Morning arrives with Leon preparing for another dive.
He's checking his equipment—new sword, new dagger, bow, arrows—when he realizes something important.
I never exchanged my loot from floor five.
Leon stops mid-motion. That desperate fight, barely escaping with his life, coming home wounded and exhausted. He completely forgot about the magic stones he collected. They're still in his pouch, sitting in the basement for three days.
He checks the pouch.
Heavy. Very heavy. Dozens of magic stones from War Shadows, dungeon lizards, kobolds. Plus those drop items he collected before everything went wrong.
That's a lot of coin I'm leaving on the table.
Leon changes his plans. Guild first, then training.
The Guild is moderately busy when Leon arrives.
He approaches the exchange counter where a different clerk sits today—a middle-aged human man with tired eyes.
"Exchange?"
"Yes. Magic stones and drop items from floor five."
Leon empties his pouch onto the counter. The pile is substantial—easily forty or fifty stones, plus several lizard scales and claws.
The clerk's eyebrows rise. "From floor five? How long were you down there?"
"Long enough."
The clerk begins counting and appraising. His abacus clicks rhythmically as he calculates. "Fifty-three magic stones—War Shadows, dungeon lizards, kobolds mixed. That's... nine thousand two hundred valis." He examines the drop items. "Seven lizard scales at five hundred each, four claws at three hundred each. Another four thousand seven hundred."
He writes the total. "Thirteen thousand nine hundred valis total."
Leon nods. More than he expected. That desperate fight was profitable at least.
The clerk counts out the coins—thirteen large silver pieces and nine smaller ones. Leon pockets them carefully. His funds are now substantial. Enough to coast for weeks without diving if needed.
"You collecting from floor five regularly?"
"Working up to it."
"Be careful. That floor's got a nasty spawn rate. Overwhelms a lot of rookies." The clerk stamps Leon's record. "You're doing better than most at your level. Keep it up."
"Thank you."
Leon leaves the Guild, coin pouch noticeably heavier. With his finances secure, he reconsiders his plans for the day.
I could dive floor four for real combat. Or I could use this opportunity to train properly—test my Flow Control systematically rather than in survival situations.
Training wins. He needs to understand his new ability's limits before relying on it in actual danger.
Back at the church, Leon sits in meditation.
The energy flows through him naturally now—warm, responsive, powerful. But it still doesn't have a proper name. "Flow Control" is what the Falna calls it, but that's a description, not a name.
In his past life, he studied many energy systems. Chinese cultivation called it qi. Indian philosophy called it prana. Japanese martial arts called it ki. Different languages for the same fundamental concept—the breath of life, the vital energy that flows through all living things.
Leon opens his eyes and speaks aloud to the empty church.
"Qi. I'll call it Qi."
Simple. Direct. Honoring his past life's study while claiming it as his own in this new world.
Qi. The breath of life. The energy that flows through body, mind, and spirit.
With the name decided, Leon gathers his equipment and heads for Babel Tower.
Time to train properly.
Floor one is perfect for archery practice.
Leon moves to a quiet corridor away from other adventurers. Goblins spawn regularly here, making them ideal targets for systematic testing.
He nocks an arrow, draws his bow normally, and fires.
The arrow strikes a goblin in the chest. The creature goes down but doesn't die immediately—standard result.
Now with Qi.
Leon nocks another arrow, draws, and channels Qi through the bow and into the arrow as he releases. The arrow glows faintly, flies noticeably faster, and punches completely through the goblin's chest.
The creature dissolves immediately.
Increased penetration and velocity. Uses minimal Qi—maybe two percent of my total capacity per shot.
Leon continues testing. Different Qi amounts, different targets, different distances. He learns that more Qi doesn't always mean better—there's an optimal amount where efficiency and power balance perfectly.
After an hour of practice, his quiver is empty and a dozen goblins lie dead.
But he's gathered valuable data.
Qi-enhanced arrows: optimal enhancement is approximately three percent capacity per shot. Increases effective range by thirty percent. Penetration improves dramatically. Sustainable for extended combat.
Good. Archery is now a viable Qi application.
Floor two is less crowded—better for sword practice.
