.The forest clearing where Axel had made his temporary camp shimmered beneath the mid-morning sunlight, filtering through dense canopies and turning drifting motes of dust into sparks of gold. Three days had passed since arriving at the outskirts of the Azure Sky Sect territory, and Axel had spent that time doing what he did best—cultivating with systematic intensity while waiting for the examination to begin.
Wei Chen had gone into the nearby town to gather supplies and information, leaving Axel alone to manage the increasingly difficult task of suppressing his impending breakthrough. The pulse in his dantian had grown stronger with each passing day, fed by the concentrated spiritual energy that permeated this entire region.
He sat cross-legged on a flat rock, hands resting on his knees, drawing in the ambient Qi that seemed especially potent in this particular spot. The energy flowed into him like a gentle stream, filling his dantian with warmth and power. For the first time since arriving in this brutal world, his Qi did not feel like a wild beast he was trying to wrestle into submission.
He opened his eyes slowly, savoring the sensation of control. The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Axel's cultivator senses, now refined to Stage 3 Peak, picked up the wrongness in the air immediately. The birds had stopped singing. The usual rustle of small animals through the underbrush had ceased. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, as if the forest itself was anticipating something.
A faint rustling came from the bushes to his left.
His hand instinctively tightened around the sturdy branch he'd been using as a makeshift staff—upgraded from his previous weapon but still crude by cultivation standards. "Not another territorial dispute," he muttered under his breath, thinking of the rogue cultivators they'd encountered on the journey.
But instead of threatening figures in dark robes, a small figure stumbled out—arms raised defensively, breathing hard.
A girl.
Thin, dirty, but dressed in the light green robes of a sect disciple. Her hair was tied in a loose knot, leaves tangled within it as though she had been running for days. Blood stained her sleeve from shoulder to wrist, and her face was pale with exhaustion and terror.
When she saw Axel, her eyes widened with desperate hope.
Then she collapsed.
Axel rushed over, his cultivator speed carrying him across the clearing in an instant. "Hey! Are you—"
Her eyes fluttered open again, just barely. Jade-green eyes that seemed to pierce through him despite her weakened state. "Help... please... someone's chasing..."
Her voice dissolved into a violent cough that wracked her thin frame, and Axel noticed blood flecking her lips. Internal injuries, then. Serious ones.
He'd met people in this world before—mostly unfriendly, some downright murderous. The encounter with the rogue cultivators had reinforced the lesson that trust was a luxury he couldn't afford. But something about this girl's desperate exhaustion felt genuine in a way his instincts recognized despite his caution.
She was truly fleeing for her life.
Axel checked her arm, gently pulling back the torn fabric of her sleeve. Multiple claw marks, still bleeding faintly, ran from her wrist to her elbow. The wounds had the telltale signs of a Qi beast attack—the edges slightly burned where spiritual energy had seared flesh. But there was something else, a strange residual energy in the wounds that felt wrong, corrupt.
"A beast?" he asked softly.
She nodded weakly, her breath coming in shallow gasps. "Ironclaw Lynx... corrupted by dark Qi... I escaped from its den... but it followed..."
A loud, echoing growl rolled through the forest, answering his unspoken question about whether the danger had passed. The sound was wrong—not the natural call of a predator, but something twisted, infected with malice that went beyond simple hunger.
Axel froze, his Qi sense expanding outward automatically. The girl stiffened, terror flooding her eyes as she recognized the sound. Leaves trembled in the trees around them, disturbed by something large moving through the undergrowth with predatory grace.
The creature emerged from the shadows like a nightmare given form—a sleek lynx easily the size of a horse, its claws shimmering with metallic sheen that caught the sunlight like polished steel. But where a normal Qi beast's eyes would glow with spiritual light, this creature's eyes were pools of absolute darkness, void-like and hungry. Dark purple veins ran beneath its fur, pulsing with corrupted energy that made Axel's skin crawl.
This wasn't just a Qi beast. This was something worse—a creature that had been exposed to demonic cultivation or some other form of corrupting energy. The fragmentary memories from his inherited knowledge whispered warnings about such beings. They were stronger than normal beasts of their level, more vicious, and completely unpredictable.
"Of all the things to run into..." Axel breathed.
The corrupted lynx crouched low, muscles bunching beneath its spotted fur, ready to pounce. Its gaze fixed on the wounded girl with predatory intelligence that went beyond animal instinct. It knew she was the easier prey, the wounded member of the herd.
