15 New friends, and breathing.

I arrived in front of the great gate of the sect, and got the attention of the guards. They directed me to an elder, and as soon as I knew it, the matter was settled.

"Thank you again, Lord Adam, for rescuing us." A woman thanked me as they started to depart, a thin girl, clearly not eating well. Before she left, I handed her some spare change, smiling.

These people... They're my responsibility, so long as I'm in this sect. I'm not so cold-blooded as to shirk my duty as a guardian. And that demonic cultivator... When I have the strength, I'm going to gut every single one I can get my hands on.

But for now, I'll turn in my quest, and go do some shopping.

...

How did I end up here again?

I was just looking for some groceries, maybe some new clothes, but now I find myself inside the pet shop, standing next to Charlie again.

"And this one is a Pit Viper, known for being smart enough to create massive tiger traps using local bamboo and their digging skills. They are cunning little things, and favored among the more sly cultivators."

The kid was telling me about all the different support pets they offered, and I was rather impressed at both what these animals were capable of, and just how much this kid knows. He then pulled me along again, to a large kennel, similar to most of the snake cages he's shown thus far.

"Now this fellow is our newest addition. Unfortunately, he wasn't hatched and raised, so he can be particularly vicious toward humans, and we haven't had his bloodline analysis done."

Inside the cage, I saw a strange creature. It had a long, thick body, like a serpent. But at the same time, it was slightly flat, and possessed many legs. The flesh was not scales, but chitin. And the head, the head was almost otherworldly in its grotesque appearance. One animal came to mind.

Centipede.

"This is a Gu. A highly venomous creature. Classically used by demonic cultivators, occasionally used by alchemists. This particular type is called a Rafflesia Gu, for possessing the ability to parasitize creatures higher rank than itself. In fact, we found this one inside the body of a Brutal Beast, even though it is two ranks lower as a Savage Beast."

I don't know why, but... I like it. He was... Wait, how did I know it was a he? It felt... No, I know now. He was inside my head. It wasn't quite telepathy... More like, I was already sensing his emotions, and he was projecting his desires. Kind of like my contract with Tat. I decided, then.

Without any warning to Charlie, and with a lack of hesitation that surprised even myself, I opened the cage and stuck my hand inside. It took less than a moment. A contract formed, and the centipede turned into a purple light. It flowed into my hand, and I felt the foreign energy move through my body, gently moving along. Finally, it came to my neck, and I felt it stop just between my shoulders. With a simple thought, I felt him emerge from my spine, and he scuttled along my shoulder. Then, just the same, he turned into a purple energy and sank into my flesh.

"Your name is now Omukade. Do you like it? I'll call you Omu."

I felt the sensation of the contract forming, and a jolt of approval from Omu, before I smiled.

My second pet. A centipede with an unknown bloodline, that was strangely able to communicate. Awesome.

I turned back to Charlie, only to see a face mixed with confusion and anger. Only then did I realize my mistake, before I quickly reached into my bag and got out the money to pay. The kid accepted, taking it to the counter and checking it over, before depositing it. He then came back to me, and quite bluntly spoke.

"How'd you do that?"

I looked at him with confusion, before he continued.

"No, seriously. My dad has been trying for six days to get that Gu to acknowledge him and allow a contract, and you got it at first glance. Explain."

I was stunned for a moment, before I just gave a half-assed reply. "I dunno, really. I just felt like he wanted to. So I let him." Charlie seemed dissatisfied, but I quickly deflected by leaving the store. After all, he couldn't exactly stop me from leaving, legally. Though... I'll probably have a few questions for me, if I ever come back for a third pet.

Wandering home, I was met by Tat, who jumped into my arms. He was getting pretty heavy, honestly. I felt his joy though, so I was happy. And then I felt a pang of curiosity, as I felt Omu emerge from my arm and look at Tat. The duo watched one another, cautiously, before Tat suddenly pat Omu on the head. I felt confusion come from Omu, while happiness radiated from Tat. After a while, Omu receded, and I carried Tat into my dorm.

Once inside, I got into my new habit of meditation. It was strange, I never considered myself as much of an insightful person in my last life, and yet I just feel so natural doing it now. It felt nice, though I felt that my energies were more... I dunno, unruly? They were wild, like a tornado, a blizzard, and a lightning storm all in one. It felt as if I was fighting to calm down three raging tigers, all at once.

Was this another part of the Flesh of Violence Sutra? It felt as if my internal energies were constantly fighting, at war with each other and themselves.

I calmed myself, turning to my bag and pulling free the manual for Lethal Breath. I opened it up, and began to practice.

It was surprisingly simple, just holding my breath as I flowed my energies through my lungs. I felt my lungs fill, and then empty, dozens of times. Soon, I felt no need to breath. Was this... fetal breathing? Breathing through one's energies? Useful. Then, I moved on to the second part of the manual, in which I exhaled my energy through my mouth, and it rocketed forward like an invisible bolt of lightning. It struck the wall of my room, and I sensed my energy start to drill into the wood.

Woah.

It was difficult, but... This could definitely be useful once I've got it mastered. I didn't even sense much change in the nature of my energy, like Eris warned. Maybe my energy was too chaotic to get worse yet? Whatever.

I continued to meditate, gathering energy and strengthening my body, until I ended up passing out.