Monster? No, I'm a Cultivator! (Percy Jackson): Chapter 5
Ocean Song was tired.
In his past life, reading all those stories, they made it sound so easy.
'Oh, I went into secluded cultivation for ten thousand years – yawn!'
It has barely been a year and he was already fraying at the edges. Atleast, he thought it was a year, it was hard to keep track of time…..something he probably should have thought about before.
Really, the only thing keeping him going was the steady pace at which his Cultivation progressed. He could have sworn that even the early level of Qi Condensation realm would have become much harder as he went further, but….well, while it took longer for him, he still considered it rather easy.
There was also something he hadn't thought of that he felt lucky didn't come back to bite him in the rear.
He never considered if the Qi in this time altered area would thin due to being cut off from the world.
Thankfully, Goddess Hecate had the foresight to prevent stagnation in his cultivation. He realized that she must have done something other than 'merely' freezing time in this spot as there were still winds blowing from across the sea.
He didn't know what the mechanism behind this was, but he could only feel awe for the Goddess to know how meticulous her work was.
He was truly thankful.
Likewise, and in a strange contradiction to his own feeling, he somewhat enjoyed the solitary lifestyle while he cultivated in peace.
Perhaps it was some hold over from his previous life that seeped in that made him nostalgic and yearn for what he once had.
He could recall the stories where certain Monsters lived solitary lives on islands and vacant regions far away from civilization for centuries until a random hero of whatever story appeared.
The intoxicating feeling of his Cultivation base progressing was enough to satiate him though.
Just reaching this point, he could understand why those seniors in those stories were so willing to throw away everything for even the miniscule chance to progress their cultivation base.
The days passed by without any indication.
The passing of the Sun and Moon halted, a proverbial eternal sun hung overhead.
Sometimes, he would open his eyes, not even realizing that months had passed in what felt like an instant for him as he grew increasingly accustomed to this type of lifestyle.
However, he also knew that doing nothing but Cultivation would be an error.
A healthy mind requires other forms of satisfaction.
That was why, after slowly opening up his Eleventh Meridian after months – perhaps years of effort, he didn't immediately start on his twelfth.
The elation was there, so was the impulse to ride this fortune and keep going, but instead, he sat on the beach, letting the Ocean's cool and salty air brush against his face.
The eleventh level of Qi Condensation.
One more Meridian, and he would reach completion of the Qi Condensation Realm and begin assaulting the Foundation Establishment Realm.
However, he felt….lacking.
A strange feeling, instinctual, that he would fail to break through as he was now even if he progressed to the Twelfth layer without issues.
Like a square that needed to be rounded.
He was too rigid, lacking experience.
So he made a rash, albeit it firm decision.
He decided to no longer progress with his cultivation base and simply picked up his sword and began to swing it.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, Millions.
Months passed, years maybe, he lost track of time.
When his hands no longer had the strength to grip his blade, he finally took a small break, only to use the Ocean's miraculous healing ability to regain his strength and continue.
With every motion of his sword, the water Qi in the area moved.
It was as if his blade fused with the Ocean itself, the waves rising and falling with each swing.
On one particular evening, Ocean Song held his sword up over his head with a single hand. He held it there for an uncountable number of hours, his body not moving even a centimeter from the position.
Months passed as he stayed in that same spot, in that same position, never faltering. His eyes closed as he became one with his sword and relished in the feeling of his sword being absorbed into the world.
Without warning, after a period of time passed, he swung his down swiftly.
A simple motion, but it carried no hesitation back by the millions of previous swings he had performed in his life.
From the spot he stood on the beach, to the edges of the time-stopped bubble, the ocean split down to the seabed.
Ocean Song saw the scene, simply smiling lightly.
It was as if divine inspiration was bestowed upon him.
Was this the legendary enlightenment? Ocean Song didn't know, but his mind worked quickly and through his mental efforts, he theorized a series of sword skills.
Time continued to pass quickly.
Eight Years passed in the blink of an eye, and he approached the half-way point of his training period.
There was a strange melancholic feeling in Ocean Song's heart.
One would think he would be thankful that his solitude was becoming more bearable, but gradually, he realized it was because he was starting to forget things from 'before'.
There were times when he had strange thoughts.
