Kai woke up early, his mind buzzing with excitement. Today was the day he'd start training his new skills. He stretched, feeling the qi flowing through his body.
Time to level up, he thought with a grin.
He stepped outside his hut, breathing in the crisp morning air. The village was just starting to stir, a few early risers tending to their daily chores.
Kai made his way to a secluded clearing on the outskirts of the village. He didn't want an audience for his first attempts at these new techniques.
Okay, let's start with Iron Skin, he decided. In games, defensive skills are always a good foundation.
He took a deep breath, focusing on the knowledge that had flooded his mind when he absorbed the skill scroll. He channeled his qi, directing it to flow just beneath his skin.
At first, nothing happened. Kai frowned, concentrating harder. Come on, work!
Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation across his body. He looked down at his arms, eyes widening as his skin took on a faint metallic sheen.
"Whoa," he whispered. "It actually worked!"
He poked his arm experimentally. It felt solid, almost like he was wearing invisible armor.
Now, how long can I maintain it? He held the technique, feeling his qi slowly draining. After about a minute, the metallic sheen faded, and Kai let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Not bad for a first try," he murmured. "But I need to work on efficiency."
He spent the next hour practicing Iron Skin, activating and deactivating it repeatedly. Each time, it became a little easier, a little more natural.
Skill Leveled Up!
Iron Skin (Level 2)
Your Durabilty increases by 20% when activated
You have gained 50 XP!
Kai grinned at the notification. Progress already! This is way more satisfying than grinding mobs in an MMO.
He moved on to Wind Step next. This one proved trickier. The first few attempts left him stumbling awkwardly, his body moving faster than his mind could keep up.
"Oof!" he grunted, picking himself up after a particularly clumsy attempt. “I should have known, increased speed doesn't automatically mean increased coordination."
But Kai was nothing if not persistent. He kept at it, gradually learning to control the bursts of speed. By the time another hour had passed, he could dash short distances with reasonable accuracy.
Skill Leveled Up!
Wind Step (Level 2)
Your Agility increases by 20% when activated
You have gained 50 XP!
"Nice," Kai said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Now for the fun one."
He turned his attention to Flame Palm. This offensive technique required careful qi manipulation, channeling the fire element into his strikes.
His first attempt produced only a faint warmth in his palm. "Come on," he muttered. "I'm going for 'devastating fire attack,' not 'slightly toasty handshake.'"
He kept at it, gradually increasing the heat and intensity. Soon, small flames were dancing across his fingers.
"Now we're talking!" he exclaimed, throwing a few practice punches at the air. Each strike left a brief trail of fire in its wake.
Skill Leveled Up!
Flame Palm (Level 2)
Your Attack increases by 20% when activated
You have gained 50 XP!
As Kai admired the flames flickering around his hand, he heard a gasp behind him. He turned to see Liu Wei standing at the edge of the clearing, eyes wide with awe.
"M-Master Kai!" Liu Wei stammered. "That was incredible! I've never seen anyone master new techniques so quickly!"
Kai quickly extinguished the flames, hiding his momentary panic. Right, I'm supposed to be some kind of cultivation prodigy. Play it cool.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, Liu Wei. I didn't see you there. Just doing some morning practice."
"Forgive my intrusion, Master,” Liu Wei bowed deeply. “I was looking for you and heard sounds of training."
Kai waved off the apology. "No need for that. Actually, your timing is perfect. I could use a sparring partner to test these skills in combat."
Liu Wei's face paled slightly. "M-me? But Master, I'm only at Qi Refining Stage 2. Surely, I'd be no match for you..."
Kai considered this. Right, I'm supposed to be way stronger than him. But I need realistic combat experience at a lower level...
"Don't worry," Kai said, an idea forming. "I'll suppress my cultivation to match yours. It'll be good practice for both of us."
Liu Wei looked both honored and terrified. "If... if you're sure, Master."
Kai nodded, then focused inward. Okay, how do I suppress my cultivation? There's usually some kind of limiter in games for this sort of thing...
He experimented, trying to mentally "dial down" his qi output. After a few attempts, he felt something click into place. His energy levels dropped, matching what he sensed from Liu Wei.
"There we go," Kai said. "Now we're on even footing. Shall we begin?"
Liu Wei nodded nervously, taking up a basic fighting stance.
As they squared off, Kai noticed movement at the edge of the clearing. Mei Li had arrived, watching them with curiosity.
"Oh, don't mind me," she called out. "I just came to see what all the commotion was about. Please, continue!"
Kai shrugged. An audience, huh? Might as well put on a good show.
He turned back to Liu Wei. "Ready when you are."
Liu Wei hesitated for a moment, then lunged forward with a straight punch. Kai sidestepped easily, but he was impressed by the speed.
Not bad, Kai thought. He's got some skill.
They exchanged a flurry of blows, neither landing any clean hits. Kai was surprised to find himself working up a sweat. With his cultivation suppressed, the fight was more even than he'd expected.
"You're doing well, Liu Wei," Kai said, blocking a kick. "But you're telegraphing your moves too much. Try to be less predictable."
Liu Wei nodded, adjusting his stance. His next attack came from an unexpected angle, nearly catching Kai off guard.
"Better!" Kai praised, countering with a swift jab.
As the spar continued, Kai found himself genuinely enjoying the challenge. It was one thing to practice techniques alone, but applying them in combat was a whole different experience.
