Chapter 75: Horse-Sized Problems
Paike jogged up to the meeting point, his staff laid over his shoulders.
He hadn't taken much time to examine it since he had recovered it, but on the way he probed it with his qi. The aspect didn't feel any different from what he remembered, but as he touched it, the qi embedded in the staff wriggled, almost as if it was welcoming him back.
Honestly, that slithering feeling made him a little uncomfortable. It was like holding a snake, hoping it wouldn't bite. He did his best to ignore it as it didn't seem to have any functional changes.
From what he heard, this staff was still decades away from developing into a full awakened spirit weapon. So he didn't think it was that. Still, the contact was unsettling enough that he honestly hoped this wasn't the sign of the personality emerging.
Everyone else was waiting for him in the clearing, but none seemed too annoyed that he was a few minutes late.
The notice that class was still canceled until further notice remained up. So he was reassured that their expedition was good to go. That had been his expectation. If they thought there was a chance that the class would be back today, they would have worded the note differently.
Guan Li looked like his mind was still far away. Paike assumed he was still thinking about their ideas. Now that he had a few minutes of distance, he was able to recognize how ridiculous that whole thing was. Still, even as he moved his qi in a few of the patterns they worked out for him, he could feel the difference.
His shield formed faster and with less wasted energy. The other techniques were also benefiting from the improvements.
Slowing as he walked up, Paike had to force himself to stop running small experiments with the ambient qi around him.