Chapter 4: #4 Understanding Chakra
Karin sat quietly on the creaky mattress, the dim light of the room flickering weakly.
All of the things that man spoke of are new concepts to her especially this Chakra. Was she not in his World anymore ? Sure, he heard of legends of different worlds and realms existing and that in ancient times some Martial artists managed to even defy the heavens themselves and became true immortals ascending into a higher plane of existence.
She was sure that this wasn't her world. She wasn't in Murim anymore. If she wanted to survive, she had to figure out how this new world worked.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts. First, she needed to focus on her body. The energy flowing through her—this "chakra"—felt different from qi.
She tried to circulate it, using the Qi Control Breathing Technique. A breathing technique which involves expanding one's lungs to intake as much air and ambient Qi as possible in different patterns, thus adjusting one's Qi and Blood flow and giving the user an easier time controlling it. At first, it barely moved, but with effort, she managed to push it through her meridians, forcing it to flow. It was hard, almost painfully slow, but it barely worked.
"So, it's not like qi at all," she muttered to herself. "It's already part of this body. I can't draw more of it in… I have to work with what's already there."
Her head tilted slightly as she considered what she had learned. If this energy was internal, then improving it would be like strengthening her old internal energy reserves. That would mean training her body and mind together. But this body was weak, this would take time…
Karin exhaled slowly and opened her eyes, looking around the shabby room again. Her captors didn't seem to know or care that she was trying to regain her strength.
That arrogance would be their mistake. She would play along for now, letting them believe she was helpless.
Her thoughts turned to what the man had said about her body's healing ability. If they were using her like a tool, then her body had some kind of natural talent for restoring others.
That explained why her meridians were so blocked—every time they used her, it must have drained her chakra, leaving her with nothing.
If chakra couldn't be drawn in like qi, then how would one grow. This was something she needed an answer for, to escape her predicament. And to do that, she needed to understand this energy better.
Karin sat cross-legged and focused on her breathing, slow and steady. She pushed the chakra through her body again, forcing it to flow even when it resisted. Each time it got a little easier. She didn't know much about chakra yet, but this was progress.
Hours passed as she worked, her body growing weaker from the effort. By the time she stopped, her muscles ached, and her head throbbed, but the flow of energy in her body was just a little smoother.
Lying back on the hard mattress, Karin stared up at the cracked ceiling. Her mind raced with plans. She would observe her captors, learn everything she could about this world and its strange energy. When the time came, she would make her move.
Unfortunately, that would include allowing them to use her as Livestock until she was sure that she was strong enough to exterminate each and every single one of those that kept her.
The next morning, Karin awoke to the sound of shuffling feet and low, desperate murmurs. Her body felt heavy, her head groggy from the strain of the night before.
She blinked slowly, trying to push away the fog in her mind. As her vision cleared, she saw them.
A line of ragged individuals stretched out the door, each one fidgeting with a mix of desperation and impatience. Some had bandages wrapped around their arms or legs, others clutched their chests as though struggling to breathe.
She clenched her fists under the thin blanket, her jaw tightening. But she forced her face to remain neutral, her expression blank. Showing resistance now wouldn't help. She had to endure this humiliation for now.
"Get up, brat," barked a Man in Odd Clothing with a Metal Headband on his Forehead, standing at the head of the line. He sneered down at her. "You've got work to do. Don't keep 'em waiting."
Karin slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Her body protested every movement, but she ignored the pain. She had endured a pain a thousandfold worse in her past life. This was nothing.
The first person in line—a woman with a swollen, purple ankle—hobbled forward. Without a word, she grabbed Karin's arm and bit down. Karin winced at the sting, feeling her chakra drain away as the woman's body slowly mended itself.
It was an interesting Process and a level of Regeneration she did not quite expect, she saw the wound Healing at an incredibly speed easily visible to even the naked eye.
Just what kind of Bloodline did those Uzumaki have, no wonder they used her like this. Had he found someone like herself in her past life she would have done the same, perhaps even taken her on as her own apprentice just to see if this ability would become better if one's cultivation were at a higher level.
Another Surprising thing was that when the Woman let go, her Wound quickly stopped bleeding and started mending itself with ease.