Morning sunlight spilled through the bakery window, painting the air with the scent of warm bread and butter. Ethan stood behind the counter, kneading dough with quiet focus. His hands moved automatically, but his mind wandered elsewhere, to the faint thread of energy that now pulsed within him.
A week had passed since he first sensed Qi in this world. His progress was slow, painfully so, but real. Every night, he cultivated beneath the cold Brooklyn sky, pushing his body beyond exhaustion.
He could now circulate Qi through his meridians for nearly thirty minutes before collapsing. The pain was intense, yet exhilarating. For the first time since his reincarnation, he felt alive.
That morning, Evelyn arrived earlier than usual. She carried a small basket of apples, her brown hair glinting in the sunlight.
"Good morning, Mister Ward," she said with a smile. "These are from my uncle's farm. Thought you might like some."
Ethan looked up from the counter. "Thank you. You didn't have to."
"You always give me extra bread when I'm short on change," she replied softly. "Consider this repayment."
He smiled faintly, taking one of the apples. It was crisp and sweet, a rare luxury in wartime Brooklyn. "Repayment accepted."
For a brief moment, their eyes met. There was a warmth there, fragile but sincere. Then the bell over the door jingled, and she hurried off, waving goodbye.
As the day went on, Ethan noticed the faint glow of energy in her wake. It was so subtle that he might have missed it before. But now, his senses were sharper. Her presence left behind a ripple in the air, a faint fluctuation that resonated with his Qi.
That night, he sat cross-legged on the rooftop again, his body still sore from the morning's cultivation. The system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Qi concentration: 0.0009%.]
[Meridian adaptation: 54%.]
[Minor breakthrough possible.]
Ethan exhaled slowly. "Finally."
He guided the faint flow of Qi through his body. It burned at first, searing his veins like molten fire. He gritted his teeth and endured. The pain wasn't physical—it was the world itself rejecting him, fighting against his attempt to bend its laws.
His breath grew shallow. His vision darkened.
Then, with a sudden crack, a pulse of light burst from his chest. The rooftop tiles shuddered, and a faint ring of blue light rippled across the air.
[System Notification: First Stage of Qi Refining achieved.]
[Reward unlocked: Basic Body Tempering Technique.]
[Sub-Quest available: Strengthen the Mortal Shell.]
Ethan collapsed backward, gasping for air. His limbs trembled, but a new vitality surged through him. The air felt lighter, his heartbeat stronger. He had done it—he had taken the first real step on the path of cultivation.
He raised his hand and saw faint threads of energy flowing between his fingers, visible only under the moonlight. It wasn't much, but it was proof that cultivation was possible in this world.
A sudden knock below startled him. It was the sound of the bakery door creaking open. He looked down from the rooftop and saw Evelyn standing there, holding a lantern.
"Mister Ward? Are you up there?" she called.
Ethan froze for a moment, then climbed down quickly, hiding the faint glow still flickering on his skin.
"Evelyn? It's late. What are you doing here?"
She bit her lip, looking embarrassed. "I saw a flash from your roof. I thought something exploded."
He chuckled awkwardly. "Probably lightning. The city's weather's been strange lately."
Her eyes searched his face for a moment, then she smiled faintly. "You should be careful, Mister Ward. You always look like you haven't slept in days."
Ethan shrugged. "Old habits."
"Then get rid of them," she said, a playful tone in her voice. "You'll grow old before your time."
She left after that, her laughter echoing faintly in the quiet street. Ethan watched her go, then looked down at his hands again. The faint light had completely faded, but the warmth in his chest remained.
He whispered to himself, "She noticed the light... even though she shouldn't have been able to."
The system responded immediately.
[Observation: Subject Evelyn Carter possesses faint spiritual sensitivity.]
[Recommendation: Establish proximity to monitor potential evolution.]
Ethan frowned. "So, she's not just an ordinary girl."
He looked out toward the city skyline. The night wind carried distant sirens and the hum of civilization. War was approaching. Soon, the world would change. Steve Rogers was still a scrawny soldier somewhere, dreaming of enlistment. Howard Stark was already designing weapons that would alter history.
And Ethan Ward was building something far more dangerous,a foundation that could surpass gods.
He clenched his fist. "This world is about to awaken. I'll make sure I'm ready when it does."
Far above the city, thunder rumbled faintly even though the sky was clear. The air shimmered, as if reality itself had begun to take notice of his existence.
[Main Quest Updated.]
[Objective: Strengthen the Mortal Shell before the emergence of the Super Soldier Project.]
[Time Remaining: 2 years, 11 months.]
Ethan opened his eyes and smiled. "Plenty of time."
He turned back toward the darkened streets, unaware that a shadow was watching him from the rooftops nearby—a figure cloaked in mist, eyes glowing faintly gold.
The watcher whispered, "So the flow of Qi has returned to this realm after all."
And then the shadow vanished into the night.
To be continued.