'Wouldn't it be easier just to eat a few Demi-Gods and absorb their power?'
The thought scared him because he knew it originated from within him.
A Heart Demon?
He squashed those thoughts down as quickly as they came, but the frequency of them only seemed to increase as the years did.
A Monster.
He didn't like being a Monster.
He continued to swing his sword, finding peace in the familiar feeling.
@***@
The Ten year mark passed as Ocean Song realized something, causing his sword cultivation to pause.
He had broken through the Twelfth layer of Qi Condensation without even realizing it.
His sword Cultivation naturally made use of Qi and required constant use, he didn't even realize it had a beneficial effect on his Cultivation Base.
He reached Qi Condensation Realm Completion and began making preparations for Foundation Establishment.
Of course, he felt more confident now. The sword became a part of him, an extension of himself.
The Sword existed in his heart as his partner.
He began to mediate, but not Cultivate.
He didn't want to rush his assault on the next realm, rather, he needed to consolidate his current Cultivation and plan an avenue for attack.
Previously, he came to some understandings and how to proceed.
Qi was like a gas, he took in the Spiritual Qi of the world – specifically the Water Qi that permeated the Ocean in such large quantities due to his connection as the Son of the Sea.
The next task would be to turn the Qi into a liquid.
All twelve of his Meridians opened, his Qi surged within them all vibrantly.
A discovery of his was that after opening all Twelve, there was a quantitative change far beyond simply only the twelfth Meridian of his. It was as if a river no longer had any blockages and the rapids surged without obstruction.
The him with all twelve Meridians open could fight five of him with only eleven open and still win handedly. That was how much of an increase of power he felt when advancing to this stage.
It was at that moment that he had realization.
All rivers lead to the ocean.
He simply needed to form an Ocean inside himself.
He closed his eyes, and focused on all his Meridian and how the Qi of his surged around. He took hold and began to rotated the Qi inside his body, slowly at first until he found the correct rhythm.
He now understood properly why all Twelve Meridians needed to be open beyond it simply being the way of things.
They all linked together in a sequence and directed the Body's Qi. With the connection, the Qi in his body rotated faster and faster.
He didn't expect to begin assaulting the next realm so quickly, but he couldn't stop due to the momentum he discovered.
His Qi was like a whirlpool, rotating at increasing speeds until it began to change form, becoming heavier, denser.
A proverbial Center emerged, filling up with this denser Qi.
Was this the legendary Dantian?
It must be!
Sweat poured down his forehead as he felt himself straining, trying to continue the rotation speeds of his Qi to fully form this new 'pool' or rather this Ocean inside of him, coalescing in his Dantian.
He could feel himself reaching the limits as his Qi began to deplete at increasing speeds.
Like a proper Cultivator, he spat out a mouthful of blood and pushed forward.
The Hurricane-like tempest that occurred in his body began to settle down, going from a raging storm to something resembling a fierce wind.
Gradually, Ocean Song opened his eyes as a small Ocean appeared inside of him.
About a tenth of his full capacity when considering how much Qi he could hold, but he had a small Ocean of Qi inside undoubtedly.
He had officially entered the early stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
His Meridians still continued to churn with the same rotational speed, and every so slowly, like a trickle into a lake, it converted his Qi.
Ocean Soul only took a moment to understand what was happening and how to proceed from here.
He realized that to reach the ends of Foundation Establishment, he had to convert all of the Qi in his body into liquid and form his great Ocean.
The next realm was Core Formation, the naming there made it rather obvious he felt in what to do next.
Gas to Liquid, then into Solid.
Though, going at the rate, it was right now without his own dedicated cultivation, it would probably take well over a thousand years.
Of course, once he sat down and cultivated in earnest, that would be drastically reduced. He was just surprised that he even had a 'passive' cultivation in any form.
Was it because of his Bloodline?
Perhaps due to being the son of the sea, he had certain benefits when it came to converting is Qi into a more 'liquid' form.
Or something like that, he wasn't really sure.
Maybe it was just due to the miniscule amount of Divine Blood in his veins?
Regardless, he felt happy for reaching such a milestone.
He felt strong.
Ten times stronger than when he'd been in the Qi Condensation Realm.
