My Cultivation Journey: I

After my conversation with Jeong Su the night before, I had this charge within me, I can do it, I didn't want to let her down, she went out of her way to help me, "since she can do it, why can't I?" I continued asking myself.

That night I went to bed and lay on my sleepless pillow, waiting for daybreak, but time seemed not to be moving, I was too eager. I looked at the time on my wall clock till I slowly fell asleep.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was quarter past twelve, "sibal (sh!t)!" I shouted and hurriedly changed into my training outfit and burst out my room. Instead of taking the elevator down, I took the staircase; my room was in the 107th floor while the gathering centre and training centre were both at the 67th floor.

I burst out the door of the 67th floor breathless, my intention was to use the staircase as a form of exercise before I started the real thing, but that wasn't the case. I stood there for a minute to catch my breath, "Aish (shoot)! I shouldn't have ran" I said to myself and walked with my hands on my hips till I reached the training centre.

The training centre was empty, so was the gathering centre when I passed it earlier, "where's everyone?" I asked myself, "it's still daytime, they couldn't have gone for an HUNT." I decided to care less about where everyone was besides I preferred training alone.

I stepped into the Physical Contact Centre, I changed the holo-monster level back to level 1, but increased the number of monsters from the regular one, to four holo-monsters.

The Physical Contact Centre was where physical action took place in the training centre, things like: Sparring, teamed monster fights and solo monster fights. It was a very big circular room in the training centre, it had three wide circles, elevated about two feet tall for each type of contact training. At the tip of the each circle, there were bands which ran through out the circle, that always rose up and created boundaries, forming a caged setting. This was to help us master close physical contact with the monsters and quick technical thinking. Each circle also had holes, very little holes where air came out of, maintaining the oxygen levels in the cage.

I put on some music and stepped into the solo physical contact circle, a light shun bright from the bands and created circles around the circle. Four holo-monsters appeared. The holo-monsters were robot-like monster looking machine (some had human depictions) that could make physical contact and cause damages to our body. And since they were AI programs, they dissipated and vanished once destroyed.

The first holo-monster charged and the second followed suit, the third and fourth jumped high into the sky, with their weapons help tight. I took a step back, turned the hinge joint of my right leg outwards, and turned the longitudinal arch of my left foot outwards, with my sword held with both my hands, the middle of its blade right by my eyes, maintaining perfect balance.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, and tried to focus more on my environment. The first holo-monster swung its blade at me, I extended my left leg (my longitudinal arch still facing outwards) sending me downwards quick enough to evade its touch. One swing of my blade and the leg of the first holo-monster was in the air. I swung my swords upwards, striking the second holo-monster through the chest, turned it around and kicked it towards the other two in the sky, they landed on it destroying it themselves, leaving them discombobulated.

The remaining two got a hold of themselves and charged in a synchronized manner, skillfully swinging theirs weapons. I did my best to dodge and evade all of their attacks, with the slight chance I got, I cut off one of the holo-monsters head and right before it dissipated, I kicked it in the face of the last standing monster disorienting it, I used this time to slide in-between its legs and plunged my sword through its back and it's dissipated. Then I went to the holo-monster whose leg I cut off and watched it dissipate slowly.

The music stopped and my attention shifted, I switched my gaze to the point where I played the music from, there I saw Dave and the rest of the guys. Chae Yeong was clapping continuously and whooping at the same time. I smiled and looked at Jeong Su, she smiled and nodded her head in approval, "good job" she mouthed.

I stepped out of the Solo Physical Contact circle feeling really cool, suddenly the feeling from earlier started again - my eyes ached a bit and started twitching, I had a split headache, I held my forehead and placed my other hand on my waist.

"Seriously bruh...that's just a level one holo-monster and you're tired?" Dave said. He's been doing at great job at annoying me lately but I always tried my best to keep my cool.

"Nahh, it's not that, my eyes are itching me and I'm having migraines." I replied him, again I heard that same distorted voice calling out my name: "Han Su Jin..."

"What is it! Leave me alone for f!ck sake, gaesekki (son of a b!tch)!" I shouted.

"Nugu (who)? Su Jin gwaechanha?" Na Na said. I looked up and everyone was looking at me with weird eyes.

