High School in Bellevue

Bellevue High wasn't a school; it was a gleaming citadel of glass, steel, and unchecked ambition. Stepping onto its manicured plaza felt like entering a different dimension after the primal sanctuary of the Cascades. Li, now standing a lean 5'11" with shoulders that hinted at coiled power beneath his simple grey hoodie, moved with a predator's quiet grace. His System shimmered, recalibrating furiously:

[NEW ZONE: BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL - TIER 2 THREAT ENVIRONMENT]

Primary Threats Detected: Multiple high-STR/AGI signatures (Tier 1 Jocks). High-INT/CHA signatures (Tier 1 Elites). Social Hierarchy Complexity: Extreme.

Cultivation Signatures Detected: None (Surface Scan). Qi Field Ambient Level: Low (Urban).

[REPUTATION: "Cerebral Gladiator" (Oakridge) - RESET]

New Reputation: "Unknown Transfer (East Asian)"

Passive: [Qi Sense Lv.2] Active - Scanning...

The air buzzed with entitlement and expensive cologne. Students navigated in cliques sharper than Master Chen's obsidian blade – tech bros in Patagonia vests debating startups, lacrosse players radiating aggressive confidence, artsy elites draped in designer thrift. Li felt eyes slide over him, registering him as part of the generic "Asian transfer" background noise before dismissing him. A familiar pang of invisibility threatened, but the warm pulse of the jade pendant against his sternum and the solid core of power within his Dan Tian anchored him. Dragons in letterman jackets. Master Chen's warning echoed. He felt one now – a massive presence radiating brute force and simmering aggression like a poorly capped radiator.

Tyler "Tank" Henderson. Captain of the state-champion football team. Easily 6'3", 250lbs of sculpted muscle under his Bellevue Bulldogs hoodie. STR likely pushing 25+, AGI surprisingly high for his size. He moved through the hall like a battleship, flanked by two smaller but equally intimidating linemen. His eyes, cold and assessing, scanned the crowd. They lingered on Li for a fraction longer than others, a flicker of instinctive challenge before dismissing him as insignificant prey. Not Brad. Bigger. Smarter. More dangerous. Li noted the subtle predatory awareness beneath the jock bravado. [Perception Check: Success! Threat Assessment Updated: Tyler Henderson - High Physical Threat. Potential Alpha Aggressor.]

Finding his AP Computer Science class, Li slipped into a seat near the back. The room hummed with the low thrum of powerful machines and focused energy. Then she walked in. Yuna Kim. Korean-American, petite but radiating an intense, sharp intelligence. Her dark eyes scanned the room with hawk-like precision, missing nothing. Her black hair was pulled back severely, emphasizing high cheekbones and a focused frown. She moved with economical grace, sitting front and center, booting her laptop before the bell even rang. Her Qi signature, Li noted with surprise through his passive sense, was different. Not cultivated like his, but… focused. Like a laser beam of pure intellect. High INT, easily 18+. High PER. Low CHA (suppressed). [Qi Sense Lv.2 Analysis: Mental energy exceptionally dense and ordered, indicative of extreme cognitive discipline. Social Qi flow restricted, suggesting guardedness or pressure.]**

Their first interaction was pure friction. Mr. Davies, the wiry, energetic CS teacher, paired them for a rapid prototype challenge: build a simple encryption algorithm in 30 minutes.

"Great," Yuna muttered under her breath, barely glancing at Li as she pulled her laptop closer. "Pair programming with the new ghost." Her fingers flew across the keyboard.

Li observed her code. Efficient, elegant, but rigid. He saw a potential optimization in her nested loop structure. "The second iterator is redundant," he said quietly. "You can achieve the same with a single pass and a hash map. Reduce complexity from O(n²) to O(n)."

Yuna froze, her fingers hovering over the keys. She turned slowly, her dark eyes narrowing, finally truly seeing him. Not dismissing, but assessing. Calculating. "Prove it," she challenged, her voice crisp.

Li leaned over, his movements calm and precise. He typed a few lines, his fingers sure, channeling a sliver of [Calm Mind (Qi)] to keep his thoughts crystal clear. The code executed flawlessly, faster and cleaner.

A beat of silence. Yuna stared at the screen, then at Li. A flicker of surprise, then grudging respect replaced the irritation. "Huh. Not entirely clueless." A ghost of a smile touched her lips, gone as quickly as it appeared. "Yuna."

"Li."

[MINOR QUEST: FIRST IMPRESSION (Yuna Kim) - COMPLETE!]

Reward: +150 XP, +5 Reputation with Yuna Kim (Current: Neutral -> Respectful Rivalry), Unlock Social Link: Yuna Kim (Acquaintance)

System Note: Potential for significant synergy (INT/Cultivation Focus).

As Li walked to his next class, a heavy shoulder slammed into him from behind. Thud. It was one of Tank's linemen, a bulky kid named Vince. "Watch where you're going, chopstick," Vince sneered, expecting Li to stumble.

Li didn't. [Rooted Stance (Qi)] activated instantly, a subtle surge of energy anchoring him to the earth. It felt like Vince had shoved a concrete pillar. Li swayed imperceptibly, his feet never leaving their spot. He turned his head slowly, meeting Vince's surprised eyes. Li didn't glare. He didn't snarl. He just looked at him, his expression calm, almost bored, his own Qi radiating a quiet, unyielding solidity. Vince blinked, momentarily wrong-footed by the lack of expected reaction – fear or anger. He mumbled something unintelligible and pushed past.

[SUCCESSFUL DEFENSIVE MANEUVER: ROOTED DEFLECTION!]

Qi Cost: 2

XP Gain: +75

[REPUTATION UPDATE: "Unknown Transfer" -> "The Unmovable Object" (Low-Level Jocks)]

Effect: Minor intimidation aura against low-level physical aggression attempts. Increased attention from high-level threats.

Li continued walking. High school had begun. The dragons were stirring. And the cultivator walked silently among them, his power hidden but undeniable.