The morning sun bled through the clouds, casting long streaks of gold across the training grounds.
For once, Maya wasn't holding her sword. She stood in front of me with her arms crossed, a rare look of seriousness on her face.
"You've improved fast," she said. "Faster than I thought possible."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is," she admitted. "But there's a wall ahead you can't break with training alone."
I already knew what she was about to say. "Ki."
She nodded. "Exactly. You've mastered technique, your body's stronger — but without Ki, you're still human. Knights don't just move faster or hit harder; we fight with our life force itself."
"Sounds easy enough," I said dryly.
Her lips curved in a smirk. "Then let's see you try."
*****
We sat in the middle of the training yard, facing each other cross-legged. The stone beneath us was still warm from the morning sun.
"Close your eyes," Maya said. "Take slow breaths. Focus on your heartbeat. On the flow of blood, the warmth in your chest. That's Ki — your life force."
I did as told. The world dimmed behind my eyelids. I could hear everything: the whisper of the wind, the faint clatter of armor somewhere, Maya's even breathing beside me.
"Now," she said softly, "imagine pulling that warmth toward your center — your core, just below the navel. Feel it gather, concentrate, flow."
I tried. I really did.
But nothing happened.
All I got was the sound of my own heartbeat and a cramp in my legs.
"Anything?" she asked after a while.
"Other than realizing how sweaty I am? No."
Maya sighed and stood. "It takes time. Even talented knights can take months. You've been training for what, two weeks? Don't expect miracles."
I grunted, standing up beside her. "You say that, but I bet you did it in a day."
She smirked. "Two days, actually."
Of course.
****
The next few days were the same.
Every morning, I tried to "feel the flow" or whatever poetic nonsense she described.
Every night, I trained my forms until my arms went numb.
And still — nothing.
The Dominion System wasn't much help either.
[Analysis: Host has yet to synchronize physical and mental focus. Recommended: Continue attempting resonance through combat stimulation.]
"Combat stimulation," I muttered. "You mean getting smacked until my Ki gives up out of pity?"
[Affirmative.]
"Fantastic."
*****
The breakthrough came a few days later — during sparring.
Maya and I had been trading blows for nearly half an hour. The sun was sinking low, painting the field in amber.
My shirt clung to my back with sweat. My arms ached. Every breath felt like fire.
Maya, on the other hand, looked like she could go another two hours.
"Come on," she said, circling me. "Don't slow down now."
"Easy for you to say," I panted. "Some of us are mortals."
Her eyes glinted. "Then stop being one."
She came at me fast — faster than before. Her blade blurred, the air whistling as it sliced through. I raised my sword to block, but the impact jarred through my arms. The wood cracked, nearly splitting.
She didn't stop. Another strike came — sharper, faster — and for a brief second, I knew I couldn't block it.
Instinct screamed.
Something snapped inside me — not like breaking, but igniting.
Heat flared in my chest. A pressure, raw and electric, flooded through my limbs. My vision sharpened, sound slowed.
Without thinking, I moved.
Steel met wood — clang! — and this time, I held firm. The shock didn't knock me back; it rippled outward, dispersing through the ground beneath my feet.
Maya stepped back, eyes wide. "You—"
I blinked, panting hard. The faint golden shimmer around my arm faded like smoke.
"I… did it?"
She exhaled, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Looks like you did. Congratulations, little brother. You've awakened your Ki."
[Sub-Mission Complete — "The First Spark."]
Reward: 150 Dominion Points + Ki Control: Primary Level Unlocked.]
I stared at my hands, still tingling with faint warmth. "So that's Ki, huh? Feels like lightning in my veins."
"It is," Maya said. "And it'll burn you if you're careless. But once you learn to control it… you'll never be weak again."
For a moment, silence hung between us. The wind stirred the dust at our feet.
Then she smirked. "Don't get cocky, though. You're still nowhere near me."
I grinned back. "Yeah, yeah. For now."
She raised a brow. "For now?"
I lifted my sword and pointed it at her. "Next goal — last ten minutes against you without losing my weapon."
Maya laughed softly, drawing her blade once more. "Then let's see how long that confidence lasts, Lord Valenheart."
As our swords clashed again, sparks flew — not just from wood and metal, but from willpower itself.