Walking Disasters and Me-Learning the Basics – Ch 17
I groan out, "You did
not
just start this training session with a
Mulan
reference! No! Bad Ios!" However, despite my best efforts to be stern, I begin to laugh at the craziness of it all.
"Hehe~ Anyway, Akiko, you need to learn what the system is and how it aides Amelia. I can project a screen here in your script that will let you see essentially what she does when she looks it over, and I will go through all the points like I did with Amelia when she was starting out back in the forest. Oh right, before we begin, can you give her the dress and spear she had before? Now that she's safe in your estate, she should be equipped appropriately." Ios responds back before addressing Akiko, ignoring my complaints.
"Very well then, where is that storage bag Amelia?" Akiko turns to me and asks curiously.
Uhhh... where
is
the storage bag?? I must have chucked it when I was undressing this morning... After a few minutes of frantic searching, I find that I had somehow kicked it under the bed and had to wiggle my curvaceous body in awkward angles to finally grab it. With a satisfied sigh, I produce the bag to Akiko who only giggles slightly, thankfully. The uber battle attire and spear plink out of the bag without much fanfare, and I scoop up the dress to go change into in the bathroom. Not trying to give a whole emotional performance
and
a show here.
A few minutes later and I return to the both of them, fully kitted out. Ios looks over me before nodding once and then saying, "I know the situation was crazy with the bears, but you really should Appraise that spear Aims. Its a good piece."
Curious, I do just that.
[Appraise lvl 1] has upgraded to [Appraise lvl 2]!
[Dual Winged Spear of the Reaper (Peak Earth Rank)]: This ornate spear was gifted to avatars and servants of the Ferryman, to enact his will on distant shores. This spear does 20% of its damage as soul damage, and enemies killed by this spear will have their souls collected into containers if they are available. While wielding this spear, the users STR, DEX, and CON will increase by 50, and their WIS will increase by 100.
Akiko looks to the projection of Ios as I get done reading the, admittedly bad ass, description of the spear. Moving closer, I notice that she is reading some kind of paragraph of text that I cant read which is being displayed by Ios' machine. Thankfully, Ios comes back in verbally without disrupting the picture.
"I'm showing her what you found out with your skill. For a Peak Earth Rank, it's pretty powerful, even if its stat buffs are a bit low. That 20% soul damage is unheard of around here, and Akiko can agree to that." Ios fills in for me.
"Indeed Amelia," Akiko says after she gets done reading, her face looks a little... pensive... but she lets it slide back to her comforting look as she goes on, "Items and treasures that deal secondary damage or effects are beyond rare, and even more so when it comes to matters of the soul. I know not how these numbers aid you, per say, but anything that gives you an edge is a boon in my opinion. Spirit Ios, maybe we should now go over young Amelia's system in full, since she has adorned all of her equipment fully?"
Ios smiles softly back at Akiko as her form comes back into the projection. For the first time I might add! Ios continues, "My thoughts exactly little fox, I will show you Amelia's status page, which has all of her effects and descriptions from the system, and then go over them with you. Try not to faint~" She smiles mischievously before waving her hand and summoning the entire status page.
Spoiler
Status Screen
Name:
Amelia "Aims" Dufort
Race
Human (Reborn)
Titles:
[Intertwined Soul] [Reincarnator] [Favored by Ios] [Favored by Ilya] [Defier of the Heavens] [Touched by the Void] [Hardened Soul] [Charon's Little Helper] [Otherworldly Beauty] [Pro Athlete] [Alumni] [Survivor]
Level
15
(Exp Gain Multiplier +175% from Titles)
Cultivation Methods
None
Health:
2795 / 2795
(Base 150 + 10 per CON = 2150) (+ 30% from Titles)
Recovery Rate: 25 pts per hour
(Base 5 + 1 per 10 CON)
Stamina:
5330 / 5330
(Base 100 + 10 per DEX and CON = 4100) (+ 30% from Titles)
Recovery Rate: 45 pts per hour
(Base 5 + 1 per 10 CON and + 1 per 10 DEX)
Stored Qi
0
(Accumulation Rate Boost +175% from Titles) (Being Absorbed by Active Effects)
Active Effects:
[Soul Storage (Occupied) (Incubating)] [Grief (Processing)] [Arousal (Low)] [Lust (Low)]
Ability Scores:
Strength (STR)
200
Dexterity (DEX)
200
Constitution (CON)
200
Intelligence (INT)
25
Wisdom (WIS)
217
Charisma (CHA)
100
Luck (LCK)
500
Active Skills:
[Inspect lvl 10 (MAX)] [Appraise lvl 2] [Charm lvl 10 (MAX)] [Steady Breathing lvl 5] [Resolute Mind]
Passive Skills:
[Allure lvl 10 (MAX) (DISABLED)] [Firearm Mastery (MAX)] [Advanced Learning lvl 5] [Cooking lvl 3] [Budding Nudist]
Available Ability Points:
240
Available Skill Points:
58
Available Shop Points:
2395
[collapse]
Ios quickly explains all of my titles, skills, and attributes to Akiko. Even the ones I rather she didn't. Looking at you Budding Nudist.
