The students exchanged glances, so whispering to each other before hands began to rise.
"The legs!" one student called out confidently.
"The arms!" another chid in.
"The brain," a quieter voice suggested.
Master Anng listened patiently to each answer, nodding slightly before holding up a hand to silence them. "Good guesses, but incorrect," he said. "The most power cos from the core."
A few students straightened in their places, expecting this to be about the energy they wielded through the ruptured planet core.
Master Anng anticipated their assumptions. "No, not the core energy you all know and wield now. I am talking about sothing far older. Sothing natural." He began to pace again, his hands moving expressively as he spoke.
"Before the Harbinger seed crashed onto Earth and ruptured our planet's core, gifting us these incredible abilities, there were people who possessed strength. Strength that did not co from outside forces but from within."
The students leaned in, listening intently as Master Anng continued.
"Your bodies are designed to generate power from the core—the eting point of two invisible triangles. One triangle starts at your shoulders and cos to a point at your waist. The other begins at your hips and ets the first at the sa point. That point—your core—is where the most power is generated. It is your center of gravity, your source of balance, and your foundation for movent."
He stopped pacing and faced the class, his voice rising slightly. "And like I told you last ti, I will transform your bodies into brutal weapons of peace. But to achieve that, you must understand this core and learn how to harness it."
The students nodded solemnly, a new layer of respect settling over the dojo as Master Anng's words sank in. The day's lesson was just beginning, and they all knew it would be one they'd rember.
Master Anng stood in the center of the dojo, a calm yet electrifying presence. His assistants, clad in white uniforms, entered carrying three thick bronze plates. Each plate was massive, round, and about 12 inches thick, with a dull tallic sheen that glinted under the soft dojo lights. The students whispered among themselves, already curious about what was to co.
Master Anng clapped his hands once, the sound sharp and commanding. "Pay attention, everyone. Today, I will demonstrate a principle from Fa Jin."
He gestured toward the plates as they were propped up on sturdy wooden stands, evenly spaced in front of him. "Fa Jin," he began, "is the art of explosive energy. It is not about brute strength. It is about body alignnt, coordination, and efficiency. To achieve this, your body must begin in a relaxed state, only to accelerate as a unified whole."
He stepped forward, adjusting his stance. His legs widened slightly, his knees bending as he sank into the ground. His hands moved fluidly, as though tracing invisible currents in the air. "Observe carefully," he said, his voice steady. "What you see is not just movent but the preparation of a kinematic chain—a wave that travels through the body, gathering force at every joint before exploding outward."
The dojo fell silent, all eyes fixed on him. His movents seed slow at first, deliberate, as though he were wading through a river of sand. His hands swam through the air with grace, his legs grounded like ancient tree roots.
And then, without warning—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sound reverberated through the room as all three bronze plates were struck simultaneously. The sheer force of it left the students stunned. To their eyes, it looked as though Master Anng had barely moved, yet the plates were hit with such precision and power.
The assistants stepped forward, turning each plate to reveal the results. The first plate showed a faded, rusted circle where the impact had been. The second had a jagged rupture running through its surface, a violent scar that showcased its fragility. The third plate crumbled completely, pieces of bronze falling to the ground in a tallic cascade.
Gasps filled the room.
"That had to be an ability, right?" soone muttered under their breath.
Master Anng turned to address them, his expression serene but firm. "No abilities were used," he said. "This was pure technique. What you see on these plates is not random. Each one demonstrates mastery over the amount of force applied. Rusting, rupturing, crumbling—all variations of damage controlled by the sa movent."
The students stared in awe, so struggling to comprehend how such results were possible without any enhancents.
Master Anng continued, his tone sharp now. "But you will not be learning to rust or crumble anything today. No." He let the silence hang for a mont. "You will learn to generate force—just enough force. Control is key. If you cannot control your strength, then your power is useless. And for this lesson, no abilities will be tolerated. Only your natural strength."
The room buzzed with anticipation. It was one thing to hear about Fa Jin—it was another to attempt even a fraction of what they had just witnessed.
"Take your positions," Master Anng commanded. "Your training begins now."
Master Anng had them sit cross-legged on the dojo floor, their kimonos pristine and their minds eager, though not entirely focused. He stood at the center, stroking his beard as he began to speak.
"The trick to generating power," he said, his voice asured, "cos not from your arms, nor even your fists, but from your core. The legs generate the force, the core refines it, and the fists deliver it. But before you can wield such power, you must feel it."
