Second Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  Qiang’s Mana gates and his Mana channels didn’t directly match up, which was why there was a lack of force, and his open Mana gates were slowly being blocked off.

  There was leftover trauma on his body and concoction poisons from taking many powerful potions and powders to try to open up his Mana gates.

  These different items had attacked where the majority of people’s Mana gates were or close to. Instead of helping, they had caused damage and impacted Qiang’s Mana channels.

  A sort of balance has been created in his body. If I was to open one of his Mana gates, then it would be like puncturing someone’s lung if they’ve got blood in it: allow the Mana to drain out, open the Mana gates; he’ll have a natural handicap but he’ll be able to use Mana. The pressure release will allow them to breathe once again and I can siphon off the detritus.

  With this thought in mind, Erik nodded to himself and started to look through his storage ring.

  “All right, lie on that couch, face down.” Erik pulled out a potent sleeping powder. From the shock on the faces of those who had been around when he’d healed Kun Luo, he felt it was best to carry out any healing in private if possible. If not, then he had already thought of a few ways to hide the Mortal-iron needle.

  When opening one’s acupoints and Mana gates, Erik could do most of that with an acupoint needle covered in Mana to hide it.

  Qiang laid down on the couch.

  “All right, give this a snort.” Erik held out the powder.

  Qiang took a deep breath. He coughed slightly as Erik tossed the powder back into his storage ring.

  The coughing stopped and Qiang slumped, unconscious.

  Erik carefully located Qiang’s dantian, the center of his Mana channels, where one would form their Mana core if they followed the Mana Gathering Cultivation path.

  Erik took out a longer needle. He sterilized the longer needle before he pierced the skin. He used his Simple Organic Scan to guide the needle right into Qiang’s dantian.

  Then Erik moved to the Mana gates that had been opened but were blocked up with detritus. He took smaller needles and put them into the Mana gates.

  Checking his handiwork, Erik pulled out some leaves and started chewing on them. The leaves would increase one’s Mana Regeneration.

  Erik circulated his own Mana, compressing and controlling it. He placed the open Mana gates on his hands against the needles. Erik moved his hands to each of the needles, memorizing the process.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” Erik geared himself up and put his hands on the first needles. He fired out compressed needles through his gates, the Mana needles, and into Qiang’s Mana channels.

  Qiang’s body tensed as Erik already got to the next set of needles and repeated the process; then the third and fourth sets. Then he grabbed the main needle in Qiang’s dantian and forced Mana through it.

  The first attacks on the smaller needles drove into the crystalized Mana in Qiang’s veins. It broke and destroyed his Mana channels here and there but it loosened the debris as well.

  Then he had sent a blast of Mana through Qiang’s dantian. The blast of power shot through all of his Mana channels.

  Opening so many Mana gates and his control over Mana, Erik’s Mana was purer than most. Qiang’s Mana had been affected by so many external factors that it was buried with the deposits.

  Faint wisps of Mana touched the deposits that littered Qiang’s Mana channels. It was like a car starting up, clearing its pipes. A pungent smell came from Qiang’s body as the impurities from within his Mana channels were expelled. He became skinnier but his skin and appearance looked healthier.

  Erik’s Mana was like the spark to start a forest fire. These deposits were left behind by the pills and Mana that had invaded his body in the past.

  The different items used on Qiang had left hidden wounds and these blockages. Erik thought it would be a long process to try to clear them, but now that the Mana rushed through him, his Mana channels started to swell as more and more Mana filled his body.

  Erik stood back and looked at the boy. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud. “That a boy! You only needed a spark!”

  Qiang’s body showed blue lines, which would grow brighter as another deposit was burned up and the Mana inside refined and released. His body expanded again under the pressure of the Mana. Another cracking noise sounded as his third Mana gate opened.

  It was only with the stored-up Alchemy concoctions’ energy within his body that he was able to do this.

  It continued for several more minutes as two new Mana gates opened.

