Harry woke up on the living room couch with the morning sun shining on his face. His head throbbed, and for a moment, he thought it had all just been a dream. But then he saw the medallion resting on the coffee table, glowing with a faint light.
What he didn't know was that, during the night, his uncle had woken up to a noise coming from the bedroom. Startled, he got up with difficulty, hurriedly put on his sandals, and went to check.
When he opened the door, he found Harry collapsed on the floor, unconscious, with a sweaty face and tense expression.
– Harry?! – exclaimed the old man, his voice choked.
Quickly, his uncle knelt down, checked his breathing, and, relieved that he was alive, carried him with effort to the living room couch. He covered him with a light sheet and placed the medallion, which had fallen beside him, on the coffee table. He stood for a while watching his nephew, confused and worried, unable to understand what had happened.
After a few minutes, he sighed deeply and returned to the bedroom, restless.
– God help me… this boy's been acting strange since he got here – he muttered before lying back down, sleep slowly coming, worn out by age and concern.
Harry got up slowly and walked to the kitchen sink. He splashed water on his face, looked at himself in the cracked mirror, and whispered:
– This… really happened? Cultivation… Qi techniques… an immortal...
He sat in the rusty kitchen chair and started laughing. First nervously, then with excitement.
– Hahaha… finally! I never thought this could happen to me. I always read those stories thinking they were just fantasy… and now… I can cultivate!
He jumped up, twisted the ring on his finger, and stared at the medallion. His smile stretched from ear to ear. His mind raced with thoughts of techniques, cultivation levels, abilities… But then, reality hit him like a bucket of cold water.
– Wait… if Long Hai came here… that demon came too.
His smile vanished. A chill ran down his spine.
Immediately, he grabbed his phone and started researching everything he could about supernatural phenomena, strange news, unusual sightings. He dove into obscure forums, esoteric blogs, sketchy videos.
Until, on a local news site, a headline caught his attention:
"Number of mysterious disappearances rises in Nova Brisa and surrounding areas. Authorities have no leads. Locals fear a serial killer or mysterious cult."
Harry swallowed hard.
– This can't be a coincidence...
The fear came back stronger. But also a certainty: he needed to learn to use that technique. He needed to cultivate. He needed to be ready.
Sighing, he calmed himself and decided to make breakfast. Something simple: bread with margarine and weak black coffee. He sat on the bed with the plate beside him and took a deep breath.
– Let's try...
Harry crossed his legs… or tried to. His knees started to hurt and he fell to the side, groaning.
A little later, he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. His uncle appeared at the kitchen door, rubbing his eyes and wearing an old flannel shirt.
– You okay, Harry? I heard some weird noises last night. I woke up and found you passed out on the floor… – he said, voice hoarse and filled with concern.
Harry forced a smile.
– It was just… exhaustion, uncle. Nothing serious. I overdid it trying to stretch… you know how it is, lack of physical conditioning.
The old man sighed, not very convinced, but didn't press the issue.
– Hm. Alright… I'll make some coffee.
He sat at the table and started eating in silence, still watching Harry from the corner of his eye.
– Ugh… how do the guys in the novels make this look so easy?
After a few minutes trying to find a comfortable position, he sat cross-legged as best he could, back supported against the wall. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
He recalled what he had seen in Long Hai's vision. The first chapter of the basic Qi cultivation technique seemed simple: calm the mind, feel the energy around, and guide it into the body.
But nothing happened.
He tried again. And again.
The most he got was a little dizziness and a weird tingling in his feet.
– Okay, maybe it's not an overnight thing… – he muttered, frustrated.
But remembering the stories he had read for so long, he realized this was just the beginning. Most protagonists took days, weeks, even months to take the first step.
And he had an entire month of vacation.
A month to try. A month to change.
The war wasn't over yet. It was just beginning.
And now he was a piece on the board.
Days went by, and Harry dove headfirst into his new goal: cultivation.
At first, everything was uncomfortable. Sitting in lotus position felt like torture. His legs tingled, ached, and he had to shift every five minutes. But over time, he adapted. He alternated between the bed, the farm's yard, and even under a secluded tree. He tried early in the morning, at noon, and especially at night, when the silence seemed to help his concentration.
On the fifth day, while meditating under the starry sky, he felt something different. A lightness in the air. A subtle flow that seemed to dance around him. A shiver ran down his spine.
– Is this Qi? I… can feel it?
Heart pounding, he continued meditating. But nothing more happened.
Only on the tenth day, after many failed attempts, did it finally happen. A tiny thread of energy — almost invisible — moved toward him. It touched his skin like a breeze, and slowly entered his body.
– I did it… – he whispered, emotional.
But his excitement got in the way. As soon as he opened his eyes and moved, the Qi thread dispersed instantly, as if it had never been there.
Frustrated but happy, he lay on the grass and stared at the stars.
– It's real… it's really working.
From that moment on, his routine changed. In addition to meditation, Harry began doing light physical exercises to strengthen his body. Push-ups, running around the farm, squats — but as a good sedentary nerd, he could barely complete one set without getting winded.
Even so, he persisted. Even tired, even sore. He knew the body was also part of cultivation.
On the twentieth day, sitting on the old rug in the living room, he once again felt the Qi flow. This time, he was prepared. He kept his mind calm, focus absolute.
The energy flowed across his skin, entered through his pores, and moved through his body like a warm thread. Slowly, he felt the heat settle in his abdomen, where his dantian should be.
That night, Harry took his first real step.
He had begun his cultivation.
The next morning, while Harry was having coffee, his uncle appeared in the kitchen with a worried look.
– Harry… stay home today, alright? I heard people around the neighborhood talking. Looks like folks have been disappearing around here. Better not take any chances.
Harry nodded calmly, but inside his heart sank.
– Alright, uncle. I'll stay here.
The old man sighed and slowly went back to his room, leaning on the doorframe. Harry watched him for a moment before picking up his phone.
Before going to sleep, heart still racing from his achievement, Harry called Vinícius.
– Hello? Vinícius? Man… I need a favor. Can you check the local news? I don't know, weird stuff, disappearances… anything.
– Sure. Did something happen?
– I'm… kind of worried. I think something might be going on around here. I'll explain later. Let me know if you find anything, alright?
– Alright, I'll take a look. I'll text you.
Harry hung up, put the phone away, and lay down on the bed. Now that he had started cultivating, the world seemed even bigger… and more dangerous.
He needed to be ready. At any moment, the true enemy could appear.