The unique scent of wood and chalk wafted through the air, the ground—pristine and clear—reflected the grievous faces of each and every student. The air felt heavy with discipline, as if the striking gaze of Mr. Kalin meant to stab through each of their hearts.
His steps were measured, his voice neither raised nor tight, and yet they dreaded the exercises coming forth. His voice echoed through the quiet room, "Now that the revision is over, we should move to practical." Its effect was immediate.
Kai sighed, exhausted as he looked at the obscenely serious face of his teacher, Of course, Ki control exercises... like my day couldn't get worse. He rubbed the back of his head, his mind anticipating which exercise the teacher would make them do. He hated Ki control for a reason...
Ki is the lifeblood of any martial artist. Losing it not only leaves them tired... but is directly tied to their stamina and mental state. He took in a sharp breath as Mr. Kalin wrote the objective on the board. At least when I duel, the loss of stamina is worth it for the exciting fight... but in control exercises... not only do the meridians get exhausted and tired, but there is no excitement in it.
But it wasn't as if he could change Mr. Kalin's mind. Let's just get done with this, he thought.
"Since the third year is about to come to an end, it is imperative that I check the true level of Ki control you have." He raised an eyebrow as a twinge of a smirk was visible on his lips. "Hence, I will make you shift through each Ki control exercise. Timing will be most crucial." His voice, direct and mature, cut through the crowd.
"Best not to disappoint me."
Kai nearly slipped while sitting when he heard the words coming out of the madman's mouth. Does he really hate us that much? However, before he could formulate a protest, Mr. Kalin's words interrupted his monologue.
"First, circulate the Ki throughout the body in the natural way," he spoke with certainty.
Hearing the words, Kai quickly closed his eyes. I can do this, he mentally hyped himself before focusing on the task at hand. He took a huge breath of air, his lungs filled to the brim as he exhaled, calming himself. He repeated the process a few times before he could feel himself rooted to the spot.
First focus on external stimuli. His thoughts ran parallel to his actions. His hands calmly rested on the cold surface of the mahogany wood. The air smelled of wood and faint scented perfumes. His skin itched as he focused on it... his hair—the tiny strands that he had yet to move from his forehead—tickled.
His heart thumped as he took in the sounds... the intake of breaths, a faint whisper of the wind, a tiny squeak coming from outside the windows...
And then focus inwards. His mind obeyed his command. He turned towards his own body, taking in the expansion and contraction of the lungs... the thunderous thumping of the heart... the feel of his fingertips—the awareness of the control he had over his body.
And then, he felt it... the enigmatic energy that circulated through his body, flowing close to his blood vessels but in their own meridians. It didn't have a starting point, but instead every two seconds, it filled around the heart.
The core—something that each martial artist and every citizen of the nation had—acted as the heart, pumping the Ki throughout the body, enriching it and giving it life.
Now, increase the circulation. Following his knowledge and experience, he instinctively pushed his core, increasing the circulation of the Ki inside his body, not only reinforcing it but increasing the sheer limit of the human body.
As he was right now, he could definitely crack a boulder in half.
A few seconds passed as Kai calmly circulated the Ki around his body. Something about the process felt peaceful to him. It required no thinking—only awareness—and for someone like him who tried his best not to think about his situation... it was heaven.
However, a sharp voice quickly cut through the air, "Now, increase the circulation only around your arms."
Kai took another deep breath in. Once the Ki and the core were clearly felt, focusing on one part of the body wasn't that difficult—at least for him.
His eyes remained closed as he focused on the meridians of his arms, his mind going through the knowledge required to achieve this feat. Focusing on the core unilaterally enhances the body... that's why focusing on just that won't enhance singular body parts. Instead, the meridians are the key.
Moving along his thoughts, he reflected inward—feeling the cool flow of Ki that ran tangent to the hot blood across his body.
He could feel the pulsing of the tiny vessels, his brows furrowed as he tried his best to focus on them, succeeding in just under two seconds. The exercise wasn't foreign to him after all. Ki control has always been kind of easy anyways.
Feeling the meridians on both of his arms, he quickly flexed them, akin to muscles inside his body. Naturally, they grew, expanded to increase the flow of Ki around them, not only enhancing his hands but making them far more durable than they normally would be.
Done, he noted inside his body. This time, he knew he had completed the exercise far before most people, judging from the minute it took Mr. Kalin to speak again.
"Finally, externalise your Ki, around your fists for now." His voice carried authority.
Yet Kai wasn't bothered in the least. His eyebrows furrowed, his jaw tightened. Externalising can be done... but it would leave me tired. That shitty exercise funnels Ki like a wormhole. Better to fail here anyways. He was, after all, not interested in the least to prove himself.
The only reason I am attending is because mother told m— His mind nearly stopped, cold chills enveloped his body as the bottling grief nearly overtook him. His control failed, his eyes fluttered open to the classroom.
The light nearly blinded him before his eyes adjusted, his breath chaotic. Not right now, later—later, Kai. He had been bottling the grief since the last week, had yet to shed tears... to mourn... and for now, he wasn't planning to.
