I sat in my office chair, rereading the travel guide and searching for insights. Information was sparse, and there weren't many firsthand accounts of the situation.
None were in my price range. I could purchase a flora guide for 30,000pt, a fauna guide for 50,000pt, and a guide on primal chi cultivation for 150,000pt. I double-underlined that one for good measure.
I didn't know what primal chi was or how it differed from chi. Regular chi itself was a mystery priced out of my reach. The chi produced by the machine wasn't the primal chi of Ichor Prime. Primal chi could not be cultivated from dead worlds like my own. I needed to return with a chi source to cultivate the same chi I would get from Ichor Prime.
I needed to drink something while I worked, so I chugged cold coffee. I had left the pot on, but I didn't want to get up to refresh my cup. Instead, I cracked a can of Mountain Dew from my desk fridge and drank that. I checked the time on the corner of my screen. In a few more minutes, my pizza should arrive.
I checked my notes on what Xianxia literature said about cultivation and what I could cobble together from the travel guide.
Too much remained a mystery. From what I could tell, primal chi was like stem cells. They could evolve to become any chi, achieving great things with the right structures. I wasn't sure putting something like that in my body was a good idea.
There was a lot I didn't know, but with most cultivation stuff, old was better for some reason. That didn't mean primal chi was the best around, but it would become good if it lasted long enough to collect dust. From what I could tell, the selling point of Ichor Prime was the ability to breathe chi in from the air itself.
I turned a page and saw an elf who looked hotter than the best E-girls. Unlike the others, she didn't need fake ears, breasts, or a personality. The last one wasn't fair, but I've heard too many horror stories of guys going into debt chasing fake relationships with only fan models.
Money held too much value to waste it on a fake relationship like that. I would rather use an AI girlfriend than a meatbag that doesn't care.
The pizza wasn't here yet, so I forced myself to look at the screen and go over my notes.
Each kaiju had a tribe of elves that worshipped it. The main tribe lived close to the beast and the branch tribes surrounding it. Power was always centralized around the kaiju.
A knock on my door signaled my break, and I rushed to get my meat-lovers, extreme cheese, and Popeye pizza. The guy at the door looked surprised when I gave him a hundred-dollar tip and sent him on his way. The pizza was greasy goodness that I slammed in one sitting. It was the best food I was going to get for a long time. The chicken Alfredo Popeye was my favorite.
On my fridge, I found a check-off list I made in a fit. Off and on, I checked off the points until I came to one I nearly forgot.
I spent 200 points on upgrades to my phone, making it waterproof, extending its range, and swapping out its battery for a formation that uses chi. Potentially, I could use my phone from half a mile away. For another 100 points, I gained a sense of where it was at all times, so I would no longer leave it on the couch and walk past it a dozen times.
There were a few loose ends I needed to take care of.
From what I could tell, most people lose their phones and can't regain them. Since my phone was my connection to the app, losing it would leave me stranded. Anything I could do to lower the chances of that happening was a great investment. Then there was the 5000pt 5-day teleportation plan.
If my phone is lost in 5 days, it will appear in my pocket.
Worrying about things I didn't have was no use, so I purchased a blue pill for my preparations.
Blue Pill (Dragon's Breath Lozenge): A pill designed to increase the user's lung capacity for an affordable price. This pill is for those who use breath techniques to burn their enemies, but can never quite light every house and cart of a village on fire. Each pill unlocks a 30% increase in lung capacity with a trainable increased potential up to 150%. This pill can be used 3 times with stacking results.
I didn't know what it did to my lungs, but more air wasn't bad. More oxygen would really help my endurance overall. I wish the price weren't so high.
I increased my daily exercise and earned more points. According to my calculations, I should have been able to get two more blue pills before the month's quest began. I needed to be as prepared as possible.
How were they going to drop me into the world? Was I going to become a tribe member?
Weekly Quest
Learn Long Range Combat
Reward
500pt
Ichor Prime Language Disk
Weapon Token x 1
Ok, that wasn't planned at all.
