Amelia fought to keep the flush from returning to her face as she watched Kevin fiddle with his pocket watch.

  It looked like one of the more complicated versions she’d heard was popular in the capital. One with multiple functions for tracking time.

  The odd choice contrasted with Kevin’s otherwise plain attire, providing an intriguing hint into the enigma he presented. On any other day, it would have drawn her full attention; now, it barely distracted from the memory of her breakdown.

  How mortifying that had been. Why couldn’t she have held it together? As if ruining the cultivation session hadn’t been enough, she’d also dumped her problems on Kevin.

  Such a baring of weakness should have been enough to shift the entire tone of their friendship or even end it altogether. Instead, Kevin handled it with the same casual grace he applied to everything else.

  It was clear the situation had thrown him; he wasn’t some kind of genius with a perfect solution to every problem. She’d met such individuals in the past when her mother’s clan was still interested.

  Cultivators with enough raw intellect to dissect your entire personality in a single conversation.

  No, Kevin wasn’t like that. Instead, he’d approached the problem with the same calm certainty he did everything else. He evaluated the issue, came up with a solution, and then applied it without further hesitation.

  Or at least that was her read of the man. It was possible she was wrong, and this was just another thing obfuscated by the impenetrable wall of his friendly persona.

  She’d never met anyone else who could talk with you for an hour, share some of their deepest hopes and dreams, and still leave you with no idea who they were.

  The enigma he presented was beyond intriguing and brought her scattered attention back to the watch as he twisted a dial. Everything else about Kevin screamed cost-saving minimalism except for this watch.

  Most new disciples paid for the best cultivator robes, enchanted items, and other paraphernalia they could afford. All the better to show how important they were. Even she was far from immune to such a desire.

  Yet from what she’d seen, Kevin had a few sets of cheap but serviceable clothes and little else. A large part of that could be explained by his recent arrival in this world, except for the watch.

  Instead of a basic model in line with the rest of his belongings, he’d shelled out for the more expensive version. In another cultivator, she would have believed it was for appearances. With Kevin, it would be because he used it to track parts of his cultivation.

  If there was one thing she was sure about, it was the man’s complete obsession with advancement.

  She'd almost spat out her tea when he’d first described his marathon cultivation days. Fourteen hours of nothing but cultivation? It sounded like the worst hell she could imagine.

  Was that how other people felt when she talked about studying obscure manuals in the library all day?

  His rapid progress since arriving was no mystery when considering that level of dedication. When he’d brought up a group cultivation, she’d been too embarrassed to refuse.

  Despite knowing better, she’d been swept up in the man’s enthusiasm and walked straight to her own doom. Which brought her right back to the situation she’d been trying to avoid thinking about.

  Instead, she turned her focus back to Kevin once more, watching as he finished the last few adjustments. His regular, easy smile was back, the one that hid everything deeper about him.

  At first, the foolish confidence with which he described a near-impossible dream piqued her interest. A goal that was no less ridiculous than hers and for which he was ill-prepared.

  Despite that, he still had the courage to dream, making him far more interesting than most of her fellow disciples. She’d thought that two fools together would make good acquaintances.

  How wrong she’d been; no mere acquaintance would have handled her breakdown with such care. Even beyond that, it was clear they were largely here for her benefit.

  While Kevin’s full cultivation style was mysterious, the first step was easy enough to understand. He gathered Qi and stored it within his body for later use.

  Odd, certainly, but not difficult to understand.

  He could have been done in fifteen minutes before returning to cultivate out of the cold. Instead, he seemed happy to spend time together despite her gaining most of the benefits.

  Those were the actions of someone reaching out in friendship, and after today, she’d be happy to accept it. Assuming Kevin was still interested after seeing her failings.

  “Done,” Kevin said, pulling her back to the real world. “Twenty minutes from when I hit this button,” he continued, pointing toward the watch’s side.

  Amelia leaned in, brushing up against him to get a better look. The watch itself got a fraction of her attention, with the rest focused on Kevin’s face. If putting up with her limitations annoyed him, then she needed to know now.

  All she found was a flattering blush as the man averted his eyes. No hint that she was an imposition he was putting up with, just earnest kindness mixed with a hint of attraction.

  Kevin coughed and cleared his throat. “Ah, ready then?”

  Amelia nodded, shifting back to her own spot on the small mat. As always, she wished she could at least hum in acknowledgment. Many found her complete silence offputting.

  Kevin took it in stride, as he always had. Apart from a few moments when they’d first met, he’d never looked twice at her odd communication style.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Right then, twenty minutes starting… now.”

  With a click, Kevin’s watch started an almost inaudible ticking sound as the man closed his eyes, seemingly focused within seconds.

  The ease with which he sank into cultivation was enviable, and Amelia couldn’t bring herself to disappoint him again. Not when he’d been so helpful.

  Besides, if it was just twenty minutes, she could make it.

  Right?

  With a frown, Amelia pushed aside her reluctance and strained to narrow her focus onto the Qi floating around her.

  The Ink Mixing Cultivation style was from her mother’s clan and one she strictly shouldn’t be using anymore. However, her constitution allowed few other options, so that restriction was one she continued to ignore.

  If the clan wanted her to stop, they could complain in person. With luck, they might even send her mother to do it.

  The Qi composition in this Earth Courtyard was a mix of Earth and Metal Qi, with their relationship being roughly sixty percent Earth to forty Percent Metal. Earth she could use on its own, while Metal condensed Water, the other half of her aspect.

  With both being useful, there was no need to filter energy, simplifying the process. Given how boring it was already, that was far from a benefit. Still, she’d already messed up once today; doing so again would be beyond embarrassing.

  It would also be unfair to Kevin after he’d been more accommodating than anyone she’d cultivated with before. Urgent worry helped her push past the invisible wall that so often stopped her, and she drew Qi toward her.

