Training in Ki and Cultivation?!

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'That felt odd, that type of strike should've put him stunned...' Takehiko looked at his hand, '...I guess I'll have to wait.'

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Carlos yawns as he rubs his eyes. 'That was better sleep than in an actual bed!' Carlos feels something on his left hand. Carlos looks at it and it's a blue flower. 'Not sure if I'm seeing things, but the flower is letting off something.'

Carlos shrugs and stands up. 'Right training begins today, guess I can't miss it.' Carlos slides open the door and wanders around trying to find the gym. After a while, he slides a door and there's the gym. "Oh, I didn't know that you were up Master."

"Well, you seemed to sleep a bit more than usual." Takehiko looked at Carlos. Carlos walked towards Takehiko, "So aren't we supposed to be training?" "Before we begin, I first got to see something..."

"Huh?" Carlos stopped as he approached Takehiko. "It'll be quick." Takehiko smiles.

Takehiko: 'I'm not sure if he unlocked it yet at such a young age, but I have to see.'

"Now, stand defensively." Takehiko watched Carlos as he took a defensive stand, but it was just Carlos putting his arms up at his face.

Takehiko: 'Right, in boxing you're always facing your enemy so it's reasonable if he takes a boxer's defensive stand. But that won't help him if he can't defend all around his body.'

"Like this?" Carlos tilts his head to look at Takehiko. Takehiko dashes at Carlos before he could react and chops his neck. Carlos doesn't fall to the floor unconscious, instead, he has a glare.

Takehiko: 'Looks like he did, it may not be much but he managed to unlock it!'

"Why didn't you warned me? That hurt!" Carlos looks at Takehiko. "You want to know why I wanted to test you?" Carlos raised a brow, "Why?"

"Because you unlocked Ki!" Takehiko smiled. "Um, what is Ki?" Carlos scratches his head. Takehiko looked at Carlos with dead eyes, 'I didn't think an American would be this clueless about Asian culture, especially that he wants to become a monk!'

"Ki lives within every living thing, from a harmless flower to a great tree...." Takehiko looks at a flower, "...But most things can't unlock it..." Takehiko kneels to the flower, "... It's fascinating and strange, how you managed to unlock it..." Takehiko glances at Carlos, "Normal Ki is calm and fluid like a still lake, but yours is wild and unstable..."

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"Ready son?" Adrián readies a punch. Carlos nods, 'This one, I'm going to withstand it!' Adrián punches Carlos straight in the face, but he doesn't fall to the ground. Carlos takes a step back from the hit, 'I'll do a counter-attack!' Carlos screams as he leaps at Adrián and headbutts him.

Adrián falls on the floor, taken back from Carlos. "Wow, didn't know that you'll learn how to withstand my punches..." Adrián laughs as blood starts pouring from where Carlos headbutt him. "Dad are you okay?!" Carlos rushed to Adrián. "Yeah, I'm fine."

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"...My theory is that it isn't Ki, it's your own body trying to replicate Ki..." Takehiko stands up, "...I think you'll be able to withstand one attack or two if you choose to counter, after that you could probably take some injuries from what you're fighting."

"Well that's cool, but what are these flowers for?" Carlos looked at the many flowers on his shirt, 'And how did he put them so fast?' "Those are Kiwers." Carlos looked at Takehiko, "Kiwers?"

"Those are very rare in the tower, they'll help you unlock Ki when you do Cultivation." "Um, what's Cultivation?" Takehiko is taken back, 'Who is this kid?!' "Cultivation will help you unlock Ki when you reached the 1st level of Cultivation..." Takehiko sighs.

"...And Cultivation is basically like meditation." Takehiko slides a door, "Now will you follow me into this room?" Carlos nods and enters the room. Inside there's a crystal ball on a pedestal. "Woah, what is this?"

"That is my Cultivation zone, and don't touch it..." Takehiko closes the door and the only thing that's shedding light is the crystal ball. "...I noticed that Cultivation takes away time fairly quickly, so I made a zone that'll take less time and you won't grow hungry..." Takehiko looks down, "...But at the cost of some spirits that I collected when I Cultivated."

"I wanted to get an apprentice, but for most of them, I was too late..." Takehiko looks at the crystal ball, "...If I were Cultivating, you would have died by that giant like the rest..." Takehiko looked at Carlos, "But I knew that you would be my pupil, so that's why I'm trying in all of my power to make you the best monk that I can!"

'Man what an awesome Master!' "I-I won't let you down, Master!" Carlos quickly bows down. "So for how long have you've been Cultivating?" Carlos looks up. "Well, time seemed to skip for me every time that I would Cultivate, but I think for ten thousand years."

Carlos: 'For that long?! But he looks like if he's eighteen! What'll happen if I Cultivate for that long? I won't be able to see Sera again!!!'

"I know that fear is on your mind..." Carlos snaps out of his thinking to himself and looks at Takehiko. "...But trust me, you'll be able to be with that 'Sera' girl..." Takehiko puts his hand on Carlos' shoulder.

"...Now! Touch the ball." "Huh?!" Carlos moves away his hand, but Takehiko grabs his arm. "But you told me not to touch it!" "I know, but you have to touch it!" Takehiko forces Carlos' hand closer to the ball. As soon as Carlos touched it, blue lines flow around Carlos' arm.

"Woah, is this magi-" Carlos disappears alongside the blue lines. "Eh, he's going to learn..."

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What Carlos can see is multiple colors rushing past him as he feels his body falling. Then after a few seconds, he lands on the grass. Carlos looks around, 'There's a few trees and a small river, so am I in a plains biome?' Carlos stands up and sees a pillow. 'So can Kauro change this place? I wonder if he can change it into a volcano.'

Carlos feels the ground rumble as a volcano erupts from the ground, spewing hot magma all around the peaceful landscape. 'Wah! I was just wondering! I don't want to get burned alive!!!' Carlos tries running, but then again multiple colors rush by him, but now he feels hands changing him into a seating position.

After a few seconds, Carlos is on top of the pillow. 'Alright, Cultivation is just like meditation...' Carlos takes in deep breaths as he closes his eyes. '...Just remember to not fall asleep...'

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"Meditation is like being awake and asleep, just remember your not going to take a nap..." Adrián smiles at Carlos. 'So it's like being conscious and unconscious...' "Okay, dad!" Carlos smiles back.

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'...Don't fall asleep...' Carlos can hear his breathing slowly fade away as he can feel his heartbeat. Then in an instant, everything goes silent. Carlos opens his eyes, but all he can see is darkness.

'Where am I?'