84 Bony growth (2/2)
As of now, my body was just too weak on its own. I rely too much on the advantages, that my partner brought to me. If my first line of defence is breached than my body is most likely done for.
My exoskeleton is made of the substance similar to chitin and can only be strengthened to a certain extent, I might want to look into alternatives sooner or later. A feasible option would be to reinforce it with other substances. I have to be prepared for the worst.
If the monsters are that strong and tenacious already, then the players are walking nightmares. Even the weakest fool, would be able to take me out now. It hurts to say these words, but they would do so with ease.
While I do have to prepare for the worst, there is a certain idiom that fits quite well in this situation. Good things take time to ripen. As much as I want to hurry up and make the most of my limited time, if I take shortcuts here, it will end up biting me in the ass sooner or later. I know my luck, I surely will happen.
But this chain of thoughts did not deter me from punching and kicking the tree over and over again. When I took a break, I either trained the body parts I could not reach with my first method or decided to fish for some nutrients in the sea.
The sky had already darkened and the night was approaching but sleeping was out of the question, as it was just not necessary anymore. The last time I slept, was then my injuries forced me to recuperate. I am just glad, that I do not feel any symptoms of insomnia, because if being on the verge of death is my requirement for good sleep than my future is anything but rosy.
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My not so rosy future started with the same routine I followed religiously. Slowly but surely I got accustomized to the sounds I produced through my training. Listening to music was a sure way to alleviate the boredom, that came up eventually. I did not know exactly how much time had passed as the day and night cycles were random at best.
I was not too sure, whether my training brought any advantages at all, the pressure was still as heavy as before and the noise my bones produced would not be deemed healthy by anyone hearing them.
At least I had become proficient in my daily routine, but that is the only perk, that came with it. With no sign of effect in sight, I decided to test the limit of my current bones to try and see exactly what I can afford to do and what not.
Getting in position, I took a deep breath before throwing a barrage of punches and kicks putting all my weight behind them. The sound of bones breaking could be heard with each movement, but strangely I could still continue without my bones hindering me. I must have looked visibly confused after stopping because I heard a voice again, that I did not think I would ever hear again.
” You lousy brat, you finally realized it? Your bones are not breaking, they are being shifted.You are currently taking the next step to evolving your body. Your old set of bones was not durable enough to carry all of your weight. You do not have to worry, the rest of your body stays in its rightful place. For now at least.” it continued without giving me a chance to complain.
” No I have not been sulking, neither have I been scheming to take revenge. I am here to tell you, to stop your current training. Your skeleton will need some time to settle in its new positioning. To make sure, that you do not do anything dumb, I decided to slip a strong sedative in your bloodstream, that should take effect right now.
I prepared for the worst and closed my eyes reflexively. But against my expectation, the world did not turn black and I did not lose my consciousness, I was played like a fiddle by this fucker. I felt the anger rising inside of me, but I forced myself to calm down, as I still could exploit him to take revenge for this cruel prank.
His laugh filled my head and I could basically feel his gloating tone.
” Sorry, I had to. But I did not tell you a lie there. I seriously slipped something into your bloodstream. This is not a cruel prank but done as a precaution because for the next few hours you are better of being unconscious, that is for your own good. ”
But as the minutes passed and nothing changed, the mood turned more and more solemn and my tenant started to speak once again.
” I am not going to hold a big speech now. The next few hours will be a living nightmare for you. As you might now your bones are being shifted in your body. This procedure causes every muscle and ligaments to move as well. This process is the easy part.
That was the first time I heard its voice that serious. It felt like it took pity with me as it spoke those words.
”The troublesome part starts with the converted mana particles embedded in your flesh. These mana particles are in an unstable condition and will cause a lot of injuries in your body once your muscles get ripped apart due to the shifting. I will not be able to help in this process, as the process demands all of my attention in order to not kill you on the spot.”
While I was still busy realizing the meaning of the words it just had spoken. The trouble had started already as I fell backwards not being able to move a single muscle as my whole body convulsed.
” I am truly sorry.”
Was the last thing I heard before the start of the living nightmare