He gestured for them to close their eyes. "Sit. Breathe. Focus on the center of your body. Trace the energy as it moves through you, from your legs to your fists. Do not rush. The art of Fa Jin begins with understanding this flow."
The room fell into silence, save for the rhythmic breathing of the students. Noah, like the others, sat still and followed Master Anng's instructions. He inhaled deeply, trying to sense the elusive energy his teacher spoke of.
'Co on,' he thought, his hands resting on his knees. He needed this. Anything to close the gaping chasm between himself and Lucas Grey, the academy's untouchable number one in Year 3. Lucas didn't just possess raw strength; he embodied it, a force of nature untouched by systems or external aid. Noah's own advantages, his evolution and the secret power dwelling within him, felt minuscule in comparison.
He clenched his fists briefly before releasing them, forcing himself to stay positive. 'If it takes years, I'll start now. But I need to figure this out.'
The ditation dragged on, testing their patience. Noah focused as hard as he could, but he felt nothing concrete. No flow of energy, no connection to the power he so desperately sought. When Master Anng finally dismissed the class hours later, he rose feeling no closer to his goal.
They changed back into their academy uniforms in the locker room. Raven, still lingering like a shadow at Noah's side, spoke up as they left. "I think I felt sothing," he said, his tone unsure. "But I don't know what it was. Just this... buzz in my core, you know?"
Noah nodded absentmindedly, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, sothing like that," he lied. In truth, he felt nothing. But practice would fix that, wouldn't it? Master Anng had said it could take years.
Raven brightened. "Well, it's a start, right? Anyway, you coming? We can finally check out that... thing we've been working on."
Noah shook his head. "You go ahead. There's sothing I need to do first."
Raven frowned but shrugged. "Suit yourself." He jogged off, leaving Noah standing outside the dojo.
When the hall was empty, Noah turned back. He lingered by the locker room door, pretending to adjust his uniform until the last stragglers left. Then, once the coast was clear, he walked back inside the dojo, where Master Anng was tidying up the training area.
"I thought I might see you again," Master Anng said, his voice calm and asured. "Did you leave sothing behind, or is there a question lingering on your mind?"
Noah hesitated, his hands buried in his pockets. He kept his face neutral, careful not to give too much away. "Earlier, you ntioned how, long before the Harbingers and all the powers we have today, there were people who wielded strength. True strength. You said they tapped into their natural cores." He paused, choosing his words with precision. "Is it possible that so people still have gifts like that? Not the powers we've gained from evolution... but sothing else?"
Master Anng turned fully to face him, his expression unreadable but curious. He crossed his arms and stroked his beard, thinking. "Yes," he said after a mont. "Such people still exist. Rarely, but they do. Unlike the awakened abilities most possess today, these individuals draw upon sothing far more profound. Magical gifts, you could say—powers rooted in their essence, not their evolution."
Noah's expression didn't change, but his mind whirled at the confirmation. 'Magical powers... so that's what it could be. But how?' he thought, piecing things together while maintaining his cool facade.
"What would you say about soone like that in today's world?" Noah asked, feigning curiosity. "Soone with those kinds of abilities... would they fit in, or would they be... an anomaly?"
Master Anng regarded him closely, as though searching for the true aning behind the question. "They would be rare, yes. But also extraordinarily gifted—if guided properly," he said. "Unfortunately, too many people today rely solely on their awakened potential. They forget that, within every person, there are untapped gifts. True essence. Few ever dig deep enough to uncover it."
Noah nodded, absorbing the words carefully. "Makes sense," he said casually, his tone dismissive. "I was just curious how soone like that might function in a world dominated by evolved abilities."
Master Anng's gaze sharpened, his curiosity piqued. "Why do you ask? Have you t soone like this? Or perhaps you've seen sothing unusual?"
Noah smirked faintly, shaking his head. "Nah, just a thought experint. You know, trying to understand the broader picture." He shrugged, keeping his tone light and nonchalant. "Guess I was just wondering what's out there beyond what we know."
Master Anng studied him for a mont longer, then nodded slowly. "A good question to ask. Curiosity is the beginning of growth, Noah. But rember, true power cos not from seeking it outwardly but from mastering yourself."
"Noted," Noah replied, already taking a step back. "Thanks for the insight, Master Anng. I'll let you get back to your evening."
Master Anng's eyes lingered on him as he turned to leave, but the old man said nothing more. Noah exited the dojo with his usual calm stride, but inside, his mind churned.
'Magical gifts... so it's not tied to the human evolution,' he thought. 'If that's the case, these white lines... they might be sothing entirely different. Sothing older. And sothing I need to figure out—fast.'
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