Chapter 9: Trial of Sky 3- Essence Control

Fortunately the wolf turned back and left. After waiting for a while he got out of the bush and ran in the opposite direction. After running for a while he stopped and leaned his back against a tree.

He had just closed his eyes to rest when his instincts kicked in. He tilted his head to the side and something passed right next to him like an arrow and striked the tree.

He swung his dagger and cut it in half in a split second, he looked at the thing that attacked him. It was a snake, three fingers thick and a metre long. It scales were green which allowed it to hide in the grass.

He looked at the place the snake bit and noticed the tree was turning black. It poison was potent enough to even affect a tree, that was scary, them it dawned on him.

He might have a way to deal with the wolf pack after all. An evil grin appeared in his face. He skinned the snake and removed it alveoli.

He cut a branch the thickness of his hand, chopped it and hollowed it out making something like a cup. He poured the black venom into this cup, there was way to much venom for a snake this size but he attributed it to essence magic things.

He cut another much smaller branch and hollowed it on both ends making a tube. Then he made tiny wooden darts. He blew into the tube sending the dart flying at blinding speeds.

It hit a tree and stuck there. He frowned, the power behind it was not strong enough, it would not be able to pierce through the thick hide of the wolves.

He had to find another way, he tried blowing harder but it still did not reach a level he found satisfactory, it just made him out of breath. He sat down and sank into his thoughts.

He couldn't fight the entire pack, that would just lead to his death, he also couldn't run as they would keep chasing after him, and if they found him which they most likely will, it meant he couldn't sleep at all, his body shook just thinking about that, he had already gone long enough without sleep, he couldn't handle anymore.

Wait, if essence could strengthen my body why wouldn't it strengthen this? I should try it but I have no idea how to control essence, I still remember the feeling when I activated my ability but I wasn't actively controlling the essence back then.

I should try it. He activated his ability and felt the essence move to his legs. He frowned, it moving too fast, I can't get it in time, is there a way I can slow it down?

He activated his ability again and closed his eyes to accurately feel the essence movements. I was only able to glimpse a little, if I continue like this I might eventually get it.

Time passed with him constantly activating and deactivating his ability, he was starting to get how it worked. Almost there, just a few more times and I'll definitely figure it out.

After a while he stood up. He breathed in and out then picked up his dark tube. He had figured out how essence moved now it was time to test it.

Okay, I hope this works, he closed his eyes and willed the essence to move, he directed it to his lungs. He blew hard on the tube and BOOOOM the dart flew out like a bullet causing a booming sound to spread in the forest.

The dart hit the tree 50 metres away and shattered. He approached it and there was a deep mark where the dark hit but it had turned into splinters and the poison did not enter the tree.

He sucked in heavily, frustration apparent in his face, he had solved the power problem and now the weapon itself could not handle it. Okay new solution, he would try to coat the darts with essence, he wasn't sure how that would work but he will still try.

He sat back down and concentrated, what he was trying to do this time might be a bit harder, after all,he was trying to augment something that was not part of his body.

He willed the essence to move through his arm and out his right hand and coated his dagger, it was easier than he thought, now the problem was maintaining it.

The essence coated over the dagger was unstable, he noticed another problem, the more he kept it the more tired he became. Not physically but mentally.

I can't wait to sleep, he whispered to the air. He dismissed the essence and rested, after a while he felt his essence had regenerated he continued practicing.

Hours passed, when he felt confident in his control of essence he picked his dart and tube again. He coated the dart with essence and blew it.

It flew like a bullet, a boom following behind it. It hit the tree and splinters were sent flying, he thought it was another failure until he got close to the tree then realised the splinters were from the tree.

The dart was firmly imbedded in the tree trunk, a faint layer of blue energy still covering it. It was a success however he still frowned.

This method wasted too much essence energy, empowering his lungs and dart at the same time was energy intensive, it wasn't sustainable.

He had to choose one but empowering his lungs only doesn't work so the only option left to try was empowering the dart only, with essence.

After resting and regenerating his essence he tried it. He only empowered the dart, coating it with both essence and poison. The dart flew like a tiny arrow.

There was no booming sound as it speed did not break the sound barrier. It hit the tree silently, there was no collision sound or splinters sent flying.

It smoothly entered the trunk like shoving a stick through mub, there was barely any resistance. He approached to the check and the area around the dart was turning black.

It had enough power behind it and the poison could still he administered. A small smile appeared in his face. Just as he was going back to his tree to continue practicing he head movements.

Must be the wolves, the sound must've drawn them here. He picked up his things and climbed a tree with a dense foliage to use as cover and waited silently.