But it would have to go through Axel first.
Axel didn't think—his body moved before fear could catch up, positioning himself between the girl and the beast. He braced his makeshift staff in front of him, channeling Qi into the wood until it began to glow with golden light. The pulse within his dantian surged in response to his determination, flooding his limbs with power that strained against the careful suppression he'd been maintaining for days.
The corrupted lynx's lips pulled back, revealing teeth like daggers that dripped with dark, viscous fluid. It growled again, a sound that vibrated through Axel's chest and made his bones ache with wrongness.
Then it pounced.
The beast moved like liquid shadow, crossing the distance between them in a blur of corrupted fur and flashing claws. Axel's newly refined combat instincts kicked in—he dove sideways, rolling across the dirt with the practiced reflexes his cultivation had granted him. As he came up, he jabbed the staff upward with explosive force, channeling his flowing energy technique into the strike.
Wood struck corrupted flesh with a sound like thunder meeting lightning.
The beast shrieked—a sound of surprise and pain that was wrong on a fundamental level, like metal scraping against bone. It landed awkwardly, skidding into a fallen log with enough force to crack the ancient wood. The lynx's right shoulder bore a wound where Axel's strike had connected, golden Qi energy crackling against the dark purple corruption, the two energies warring for dominance.
But Axel could see immediately that his strike had been less effective than it should have been. The corruption was protecting the beast somehow, absorbing and dissipating a portion of his attack's power.
He didn't wait to analyze further. Axel sprinted to the girl, scooped her under one arm—she weighed almost nothing, definitely malnourished—and ran.
Branches whipped his face, leaving stinging cuts. Roots threatened to trip him with every step. Behind them, the corrupted beast howled in rage, recovering quickly from the unexpected blow. The sound of massive paws thundering across the forest floor spurred Axel to push harder, to draw deeper on his Qi reserves than was wise.
"You—why help me?" the girl muttered weakly against his shoulder, her voice barely audible over the sound of their desperate flight.
Axel didn't have time to examine his motivations. The words came automatically, honest in their simplicity. "Because you asked."
She blinked in surprise, her jade-green eyes focusing on his face with an expression that mixed confusion with something like wonder. As if the concept of helping someone simply because they asked was somehow foreign to her.
The corrupted lynx closed in again, its superior speed and knowledge of the terrain allowing it to gain ground despite Axel's desperate pace. He could hear its breathing now—wet, rasping, wrong—feel the displacement of air as it prepared to leap.
Axel saw a narrow ravine ahead—too wide for a normal human to jump, but with his cultivation and the adrenaline flooding his system...
He gathered Qi into his legs using the flowing energy technique, creating rapid circulation loops that amplified his power exponentially. The energy cost was enormous, but he had no choice. His legs blazed with golden light as he leaped, sailing across the gap with the girl held protectively close.
They landed hard on the far side, and Axel let momentum carry them into a controlled slide down the slope, using his body to shield the girl from the worst of it. Rocks and roots battered him, but his Qi-reinforced body absorbed damage that would have crippled a mortal.
The corrupted lynx followed without hesitation, its unnatural power allowing it to clear the gap with contemptuous ease. But the landing on the far side was treacherous, and even the beast's corrupted strength couldn't completely overcome physics. It stumbled slightly, giving Axel precious seconds.
The pulse in Axel's dantian surged stronger than ever before, fed by desperation and the extreme exertion. His body was running on fumes, his Qi reserves depleting at an alarming rate. The careful suppression he'd maintained for over a week was crumbling under the strain.
But he couldn't break through now. Not while running for his life with an injured girl in his arms.
Axel pushed himself harder than he ever had before, drawing on reserves he didn't know he possessed. His legs moved faster than they ever had, his breaths steadied despite the exertion—Stage 3 Peak cultivation pushed to its absolute limit.
But the corrupted lynx was still faster. It had been born to hunt, raised in these woods, and its every movement spoke of deadly efficiency enhanced by dark power that shouldn't exist.
It lunged again, claws extended to tear and rend—
Axel turned, planting his feet and setting the girl down in one fluid motion. There was no more running. He would face this thing here, now, or die trying.
Qi surged down both his arms as he activated twin flowing energy loops, the technique he'd refined over weeks of practice. His fists glowed with brilliant golden light as power accumulated with each rapid circulation.
