Evan sat quietly on his bed.The morning sunlight still spilled through the window, painting soft patterns across the wooden floor.
From the outside, everything looked normal.
A peaceful house.
A calm morning.
A child sitting alone in his room.
But inside—
Evan's mind was anything but calm.
A translucent blue interface hovered before his eyes.
[Current System Points: 1000]
Evan stared at the number.
Then he grinned.
"Perfect."
After years of waiting…
After carefully observing, learning, pretending—
He finally had what he needed.
The first real step.
Cultivation.
Evan took a slow breath.
"System."
"Open Shop."
The interface responded instantly.
!~Ding~!
The familiar marketplace of glowing text appeared.
Rows of items.
Categories.
Endless possibilities.
Evan didn't hesitate this time.
He already knew what he wanted.
"Cultivation Resources."
The screen shifted.
[Cultivation Resources]
[
1) Mortal Qi Gathering Manual — 1000 System Points
2) Low Grade Spirit Stone (x1) — 50 System Points
3) Low Grade Qi Recovery Pill — 120 System Points
4) Minor Body Tempering Liquid — 300 System Points
]
Evan's eyes locked onto the first item.
Basic Qi Gathering Manual — 1000 System Points
The foundation.
The starting point.
The key to everything.
He leaned slightly forward.
"…This is it."
For a brief moment, hesitation flickered in his mind.
1000 points.
All of it.
Gone in one purchase.
No backup.
No safety net.
Evan exhaled slowly.
Then he shook his head.
"Doesn't matter."
In a cultivation world—
Without power, nothing else mattered.
"Buy it."
There was no dramatic delay.
No suspense from the system.
Only a clean response.
!~Ding~!
[Purchase Successful]
[1000 System Points Deducted]
Evan's eyes flicked to the corner.
[Current System Points: 0]
"…And I'm broke."
He stared at the screen.
Then sighed.
"Well."
"No regrets."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Evan frowned slightly.
"…That's it?"
"No cool effect? No glowing book?"
Then—
The system reacted.
A faint pulse of light appeared in front of him.
It wasn't a book.
It wasn't an object.
It was—
Energy.
A small cluster of soft, white light formed in the air.
Evan's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh."
The light slowly drifted toward him.
Before he could react—
It touched his forehead.
And—
Vanished.
Evan froze.
"…Wait."
Then it hit him.
Information.
A sudden flood of knowledge poured into his mind.
Breathing patterns.
Qi flow.
Meridian pathways.
Dantian focus.
Everything—
Perfectly structured.
Perfectly organized.
Evan gasped slightly.
"Ah—!"
He grabbed his head.
But the pain didn't last.
It wasn't overwhelming.
It was…
Efficient.
Like downloading a file directly into his brain.
Within seconds—
It was over.
Silence returned to the room.
Evan slowly lowered his hands.
"…What the hell."
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
The knowledge was clear.
Crisp.
As if he had studied it for years.
"…Okay."
"That's actually insane."
He flexed his fingers slightly.
He knew what to do now.
How to sit.
How to breathe.
How to guide Qi.
Everything.
Evan took a deep breath.
Then shifted his position on the bed.
Cross-legged.
Back straight.
Hands resting on his knees.
A classic meditation posture.
He closed his eyes.
"…Let's try this."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Evan followed the breathing technique.
Slow inhale.
Slow exhale.
Focus on the dantian.
Feel the surroundings.
Sense the Qi.
At first—
There was nothing.
Just silence.
Just darkness.
Evan frowned slightly.
"…Come on."
Then—
A flicker.
A faint sensation.
Like warmth in the air.
His awareness sharpened.
And suddenly—
He felt it.
Qi.
Everywhere.
Floating.
Moving.
Alive.
Evan's eyes snapped open.
"…Oh."
That was—
Fast.
Too fast.
Before he could process it—
The Qi reacted.
It didn't just exist around him.
It moved.
Toward him.
Evan's expression changed.
"Wait—"
The air shifted.
The same feeling from a year ago.
