NOVEL WEB Chapter 32: Tier 5
Valerio's breathing was even, natural. Atmospheric Lu revolved around him as his meridians thrummed to life, and as soon as he instinctively felt a sufficient amount in them, he willed it to move.
And move it did.
The Lu rushed through his meridians, starting from his solar plexus and splitting off into the natural pathways of his meridians. Valerio's entire being was focused on this movement; he wouldn't allow mistakes. Just about a second later, he'd completed his very first cycle since his childhood, though that didn't slow him; less than half a second later, he completed his second cycle.
His concentration didn't waver; he lost track of time as his entire being was distilled into two words: faster, cycle.
At some point in time, his concentration wavered, as his brows raised and eyes widened. He slowly angled his head down, staring at his hands and forearms. He continuously flexed them as he tried to understand the newfound strength coursing through his veins.
'Tier 2'
It didn't make any sense. He should be talented, yes, definitely, but no amount of talent should have allowed him to break through Tiers so quickly. He had only cultivated for about an hour, yet in that short hour, he had practically blazed through Tier 1 and his ability to control the flow of Lu.
Furthermore, it had felt like his absorption speed increased every minute that flowed past.
And just an hour later, a newfound strength was coursing through his meridians.
'I'll hit Tier 7 today,' he resolved. Did he know it was ridiculous?
Yes, he did, but feeling how fast he could improve, he might just be able to do it. He had, ofc course, factored in the fact that each Tier was harder to progress through, but the matter of the fact was clear. He was already too fast!
A slightly mad look appeared on Valerio's face as he restarted cultivating, this time a small change in the wind accompanying him, his Lu absorption rate disrupting the natural flow of wind. Atmospheric Lu practically funnelled into him.
Sitting at the edge of the lake, Valerio seemed to be the embodiment of tranquillity despite everything that had happened. His surroundings seemed to mirror his serenity, the still waters were without a blemish as they reflected his surroundings. Behind him, towering redwoods stretched upward, their crowns piercing the clouds, as if standing guard over him. Occasionally, the lake's surface would break—a fin slicing through the water for a heartbeat before vanishing again, each ripple settling as quickly as it had come.
Blending almost seamlessly into the surroundings, Valerio was motionless, in tune with the natural world as the day's light faded.
Slowly, the sky shifted, bathed in the ominous glow of a crimson moon. The lake's once-tranquil reflection transformed, casting red hues across the darkened landscape. The redwoods' shadows stretched long and twisted, shifting from serene to haunting under the moon's influence, yet Valerio remained unmoved. One would have thought him to be a statue if not for the subtle movement of Lu around him.
Time passed as various critters retreated from the branches of the redwoods into their homes in the bark. The fish inside the lake settled down, less and less small fins flashed above the surface of the lake as the river of time flowed.
It was only 20 hours later, when the crimson had disappeared and reappeared, that Valerio broke out of his trance. He hadn't slept yet, and wasn't planning on doing so; he had to reach his goal first.
For now, his breakthroughs would substitute for his sleep.
'Alright, maybe Tier 7 isn't as easy as I had thought,' he corrected himself sheepishly.
He jumped up, moving from his spot for the first time since he'd sat as he began to reflect over his first cultivation session. Contrary to his initial expectations, the feeling of cultivating was simply ecstatic; it felt as if you were becoming more in tune with the world and oneself. He'd thought that sitting in the same spot, doing the same cycle over and over again would become boring, and that he was right, it would be. It was the strength you incrementally felt yourself gain that made it exhilarating.
For a brief second, he considered heading back to his pod to recuperate, but it didn't make much sense. Firstly, he didn't have any resources there, and no easy way to transport the water or berries he found, if they were edible in the first place. Secondly, if he just stayed at the lake and cultivated, he might be able to reach Tier 7 and go to sleep a slight bit stronger, marginally increasing his chances of survival.
'Yeah, I'll just keep cultivating. I've reached Tier 5 in 20 hours, I should make it to Tier 7 soon after this.'
Valerio started taking his robes off, and soon enough, he was standing completely naked over the edge of the lake.
'Let's freshen up first though,' he mused to himself.
Blop.
A few droplets flew into the sky and shone with a crimson luster as Valerio's perfectly straight figure nose dove into the lake, disappearing in the shallow depths of the lake. Then, with a gentle ripple, he resurfaced, his head emerging as his dark hair slicked back, framing his face in wet, straight lines.
Sound of splashing water filled the small clearing as Valerio swam across the lake, relishing in the rejuvenating feeling of the cold waters. The small fish beneath him awoke and moved out of the way of the intruder.
Above the lake, the crimson illumination combined with the redwoods would have made an onlooker think they had caught a demon bathing. Though he didn't swim for long and slowed to a drift just a few minutes later, opting to take long breaths while drifting across the surface on his back. And just as he was drifting, so were his thoughts.
'I hope you're all safe… I'll make it back. No matter what I have to do. No matter how far I have to climb, I'll make it back.' A small pause overcame Valerio's thoughts, 'Even if it's in the afterlife.'
He gazed at the stars above as he drifted across the lake, his mind swimming in thoughts, tears threatened to fall down his eyes, but he didn't let them; he had resolved to be stronger, so he would be. They could threaten to fall as much as they wanted, he knew he couldn't change instantaneously, but he would damn well stick to his promise, not just to himself but to his family and friends. And so, with bittersweet thoughts and flashbacks, he simply continued to gaze at the starry sky.
Unfortunately, thinking about home made him feel a rush to be stronger, and suddenly, the cold water was nowhere near as enjoyable.
Valerio dipped his head in one final time before swimming to shore, the fish avoiding him as he swam. He dried his hair with his robes first, then the rest of his body with a chuckle. He wondered what his mom would think if she caught him abusing the self-cleaning formations to dry himself.
Valerio sat down once again, radiating the aura of a Tier 5. The Lu around him slightly curved towards him, forming a slight wind about him as he started cultivating.