《Planetary Cultivation》Chapter 1: First Cultivation
Advertisement
February 9th
“No, seriously Dad, I’m fine.” I’d propped the tablet up on a shelf, so Dad’s projected head was at least level with me. The tablet’s projectors could only move an image so far, and I’d never gotten used to looking down at a talking head on a table. “I took a spill yesterday. I got checked over. No broken bones, bruising, concussions, or anything.”
Pausing, I took a step back. “Swap over to flat, see for yourself.” Like he hadn’t already swapped it over so his connection would show video instead of a projection. But my step back gave him a better view, and I turned a circle and then easily stretched a leg out behind me. “See, no injuries.”
“You said yourself. You tumbled after a thirty foot throw from the bars. It’s not possible to be completely unharmed from something like that.” His voice was full of skepticism, not believing his eyes.
On the fly video editing could do a lot, but I didn’t have anything like that running. The tablet was still on Dad’s account too, so not like he didn’t know everything I had loaded on the thing.
“Well” I started, smiling for the camera, “you know how if you ask about the world soul’s strength and get told about the dantian and such?”
Dad’s face immediately dropped. “Mystic bullshit.”
“Is it really if I actually used it?” I asked. I could still feel that pool inside me, a slow current spinning a circle in it.
“It’s not measurable, repeatable, or trainable. So it’s not safe or reliable. So yes, it’s mystic bullshit.” His voice was calm, but undeterred. “Three weeks ago, we had one of the guys in the shop playing around with it and decided he could move one of the big lathes without getting an exo on or grabbing a forklift. That bullshit gave out on him halfway through moving it and he crushed his arm, nearly lost his arm and life.”
A hand appeared in his image, rubbing his forehead and temple. “I’m happy it kept you from harm, really honey. But don’t rely on it happening. It’d be a nearly two day drive to get to you.”
Measurable, repeatable, trainable. That was the engineer in him. “Got it, no mystic bullshit unless it passes engineering.” I replied, my eyes catching the blinking time on the screen behind him. “I’ve only got a few minutes before I head out for my next class, say hi to Mom for me?”
Advertisement
Dad chuckled. “Will do. She’s going to be mad she missed your call, but at least I can start with you’re ok before telling her about your spill. Go stick your head in the clouds.”
“Meteorology is more than just clouds Dad.” I whined back at him, the running joke for years on my interest and now college major.
He smiled, then vanished as the call ended.
“How do you measure something intangible?” I asked myself. The currently slowly turned in that internal pool, feeling like it slightly overflowed whatever it was. My dantian, I guess. I could actually feel the overflow buzz in me slightly, like I’d had just a little too much caffeine. Trying to mess with that overflow was like trying to purposely force my face red. A whole lot of pressure, a little bit of response, and a feeling of lightheadedness afterwards.
So yeah, not safe or reliable. Repeatable though, if this morning was any example. Too bad it wasn’t like the threads had been earlier, wanting to interact with whatever activity I was doing. “What is the strength of the world’s soul?”
Your world’s soul has not even lit its dantian. It remains as mortal as your people. Patience amusement, a slight bit of extra weight from the presence as certain words echoed against my pool, and possibly a bit of a feeling of interest. Other than not including me in being as mortal as my people, no change in his words, no additions like yesterday. No insights into what I’d done to myself.
“What’s a dantian, and what does lighting it do?” I tried to address that presence with a different question, to no answer. “Asshole.”
I grabbed the tablet, shoving it in my bag. I hadn’t been lying that I had to get moving for class soon. Downstairs to the dorm lobby I glanced at the display next to the door out. A bright yellow seven blinked, and below it sat what looked like a mostly full jug of pump sunscreen. Huh, pretty low UV index even for Missouri winter. I could probably get away with just staying under the covered walkways without needing to slather on extra sunscreen. Perks of redheaded fair skin, yay.
Next to the door, apparently waiting on me, was Karen. She smiled as she grabbed her own bag. As we walked out the door I noticed the heavy clouds. Snow. That’d help explain the index.
“So, you ok after yesterday? I know you walked away from your crash and everything, but…”
Advertisement
“As I just finished telling my dad, I’m fine. Clean bill of health.”
