Monster Meat

The day ended on a happy note when they found a lake near the bear cave.

Seniors are also in a happy mood so they decided to share a portion of bear meat with the group.

On this evening a festive atmosphere is present in the camping area because everyone is allowed to get a piece of monster meat and a bowl of bone soup.

"So there is no other way!" Daniel asked his friend.

Lloyd looked seriously at Daniel and said, "No! As I said, everyone must line up for food this time! There will be no extra share! Why are you asking such questions!? Don't you know how precious the monster meat is? Even our families can't afford it."

"Alright, you can go! I will be there in an hour!" Daniel cut him off before he raised any doubts. Fact is, he did not know how important this type of meat to a Martial Artist is. He just doesn't feel comfortable doing chores.

'Well! Let's go see all the new faces that are coming with me. They may be of use in the future after joining the sect' Daniel decided on it after Lloyd left the tent.

Because of the preciousness of monster meat, the quota became very strict. So Daniel had to go there in person to get the food.

This is the first time since the beginning of the journey that the entire company gathered together in one place. The area near the campfire became very crowded and noisy, unlike many other times.

Because of being in minority, girls across all groups got together this time while some boys are gawking at them.

Some clever guys from martial families took the chance to pick followers from the other two groups. They know the importance of picking the right talent and forming a faction.

There are five prominent factions here, three from boys and two from girls. All are led by fellows from families.

Daniel quietly sneaked in alone and took cover under a tree. But the interested people still took notice of him.

"Heeey! That guy is still alive and kicking! I thought he will be killed for sure when Luther showed such a hideous expression that day. Useless thing! Can't even take care of such a small fish." One girl wearing a Sky-Blue robe spilled her inner thoughts in surprise. But the surprise turned into sneer and disgust in the end.

"Leader! Do you know that guy under the tree?" A newly joined girl asked Jasmine.

[Look at chapter3 for introduction]

"Never mind him he is a nobody!" Jasmine turned her gaze away, as she does not want to waste any more time on Daniel for now.

The girls in the group continued to look for new talents.

"Leader! That guy Daniel is at that corner! Should we go and teach him another hard lesson?" A boy with sharp sight asked Luther who is busy posing as a strong one.

Luther looked in the direction the guy was pointing only to see Daniel's figure. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Let him live for now! I will play with him after he joins the sect."

Daniel could feel the sharp visions falling onto him just as he came here. And when traced the source he found the fellows who killed the old Daniel.

At the heart of a teenager is a cold-blooded criminal, so Daniel is not affected in the least.

'Interesting! There are actually people here who think I am prey! If they make any moves now then I wouldn't mind teaching them an unforgettable lesson' Daniel thought of many ways to retaliate with a calm heart.

Although he was a scientist by profession, he mastered many fighting skills back then. He turned his body to the extreme peak where he could control every single muscle with precision. He is called a 'Killing Machine' by his mentors.

Although he has a body that is not so strong now, he has all the skills at his fingertips.

'If those kids get arrogant then I will have a chance to practice my torture techniques' While Daniel is waiting for them to make a move, he saw a figure waving at him from another faction.

It is his friend Lloyd who joined one of the factions from the boy's side. From his signals, Daniel got a general idea of what he is saying. It is an invitation to join the faction with him.

'I have no interest in joining the kid's group! No! Thank you!' Daniel completely ignored him and waited for food.

After half an hour wait the food was finally delivered. All groups lined up in an orderly manner and waited for their turn patiently.

Finally when they got their food, they didn't immediately eat it but left to their tents silently. Daniel also turned towards his tent.

After returning Daniel first put up the perimeter alarm and securely closed the tent to stop cold air from entering.

Taking a set he observed the meat and soup closely. But he did not find anything special except for the sweet aromatic smell which is absent in normal meat.

'Forget it! I will conduct more research in the future! Let's finish this for now' Daniel started eating by taking a small bite of the meat. Failing to feel any changes even after a minute, he ate the meat completely in a few bites. After that, he drank the thick bone soup in a few minutes to finish the meal.

After completing the dinner, Daniel started meditating to observe any changes in his body more clearly.

Finally, after two minutes warm, nourishing energy started overflowing from the abdomen area. Daniel could feel the enthusiasm of his own body towards the special energy. Every cell in his body is trying to get to that energy.

And whenever the energy passes through organs, muscles, bones, and cells, a tiny potion portion of it is getting absorbed by them. On each passing wave, Daniel could feel his body getting strengthened overall. Amazing thing is, the changes are happening at the cellular level.

With every minute increase in strength, the smile on Daniel's face became more and more apparent.

"This is it! This is it! This is what I have been aiming for. I even forgot how many years have I researched to achieve this kind of change" Daniel is in ecstasy when he felt the power in his clenched fist.

In his previous life, countless people researched innumerable ways to break the shackles of the human body but everything went to dust.

'Torment of getting older day by day is hard to describe. Now I have left everyone on earth behind and took the first steps towards a higher life form' Daniel really wanted to know how those old fools who didn't support his research on the 'Chaos Stone' felt.

'Well! What happened before is not important anymore! What matters is that now I have a way to get long life and powerful strength. And this will be my way from now on' Daniel calmed his overreacting hormones again and started thinking of the present situation

'First, join the sect and get all the resources they can offer! Once I have enough strength to defend myself then I will start exploring this province for more resources and information' Daniel made his future plans and decided on them

After calming his heart and concluding his plans within a few minutes, Daniel put his focus back on the special energy.

Daniel knows this special energy is called 'Qi' from his discussions with Lloyd. It is one of the two forces that decide the strength of a Martial Artist.

Daniel did not want to miss this chance of getting stronger so he did not change his posture from the very start. Since he has no idea how to handle the 'Qi', he simply sat there and let the energy be completely absorbed by the body.

But he did not get his wishes though.

More than 95% of 'Qi' is actually escaping the body while less than 3% is being absorbed. This is very unproductive.

This extinguishes the idea of eating yourself to infinite strength.

"No wonder the 'Mantra of Martial Arts' is so valued. Without the right 'Mantra' stepping into a higher realm is tenaciously difficult. This further affirms my decision to join the sect after reaching the capital of province 'Castle Rock'" Daniel once again cemented his plans.

Daniel continued his mediation until the last remaining Qi is expended.

That night he did the heavy exercise to know his body limits and went to sleep at late hours after taking a hearty bath in the lake.