The next afternoon Arthur and Kai faced each other once again. The previous location they had used was now nothing more than a shattered field, thanks to Arthur's earlier breakthrough. This time, they had moved to another part of the forest, an area with tall, sturdy trees and solid ground.
Arthur exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he settled into a fighting stance. The last day of sparring with Kai had been enlightening and they had sharpened his instincts. His body moved with greater precision, his footwork had improved, and his ability to control his Chi in battle was steadily progressing.
Kai was standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. "Alright, boy. Let's see if you actually learned anything from yesterday's lesson."
Arthur didn't bother responding. He knew by now that Kai didn't want words, so he would use his actions to prove.
Without warning, Arthur dashed forward, his golden Chi flaring around him. He didn't make the mistake of brute-forcing his way this time. Instead, he circled around Kai, calculating and anticipating his movements.
He feinted a right jab but twisted mid-motion, shifting his weight onto his back leg and launching a sharp knee strike.
Kai's eyes gleamed with approval as he sidestepped, but Arthur was already changing his attack. Instead of letting the momentum go to waste, Arthur spun on his heel and lashed out with a sweeping kick.
Kai raised an eyebrow but blocked the attack effortlessly with his forearm. "Hmmm. You're improving very fast."
Arthur didn't let up. He had learned not to give his opponent time to recover. The moment Kai blocked his kick, Arthur used the rebound force to launch into another strike, aiming a sharp elbow at his ribs.
But Kai still reacted faster. He caught Arthur's arm mid-strike and, with a simple flick of his wrist, redirected all of Arthur's force away from him. Arthur staggered but quickly regained his footing, stepping back and adjusting his stance.
Kai let out a small laugh. "Much better."
Arthur wiped the sweat from his brow. "Still not landing a hit though."
Kai cracked his neck. "You will. Eventually."
They continued their sparring for another half an hour. Arthur pushed himself harder, his movements becoming smoother, his strikes more calculated. He still couldn't match Kai, but he could feel the improvement.
Finally, Kai called it off. "That's enough for now. Now let me teach you something else."
Arthur stopped while breathing heavily. "Great. There's more?"
Kai grinned. "Of course. Learning how to fight is just step one. Now, we work on refining your Chi manipulation."
Arthur exhaled and straightened up. "Alright. Hit me."
Kai raised a brow. "Careful what you wish for, kid."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant."
Kai smirked before sitting down on the ground, motioning for Arthur to do the same. Arthur followed, crossing his legs as he waited for the lesson.
"Chi manipulation… ," Kai began. "Is a lot about control. And control starts with breathing."
Arthur nodded, listening carefully.
Kai placed a hand on his own chest. "Most people breathe without thinking. Shallow, inconsistent. But a martial artist? We control our breath. It's the foundation of everything. Strength. Speed. Even endurance."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that just breathing will make a martial artist stronger?"
Kai snorted. "I'm telling you that proper breathing will let you control your Chi more efficiently. Which, in turn, will make you stronger."
Arthur nodded, taking it seriously now.
Kai demonstrated, inhaling deeply in a slow, rhythmic pattern. "Chi responds to breath. The more in sync your breath is with your movements, the smoother your Chi will flow resulting in better control."
Arthur mimicked him, inhaling deeply and slowly exhaling. He focused on his breath and ran the Chi technique Kai taught him simultaneously, feeling the subtle shift inside him as his Chi began to churn.
Kai watched him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Now, there are also physical exercises that help improve Chi control. Some of them are simple, others will make you feel like you're about to break every bone in your body."
Arthur sighed. "Fantastic."
Kai laughed. "You'll love it."
The next hour was spent going over various techniques to improve Chi manipulation. Kai had Arthur perform slow, deliberate movements, directing his Chi through his body in controlled bursts. Each motion had to be precise, each breath steady. It was tedious, but Arthur could already feel the difference in how his Chi responded.
Finally, after Arthur had started getting the hang of it, Kai moved on to the next phase.
"Alright," Kai said, standing up. "Now comes the hard part."
Arthur looked up. "Harder than this?"
Kai smirked. "Much harder."
Kai extended his hand, and within seconds, golden energy began to form above his palm. It flickered, shifting in shape before settling into a solid, glowing dagger.
"This," Kai said, holding up the construct, "is the very first step to external Chi manipulation or simply called Chi Manifestation. Constructing weapons, armor, or even projectiles out of your own Chi."
Arthur nodded, he had seen Kai perform it yesterday. He studied the glowing weapon. "It's similar to how mages create mana constructs."
Kai nodded. "Same principle, different execution. Mages shape mana externally through spells. Martial artists shape Chi from within with their thoughts and intentions."
Arthur nodded, intrigued.