Quickly blinking off the haze, he focused on the classroom. His eyes darted across the figures of the students. Minsek, Mira, and Suka had already opened their eyes, perhaps failing to do it in time.
They aren't the most diligent of students anyways, he noted, his eyes glancing at the four students trying to externalise the Ki... a feat difficult for students of their caliber.
The School of Velryun Martial Arts was just a foundational school after all. The school was mandatory for all citizens—at least until they passed their first year.
The real ones who wished to become martial artists had to join an institution of a higher caliber than this.
That was where true martial artists were trained... but to even join them, one had to pass these schools with good results. Of course, exceptions were made for students too exemplary in martial talents... but Kai knew he wasn't one, and prodigies like that rarely ever occurred.
His eyes glanced around the students still struggling with Ki externalisation. He was about to divert his attention before he witnessed something that made his eyes bulge.
His hand slipped through the desk as he saw Sera calmly resting her fists on the table. A visible energy radiated around them. The shocking part wasn't the ease with which she did it...
But the fact that the energy was calm and controlled.
Just externalising Ki is quite difficult and produces a raging energy around one's fist... but controlling it to be calm is something beyond this exercise. His fingers tightened for a second. Even I can't do that.
He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. Sure, being competitive was instinctual to him, but it didn't matter now. He calmly exhaled, letting his mind wander from the windows, taking in the panoramic view of the outside.
It took a few minutes before two students among the four failed. Mr. Kalin, who had been quiet until now, spoke, his eyes narrowed as he looked at his class. "First of all, spectacular performance you three... Ki externalisation will be tested at the end of the year, so you have quite the chance to pass with splendid colours." His eyes then moved towards the failures, his voice harsh, like a desert amidst a drought. "Not only did you fail Ki externalisation, some of you failed in enhancing body parts—something that was taught to you in second year. That is truly pathetic."
Some of the students cowered while others sheepishly scratched the back of their heads... one of them being Minsek.
Mr. Kalin's gaze stopped for a few seconds on Kai before he spoke. "Some of you didn't even try." His eyes grew weary. "With such foundations, I hope you don't dream of becoming martial artists. At best, you should start finding jobs that would suit your tastes."
Snapping his mouth shut, he turned towards Sera, who was calmly gazing at the man. "Come meet me after classes." His voice was direct. Turning his head once at Kai, the man exited through the door. The aftermath of his exit brought a coherent gathering of sighs and relaxation.
Kai, seeing the teacher exit, quickly turned towards Mira, his eyes narrowed. "I will take revenge for today, you brats." His voice low but mixed with a hint of amusement.
Mira merely twirled her hair, acting innocent. "For what, Kai? You wouldn't want to plot against poor, helpless little me, would you?"
Kai merely shook his head, his lips a bit upturned as soon Minsek and the others joined, crowding around his bench.
I wonder how long this day will be?
.
.
.
The last class of the day was about to end. His teacher, a lady in her forties with clear circular glasses resting atop her nose, kindly gazed at the class, her voice comforting and soothing. "By the way class, your duels teachers told me to inform you, tomorrow—a ranking duel will take place, alright?" Her eyes rounded into big glossy circles as she looked at the rest of them.
The class finally let out a cheer of relief. Obvious to most, fighting was fun—especially when one could use swords and daggers with Ki in tandem.
Kai himself didn't feel the same relief as his classmates. He would just calmly try before forfeiting to avoid any unforeseen injury.
While the teachers would intervene... I would rather not have a bruise or two tomorrow.
"Alright class, you can go now—school is over," she spoke, her small rounded body already turning towards her desk, clasping all the necessary documents she had brought.
Kai lazily got up, talking for a few minutes with his friends before bidding them farewell, opting to go to his house alone.
The moment they parted ways, the difference was clear as day. The streets felt a lot lonelier... his twinge of cheerfulness disappeared, his dark circles even more prominent. His legs felt tired... not out of exhaustion, but of something personal, deep.
He dragged himself to his own house... the now familiar sight of untouched things... no voice waiting for him, no presence that asked about his day was normal.
Sad... but he had gone into a habit. Soon enough, he would even stop feeling the difference—or at least he hoped he would.
Changing out of his robe into peaceful and homely clothes, he quickly washed his feet before plopping onto his bed. The sheets welcomed him like the sea to a sailor. He groaned from the sheer comfort of his bed, his eyes tired and sleepy, almost fluttering to a stop.
Pushing himself to the other direction, he already planned to sleep. He was far too tired to think otherwise. Yet as he turned towards his desk... something enigmatic and mysterious had happened.
His eyes nearly shot wide, widely different from the sleepy atmosphere he had gotten acclimated to. His hands gripped his sheets in sheer confusion. He was bamboozled by the sight in front of him.
Laying on the desk, was a new existence... another book, same leather, new and pristine, with golden words arranged on it—
Volume 1 — The Beginning of the Chosen One.