I left the office, went to the couch, and flipped on the TV. The local news was on, talking about a bank robbery in progress. I watched one of the officers launch off his feet and drop with a horrible crunch. I winced and lay down.
There was someone with what could only be telekinesis out there. Not everyone had the same world or loadout. The police were going to come down hard on anyone with the app. Killing officers was not done for a reason.
Would anyone care about the man's family?
Going there myself wasn't happening. I wanted to help, but I wasn't tough enough to shrug off bullets or strong enough to tank falls from multiple stories. From what I could see, this wasn't good.
I practiced my breathing technique as the sun began to edge down, and I looked out at my growing lawn. Soon, I would be gone. I didn't think the system gave its users the option of staying.
For 100pt, I gained a discounted cartridge for duel-wielding pistols, but the purchase also covered other weapons and even a few exotics.
I slipped the helmet on and found myself in front of a pale-skinned man standing only 7 feet tall instead of the monstrous 8 feet of the teacher.
"My name is Dan, and I will teach you everything there is to know about firearms."
I spent 400 hours learning how to take apart and assemble multiple pistols, rifles, and even a few ray guns I've only seen in games. Using duel pistols was difficult. Reloading was a chore and if I used both guns up then I was disarmed until I could get a clip in both and cocked the weapon.
My trainer tossed me into situations like old churches surrounded by zombies, where I had to guard survivors. Those were my favorites. I often found those who were armed, separated them from the secret infected, and placed them in positions where they could either do the most good or the least damage. Often, they were the ones to take out the infected survivors after they killed the less useful civilians.
Leadership, I learned, was about minimizing losses and maximizing gains.
Sometimes I was riding a horse, something I had little experience in, and shooting Apache braves armed about as well as I was. When I was shot with either a gun or an arrow or stabbed by a lance, the simulation didn't reset until I bled out and died. That helped hammer lessons home. Those were the experiences that shaped my skill with firearms. I learned to move into cover, keep my head down, and locate the enemy.
My worst experience was on a starship being boarded by aliens. Sometimes I had a ray gun that could do some damage, and other times I had a high-caliber revolver that failed to penetrate armor. No amount of my improved strength or speed was enough to counter a being protected by energy shields and wearing half a ton of armor. That taught me to be patient, let others help bring shields down, and only attack when it served a purpose. Sometimes I rubbed my shoulder, remembering a plasma burn reset multiple runs ago.
Dan advised me to find an enchanter I trusted and get expanded mags.
There were reports about people being watched after buying weapons locally from retail, so I did what any hot-blooded American would. I called up my cousin, who happened to be a gunsmith, and bought directly from him. A couple of thousand under the table, let me buy as much ammunition as I want.
He mostly repaired antiques, but that didn't stop him from keeping his stock. That's how I ended up with two.45 CAL guns. One was a Ruger SR 1911, while the other was a Glock 45. Neither gun felt right in my hands. I wanted to go to the local firing range, but I wasn't sure if there would be enough time.
My knife was purchased from a local blacksmith around my age who used a railroad track clip and a piece of an old anchor. The knife was well balanced and felt right in my grip. I ate one last steak and released the cats to the outside world.
For the next week, I studied the language of ichor prime, purchased the last two blue pills, and stocked up on red ones. I could buy a small storage ring that vanished once it was on my finger. I could only store around a cubic meter of space, nothing living. Despite their pulse, the pills didn't count as being alive.
On the day I was to enter the portal, I felt a buzz in the air. A door appeared in the middle of my living room. I took a picture of it with my phone, and it didn't appear. When I touched it, the wood didn't feel like anything I've ever touched before.
It was here that I knew I had to go through, but even after all the training, actually taking the plunge and going for it was a daunting leap. There was no telling where I would end up. I had a bag prepared with a change of clothes, a tent, canned food, and anything else I could possibly need. The problem was that I continued to hesitate.
How could I leave my world behind?
Blue lights appeared outside my house. "Mr. Smith, we have a warrant for your arrest. Come with your hands up, or we will come in after you."
