Here is your second and last chapter for today. Sorry that I didn't post anything the last week but I had my midterms and I really need to study. Anyway enough of my life. Enjoy the chapter.

A figure stood panting, slumped down on the side of a wall of a tunnel. He was covered in sweat. He held a deadly looking dagger in his right hand. There was a dark blue sword sheathed at his waist. He was holding a bottle and drinking water. This was Ryu. For the last 6 hours he had been walking forward in the tunnel. He had run into several goblin patrols in this time. The last encounter had left him completely exhausted. The first three encounters had been just goblin grunts(the normal ones) and a few goblin mages. He had used the hit and run tactics to kill off the patrols.

However the last patrol had included a new type of goblin. It was more humanoid than the regular goblins. It was also taller, standing at 4 feet while the goblin grunts had been 3.5 feet tall. The new goblin was also better equipped. it either had a longsword or a broadsword. Some of them also had planks of wood with straps that they used like shields. Ryu had started calling them goblin soldiers. The goblin soldiers also co-ordinated better with each other as opposed to the goblin grunts that just rushed towards him.

Ryu had gotten cornered by the goblin soldiers and he had almost gotten hit by some of the spells from the mages. It had taken a considerable effort on his part to escape the encirclement and kill all of the goblins. He had feinted an attack on the goblin soldiers and instead attacked and killed a goblin mage to escape from the encirclement. After escaping he had done his usual strategy, but this time he went after the mages first, then the goblin grunts, and finally the goblin soldiers. This was because even though the goblin soldiers were stronger and better defended than the goblin grunts, they were much slower than the goblin grunts. So Ryu was able to use this weakness against them and kill them. After killing them he was running on adrenaline so he did not feel the pain or fatigue yet. Instead he had absorbed all of their staffs and swords and daggers into his sword and dagger.

His sword was now a deep blue color with dark golden runes all over the blades. It had also grown a bit in length and also grown a bit broader. The runes emanated a terrifying aura that felt as if it could destroy entire armies with it’s power. The gem in the swords pommel had also become a lighter red color. Ryu felt that as the gem became a lighter color, the sword became stronger. However, this was just his feeling and Ryu had no proof that this was actually happening.

Ryu continued looting the goblins after absorbing all of the goblin’s weapons. He found the usual metal ingots, vials, bottles, etc. However he had discovered a new item on the goblin soldiers. They had coins that looked like they were made of copper. After searching all of the goblin soldiers, Ryu had found a total of 24 copper coins. Ryu had also found that his bag was almost full so he took one of the goblin mages satchels that was relatively undamaged. Although he was carrying more stuff, Ryu did not feel impeded. This was because he had grown extremely strong compared to his previous self. Also, his mana core was constantly cycling mana through his body continuing to strengthen it. This was the reason why Ryu would feel stronger as time went by.

After he had looted all the goblins and surveyed the surroundings to make sure there were no goblins left, he relaxed. With the adrenaline effect fading away, all the exhaustion and pain hit Ryu at once. This was the reason for his current appearance. So he had collapsed and lay there on the ground panting.

Once he had finished recovering, Ryu stood up and picked up his bags. He had rearranged his possessions so that the bag and the satchel that he had looted from the goblin mage were both balanced. He then strapped the bags on and prepared to set out. However, before he took another step he changed his mind. Ryu was in a hollow section of the wall. There was only one way in. This helped Ryu feel safer and more secure as he sat down again.

Ryu had been going over the last battle and he had realized that if he had been any weaker, he probably would not have been able to break out of the encirclement. So he decided to train. Although he could not form his dantian yet, he could speed up the circulation of mana to quicken up the process of strengthening his body. So Ryu decided that this would probably save his life in the future.

Ryu sat down and began to meditate. He pulled in mana and directed it towards his mana core. As the inflow of mana began to increase, so did the rate of circulation. The mana began to cycle faster as the mana core began to rotate extremely fast. Ryu was not satisfied with the rate of circulation so he reached into the satchel without breaking his meditation. Ryu had stored the vials with the water from the pool in the cultivation room. He had taken a total of 15 vials worth of water. Each vial had about 250 milliliters of liquid in it. Although he had a considerable amount of liquid, it did not weigh him down much as the vials somehow decreased weight.

Ryu took out one vial and poured about half the vial onto his chest region. This liquid increased his absorption and cyclical rate by almost 4 times! Ryu continued to cycle the mana for the next few hours. After about 3 hours, the liquid dissipated and his absorption and cyclical rated fell back to normal. Ryu opened his eyes and stared. His body had become tougher and stronger than before. Ryu stood up and stretched, testing what was different and familiarizing himself with it. As he finished stretching and warming up, his stomach growled. Ryu smiled and took out some nuts he had looted from the goblins. After he had finished eating the nuts, he took out an apple and ate it. He had found some apples on the goblin soldier and goblin mages. He wondered where they were getting all these fruit from.

After Ryu finished eating, he sat back down and began his meditation again. He used up the other half of the vial and continued cultivating for another 3 hours. After he had finished, Ryu went outside and brought some rocks to his little grotto. He blocked the entrance and went to sleep.

The Next Day

Ryu woke up and his first thoughts were as always, his family. He hoped that they were doing well and got up. Some streams of light were shining through the cracks in the rocks where he blocked the entrance. Ryu moved the rocks and ate his breakfast. Afterwards he did his morning routine(training exercises and stretching and some light cultivation-about 15-20 minutes worth).

Finished with his morning routine, Ryu began to move forward as he was eating an apple. As he walked he wondered when he was going to get out of this tunnel. As if the gods were mocking him, the instant he thought this he saw a bright light in the distance. Growing excited, Ryu ran towards it. But when he got closer, he grew cautious as most of the surprises that he encountered had almost killed him. Finally he stepped into the light and was blinded by it for a minute or so. As he got used to the light he slowly began to see what was beyond it.

A wide world came into his view. Shocked, Ryu gaped, his mouth wide open. The apple falling from his mouth. There was a blue sky and a giant forest. The trees were almost 10 stories tall and the land was green and vibrant. Far off in the distant he could see waterfalls, glistening from the water, and rainbows forming from the water mist. As Ryu thought he couldn’t be any more surprised, he spotted smoke coming from deep in the forest. Ryu screamed, "PEOPLEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Somewhere

The 2nd figure once again stirred. It looked out at Ryu and spoke, "It seems like he has arrived at the second stage. Let’s see if he can pass it or not. I don’t think I have to wake up big brother for this. It’s not worth his attention."

After deciding this, the figure once again dissolved into the darkness.