Chapter 1: A Lazy Beginning
The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a golden glow over the sprawling academy grounds. The scent of earth and sweat filled the air as students gathered to practice their martial skills. Some practiced with swords, others with spears, and a few worked on basic hand-to-hand combat. The academy's reputation for producing the strongest cultivators was well-known, and its students were some of the most promising young martial artists in the land.
Among the hustle and bustle, Kairos lay on the soft grass under the shade of a large willow tree. His body was still, his limbs sprawled out, and his eyes were half-closed. His clothes, though simple, were tattered and worn, the sleeves hanging loosely from his arms. His wild, unruly hair fell in a tangled mess over his eyes, hiding his gaze from the world around him.
Students passed by, casting occasional glances at him. Some snickered, others frowned. They could never understand why someone would choose to waste their time like this, especially when so many were working tirelessly to climb through the academy's ranks. But Kairos didn't mind. He wasn't interested in the constant push for power, nor did he have any desire to be like the others.
The world, it seemed, was obsessed with strength. Everyone around him trained relentlessly, their minds and bodies consumed by the need to grow stronger, faster, more powerful. But Kairos had seen through this cycle. It was exhausting, pointless even. In his eyes, there had to be more to life than the endless pursuit of strength. And so, he rested—unbothered by the ridicule of those who couldn't see beyond their training.
His mind wandered as the students around him went about their exercises. He could hear their grunts, the clash of weapons, and the occasional shout of triumph or frustration. Some of them, he knew, would rise through the ranks—fame, wealth, and power would come to them easily. Others would burn out, crushed by the weight of their own ambition. But none of it mattered to him.
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Kairos," a voice called out. It was Lian, one of the more arrogant students in Grade C. Tall, muscular, and brimming with self-confidence, Lian was everything Kairos wasn't. Where Kairos had always been indifferent, Lian had worked tirelessly to carve a name for himself.
Kairos didn't bother to sit up. He turned his head just enough to see Lian standing over him, his shadow casting a long, menacing line on the ground.
"Still lying around?" Lian sneered. "Don't you care about your future? Everyone else is out there improving themselves, and you're wasting time like this?"
Kairos yawned, stretching his arms lazily. "My future?" he mumbled, still half-asleep. "Why should I care about something like that?"
Lian scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because you'll never get anywhere if you don't. You'll always be stuck at the bottom, wasting your potential. If you just spent some time training, you could be so much stronger."
Kairos slowly sat up, looking at Lian with a mixture of mild curiosity and indifference. "Stronger than what? Stronger than who?"
Lian's eyes narrowed. "Stronger than anyone who ever doubted you. Stronger than anyone who's ever looked down on you. This is your chance to make something of yourself."
Kairos stared at Lian, his golden eyes flickering for a brief moment. A strange feeling stirred within him, but he quickly buried it. "I'm fine as I am."
Lian threw his hands up in exasperation. "You'll never make it with that attitude. No one gets anywhere by lying around. The world doesn't owe you anything, Kairos. You have to earn it."
Kairos stood slowly, brushing dirt off his pants. "I don't need to earn anything from the world. Maybe I'm just fine living life my own way."
Lian stared at him for a long moment, his face hardening with frustration. "You'll regret this someday. Mark my words."
Without another word, Lian turned and walked away, his footsteps growing fainter as he rejoined the rest of the students. Kairos didn't watch him leave; he simply sat back down beneath the willow tree, closing his eyes and letting the sounds of the academy fade into the background.
He could feel something stirring within him, something he couldn't quite grasp. It wasn't a sense of urgency or a desire to prove himself—it was something deeper, something he couldn't explain. But for now, he was content to ignore it. Life would unfold on its own time.
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