Renaissance Roasters was packed.
Every table was occupied by MBA students in business casual, laptops open, coffee drinks strategically positioned. The air buzzed with conversation—networking, pitching, deal-making. The kind of environment Marcus had expected from business school.
What he hadn't expected was to feel it.
His Network Sensing picked up everything. The coffee shop wasn't just loud with voices—it was loud with qi. Invisible currents of energy swirled through the space, generated by every handshake, every elevator pitch, every exchange of business cards. It felt like static electricity, sharp and purposeful.
"Holy shit," Daniel breathed beside him. "You feel that?"
"Yeah." Marcus had to resist the urge to close his eyes. The sensation was overwhelming. "This is what corporate qi feels like."
"It's everywhere." Daniel's eyes were wide. "How do we even begin to cultivate this? It's like trying to drink from a fire hose."
[Tutorial Tip: Ambient qi in crowded spaces can be overwhelming for Stage 1 cultivators. Start with small, controlled draws. Quality over quantity.]
Marcus grabbed two seats at a small table near the window—far enough from the densest crowds to avoid sensory overload. They ordered coffee (which felt absurdly normal given the circumstances) and settled in.
"Okay," Marcus said, pulling out his manual and flipping to the sensing exercise. "We sit comfortably, focus on our dantian, and try to draw qi inward. The manual says to start small."
"Define small," Daniel said nervously.
"I guess we'll find out."
They both closed their eyes. Marcus felt immediately self-conscious—two guys sitting in a coffee shop with their eyes closed, meditating like some kind of wellness retreat. But when he focused inward, the self-consciousness faded.
There. In his chest, just below his sternum. A warmth. The same warmth he'd felt during awakening, only now it was familiar. His dantian. His cultivation foundation.
Marcus took a slow breath and extended his awareness outward, just like the manual instructed.
The qi hit him like a wave.
It was chaotic, swirling, pulling in a dozen directions at once. He could feel individual strands—a networking conversation at the next table generating a sharp, aggressive energy. Two students at the bar exchanging contact information, creating a brief spike of connection-based qi. Even the barista taking orders was generating a faint current of transactional energy.
This was corporate qi. Sharp. Purposeful. Ambitious.
Marcus visualized drawing a single thread toward himself. Not forcing it, but inviting it, like the manual said.
The thread resisted. It wanted to flow naturally, to dissipate into the environment. But Marcus held his focus, and slowly—so slowly—the qi began to move.
It trickled into his dantian like water through a crack, and Marcus felt a surge of warmth. His cultivation foundation absorbed the energy, and for just a moment, everything clicked into place.
[Progress: 3%]
Marcus's eyes snapped open. "I did it. I actually did it."
Daniel was staring at him, eyes still closed, face scrunched in concentration. "How? I can feel it out there but I can't—" He broke off with a frustrated noise. "It won't come."
"Don't force it," Marcus said, echoing the manual. "Just... invite it. Focus on your dantian first, then reach out. Find one thread and follow it."
Daniel's breathing slowed. His expression relaxed slightly. Marcus watched with his Network Sensing and saw the moment it happened—a thin strand of qi flowing from the ambient field into Daniel's cultivation foundation.
Daniel gasped. "I felt it! Holy shit, I actually felt it!"
[Study Partner Daniel Torres has achieved first cultivation success]
[Bonus Progress: +1%]
[Current Progress: 4%]
"We're doing it," Marcus said, unable to keep the grin off his face. "We're actually cultivating."
"This is insane," Daniel said, but he was grinning too. "Let's do it again."
They closed their eyes and focused.
The second draw came easier than the first. Marcus found a thread of qi—this one from a heated negotiation happening near the entrance—and guided it toward his dantian. The energy was sharper, more intense, and when it entered his foundation, he felt a brief spike of adrenaline.
[Progress: 5%]
Third draw. Fourth. Each one slightly smoother than the last, though the progress slowed as his dantian reached a saturation point.