He closed his eyes and realized something too, taking a step forward, his feet left the ground and found that he could briefly take to the 'sky' so to speak.
It drained his new Qi awfully quickly, but he could sustain flight for a duration if he put effort into it.
For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt free and unfettered.
However, he didn't let this divert his attention from his true goal. He was still bound by powers beyond his control.
He needed to consolidate his new Cultivation Base and digest all the new insights he acquired from reaching a new realm before doing anything else.
The work of a true cultivator is never done!
@***@
Many more years passed in the blink of an eye.
Atleast that is what he would say if someone asked him. Truthfully, they all had been excruciatingly slow. He could practically feel the minutes ticking away even if he tried not to think about it.
He came to the realization that even if Goddess Hecate didn't forbid this method of training again, he would never do it willingly.
He was quickly reaching his wits end even with the progress in his cultivation.
There was no use lying to himself, he didn't have the mentality to seclude himself for decades on in without side effects.
Maybe, and that's a big maybe, he could do it again in the future if he prepared thoroughly beforehand.
Despite the passage of time becoming grating on the back of his mind, he didn't actually know precisely how long he had been here.
There were points where he cultivated and he got lost in the sensation, losing himself and unsure of how much time passed.
The Cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm was more…..straightforward than Qi Condensation even if the difficultly increased proportionately to his strength increase.
For Qi Condensation, he had to find his Meridians, and gradually open them --- or forcibly like he had done initially. It felt like each stage of Qi Condensation was a trial in of itself.
However, for Foundation Establishment, it was a straight, albeit very gradual, line of progression without any true barriers.
The closest he came to was when he felt he broke through to the Mid-level of the Foundation Establishment Realm and converted half of the Qi in his body to the liquid state, and his Ocean inside his Dantian increased substantially.
At this point, he understood the difficulties the realm posed, however.
The less of the gaseous QI he had, the harder it was to overall convert into the liquid state. Like a hurricane that gradually became smaller, it was harder to maintain the rapid rotation of his Cultivation Base to properly convert it.
He didn't merely cultivate during this period.
Of course he made sure to keep up with his Sword Skills, and to make sure they continued to stay on par with his Cultivation Base.
After reaching Foundation Establishment Realm, his Sword skills seemed to become even more profound as he was able to reach deeper into the world to form them and give meaning to each movement of his blade.
His Sword Cultivation seemed to continue influencing his normal Cultivation as well. It felt as if he was able to absorb the Qi of Heaven and Earth at a steady speed from continuing his sword training as his cultivation Base rotated non-stop, slowly pushing forward towards the next realm.
The flow of time never stopped, and neither did Ocean Song.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
Ocean Song could only sigh at his own Genius as he let out panted breaths, sweat dripping down his brow as the last bit of Qi in his body was converted and he could be finally considered to having reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment Realm.
His power had increased many fold after his Qi became completely liquid-like and the Ocean inside of his Dantian surged with immense power.
He wasn't actually sure how strong he was compared to the things that existed outside. Admittedly a part of him was cautious to find out, but equally, a part of him wanted to test himself on the other Monsters of the world.
He noticed the smidge of arrogance in his thoughts and let it dissipate naturally. He was no longer that young Cyclops barely a few months old. Now, he was almost an adult Cyclops that is…..technically a few months old still…..
The realization made him sit down.
Did the time he spend in here count towards his 'age'?
It was a profound question that he spent many days meditating on.
He came to a single conclusion that he would simply avoid the question altogether. He felt like it would be harder to get his Father to accept his 'requests' if he were an 'adult'.
Truly, he became wiser with age.
He must cling to the thigh of his Father as much as possible if the situation called for it, as a proper Cultivator would.
He practiced many times in his isolation.
'Do you know who my Father is!?'
It was practically second nature to him at this point.
It was a path he contemplated during his isolated training and cultivation. The Dao of the Young Master was not one to be tread lightly.
He even had great Ancestors in seclusion!
He thinks that his Grandmother secluded herself somewhere since he never recalled her being mentioned in any stories.
Thinking about all of that….it just made his heart twinge in pain, the remembrance that he was rather lonely here.
He began to cultivate again to take his mind off it.
@***@
Maybe it was instinct, but Ocean Song felt like he was approaching the end of his secluding training.