The corrupted lynx was mid-leap, committed to its attack trajectory, when Axel struck.
He punched forward with everything he had—both fists striking simultaneously in a crossed pattern aimed at the beast's center mass.
The impact created a shockwave that sent cracks skittering across the earth, uprooted small plants, and sent stones flying in every direction. The corrupted lynx was caught in mid-air by the twin blasts of concentrated Qi, its dark-corrupted energy meeting Axel's pure golden power in a violent collision.
For a moment, the two energies warred—gold against corrupted purple, purity against malevolence. The air itself seemed to scream from the clash.
Then Axel's power won.
The corrupted energy shattered like glass, and the lynx was hurled backward with devastating force. It crashed through three trees before finally slamming into a massive boulder with bone-breaking impact. The beast slumped to the ground, whimpering—a sound that was almost pitifully normal compared to its previous corrupted growls.
Axel stood panting, his fists still glowing faintly, staring at the damage he'd caused. The twin flowing energy loops had consumed nearly all his remaining Qi reserves, leaving him dangerously depleted. But it had worked. Against all odds, it had actually worked.
Then a second roar echoed from behind the wounded lynx, deeper, more primal, shaking leaves from trees and sending birds fleeing in terror.
Another beast. Something much bigger, much more dangerous.
The corrupted lynx's ears flattened against its skull despite its injuries. It glanced between Axel and the direction of the new sound, and Axel saw something unexpected in those dark, void-like eyes—fear. Whatever was approaching scared the corrupted beast more than Axel did.
That was a very bad sign.
The lynx fled, disappearing into the undergrowth with remarkable speed for a creature that had just been slammed into a boulder. The sounds of its retreat faded quickly, leaving only the approaching footfalls of whatever had scared it away.
Axel's analytical mind, even in his exhausted state, processed the implications. Whatever was coming was strong enough to frighten a corrupted Qi beast. That suggested Stage 5 or higher cultivation equivalent, possibly much higher.
He had maybe thirty seconds before it arrived, and he was in no condition to fight.
"Can you run?" he asked the girl urgently.
She tried to stand and immediately collapsed, her legs unable to support her weight. "I'm sorry... I can't..."
Axel made the calculation in an instant. He couldn't carry her and outrun whatever was coming. But he also couldn't fight it in his current condition. Which left only one option.
"Trust me," he said, scooping her up again despite her protests. Then he did something that would have been suicidal under normal circumstances—he channeled the last dregs of his Qi into his legs and ran directly toward the approaching presence rather than away from it.
The girl gasped in shock. "What are you—"
"Sometimes the best hiding place is right under someone's nose," Axel muttered, his Earth-trained mind falling back on counter-intuitive tactics. Predators expected prey to run away, not toward them.
He sprinted at an angle that would take them past whatever was approaching, not directly at it but close enough to benefit from the confusion. As the massive presence emerged into view—Axel caught a glimpse of scales and claws that suggested a dragon-type beast—he dove into a narrow crevice between two massive boulders, squeezing through a gap barely wide enough for his shoulders.
The girl whimpered in pain as the tight space pressed against her injuries, but Axel had no choice. He pushed them as deep into the crevice as possible, then did something he'd only practiced a few times—he completely suppressed his Qi circulation, making his spiritual signature nearly invisible.
It was dangerous. Stopping Qi flow could damage meridians if done incorrectly or maintained too long. But it was better than being detected.
They huddled in the darkness, Axel's body pressed against the girl's to fit in the cramped space, both of them barely breathing as the massive presence passed by their hiding spot.
The ground shook with each footfall. Axel felt rather than saw the enormous beast pause, sensing something but not quite locating it. A low, rumbling growl that made the very stone around them vibrate.
Then, after an eternity that was probably less than a minute, the presence moved on, continuing in the direction the corrupted lynx had fled.
Axel waited, counting to one hundred in his head, then counting again, before he dared to breathe normally. Only when he was certain the danger had passed did he carefully restart his Qi circulation, gasping at the sensation as energy flowed back into his meridians.
"That..." the girl whispered, "was either incredibly clever or incredibly insane."
"Probably both," Axel admitted with a weak grin.
They remained in the crevice for another ten minutes, letting Axel's Qi stabilize and the girl catch her breath. Finally, when he felt confident the immediate danger had passed, he helped her squeeze back out into the open air.