[Progress: 7%]
[Warning: Dantian approaching maximum capacity for Stage 1. Allow time for integration before continuing cultivation.]
Marcus opened his eyes, breathing hard. He felt energized and exhausted simultaneously, like he'd just finished a workout. Beside him, Daniel looked the same—flushed, slightly shaky, but alive with accomplishment.
"Seven percent," Marcus said. "In like twenty minutes."
"I'm at six," Daniel said. "This is actually possible. We might actually pull this off."
[Tutorial Tip: New cultivators can typically practice for 30-45 minutes before requiring rest. Pushing beyond this limit risks qi deviation and cultivation damage.]
"System says we need to rest," Marcus said, checking the notification. "Dantian needs time to integrate the qi."
"So we take a break, then do it again?" Daniel asked.
"Exactly. If we can do seven percent every session, multiple sessions per day..." Marcus did the quick math. "We could hit Stage 2 in time."
Daniel leaned back in his chair, looking relieved for the first time since orientation. "Okay. Okay, this is manageable. We've got a plan."
That's when Marcus felt it.
A pressure. Different from the ambient qi, more focused. Directed at them specifically.
His Network Sensing flared, and he turned to see a guy watching them from across the coffee shop. Late twenties, expensive suit, confident posture. The aura radiating from him was strong and controlled—Stage 6 at least.
The guy smiled and walked over.
"Interesting," he said, pulling up a chair without invitation. "Two Stage 1s actually making progress. I didn't think any of the blind candidates would figure it out on day one."
Marcus exchanged a glance with Daniel. "Can we help you?"
"Jason Wu," the guy said, extending his hand. His grip was firm, and Marcus felt a deliberate pulse of qi—not hostile, but clearly meant as a demonstration of power. "Stage 6. I'm on the Student Cultivation Committee. We monitor new students' progress."
"Monitor or interfere?" Daniel asked, an edge in his voice.
Jason laughed. "Touchy. I like it." He leaned back, appraising them both. "You two are moving faster than expected. Most blind candidates spend their first day in denial or panic. You're already cultivating. That shows initiative."
"Is there a point to this conversation?" Marcus asked carefully. Something about Jason's interest felt off.
"Just curious," Jason said. "See, Silverpoint has a betting pool. Students wager on which blind candidates will make it to Stage 2, which ones will wash out, and how long each transition takes." His smile widened. "Most people bet against all of you. But I like to identify outliers. The ones who might surprise people."
"And you think we're outliers?" Marcus asked.
"Possibly." Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. "Though I should warn you—accelerated cultivation has risks. Push too hard, and you can damage your foundation. Qi deviation is no joke. I've seen students end up in the hospital trying to rush their progression."
[Warning Received: Qi Deviation Risk]
[Note: This information can be trusted, but consider the source's motivation for sharing it.]
Marcus noted the System's subtle warning. Jason was telling the truth, but why? Was this genuine advice, or was he trying to slow them down?
"We're being careful," Marcus said neutrally. "Following the manual's guidance."
"Good, good." Jason stood. "Well, I'll be watching your progress with interest. Maybe I'll place a bet on you two after all." He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, one more thing. The Foundation Business Practices section? It's public access for a reason. The real cultivation resources are on the fourth and fifth floors. You might want to focus on reaching Stage 8 quickly if you want access to anything useful."
He walked away before either of them could respond.
"What was that about?" Daniel asked quietly.
"No idea," Marcus said. "But I don't trust it."
"You think he's trying to psych us out?"
"Maybe. Or maybe he's genuinely warning us." Marcus pulled up his status screen. Seven percent progress. Still ninety-three percent to go. "Either way, we stick to the plan. Cultivation sessions every few hours, rest in between. We hit Stage 2 by Monday."
Daniel nodded slowly. "What about what he said? About real resources being restricted?"
"One problem at a time," Marcus said. "First we survive orientation. Then we worry about everything else."
They spent another hour in the coffee shop, though they didn't cultivate again—just observed, took notes, and let their dantians settle. Marcus noticed several other Stage 1 students scattered around the space, but none of them seemed to be actively cultivating. They just looked lost.
