Qi Sense

Isaac walked through the Ravenwood District in his posh school uniform and backpack as he yawned. He had decided not to leave his home for a day and instead cultivated his Qi. He learnt that his progression was quite slow, yet noticeable. The fist-sized ball of Qi in his dantian now grew a few centimetres larger and he now had a deeper understanding of his Qi.

He had also spent the day healing his wound which now was almost fully healed. Despite his growth, Isaac had countless thoughts of his Qi. His mind ran wild with the countless possibilities of Qi. He specifically remembered the beam from Jay that gave him his wound. He was completely helpless against it. He wasn't even able to see the attack, let alone dodge it.

He found that although his body was fast, his mind wasn't fast enough to comprehend superhuman speed. Sure, he could enhance his head and mind with Qi, however, that would consume too much Qi that would leave his legs too weak to fight. He needed a more efficient solution until his Qi increased. This thought constantly haunted his mind as countless scenarios ran through his head. Because of this, he wasn't getting much sleep. Giant bags hung from under his eyes as he walked slowly and slouched.

He didn't say anything as he walked through the usual alleyway that had been quiet these past few days. However, today it seemed more lively. As he continued walking, he was met with a few shady individuals, split into two groups as they yelled and cursed at each other.

"This is the territory of the Street Demons. We already claimed this area."

"Why'd you even come here? Go back to Gotham."

"How about you go to Gotham and deal with the flying freak that's running around?"

"Are you talking about the Batman? Look here, these guys are scared of an urban myth."

"The Batman is real. Tell him, Joe." Said the man as he pointed to his companion.

"The Batman exists. I've seen him. He says he doesn't kill but apparently, he's fine with giving people brain damage." Said Joe as he showed them a scar.

"We ain't leaving. If you got a problem with that then get ready for some blood."

"Then let's get to it." Said the opposing man as his group yelled behind him.

Fortunately, the two groups seemed to be occupied with each other, therefore they hadn't noticed Isaac slip past them. He kept his eyes straight as he listened to their yells.

'Is Jay gone? That would explain why so many people are trying to claim this territory.' Thought Isaac as he unknowingly bumped into something. His face sunk into a soft material that for some reason he pleasantly enjoyed. So much so that he forgot to withdraw his face.

"Are you just going to stay there?" Said a female voice that towered above him. Isaac took a few seconds to comprehend what was going on as he slowly moved backwards. He was met with a tall lady with black hair in pigtails, revealing clothes and unnecessarily tall high heels. Isaac looked down to see what he had buried his face in as he begged it wasn't what he thought it was.

He was met with large bosoms that looked as if they would burst from their clothing at any minute. Putting 2 and 2 together, Isaac started to sweat as he imagined what his life as a known sex offender would be like.

He looked up at the lady, who was considerably taller than him, with a forced smile. She wore a face of indifference as if she didn't care and chewed on some gum. After a few seconds of silence, the female's face started to change into one of shock.

"Hey, wait a minute. I know you." She said as she stuck her fingers in Isaac's face, staring at him from different angles and even squinting her eyes, all while he stood still with a nervous smile.

"It's you. You were the boy who saved me from that dirtbag the other week." She said as Isaac raised an eyebrow. It took him a second to remember since it had been over 2 months for him, but after a few seconds, the night where he had died came back to him.

"It's definitely you. Although it was really dark, I'd recognise that skinny frame from a mile away."

"Oh yes. It was me. I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you for a minute." He said as he rubbed the back of his head. Perhaps if she was grateful, he wouldn't be thrown in prison for sexual assault.

"Also, I'm very sorry about… my face." He said nervously.

"Oh, no problem. After all, you saved my life. I never thought I would be able to thank you for that night. If you ever need anything I'll be glad to help." She said with a smile. Isaac felt relieved as he sighed. A thought came to him as he looked back at the lady.

"I'm sorry, do you mind telling me what that's all about?" Asked Isaac as he looked at the two gang groups.

"That? That's just a feud to see who will take control of the neighbourhood. The old gang suddenly disappeared so the Ravenwood District was up for grabs." She thought for a few seconds before she looked at Isaac and decided to say what she was going to say.