Leon descends and finds a large chamber. He encounters a group of kobolds and engages them with his new sword.
First, normal strikes. The sword cuts adequately but nothing special. Kobolds require multiple hits to kill.
Now with Qi.
Leon channels energy through the blade continuously—a low-level enhancement, barely visible. His next strike cuts through a kobold's crude armor and deep into flesh.
One hit kill.
Continuous enhancement is sustainable. Maybe uses ten percent capacity per hour of active combat.
He continues fighting, testing different Qi applications:
Burst enhancement—channeling large amounts into a single strike. Devastating power but drains quickly. Good for finishing moves or breaking through tough defenses.
Precision enhancement—focusing Qi on the blade's edge rather than the whole weapon. More efficient, sharper cuts, better for skilled swordwork.
Defensive enhancement—reinforcing his blade when blocking. Prevents chipping and breaking. Essential for extended combat.
By the time Leon clears floor two, he's developed a complete Qi-enhanced swordsmanship style. Continuous low-level enhancement as baseline, burst strikes for critical moments, defensive reinforcement when blocking.
Efficient. Sustainable. Deadly.
Floor three welcomes him with War Shadows.
Perfect. Time to test unarmed Qi combat properly.
Leon sheathes his sword and faces a War Shadow barehanded. The creature attacks, claws extended. Leon sidesteps, channels Qi into his fist, and strikes.
The punch creates that familiar shockwave.
The War Shadow's ribs shatter. It dissolves before hitting the ground.
Still effective. But can I be more efficient?
Leon encounters more War Shadows and experiments:
Full-body Qi—enhancing his entire body. Maximum power but drains extremely fast. Unsustainable for more than a few seconds.
Targeted Qi—enhancing only the striking limb. More efficient. Allows for sustained unarmed combat.
Flow Qi—moving Qi through his body like water, shifting from limb to limb as needed. Most efficient option. Requires concentration but allows for extended barehanded fighting.
He spends hours on floor three practicing. Punches, kicks, blocks, throws—all enhanced with Qi in different ways. His [Battle Clarity] skill helps him understand what works and what wastes energy.
By evening, Leon's unarmed combat is deadly. Each strike carries force beyond his stats. Each movement flows with enhanced speed and precision.
But he's exhausted. Not physically—his body is fine. But his Qi reserves are nearly depleted from constant use.
Time to test one more thing.
Floor four is quiet when Leon arrives.
He finds a safe alcove and focuses on his feet. Can he channel Qi there the same way he does with his hands?
Leon stands and channels energy downward. His feet grow warm. He takes a step and nearly stumbles—the movement is too fast, too powerful.
He wasn't ready for the acceleration.
Qi in the feet increases movement speed and jumping power. But it requires recalibrating my sense of motion.
Leon practices carefully. Walking with Qi-enhanced feet, then running, then jumping. Each movement is faster, more explosive. He can cover ground that would normally require three steps in just one.
He fights a dungeon lizard using Qi footwork. The enhanced mobility lets him dodge attacks that would normally hit. He can close distance instantly or retreat just as fast.
This changes everything. Combat mobility was always limited by physical stats. Qi footwork bypasses that limitation.
Leon continues practicing until his reserves are completely exhausted. By the time he heads back to the surface, the sun is setting and he can barely channel any Qi at all.
But he's satisfied.
Today's training was productive. He now has a complete Qi combat system:
Archery - Enhanced arrows for range combat Swordsmanship - Continuous blade enhancement with burst strikes Unarmed - Flow Qi for sustained barehanded fighting Footwork - Mobility enhancement for dodging and positioning
A complete martial system. Every range, every situation, all enhanced with Qi.
Evening finds Leon back at the church.
Hestia isn't home yet—she mentioned something about meeting other gods again. Leon doesn't mind. It gives him time to cook properly.
He prepares dinner with care, infusing every ingredient with Qi. The process is meditative, calming after a day of intense training. Rice, vegetables, grilled fish—each component enhanced until it glows faintly with stored energy.
By the time Hestia arrives home, the table is set and food is waiting.
"I'm home!" She stops. "Oh wow, that smell! You made energy food again?"
