Chapter 9

Time Skips

 

Before I can go to sleep, I need to finish up with ventilating the place at least.

So again I start Barrier-ing a tunnel through the trunk. This time only 1 inch (2.5cm) wide, going down at a 20° angle from the room, due south. About 3 minutes later I finish that up and do an identical hole going due east. This takes 5 minutes because of having more to tunnel through. Now a third one from the top side, going up and north, with a dip downward again just before the bark to reduce rain/snow inside. 2 minutes later I start on the one going up and west.

Now, whichever way the wind blows, it'll pass through giving me fresh air.

Everything taken care of, I'm ready to-

No, wait.

I head out on the branch and drop my cookies off the side.

NOW that everything is taken care of I'm ready to sleep.

-Next Day-

I head out to forage for a while. Until I stave off the hunger, then a little extra.

I pause to check how well my tail is regrowing with [Minor Regeneration]. Hmm, it's a third as long as the old one. Don't know if the speed depends on having food, but it can't hurt. And at this rate it'll be back to tip-top shape after tomorrow.

Then I head back and work on my cultivation. I've let it slide a while, but I was learning how to be self-sufficient so it's fine.

First thing I notice is that all my 'practice' using Barriers recently has made it so they can start out at a significantly bigger size, for a bit more effort. Second is that the square/cube law comes into play again, giving 8 times the result for 4 times the effort. Or 27 for 9. But that's my limit for now. Third thing I notice is a pressure building up inside. It's not quite the same as when you are about to burp, but not different enough for the metaphor to be inaccurate. And this gets stronger with each cycle.

I want to keep going to see what happens, but I'm starting to tire out. And if I can't use a Barrier to lower myself down safely there's no way I can go hunting.

Gotta keep myself a balanced diet, about 50/50 plants vs. meats. Not like when I was human. Now that was complicated. 2 parts meat, 2-3 parts fruit, 2-4 parts veggie, 5+ parts starches, no more than 1 part fats/sugars. And probably a few I've forgotten.

So I swoop on down and start hunting something small enough for just myself. Like a mole or a few voles.

There's a bunny! They're delicious!

(M*rt*l K*mb*t Imitation:) 'GET OVER HERE!' *SQUEEEK!!* 'FATALITY.'

(nom, nom)

Now for a drink from the nearby stream, then a short fox-nap at home.

. . .

Rested and refreshed, I continue cultivation again.

Quickly the feeling of getting stuffed becomes uncomfortable. And some time later a bit painful.

But I remember how some of the novels pointed out that the higher the degree one 'stuffs himself', the stronger and more capable he is later, especially in outshining his peers.

As it feels like I am about to push through, I stop. And take another nap. Give whatever is holding all my Qi (still temp, not sure what the world calls it yet) time to stretch, expand and relax.

. . .

-Next Day-

Now that I've topped myself off and rested, twice, I'll . .

Do it 7 more times for luck!

-Second Month-

Eight weeks.

When I was 5 weeks old I broke through to . . not sure. Rank 3? Maybe 4? Also what do they call ranks in this world?

I've also practiced suppressing my [Dragon Eye]'s fear/domination aura. Sometimes when I look at an ordinary bird like a robin or bluejay, I don't cause its wings to sieze up.

Now that I'm 8 weeks old I'm about to break through again. Pretty sure I'm gonna get ticketed for speeding.

So I'll start another set of 9 almost-breakthroughs.

-3 days later-

Go time for real this time.

. . .

As I push my way into Level 5, something happens to me for the first time in, well, any lifetime I can remember.

'GAH! WHAT IS THIS STENCH!?!'

*koff, hack, koff-koff, wheez, BLARF*

Oh, right. I had read about this too. 'This must be from my body "expelling impurities" during my breakthrough. But why didn't it happen before?'

I use a Barrier to repel the impurities off my whole body. Torso, limbs, tail and especially fur.

Wait, repel the impurities? The reason this never happened before is there wasn't anything to expel until now.

And it can't have been from my cultivation method, so that leaves meals. That means I'll have to cleanse myself somehow on a regular basis. No way I'm doing a coffee enema. There isn't even a barista¹rabbit-kin or otherwise anywhere near here.

I've let this wait long enough already. I exit with all the impurities soap-bubbled and send it as far as I can, downwind of course.

Then the rest of the mess I just toss to the next tree over.

Great. Now I'm hungry.

-8 months later-

I've finally gotten the hang of the fear aura. At least to the first level of mastery. Right now it's on whenever I want it, and off whenever I don't want it.

Next level of mastery is directionality.

That is, aiming it at target A and/or target B without affecting target C.

I practiced looking around at nearby wolfpacks, and can recognize individuals' auras. There's a significant difference in an aura's size and density between those who can mindspeak, and those who can't. And a further increase with those who can still act under my fear aura. I'll have to look into this later, once I can pick someone's brain.

No, not like that Eddy! DISGUSTING!²go play with your friends Ed and Edd

I've also reached the full limit of cultivating without passing a huge . . um, what's the word? Oh, right. Bottleneck. If I compare myself without using any of my Specials to the other beasts, I'm just about equal to the weakest ones who can mindspeak. And that's mostly among wolves with a much bigger body than a barely-mature fox.

Momma mentioned something about Tier in regard to being able to mindspeak, though I apparently learned early. So it seems that's what the bottleneck is about.

I've had some conversations with other beasts. Nothing noteworthy, but it beats complete isolation. And I don't want to risk letting any passing humans know my home's location. Even if they can't do anything to me, they'd probably sell the info for a lunch.

No, that's a bit unfair. They'll take whatever they dare scam outa people like that rich bastard. ³not everyone. it's a battle in each individual's soul pitting 'friend' and 'honor/ethics' against "you'll pay HOW MUCH!?!"

I've had lots of time for philosophy. For example, is it called a horse fly due to its relative size to other flies, or because of the company it keeps?

But something else is bothering me lately.

'I'M GOING STIR-CRAZY!!!!'