  Well, I didn’t know that would happen. Just what kind of concoctions did he consume to have that kind of energy stored up in his body?

  Qiang was covered in filth as more impurities were flushed out of his body. Mana shot through his Mana channels, rushing out of his open Mana channels. The force of the expulsion created a vacuum and pulled more Mana in for a few moments.

  Qiang’s tense body slumped back down.

  Erik looked inside Qiang’s body. His Mana channels were in a mess in places and there was severe damage in certain areas. Erik healed the worst of the damage and the larger injuries, leaving the ones that would take a few days to recover from.

  He’d already cleared five of his Mana gates and two had blown open by themselves. If he was able to cure all of his ailments, then he didn’t doubt that others would come demanding his services in the future.

  Erik checked his work and pulled out the needles. As he pulled out the larger needle, he was healing Qiang at the same time. Erik’s Mana core held a lot more Mana now. Although it helped his body, if it leaked out into his body, Erik didn’t want to deal with that. Internal bleeding was already enough of a pain in the ass with the circulatory system.

  With everything cleared away, he took another powder and put it under the boy’s nose.

  ***

  Qiang started to move as Erik put the powder away and headed for the door.

  He found Hiao Xen pacing as a woman sat in a chair nearby.

  They both looked up and saw Erik’s haggard expression.

  “He had some minor injuries to his back that seemed to have blocked his acupoints. I was able to heal this problem with some difficulty. It set off a reaction within your boy’s body and I can sense a powerful Mana force coming from him. I wasn’t able to determine if he was able to be healed but he should be more comfortable now,” Erik said with a weak smile, overplaying his fatigue.

  “Thank you, Master West,” Hiao Xen said. His wife stood and bowed to him with a smile.

  “Please go and see to him. I will take a rest here.” Erik moved to a chair.

  He could see the debate in Hiao Xen, wanting to thank his guest but also eager to see his son. “Go,” Erik said with a kind smile, touched by the man’s actions and the clear care in his eyes.

  “Thank you, Master West!” Hiao Xen said. Both he and his wife disappeared into the room quickly.

  Excited noises came from within as Erik smiled to himself. His eyes became hooded, even worried as his thoughts changed.

  Although I can advance in the Mana Gathering Cultivation path, I haven’t made any more progress in the Body Cultivation path. I don’t know how I can go from Body Like Stone to Body Like Iron. Not a word on manuals related to it, and I haven’t met many people who seem to have pursued it. I can find plenty of people using the Mana Gathering system though.

  Erik was impressed with the strength he had gained with his Body Cultivation. He had even learned better fighting techniques, like adapting the Growling Tiger technique in all of his actions.

  Mana Detonation was more of a combining of skills, using his knowledge of Mana bolt and bullet with his Growling Tiger Fist.

  I need to find more spells to augment my power, as well as techniques to increase my fighting abilities, and a way to reach Body Like Iron. Erik let out a snort at his own thoughts.

  “Sounds
all rather simple,” Erik said sarcastically, laughing at his own ambitions. But the light in his eyes didn’t dim in the slightest.

  “Master West!” Qiang said, exiting the room.

  Time to sell this—gonna need some acting awards up in these realms!

  “Qiang, can you feel Mana again? I felt as if something was ignited in you but I wasn’t sure if it had worked,” Erik said.

  “Master West!” Qiang dropped to the floor, happy tears in his eyes.

  Erik caught Delilah looking up from her book down the hall. Erik quirked his eyebrow at her.

  Like a caught mouse, she hid back in the book.

  Erik turned his attention to the bowing Qiang as Hiao Xen and his wife came out of the room, tears in their eyes.

  “You not only allowed me access to Mana but I now have seven open Mana gates. Two more than what I had when I was born!” Qiang yelled, overcome with emotion as the thing he had wanted more than anything in his life and was blocked off to him was now possible. “Thank you, Master West!”

  “Seven Mana gates?” Erik took in a sharp breath as he looked over Qiang.