His hair had long ground out, and he even had a bit of a beard ever since he reached what he thought was his twentieth year of life.
All these years since reaching the end of Foundation Establishment Realm, he had yet to take the next leap forward.
He worked tirelessly to continue perfecting his foundation. The Ocean within his Dantian continued to grow, continued to accumulate power until it reached a point where it couldn't be expanded any longer.
He felt it, he was only a hairs breath away from the next stage and he couldn't hold it back for much longer.
Core Formation, it was…..it was what truly separated Mortals and Immortals in a sense.
Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, if a human cultivated these paths, they would still be considered a 'Mortal' in the eyes of powerful entities. It was only when they had a Golden Core would they have taken the step beyond the limits of mortality and stepped onto the path towards the Heavens.
To break free from Fate and Destiny, to blaze one's own path for good or ill.
The next step...he started to condense his Ocean.
He pulled at the fringes, pulling it on, condensing it, molding it into shape. It felt….oddly easy as everything seemed to align to his expectations.
Condense!
He put more effort into it, more speed as the Ocean became smaller, but no less dense.
Slowly, gradually, it took shape forming a core.
He was about to smile in satisfaction, feeling his heart accelerate as he nearly succeeded. But before he could celebrate the 'core' he created abruptly shattered, the Ocean spilling back out into his Dantian and he fell over, throwing up mouthful after mouthful of blood.
He heaved, sweating profusely, the blood didn't stop spilling from his lips and he barely managed to throw himself into the Ocean, letting the bloodline of his begin healing him.
The pain finally subsided after what felt like hours, his body feeling weak, but otherwise he returned to normalcy.
Realization dawned on him; he failed in his advancement.
He nearly died because of the rebound of failing to condense his Golden Core and reverting back to an 'Ocean'.
If it weren't for the healing properties he inherited from his bloodline, he would have surely died here.
Where did he go wrong? What did he miss?
He thought everything was perfect….?
It was the first time he felt a true setback in his Cultivation, and he didn't know what to do.
It was as if his Core was missing something to solidify it. Like he forced it into shape, but it couldn't hold and unraveled by itself.
What was he missing?
The answer stumped him and he took up his normal spot on the beach, letting the soothing salty air of the ocean hit his face while he contemplated it.
The tides always helped assuage his worries, letting him enter a peaceful state. It was always rather hypnotizing to the Cyclops, watching the waves push and pull, never stopping.
Ocean Song reached out, picking up a handful of watery sand, letting it fall between his fingers.
"I'm a monster…" The words left his lips as he had a sudden jolt of enlightenment.
Monsters died physically, their essence going to Tartarus and reforming.
He tried to form a Core while ignoring his bloodline.
Not just his Monster self either, he had Divine Blood.
He wasn't technically a 'Demi-God' as recognized by the world, but his Father was a God, making him a half-God just like his half-human siblings.
Of course his Core would disperse if his bloodline was ignored, it was so obvious in hindsight!
He closed his eyes and look inward, ignoring his Qi, ignoring his Dantian, and instead he found what made him…him.
His essence.
The source of his 'Immortality', his physical body merely a 'container'.
The source of his healing capabilities and his connection with the Ocean.
He felt silly for forgetting something so important.
Ocean Song smiled and began to Cultivate once more.
He pulled on his Essence, and the world around him sang.
@***@
Far away, in the depths of the Ocean Poseidon perked up because he noticed something peculiar. A sudden surge of power, the feeling of his youngest son became significantly more predominant even at this distance.
His gaze turned to the island, and he felt something around it seemingly shatter, a complex array of spells that covered the island beyond his notice fell apart and the ocean became turbulent.
From the Underworld, someone else took notice.
Goddess Hecate was busy in her private space, doing an experiment that came to an abrupt halt as she looked to the side, as if peering across space and time.
She noticed it immediately; her spell was broken.
It was nearly time for it to end on its own without her input, but on the last vestiges of its existence, it was shattered.
In another part of the world, three crones huddled around a series of strings. To normal people, it looked like three elderly women knitting together the threads of some article clothing or another. But with each snip of their scissors, the fates and destiny of many were decided.
At the same time, all three of them froze and their eyes locked onto the same thread.
