Threat Becomes a Weapon

The atmosphere within the granary became increasingly dangerous. The Fear Qi and Water Qi fought each other, establishing their respective domains. The Water Qi retreated into the Water while the Fear Qi occupied the air.

In her hurry, Re'Kha had killed a lot of Kalhas in the end. If the Fear Qi in them was purified when they were alive, they turned into normal eyeballs, crushing which wouldn't affect anyone. But, if they were crushed while alive, their body matter turned into a poison that would continue to generate Fear Qi until it was wholly consumed or destroyed by the ambient Elemental Qi.

Unfortunately for her, Re'Kha fell unconscious on the floor, which subjected her to the Fear Qi in the air. The Fear Qi hadn't yet entered a state of passiveness, still driven by the will the Kalhas had imbued in it. So, it targeted Re'Kha.

Dark radiance converged around Re'Kha, forming a pair of hands that flailed about, continuing to absorb the Fear Qi as it grew stronger. As it was absorbing the Fear Qi, Re'Kha was less affected, her breathing soon stabilised.

A couple of breaths later, Re'Kha woke up, her eyes shot open while she sprang to her feet, the abrupt action causing her to groan in pain. She activated her Water Qi perception, unable to sense anything. After a thought, she activated her Wind Qi perception, noticing she was surrounded by blank space all around her, with occasional patches of grey connected to her.

Soon, the grey world increased in size as she noticed a steady stream of blank space enter her clothes. 'It saved my life time and again, but at this rate, it is going to materialise a spiritual form.'

The hands had disappeared the moment she woke up, so Re'Kha didn't realise that her conjecture was already partially true. With the Fear Qi reducing in quantity, Re'Kha could breathe without trouble.

This was the difference between a naturally abundant element and a living thing-generated element. Natural elements were more balanced, possessing a definite source. But living thing-generated elements, like Fear Qi and Ghost Qi, were like a plague that was caused within living beings and propagated through them.

Such elements increased in might the greater the living beings they affected. The Kuhera Forest was one such example. It had become an area dominated by the Fear Qi thanks to the Kalhas living there. No living being dared to set foot there, but when it did, it never got out.

'Now, onto the final phase.' Re'Kha gazed at the Aeki near the entrance, keeping the lid closed while she pulled out a Water Qi Essence from her storage space. She kept it near the bottom, activating it with a thought.

She used the needle-shaped Magic Artifact to poke a bigger hole before blocking it with the Water Qi Essence, sensing the Water Qi spread within the Aeki, turning denser and denser before overwhelming the Kalhas within, turning them into normal eyeballs.

Re'Kha opened the lid after some time had passed, noticing the almost 40 Kalhas within that had become regular eyeballs. They created a creepy sight; Re'Kha placed her hand within them, fishing out a vial, noticing that she was unable to perceive anything from within. Her Water Qi perception was unable to seep inside.

Re'Kha placed the vial right before the cloth banner, noticing a thin stream of formless space move from the vial into the cloth banner. She immediately retracted it, 'I can sense whether the Kalha within is alive through this method. This also means the adhesive I applied works perfectly. Now, I can arm myself with it as a weapon to fight against the scouts.'

Re'Kha smiled, picking up the other four vials, checking to see that they were all working fine. She placed three vials in her storage space, pulling up the cloth strip tied to the Aeki as she began tearing them into shorter strips.

She tied the mid-portion of the cloth strip around a vial's cap, wrapping until fully covering the sides, preventing it from ever coming off while in battle. She then placed it above her chest, tying the strip around her girth, securing it tightly in place.

Re'Kha moved, jumped, and flailed her arms, noticing that the vial was rigidly attached to her and didn't fall off. She also adjusted her clothes, covering its sides, preventing it from looking out of place unless one directly peered into the front of the vial—the only part that was now visible.

As it was pretty small, Re'Kha could perfectly hide it among her clothes. She tied the other vial to the nape of her neck, making a hole in her dress through which it peaked out a little. Only its front wasn't blocked, rest were hidden under the thick fur coat she wore.

"It would have been better if I had a bow with me." Re'Kha sighed, for that would have made her life easier. Unfortunately, she didn't find one in the household. As bows were incredibly useful for attacking from long ranges, they were usually kept by the owner at his side. Moreover, as the household members were fleeing from the beast tide, they would have definitely taken all the bow and arrows they possessed.

"It would be harder to use Harpen Waves since my perception would be greatly affected and wielding it in such a state would cause me self-harm. The whip is a better option in such a case." She gripped the whip, placing her ear on the entrance of the granary, seeking out for any vibrations. While she waited, she used a Water Qi Essence to recover the Water Qi in her to the limit—twelve units of Water Qi.

At the breach in the settlement stood twenty men on horsebacks, no longer carrying their rucksacks with them. They were fully prepared for the hunt, gazing at the short waterfall before them. The leader looked towards the sky, muttering with a cold tone, "This rainfall would probably last for a fair enough time. Let's go fetch Burkurel Re'Kha and complete our mission."

The leader unleashed his Pranic Avatar, using it to activate his Water Qi perception, outlining the entire layout of the settlement in his mind. He immediately focused on the place of oddity, a rare smile emerging on his face, sporting mild praise, "So, you are alive."