Chapter 2 – Cultivation is Hard, Where's My Cheat?!
After chatting with his master, I felt… good. Especially when my master is so-- Ahem. Not important. Returning to my room, I sat on the bed, stretching my arms.
"Alright, cultivation time. Let's do this."
...
Wait.
What the hell is cultivation even? Do I sit in a lotus position like those anime monks? Do I close my eyes and just feel it? How do I even feel Qi?
I closed my eyes and focused.
…
…
Nothing.
Okay, maybe I need to breathe first. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
After a few minutes of absolute nothingness--
Wait… wait… something's coming…
HOLY SHIT, I CAN FEEL IT!
An invisible aura, faint yet real, brushed against my body like a gentle wave. My heart pounded. I tried to manipulate it, guiding it through my veins.
Yes! Yes! I'm doing it!
I could feel the Qi flowing through me--until…
Crap! I forgot to maintain my breathing!
My focus shattered, the Qi I was barely guiding just vanished.
"Why is this so damn hard?!" I groaned, flopping onto my bed. "Where's my system? Hello? SYSTEM! SYSTEM WAKE UP!"
…
No reply.
Of course.
Two hours later, after anxiety, frustration, and several false hopes, I finally made some progress. A tiny wisp of Qi now circulated weakly inside me, barely worth mentioning.
Alright, screw this, I need food.
---
Lunch & A Friend(?)
I stepped outside, my stomach growling. Following the scent of food, I found myself at the sect's canteen, a large open hall where disciples gathered to eat. The moment I entered, I could feel some people whispering and side-eyeing me.
Oh, great. They already heard about my injuries.
Ignoring them, I grabbed a plate, piled on some food, and picked the most secluded spot possible.
Just as I was about to take my first bite--
"Yo, Aman!"
I looked up.
A girl plopped down right across from me. Ishita.
Long black hair tied in a simple ponytail, brown eyes full of curiosity, and an easy-going smile that made her look way too confident.
"I heard about what happened," she said, resting her chin on her hand. "That fight in the forest… you really got wrecked, huh?"
I sighed. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. My Qi veins got rearranged or something. Starting over from scratch now."
She smirked. "Damn, that sucks."
"Wow. Thanks for the support," I deadpanned.
We chatted while eating, mostly about sect gossip, cultivation struggles, and the occasional complaint about tasteless food.
After we finished, Ishita stretched her arms. "Alright, see you later, crippled genius."
"...Not funny."
"Yeah, yeah," she waved me off and left.
I stared at my empty plate.
For a brief moment, I thought about her.
…Ahem. Cultivation. Focus on cultivation.
---
Mind, Body, Soul
Back in my room, I started thinking. Cultivation isn't just sitting cross-legged and absorbing Qi like a sponge.
It has three core aspects: Mind, Body, and Soul.
1. Mind – Controls Qi flow, visualization, focus. (Damn, this one's gonna be a nightmare with my ADHD.)
2. Body – Strength, endurance, physical refinement. (I was always good at this.)
3. Soul – Spiritual willpower, consciousness, and deeper understanding. (Sounds too deep for me right now.)
Right now, my body was weak as hell from the injuries. If I wanted to rebuild my cultivation, I needed to train my body too.
So, I started doing some basic squats.
One… Two… Three…
Wait a minute.
If cultivation and body training go hand in hand, why not combine them?
Train my body while simultaneously cultivating.
Excited, I got into a stance and started practicing both at once--
And thus began the most frustrating training session of my life.
—
Chapter 4 – Midnight Nostalgia & The Unexpected Encounter
Panting, I slumped against the base of a tree, wiping the sweat off my forehead. My legs burned, my arms ached, and my head pounded from overusing my nonexistent Qi control.
"Shit… what do I do?" I muttered, staring up at the darkening sky. "I need to get stronger faster."
I had no system, no divine bloodline, no overpowered cheat technique. Just me, my chaotic brain, and a half-broken body.
Frustrated, I clenched my fists.
But no matter how much I overthink this, I won't magically get stronger by sitting here.
The sun had already set, the sect's courtyard now bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.
Alright, I should get dinner and sleep.
---
A Dream That Shouldn't Hurt, But Does
That night, I expected to sleep like the dead.
I was wrong.
Instead of a peaceful rest, my mind dragged me back--to my old life.
The glow of my monitor.
The rhythmic clicking of my mouse.
The cheers of my teammates in voice chat.
The thrill of that final clutch.
And then--
"Yo, Aman, hop on another game?"
"Bro, let me train for a bit first--"
Darkness.
I saw flashes. My room, my bed, my desk filled with random junk.
My Pokémon cards.
A stupid grin formed on my dream self's face as I held up a pristine Charizard holo card. My childhood obsession. My pride and joy.
And now… it was gone.
Everything was gone.
The dream shattered, and I woke up.
---
Midnight Walk in a Foreign World
I sat up, breathing heavily.
A cold night breeze slipped through the wooden window, rustling the candle flame beside my bed. My heart was still hammering in my chest.
I let out a long sigh.
"Damn it…" I muttered. "I miss my old life."
No phones. No games. No cards. No modern world.
No normalcy.
This place--this sect, this world, this cultivation bullshit--it was still unfamiliar.
I rubbed my eyes and swung my legs off the bed.
Screw this, I need some air.
Throwing on my robe, I quietly slipped out of my room and into the cold night. The sect was silent, most disciples already asleep.
The stone path felt cool beneath my bare feet as I wandered aimlessly.
I should probably go back before someone yells at me.
But just as I was about to turn back--
Rustle.
I froze.
Somewhere deep in the garden, behind the tall bamboo trees… something moved.
---
End of Chapter 2