Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 177: A Moment of Unity
The vital energy manuals she had received from the system were just the thing they needed. Suppose they could find a way to fuse vital energy with their abilities. They might be able to pull the crystal towards them.
Visha checked the reward and found the three manuals.
She could see that the three of them were given with each of them in mind. Whether it was the beast form of their personality, the books seemed to be tailor-made for them. It made her wonder if the system had always had them, and it was only waiting for her to come to this place.
She handed Uri his book, Black Current Devouring Art. Xeno’s book was called Heavenly Fang Scripture, and hers was Ninefold Mirage Sutra. The books didn’t stay in their hands. When they opened them, they became a stream of life that flew into their foreheads.
The information would now be burned into their minds. No need to constantly check what’s written. If they need to draw for information, thinking about it is enough. But even if they know the content, it does not mean that they have a proper grasp of their powers.
"Well, this is...not what I expected," Visha said after the information was imprinted on her mind.
She attempted to feel vital energy around her. Now that she understood what vital energy was, she realized that many priests actually use some variation of vital energy. They can use it because they are closer to vital energy. It’s the reason they can do rituals that make things happen. Or have certain feelings or inklings about the people in their tribe.
It was also through the book that she learned that not everyone needed to go through the same initiation they did. Only those of high bloodline would need to do so. And even then, only those who have not awakened go through such hardship.
This was once again a time she wondered what else she didn’t know about the Beast Continent. She resolved that when she went back to the tribe, she would take a look at the two lore crystals she had been ignoring. There must be something there that she doesn’t know. This was so she won’t always be surprised.
While Visha was lamenting her lack of knowledge, Uri and Xeno had already mastered their first steps. They both marveled at how easy it was and how much more powerful they felt when they tried it. A simple breathing exercise allowed them to become stronger than they had been in their wildest dreams.
As they comprehended, night fell. They did not notice what was happening outside, however. Their focus was on being able to use their newfound power. An entire night passed in this way. They felt neither hunger nor fatigue.
"Ready to try?" Visha asked
Xeno grinned widely, "Ready."
Uri nodded in response.
"Since this is our first time trying this, we need to be careful," Visha states. "Uri, you go first."
Uri releases his devouring current. According to what they spoke about, he tried to use the energy from the skill to move the crystal. Instead of pushing forward, he tried to pull. The crystal shook and moved slightly.
Next came Xeno; his was a bit complicated. Since his skill is a roar, he needed to find a way to turn the energy inward. Instead of roaring, he did something similar to Uri, where he tried to ’devour’ the crystal. He used this suction to pull the crystal even closer towards them.
She was the most stable of the three. Because she had been using the rite of vitality so often, she had some measure of how to stabilize their power. So while they drew the crystal closer, she wrapped her power around theirs and stabilized it. In this way, they could feel her power surrounding theirs and know how much more power they needed to expend.
It took more than three tries for them to get it right. The first time, they used too much energy and became tired too quickly. Another time, they did not use enough energy, which caused backlash from the crystal for being disturbed. They also used different sequences to try to make it easier for themselves.
In the end, the best sequence was Xeno, Uri, and then Visha.
By the time they got the crystal, they were exhausted. And since they couldn’t touch it, Visha did the only thing she could. She placed it in the space.
The moment the crystal entered the space, Visha felt the difference. Her knees buckled, and Uri and Xeno caught her. She wasn’t in pain per se. She felt an odd mix of pain and dissonance.
As though she was there but also not there. Lights flashed quickly past her eyes, yet she could still see everything. She saw the sanctum, and she saw herself being helped by Uri and Xeno. She could even hear herself speak.
It was an out-of-body experience she wasn’t sure she wanted to relive again. Finally, the strange feeling passed.
[Thank you.]
That was the first thing she heard from the system.
[This task has been hard on you, but it will also be beneficial for you...and your mates. You still have many tasks ahead. I will continue to ask for your support.]
The voice from the system was different now. It wasn’t the usual robotic voice. It was crisp and clear. And sounds like a woman.
Visha was surprised at this development. She was clear that something had changed with the system. A lot had changed. She could tell that from the voice. Her mind was reeling. She tried to ignore it, but she knew she couldn’t.
She also thought it was unlikely that the system would give her any answer, but she wanted to try nonetheless.
System? Visha called gently.
[Hmm.]
Visha was shocked to receive an answer. Can you tell me what just happened?
[That crystal was important. That’s all I can say for now. You will learn more when you meet larger tribes. For now, I will only ask that you stay away from Beast City. They are not people you should come in contact with.]
[If you want, you can check the new features for the system. I’ve remembered a lot, so the things inside should be able to help you better.]
With that, the system stopped speaking, and Visha did not ask any other questions.
