New Qi by itself was powerful and worked in mysterious ways, circulating through my body and stopping the bleeding. Claw wounds and the knife wound healed at a visible rate, improving my regeneration. Because of the immunity, the Ath’Taren poison also stopped. From the brink of death to incredible strength.
It was a miracle, but even New Qi wasn’t almighty. The true reason for my quick regeneration was because of the World Merge and time being screwed up, hastening the New Qi effect on the body. During my first life, we had no way of knowing about this, so there were no opportunities to exploit the system.
In this second life, I knew how powerful the system was. As long as one avoided fatal injury, even torn limbs had a higher chance of reattachment. Even so, I had no plans of getting hurt. Withstanding pain was never easy, even for a trained warrior. Pain could break someone’s mind, and even I could pass out from indescribable pain.
The energy coursed through my body, refreshing, revitalizing, transforming bones and muscles. I missed this feeling. Some even called it [The Feeling of Divinity]. Starting The Path led to a realm of new possibilities and a great start into this shitty world.
More than that, New Qi allowed me the full extent of the NOEA (Northern Old Army) Styles. Although I haven’t practiced them yet in this life, causing my movements to be unnatural, with time I would fall into my old form.
After breaking the Longclaw’s arms, I wasted no time. New Qi flowed and covered my hand, sharpening and turning it into a powerful and deadly weapon together with [Physical Boost].
[Northern Old Earth Army – Hand Demon Style – Spear Hand]
My hand trespassed through the Ath’Taren armored chest like a spear, killing it instantly. The Longclaw dropped to the ground as I pulled my hand out. Ben looks stunned, unable to believe what just happened.
[Enemy Ranked Ath’Taren killed]
I clenched my fist, celebrating a small win. I can do it. I can survive again.
After a few seconds of joy, my sight turned to Ben, and I moved to strike him down. The punch was powerful, but hit only the ground, sending shattered pieces flying everywhere while Ben dodged away.
Fast! Too fast!
I reached for the knife nearby and threw it, but he also dodged with blinding speed.
“Hehehehehe… that was scary, but you are nothing if you can’t hit me!” Ben grinned.
This… Did he awaken two innate abilities?! One for stealth and another for speed?
No way.
“You low-life, little shit. Why would you try to kill me when the situation is already this bad?!” I waited for an opportunity to attack while weighing my options. If I combined Physical Boost and Power Up, I might catch him, but that would tire me out. My body had limits. Pushing it too far wasn’t a good idea.
“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You left me to die! You took Sooyeon! You need to die!” His face twisted into madness and hatred.
My eyes widened. He was gone. No longer normal. New Qi was powerful, but also dangerous. Sometimes, it twisted and corrupted one’s mind. Maybe it messed him up, maybe it was the whole Apocalypse, maybe he was already messed up from the start.
“The Path grants power to all.”
The system’s words echoed through my head. It didn’t care whether they were good or evil, if they would bring disaster or salvation. There were many paths to choose.
I had no choice but to kill him. If he escapes and grows under The Path…
Ripples of Qi in the air got my attention. Even with passive abilities granting the ability to feel the Qi Flow, one still had to project it out, as if your new senses extended into the world. However, after decades of training, I did it out of habit.
One, two, three, four. My sharpened senses followed the Qi Flow. I was already surrounded. The New Qi in the Longclaws was weak, showing they were not ranked. But there were four of them, and more on the way. With the Ranked Longclaw’s death cry, the inferior ones came to support.
The Ath’Taren Demons were a flood, and hierarchy was absolute. There would be no end to them.
I ground my teeth. Taking a risk, I bolted and struck Ben again with a palm strike, following with a kick, hitting only air. The new enemies arrived in a rage over their dead superior, ignoring Ben and jumping at me. I deflected the blows, countering immediately, my fists twisting their bodies, the sound of cracking and tearing resounding loudly.