  “Grandmaster West, I have never seen anything like it before!” Hiao Xen looked at Erik with a new respect shining in his eyes.

  “I merely worked to relieve the injury and then used a potion to relieve some of the poisons that had built up in his body.” Erik looked as if he had sunk into deep thought.

  “The potion must have somehow ignited these poisons and released the power hidden within them. The chain reaction must have blown open the gates, allowing your son to access Mana!” Erik looked to Qiang as a new question appeared in his mind. “Did you ever put stat points into Mana?”

  Qiang winced at this question. His mother let out a sigh; even though she seemed displeased, when she looked at her son, Erik couldn’t see anything but motherly love in her eyes.

  Even with the mistakes he had made, she still loved him from the bottom of her heart.

  “I did,” Qiang said haltingly, clearly embarrassed.

  “Were you able to draw on Mana then?” Erik asked.

  “I wasn’t,” Qiang admitted.

  “Well, now it looks like that won’t be put to rest. With such an increase of Mana, you must be careful that you don’t injure yourself and give yourself time to get used to your new abilities,” Erik said.

  “Thank you, Grandmaster West!” Qiang said, following his father’s way of addressing Erik.

  Erik didn’t miss it. With his actions, it seemed that his position and skills had increased in Hiao Xen and his son’s mind.

  “While I had hoped that I could help you, I wasn’t sure it would be possible. It was due to your parents’ diligence and their efforts that your body built up the leftover energy needed to re-open five Mana gates at once and opened two more! Not even I hoped for this in my wildest dreams!”

  “Now, come you two, now is not the time to pester Grandmaster West. He’s tired and our guest,” Qiang’s mother said, reminding the two.

  “Please, I am sorry—the expelled impurities. Qiang needs to change. Would you also like to refresh yourself, Grandmaster West? We have a room you can use before dinner,” Hiao Xen said.

  “Please. That would be great. Would it be possible for my student to join us? And might I ask Rugrat if he would like to come? He has been working on something and I do not know if he is busy or not.”

  “Certainly!” Hiao Xen said with a wide smile.

  They broke apart as Erik entered a private room. He used a wet cloth and put it on his head and then pulled out his sound transmission device.

  He called Rugrat.

  “What do you want?” Rugrat answered.

  “You want food?”

  “Busy, compressing metal, resonance,” Rugrat said, grunting as he was doing something with an odd rhythm.

  “I’ll let you get back to it,” Erik said.

  Rugrat hung up.

  Seems that he is close to making a breakthrough. I hope it goes well or he’s going to complain for weeks about not making it here for food.

  ***

  The Xen family treated Erik to a feast that night, calling their staff to make multiple delicacies. Erik gave Delilah three more books to read, knowing that it would be more than enough to occupy her. He banned her from attending the meal, but quietly asked the serving staff to put some food aside for her.

  “I didn’t know that you were the type to take on a student,” Hiao Xen said.

  “She has potential. It will take some time to pull it out but with the right information she’ll be a fine alchemist,” Erik said.

  “Have you taken on a student before?” Nuo Xen asked.

  “I have.” Erik’s voice lowered as he remembered the people he’d turned into combat medics. Those he had groomed through combat into leaders and soldiers. He remembered the funerals he’d gone to, their smiling faces and jokes falling silent as all that was left was a flag and a cold wood box in the ground.

  “Did you teach them Alchemy?” Qiang asked, not sensing the change in mood.

  “No, I didn’t. I taught them to heal, and to kill.” Erik shrugged.

  “Please, try this fried bird. It’s delectable.” Nuo Xen offered a plate to Erik.

  “Thank you.” Erik smiled, picking up some of the chicken with his chopsticks.

  He didn’t miss the warning look that Hiao sent his son as Qiang awkwardly looked away.

  “Don’t worry, living and dying, it’s part of a combat medic’s world. Part of this world. Standing on the edge of victory or defeat builds a person. It is best to have strength but never forget to be humble and hide that strength. Then you might use that strength to strike when the enemy least expects,” Erik said.