That overwhelming pull.
That unnatural attraction.
The Qi began gathering.
Faster.
Denser.
Like invisible streams being dragged toward his body.
Evan panicked slightly.
"No no no—"
"I remember this—"
The Qi surged.
His body reacted instantly.
Like it had been waiting.
Like it recognized the energy.
Like it wanted it.
All of it.
Evan's breathing broke.
"Hey—! Calm down!"
But nothing listened.
The Qi rushed toward him violently.
His clothes fluttered slightly from the pressure.
The room trembled faintly.
Evan clenched his teeth.
"This is exactly what Lyra warned about!"
Inside his body—
Something stirred.
A faint seal.
A restriction placed deep within his dantian.
For a brief moment—
It resisted.
Holding the incoming Qi back.
Evan felt it.
A barrier.
A limit.
"…Right."
"She sealed it."
Relief flickered.
"Good. That means—"
Crack.
Evan froze.
"…Wait."
A tiny sound echoed inside him.
Almost unnoticeable.
But very real.
Crack.
The seal trembled.
The incoming Qi didn't stop.
It pressed.
Pushed.
Demanded entry.
Evan's eyes widened.
"…That's not good."
He immediately tried to stop.
Breathing broke.
Focus shattered.
But it was too late.
The Qi had already started responding.
The technique.
The manual.
His body.
Everything was aligned now.
The process had begun.
Evan cursed internally.
"I just wanted to try it once!"
The Qi surged again.
Stronger this time.
The air in the room began to distort.
Outside—
The world remained peaceful.
But inside—
A storm was forming.
Evan grit his teeth.
"Think. Think!"
He forced himself to remember the manual.
Control.
Guide.
Don't resist blindly.
Redirect.
Evan took a sharp breath.
Then forced his mind to focus.
"Fine."
"If you want to come in…"
His expression hardened slightly.
"Then follow the rules."
He adjusted his breathing.
Slow.
Controlled.
He tried to guide the incoming Qi instead of fighting it.
At first—
It didn't listen.
But gradually—
Something changed.
The chaotic flow began to slow.
Not completely.
But enough.
Evan's body trembled slightly.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
"Okay…"
"That's better…"
The Qi continued to gather.
But now—
It followed a path.
A pattern.
Through his meridians.
Toward his dantian.
Evan felt it.
A small warmth forming deep inside him.
His heart pounded.
"…Is this—"
Then—
A sharp pulse.
The seal reacted again.
Stronger this time.
The flow of Qi suddenly dropped.
Like a gate slamming shut.
Evan gasped.
The pressure disappeared instantly.
The room fell silent.
Everything stopped.
Evan remained frozen in place.
Breathing heavily.
"…I'm alive."
He slowly opened his eyes.
The sunlight still filled the room.
Nothing looked damaged.
Nothing looked out of place.
But his body—
It felt different.
A faint warmth remained inside his dantian.
Small.
Weak.
But real.
Evan stared down at his hands.
"…No way."
He had done it.
Even with the seal—
Even with the chaos—
He had successfully guided Qi.
Even if only a little.
Evan let out a breath.
"…That was way too dangerous."
Then—
A familiar sound echoed again.
!~Ding~!
The system interface appeared.
[Notice]
[Host has initiated cultivation]
Evan blinked.
"Oh?"
The text continued.
[Evaluation in progress…]
Evan frowned slightly.
"…Evaluation?"
Then—
Outside the room—
A faint shift in the air occurred.
Subtle.
Almost unnoticeable.
But not to everyone.
Far away—
In another part of the city—
A figure suddenly opened their eyes.
"…Hmm?"
Back in the room—
The system text flickered.
[Warning…]
Evan's expression changed.
"…That doesn't sound good."
The next line appeared slowly.
[Abnormal Energy Signature Detected]
Evan froze.
"…What?"
The air around him grew slightly colder.
And for the first time—
A faint, invisible ripple spread outward from his body.
Like a signal.
Like a beacon.
Something—
Had noticed.