Did my cousin sell me out? That wasn't fair. I stared at the door momentarily before opening it and stepping through.
It shut behind me on its own. I was gone from the world I knew and somewhere else. I sucked in a breath and shuttered as I felt something fill my lungs. Every breath seemed to push something through my body.
Was this primal chi?
It felt heavy compared to the chi from the machine at my trailer. When it filled my lungs, I knew it was there, and then it flowed through my veins. The sensation happened with every breath without pause.
Something was happening to me, and I didn't know if it was good or bad.
I stared at the ocean and listened to the waves crash on the beach as I felt something continue to fill my lungs. The sensation was strange. I forced myself to use the breathing technique I had been practicing, and the feeling worsened. Whatever was happening using the technique hastened the process.
The sun hung heavy overhead, shining through a cloudy sky with large glittering birds flying overhead. A curious bird landed a white feathered thing too big to be a seagull with a wingspan longer than I was tall. The bird stood taller than an ostrich, and its white wings flapped, causing sand to gust up and spray around where it landed. It cocked its head before strutting over to me as more birds landed behind it.
I watched the large bird transfixed as it looked back as three other birds landed with larger plumages and strangely feminine forms. I didn't know how I knew, but they screamed femininity. The bird chirped and pecked my knee.
Pain lanced up my leg. So I kicked the massive bird, sending it rolling across the sand. My body jerked from stopping myself from chasing it down to finish the job and ringing its neck. Blood dripped down my leg where the thing's sharp beak drove into my knee.
I glared at the bird who watched me as I removed my first aid kit, sanitized the wound, and wrapped my knee swiftly.
I continued to perform the breathing technique. When I felt a drop in the chi running through my system, I course-corrected and drew in the primal chi.
The bird flew off, chased by the others.
With the sun still high and no clue how the tides worked, I made my way upland to find a spot to place my tent where I wouldn't drown from high tide in the middle of the night. After marching across ten miles of beach, I saw signs of civilization.
In the distance, an altar made of stone and seashells stood erect. Surrounding the altar was a long stretch of beach with two lower sections forming shallow pools. The pink coral reef stretched as far as the eye could see across the shallow waters surrounding the beach, except for around the altar. As I neared the altar, I thought the coral receded, but instead the water deepened. Flakes of blue, green, and gold coral became more populous as I neared the altar, with fish swimming around them.
Occasionally, I spotted long fishing lines connected to stakes buried deep in the ground, attached to traps around the reef. Honestly, I was surprised I didn't see anyone spear fishing or using a pole.
A sudden white blur made me jump as a seagull dove into the water and flew out with a large blue fish in its beak. Water sprayed off its majestic body as it flew over me. I dodged instinctively as massive, bowling ball-sized bird droppings slammed onto the sand.
I crept and spotted an elf in the distance before throwing myself behind some bushes. When they stopped to look at my tracks, I thought my cover was blown until they walked past me and continued.
Dark skin and flowing golden hair were two characteristics that stood out among these elves. While my sample size was two, I was willing to claim that it was a trait of the elves.
I slowly extracted myself from my hidey hole. "Howdy," My head jerked to see a blue-eyed, dark-skinned girl with the shiniest golden hair I've ever seen. She raised her eyebrows high to fake her smile, reaching her eyes.
"Hello," She wrinkled her nose. "Is my accent that terrible?" I asked.
"Don't quote me, but do you have an egg in your throat, or are you just happy to see me?" She shook her head. "For a spy, you don't seem to be worried."
"That's because I'm not a spy."
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm lost," I said.
She snorted, " Okay, mister, you are not a spy. Why are you here if not to watch us and learn our secrets?" She looked at my clothes up and down. Maybe you're right; no spy would wear that."
I shook my head. "What's with the altar?"
"You're gonna need to be more pacific. Do you not give sacrifices where you're from? And did you cut your ears with a knife?"
"A birth defect, actually," I said.
"Disgusting, you should have been gelded when they kicked you out of your tribe. We don't want you here either; you should leave before one of our warriors finds you."
