,” he whispered in my mind. “I’ll play along for now since I’m bored of you two anyway.”
“I didn’t mean right now,” Melina said in mock-exasperation.
I chuckled and pushed her gently off me. The short robe
moved aside, revealing the same type of panties she’d worn the first time I helped her get dressed, but her chest wasn’t wrapped with a bandage. It was bare.
“Neither did I, but damn. You really know how to give someone a good kick start in the morning.”
She slapped my chest playfully and pulled the robe off as she turned around, walked over to one of the chairs near the sofa, and pulled a yukata around her body. It was light and thin, almost transparent, but not enough to be indecent.
“I guess you want me to stay behind with the other girls?”
I nodded. “I do. If the monsters aren’t that dangerous, I’ll take you out to kill the two yourself.”
Melina nodded as she pulled the sash around her waist and tied it in a bow.
“What? You disappointed with this?” she asked, pointing at the yukata.
“No, it’s just that I would have liked to see you without one.”
She smirked and played with the bow almost teasingly as if she were about to pull it loose. “If you survive, maybe you’ll get your wish.”
My eyebrows rose along with the corners of my lips. “Is that a promise?”
She nodded but then joined me with a smile of her own. “If you’re in good enough shape. If not, maybe I’ll have to take care of you first. Nurse you to health and stuff.”
“Consider me in bad shape, then, hostess.”
Scar snickered again directly into my mind. I was about to snap at the wolf, but then she’d know he was here, so I remained silent. At least regarding that matter.
“Do you want to have breakfast first? Or shower? We barely have an hour left.”
“Join me in the shower?”
She shook her head slightly. “No can do. I’m trying to be a good role model for the other girls. See, if we go at it, the others will be either jealous or pissed with us.”
“Why would I care about the others?”
I didn’t care about anyone when it came to private stuff. It wasn’t like we had to babysit each other.
“You don’t, but I do. This is my house, Vik. Respect my rules.”
I sighed inwardly and barely managed to keep in something I’d regret. Fucking tease.
“Where do I shower?”
“The same place we did last time. Here, take these with you.”
She handed me one of the outfits the girls picked out for me. It was a black tracksuit with red and white stripes. It was a good choice when it came to agility, so I considered it a good choice. Besides, it wasn’t like I had enchanted armor that could protect me from blows.
She threw a towel at me and some underwear next, then pushed me out of the room and down the stairs.
“You don’t have to be so gentle, you know?” I joked.
“Well, I have to heat the food for you, so go shower. Meet me inside once you’re done.”
I walked down the corridors toward the bathing area and thought about what had happened so far since I was reborn. I wanted to know more about my past but wasn’t quite sure it would do me any good. Sure, I missed my old life so badly it hurt, but there was something about this place. And about Melina. I wanted to get my revenge, but I wouldn’t mind getting over it and living out my second life along with this amazing and gorgeous woman.
I stumbled into the bathhouse and sat next to the tub for a minute, just staring down into the water. It was searing hot again, but it didn’t bother me at all. It helped take the ache out of my muscles and my body.
Twenty minutes later, I was done. I got dressed and went to the main hall, where the twelve were already seated and busy eating. Most of them sat in separate booths with their girlfriends or wives and kids.
Mark and Sarah sat on one side in the central booth. She held the baby girl in her arms and was breastfeeding her. I found it quite strange to see such an act done in public, but then again this world was quite unique.
Mark noticed me looking at them strangely and shrugged. “Sorry, Vik, but it’s one of those things. Sarah isn’t embarrassed about her body and doesn’t mind doing this out in public. If it’s a problem, she can—”
“No, it’s fine as long as you’re good with it. I wouldn’t want anyone seeing Melina flaunt her body around, though. But that’s just me.”
“Oh, come on!” Sarah protested. “It’s like going to the beach and seeing me in a bikini. Or Mark seeing your dear in a bikini. What’s so bad about that?”
“Well… wait, why are we even talking about this?” I asked. “I don’t think it’s quite the time or place.”
She let out a heartfelt laugh and accidentally startled the young one. The baby stirred but started drinking again as Sarah shushed her.
“Don’t wake her up,” Mark hissed.
His face was as red as a paprika. The man must have been so embarrassed that he was about to burn a hole in his seat. But it made sense, yeah. Sarah had a great body, and she was beautiful in an innocent and almost girlish manner. More power to them if they were comfortable with it.
