My Qi Is Points

My new "quarters" were less of a dungeon and more of a… well, a very secure, very Spartan guest room.

The walls were made of smooth, unyielding stone, etched with faint, glowing runes that hummed with a low energy. There were no windows, just a single, heavy door guarded by two silent, stone-faced cultivators.

The bed was a simple mat, and a small, polished stone table held a jug of water and some dried fruit. Luxurious, for a prisoner, but still undeniably a prison.

My mind, however, was less concerned with creature comforts and more with the absolute disaster of my last demonstration. Minor Meteor Shower System. Sigh.

The System had a point, even if it was a rude one. I hadn't read the fine print. I was too busy being a dramatic hero.

And now, thanks to my idiocy, the System was mad at me and refusing to help. And I was back to zero points. Zero!

A few hours later, the heavy door groaned open. Commander Lyra stepped in, followed by Urg, Zephyr, and, to my surprise, the Sect Master himself.

His presence filled the small room, making the air hum with his suppressed power.

"Alex," the Sect Master said, his voice calm as always, yet piercing. "We have provided you with… adequate accommodations. Now, we wish to continue our discussion."

I sat up straighter on the mat. "Sect Master," I began, "I tried to tell you before.

My 'systems' require 'points' to activate. And your… your commander," I eyed Lyra, who remained impassive, "drained them all away."

Urg snorted. "So, you are truly useless now, boy? Just a talking curiosity?"

"Not useless!" I protested, feeling a familiar flush rise to my cheeks.

"I just need points! It's like… like magic without Qi! You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have Qi, you can't cast a spell, right? My points are my Qi!"

The Sect Master's eyes, however, seemed to flicker with understanding at my analogy.

"An interesting comparison. So, you are saying this 'dashboard' of yours is not merely a tool for perception, but also a reservoir of this unique 'point' energy?"

"Exactly!" I said, hoping I was making sense. "And without points, I can see the systems, I can think about them, but I can't actually give them to anyone."

Lyra stepped forward, her voice crisp. "Sect Master, perhaps he is merely attempting to stall. If this 'point' energy is siphoned, then it is depleted. It does not simply… reappear."

"Perhaps," the Sect Master mused, his gaze still fixed on me, contemplative.

"Or perhaps its source is not as simple as a direct siphon. Alex, are there any other ways for you to acquire these 'points'?"

I shrugged helplessly. "Well, usually, when I give a system, I get points back. Like a transaction. Giving Bramble the rock system got me ten points. Giving Borin the speed system got me twenty."

Urg scoffed again. "So you must give away your 'magic' to gain more 'magic'? A foolish cycle."

Zephyr, though, looked thoughtful. "If it functions like a karmic exchange… then it implies a value beyond mere spiritual energy. Perhaps a… metaphysical currency."

A familiar, infuriated blue screen abruptly materialized right in front of my face.

[SYSTEM ALERT: USER CRITICALITY IMMINENT. YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME.]

[SYSTEM STATUS: GRUMPY. VERY, VERY GRUMPY.]

Then, another line appeared, blazing with exasperation, echoing directly in my mind:

HEH... OK, THIS IS 100 POINTS. JUST TO LIVE, AND TO SHOW THIS MOTHER FATHER!! SECT MASTER. DON'T SCREW IT UP AGAIN, DOOFUS! THIS IS MY LAST RESORT.

My jaw dropped. The System! It was helping! And it was still calling me a doofus! But 100 points! This was huge! My internal dashboard, which had been stubbornly at zero, now proudly displayed: Points: 100.

The blue screen vanished. The sudden influx of points made my head throb for a second, a powerful, familiar buzz of energy. I felt alive again, brimming with possibility. And a potent urge to not be called a doofus again.

The Sect Master, Lyra, Urg, and Zephyr were all staring at me. My reaction must have been pretty obvious.

"What was that?" Urg growled, eyeing me suspiciously. "Did you just… twitch?"

"Nothing," I said, trying to suppress the triumphant grin that threatened to split my face. "Just a… momentary adjustment. Sect Master, I believe I can now provide that demonstration you requested."

The Sect Master's ancient eyes narrowed, a flicker of something akin to awe crossing his face. He had felt it. The influx of something alien, something other.

"You claim you have acquired points? Here, in this confined space?"

"Yes, Sect Master," I confirmed, brimming with newfound confidence.