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He activated Iron Skin just as Liu Wei landed a solid punch to his ribs. The impact was dulled, but Kai still felt it.
Note to self: Iron Skin reduces damage, doesn't negate it entirely, he thought.
Kai retaliated with a Wind Step-enhanced dash, closing the distance faster than Liu Wei could react. He followed up with a Flame Palm strike, pulling back at the last second to avoid actually burning his sparring partner.
Liu Wei's eyes widened as he felt the heat pass just inches from his face. "Incredible, Master!" he exclaimed. "Your control is amazing!"
"Thanks,” Kai said as he allowed himself a small smile. “You're not doing too badly yourself."
The spar continued for several more minutes, with Kai mixing in his new techniques while Liu Wei fought the best he could.
Finally, Kai saw an opening. He feinted left, then used Wind Step to dash right. As Liu Wei turned to block, Kai swept his legs out from under him.
Liu Wei hit the ground with a thud, the wind knocked out of him. Kai stood over him, hand extended.
"Do you give up?" Kai asked.
“Yes, Master. That was... incredible,” Liu Wei nodded, accepting the hand up. "I've never had a spar like that before. Usually the other bandits just use sparring as an excuse to use me as a punching bag…"
Kai helped him to his feet, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say about Liu Wei's past. "Uh... right. Well, that's not how we do things here."
He noticed Mei Li approaching and felt relieved for the distraction. Maybe she could handle this awkward moment better than he could.
"That was quite a show," she said. "I've never seen techniques like that before. Where did you learn them?"
"Oh, I got them from the bandits after I defeated them," Kai replied casually. "Figured they might come in handy."
Mei Li's eyes widened in surprise. "You learned to use them so quickly? That's... impressive." She studied Kai more closely, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Do all cultivators learn that fast, or are you some kind of prodigy?"
Kai shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm not sure. Maybe I just got lucky?"
"And you, Liu Wei, well done!” Mei Li smiled at the former bandit. “You held your own!"
"For someone who hasn’t had much combat experience, Liu Wei is quite skilled. He definitely kept me on my toes,” Kai nodded.
Liu Wei beamed at the praise. "Thank you, Master. But I still have much to learn."
As they caught their breath, Kai mulled over the experience. That was tougher than I expected. If I want to be one of those overpowered isekai protagonists, I've got a long way to go.
He thought back to the novels and anime he'd consumed back on Earth. Those heroes always seemed to breeze through fights against higher-level opponents.
But that's not realistic, Kai realized. At least not yet. For now, I need to focus on outsmarting my opponents rather than overpowering them.
"Liu Wei," Kai said, "whilst you did do well, there's still room for improvement. Want some tips?"
Liu Wei nodded eagerly. "Yes, please, Master!"
Kai spent the next few minutes breaking down the spar, pointing out areas where Liu Wei could improve his technique or strategy. The young man listened intently, soaking up every word.
Mei Li watched this exchange with interest. "You're quite the teacher, Kai," she commented. "Have you considered taking on more disciples?"
Kai chuckled nervously. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm still learning myself."
As they wrapped up the impromptu training session, Kai noticed a small notification in the corner of his vision:
Liu Wei Loyalty: 60/100 (+5)
He smiled inwardly. Progress on multiple fronts. Not a bad morning's work.
"Alright," Kai said, stretching. "I think that's enough for today. Liu Wei, why don't you go get some rest? We'll train again tomorrow."
Liu Wei bowed deeply. "Thank you, Master Kai. I look forward to it!"
As Liu Wei departed, Mei Li lingered, her gaze fixed on Kai. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?" she said softly.
Kai shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I just do my best to adapt to whatever situation I find myself in."
Mei Li nodded slowly. "A useful skill in this world. Just... be careful, Kai. Power attracts attention, and not always the good kind."
With that cryptic warning, she turned and walked back towards the village, leaving Kai alone with his thoughts.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. She's right. I need to be more careful about showing off. But how am I supposed to get stronger if I don't push my limits?
Kai looked down at his hands, remembering the feeling of qi flowing through them during the spar. It had been exhilarating, like nothing he'd ever experienced in a game.
This is real, he reminded himself. The dangers are real, but so are the rewards. I just need to find the right balance.
As he made his way back to the village, Kai's mind was already racing with plans for future training sessions. He had a long way to go if he wanted to survive in this world, let alone thrive.
But I'm making progress, he thought with a smile. One skill at a time, one level at a time. I'll get there. After all, isn't that what a proper isekai protagonist would do?
Back in his hut, Kai took a moment to review his status window:
Name: Kai Thorn
XP: 150/500
Level: 5
Qi: 100/100
Strength: 31
Agility: 33
Durability: 32
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 20
Skills:
Qi Condensation (Level 2)
Basic Cultivation Technique (Level 3)
Unarmed Combat (Level 2)
Deception (Level 3)
Iron Skin (Level 2)
Swift Wind Step (Level 2)
Flame Palm Strike (Level 2)
Mental Fortitude (Passive)
He nodded in satisfaction. Solid progress. But I can't get complacent. There's always room for improvement.
Kai sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes to meditate. As he focused on circulating his qi, he reflected on the morning's events.
The spar with Liu Wei was…enlightening to say the least. Even with my cultivation suppressed, I had an advantage thanks to my previous kickboxing experience and strategy. But in a real fight against a stronger opponent, those alone won’t be enough, I need to learn more qi techniques.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."