Silently, as all of them frowned in unison, one reached forward with a pair of scissors, intent on snipping it, only for a golden hue to prevent the thread from being severed.
Simultaneously, the three stood up with scowls, nostrils flaring, and they abruptly disappeared.
@***@
Ocean Song was oblivious to those who took notice and focused only on his Cultivation.
He pulled on his Essence, fusing it with his Ocean and he felt things slot into place, but something still felt off.
His essence intertwined with his Ocean and he began to solidify it again into his Golden Core.
Though, his instinct told him that something was still wrong.
"Yin and Yang, God and Monster….." He muttered, eyes closed. "They are both of me, but they represent different parts of me. Should I just focus on my Divine Aspects and squash the Monster Parts?"
Abruptly, he noticed something, his physical body began to break down, slowly turning to dust.
His essence was becoming detached from his 'physical form' and it was as if he was dying. He felt the pull of Tartarus, the commanding chain trying to yank him to the Primordial Hell.
With a cold snort, Ocean Soul shattered those initial chains, but they reformed immediately, refusing to let him go.
He knew that he had to complete his breakthrough otherwise he would be paying a visit to literal hell.
His essence mixed with his Ocean, forming a Core, a single thought and he could solidify it properly, but he hesitated.
Within his mind, it felt like time came to a halt, and he heard the untellable roars of a beast. He seemed to be somewhere else, in a space that wasn't the world, and looking back at him was a monster.
A large creature with a single eye, sharp teeth and utterly hideous and deformed.
"I see…..are you my Heart Demon?" Ocean Soul muttered, staring at the representation of his own dislike of himself.
It didn't take a genius to know that he didn't like himself very much based on his looks. However, he didn't think it was enough to manifest an actual Heart Demon.
Another instant, and it disappeared, rather he looked down at his hands and they were now overly deformed, more like claws, and he gazed at a pool of water as his face reflected that of the monstrous creature from a moment before.
Ocean Song scoffed and swung his hand at the water. "Is this supposed to drown my heart? I know I'm ugly, I know I'm a Monster, so what? I choose who I am, and not even the Heavens can stand in my way!" He held his hand out and he felt his sword appear in this mental landscape and he swung it upwards, shattering the false mental world around him.
It would be easy to say he conquered his inner demon, but it all came about due to his own perceptions of himself.
"I'm a Monster, but that doesn't mean I have to be a Monster." Slowly, the corners of his lips curled up. "I am who I choose to be."
Maybe, it wasn't even a Heart Demon, but a self-realization that he shouldn't ignore his monster half?
He would not do so.
"Sever!" He roared, and his nascent Golden Core split.
On one side was his Divine heritage, on the other, it was his Monster parts.
Two Cores.
He didn't know if this was the proper path, but it felt….it felt correct.
His Divine Blood would form his Golden Core!
Even as his body disintegrated, he continued, a Golden hue glowing brightly as it was born into the world.
Normally, one remakes their body during Nascent Soul Realm, but he supposed he could be a step ahead of the curve and remake himself during the Core Formation realm!
His Second Core was welcomed into the world.
The Chains that tried to bound him continuously, the urging of his return to Tartarus, they were shattered and this time, they didn't return.
Ocean Song shouted within his mind, 'My Fate is in my hands!'
His Monster Core roared to life and his body began to reform.
Long black hair cascaded down his back. His features became soft, but with a hint of sharpness to them. His clenched his fist, his muscles tensing as he got used to his new size and shape.
Two eyes opened, greeting the world.
Then, a third one opened above the other two on his forehead, the power of his Monster blood condensed into it. His Monster Core, taking the form of an Eye was perhaps inevitable in hindsight.
Ocean Song looked up, a storm brewed above, a side effect of his power running rampant during his breakthrough.
He reached for his sword, and gently swung it upwards.
With a shockwave, the storm dispersed, and the sun shined down from the sky, the seas calming.
Ocean Song smiled as he gazed out to the horizon.
"My name is Ocean Song, and I am a Golden Core realm Cultivator."
And it was finally time for him to leave this island.
@***@
A/N
Something to remember, Ocean Song is the most unreliable of narrators. Also, since this snippet reached 5 chapters, I decided to give my p.a.t.r.e.on people 1 chapter ahead, so they're on chapter 6.
p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone