The air felt wrong.
At first, he believed his body needed rest.
His legs became too heavy to move because the weight of each step increased with every forward motion. His body ached and his throat felt dry while his mind operated at reduced speed because he had spent more than three hours searching through New territories.
But this was different.
The person showed more than physical exhaustion.
The air made breathing difficult for him.
He began to walk slower until he reached a complete stop while he used one hand to support himself against the rough surface of a tree trunk which stood next to him.
The person used breathing exercises to practice his inhalation.
The person breathed out his breath in an uneven pattern.
The person exhaled his breath.
The person needed more time to complete his task.
The person needed to execute the task again.
Someone stood against him to create an obstacle which he needed to overcome.
He furrowed his eyebrows after taking a deep breath which made his lungs expand completely.
He experienced it.
A weak force entered through the air. The force appeared so weak that it became difficult to detect. The force moved through his body from inner to outer areas.
The person hardened his body.
"…What is this?"
The room remained empty of sounds.
The room existed in complete silence except for the strange pressure which continued to affect him.
He understood that the presence had existed since his arrival.
The presence started as a slight trace which he could dismiss but it became more visible with his extended stay. The invisible smoke spread through the air and into the ground and into the trees which stood around him.
Obscured areas extended throughout the entire location.
Qi.
The word appeared in his mind because it had existed in his mind from the beginning.
He didn't know how he knew it.
But it felt right.
This world… contained everything.
He extended his body from the tree while his hand removed itself from the tree. He wandered through the forest with his gaze because he tried to perceive something that remained hidden from him.
Power comes from this source.
He needed to learn about it.
No—he needed to use it.
His jaw became tense.
He had only one option to choose.
He had to continue living to
He had to discover their location to
His thought process stopped when he received a sudden flash of understanding.
His companion.
The two of them moved through the world in search of each other during their time apart from each other.
His chest began to constrict with anxiety.
I need to make a decision because I lack time to waste.
He exhaled slowly while closing his eyes.
The energy became available to others because people discovered methods to extract it.
He concentrated on his breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Again.
The initial situation maintained its previous state without any modifications.
He experienced the same irregular breathing pattern together with a slight external force which touched him.
He frowned.
He might be performing the task incorrectly.
He made a little adjustment to his body because he wanted to achieve relaxation through natural methods. He released the tension in his shoulders. He allowed his chest muscles to return to their normal state.
Inhale.
He focused on the details of the situation this time.
He observed all aspects of the environment.
The forest maintained its quiet state.
The wind made leaves move which produced quiet sounds.
The sound of distant humming reached him because he could not hear it yet he experienced its presence.
The first event occurred when a light source produced a brief illumination, which permitted an unknown entity to enter the room.
His eyes opened wide. The character expressed surprise through his exclamation.
The feeling ceased to exist, which resulted in a complete void state.
However, he had experienced the sensation. He sensed a temperature that was below normal and existed as a transparent yet difficult-to-catch entity.
The energy known as Qi. His heart began to beat faster. The ability to accomplish it. He used light fist pressure to make his hands touch each other, which helped him achieve balance.
He spoke his second request. This time he selected to move forward without any time constraints. He used eye closure to start a controlled breathing process. The process starts when he takes a breath.
The process ends when he releases his breath. He wanted to make everything stay centered at the present moment.
He attempted to make the same situation happen again because he wanted to achieve the same physical state from that time.
The interval lasted for several seconds. The first point, which occurred after two seconds, brought The first point occurred after two seconds when he observed an unknown object that moved through his body.
The presence of something new was faint but impossible to deny. He held his breath because he wanted to keep it inside him.
The action proved to be the wrong choice. The moment he tensed, the thread twisted itself.
What had felt cold and smooth suddenly became sharp.
Violent.
Pain exploded in his chest.
His eyes flew open as he staggered backward, coughing harshly.
"—ghk!"
The sensation shattered, scattering through his body like fragments of something unstable before vanishing completely.
He bent forward, one hand clutching his chest as he struggled to breathe.
"That's not… right…"
His voice came out strained.
A dull ache lingered deep inside him, as if something had gone wrong in a way he didn't fully understand.
Slowly, painfully, his breathing steadied.
But the feeling didn't fade entirely.
His hands trembled.
Whatever he had just done—
It wasn't cultivation.
Or at least… not the correct way.
If anything, it felt like he had almost harmed himself.
His expression darkened.
So this was the truth of this world.
Power wasn't something you could just take.
Not blindly.
Not without knowledge.
Not without guidance.
He let out a quiet breath, forcing his hands to still.
"…Then I need to learn."
But from who?
From where?
He had nothing. No instructions. No teacher. No understanding beyond vague instinct.
Just an unfamiliar world that seemed determined to reject him.
A distant sound interrupted his thoughts.
—Boom.
His head snapped up.
The noise echoed faintly through the forest, distant but unmistakable.
Something heavy.
Something powerful.
He held his breath.
Silence followed.
Then—
—Crack!
Another impact, sharper this time. Closer.
His instincts screamed at him to move.
Slowly, carefully, he lowered himself, keeping his movements as quiet as possible as he shifted toward the source of the sound.
Each step was measured.
Each breath controlled.
He didn't know what he would find.
But something told him—
This mattered.
The forest grew quieter the closer he got.
The usual sounds of insects and rustling leaves had faded, replaced by an unnatural stillness.
Then he saw it.
A clearing ahead, partially obscured by trees and broken brush.
He crouched low, using the undergrowth for cover as he edged closer, careful not to expose himself.
And then—
He saw them.
Two figures stood in the center of the clearing.
Facing each other.
The air around them felt… different.
Denser.
Like the pressure he had felt before—but concentrated, focused.
Controlled.
One of them moved first.
They raised a hand—
And the air shifted.
No—
It responded.
A force invisible yet undeniable surged forward, slamming into the ground with explosive power.
The earth tore apart.
Dirt and roots burst upward as if struck by something far beyond human strength.
His breath caught.
The second figure reacted instantly, moving with unnatural speed. One moment they were there—
The next, they weren't.
The attack struck nothing but empty ground.
Then, just as quickly, they retaliated.
Another surge.
Another explosion.
The clearing shook under the impact.
He froze, his entire body going still as he watched.
These weren't normal people.
They couldn't be.
No human could move like that.
No human could command that kind of force.
Cultivators.
The word settled heavily in his mind.
This… was what he had tried—and failed—to do.
This was the power of qi.
His chest tightened.
So this was the gap.
Not just between him and them—
But between who he was…
And what he needed to become.
The fight continued.
Each exchange was faster than the last.
Strikes he could barely follow.
Movements that blurred at the edges of his vision.
The ground, already torn apart, continued to fracture under the pressure of their attacks.
He pressed himself lower, barely daring to breathe.
If they noticed him—
He didn't even want to imagine it.
He wouldn't survive.
Not even for a second.
The realization settled coldly in his mind.
He was nothing here.
Less than nothing.
Just a bystander in a world where power decided everything.
A sharp crack rang out.
One of the figures faltered.
It was small—barely noticeable—but the other saw it.
And didn't hesitate.
They stepped forward.
A single, decisive motion.
The air compressed.
Then released.
The impact was instantaneous.
The second figure's body jerked—
Then collapsed.
Silence followed.
Complete.
Absolute.
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
The victor stood still for a moment, then relaxed slightly, as if the outcome had never been in doubt.
They walked forward, crouching briefly beside the fallen figure.
Searching.
Taking something.
Then, without a word, without even a glance around—
They left.
Disappearing into the forest as quickly as they had appeared.
As if none of it mattered.
As if the life they had just taken was insignificant.
The silence lingered long after they were gone.
He didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't think.
Only after several long moments passed did he slowly, cautiously lift his head.
They were gone.
The clearing remained.
Destroyed.
Still.
He swallowed, his throat dry.
Then, carefully, he rose to his feet.
Each step forward felt heavier than the last as he approached the clearing.
The damage was worse up close.
The ground was split open in places, deep cracks running through the earth like scars. Trees had been shattered, their trunks splintered and broken.
And at the center—
The body.
He stopped a few steps away.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Couldn't look.
But he forced himself to.
The man lay motionless, eyes open, staring at nothing.
There was no struggle left in his expression.
No resistance.
Just emptiness.
It had ended that quickly.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer… then shifted away.
This was the reality of this world.
No rules.
No fairness.
Only strength.
Or the lack of it.
His hands clenched at his sides.
If he stayed like this—
If he remained weak—
This would be his end too.
Sudden. Meaningless. Forgotten.
"I won't…"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
But it was steady.
"I won't die like this."
The words settled into the silence, firm and unyielding.
He took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Panicking wouldn't help.
Fear wouldn't help.
Only action would.
His eyes moved again, scanning the clearing more carefully this time.
That's when he saw it.
Beyond the broken trees—
A path.
Narrow, partially hidden by brush, but unmistakable.
A road.
His breath caught.
Civilization.
Or at least… something close to it.
A way forward.
For the first time since arriving in this world, direction replaced uncertainty.
He looked back at the body one last time.
Then at his own hands.
Still trembling slightly.
Still weak.
But not forever.
His jaw tightened.
"…Then I'll change that."
He turned toward the path.
One step.
Unsteady—but forward.
Then another.
The forest no longer felt endless.
Somewhere ahead, there were answers.
Somewhere ahead, there was a way to survive.
And someday—
Somewhere in this vast, unforgiving world—
He would find them.
But to do that…
He needed strength.
Real strength.
The kind that didn't falter.
The kind that didn't lose.
His gaze hardened slightly as he continued walking.
The memory of the fight lingered in his mind.
The power.
The speed.
The final, effortless strike.
Next time he reached for that power—
He wouldn't fail.
He couldn't afford to.
Not anymore.