Should he approach them? Share what he and Daniel had figured out?
[Decision Point: Share Knowledge or Guard Advantage]
[Option A: Share cultivation method with other Stage 1 students]
[Effect: Increased goodwill, potential allies, reduced competitive advantage]
[Option B: Keep method private]
[Effect: Maintain competitive advantage, faster relative progression, potential resentment]
Marcus stared at the options. This was the corporate cultivation way, wasn't it? Competition. Resource scarcity. Rankings.
But they were all trying to survive the same deadline.
"What are you thinking?" Daniel asked.
"Those other Stage 1s," Marcus said, nodding toward a girl sitting alone, staring at her manual with visible frustration. "Should we help them?"
Daniel followed his gaze. "That's... a complicated question."
"Yeah."
"On one hand, we're all in the same boat," Daniel said slowly. "On the other hand, this system is designed to be competitive. If everyone at Stage 1 succeeds, that doesn't actually improve our relative standing."
"But if they all fail, we lose potential allies," Marcus countered. "And honestly, I don't know if I can just watch people wash out when we know how to help."
Daniel was quiet for a moment. "Your determination stat is high, but so is your..." He paused. "You're not ruthless, are you? The System flagged that as low."
"Is that a problem?"
"In corporate cultivation? Probably." Daniel sighed. "But for what it's worth, I'm not particularly ruthless either. My business acumen is low. We're both playing with disadvantages."
Marcus made a decision. "I'm going to share. Not everything, but the basic sensing exercise. If they can't figure it out from there, that's on them."
"You sure?"
"No," Marcus admitted. "But I'd rather fail trying to help than succeed by stepping over people."
[Choice Made: Share Knowledge (Limited)]
[Effect: Reputation +5, Karma +10, Future alliance opportunities increased]
[Note: Corporate cultivation rewards ruthlessness, but it also rewards leadership. Your path is emerging.]
Marcus walked over to the girl with the manual. Up close, she looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes.
"Hey," Marcus said. "Stage 1?"
She looked up, defensive. "What's it to you?"
"I'm Stage 1 too. Marcus Chen. That's Daniel Torres." He gestured back to their table. "We've been working on the Basic Sensing Exercise. Made some progress. Thought you might want to know it actually works."
Her expression shifted from defensive to desperate. "You figured it out? How?"
"Coffee shop qi," Marcus said. "There's enough ambient energy here to practice. You just need to focus on your dantian and draw it in slowly. Don't force it."
"That's it?" She looked skeptical.
"That's the start," Marcus said. "The rest is practice. But yeah, it works. We both got to around six or seven percent in one session."
Her eyes widened. "Seven percent? I'm still at two percent from just reading the manual."
"Find a business environment, practice the sensing exercise, and give your dantian time to integrate between sessions," Marcus said. "That's all we know so far, but it's working."
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked suspiciously.
Good question. Marcus didn't have a perfect answer.
"Because we're all trying to survive the same deadline," he said finally. "After we hit Stage 2, we can compete. But right now, we've got the same goal."
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Thanks. I'm Amy, by the way."
"Good luck, Amy."
Marcus returned to Daniel, who was watching with an unreadable expression.
"Feel good about yourself?" Daniel asked.
"Not sure yet," Marcus said honestly. "Ask me again on Monday."
They gathered their things and headed out. The sun was setting, painting the campus in gold and orange. Marcus checked his status.
[Progress to Stage 2: 7%]
[Time Remaining: 68 hours, 47 minutes]
[Reputation: Small increase among Stage 1 cultivators]
[Note: Your cultivation path is becoming clearer. Leadership and cooperation, rather than ruthless competition. This path is harder, but the rewards may be greater.]
Seven percent. Sixty-eight hours.
The math was tight, but possible.
Marcus just hoped he hadn't made a mistake by helping Amy. In corporate cultivation, kindness could be weakness.
But it could also be strategy.
He'd find out which soon enough.