Chapter 23: Showing Off (Just a Little)

Chapter 23: Showing Off (Just a Little)

Reaching the Foundation Realm fundamentally changed Ran's perspective on his tutoring sessions with Master Thorne. Before, hiding his true level was a chore, a constant effort to appear less capable. Now, with the vast gulf between his actual Stage 5 power and his projected Stage 2 facade, combined with the finesse granted by [Eye of Genesis Insight], it became… almost amusing. A game within a game.

He could now use his Insight to perceive the subtle flows of Qi not just within himself, but within Thorne as well. He could anticipate the tutor's moves during sparring drills before Thorne even initiated them, analyze the flaws in Thorne's technique execution with pinpoint accuracy, and understand the theoretical principles Thorne lectured on more deeply than the tutor himself likely did.

Of course, revealing any of this was out of the question. Instead, Ran began to subtly refine his performance. He no longer needed to feign clumsiness; he could perfectly simulate the errors and inefficiencies of a talented Stage 2 practitioner. He could make his Qi control seem slightly erratic, his footwork occasionally clumsy, his theoretical understanding insightful but incomplete – all while internally operating on a completely different level.

During one sparring session, Thorne demonstrated a complex defensive maneuver, the 'Willow Branch Deflection', which involved yielding to an opponent's force and redirecting it with minimal Qi expenditure. It was a technique Thorne himself was quite proud of mastering.

"Observe closely, Young Master," Thorne instructed, demonstrating the fluid motion against a practice drone. "The key is sensitivity, feeling the opponent's intent, and blending, not resisting…"

Ran watched, but his Genesis Insight was doing more than observing. It was dissecting the technique, analyzing the Qi flow, the weight distribution, the micro-adjustments in Thorne's stance. He saw the elegance, but also the minor inefficiencies – a slight hesitation in the wrist rotation, a marginal over-expenditure of Qi in the grounding foot.

Thorne finished the demonstration. "Now, you try. Slowly."

Ran stepped forward. Thorne initiated a slow, deliberate palm strike towards him. Ran performed the Willow Branch Deflection, mimicking Thorne's movements but incorporating the micro-optimizations his Insight had revealed. He didn't just deflect the strike; he absorbed Thorne's minimal Qi output, seamlessly redirected it with near-zero personal expenditure, and ended the motion in a perfectly balanced stance a fraction of a second faster than Thorne had.

It was technically perfect. Too perfect. It was the kind of mastery that should have taken years of dedicated practice, not something learned after a single demonstration.

Thorne froze mid-strike, his eyes wide. He stared at Ran, then at his own hand, then back at Ran, utterly bewildered. "That… that was flawless," he stammered. "More than flawless. The Qi control… the sensitivity… it was textbook perfect, yet… faster? More efficient? How?"

Ran feigned mild confusion. "Did I do it right, Master Thorne? I just tried to copy what you did and… focused on that 'blending' thing you mentioned?" He internally smirked. Yeah, blended it right through my Foundation Realm hyper-analysis filter.

Thorne shook his head slowly, looking at Ran as if seeing him for the first time. The 'late bloomer' theory felt increasingly inadequate. The theoretical leaps, the uncanny reflexes, and now this instantaneous mastery of complex techniques… it defied logical progression. He began formulating new theories, wilder ones involving ancestral memories awakening, blessed enlightenment, perhaps even possession by a benevolent martial spirit. Anything seemed more plausible than simple talent developing at this impossible rate.

"Remarkable," Thorne breathed, his voice filled with genuine awe. "Truly remarkable. Your affinity for the martial path is unlike anything I have ever witnessed." From that day on, Thorne's demeanor towards Ran shifted subtly. The tutor-student dynamic faded, replaced by a respectful deference usually reserved for acknowledged masters or clan elders. He began treating Ran less like a student to be instructed and more like a natural phenomenon to be observed and cautiously guided.

Ran found Thorne's awe… appropriate. Expected, even. After all, compared to the power and knowledge granted by the System, Thorne's conventional understanding was limited. While Ran maintained his facade of polite humility, his internal monologue dripped with growing arrogance.

During a theory lesson on advanced Qi constructs, Thorne struggled to explain a particularly complex energy matrix stabilization technique. Ran, having grasped it instantly via Enhanced Comprehension and simulated its application with his Insight, grew impatient with Thorne's slow, methodical explanation.

"Master Thorne," Ran interrupted, letting a flicker of his true understanding slip through, forgetting his 'slow student' role for a moment. "With all due respect, the tertiary harmonic resonance clearly dictates the stabilization vector. If you simply apply the inverse phase principle derived from the Law of Energetic Opposition, the matrix alignment becomes… well, rather obvious, doesn't it?"

Thorne stared at him, completely lost. "Inverse phase principle? Law of Energetic Opposition? Young Master, those are concepts from theoretical texts so obscure even most Elders haven't studied them…"

Ran mentally face-palmed. Idiot! Too much! Reel it in! "Oh! Sorry, Master!" he backtracked quickly. "Must have been something I misread in a dusty old scroll in the library again! Pay me no mind, your explanation was perfectly clear. Please, continue."

Thorne just shook his head again, a look of profound confusion mixed with reverence settling on his features. Ran sighed internally. This game of concealment was getting harder, not just because of his power, but because Thorne's slow grasp of principles Ran now saw as 'obvious' was genuinely starting to irritate him.

Still, the charade was necessary. Thorne's awe and confusion were useful political tools, bolstering his image within the clan without revealing the truth. His focus remained ruthlessly pragmatic: consolidate his Foundation Realm power efficiently, keep the Dividends flowing, and manage the perceptions of those around him. Thorne's misplaced reverence was just another variable to be managed in the complex equation of his hidden life.