"My source is… unique. And now, I can prove it." I quickly scrolled through my internal catalogue, looking for a 100-point system.

Something undeniably useful to a cultivator, something that would resonate with them, but not be too flashy or destructive like the meteor shower.

My gaze landed on it. Perfect.

[Qi Flow Optimization System] - Cost: 100 Points

(Improves efficiency of Qi circulation, leading to faster cultivation and stronger techniques, enhances breakthrough chances.)

This was exactly what they valued! It wasn't an external power, but an internal enhancement to their very core. This would speak volumes.

I looked around the room, scanning the cultivators present. Lyra was too aloof. Urg was too antagonistic.

Zephyr was interesting, but I needed a clear, undeniable demonstration on someone without ulterior motives just yet.

My eyes landed on one of the guards standing by the door. He was a young man, probably in his late teens or early twenties, with an earnest, slightly tired expression.

He seemed diligent, perhaps a bit frustrated with his slow progress in cultivation. He looked like he needed a break. He looked like potential.

"Sect Master," I announced, pointing at the young guard. "With your permission, I would like to demonstrate my abilities on… him."

The guard, who looked startled to be suddenly the center of attention, flinched. The Sect Master looked from me to the guard, then back to me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Very well," the Sect Master said, with a nod. "Guard Tian, step forward."

The young guard, Tian, nervously shuffled forward, his eyes wide. Urg and Zephyr watched, intrigued despite themselves. Lyra remained a statue, but I could feel her intense gaze.

"Tian," I said, my voice gentle but confident. "I am going to give you a 'system.' It will help you cultivate more efficiently, make your Qi flow smoother, and help you grow stronger, faster. Do you accept?"

Tian's eyes widened further, a flicker of desperate hope in their depths. "Me, sir? A system?" He glanced at the Sect Master, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Yes! Yes, I accept!"

I extended my hand, and the shimmering icon of the [Qi Flow Optimization System] materialized, hovering above Tian's outstretched palm. Its glow was subtle, elegant, promising efficiency rather than raw power. Tian stared at it, eyes full of wonder.

"Don't screw it up, Alex," the System's irritated voice echoed in my head.

"Right," I muttered under my breath. "No meteor showers."

With a mental command, I activated the transfer. The icon dissolved into a shower of soft, emerald green light that flowed directly into Tian's chest.

He gasped, a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes closed, and his body seemed to… shimmer. A faint, golden aura pulsed around him for a second, then faded.

Tian opened his eyes. They were shining, not with surprise, but with profound understanding. He instinctively took a cultivation posture, sitting cross-legged on the stone floor, closing his eyes.

His breathing deepened, becoming rhythmic, almost musical. And then, slowly, unmistakably, the Qi in the room began to subtly swirl around him, drawn in by his suddenly enhanced circulation. It was a faint shift, but it was there, visible even to my non-cultivator eyes.

The Sect Master, Lyra, Urg, and Zephyr all watched, their expressions changing. Urg's dismissive sneer vanished, replaced by a look of confusion, then grudging respect.

Lyra's impassive mask cracked, revealing a flicker of intense curiosity. Zephyr's casual amusement had been replaced by genuine, rapt attention.

The Sect Master's eyes, however, held a deep, profound understanding, a look of someone who had just witnessed a paradigm shift.

After a minute, Tian opened his eyes. He stood up, looking at his hands, then at me, then at the Sect Master. He didn't say a word, but his posture was more confident, his gaze clearer.

He radiated a calm strength he hadn't possessed moments ago.

My dashboard chirped:

[Qi Flow Optimization System] - STATUS: Allocated to 'Tian'

[Successful System Allocation Bonus! Points: +200]

My eyes widened. Two hundred points! For a 100-point system? The System's rules were more complex than I thought, but I wasn't complaining.

Points: 200.

The Sect Master stepped closer to Tian, placing a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment, sensing Tian's internal changes. When he opened them, his gaze on me was unwavering.

"This is not a trick, Alex," the Sect Master said, his voice laced with a power that sent shivers down my spine, but not of fear. It was the thrill of recognition.

"This is… a profound ability. A new path for cultivation. You truly are a Systems Trader." He paused, his eyes gleaming with a newfound ambition.

"And now, we have much more to discuss. Tell me, Alex, how many more such 'systems' can you acquire? And what would it take for the Azure Cloud Sect to gain access to them?"