  Hiao Xen and Nuo Xen nodded, with Hiao turning to his son.

  “Remember Grandmaster West’s words.”

  “Yes, Father. Thank you, Grandmaster West,” Qiang said.

  “No worries and don’t worry about the grandmaster stuff.” Erik smiled.

  They moved onto lighter topics. Lady Nuo asked Erik whether he was looking for a woman and said that she would be happy to play matchmaker if he was interested.

  Erik thanked her for her words but turned down her offer.

  Dinner came to an end, with Qiang excitedly leaving to go and test out his new abilities.

  Lady Nuo retired as Hiao Xen personally saw Erik off to the building that he had put aside for Erik and Delilah.

  “Grandmaster West, I know that for a man of your standing that there is little that I can do to assist you. But if you are ever in need for anything, you can contact me through the Blue Lotus and I will do all in my power to assist you,” Hiao Xen said in a solemn voice, bowing deeply to Erik.

  “Please, Head Xen, you have a lovely family and have done so much to try to help your son. I simply saw your love and care for him and was unable to stand by. Your greatest gift to me is to have a full life.” Erik smiled.

  “Grandmaster West is too noble and humble,” Hiao Xen said.

  “For the next couple of days, I hope to make a few different Alchemy concoctions. The place that you recommended me looks like they have everything that I will need. Thank you for vouching for me.”

  “I am more than happy to assist. Are there any instruments or items that you might need?” Hiao Xen asked.

  Erik thought on it for a few moments. “Not really. Well, my cauldron is getting a little worn down. I haven’t really thought about upgrading it that much in the past, but I recently had a small realization. Do you know of any places that might have new cauldrons?”

  “Certainly. I can have a few of the cauldrons brought over to your residence for your inspection? Also, Lord Ekeem would like to meet at your earliest convenience to apologize for his cousin’s son’s actions.”

  “I don’t really want to do anything but make concoctions,” Erik said. I want to get back to the First Realm as fast as possible.


  “If you would like, there are meeting rooms in the residence that you are staying in. If you want, I can deny Lord Ekeem’s request,” Hiao Xen said.

  “We can use the meeting rooms. I won’t have long for it, though.” Erik stood. “With that, though, I should return. It’s about time I got back to making more concoctions.”

  I wasted all day trying out new concoctions, burning most of them because I wanted to create some cheaper potions. Instead I’ve spent five times the money without anything to show for it. At least Rugrat is creating items of value!

  ***

  After saying good-bye to Erik and Delilah, sending them off with a guard, Hiao Xen wandered back to the main house. He headed to his private quarters and met with his wife, reading a book in bed.

  She was about to say something when she noticed his expression. “Has something happened?” she asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

  “What? Oh, nothing happened. Well, maybe,” Hiao Xen said, preparing for bed.

  “What do you think might have happened?” Nuo Xen asked.

  “I’m not sure what to think,” Hiao Xen said, his thoughts far away.

  Nuo Xen was silent for a while before she spoke in a low whisper. “Do you also think that Grandmaster West was the one who opened Qiang’s mana gate?”

  “Never say that to anyone else,” Hiao Xen’s head snapped over as he hissed.

  “You think it, too!” Nuo said in alarm, seeing right through her husband.

  Hiao Xen looked around before continuing in a low voice.

  “There are few people with knowledge about Mana gates. If it was known that he knew how to open five Mana gates in the space of just a few minutes, we would only be inviting tragedy down on our benefactor,” Hiao Xen said. “I also believe that his skills in Alchemy are far beyond what the Blue Lotus has recorded. I offered him use of the Alchemy facilities within the Blue Lotus. He wasn’t interested in the equipment but instead just wanted to borrow a cauldron. Making a high-Journeyman potion from nothing but one’s own personal flame and a cauldron…”

  Hiao Xen didn’t need to say anymore as Nuo Xen sat back in bed. The two of them were thinking the same thing.