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Cultivators are like weeds. You think you have cleared a patch, and they pop back up.

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Matt opened his eyes as a torrent of new knowledge tumbled through his mind, settling into grooves and crevices and changing his life. The transition from sleep to wakefulness was accompanied by a clarity unlike anything he had experienced before, and his memories from the night were clear like water. He intuitively knew that nothing had been a dream.

He let himself lay there for a little while, sending his conscious attention from memory to memory, from revelation to epiphany, as he slowly shifted his focus to the sphere that had become the centre of who he was. Gleaming like a dense ball of polished metal, fine traces of intricate symbols raced across its surface as it pulsed with an energy more potent than ever before.

With a faint smile, Matt loosened the conscious control he had on his attention, feeling the pull from the core as it claimed his focus. He easily sunk into himself, and within moments, he descended through the barrier of magical patterns to find in his core a restless realm. The energy within shifted and flexed, washing like waves inside the sphere from one side to the other. Not unlike the surface of a troubled sea just before a storm, there was something expectant, something full of potential, about the energy pressing in on him from all sides.

Four patterns hovered in front of him, and his core wanted Matt to make his choice. It needed a decision. He stepped forward, turning his attention to the first pattern.

The Way of the Sunspear called to him. As his focus shifted from line to line on the written description, understanding filled his mind. He already knew what a Technique was, having read about them in his study on cultivation. They were ways to manipulate essence that could be found through intense study, requiring the cultivator to dedicate years, if not decades, of their lives on singular quests to understand aspects of reality. Most cultivators found a single technique in their lifetime, building their identity as a cultivator as well as their martial style around this technique. He had read about some very few and very gifted cultivators who had gone on to find a second technique, but the dedication and relentless effort needed to discover just a single one was unforgiving, and it was rare to search for more than one.

The technique Sunspear Strike called to him, and in a flash he saw himself wielding his guandao against scores of enemies, effortlessly cutting through shields and armour. He would become an unstoppable warrior.

Next, his attention shifted to the promise of a Xia Tin Core. He knew that Tin was the first real step on a cultivator’s journey, and when he looked at the writing, he saw a mental image of himself wearing armoured robes and standing against an ocean of nobles, protecting the world from their evil. Xia was a core made for martial prowess, to make him a hero on the battlefield, to fuel strength of body until he was the ultimate fighter. This was supported by the evolution of his Muscle Meridian, which would prepare his body for the rigours of combat. One day he would be stronger than any man alive, able to hold back hordes of enemies.

Intent was more difficult to understand, and Matt carefully explored the concept as he stood there. Eventually, he understood that his Intent would become his ability to impose his will and his presence on those around him, letting him steer his own thoughts and emotions to flow over and influence others.

He wanted that. He hungered to become one with the guandao, to stand unbeatable in the arena, and then to take the fight outside the cave. He imagined a future as the spearhead of Sanctuary’s armies as they rolled over the land.

Is that me? Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply. Then he moved to consider the next pattern.

And he wanted this, too. The Way of Heaven’s Knowledge promised a future that almost brought him to his knees with sheer desire. To understand any language, pick any book from any library and read words written long ago. To remember everything he read and everything he heard, to never forget, he also knew that with the support of a Zhi Core and the activation of the Brain Meridian, his mind would be able to make connections like never before. His whole life, Matt’s identity had been his mind, his curiosity, his ability to see how things worked. This promised to feed into that self-image, to fuel an identity where his counsel would ensure the safety and future of Sanctuary. More than just winning battles on the field, this pattern, this path, would give their fragile settlement the best chance of survival long term. He would understand what they needed not just to survive, but to thrive. To see through the veil of obscurity, understand the world order that persisted under the nobles, to change that world order.

And to understand the threads of magic, to quickly and easily learn the symbols and runes… He would be a Rune Master unlike anyone the world had seen, leaving a legacy of magic for the ages.

He smiled, and started to reach out for the pattern, yearning burning within. Is this me?

He lowered his hand and walked to the next pattern.

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And he knew.

He cast a glance at the pattern even further to his right: The Way of Death’s Harrow. A flash of foresight; himself untouchable, unassailable. Walking from castle to castle, from manor to manor. Enacting his own justice, giving the world the revenge it craved. Removing the stain of the nobles from the face of the world. As judge, jury and executioner; corpses littered his path, and his friends, his family, flourished in his wake. His very presence was enough to bring dukes and earls and even kings to their knees in abject terror, his words becoming their commands, his will shaping the minds of others.