I can see Akiko have a thoughtful expression on her soft, beautiful face before she says, "So this Allure and Otherworldly Beauty. I am not going to diminish the failure I had when I first met Amelia, but these two abilities would explain something about it. Even at the time, I was more... aggressive... than I had been in years, but after Amelia succumbed to her emotions, I noticed I had full faculties again. Spirit Ios, is there any way that those skills could have impacted me during that event?"
Ios thinks for a few seconds, summoning her avatar next to us as we stand in front of the box displaying my screen in Akiko's script. "I think its more than possible. To be honest, after Amelia had her panic attack, I disabled Allure just in case, but that skill had stopped firing after... Well, I think that your initial *ahem* approach to Amelia was quite successful. She was thoroughly wrapped around your little fingers and that skill and her title kept feeding into her, like a horny feedback loop. It didn't break until you started to get aggressive, which apparently is something Amelia
doesn't
like going by evidence."
Fuck you Ios, don't out my preferences like that!! "Ios! Don't put my sex life on display like that you bitch!" Apparently, my mind and mouth synched up this time.
Akiko laughs loudly into the room as Ios gains a large, knowing smile. These stupid, sexy, cheeky women! "
FINE!
Yes, I thought it was hot what Akiko was doing at the start, and
NO
I didn't like it when I thought pain was going to be involved. Are you happy now?! Can we move on and stop judging me for how I like to get off?!"
My angry glare somewhat works, as they stop laughing. However now both of them have knowing smiles that makes my face flush even more. Eventually I have to turn away in a huff and cross my arms over my chest as I sit back down on the bed before egging Ios to get on with it. "Alright you've had your fun. Ios, what should we do for cultivation."
"Well miss 'I look like a tomato' Aims, I think we should let Akiko describe this worlds cultivation first. If I understand correctly, this world practices spiritual cultivation, correct?" She says with her dumb, sexy, sassy voice as she looks to Akiko.
"Indeed spirit Ios, it seems our Amelia is always the first to share her feelings, and the first to be shy about them!~ Yes, that is correct, I am an Apogee Rank spiritual cultivator, and spiritual cultivation has been the practice in this world for over 10,000 years now." Akiko supplies back with her own dumb, sexy, teasing voice.
I huff out with my face still redder than a firetruck's paint, "You two are ganging up on me."
To which they both respond at the same time, "Yes!" before laughing again. I bury my head into the nearby pillow until they calm down, slowly easing it below my eyes and glaring at them.
They seem to ignore my plight as they continue on to themselves, "Alright then Akiko, walk us through the realms and ranks of your path." Ios says while giving a small bow.
"Very well, my dear spirit Ios." Akiko laughs before adopting a college professor like attitude, "Spiritual cultivation is best described as finding the perfect balance between your soul and your dantian, which is the core of your body. It emphasizes balance, and the first stage of this path is called the Foundation Rank. Here, you will go through 4 realms of comprehension as you learn how to gather Qi into yourself, feeding both your body and soul.
Once you have mastered those basics, you will face a Tribulation from the Heavens. If you succeed and survive through that, then you will be fed by Heaven's spent energy and breakthrough into the 2nd Realm which is the Formation Rank. At this Rank, you will learn how to form the connection not only between your soul and body, but you will also build your meridians. Meridians are like junctions where your energy connects and flows and creating them is the basis of this entire realm of cultivation. There are also only 4 ranks in this realm, and it is advised to spend a decent portion of time here to make sure you have the best possible connections through your body and soul as they will follow you throughout the rest of your mortal journey as a cultivator.
Once you have perfected this stage, you will once again face another Tribulation to advance into the 3rd Realm, the Awakened Rank. It is at this stage that you learn how to not only use the connections between your body, soul, and meridians to move Qi effectively, but also how to begin exerting your Qi outside your body in various auras or effects. This realm has 6 levels to progress through, each deepening your understanding of Qi as well as how you can effect it.
Once you have reached the apex of this realm and face Heaven, you will pass into the Unification Rank. This is the point someone is considered a seasoned cultivator, typically. By this stage, you have laid a strong foundation, built your connections, and mastered your outward influence of Qi. As you progress through this Rank's 7 realms, you combine all of that into yourself, your pathways connecting your soul, body, and meridians fuse into one as your learned auras and powers fuse into your soul. This is a grueling process and requires years of study to advance even 1 realm. But if you succeed, toward the later end you approach the apex of what mortals can achieve. The Apogee Rank.
This rank, should you survive the Tribulation, focuses on shrinking your dantian and Qi until it changes from its natural gaseous state to a liquid one. And then, once you reach the half step, a liquid to a solid state. The difference in power between a 1st Realm Apogee Rank and someone like me is the same difference between a 1st Realm Foundation Rank and me, Amelia. Once you successfully reach the half step and transmute your dantian to a solid state, you are nearly untouchable by mortal ranks. It is an arduous, pain staking process to reach this level, and many die and fail in the attempt. But if you can reach it, then you are unmatched by any except other half steps or, obviously, Immortals."
Akiko finishes her long and detailed description with a look of pride on her face, like she had obviously done a good job. Which I think she did! It was very informative and easy to follow! However, Ios' next sentence made her fall down to the ground in shock.
"Right, so that's Spiritual cultivation~! But now we can go over Soul and Body cultivation too!~"
.
!
Learning the Basics – Ch 17
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