[1st POV]
I ran through the forest.
I was like a wind with feet. I had tested my enhanced physical capabilities and enhanced senses on their own, but it was when these two came together that I finally realized the true extent of my ability.
I ran between the trees at breakneck speed, my superior senses perfectly keeping up with the speed. It was like my body knew what to do; there was less thinking and more instinct. Although I was sprinting, it felt like I was moving at a controllable speed.
The wind rushed past my face and hair. The sunrays that penetrated the thick trees looked like holes in the sky; their light made the forest look like a kaleidoscope.
I did not stop with just running. Eventually, I climbed up the trees and began leaping from tree to tree like the shinobi from Naruto. I did some acrobatics that I had never learned before, but my body seemed to just know how to move.
It was incredible.
But I did not forget the reason why I came out here in the first place. After enjoying myself for a few moments, I was already deeper into the forest.
I closed my eyes and focused on my other senses which were not sight. But even though I closed my eyes, I continued moving without hitting anything. It felt like I had more than just five senses inside me. The lack of sight did not blind me.
I focused on my sense of smell and my sense of hearing. I listened carefully to the forest, letting everything breathe whisper into my ears. Then I took in the scent of the world, they were distinct, they were a way to identify everything else.
In just a few seconds, I sensed a pheasant nearby.
I opened my eyes. It might seem ridiculous but I felt my control waver when I saw the blurring of the forest. I just realized how fast I was moving.
I jumped onto another tree. But this time, I did not land on the branch but I pressed my feet against the trunk instead. And then with the flex of my knees, I pushed myself off, changing direction in an instant.
I moved towards the pheasant and my sharp eyes caught its figure instantly. It heard my loud movements and was running away, zig-zagging through the trees and bushes.
I smiled.
I pushed myself off another branch and flanked the pheasant. I ran past the bird from the top of the trees and then I launched myself down.
Woosh!!
Yoink!!
I caught the pheasant by the neck before I crashed on the forest floor. Much of it was covered with fallen leaves and dirt so I slid for a few metres before I caught myself on the roots of a tree.
"Got you," I said and put the bird in front of my face.
My hand tightly grabbed him by the throat but I was careful to not kill it. I need the animal alive to do my experiment after all.
I took a huge breath, realising just now that I was a bit tired from all the running. I fixed my position on the forest floor. It was a mountain range so the forest went down at a tight angle. If I was not careful, I could roll down and fall.
I grabbed the pheasant with both hands. My hands covered his wings so he could not escape and I let his feet face the sky.
"Hopefully this doesn't hurt you," I said before closing my eyes again.
I summoned my Dragon Qi. I was more experienced this time and I sensed clearly what was happening. The energy that was all over my body started crawling toward my hands. They flowed up like little veins from all over until they gathered on my palms.
When I opened my eyes again, both of my palms were releasing an eerie purple glow.
I took another breath and began injecting the energy inside the pheasant. I was slow and gentle in my endeavour and I did not see any result at first.
"???" I was confused.
"???" and the pheasant seemed just as confused as me.
I continued pushing my Qi into the bird. This time, I was not as gentle. When more than half of my reserves had been pushed into the bird, it finally happened.
"Baaaakkkhhh" the pheasant released a choked scream and began thrashing violently in my hand.
In the meantime, I saw dark purple energy coming out from the bird and flowing back into my body. I closed my eyes as euphoria hit me. All the Dragon Qi that I used came back to me and more.
I gained back more Dragon Qi than I had used.
It was not only that. I felt my cells being rejuvenated and all tiredness and fatigue washed away from my body. I felt stronger, better, healthier.
I released a shocked laugh while basking in that power. Three seconds later, the feeling stopped but the effect remained permanent.
When I looked down, I found the pheasant dead. It was really dead. Although it just died, it looked like it had died years ago. But there was no smell or decay on the bird either.
I realized then that I had absorbed all the life force, ki, spiritual power, etc. whatever you want to call it, from the bird.
"So, that is darkness affinity," I said and made a mental note in my head.
It was dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. Just from the sheer euphoria I gained when I was absorbing the life force of that bird, I could see someone with the same power going on a killing rampage, slaughtering every living being.
It was a path I would need to tread carefully from now on.
I carefully laid the pheasant down on the ground before listening for something else. I found another animal nearby instantly so I shot towards their location.
A few minutes later, I returned to the same place with a hare in hand. I was holding it by the legs, it tried to kick me away many times but it couldn't escape. All it did was make him wiggle below my grasp.
Before I started the experiment again, I stared at my left hand. After a flash of intent, my nails elongated and gained a dark color. The human nails became claws.
I used the claws to leave a claw mark on my wrist. I winced a bit at the pain before I returned my hand back to normal and focused on the animal.
I caught the rabbit by the back of its head and did the same thing to it as well. At the start, I felt no reaction whatsoever. But the more I pushed my Qi into the hare, the more I began to understand what was going on.
In the game, you need to hit the opponent five times before you activate the passive. It seems that rather than a rule, Yu Zhong injected a portion of his Dragon Qi into the enemy with each hit and after multiple hits, the passive took effect.
After injecting enough Dragon Qi, it then burst out from the victim. I regained all the Dragon Qi used and more. It also regenerated any wounds I might have and refilled my stamina.
The amount of Qi I needed to inject also differed, I would assume the stronger the victim, the more I need.
The hare too required more than the pheasant. But soon enough, the rabbit cried out and thrashed wildly before becoming still, deader than dead.
I on the other hand, felt my body rejuvenate and my reserves increase. The claw mark I made on my body also healed instantly.
"I see, I understand it now," I said with a grin.
With that experiment done, I finally understood what the system was and what my powers were.
Going forward, I could focus solely on training.
So what can I say except, let training arc begin.
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