After a few minutes, Kai returned, now wearing a fresh set of clothes. The ragged old clothes were gone, replaced with a simple but clean robe. His grizzled face still looked just as unkempt, but without the tattered clothing, he no longer looked like a beggar.

Kai stretched his arms lazily. “Not bad. It’s been a while since I changed into something that didn’t smell like a dead animal.”

Arthur shook his head. “I can’t believe you walked around like that.”

Kai grinned. “It keeps the idiots away.”

Arthur sighed. “Right.”

Kai leaned against the nearby wall and studied Arthur with a strange expression before asking, “So, are you a noble kid?”

Arthur blinked at the sudden question. “What?”

Kai motioned toward the orphanage. “You’ve got money, influence, and you run this place like some highborn playing at charity. Figured you had some family name backing you up.”

Arthur snorted. “Nope. I’m not a noble. Just rich.”

Kai tilted his head. “Just rich?”

Arthur shrugged. “Yeah. I made some good money recently.”

Kai let out a laugh. “Hah! You made money? And here I thought some family was backing you up.”

Kai crossed his arms and continued. “Alright, rich boy. Since I’m staying here, we start training tomorrow.”

Arthur nodded. “Looking forward to it.”

Kai laughed again, shaking his head. “Call me master from now on.”

Arthur sighed, bowed and gave a mock martial artist salute, “Yes Master.”

Seeing that Kai gave a boisterous laughter.

The two stood there for a moment, a quiet understanding forming between them. Kai wasn’t just some wandering martial artist. And Arthur wasn’t just some rich kid running an orphanage.

After that Arthur left the city towards the forest to practice his spells.

…

The next day Arthur arrived at the orphanage just as the afternoon sun bathed the courtyard in golden light. His focus was drawn to the old man sitting beneath the shade of a tree, his posture relaxed yet disciplined. Kai’s eyes were closed in deep meditation, his breathing steady and unshaken by the sounds of children playing around him.

Arthur stood a few feet away, waiting without interrupting. He didn’t know much about martial arts yet, but he knew better than to disturb someone meditating.

After a few seconds, Kai opened his eyes and glanced at him. His sharp gaze studied Arthur before he gave a small nod. “So, are you ready?”

Arthur nodded. “Yes.”

Kai stretched his arms before standing up. “The procedure might cause a bit of commotion. We shouldn’t do it here unless you want to scare the kids.”

Arthur thought for a second before responding. “I have a place in the forest where I train regularly. We can go there.”

Kai nodded. “Lead the way.”

The two of them left the orphanage, moving swiftly through the city until they reached the outer edges of Brightwater. From there, they entered the dense forest. 

When they finally arrived at the clearing, Arthur turned to Kai, who was surveying the area with an approving nod. “Not bad. This place is quiet, and isolated… Good choice.”

Kai pulled a small book from his robes and handed it to Arthur. “Memorize the first part.”

Arthur took the book, it had a title “Heaven’s Breath” written on top of it, and flipped through the first few pages. It contained diagrams of the human body with intricate lines drawn across them, marking the circulation path of Chi. There were instructions on breathing techniques, along with details about Chi flow stimulation.

After skimming through it once, Arthur closed the book and set it aside.

Kai raised an eyebrow. “Are you done already?”

Arthur nodded. “Yeah. I have eidetic memory.”

Kai stared at him for a moment before chuckling. “Of course you do.” He shook his head. “Damn kid, you keep getting more interesting.”

Arthur shrugged. “It’s useful.”

Kai smirked. “We’ll see how useful it is when you start screaming in pain.”

Arthur blinked. “Are all martial artists masochists or what?”

Kai chuckled hearing that and motioned for him to sit. “Alright sit cross-legged and try to maintain the breathing pattern shown in the book.”

Arthur hesitated for only a second before complying. He sat on the cool grass, feeling the slight evening breeze against his skin.

Kai sat behind him and placed both hands firmly on Arthur’s back. His palms were rough, calloused from decades of training.