Kai continued. "It all starts with visualization. Your Chi follows your intent. If you can clearly picture what you want to create, it will start taking shape. But you also have to control it. Too little Chi, and the construct won't be stable. Too much, and you'll just waste energy."
Arthur held out his hand, focusing. "Alright. Let's try this."
He closed his eyes and concentrated, willing his Chi to gather in his palm. He visualized a simple shape, a dagger just like Kai's.
A faint golden glow flickered at his fingertips.
Kai watched, arms crossed. "Not bad. Keep going."
Arthur furrowed his brows, focusing harder. The energy in his palm wavered, shifting in and out of form. For a brief moment, it looked like a dagger was about to solidify.
Then it collapsed.
Arthur sighed. "Damn it."
Kai chuckled. "Relax. You're already doing well for a newbie."
Arthur looked up, frowning. "I barely managed anything."
Kai grinned. "And yet, most first-timers can't even get the energy to stabilize."
Arthur exhaled. "So I just have to keep practicing?"
Kai nodded. "Exactly. The more you refine your control, the easier it'll be."
Arthur clenched his fist, determination burning in his eyes. "Alright. I'll get it eventually."
Kai nodded. "Good. Now keep at it. I'm heading back to the city."
Kai didn't explain why as he disappeared into the forest.
Arthur, now alone, turned his attention to his next task. He still had a long way to go with Chi constructs, but for now, he needed to continue training his mana control.
Standing up, he extended his hand, summoning multiple mana bullets. They hovered in the air, spinning slightly as he adjusted their speed and movement.
'If I want to get stronger, I need to master both my Mana and Chi.'
…
Arthur had been practicing his mana control for half an hour, carefully maneuvering the floating mana bullets around him, increasing and decreasing their speed, changing their trajectories mid-air. The control was coming along well, but his mind kept drifting back to something he had thought of earlier.
Using Telekinesis to fly. The thought of flying freely in the sky has been one of humanity's dreams. And Arthur felt excited to try it.
Arthur took a deep breath and focused, allowing his mana to wrap around his entire body. He visualized himself as just another object, something he could lift like he did with boulders. Slowly and carefully, he willed himself to rise.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then, the ground beneath his feet seemed to shrink away.
Arthur's eyes snapped open as he realized he was actually floating. 'Holy sh*t… it worked.' He grinned, feeling himself gently hovering a few meters above the ground.
He willed himself to move higher, and his body obeyed, smoothly ascending. The telekinetic grip around himself felt incredibly tight, almost restrictive, but it was no problem for him. It was his own mana restraining his body in a way he hadn't expected. 'I need better control before I try lifting someone else with this', he noted. 'A small mistake could break their bones.'
But right now, he was too excited to care.
A wide grin spread across his face as he tilted forward slightly, willing himself to move. And just like that, he soared in the sky.
The forest blurred beneath him as he accelerated, his surroundings becoming a green blur as he picked up speed. His heart pounded in his chest, exhilaration flooding his senses. 'I'm actually flying.'
"WHOOHOO!!" he yelled as he shot upward, leaving the dense forest behind. The wind roared past his ears, and though the sheer speed was thrilling, the air resistance was stronger than he expected. His body was naturally durable, but his eyes stung slightly from the sheer force of the wind causing him to tear up a bit.
'Alright, let's fix that.'
Arthur concentrated again, attempting to create a telekinetic shield around himself to cut through the resistance. He envisioned the energy forming a smooth barrier to streamline his flight.
Nothing happened.
"…Tch." Arthur frowned. 'Guess I'm not there yet.' He switched tactics and summoned a mana shield instead, creating a thin protective layer around his body. Instantly, the pressure eased, and he could focus on flying again.
Checking his data pad, he glanced at his speed. Mach 6… Mach 7… His brows lifted slightly. That was far beyond his running speed. Running at his full speed without Chi enhancements, he barely reached Mach 2. His flight, on the other hand… 'Damn, this is way better than running.'
Arthur felt weightless as he continued ascending, watching the land shrink below him. The vast expanse of sky stretched endlessly above, the horizon painted with the golden hues of the setting sun. He had flown many times before, in fact, with his armor. But this felt different.
This was freedom.
For the first time he wasn't relying on any external equipment to fly. There were no thrusters humming in his ears, no mechanical feedback on his HUD, just him, the wind, and the open sky.
He moved faster, diving low before pulling up again, performing maneuvers that would've been impossible with any conventional flight method. He twisted mid-air, spun effortlessly, and let out another exhilarated laugh.
'I could do this forever.'
Arthur got so caught up in the thrill of it that he completely forgot about the rest of his training.
For the rest of the day, he simply soared through the skies, lost in the pure joy of it.
***
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