The girl immediately collapsed against a tree trunk, her legs giving out. But now that the immediate terror had faded, Axel could see her more clearly. Despite the dirt and blood, despite the exhaustion and injuries, she was striking—sharp features that suggested intelligence and determination, jade-green eyes that held depths of experience beyond her apparent age.
"Thank you," she said softly, genuine gratitude flooding her voice. "Truly. I thought I was going to die in that clearing."
"You're safe now," Axel replied, though he wasn't entirely certain that was true. "At least for the moment. We should probably get you to a healer, though. Those wounds need proper treatment."
She shook her head firmly despite her obvious pain. "I can't go back to the sect yet. Not until..." She paused, seeming to wrestle with how much to reveal. "It's complicated. Political issues."
Sect politics. Wei Chen had warned him about those. Apparently they were dangerous enough that this girl would rather risk death than face whatever awaited her back at her sect.
"What's your name?" Axel asked, settling down across from her. His Qi reserves were slowly replenishing, though it would take hours to fully recover from the expenditure.
The girl studied him for a long moment, as if weighing how much trust to extend. Finally, she performed a small bow despite her seated position. "I'm Lian Fei. Outer disciple of the Greenleaf Forest Sect, specializing in wood-element techniques and herb identification."
"Axel King."
She tested the name silently, her brow furrowing slightly. "Axel... that's a very unusual name. Not from the local dialects. Not from any dialect I know, actually."
"Yeah. Long story." One he still wasn't ready to share—the whole dying-in-another-world-and-waking-up-here thing seemed too complicated and frankly unbelievable.
Lian Fei didn't press, which he appreciated. Instead, her expression became more serious. "Since you saved my life, I owe you a debt. Greenleaf disciples don't forget favors—it's part of our sect code. Life debt is sacred."
"You don't owe me anything," Axel insisted, uncomfortable with the formality. "I just did what anyone would do."
"You'd be surprised how rare that is," Lian Fei said quietly, and there was a weight of experience in those words that suggested she'd learned this lesson the hard way. "Most cultivators would have let me die, or worse, tried to capture me themselves to trade to whatever was chasing me for benefits. The cultivation world is not kind to the weak or unlucky."
She had a point. Axel had seen enough in his short time here to know that compassion was in short supply. Power was everything, and helping others often meant making yourself vulnerable.
"Well, I'm not most cultivators," he said simply.
Lian Fei studied him with those penetrating jade-green eyes, and Axel had the unsettling feeling she was seeing far more than he intended to reveal. "No," she agreed finally. "You're really not. Self-taught, aren't you? I can tell by your cultivation style—it's unorthodox but solid. And that technique you used against the lynx..." She shook her head in disbelief. "That was at least Stage 5 level power output from a Stage 3 Peak cultivator. How is that even possible?"
"Efficiency," Axel replied, not wanting to explain the flowing energy technique in detail. "I've been working on methods to maximize Qi output while minimizing waste."
"That's..." Lian Fei paused, choosing her words carefully. "That's the kind of insight that takes most cultivators decades to develop. And you're what, two or three months into cultivation?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Your foundation is too new, too fresh. Someone who'd been cultivating for years would have more...seasoning, I suppose. More ingrained patterns." She smiled slightly despite her pain. "You're like a blank canvas that's being painted with masterwork strokes. It's fascinating, really."
They talked for a while longer as Lian Fei's breathing steadied and color began returning to her face. She was tougher than her slight frame suggested—the wounds that would have killed a normal person were already beginning to show signs of healing, aided by her cultivation base and what appeared to be innate regenerative abilities.
As afternoon shadows lengthened, Lian Fei carefully rewrapped her injured arm with strips torn from the inner lining of her robe. "So," she said, watching Axel break a branch into smaller pieces for kindling, "since you saved my life, I owe you a debt. Greenleaf disciples don't forget favors."
"You mentioned that," Axel replied. "And I already said you don't owe me anything."
"I do," she insisted firmly, her voice taking on steel beneath the gratitude. "And I always fulfill my debts. It's one of the few principles I refuse to compromise, even when it's inconvenient."
There was such sincerity in her voice that Axel didn't want to reject it. He could sense that this meant something important to her, touched on some core aspect of her character that defined who she was.
"Then how about we start with a proper name exchange?" he offered, trying to find middle ground. "You've told me your name and sect, but I don't know anything else about you."