  The energy flowed across her skin with the slightest prompting, stilling her bloodline marks as it touched them. She’d always hated that; having to shift the energy as they moved would have at least kept her attention.

  Next, she pulled the Qi through the gaps between those tattoo-like birthmarks. Within moments, the Qi sank through and reached the oversized Skin Meridian beneath.

  From there, the meridian channeled it straight to her Dantian without conscious effort. On arrival, the Metal Q would convert to Water and mix with Earth to make Ink Qi, that odd substance that few ever interacted with.

  Such a combination of Qi was near-perfect for her, and she had to wonder if Kevin had known that when suggesting the courtyard. That would imply a deeper understanding of aspect dynamics than she would have expected from someone so new to cultivation.

  Or had he just thought that Earth would be at least half…

  Her cultivation stalled as Amelia’s attention faded, and she had to bite her lip to wrench it back. For long moments, her scattered focus achieved nothing until the Qi started flowing again.

  The complete boredom of the infuriating process was only matched by the focus she needed to maintain.

  As if cultivation was custom-designed by the heavens to perfectly match her weakness.

  Pills were far more civilized, providing a steady stream of Qi straight to her Stomach Meridian with no focus required. However, Kevin was right to say they were no longer a crutch she could rely on.

  Not when her ever-escalating technique usage threatened to use more Qi than pills could provide. Cultivation would be required unless she drastically scaled back, leaving her torn between two desires.

  For a second time, her cultivation ground to a halt, and Amelia cursed in the silence of her mind. It was just twenty minutes; she should be able to focus for that long, at least. Just twenty minutes, and she could spend some time talking to Kevin again.

  Somehow, that helped, and she managed to keep going for endless seconds until the blessed ringing of a watch signaled her break.

  Perhaps Kevin was on to something with his idea. She’d have to find a way to thank him.

  The pocket watch buzzed in Kevin’s hand, pulling him out of his latest Earth Qi cycle. It was the fifth they’d tried since he’d suggested breaking the session up, and he suspected it would be the last.

  While she tried to hide it, he could see how each one was a little harder on Amelia. It was clear that the ten-minute break between cycles helped her to recharge, but the three hours they’d been there seemed to be her limit.

  That was a little short by his usual standards, but the time had been pleasant in a different way from his normal sessions.

  Amelia was fascinating to talk to. Her varied interests made her a font of intriguing information, and she always had some tidbit to share. With how easily the conversation flowed, it felt more like he’d known her for months than a few days.

  A shoulder leaned into him, and he turned to see her holding a page with a brilliant smile.

  Thank you, Kevin. That was the most pleasant cultivation session I believe I’ve ever had.

  “Had enough then?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “I suppose it’s about dinner time anyway.”

  Amelia nodded, glancing away for a moment as fresh words flowed out.

  Indeed. Before today, I would never have believed I could keep going for this long. Thank you for keeping me entertained; it helped a lot.

  This is my limit, however.

  “No need to thank me,” Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. “I enjoyed talking to you as well. Sometimes, it’s nice to take a break, even for me.”

  Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as Amelia glanced back, covering her face. You’re too kind.

  This session was very helpful to me. I’ve made more progress today than I usually do in a week. Could we do it again?

  A hint of uncertainty covered her face as she finished, though he wasn’t sure why.

  “Sure,” Kevin grinned back, trying to convey his sincerity. “I meant it when I said I had fun. Same time next Sunday?”

  That works for me.

  Despite your insistence, however, I’m aware that these sessions are mostly for my benefit, Amelia wrote, arcing an eyebrow as if daring him to disagree.

  If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know.

  Kevin paused, holding back his instinctive response to wave her off. Amelia looked serious, and he didn’t want to offend her by refusing the offer.

  Nor would it be wise to blow off help from one of the most intelligent people he’d ever met. After a moment’s consideration, the answer came to him. “How are you with Qi Shielding?”

  Amelia smirked, raising an arm covered in inky-black energy.

  It’s not something I use regularly due to the Qi requirements, but I do well enough. I have Saturday afternoon free if you would like a tutoring session.

  “That would be great. I should be able to do it on Saturday.” Kevin responded with a smile. It was the subject he had the least personal help with, so some additional tutoring would be amazing.

  Saturday was also after his next practical class when Li should clear him for practice outside class.

  Then, I would be glad to return the favor. Amelia nodded, her face serious.

  The conversation paused after that until Kevin stood and stretched with a groan. “Well, if we’re done, I think it’s time for dinner. Want to grab something to eat?”

  Amelia rose beside him, flowing through the movement like her bones were liquid. For several long moments, she stared at him until a mysterious smile crossed her face.

  I would very much like to have dinner with you sometime, Kevin. However, not tonight, I think. It has been a long week, and I can only handle so much socializing.

  Instead, I will bid you goodnight. Thank you again for the cultivation session.

  “Right…” Kevin nodded, blinking as she dipped into a smooth curtsy. “I’ll see you later then?”

  Amelia nodded, gesturing to the mat he was still standing on.

  Flushing, Kevin stepped off and watched as it rolled up and floated under her arm. Then she was gone, flashing off in the strange, circular movements of the Twisted Step.

  “Should have asked her to teach me that,” he chuckled, shaking his head. Then again, it wasn’t like he needed something else to study.

  As Amelia said, it had been a long week. Long but good.

  With a broad grin, Kevin crossed the bridge and wandered back through the sect. Only a few months ago, he’d arrived on this world with nothing; now, he was a proper sect cultivator.

  Sure, there were issues to overcome and a six-month deadline to meet, but he was determined to succeed.

  Staying in the sect was only the smallest step on the endless path he’d chosen; there was no way he’d fail here.

  End book 1.