Chapter 15

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Battle Insights

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The fight is intense, neither giving an inch. If Teng smashes a piece of body, so too must he pay the price as the Chieftain wields his trident. Even more astonishing is the lightning strikes it delivers. It seems it too has some insight into the laws, or perhaps it’s a natural affinity to lightning.

Too bad Teng’s water protection is not a flimsy modern water, but built upon by strong numerological insight, he gained through life and death battles. It holds up under the barrage, however his body still gets shocked occasionally.

Even some patrols race back after hearing the commotion, but they are easily obliterated under Teng’s might, arrows being unable to do any damage, as serpent folk are whipped into the air. The Chieftain no doubt furious at seeing his kind being slaughtered right in front of him. Clearly wanting to avoid it, he tries to bring the fight in another direction. Teng is happy to oblige.

Teng isn’t sure how he became so powerful, but he has no time to think on it now. If he survives, he can dwell on it later. Striking hard with his spear on one of the chieftain’s scales, it breaks and oozes some blood. Teng estimates his strength is a strong as a grenade, but it leaves only a gash. Before he can react, a lightning bolt flies down from the sky. Having no time to dodge Teng is hit again feeling numb all over. The Chieftain quickly presses with his trident, but Teng swiftly blocks with his spear.

This continues back and forth until both are becoming mentally fatigued. Still their bodies are in decent condition, besides a few gashes. The Chieftain is clearly skilled in spear combat, perhaps even crossed combat with some more creatures who use weapons, or maybe it learned from its ancestors. Teng has learned a lot. Feeling the strain on his energy Teng decides he needs to try go for a fatal strike or at least wound the Chieftain enough, so he can choose to escape or stay. He isn’t sure how much energy the Chieftain has left in him, but even if it isn’t a lot Teng isn’t really willing to risk. It seems Teng underestimated the strength of the Chieftain. Without his elemental laws completely covering him, it’s hard to say if he would have survived or not.

The Chieftain is also sensing the mood shift, and seems to planning to give it his all. Not really what Teng wanted, but he hopes after surviving this strike, he can escape. It’s not that he always thinks about escape. It’s just he doesn’t like to be greedy; he has already gained more than enough in this fight. If given time he can grow stronger.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he prepares himself.

The Chieftain’s eyes flash, a sudden sense of danger hits Teng. He becomes dazed for a brief moment, and quickly Chieftain slaps his tail carrying hundreds of kilos with him, it smashes into Teng before he can react.

Awakening out of the daze from the pain, his ribs feel cracked, and his arm is in a lot of pain, he quickly flies through the air. He rolls dozens of metres, thankfully though his laws pave a way for him. Lifting his right arm, it feels dislocated.

Seeing the Chieftain rushing over to him, but clearly looking fatigued. Teng jumps up, his spear quickly delivered to his side, by his water.

Thinking it is time to leave Teng turns around and flees, not bothering with the angry Chieftain behind him.

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Arriving safely at his camp, Teng goes over the battle. Finding faults, he could have done better on, and pondering how he awakened this new form in his water laws. It seems his Law of Rain got an upgrade. However, before he delves too deep though, he cleans himself up, and begins his healing treatment.

Teng starts to meditate in his cave. It’s already evening so he meditates all throughout the night, healing his ribs, and most of his other wounds. It seems he needs to sleep less with his new body. It’s the brain that needs rest mostly.

The Chieftain looked extremely fatigued after his final attack, and likely couldn’t chase him far. Teng still isn’t sure what it was. A mental attack of some sort. It seemed the Chieftain opted for a blunt attack with its tail instead of a spear thrust, because it was having trouble penetrating Teng’s laws.

In any case the other patrols have still not found his cave so he is safe, for now.

Checking his body on the inside, he sees energy flowing more smoothly. It seems there has been a qualitative change, with more of his energy becoming a part of his Law. This will make efficiency in its usage increase, while improving his endurance, over long fights.

He also sees with his spiritual sense becoming stronger, that there are some minute changes to where his Rain Laws gather. It’s looks as if a small world has formed inside of him. It’s hard to see far into it, as a misty cloud has formed around it. As it’s Teng’s world though he can tell it’s mostly formed by his numerological insights in his Law. It even occasionally glows a bit, some insights pulsing with a blue hue.

Directing himself outward he examines his body. Looking over his garments, his scales are completely destroyed, and his clothes being barely what they used to look like. His t-shirt has been ripped to shreds, so now all there is some scales, and lean muscles showing through. Teng also sees some of his body covered in scars from his fights. Not too bothered by it, he figures he has become a true warrior now.

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Teng decides to mostly rest today and go over his insights. It seems to Teng, his heart is like the sun, and when his thoughts become clear like a blue sky, his emotions in a sense evaporate the energy like how sea water is pulled up by sunlight. This makes the new energy his own like the rain.

He believes the energy outside his body is like sea water. He can’t always rely on his heart becoming a sun of emotions though, but hopefully he can control it in the future.

When his emotions exploded, he released the rain, manifesting power out of his body into an elemental.

During the day, he meditates mostly beside the river, becoming joyful over his increase in Rain Laws. In the evening he leaves for bed.

His cave bed has truly transformed into a Barbarian hut. Strewn across the walls are various fruit vines. A river of water flows through the cave, from the entrance, into a small pond. His bed is covered with thick vines, basically becoming a hammock now, with many furs from his kills. Besides his bed is an assortment of knives, spears, and bows. This isn’t all though.

Teng wasn’t sure if the Serpents would find his lair, so he made a few others places, North in the valley too, which he sometimes stays at. It also has a few supplies of weapons, food, and water. He made a few water pouches with either skin of a beast, or out of wood.

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