Lian Fei nodded, seeming to appreciate the diplomatic approach. "Fair enough. Lian Fei, outer disciple of the Greenleaf Forest Sect. I'm seventeen years old, been cultivating for six years, currently at Stage 4 Late Foundation Establishment. I specialize in wood-element techniques and herb identification, though I'm not particularly talented at combat." She smiled self-deprecatingly. "As you probably noticed from the fact that I was running away rather than fighting."
"Running away from a corrupted Qi beast isn't cowardice," Axel pointed out. "It's common sense."
"Try telling that to my sect brothers," Lian Fei said with a trace of bitterness. "They'll probably mock me for this failure when I return. If I return." She shook off the dark thought. "Your turn. Axel King—obviously not your real name, or at least not one from around here. Who are you really?"
Axel hesitated, then decided on a version of the truth that wouldn't sound completely insane. "I'm from very far away. Somewhere with very different customs and no cultivation tradition. I arrived in this region about two months ago with basically no knowledge of how any of this worked. I found a basic cultivation manual in some ruins and taught myself from there."
Lian Fei's eyes widened. "Two months? You've been cultivating for only two months and you've reached Stage 3 Peak?" She laughed, though there was no mockery in the sound—only genuine amazement. "That's... that's actually remarkable. Most people with proper sect training take six months to reach Stage 3 Early. You've done in two months what takes average cultivators half a year, and you did it without resources, guidance, or safety."
"I had motivation," Axel said dryly. "Not dying is excellent motivation."
"Clearly." Lian Fei's expression became more serious. "But you can't keep going alone like this. Eventually you'll hit a wall that self-teaching can't overcome. You need proper techniques, resources, guidance from experienced cultivators." She paused, seeming to make a decision. "Have you considered joining a sect?"
"Actually, yes. I'm here for the Azure Sky Sect examination. It starts in less than two weeks."
Lian Fei's face lit up with genuine excitement. "Really? That's perfect! I mean, not perfect perfect, but it's a good opportunity. The Azure Sky Sect is solid—mid-tier, which means they're not drowning in politics like the great sects, but they have decent resources and reasonable teachers."
"You sound like you know them well."
"We're neighbors, sort of. Greenleaf Forest Sect and Azure Sky Sect have a mutual non-aggression pact. We even do some joint training exercises occasionally." She leaned forward, wincing slightly at the movement. "Look, I know we just met, but I want to help you. You saved my life, and beyond that, you're genuinely talented. Someone with your cultivation speed and innovative techniques could go far with proper support."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Information, primarily. I can tell you what to expect during the examination, what the Azure Sky Sect values in disciples, what mistakes to avoid." Lian Fei's expression became more calculating. "I can also tell you about the political landscape—which elders are worth getting close to, which inner disciples are dangerous rivals, where the real power structures lie beneath the official hierarchy."
It was valuable information, the kind of insider knowledge that could make the difference between thriving and merely surviving in sect life. But Axel had learned to be cautious about offers that seemed too generous.
"And what do you want in return?" he asked carefully.
Lian Fei smiled, and this time there was a hint of cunning beneath the friendliness. "Honestly? An ally. Someone talented who isn't already entangled in sect politics, someone who might remember a favor when they inevitably rise through the ranks. I'm not popular in my own sect—I've made enemies by refusing to participate in certain... unsavory activities. Having a friend in Azure Sky could be valuable."
The honesty was refreshing. She acknowledged her own motivations rather than pretending to be purely altruistic, which made the offer feel more genuine rather than less.
"Fair enough," Axel agreed. "Information exchange and potential future alliance. That's something I can work with."
They spent the next hour talking, with Lian Fei explaining the intricacies of sect life in far more detail than Wei Chen had provided. The examination process, the unofficial hierarchies among disciples, the way resources were distributed, the importance of choosing the right teacher to study under—all of it was crucial information that Axel filed away carefully.
"One more thing," Lian Fei said as the sun began to set. "That technique you used against the lynx—the one that let you output Stage 5 power from Stage 3 cultivation. Don't demonstrate it during the examination."
Axel blinked in surprise. "Why not? Wouldn't impressive techniques help me get accepted?"
"They'd help you get accepted, yes. They'd also paint a target on your back." Lian Fei's expression was grave. "Sects love talent, but they also fear it. A genius who rises too fast, who demonstrates abilities that shouldn't be possible at their cultivation level—that makes people nervous. Some will want to recruit you. Others will want to eliminate you before you become a threat. Most will just watch you closely, waiting for you to make a mistake they can exploit."
