Knock knock.
"Michael, wake up."
A muffled groan escaped my lips as I reluctantly cracked open an eye, staring at the ceiling. This was becoming a pattern. My dream had me fending off a herd of giant vases (don't ask), but now I had to face the harsh reality of being shaken awake by a persistent prince.
The door creaked open, and Kael's all-too-familiar voice drifted through the room. "You didn't forget today is your first cultivation session, did you?"
I blinked at the figure standing in my doorway. Kael, of course. "You again? Seriously, why are you always waking me up? Is there some unspoken rule that I'm not allowed to wake up on my own anymore?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "And do you, like, live here or something? No home, Kael? Is this your life now?"
Kael leaned against the doorframe with a smirk, his arms crossed. "A prince never sleeps too far from his friends."
"Right." I snorted, pulling the blanket over my head, trying to block him out. "Sure, 'friends.' But how exactly did you get in here? Again. I'm pretty sure Lina's also here, and I don't think she appreciates people just barging in."
As if on cue, Lina appeared from behind Kael, her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. "He's got a point, you know. How did you get in here?"
Kael shrugged like this was all perfectly normal. "We met downstairs before I came in. I introduced myself, naturally."
I blinked, processing. "Wait, so you two just met… downstairs, had a little chat, then decided to wake me up together? Like… what?"
Lina sighed, looking like she was already regretting the morning. "Can we please just go? You'll be late for the session if we waste any more time."
"Yeah, yeah, alright." I waved my hand in mock defeat. Honestly, though, the whole situation was weird. Kael had this uncanny knack for showing up in my room like it was his own personal hangout. "By the way," I muttered while slipping on my boots, "where exactly is this training session going to be held? Somewhere secret? Mysterious? Full of hidden traps, maybe?"
Kael chuckled, shaking his head. "No secrets. Same place we got our robes. Try to keep up."
Mentally, I added this whole "always knowing everything" act to my growing list of things I was going to complain to Kael about later. The list was getting long.
A few minutes later, after I got ready, we left for the sect grounds for our first cultivation session.
The three of us were walking toward the sect grounds. The air was crisp, the morning sun casting long shadows across the path. Around us, other disciples bustled about, most of them looking nervous or excited about their upcoming session. The smell of fresh food drifted from the dining hall, making me realize I hadn't eaten yet. But hey, priorities.
I stretched lazily, yawning as the last remnants of sleep left me. "So, Kael," I said, eyeing him suspiciously, "you really don't have any work to do, huh? You're already cultivating, so what are you tagging along for? I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a newbie, and this is for beginners."
Kael shot me a smirk, walking with that effortless grace he always had, like the entire world was his stage. "Maybe I'm just curious to see how a Grade 4 talent handles their first session."
"Great," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "No pressure or anything."
Lina, walking beside us, remained silent but gave me a sideways glance. She was probably trying to figure out how someone as lazy as me managed to have such a rare talent. Honestly, I was still figuring that out myself.
The training grounds were vast and open, surrounded by towering trees with leaves that shimmered faintly in the morning light. The air felt charged with energy, like the atmosphere itself was pulsing with life. There were large stone platforms scattered around the grounds, each one glowing faintly with inscriptions.
The sect was nothing if not impressive.
A large group of disciples had already gathered, most of them sitting on the ground, waiting. There was a mix of excitement and nervousness in the air. Some of them were already trying to absorb Qi, sweating with the effort, their faces scrunched up in concentration.
I took a seat beside Lina and Kael, trying to look like I had any idea what I was doing. As I got comfortable, a stern-looking elder appeared, his dark robes billowing around him like some ominous storm cloud. He had the kind of face that looked like it hadn't smiled in decades.
Without bothering with introductions, the elder simply gestured for us to sit. "Cultivate," he said, his voice cold and commanding. "Feel the Qi around you. Guide it to your dantian. Step into the world of cultivation."
Straight to the point. No hand-holding. No flowery speeches, and more importantly, no literal instructions.
Like, at least give some instructions, right? He just said, "absorb the Qi." Like no shit, Sherlock, I knew that already, but whatever. I'll do what I can.
I closed my eyes, following his instructions. Feel the Qi. Guide it to my dantian. Easy enough, right?
The moment I focused, I felt it. I don't even know how, but I did. The Qi in the air was thick, like invisible rivers of energy swirling around me. I reached out mentally, trying to gather it, and…
It was like opening a floodgate.
The Qi flowed into me effortlessly, filling me with a sense of calm and warmth. It was like lying in a hot spring after a long day, all the tension in my body melting away. I didn't even have to try. The energy just came to me, so much that if other disciples focused, they would easily notice.
I opened one eye, glancing around. The other disciples were sweating, their faces contorted with concentration. Some were trembling, and most were obviously confused about what to do, clearly struggling to absorb even a fraction of what I was getting.
Lina was one of them, even though she had Grade 3 talent. Her brow was furrowed in frustration, her lips pressed into a thin line as she worked to pull in the Qi. Her eyes flicked over to me, and when she saw me sitting there like I was at a spa, her mouth fell open.
I gave her a sheepish grin. Yeah, this was… awkward.
It didn't take long for the other disciples to notice. Whispers started spreading through the group.
"Is he already absorbing that much Qi?"
"Who is that guy?"
"That prince Michael with Grade 4 talent, I heard. No wonder."
Soon, the whispers turned into glares. I could feel the weight of all those eyes on me—some curious, most envious. One particularly beefy guy a few rows down looked like he wanted to punch me in the face, his knuckles white from how hard he was clenching his fists.
Just great. I'd become public enemy number one without even trying.
I tried to ignore the glares and focus on the task at hand. I was gathering more and more Qi, feeling it settle into my dantian. And then, suddenly:
DING!
Congratulations! You have stepped into Qi Condensation Realm: Stage 1!
Qi: increased by ten times.
Note: Due to an extreme imbalance your skill may create in the future due to low Qi cost, your skill "Qi Compression: Explosive Art" is retracted. As compensation, an immediate wish has been granted.
Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, retracted? How do you just take away the one cool thing I had going for me? I was about to make history as the world's first human bomb… for better or worse!
Really? I thought, biting back a laugh. I'm barely in this cultivation thing for a day, and they're already nerfing me?
I could picture it now—explosions, flames, epic showdowns… but no, apparently that's too much power for me. At least for now. The system really knows how to ruin a good time.
Well, I sighed internally, there goes my plan to be the realm's first explosive pyrotechnician.
Mentally, I scrolled through my options, trying not to scream. So now I have a wish as compensation? Great. What should I even ask for? A lifetime supply of chocolate? A pillow that always stays cool? Or… maybe I just wish for the skill back?
I imagined summoning the system. Hey, system, can I get my explosion skill back, please? I mimicked the system's robotic voice in my head: "Sorry, user, but we had to take it away because you're a walking health hazard. Safety first!"
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. Guess I'll have to be the only guy in this realm who can't blow things up anymore. There goes my ticket to becoming Cultivation's Next Top Fireball…
Focus, Michael. Focus.
As I was telling myself to focus, the elder appeared infront of me.
Sigh, I really can't be out of limelight for even a second, huh.