"A Stance Technique," Captain Garen explained, "is how you control your power."
He tapped his leg. "Power doesn't start in your fist. It starts in your feet. It moves up your legs, turns with your waist, and shoots out of your arm. If you just punch with your arm, you are weak. If you punch with your whole body, you are strong."
"There is a saying: Practice the Stance for three years before you throw a single punch."
"Three years?!" Kaelen shook his head. "I don't have three years. Can't you teach me the shortcut?"
Captain Garen laughed. "Young Lord, the Stance requires a special Breathing Method. It is written in a manual, and I didn't bring it today. Practice the Tiger-Crane moves first. Once you are good at those, I will teach you the Stance."
"Fine," Kaelen agreed. He suspected Garen was just hiding the secret technique, but he didn't push it.
Kaelen left the training ground. Captain Garen scratched his head, watching him go.
"What is happening?" Garen muttered. "The lazy Young Lord actually wants to train? The world is going crazy."
Kaelen walked back to his room. He pulled the gold silk pouch from his belt.
Inside were chopped-up pieces of herbs. He popped a piece of Spirit Mushroom into his mouth. Crunch.
[ Divine Essence + 1 ]
He opened his System.
[ Tiger-Crane Style (0/10): Beginner ]
"I have enough points now," Kaelen thought. "Let's see if the System can make me a Kung Fu master."
He put 3 Divine Essence points into the skill.
Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over him. His muscles twitched. He felt like he had been practicing the punches for months.
He threw a punch. Whoosh!
It was perfect. His form was exactly like Captain Garen's.
"It works!" Kaelen grinned. "This is way faster than practicing for three years."
But he needed more points. He finished the snacks in his pouch. That gave him 5 more points.
"I need to max this out today," Kaelen decided. "Time to visit the Apothecary again."
The sun was shining brightly on the Vane Family Apothecary.
Doctor Silas was shouting at his apprentices in the courtyard.
"Hey! Be careful with that tray! Keep the Frog Skins away from the Monk Fruit!"
"And you! That box has Dragon Root in it! If you drop it, I will sell you!"
Kaelen walked in with a big smile. "Doctor Silas!"
The old doctor's grumpy face softened when he saw Kaelen. "Young Lord! Why are you here? You drank too much tonic yesterday. Go rest!"
"Nonsense!" Kaelen rolled up his sleeves. "I feel strong as a bull. Check my pulse."
Doctor Silas grabbed Kaelen's wrist. He frowned.
"Hmm... strange. Your pulse is strong. You are completely healthy." The doctor looked confused. "How did you recover so fast?"
"I have a strong spirit," Kaelen lied. "Anyway, Doctor, I need herbs. The expensive stuff. Bring out your secret stash."
"Young Lord," Doctor Silas warned. "Medicine is 30% poison. Even good herbs can hurt you if you eat too many."
Kaelen leaned in and whispered. "It's not for me. It's for Lady Elara."
"My fiancée keeps sending me soup, but she uses cheap ingredients," Kaelen said, making up a story. "I want to send her some real Vane Family herbs. To show her what quality looks like."
"Ah!" Doctor Silas nodded wisely. "I understand. You want to impress the girl. Wait here, Young Lord. I will prepare a box."
As soon as Doctor Silas went inside, Kaelen looked around.
A young apprentice walked by holding a bamboo tray.
"Hey, kid. Stop."
The apprentice froze. "Young Lord?"
"What is that?" Kaelen pointed at the tray.
"It is Iron-Skin Orchid, sir."
"It's mine now," Kaelen said. He grabbed the tray. "Go do something else. If Doctor Silas asks, tell him I took it."
"Uh... okay." The boy ran away.
Kaelen didn't waste a second. He grabbed handfuls of the dried Orchid and shoved them into his mouth. He chewed fast, like a starving squirrel.
By the time Doctor Silas came back with a wooden box, the tray was empty and Kaelen wiped the crumbs from his mouth.
"Here you go, Young Lord," Doctor Silas said, handing him a heavy rosewood box. "Tell Lady Elara to be careful with the dosage."
"Don't worry, I will tell her." Kaelen took the box and walked away quickly.
Back in his room, Kaelen locked the door.
He opened the box. His eyes widened.
"Jackpot."
Inside lay a Purple Spirit Mushroom, as wide as two hands.
Kaelen took a bite.
[ Divine Essence + 1 ]
[ Divine Essence + 1 ]
...
[ Divine Essence + 4 ]
Just one mushroom gave him 4 points!
He grabbed a Dragon Root that looked like a little human. He forced himself to swallow it.
[ Divine Essence + 3 ]
Suddenly, he felt dizzy. His body was hot.
"Limit reached," Kaelen gasped. "If I eat more, my nose will bleed again."
He checked his total. He had 12 Divine Essence points.
He looked at his skill: Tiger-Crane Style (0/10).
He dumped 7 points into it.
Ding!
[ Tiger-Crane Style (10/10) -> Upgrade! ]
[ Tiger-Crane Style: Entry Level (0/20) ]
Crack! Pop!
Kaelen felt his bones shifting. His sleeves felt tight.
He looked at his arms. They were no longer the soft arms of a rich kid. Under the silk robe, his muscles were hard and defined, like carved rocks. His joints felt heavy and powerful.
He looked like a child, but he had the arms of a warrior.
He checked the System.
[ Attributes ]
• Strength: 0.7 (Weak)
• Agility: 1.0 (Normal)
• Constitution: 1.0 (Normal)
• Spirit: 0.9 (Normal)
• Divine Essence: 5
[ Skills ]
• Tiger-Crane Style (Entry Level)
• Passive Effect: [Fierce & Fast] Increases Tiger power by 5% and Crane speed by 5%.
Kaelen clenched his fist. The air popped.
"This," Kaelen smiled, "is going to be fun."