It was similar advice to what Wei Chen had given, which suggested it was probably sound. The cultivation world rewarded power, but apparently there was such a thing as demonstrating too much potential too quickly.
"So what should I do?"
"Show enough talent to be impressive but not threatening," Lian Fei advised. "You're Stage 3 Peak, which is already good for someone your age. Demonstrate solid combat skills and good Qi control, answer the character assessment questions honestly but carefully, and you'll be accepted as an outer disciple with good prospects. Save the truly impressive techniques for after you're established, after you have allies and protection."
Axel nodded slowly. It made sense from a strategic perspective, even if his instincts rebelled against hiding his capabilities. But this world operated on different rules than Earth—showing all your cards too early was a recipe for disaster.
As darkness fell, Lian Fei stood carefully, testing her legs. The wounds were still healing, but she could at least walk now without collapsing. "I should head back. My sect is two days west of here, and I need to report about the corrupted beasts in this region. They'll need to send a proper hunting party before those things spread further."
"Will you be alright traveling alone?" Axel asked with genuine concern.
Lian Fei pulled a small jade pendant from her robes, and Axel could sense the Qi formations embedded in it. Some kind of protective talisman. "I have some emergency defensive treasures I was saving for true emergencies. I'll be fine. Besides," she smiled, "I'm a much better runner than fighter, remember?"
She reached into her robes and pulled out a similar jade token to the one Wei Chen had, though this one was carved with different symbols. "Take this. It's a communication token keyed to me. If you decide you need help, or if you just want to talk, channel a bit of Qi into it and I'll know. I'll come find you, or at least respond if I can."
Axel accepted the token, feeling the faint resonance of Qi embedded within the jade. "Thank you, Lian Fei."
"Thank you, Axel King." She performed a formal cultivator's bow, deeper than before, one that acknowledged genuine debt and respect. "I meant what I said—I always fulfill my debts. You saved my life today, and I won't forget that. Ever."
With that, she turned and disappeared into the darkening forest, moving with surprising speed and grace despite her lingering injuries. Within moments, Axel could no longer detect her Qi signature—she'd activated some kind of concealment technique, making herself nearly invisible to spiritual senses.
Axel stood alone in the clearing, holding the jade token. In his other hand, Wei Chen's token rested as well—two connections, two potential allies in a world where allies were precious and rare.
He pocketed both tokens carefully, letting them rest against his chest near his heart, then returned to his meditation position. The encounter with Lian Fei had been unexpected, but it had yielded valuable information and a connection that might prove crucial in the future.
More importantly, it had reinforced something he'd been learning about this world—power wasn't everything. Connections mattered. Trust mattered. Being the kind of person others wanted to help rather than eliminate mattered.
As the stars began appearing in the darkening sky, Axel closed his eyes and sank into meditation. The pulse in his dantian beat steady and strong, fed by the concentrated ambient Qi of this region. The breakthrough was approaching, closer than ever, almost inevitable now.
But he would wait. Just a little longer. Until after the examination, until he had the sect's protection and resources, until revealing his full capabilities wouldn't make him vulnerable.
The jade tokens pulsed warmly against his chest—tangible proof that he wasn't alone anymore. He had Wei Chen, his traveling companion and first real friend in this world. And now he had Lian Fei, someone who understood sect politics and was willing to share that knowledge.
Tomorrow, Wei Chen would return from town with supplies and information. The day after, they would begin final preparations for the examination. And in less than two weeks, Axel would take the tests that would determine his future in this cultivation world.
The forest night was full of sounds—rustling leaves, distant animal calls, the whisper of wind through ancient trees. But Axel no longer feared it quite as much. Because now he had something more valuable than any technique or treasure.
He had allies. People who might watch his back, who might offer help when he needed it, who might remember a favor when it mattered most.
In a world where power was everything, that felt like its own kind of strength.
Axel breathed in, drawing Qi from the world around him. Breathed out, letting his energy circulate and strengthen.
The path ahead was still dangerous, still uncertain, filled with challenges he could only begin to imagine.
But for the first time since dying and waking in this strange world, Axel felt ready to face whatever came next.
He had power. He had knowledge. And most importantly, he had allies.
That was enough to start with.
The pulse in his dantian beat steady and strong, echoing the rhythm of possibility and potential.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. But tonight, in this moment, Axel King allowed himself to feel something he hadn't felt in months.
Hope.