Chapter 11

~

New Changes

~

Noticing the sun is up Teng heads out to play. His body has become stronger of these past two weeks. Gone is the weak Teng. His eyes sharp. His muscles strong and lean. Even his aura is filled with a wisp of blood. As his body has grown so has Teng’s mind, and heart. Teng hasn’t noticed his change, but if he were to be compared with a modern person, they’d be horrified. Not even veteran soldiers emanate his aura.

Perhaps only ruthless martial art masters, or hitmen do.

Usually a man would rest after fight. Whether that be with social interactions, or other endeavours. A soldier might go to the battlefield for a skirmish, but will have comrades, and places of rest. They are able to return home to see their loved ones or friends, and this is their hope.

Teng too tries to find rest somehow. It’s hard though. His thoughts are always on how to get stronger since dangers are consistent on this Island. Teng cannot leave the island like others. There are too many sea creatures, and with little knowledge on which direction to go, he must survive here. Even during the night, he constantly hears roars, and must remain vigilant. His laziness is slowly been removed. He lives on this island, and it has become all he knows. There are no friends or family. Teng can only rely on himself. His mind has slowly shifted to a warrior’s mindset. He fights for his survival.

~

It seemed yesterday stimulated a few new skills, and his manipulation of the laws has improved. It seems battle is the best way to improve his potential, and grow faster. Not willing to waste the day Teng heads out.

The bone spear he collected seems to be made from a sea beast of some kind. It’s strong and sturdy, but Teng believe his branch is stronger, however the stone could use improvement. So, he decided to break off the sharp end of the bone, liquify it in mud and wait for it to harden. The mud has proven to be effective, but as his strength improved, he might need to think of something else. For now, he has started to use thick vines to make his spear sturdier.

It’s even useful for when throwing the spear when hunting fish or beasts, as he can quickly pull it back if a vine is attached. Hopefully he can learn to do this with just his water laws. Progress is a little slow Teng feels with his Law of Rain. So, he heads out to battle. An excitement welling up in him.

To others however, his growth rate is monstrous. Of course, Teng living on this island only has the beasts out of the rift to compare himself with.

Teng already ate breakfast before coming. He prefers to eat fruit in the mornings. It’s easier to store, and saves time, especially with his under average cooking skills. Depending on what he hunted midday and the evening, results in what he eats for lunch and dinner. Usually the meat is saved by drying. He even acquired some salt from the sea water, through his survival knowledge. Creating a small enclosure, and as the water evaporates, salt is left. Gets the job done, mostly.

Travelling through the forest, he decides not to head south, but north to the valley. After all he just killed a few of those creatures, who knows if they patrolling their jungle in great numbers. They easily number over hundred, but he is unclear of their actual number in total.

Thinking like this Teng travels a few kilometres meeting a few wild beasts and birds. Not even posing a challenge to Teng who has lost his arm, he continues unimpeded.

Walking over to a clearing Teng spots a lake up ahead. He inspects the lake for a while. Slowly moving forward, he comes closer. Thankfully there are animals are around here, but not too many. So, if there are any predators in the lake, they can’t be too terrible.

What has Teng intrigued is he feels a surge energy from the lake, far more than the one at the river. Interested in what it is that makes this place different, he jumps straight in.

Reaching down with his new acquired sense of water he discovers nothing of note. Teng swims down.

One feature Teng discovered of his Law is it enables him now to swim underwater for a little while. For now, he can make a small pocket of air, pushing the water away. He can transform a little of water into air, but not much. He figures soon he won’t need to do this, as he could just transform water into life for him. This is what he does at the moment in meditation, but requires much more focus.

Continuing down Teng sees odd colours of light, that is a blend of green and yellow. Curious he swims, but before he can get too closer, a dark figure flashes fast towards at him.

Teng taking in his stride lifts his new bone spear and like the water isn’t impeding him at all, he stabs forward. A strong force bangs against it, numbing Teng’s arm. A brief flash of light enters the branch of the spear, before proceeding upward for a moment and then dissipating.

Teng’s pupils constrict. An eel! With lightning abilities at that. Not giving much time to think the eel swims around his spear wanting to bite him to death.

Teng remaining cautious, but not slowing down impedes it with his spear, moving away at the same time as the water pushes him, giving him time to counter. Slowly the eel is losing, with gashes all over its body. Still it does not leave. Unwilling to abandoned its territory.

The fight doesn’t actually last that long, 30 seconds at most, but in that time Teng got covered with discharged shocks of lightning, with the eel paying a greater price though. Its headless corpse floating in the lake.

Tired and battered Teng swims down to see what it was so adamant on defending. Pulling past some reeds a shine of green and yellow becomes more pronounced.

It seems to be a reed standing alone with 2 metres of space to itself. It has the colours of dark green mainly, with some flashes of yellow. The energy it gives off his not oppressive, but gentle.

Teng is excited. It’s not the boost of energy he could get from it. It’s that right now Teng feels the gentleness, and staidness of water within its energy. Although he doesn’t understand, its different from his. Teng’s Law of Rain has been forced down the path of ruthless, with life and death threats at his door step Teng had chosen this path. Although he gained healing of rain, it still was in a sense washing away the enemies in his heart. With this Reed he can improve his Law, and in turn multiply his strength.

Taking the reed, carefully he digs the hard seabed, which basically have become rocks at this point. Smashing it open with his spear enhanced by his Law the reed comes undone. Snatching it he looks it over. Its size is not big, maybe a metre or so. That’s okay for Teng though. He didn’t plan on making it into a weapon or anything. He pushes it onto his head and ties it like a bandanna. Slowly small lights of energy are pulled towards him, refreshing his mind. Teng is very joyous of this harvest.

He was thinking of tying his hair with the reed treasure, but feels its un-needed at the moment. His hair hasn’t grown too long. After checking to see that there are no more treasure Teng swims upwards, and leaves the lake.

~