"Don't tell anyone, but it was rumoured for a while that a Metahuman was in the area, claiming every bit of land he could. No one dared to come close because of that rumour. But yet again, the Meta disappeared. Some say he died, others say another Meta beat the crap out of him. But no one knows for sure." She explained.

"So the neighbourhood is up for grabs now. I'd advise you to stay indoors. A gang war could be coming any day now." Isaac stared at the two groups with a face of indifference. He looked back at the female as he thanked her sincerely.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm Isaac. It's nice to meet you."

"Well Isaac, my name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cass." She said as they shook hands. Isaac waved to her as he walked away, leaving the alley.

'Gang war? Was it a mistake to confront Jay? But the bigger question is what happened to him.' With countless questions running through Isaac's mind, he dismissed all thoughts as he felt a headache creeping up on him.

***

Isaac sat in class as he looked out of the window. His usual bald teacher lectured the class on the subject with a monotone voice. Isaac waited for the class to be over, however, it felt as if every second passed slower than an hour. As he watched the birds fly, a thought came to him.

'I can cultivate. Screw this dumb class.' He thought with a smile as he fixed his posture and closed his eyes. He started by strengthening his heart and it wasn't long until small green specks littered the air. He started to breathe rhythmically and started to feel the fresh Qi coursing through his meridians. It was a refreshing and relaxing feeling he would never get tired of.

After an hour of cultivating, Isaac started to inspect the green specks in the air. These were quite clearly Qi. He could see it travel into his mouth when he breathed. He could see the green specks from a metre of his position. He inspected them closer as he quickly caught a glimpse of something at the corner of his eye. He focused on that area and witnessed countless green specks that formed the shape of a human. The head, arms, legs, toes and fingers were all highlighted by the green specks. However, more distinctive features such as the eyes and nose couldn't be seen.

Isaac opened his eyes as he turned his head and looked at someone sitting to his right 3 feet away from him.

'Was it him that I was seeing?' Asked Isaac as he remembered something.

'All living things have Qi! So it makes sense I'd be able to sense the Qi inside a person.' He thought, remembering the words of Master Subhuti.

Although he could only see a metre away from him, and he couldn't see inanimate objects, this was still a useful ability.

'I think I'll call this Qi Sense.' He said as in the next second he heard the deafening ring of the school bell, indicating that it was lunchtime.

Isaac stood from his seat as he walked out of his class with the rest of the students. He stood in the hallway as he looked to his right and then to his left. His desires and his logic wrestled as he couldn't make a decision.

'I really want to eat food but I have a task to complete. Do I go to the cafeteria or not?' He said unable to come to a decision.

'No. Work first then pleasure. I'll have food later after I finish this.' He said with a determined face. He walked away from the cafeteria and soon came to large ornate double doors that were labelled 'Library'.

He quickly entered and looked around. After a few seconds, his jaw dropped as he was surprised. The ground floor opened up to a vast space with towering bookshelves reaching towards a coffered ceiling adorned with intricate mouldings. The shelves, crafted from rich mahogany, held a vast collection of leather-bound tomes, their spines gleaming with gold leaf lettering.

In the centre of the ground floor, an exquisite chandelier with crystal droplets cascaded from the ceiling, casting shimmering reflections across the room. Below it, an intricately carved wooden reading table invited visitors to delve into the literary treasures that surrounded them.

As Isaac took a few seconds to appreciate the luxury before his eyes he had never seen before, he was interrupted by a female voice.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Said an elegant voice. Isaac turned around and was met with a female with big thick glasses and messy blond hair wearing baggy clothes and an uncomfortable-looking sweater. She carried a few books and fashioned a warming smile.

"Yes. I was looking for the librarian." Said Isaac.

"That would be me. You may call me Miss Everly. How may I help?" She said as she shook Isaac's hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. It's just, you look more like a student than a member of staff." Said Isaac which made the librarian blush a little.

"Oh, thank you. I'm actually one of the youngest teachers in the country." She said as she laughed. Isaac was slightly confused by her thanks. He didn't realise he was paying her a compliment.

"What can I help you with?" She asked.

"Oh, right. I was looking for everything you have on VitaFlow and Elijah Blackwood."

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Author's Note: Hello, if you are enjoying I'd appreciate the powerstones. They help a lot. Also, join the discord!

discord.gg/wfxxZv8j4B