Karen nodded, taking me at my word. “So you joining the superhero club then?”
“Wait, what?” I stopped, looking at her confused. “Superhero club?” I stepped off to the side of the walkway, still shaded but not blocking others walking by.
“Dantian Seekers, officially. Chartered academic club and everything. There’s around forty people in it with bonafide superhuman feats like your unharmed fall. And a couple dozen more of us that act as watchers or spotters for the others when they’re practicing. We’re basically trying to figure out how it all works.” She explained.
“Let me guess, Melissa is in it? How about the other guy you mentioned yesterday?”
“Melissa is, yeah. Her claim to fame is she crushed one of the uneven bars right before Christmas. Gripped hard enough to compress it like a tube of dough.” Karen answered. “Tony though? Nah, he spouted off some shit about ‘Grinding solo is faster’ like life’s a game.”
“Huh. I did just promise I wouldn’t do anything stupid with ‘mystic bullshit’ as Dad referred to it as.” I warned her.
A shrug answered me. “We don’t push you to use it. Honestly, I don’t think you actually tried to use it yesterday. But for a lot of them? It comes and goes and that’s what I watch for. Try to help catch them if something fails halfway through.” She looked out over the open quad. “Tony for example, and whatever he’s claiming as second Meridian. He was free lifting that eight hundred pounds. What would happen if it failed him at the last second, and he’d dropped it on himself? Squish. He didn’t have anyone spotting him like would be normal for any bodybuilder. Much less his barely there muscles.”
“Let me think about it.” Such a decisive answer. “We have to get to class anyways.”
~~~
English poetry was boring. Ye Olde English worse. So instead, I sat there, thinking over Karen’s offer. And my promise to Dad. And what the idiot in the box said yesterday. I drummed my fingers on the flexible glass keyboard embedded into the desk.
Forty plus people, not even counting more like Tony who weren’t pooling knowledge. If I was supposedly the forth on the ‘true path’ then it was likely they were all doing something wrong. What proof did I have, other than Lei Idiot no longer said I was as mortal as my people? Not like anyone else could hear that. And lifting near half a ton or crushing good steel bars was a lot better ignore a bad fall.
The screen shifted as the professor started on some other deep meaning. I ignored it and thought about the pool of energy. The dantian. That slowly circulating spin in it. The overflow.
“What is the strength of the world’s soul?” I whispered and received the same answer as always.
But the words seem to echo against my dantian. Push. What was the word, resonate? I whispered the question again and again. Each time, a little push. A little pull. Messing with the dantian. The fourth repeat, it seemed to hit the current just right that it spun a tiny bit faster. And the overflow got bigger for just a moment, before the current returned to its normal spin.
I mentally threw myself at that current, willing it to go faster. It was like trying to pedal a bike from a standstill when it was in thirtieth gear. But it starting spinning. The overflow grew.
A voice said something, I ignored it.
The spinning picked up, almost painful but I could let it slow down to just under that. It took effort to keep the current spinning faster than it wanted. “What is the strength of the world’s soul?” I whispered again.
Your [world’s soul] has not even lit its [dantian]. It remains as mortal as your people. The amused answer again. But words in it felt deeper, stronger. Like there was more behind it.
He was an alien. He probably didn’t speak English, or German, or Chinese, or any of the hundreds of languages the internet said he responded in. So how did we understand him?
A huge slam in front of me had me all of a sudden focusing back on the class. A huge, actual physical book had been slammed on the desk in front of me. The Olde English prop. I looked up at the teacher.
“So nice of you to rejoin us.” Professor Jones did not look amused. “You’re excused from class, and I’ll file the report for destruction of school property here shortly.” He looked down at my station.
I followed his gaze and realized two things. I’d drummed my fingers straight through the glass without even noticing. And somehow without moving, I was a sweaty sticky mess.
Advertisement
- In Serial82 Chapters
Death Becomes Him: An Age of Steam and Sorcery Novel
What does a highschool boy do when his life spirals out of control? Play video games, of course! What happens when the game starts to play you back though? How does one young man deal with bullies both real and digital? How does he cope when he's certain his parent's impending divorce is entirely his fault?
