"Hello, what do you want?"
Ethan didn't like where this was going. He had just copied a valuable skill from the man in sportswear, and if this group somehow realized it was their exclusive method, they might treat him as a thief.
The older man in the gray jacket smiled warmly. "Young man, I noticed your bone-setting and massage technique. It's exactly like ours. Who taught you?"
Thinking fast, Ethan replied, "Oh, that? I learned from a traveling therapist, an old wanderer."
"A wanderer?" the gray-haired man asked. "Was he tall, white-haired, full of energy—"
Ethan cut in quickly. "No, no. The man I met was rough-looking, missing an eye, and had lost a finger."
The man's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Ethan said, feeling uneasy. He had made the description up on the spot.
Another man, dressed in a black suit, asked, "Do you know this person's lineage?"
The gray-haired man grew emotional. "Not his master—his master's brother. That makes you and us from the same school."
Ethan forced a polite smile while thinking, If only you knew, I learned this yesterday by touching your friend's hand.
The older man gestured for Ethan to join them under a large tree where a pair of elderly men were playing chess. "Tell me, how did you meet your teacher? How is he now?"
Ethan spun a story straight out of a novel—how he'd helped the man when he was being bullied, shared food with him, and in return was taught medical techniques and a method of physical conditioning. The older man nodded, convinced.
"Our school is called the Medic Sage Association," he said. "Your teacher, Robert Lane, is my master's younger brother. He made mistakes, lost an eye and a finger, and left. We've searched for him for years. I am George Hall, your senior brother. The man in the suit is Frank Turner, son of my late senior. That makes you his uncle."
Before Ethan could protest, Frank bowed deeply. Touching him triggered the familiar prompts: Basic Sports Medicine detected. Specialized Endurance Conditioning (Tier 1) detected. Basic Chess detected. Intermediate Calligraphy detected. Copy? Ethan copied them all, upgrading his Sports Medicine to advanced level and his Calligraphy to intermediate.
George introduced the man in sportswear as Liam Moore, his second apprentice's son. Liam bowed too, prompting another list of skills—more advanced this time. Ethan copied them as well, further upgrading his abilities.
The gains left him reeling. His advanced Sports Medicine now made diagnosing ailments almost effortless. He could treat most conditions on Earth with skill alone—though some illnesses, like cancer, would still require advanced stamina and recovery energy that he hadn't yet built.
Studying Liam, Ethan spotted a hidden condition instantly. "Since we're all from the same school, I'll be direct," he said. "Liam… your physical condition, specifically… male function… it's been impaired."
The words hung in the air. Everyone understood exactly what he meant.