Melina walked in just then, carrying two pitchers in one hand and a tray in the other. She placed it on the table gently and sat down next to me. I was surprised to see she had prepared a bunch of bite-sized sandwiches. There was a lot of meat involved, some sauce, baked potatoes, and a cold brew. Damn. This woman really went the extra mile for me.
I looked her in the eyes and genuinely smiled. It was something that came from the heart, and I couldn’t help it as for the second time a single tear slid down my cheek. She genuinely cared for me, no matter what the reason. You can feel the love someone puts in their food by the details, and she’d been preparing this for a while now.
“What about the rest? Have they eaten?”
She nodded and leaned in, wiping the tear away with a silken cloth. “Don’t let them see this next time. Mark here will pretend not to have seen anything, alright?”
“You really are special, you know that?”
“Oh? Would just any woman want to deal with a thug who comes into her house after beating her brother almost to death?”
She caught me off guard with that one as she went all serious. My heart picked up and started racing like mad, but then she chuckled, leaned in, and kissed my cheek.
“You had me worried for a moment,” I whispered as my heart tried to understand that everything was still fine. “But wasn’t it the other way around?”
“Oh, right.” She chuckled and winked.
“But what about the others? Have they eaten?”
“They’re eating or have eaten already, don’t worry. The girls have been busy cooking for the last two hours in shifts or mostly as the men returned from farming.”
I nodded and finally pulled the pitcher to my lips, taking a sip of the cold heaven, then picked up one of the slices and bit down. My eyes closed involuntarily as the aromas intermingled with my tastebuds and exploded.
I wanted to speak and tell her that this was the best bite I ever had in my life, but I couldn’t get myself to stop chewing, at least not until it was all ground down to atoms.
“What the hell is this?”
“Wagyu steak. I had a thick slice in the fridge. Was saving it for myself for when I wanted to get drunk, but I might as well send you off properly.”
“Properly, huh?”
It was then that I noticed Mark wasn’t eating, so I pointed down at the tray.
“No, thanks,” he replied and shook his head. “I’m already full. Sarah made something similar earlier.”
“Hey, I’m not much into food, but this stuff is good, so if you want some, or you, Sarah?”
“Thanks, but we ate already, Vik. Wait, is it alright if I call you Vik as well?”
I nodded. “As I told the men earlier, whenever we’re in here eating and drinking, I’m Vik or Viktor to everyone, but when we’re out there, it’s another matter.”
“Yeah, he told me already, but I just wanted to make sure.”
I nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m not a bad guy, or so I like to belie
ve. But you got to understand something, Sarah. He wants to protect you and your baby girl, and I want to do the same for myself and Melina. I would do anything to make that happen, but if you’re on my side, your life counts as much as Melina’s. I’ll put my life on the line to keep the two of you safe. No, all of the women and children here.”
She nodded weakly and looked down as the baby stirred again.
“Thank you, Vik. I have no idea what I’d have done by myself at home. All these messages and those monsters and—”
I picked up another piece of the roast and threw it in my mouth along with a potato and some salad. Shit. This was just great. Far better than this body had ever eaten.
“There are fifteen minutes left,” Melina whispered.
I turned back to look her in the eyes and flashed a reassuring smile. We had enough, so it didn’t matter.
“You’ll stay behind along with Sandro, alright? I want the two of you to protect the others if something happens since I know I can rely on you.”
She didn’t protest, and she didn’t say a single word but just nodded in confirmation though I could both see and feel her distress. Melina wanted to go with me no matter what but knew that acting like a spoiled child wasn’t going to do us any good.
“What about us?” Mark asked.
“You’re good with guns, right?”
He nodded. “I am. One of the best, if I may say so.”
“Great. In that case, what’s the strongest gun you have? You’ve seen how limited their use is, right?”
He nodded again and frowned. “I’ve got a sniper rifle and even an anti-tank rifle. Well, not that it can pierce a tank, but it can easily pass through armored vehicles.”
My eyebrows rose at the second thing he mentioned. Images of tanks and their destructive power flashed before my eyes as well as images of what he was talking about. Shit, that was quite impressive for vehicles that didn’t use Enma to cause explosions.
Beginner Quest: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 1) Page 16