Through the Gate: Rebirth and Emergence Part 2

He had been awake for a while. Despite managing to fall asleep, his body had forced him into consciousness much earlier than he had expected. At least he had a peaceful, dreamless sleep, short as it was. But he wasn't ready to face the outside world yet.

He lay there with his eyes closed, mulling over the information he had received over the past couple of days and processing his pent-up emotions. Everything had happened so fast, and he had spent every second reacting just to stay alive.

The excitement, fear, and despair he had felt as he ran for his life were now overshadowed by a deep sense of loss. His home, his family—he realized he might never see any of them again.

A lone tear rolled down his cheek as he whispered a silent prayer to any gods who might be listening. Slowly, he cracked one eye open.

He still couldn't sense anyone nearby and took it as a sign that it was either late at night or very early in the morning. The thought of escape crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it with better judgment.

Even if he couldn't sense them, there were probably guards watching to prevent such a thing. Even if he managed to evade them by some miracle, he couldn't get far. His body was still not fully recovered, better but not completely functional. And then there was the gate to deal with.

He decided to take a closer look around the room. He hadn't done much the night before after picking up the training manual beside his bed. The bed was large and luxurious, and everything else in the room had an antique feel. But they didn't look ancient; if anything, they seemed freshly made and spotless. The glowing plant on the bedside table still gave off a warm light as he moved around the room, inspecting every corner.

Boredom was a vile thing. Tatsuya checked out the clothes in the closet, driven by that feeling. The clothes looked like something out of a murim movie, seemingly authentic, but who was he to judge? He struggled with some of them but felt a small sense of accomplishment each time he figured it out.

The rest of the room was also quite impressive. He found some practice equipment in another closet and a door that led to a bath. He still didn't know what time it was but grew anxious about the lack of interaction. No one had come by. Was he a prisoner now?

He decided to calm himself and do something productive. Distracting himself was all he could do for now. He picked up the training manual from the previous night and read aloud:

"A Guide to Harnessing Your Inner Power."

"I skimmed over it yesterday, but this seems a lot more normal than I thought it would, even though it's in Chinese again."

He began to read it again, this time aiming to dissect it to extract knowledge and power.

The Guide to Harnessing Your Inner Power

Chapter 1 - The Fundamentals

Tatsuya read the opening lines carefully, his eyes scanning each word with intent focus.

"Inner power, or qi, is the life force that flows through all living things and even though the world itself. To harness it, one must first understand its nature. Qi is both subtle and potent, residing within the body yet capable of extending beyond it to unleash hreat power."

He paused, trying to wrap his mind around the concept, he had already had training in Qi manipulation and was comparing what he already knew to the new information Qi was something most only ever heard about in stories or seen in movies, this was what he had been told so anything new had to be verified before he would test it.

You never knew if a seemingly useful technique was just something fictional created for entertainment. He continued reading.

"The first step in mastering qi is to cultivate stillness within oneself. This requires a quiet mind and a calm spirit. Through meditation and controlled breathing, one can begin to feel the flow of qi, draw it in and guide it with intention."

Tatsuya took a deep breath, trying to still his racing thoughts. He had meditated before, but the manual made it sound essential. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, in and out, in and out. He felt his heartbeat slow, the tension in his muscles easing slightly.

It was at that moment that he noticed. He couldn't feel his Core. It seemed whatever the gate did destroyed his previous cultivation. He now had to start from scratch. This realization was annoying to say the least but he decided to continue reading instead of worrying.

"Once you have achieved a state of inner stillness, visualize your qi as a river flowing through your body. Guide it to your center, your dantian, just below the navel. This is the core of your power."

He followed the instructions, imagining a gentle river coursing through him, converging at his core. At first, it felt strange, but gradually, he began to sense a subtle warmth in his lower abdomen. It was nice to start regaining his power.

"Good," he whispered to himself, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. "Now what?"

"The second step is to strengthen your qi through physical practice and disciplined training. Simple exercises and controlled movements, will help you to build your inner power."

He stood up and began to stretch, mimicking the movements described in the manual. Each motion was deliberate, flowing from one pose to the next. As he practiced, he felt the warmth in his dantian grow stronger, more pronounced.

He wasn't sure at first but it seemed the movements were also a technique to help him gather and infuse Qi into his body even with a barely formed dantian as he moved. This would help to purify and strengthen his body and establish a better foundation before he started cultivation for real.

He felt excited, his previous training mostly involved meditating in one spot to gather Qi and from your dantian. This was more his style.

Hours passed without Tatsuya realizing it. The manual was filled with detailed descriptions of exercises and meditative techniques, each one building on the last. It also instructed on how to take specific elixirs which could help him improve.

By the time he took a break, he felt a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.

A soft knock on the door startled him. He turned to see a maid standing there, a faint smile on her lips. It wasn't the same one from the previous day but she also had just one horn.

"I see you're making good use of your time," she said, stepping into the room. "How do you feel?"

Tatsuya wiped the sweat from his brow, catching his breath. "Better. Stronger, I think. This manual... it's incredible."

The maid nodded. "It is. And it's just the beginning. There's so much more for you to learn, but you're on the right path."

She handed him a small, wrapped bundle. "Food and a book containing your schedule. You'll need your strength for what's to come."

Tatsuya took the bundle gratefully. "Thank you. For everything."

She smiled, a glimmer of encouragement in her eyes. "Rest now, and continue your training. Soon, you will be ready for the challenges ahead."

"Also other maids will be here to take you to get cleaned. I see you've also started trying on the clothing. Were they to your liking?"

He stared at her for a moment, searching for any malice or deception in her expression but didn't find any. He replied to her in a calm and guarded tone.

"Yes, they suit me quite well."

He was still on the fence on whether he should eat the food but realized the fact that if they really wanted him dead there were faster ways than poison.

As she left, Tatsuya sat down, unwrapping the food and taking a bite. The food was good, not like food from home but it was delicious.

As he took his first few bites. He felt a renewed sense of purpose and determination. He was not going to be just a pawn in someone else's game. He was becoming something more. With each passing day, he would grow stronger, unlocking the potential within him.

And when the time came, he would be ready to face whatever lay ahead.