They were fast, but I was faster and stronger. I fought them too many times before, enough that their movements were no longer threatening but repetitive. Using NOEA Arts like the Spear Hand cost too much Qi and burdened the body. I couldn’t keep relying on those.
The basic forms of the styles were enough. They couldn’t hit me anymore, and I knew their vital spots. New Qi powered each blow. The beginning of my return as a warrior.
[Enemy Ath’Taren killed] x4
Four Longclaws died in a few breaths. However, even that little time was enough for Ben to escape my grasp. I couldn’t feel his New Qi, and tracking in this chaotic city was pointless. His awakened abilities were troublesome, and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last time I saw his twisted face, but I had to focus on leaving.
Normal Longclaws might not be a match for me, and ranked ones would go down with some trouble, but they were only the minions in the vanguard. The small fry. Deadlier enemies would come, and barely scratching The Path’s surface would be nothing against them.
I ran before others came. My wounds healed, but my stamina had limits. New Qi required a sturdy vessel, and forging a powerful body took time. I needed to get back to Jiwan and the others.
With my new physical abilities, I climbed to a vantage point on the rooftop of a small building, surveying the area. Chaos unfolded, buildings collapsed, some like the one I stood on barely hanged on. Dozens of New Qi belonging to Ath’Taren minions roamed about, still hunting.
I focused on the southern bridge. Longclaws were already there in groups, and the army couldn’t push them back. The soldiers stood bravely. They weren’t as easy prey as the regular citizens.
Should I help them?
It was too risky without the system, but now fighting means more experience and the opportunity to receive better abilities and hidden classes. A mistake could cost my life, but the rewards could turn into a blessing, and people’s lives were at stake.
I could swim across, or rush through the bridge before it collapsed. There was also a good chance people could still reach the other side right now if they rushed.
Damn. I said I would survive. But what for?
To create a place for the Old Earth Humans. Somewhere we could rebuild our lives. The people in front of me needed help right. A warrior could not run away when he wielded the power to fight. I dashed to the bridge. It was the only decision my heart felt at ease to make.
A brutal melee ruled the bridge. Soldiers and police officers sacrificed themselves to fight the Longclaws. Some were martial arts masters, throwing away their useless weapons, focusing on hand-to-hand combat.
Even causing no damage, they found out ways to buy time and delay the attacks, as I did with throws. But even masters tire, and things complicated further once New Qi deepened, slowing them down. The healing from thick New Qi was a blessing to those who opened The Path, but a burden to those who couldn’t control it.
People crossed the bridge desperately, amidst dozens of cars and corpses, lots of corpses. The elderly and children slowed them down.
“Sergeant, w-we’re getting slaughtered out here!”
“Hold the line, men! We will fulfill our duty to the end! Hold them back until the people cross!”
The leading soldier fought ferociously, enough that even Longclaws could not hit him. They were holding on, but the situation changed as enemy reinforcements showed up.
“Sergeant, we need to retreat-” A claw pierced the soldier’s lungs, sending him to the afterlife.
“CORPORAL!” The Sergeant grit his teeth. The situation turned. Suddenly, his companions were overwhelmed by numbers, dying all around. There was nothing he could do about it. But he never ran away.
A soldier was about to be torn apart when he knocked down a Longclaw with a shoulder charge. The demon targeted him instead, claws aiming to pierce through his heart. He thought about impending death, but it was not his time yet.
“Defense Up!” I cast my spell on the Sergeant, a glowing white Magic Circle appearing in my hand.
“Shi-” he gave up on escaping when an impact pushed him back. It hurt, but the claw didn’t pierce his chest, leaving an imprint that was barely scratched. The soldier looked lost before noticing my arrival.
“Good job holding out. Leave the rest to me!”
I jumped in like a lightning bolt, kneeling a Longclaw away. The soldiers couldn’t believe their eyes. A skinny looking young man had a weird, glowing circle on one hand and kneeled a gigantic monster away with ease.
And that wasn’t even the weirdest thing happening that night.