Chapter 15: Listening Skills
With the healing attack option gone, I now have to come up with other ways to hide my healing, since I cant use it offensively. For non-cultivators, I will probably have to go with a combination of the low tier scanning and subtle healing.
If I consider the method that requires the least material and reference knowledge, it might be the qi-less acupressure method.
With my scanning ability, Im able to pretty easily tell where the points are on the body and how it reacts to different points. Unlike on earth, meridians and dantians seem to have a distinct and measurable effect on the body.
So, from what I can tell, acupressure actually seems to have a huge effect on the body and it can nourish how internal qi is used and absorbed.
My plan is to use those different points to generate effects and then inject healing energies into them to further amplify them.
My skill will, hopefully, explain away any additional healing. Ill have to consult with Lin and Ai on whether the methods Im using are workable in this situation.
In addition, I will have to restrain myself in what I heal. If someone off the street has a serious condition, I will have to ignore it. Especially, if there is no way that I could know or solve it without using non-cultivation-based methods.
From this point on, I will have to truly hide my true strength. Otherwise well, Gong said most of it. I may also use other methods, like acupuncture and concoctions that dont require qi infusion.
Explaining to Gong how I know all of this will probably be pretty tough.
For my taming abilities, I believe I can mostly stay the same.
However, I will need to come up with training and taming methods based on scans of the creatures. I definitely have to take the entire process slower and use food as a taming tool.
This will hopefully disguise my taming as a real, but skilled process.
At each step I will have to perform the optimal actions, as if I were a simply a genius and not an aberrant with the ability to just take over any creature, willy-nilly.
However, I believe I desperately need to come up with worst-case scenario abilities.
Ones where I dont have the luxury of hiding my abilities, but need to handle the situation. I will call these the escalation measures.
I will focus the escalation measures on three different situations, in order of escalation:
Escape, for when I need to get out of a situation immediately, but not kill anyone.
Survive, for when I need to either defend or hold down a position long enough to accomplish an objective.
Fight, which will be when I have no choice but to completely throw away defense and fight with everything I have.
Focusing first on escape, since I already know that I can use the scanning tool to get information about an area, I attempt to use it for mapping. Instantly, a map is generated of the cave system.
Its actually quite cool, being 3d and able to zoom in and out. However, I barely have it up for a second before having to shut it down because of horrendous brain pain that brings me to my knees.
Currently, I can do about a 10m radius without an issue. If pushed, I can do up to 50 meters. If I keep the 10m radius constantly on, I can run it for about 3 minutes. If I make it linear, I can send it much farther.
This brings up my overall concept as a cover, though. If I can establish myself as a natural genius, that just intuits unfamiliar concepts or actions, I might be able to hide my abilities better. The key will be to have all of my abilities lie at the base of my subconscious, instead of overtly.
With these ideas as a good starting point, I collapse back onto the bed. My thoughts filling my mind.
I dont know how But Ive seemed to have found some fantastic people. Theres Ai and Lin, who were being abused by their father, but somehow fought for each other and still was open to including me in their group.
Though, the money and saving their lives probably had something to do with that.
Then there is Gong, who definitely has been hurt over and over by humans like me. Even if I smell differently It still takes a lot to still care about people after going through something like that.
I cant forget that old man, as well. My journey might have ended before it began, if it wasnt for him.
I dont know.
I feel as though there are a lot of good people in this world. People who have been put into a really shitty position. That if you can somehow open their hearts and surprise them with kindness, theyll respond in kind. If only because they want to pay you back.
At least, thats what I want to believe.
Even though I know not everyone is like that I still want to approach everyone the same way. With kindness and keeping that hand outstretched.
With that in mind, I must still be wary though. There are twisted, evil people in this world, just like my last world. I must be cautious and keep my eyes out for anyone trying to take advantage of me. I need to take Gongs words seriously. Though, admittedly its difficult. I want to believe that people can be good, if you only show them good first.
Even the best of us can be tempted by money, desperation, and power. People can also change. At the very least, Ill choose to believe in Gong, Ai, and Lin, though. If only because I dont want to imagine what it would mean if I couldnt.
For those of a higher status or cultivation, Ill have to be careful. Like the old man had mentioned. The best thing to do right now is to avoid them
Sigh. So much to think about.
With all of this in mind and only a few hours left in the night, I decide to turn in and get some sleep. There are more overt techniques I can come up with and I dont feel the slightest bit tired (likely due to my Healing Constitution), but Id like to at least feel like a normal human, and sleep at night. I force myself to fall asleep.