"Yes. Sit."
Hestia doesn't need to be told twice. She sits and immediately starts eating, making happy sounds between bites.
"This is so good. I'm never going to be able to eat normal food again." She looks at him curiously. "You look tired. Did you dive today?"
"Trained. Systematically tested my Flow Control applications across all four floors."
"All four floors?" Hestia's eyes widen. "In one day?"
"Different floors for different tests. Archery on floor one, swordwork on floors two and three, unarmed combat on three and four. Plus footwork enhancement experiments."
"You're insane." But she's smiling. "A productive kind of insane. Did you learn anything?"
"I've developed a complete Qi-enhanced combat system. Every aspect of my fighting style can now be enhanced with energy manipulation."
Hestia pauses mid-bite. "Qi?"
"That's what I'm calling it. Flow Control is what the Falna named it, but Qi is what it actually is. The breath of life. The energy that flows through all things."
"Qi." Hestia repeats thoughtfully. "I like it. It sounds... ancient. Powerful." She sets down her chopsticks. "Speaking of Falna, let me update your status. I want to see if all that training changed anything."
They head to Leon's basement room. He removes his shirt and lies face-down. Hestia activates his Falna with her divine touch.
The script appears, glowing in the dim room.
Hestia gasps. "Leon... your skill changed."
"Changed how?"
"The name. It's not [Flow Control] anymore." Her voice trembles with excitement. "It renamed itself to match what you call it."
She writes quickly:
Leon Fury - Level 1
Strength: C-601
Endurance: C-687
Dexterity: C-721
Agility: C-698
Magic: I-0
Skills:
[Enlightened Spirit]
[Battle Clarity]
[Unwavering Foundation]
[Qi Control]
Manipulation of life energy. Enhances physical abilities, weapons, and recovery. Can be channeled through any medium. Efficiency and applications expand with understanding and practice.
"Qi Control." Hestia reads carefully. "The skill evolved. It's not just acknowledging what you call it—it's recognizing that you've deepened your understanding. The description changed too. 'Can be channeled through any medium' is new."
Leon sits up, looking at the status sheet. His stats all increased—breaking into C-rank across the board.
And the skill evolution confirms what he felt today.
"The Falna adapts to the user's growth." Hestia's voice is gentle, educational. "As you master abilities and develop new understanding, skills can evolve. It's rare, especially this early, but..." She smiles proudly. "You're special, Leon. You're not just using abilities—you're actively developing and refining them beyond their initial form."
"It's just applying what I knew from my past life."
"Stop being modest!" Hestia pokes his forehead. "You took a basic energy manipulation skill and developed it into a complete combat system in less than a week. That's incredible!"
Leon looks at his goddess—her eyes bright with genuine pride, her smile warm and encouraging.
She really does believe in him completely.
"Thank you, Hestia."
"You're welcome." She stands. "Now let's finish dinner before it gets cold. You made too much food again and I refuse to let it go to waste."
They return upstairs and eat together. The evening settles peacefully around them—just goddess and adventurer, family sharing a meal, comfortable in the routine they've built.
"Tomorrow?"
"Floor four again. Practice Qi combat until it's instinctive. Then maybe attempt floor five properly—with better preparation this time."
"Not yet. Wait until Hephaestus's equipment arrives." Hestia's tone is firm. "You've got time. Build your foundation. Master Qi completely. Then when you have proper gear, floor five will be easier."
Leon nods. She's right. Rushing leads to the same mistakes that nearly killed him before.
Better to be patient, thorough.
"One week. I'll master Qi fundamentals in one week. When the equipment arrives, I'll be ready."
"Good." Hestia smiles. "That's my child. Always thinking ahead."
They finish dinner in comfortable silence. Later, after Hestia goes to bed, Leon sits in meditation, circulating Qi through his channels.
The energy flows smoothly now, almost autonomous. His body knows the paths, knows the rhythm. What was once forced is now natural.
One week to master the fundamentals. Then deeper into the Dungeon. Then Level 2. Then beyond.
The journey continues, one disciplined step at a time.
Leon sleeps deeply, Qi circulating even in rest, his body growing stronger with each passing day.