Kael did not cultivate.
The instinct to do so clawed at him the moment consciousness settled into the body. Injured? Circulate qi. Weak? Circulate qi. Falling behind? Breakthrough, and pray heaven is merciful.
He ignored it.
Cultivation under instability was not bravery. It was gambling with loaded dice.
He lay still on the bed, eyes half-lidded, breathing slow and controlled. Each inhale measured. Each exhale slightly longer than the last, easing pressure in the meridians rather than increasing it.
[Overseer System: Meridian Scan Initiated…][Status: Unstable][Meridian Integrity: 63%]
Meridians stretched across his perception like fragile glass tubing filled with glowing qi. At first glance, nothing was broken. No collapsed pathways. No ruptures.
But Kael had survived once already by noticing what others could not.
He focused.
The image sharpened.
Tiny irregularities revealed themselves—slight warping in circulation paths, uneven thickness along meridian walls, microscopic fissures where qi scraped past at improper angles. Alone, they were insignificant. Together, they formed a systemic pattern of inefficiency.
Qi moved through him like wind forced through a maze not designed for it—colliding, compressing, dispersing, wasting energy with every cycle. Heat concentrated in wrong spots. Pressure built where release was fractionally delayed.
No poison was necessary.
The body had collapsed under its own inefficiency.
"So that's how it happened," Kael murmured internally.
The original Kael had followed orthodox manuals without deviation. He had circulated qi exactly as taught, absorbed energy at recommended rates, broken through at accepted thresholds.
Correct.
And catastrophically unoptimized.
Kael adjusted his breathing. Not to guide qi forward, but to slow it down.
[Meridian Stabilization: 4%]
The improvement was small, but tangible.
He refined his posture a finger-width. Relaxed a shoulder by a degree. Adjusted the timing between breath, heartbeat, and qi pulse until all three aligned.
Minutes passed.
Sweat beaded at his temples.
[Meridian Stabilization: 7%]
A sharp pain flared along his left arm.
Kael welcomed it.
Pain was information.
He adjusted again.
By nightfall, the fever finally broke. Heat receded, leaving behind exhaustion so deep it felt structural.
Outside the room, House Ardyn continued as always. Training resumed. Disciples competed for resources. Elders debated allocation. No one waited for him.
[Observation: Clan priorities shifting away from Host]
A cultivator who stagnated became invisible.
And invisibility, in a clan, was dangerous.
That night, Kael completed the first full stabilization cycle.
[Meridian Stabilization: 14%][Recommendation: Do not attempt cultivation. Success probability <50%]
Rushing would gain him nothing.
He closed his eyes—not to sleep, but to observe.
Qi drifted quietly within him, no longer clawing at the meridians. Pain reduced to a dull, predictable ache.
For the first time since awakening, Kael allowed himself one simple thought.
"I'm alive."
Not because he had power.
Because he had stopped wasting it.
The next morning, Kael rose from the bed. Movement was slow, precise, and deliberate. Every muscle contraction was calculated. Every heartbeat measured.
The steward, an elderly man with eyes like stone, watched him carefully.
"You are awake," he said, voice heavy with relief. "You should rest longer. The physicians—"
Kael interrupted, tone soft but firm.
"Rest does not heal inefficiency," he said evenly. "Give me the medicines. I will treat the body properly."
The steward hesitated, then bowed.
The room filled with herbs, decoctions, and crystal-infused water. Kael took each, not with haste, but with meticulous attention. Every dosage measured. Every temperature assessed.
[Analysis: Host absorption efficiency <60%][Prediction: Improper dosage will reduce stabilization rate]
Kael adjusted the liquids' temperatures, crushed herbs to precise particle sizes, and began internal exercises—not circulation, not breakthroughs, but delicate meridian realignment.
Hours passed.
[Meridian Stabilization: 29%]
By mid-afternoon, internal turbulence had reduced significantly. Qi no longer collided. It flowed like calm wind through a channel carved perfectly to guide it.
He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, observing.
[System Note: Remaining inefficiency concentrated in three primary meridians][Estimated correction time: 2–3 cycles of rest]
Two days later, Kael stepped out into the courtyard. His body was weak, but his mind—measured, precise, and terrifyingly patient—was strong.
He watched the disciples spar, rush absorption, and gamble with pills and reckless breakthroughs. Each one's inefficiency, each one's mistake, was logged internally.
[Observation Complete: Average disciple efficiency <47%][Insight: Stupidity abundant, caution rare]
Kael smiled faintly.
This world rewarded speed, luck, and emotion.
He had neither.
And that made him dangerous.
At dusk, he returned to his room. Moonlight filtered through the latticed windows, illuminating dust particles floating in the air. Kael examined each meridian again. Subtle differences appeared after two full days of observation.
[Meridian Stabilization: 45%][Prognosis if followed: 91% recovery to stable Sixth Layer]
A plan formed in his mind.
Step one: rebuild the Sixth Layer perfectly. No shortcuts. No forced breakthroughs.Step two: optimize resource absorption, refining medicinal intake and spiritual qi circulation.Step three: observe, calculate, and exploit inefficiency in others.
He allowed a small, almost imperceptible smile.
This body was slightly weaker than before its collapse. But it was now his tool. And tools could be perfected.
He was not a genius blessed by heaven.
He was something far more dangerous.
Someone who understood systems, limits, and optimization.
Someone who would not fail twice.
[System Note: Host demonstrates analytical capability above average][Recommendation: Begin slow cultivation only after 3 days stabilization]
Three days.
Kael accepted immediately.
Rushing would gain him nothing.
Patience backed by calculation would make him unstoppable.