The next few days were spent toning my body—preparing it for the toll of what was to come. I knew I was throwing myself into the heart of all conflict, and to top it off, I had no power to boot. Still, I thought getting to know Cid would solve most of my problems.
I don't take pride in that mindset, but Cid always had a tendency to save those in trouble, even if by accident. Who knows? Maybe one day he'd pity a friend and save me when I'm being chased by ghouls like two absolute idiots.
Now, that was more of a worst-case scenario.
I couldn't sense anything within me. Most people would be overjoyed to discover they had magic at their disposal, yet they fail to see one major problem. It's possible to be one of the unlucky few born with no mana whatsoever. That possibility filled me with a dreadful uncertainty. I tried to suppress the feeling, hoping it was only temporary.
For three years, I trained to the point of exhaustion. I even completed the full package of Saitama's training. There was just one issue: the training was never meant to be taken that literally.
During the second year, I started meditating an hour a day. My goal was to expand my perception and sharpen my focus over time.
When I turned eight, I began feeling a strange tingling in my abdomen. It was subtle, but it gave me a sense of security I hadn't felt in years. Fueled by that discovery, I doubled down on my training—exercise in the mornings, meditation in the evenings.
By the third year, at age nine, the sensation had spread through my entire body. It was as if every cell vibrated, trembling with anticipation. I couldn't help but smile at the progress.
'I may not be weak after all...'
In the final months of training, the sensation in my abdomen spiked suddenly. It felt like something had burst within. And then, without warning, a flame silently flickered to life, spreading a strange warmth through my entire being.
I felt... content. Peaceful. Energized.
Seconds later, my stomach twisted violently, and I vomited.
The bitter aftertaste stung my throat, tears forming in the corners of my eyes as I spat repeatedly.
Ptui! Ptui!
"Damn! Shit!" I cursed, gagging on the horrible taste.
When the nausea faded, I looked down at the grass and saw it—black ooze.
I blinked once. Then twice. My face twisted in shock, lips parted as realization struck.
"Did I just... cultivate?"
This was the stuff of manhua and wild fantasy. I'd always loved the concept but figured it required a mystical manual—one I might never find in this world.
With that thought, I broke into the widest grin imaginable. My fists clenched, my body hunched slightly before I pumped my right fist.
"Yeah!"
A black-haired boy stood nearby, a puddle of black ooze at his feet too. He stared, dumbfounded.
His previously empty eyes—black and unreadable—now had a flicker of light in them. His face scrunched up in disgust, clearly revolted by the muck.
Cid had gone through the same thing. He'd trained, meditated, and then vomited... something wicked. Now, his body felt lighter, more agile.
As I celebrated, he cut in with a confused question.
"Shin, what happened here?"
"Oh, right. We trained so hard that we expelled the impurities in our bodies. Now we can sense our Qi. Our bodies just got a whole lot stronger." I replied, wearing a shit-eating grin.
Cid nodded, closed his eyes, and focused on the tingling sensation he'd felt earlier. Before long, a faint flame sparked into existence, growing slowly as his concentration deepened.
Watching him, I sat cross-legged, determined to try something new. I imagined my Qi taking on a different color. And to my surprise—it actually worked.
After some effort, I saw it: a golden flame, vibrant and unyielding, burning with vitality at my core. With that energy, I molded a dome around it—something I'd read about from world-breaking cultivators in stories.
"Alright. Try to form a dome around the flame. It should, theoretically, act like a storage unit," I advised, eyes opening as I saw the black-haired boy nod slightly. His hair fluttered gently before settling.
'I guess, since I've unlocked Qi today…' I thought.
Cid opened his eyes and chuckled softly. I pulled him to his feet.
"That was nothing short of genius," he said, brushing himself off. "You really are the bright mind between the two of us."
I shrugged, smirking. "There are people smarter than me."
He replied with finality. "I doubt it."
I've never really understood why he believes in me so much.
We fell into a lighthearted chat as we descended the mountain, our laughter mingling with the wind.
Time was ticking. We both knew that major events would begin to unfold soon. And if we counted in the key characters that were fated to arrive—then we were out of time.
"Hey, Cid."
"Yeah?"
I turned to him, studying his micro-expressions—something I'd learned to pick up over time. As a reincarnator and his friend, it would be shameful if I couldn't.
Without hesitation, I asked, "What do you think about creating an organization? One that fulfills our purpose of hunting from the shadows?"
Cid fell silent, eyes drifting toward the distant setting sun.
While he mulled it over, I took in the scenery. The rustling leaves, the cool wind, the colors of dusk.
Then I saw it.
A caravan was heading toward the kingdom of Midgar. That alone wasn't strange—but two details caught my attention.
First, I realized I could see far better than before. Not just in range—but in clarity.
Second, a few riders trailed behind the caravan. And there were guards—lots of them. Probably protecting something important.
Merchants? I wondered.
Or maybe some random noble.
Just as I was about to brush it off, the caravan stopped.
A few cloaked figures emerged, blocking the lead carriage. In an instant, chaos erupted.
The guards were cut down—blood sprayed like fountains.
A chill crept down my spine as I held back the fear that threatened to consume me.
Mr. Kageno had trained us to handle killing—through livestock, of course—but this was different.
"I think building an organization would be better," Cid finally said, completely unaware of the bloodshed unraveling before us.
"Cid," I said grimly, hand gripping the skiver at my waist, "I think we've got a couple of bad guys robbing someone."
His eyes widened, then lit up with excitement.
I didn't understand it at first, but I could guess what he was thinking. He'd tell me later anyway.
"Then I guess it's time we became the heroes we always wanted to be," he said, before sprinting ahead—faster than I'd ever seen him move.
I followed, a few steps behind, not daring to use my Qi. I wasn't sure if I had the control yet, and I wanted to play it safe.
I focused, tried channeling the Qi to my arm. It resisted a bit—but it responded. With more training, I'd master it.
We both took a leap of faith, quite literally—reaching a tree branch that should've been impossible to grasp.
Pulling paper bags from our jackets—makeshift masks with eyeholes—we slipped them on. It was essentially a brown paper bag.
They would have to do for now.
'Looks like today's the day.'
My hand was stained in blood.