"M-m-mwo (what is it), d - didn't one of you call me?" I said stuttering

"Nobody called you, you sure you okay? You did the same thing earlier today" Jeong Su said.

I took a deep breath, "mihanae (I'm sorry), I thought someone called me" I addressed all of them. My head was still pounding, my eyes started becoming very itchy.

Dave and Daesang came to me and interlocked their hands with mine on each side, "let's go" Dave said, "you need rest, you've been stressing yourself too much lately, ga (let's go)," Daesang seconded and they both dragged me out of the training centre.

They took me back to my room, I entered the bathroom and washed up and when I came outside, my whole room was scattered, my sheets were rumpled, books were littered around the place.

"Ya (guys)!" I shouted, showing my displeasure, "what's all these... I went to the bathroom for a couple of minutes and you guys have made a mess of me room!"

"You used approximately thirty minutes in the bathroom, that's not just a couple" Daesang highlighted.

I looked at him not knowing what to do, he still had the guts to tell me how long I used in the bathroom as if that's a reason the make a mess of the place, "leave my room, ga (leave), pedazos de mierda (pieces of sh!t).

Dave looked at Daesang and they both began to laugh, "are you really pissed fam?" Dave said and made a weird face. Before I knew it, I joined them laughing.

Abruptly, I changed my facial expression, my face straight and my tone measured and intense, "ga (leave)" I said pointing my hands towards the door.

"Gosh, that sent chills down my spine. Where you a grim reaper in your past life or what, you're so cold." Daesang said and left with Dave.

I came back down, dressed in all black, everybody was doing one thing or the other. Our handler entered the Gathering Centre and called them.

I wanted to follow them to wherever they always went when they got called but I restrained myself, besides our handler wouldn't have allowed me in.

After a few minutes, I saw them for the first time going on a HUNT, they were dressed in a costume, looking like people about to go into space. Not withholding, I still wanted to be a part of it.

I left the window and headed towards the Training centre again, I took my shirt off and invited two level two holo-monsters, this time I picked up two sabers, stepped into the circle and charged them first. I was going I do anything to join them.

Later, I went to meet our Handler. "What can I do to join them?" I asked, determination etched on my face. He looked at me, took his gaze off, and looked at me again. "You can join them once you defeat all the holo-monsters." He said and went back to whatever he was doing.

That was mission impossible; there were about twenty levels and six different types of holo-monsters in each level. I quickly did the math, realizing it was more than a hundred holo-monsters to fight against. How was I going to complete that in time? It would take me a year or more.

"Why did you mess with my body if you knew this is what you'd make of me? I was an A+ student at a top university in the country. Why didn't you leave me? Huh!?" I exclaimed, hitting the wall angrily. I was about to enter the elevator when that same distorted voice in my head called out my name again: "Han Su Jin."

I stopped and turned back to our Handler. "What did you do to me? I've been hearing voices for the past three days. My head is pounding, my eyes are aching... why?"

Our handler quickly left what he was doing. "Jinja (are you serious)? And you're just telling me this now?"

"Why are you acting up?" I asked, feeling confused. He was showing too much care, unlike his usual straight face.

"What else do you feel? Do you feel internal heat or cold? What are your sensations?" He asked eagerly. I was confused about why he was acting up.

"I feel cold naturally ever since... I always feel cold. What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Is it more intense? Does it show on your palms?" He said.

That was the point I realized what he was talking about - he thought I was having these weird sensations because my abilities were manifesting.

"Wait, wait, ajeossi (Mr. Handler), are you thinking that these are symptoms of my abilities?" I asked in a crude manner, causing his countenance to suddenly change. "Jinja (seriously), you're really unbelievable. I'm having a headache, and my eyes are itching me. I'm hearing stuff too, and you think it's my abilities? You truly are a nutcase."

I said and got into the elevator. I got back into my room, continuously thinking about what our handler said: "Beat all the holo-monsters... Tch... how would one do that, or could I...?" I said and quickly took my book, scribbling things developing out a strategy. "It's just twenty levels and six types; I can do this," I continually soliloquised. I did that late into the night and didn't know when I fell asleep.