8 143 - In Serial25 Chapters
Savage Hunters
Giant monsters roam the land Civilization is frozen in a savage age. For the beast slayer Alden, power and survival are one and the same. The ancient evil that once ravaged his village and murdered his ancestors has returned. At the same time, politics hurls Alden and his crew into gladiator pit battles for control of the throne. When Alden takes possession of a cursed sword promising untold power, the hunter is determined to save his people by slaying every giant monster standing between him and the throne. But the angry ghost trapped inside the blade has other ideas. Buckle up for the brutal LitRPG ride of a lifetime Savage Hunters is an alternate-world neolothic fantasy. Characters grow their powers with explicit stat blocks presented right in the text, including levels, attribute scores, and unlockable skill trees. Experience is accumulated by battling enormous monsters the size of buildings. Political intrigue and romance elements ramp up as the series progresses. I originally wrote this story after playing Monster Hunter with my niece. She was 12 at the time, already an avid reader, and wanted to read my other published books. I'm a licensed psychotherapist specializing in severe trauma so I tend toward darker fiction. I told her my usual books are too brutal for her but I'd write her something special. The result was this series, which has been praised by both teens and adults for its depth and universal appeal. It begins with an emphasis on cultural elements because I consulted with a trained anthropologist to craft this neolithic setting down to exacting social detail. After these opening chapters, it rapidly shifts to an action-packed adventure. The first 3 books are fully written as of November 2020, totalling approximately 69 chapters. The first book has been professionally edited already. The following two books require some editing which I'll do on a chapter-by-chapter basis as releases progress. I welcome reviews and comments. Writing is a passion, and reader engagement makes my labor all the sweeter.
8 154 - In Serial11 Chapters
For February's Rain
Once hailed as a worthy sole successor to the famously righteous Immortal Master Ning Shan, the disgraced Immortal Chen Xi, Wan Yu, finds his end in the hands of justice, after the demonic sect betrayed him and handed him to the disappointed masses. Supreme Leader of the Frozen Dragon Sect Ye Xiyang opened his eyes 17 years in the past and smiled. "Aren't you going to help me?" Wan Yu raised an eyebrow and continued to chop wood. "Aren't you asking for a bit too much? You're a man older and stronger than me, if you really want my help then help me with these logs first." "Ah, but you're the sole disciple of the just Immortal Master, why do you pick and choose who to help?" Clear eyes twinkled with amusement and exasperation. "Because people like you exist, what do you think? So, are you helping or not?" This work contains LGBT characters and gay main leads.
8 313 - In Serial41 Chapters
Did You Call Me Love? - Taekook Love Story.
The famous idol singer, V, seems to have a boyfriend. But nobody has seen him yet. They only see the hickies and and sometimes hears the sound of them being made.Start - 07/05/2020.End - 18/07/2020.Ranked #1 in vkook on 21/11/2021 A/N - story line is all mine. Apologies if any resemblance to another story. Photo credit to rightful owners. Cover done by @973_dany ❤All the names and events are purely fiction. No disrespect meant for anyone.First few chapters might be bit boring but if you can move pass that, I assure you the storyline is good. This story will have mature themes. So read at your own risk. But no matter how bad things will get, it'll all end well. Happy reading. 💜💜
8 107 - In Serial26 Chapters
Legends meet the 100
DC's Legends of Tomorrow accidentally end up on Earth 100 (which is where the events of the 100 take place) right before S3 E07 and without the whole Alie problem going on. The legends are the group at the end of season 5 plus Charlie and without Mick's daughter (Zari, Nate, Charlie, Behrad, Constantine, Ava, Mick, Sara, Astra).This crossover wasn't originally my idea, but I'll try to stay true to most events and characters.
8 175 - In Serial79 Chapters
Give Light to Dark Thoughts
When the heart bleeds and nothing can heal it, the only thing left to do is write. Thoughts are volatile, sometimes they are cruel and other times are kind, nevertheless both are needed. If the pain didn't exist no one would know what happiness feels like. This book of poems is the moments when just for a second dark is all that it is, so why not share and give it light, hopefully someone will feel identify with at least one poem.Not all the poem will be in a negative connotation, and the images I put will be from Pinterest.
8 150