“Listen carefully,” Kai said, his tone serious. “I’m going to inject my Chi into your body and circulate it along the path of the technique you memorized. This will help kickstart the flow of your own Chi. But it won’t be pleasant.”

Arthur took a slow breath. “Got it.”

Kai gave him no more warnings. A moment later, Arthur felt it, an overwhelming heat surging into his body.

The sensation was immediate, like liquid fire pouring into his veins. His muscles tensed involuntarily, his breath hitching as the foreign energy spread through his limbs. His body resisted the intrusion at first, rejecting the unfamiliar Chi.

Kai’s voice was calm but firm. “Don’t fight it. Let it flow freely.”

Arthur gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead due to the pain as he focused.

Kai continued, pushing more Chi. The energy forcefully carved a path inside Arthur’s body, breaking through blockages that had never been touched before. The resistance was strong, Arthur’s body had an immense amount of Chi, but it was like a stagnant ocean, unmoving and refusing to flow.

Arthur groaned, his fingers digging into the dirt beneath him. His entire body felt like it was burning from the inside.

Kai pressed harder, sending another surge of Chi through him. “Endure it. This is just the beginning.”

Arthur took shaky breaths, forcing himself to focus on the circulation pattern he had memorized. He followed the path, trying to stimulate his Chi as it was being guided by Kai’s Chi.

It was difficult. His Chi was dense, heavy and refusing to budge. It felt like trying to move a mountain with bare hands.

But after trying for some time, a small ripple appeared. A tiny current of his own Chi stirred, moving ever so slightly in response to Kai’s energy. It was weak, almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

Kai noticed immediately. His lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “There you go. Keep going.”

Arthur clenched his jaw and pushed harder, guiding his Chi along the same path as Kai’s. The stagnant energy inside him began to flow, slowly but surely.

The pain didn’t lessen, but it became bearable. The unbearable heat turned into a controlled burn, fueling his body instead of overwhelming it.

Minutes passed. Then, nearly an hour.

Finally, Kai withdrew his hands, exhaling as he leaned back. “That’s enough for today.”

Arthur opened his eyes, his breathing heavy. His body felt drained but at the same time… lighter.

Kai watched him with a pleased expression. “Not bad you endured it well, now that the initial phase has been completed, you just have to continue following the same pattern for at least a week to let all of your Chi follow the same path.”

Arthur ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. “Well…that was painful.”

Kai chuckled. “It gets easier. But you will feel the same amount of pain for the rest of the week as you make all that Chi truly yours.”

Arthur shook his head, still feeling the lingering pain in his body. But for the first time, he felt it, his own Chi.

…

For the rest of the week, Arthur followed the same grueling routine. Each day after finishing his classes, he and Kai left the city, heading to the secluded clearing in the forest where he practiced his Chi cultivation. The process was the same, painful and exhausting. Arthur had to circulate his Chi according to the path Kai had shown him the first day, breaking through the last remnants of stagnation in his body.

At first, every session felt like molten fire searing through his veins. His body resisted, his muscles locked up, and every movement of Chi felt like dragging hot liquid through his body. But Kai guided him through every mistake, correcting his technique whenever he slipped up. He was strict but patient, never letting Arthur take shortcuts.

Arthur also took out the golem each day, allowing it to roam the forest while he trained. One evening, as the massive construct stomped through the trees, Kai finally spoke up.

“That thing’s been wandering around every time we come here,” Kai said, watching the golem curiously. “What is it exactly?”

Arthur, still catching his breath from an intense session, looked up. “A sentient golem.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “Sentient?”

Arthur nodded. “Yeah. Not just some mindless automaton. It can think and learn.”

Kai whistled, clearly impressed. “I’ve heard of golems before, but never one that could think for itself. That’s a rare thing you’ve got there, kid.”

Arthur gasped and nodded. “Yeah…I figured as much.”