Oh yeah, prehistoric culture, they were as brutal as their neighbors and graded on a scale by them.
I flinched. "That wasn't the response I expected. Come on, don't you feel bad for me?"
"Why should I? If the Titans cursed you with round ears, then who am I to question their decision?"
"Interesting, what if it happened to someone in your tribe, like your sister. Would you feel differently then?"
She balked at my words. "That dog won't hunt, friend. We make more sacrifices than all get out. Don't get me wrong, we have bad luck when brothers stick sisters, but that only happens down yonder from the big titan Morrtha. We keep our faith with the deep maw, and she never did us wrong. So pack up your doubts and put them away."
I felt like I was talking to a Texan. The words weren't exactly one for one, but the sheer amount of slang in her elven language was insane.
"If I caused you any trouble, I apologize. I'm very lost. Would your tribe try to kill me if I hung around here out of their way?"
"Killing someone for breathing air and eating a few fish isn't our way. We aren't those savage Emberkin. I reckon if you aren't trying to slip between the legs of any of our girls or ask questions, you ought to know you shouldn't ask, our warriors won't string you up, and clip your seed pods. I don't need to tell you not to blaspheme Morrtha."
I raised my hands. "I wouldn't even know how to."
"So long as you don't disrespect the ocean or overfish, no one will care that some funny looking fella is out here sleeping on the sand and catching fish we have plenty of. Be mindful and bow your head when in the presence of a warrior." She shook her head. "You feel weaker than a babe. I should have demanded that you bow your head to me. You're lucky I don't need my butt kissed." The elf said.
"What can I call you?"
"Odissara Tidestar Marisal Sacrifiticus, but most people call me Odi for short. Tidestar is the capital's name where I was born, and Marisal is the province. Can you guess the last part?"
"You're a sacrifice. Morrtha takes elven sacrifices."
"Yeah, and while the men live it up like it's their last three weeks left on Ichor Prime, I'm going seashell hunting. There are a few rare shells I have yet to collect. I need to find those right quick before I'm out of time." Odi said.
I took the hits with everything else she was too stunning. Her appearance alone was enthralling; her dark skin contrasted with her practically glowing blue eyes and shiny golden hair was gorgeous. And her assets were impressive: thick hips, a skinny waist, and breasts built to feed an army of children. Her little red leather bra barely kept her dark cleavage from bursting with its bounty. After meeting her, learning that she would be sacrificed to some monster, it tied my stomach in knots.
Why even tell me a total stranger? I didn't think there was much I could do as I was. She thought I was a weakling, weaker than an infant.
I had reason to believe that cultivation techniques could bridge the gap between people born to primal chi and tourists like me. The cheapest manual gatherings of faith was 3000pt. All it taught was the first stage of cultivation. The next stage was 500,000pt, like other manuals in its tier.
She pointed a finger at me, and salt water splashed me in the face. I spluttered and coughed, and she grinned at me.
"Bless your heart, but none of that now. I got enough from all the boys who can't live without sugar from Odi. Some of us must die so the titan will keep blessing our people. To get something, you must give something; that's basic stuff. Didn't your parents teach you that, or did they toss you out for being a round-eared baldy?" Odi said.
"And here I was feeling sorry for you." I shook my head. We only just met, but even I can see you are getting the short end of the stick. They can say it's all they want for the good of the group, but they don't have to pay the price."
Odi pointed her finger at me and water gathered at its tip. She splashed me with enough pressure to make my skin feel raw. "If I fled, my sister would have to be sacrificed instead of me. There are no good options here."
I felt it sort of. I felt something else, not just the water flowing down my face, drenching one of my few sets of clothes.
"I suppose I'll go and find somewhere to place my tent," I said.
My back was drenched in sweat when I finally got away from her. Elves were too beautiful to have meaningful conversations with.
I set up my tent just as high tide came in a few miles inland. I watched the water level rise as I pulled a chair out and sat under the sun's rays. All I did was breathe and feel something fill my body.