That… That is not me.

He knew. He looked straight ahead, at the Way of Destiny’s Weave.

Was this ever really a choice? Laozi had spoken about paths and choices, decisions that made his Way. But regardless of the appeal of the other visions, he felt it deep within his being that this was his pattern.

The technique… was breathtaking. Matt would no longer need to draw his runes in sand or on paper. He could draw them in the air, on clothes, on skin, on anything. Not with a pen, but with his hands, infusing them with energy from a distance. For a split second, his mind was overwhelmed as he thought of all the possibilities. All the ways to combine symbols and runes, to manipulate reality itself. There was still so much to learn, his knowledge in rune crafting still that of an initiate, but the possibilities… Were endless.

And he saw how the Governing Vessel would tap directly into the energy in his core, building a network to transport that essence throughout his body. Instead of a single meridian, the governing vessel formed a pathway to saturate his body with energy, providing strength, resilience and speed. And once formed, it would even get its own rank. Just like his core, it would start at Tin and grow as he grew.

And then there was the concept of a Domain, and Matt gasped audibly as his mind filled with understanding. If he understood it correctly, his domain would represent an area around his core where he was in complete control. Even without the need to manipulate essence through runes or symbols, he could impose his will on the world with a thought.

This wasn’t a real choice, and Matt stepped forward, embracing The Way of Destiny’s Weave.

And the world changed, as Matt opened his eyes and sat up in his bed.

Letting his mind and body work on instinct, Matt lifted a hand and recalled a rune. His movements were hesitant at first, but within moments his hand moved through the symbols with exacting speed. In the air, lines appeared where his fingers traced the familiar shapes of the rune. Finishing the output gate array and terminating the capacitor overflow, his mouth hung open as he stared at the symbols that were burning a hole in reality in front of his eyes.

With a thought, he opened a channel inside his body and saw essence stream out from his skin to connect with the hovering rune. In a flash, the energy disappeared, and a large, round shape hung in its place.

Tentatively, Matt lifted a hand and touched the shape, grinning widely as his fingers touched the hard surface.

Distractedly, Matt reached for the guandao, which was resting against the wall. There was something about the connection which differed from before, but he didn’t have time to explore the mystery now. He swung the weapon against the shape hanging in the air, his smile growing wider at the sharp clang! which reverberated through the room as the weapon struck the magical shield.

So, that’s Pete's skill. Just like that. “Not sure how useful that will be in a fight, though. He can use his Shield skill instantly, and…. I need to think.”

As he was wondering how to use the skill in combat, part of his mind wandered and a vague and unformed memory slid across the back of his mind. He couldn’t see clearly what it was, only getting a sense that it was important. It left behind a feeling of unease and fear which was very much at odds with the rest of his mood. He tried for a few more seconds to recall what it was, but quickly gave up and lifted his hand again.

“Maybe…”

Matt drew the simple rune for light in the air and waited for it to fade. It hovered there for about twenty heartbeats and then faded into the background before disappearing completely. Next, he drew two of the runes in quick succession. This time, they faded more quickly and Matt did a few more experiments before concluding. “It seems like I can maintain a simple rune for about twenty heartbeats. As the number of runes increase, or they become more complex, that goes down.”

“Even then…” Matt began, his mind thinking. “It’s too slow. I have an idea. Let me try this.”

This time, when Matt drew the light rune in the air, he tried to keep his movements smaller. Instead of drawing a large shape in the air where all the parts of the symbols were clearly visible, he fixed his intent in his mind as he etched a coarser shape out of the air. After he finished, he leaned in to study the brightly burning rune and felt excitement build when he saw intricate details where he had drawn simple lines. They matched the image he’d had in his head, even as his hands had not traced out all the features.

“It worked!” He exclaimed and lifted his hand again. This time, he drew a short, simple line as he fixed the complete pattern of the light rune in his mind. Again, the shape hovering in the air was far more detailed than what he had drawn with his hand.

“My hand… what I draw doesn't really matter. Only my intent matters,” he mumbled and drew a breath. “That should mean that–”

This time, he simply extended his hand and willed the light rune to emerge at the end of his hand. With a bright flash of light, a perfectly formed rune appeared at the end of his arm, and with a big grin, Matt activated the rune with a thought. The light which appeared filled his room with illumination in a multitude of colours.

“Can I cast the rune and activate it with the same act?” Matt wondered, and this time, he brought the shield rune back into his mind as he held his hand out. With a thought, a shield appeared in the air in front of him.

I can cast any rune. Instantly.