The week continued in much the same way, endless pain, constant effort, and a slow but steady progression. Every night, Arthur collapsed into bed, his mind exhausted, but he could feel the difference. The Chi inside him was no longer static. It was starting to flow according to the pattern he followed.

On the last day.

Arthur sat cross-legged in the clearing, his breathing deep and controlled. His eyes were closed, and his mind fully focused on guiding his Chi through the now-familiar path.

Then, suddenly…the air around him shifted.

Kai, who had been watching from a short distance away, immediately sat up straighter, a small smile forming on his lips.

Arthur felt it too. His Chi, once heavy and sluggish, now surged through his body like a raging river. The resistance that had tormented him for the past week was gone. It was no longer a struggle…it felt effortless to move the Chi now.

Then, without warning, a golden light exploded from his body, shooting into the sky like a beacon.

A pillar of radiant energy engulfed the clearing, the sheer force of it shaking the ground. Trees in the immediate vicinity were uprooted, their trunks splintering from the shockwave. The energy was raw, untamed, and unbelievably powerful.

Kai didn’t move, merely watching with a knowing expression.

Arthur, however, barely noticed the destruction around him. His entire body felt alive. The golden energy rushed back into him, retracting into his skin like a flame being pulled back into its source.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

He felt his vision was sharper and his senses keener. Every fiber of his being pulsed with strength.

Arthur clenched his fist, and golden flames-like energy crackled to life around his body. His muscles felt denser, and his bones stronger. He could feel it, his physical strength had nearly tripled when he utilized Chi.

Arthur had read about Chi augmentation before. Typically, martial artists could only double their strength at most. To increase their augmentation furthur, the Chi technique they practice needed to be much more rare and higher grade. But he had gone beyond that.

He turned to Kai, still basking in the overwhelming sensation of his newfound power. “Master… what grade of Chi technique did you give me?”

Kai simply smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Figure it out yourself.”

Arthur sighed, resisting the urge to groan. “Why do you have to be so damn mysterious?”

Kai laughed. “Where’s the fun in just telling you?”

Arthur sighed and shook his head. He focused inward and summoned his status panel to see if any changes had occurred.

//——————–//

[STATUS]

Name: Arthur Sully

Designation: ECHO

Mage Rank: 2nd Circle

Martial Arts Rank: Peak Grade

Age: 27

Height: 6’3″

Mana: 1985.5 Units

Chi: 289,875 Units

Strength: 57.97 Kilotons 

Speed: 614.8 m/s

Durability: 211.3 GPa 

[ABILITIES]

[Reactive Evolution] [Superior Regeneration] [Toxin Immunity] [Gene Lock] [Technopathy (Lv3)] [Energy Absorption (Lv3)] [Mana Manipulation (Lv3)] [Chi Manipulation (Lv1)] 

[Pain Tolerance: Host is now able to adjust to extreme pain easily so that it does not become an obstacle.]

[SPELLS]

[Mana Bullet] [Mana Shield] [Telekinesis]

[TECHNIQUES]

[Astral Flow Technique]

[Heaven’s Breath: An ancient art of Chi cultivation manual that allows the host to augment his strength up to 3x currently. Has the potential to augment host’s strength to greater level with increased mastery. ]

[EQUIPMENTS]

-Spear Of Heaven

-ECHO Mk II Armor

-Element-M Sword

-Obelisk (Interdimensional Artifact)

-Shadowfang (Dark Steel Sword)

-Stormpiercer (Mithril Spear)

//——————–//

Arthur was surprised at seeing the skill Pain Tolerance, he thought about why he didn’t acquire the skill when he died so many times in Trakkun-5, ‘Maybe I died too quickly then, and due to feeling pain for an extended period of time for the past week, now I got the skill.’ 

Also his mana didn’t increase by much these past week as he was mostly focused on completely converting his Chi. But Arthur was surprised at the amount of Chi he currently possesses. Now he can truly be considered a Peak-grade martial artist. But there’s still a lot for him to learn from Kai.

***

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