Chapter 39: The Transformation of Qi

"Alright... Alex, Alex... from now on, you can only rely on yourself. No more whining about the pain... no giving up!"

And so, Alex relentlessly practiced Qi day and night, pushing himself toward a breakthrough. But every shift in his Qi felt like his bones were cracking, his body seizing with pain, until he collapsed, passing out from the agony, failing time after time.

During this excruciating period of training, he finally opened the letter his father had written to him before his death:

"My son, by the time you read this letter, your mother and I are probably already gone. I don't know where you are, but that's probably for the best—at least you're alive. However, when I learned that you possessed special powers but kept losing yourself and making mistakes, I became very worried. I wanted to tell you so many things, but there was no more time. All I can give you are the words I told you that day—'Protect.'

When you learn to protect others, you'll overcome pain. You'll gain a different kind of strength, one that can help you face challenges and become a better person. I believe in you, because you're my son... Goodbye."

Alex read his father's words over and over, each time silently shedding tears. They encouraged him through the pain as he writhed on the ground, struggling. He even endured the agony with a sense of atonement, constantly muttering to himself:

"It's okay if it hurts more... bring it on! Is this all you've got...? Alex, you pathetic fool, how are you going to save Maggie?"

Facing the pain, time dragged on through this painful training. Day after day, Alex pushed forward.

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Days passed in this relentless cycle, and after countless attempts, Alex's right hand trembled as he finally saw his Qi swirling in the air. Though his body still throbbed with pain, this glimpse of progress filled him with hope.

But just as he thought he couldn't bear any more, his pain grew unbearable. His teeth gritted as he told himself:

"No... stay strong... Alex! Come on!"

Even though Alex desperately tried to hold on, he could feel himself losing consciousness. His knees buckled, and he was about to fall.

Suddenly, a voice appeared, guiding him:

"Imagine your body as a starry sky, containing everything—every pain, every joy, and merging them together. Accept it all..."

Alex immediately followed the voice's instructions. He visualized his body as a galaxy, embracing every memory, whether good, bad, joyful, sad, or regretful, and he merged them into his inner galaxy. He accepted everything, gathering it into his hands.

Miraculously, his Qi began to stabilize, transforming into a thick, smoky mass. The pain subsided, and his Qi flowed smoothly, as if a barrier had been broken.

Minutes passed, and Alex raised his right hand. The thick smoke, like a small galaxy, spun steadily in his palm, occasionally sparking with blue flames. This was his first level of offensive Qi.

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Alex had succeeded. He had transformed his Qi, once only useful for play, into a force with destructive power.

At that moment, he felt gratitude for the voice that had guided him. He knew who it was—Ray, the smart watch.

"...You finally listened to me..."

Alex raised his left hand, watching the smart watch glow once again, feeling a surge of emotion.

Ray, as it glowed with blue light, responded:

"I was disappointed in you, but my programming told me that humans make mistakes. You just have to wait for them. So, I've been waiting for you."

Hearing this, Alex's eyes welled up. He was overwhelmed with emotions, unsure of what to say.

Ray continued:

"Now that you’ve grasped the technique, the past is behind us. From now on, I’ll guide you in mastering the true use of Qi."

Alex, hearing these words, smiled through his tears. His confidence grew, and he clenched his fist, ready to continue his training.

"Let's do this!"

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As dawn broke, Alex's determined gaze was ready for intense training. Following the guidance of his smartwatch, Ray, he began running down the abandoned road. His energy was different now; he had to learn to use his power in a new way.

With steady steps, Alex ran through the empty streets.

"Let's begin. Take a deep breath and focus your energy into your legs."

Following Ray's instructions, Alex imagined drawing the energy into his legs. As his legs filled with power, his strides instantly multiplied, and his speed skyrocketed, comparable to that of a cheetah.

After getting used to this incredible speed, he tried to leap, and he jumped higher and farther than before, over double the distance.

Next, the training took him to a pile of rocks. Alex activated his energy, and the smoke-like energy effortlessly lifted a large rock into the air, a stark difference from before.

"Now, try transforming your energy into different forms."

With Ray's further guidance, the smoke-like energy transformed into a fist for attacking, a shield for defense, and even cleaved through rock and soil.

As the large rock split before Alex's eyes, sweat poured down his face, but hope was now within reach. His training was complete.

Mastering his energy, Alex quickly geared up. With food and water packed, he followed the trail of destruction left by the "Nests" heading west, embarking on his journey to save Maggie.

"Maggie, I'm coming to save you!"

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Maggie had been trapped in a cage made of iron bars for days. She lay there, drifting in and out of consciousness. The "Nest" had injected her with nutrients to keep her alive, intending to use her to lure Alex.

In her daze, Maggie dreamt of Alex. In the dream, she and Anna stood on either side of Alex, and it seemed Alex was making a choice.

Alex let go of Anna's hand and moved toward Maggie, making her heart leap with joy. But then, to her dismay, Alex reached out to a figure who suddenly appeared—Judy. Maggie, in the dream, hid her face in sadness. When she looked up again, both Anna and Judy were gone. Only Alex remained, smiling at her and extending his hand, saying:

"Aren’t you the one who’s been waiting for me for so long?"

At that moment, Maggie finally woke up. She looked at her arm, covered in needle marks, and then at the mechanical factory outside her cage. She couldn’t believe she was inside the "Nest," the mechanical city, hanging high on the wall.

Just as she was panicking, a voice from the other side spoke:

"Girl... don't worry, you're safe for now."

Maggie looked closely and saw someone else bound to the wall about 10 meters away.

"Who... who are you?" she asked cautiously.

The bound person responded:

"My name is Khyenpo Rinpoche... I’m a scientist."

Maggie instantly realized who he was. She pointed at him, asking:

"You... you’re the scientist everyone’s been searching for... You’re still alive?!"