Three days had passed since Edward Thorne had hunted and cooked the wild boar. The remains had long since been finished, and now he ate only the scraps he had managed to preserve and forage since. The taste was meager and dry, but each bite reminded him that survival demanded making use of every resource, no matter how small. Ash and Fang, the Divine Dogs, lay close by, their ears twitching at every rustle and snap in the jungle, alert to any movement he could not perceive.
'Three days,' he thought. 'Three days and I have barely kept any of my prey. Every time I corner something, it gets away or fights back harder than I expect.'
The jungle had grown more dangerous with each passing day. Wild boars had become faster and more aggressive, packs of smaller predators had grown bolder, and even the birds of prey seemed to sense him. He moved constantly, tracking, stalking, evading. Most of the time, he failed to capture anything, but each failed hunt taught him something vital: the timing of an attack, the limits of his stamina, the thresholds of his cursed energy.
'Every failure teaches me,' he thought. 'Even if I go hungry, I learn about the jungle, the animals, and myself.'
He had spent these three days practicing relentlessly. Cursed Energy Reinforcement pulsed through his body as he strengthened his muscles, tested his stamina, and refined his control. He experimented with directing energy through individual limbs, through his core, and felt the faint hum of the flow throughout his body. Coordination with Ash and Fang became more instinctive. The dogs responded to subtler commands, anticipated his intentions, and even suggested a kind of feedback, signaling dangers he had not yet noticed.
'My control is improving,' he thought. 'I can feel the difference in my body, even if the system doesn't reflect it perfectly. Every movement is sharper, every strike slightly stronger.'
He flexed his fingers and pulled up the system interface to check his progress.
System Interface:
Ten Shadows Technique (Subjugated Shikigami: 1) Beginner
Cursed Energy: 180/1000
Cursed Energy Manipulation: 70/1000
Points: 10
'Ten points,' he thought. 'I can spend these, but only on stats I've unlocked. If I want new stats, I'll have to win battles. I need to focus on mastery, not shortcuts.'
He reflected on Ash and Fang. Summoning was costly and maintaining them consumed energy indirectly through his attention and command. Initially, he had only been able to keep them active for ten minutes a day. Now he could maintain them for thirty minutes at a time, enough to test attacks, learn from instinctive feedback, and push his coordination to new heights.
'Control has improved,' he thought. 'I can direct commands more accurately, anticipate reactions, and manage instinctive feedback better. Thirty minutes is a long time compared to before, but I have to be careful not to overextend.'
The dogs tore through small trees and branches, biting and slashing as Edward observed the force of their attacks. A medium-sized tree eventually cracked under coordinated effort. He felt his timing improving, how to adjust commands mid-strike, and how the instincts of the dogs compensated for his inexperience.
After a brief rest, he ventured deeper into the jungle, eyes scanning for movement. Small animals darted in and out of cover, testing his focus and reflexes. Boars charged from cover, monkeys shrieked as they swung from vines, and occasionally a jagged root tripped him, forcing quick recovery. Each encounter was a test of his Cursed Energy Reinforcement, reflexes, and coordination with the dogs.
'These fights are exhausting,' he thought. 'But every failure sharpens me. I need this. I have to know exactly what my body and my energy can do.'
He experimented further with Cursed Energy Manipulation, sending minute pulses through his body. Each attempt required intense concentration, and mistakes left him momentarily drained. Occasionally, the dogs nudged him or barked to indicate nearby animals. Their instincts were an extension of his senses, and he began to rely on them for situational awareness.
After hours of repeated trials and hunting attempts, Edward stopped to rest near a fallen tree. He contemplated the shikigami still waiting within his technique. Nue, Great Serpent, Max Elephant, Rabbit Escape, Piercing Ox, Round Deer. Each had potential, but none of them had been tested, and each carried risk.
'Which one should I summon?' he thought. 'I am still a beginner. If I pick wrong, I could be killed. My energy is enough for only one serious battle. I need something strong, manageable, and useful. Not something I will regret bringing out.'
He sensed it then. A massive Toad, Gama. Its instincts were strong but manageable. Its tongue could ensnare targets, strike from a distance, and carry allies. The risk was high, but he had the skill to fight it.
'Gama,' he thought. 'You're dangerous, but I can handle you. I need that strength.'
After Waiting for his cursed energy to recover, Edward performed the hand signs, summoning Gama from the shadows. The initial manifestation drained no cursed energy, but his attention and focus were taxed as the Toad appeared, eyes glinting and ready. Its tongue lashed immediately, wrapping around Fang and lifting him off the ground. Edward's heart pounded.
'No,' he thought. 'Fang! Hold on!'
He reinforced his own body with cursed energy and commanded Ash to attack. Ash lunged and bit at Gama's tongue to free Fang. Edward struck the Toad with a reinforced punch, while Fang twisted and clawed at the legs, narrowly avoiding the snapping tongue.
The battle was brutal. Gama's tongue lashed with terrifying speed, smashing into trunks and hurling debris. Edward coordinated attacks, timing every strike, using bursts of cursed energy to strengthen his punches. Ash and Fang dodged and struck instinctively, responding to his commands with near-perfect coordination.
'Every strike must count,' he thought. 'I cannot overextend or I will lose control. I have to keep calculating, keep moving, keep thinking ahead.'
Finally, he found an opening. Ash clamped onto Gama's tongue while Edward delivered a reinforced strike to the head. Fang struck the flank. Gama thrashed violently and collapsed. Edward delivered repeated, precise blows until the Toad ceased struggling.
He knelt, extending the shadow connection, and began the subjugation ritual. Gama throbbed with resistance, then relaxed. The system updated.
System Interface:
Ten Shadows Technique (Subjugated Shikigami: 2 [Divine Dogs, Gama]) Beginner
Cursed Energy: 180/1000
Cursed Energy Manipulation: 70/1000
Points: 10
'Gama,' he thought. 'You are mine now. Strong, capable, and dangerous. I have to master controlling you alongside Ash and Fang.'
He tested summoning durations. With both Gama and the dogs active, he could maintain them for only five minutes. Gama alone could now be summoned for twenty minutes, while the dogs alone could remain active for thirty.
'Control has improved,' he thought. 'I can direct commands more accurately, anticipate reactions, and manage instinctive feedback better. My manipulation has gone from fifty to seventy, but the number is not a perfect reflection of my actual skill. I can feel subtle differences the system doesn't track, and I doubt it will rise naturally for long without intense training or actual battles.'
He spent half a day practicing summoning and coordinating Gama with Ash and Fang. The Toad's long tongue extended his reach and provided support, while the dogs handled direct attacks. Edward paced his commands carefully, conserving cursed energy while improving timing, coordination, and instinctive feedback.
As dusk settled, he rested against a log. Hours later, he noticed faint smoke rising several hundred meters away. His muscles tensed, instincts alert.
'Another human,' he thought. 'Three days in, and now I might not be alone. I need to watch. Could be hostile, could be friendly. I have no way of knowing. I need to observe and plan.'
He crouched behind thick foliage, analyzing the fire's rise and pattern. The smell of wood smoke mixed with the jungle scents. He imagined who might have built it and whether it indicated rest, cooking, or preparation for combat.
'If they are hostile,' he thought, 'I have the advantage of surprise. But even one skilled person could be dangerous. I have Ash, Fang, and Gama now. I need to proceed carefully.'
Edward studied the fire, plotting potential approaches and escape routes. Anticipation mixed with apprehension. The jungle was no longer just a training ground. Survival, combat, and unknown encounters were converging, and Edward Thorne now had the tools, shikigami, and growing mastery of cursed energy to face whatever came next.