Jin Ryu sat in his room, his small hands fidgeting with the soft cloth of his robes. He had spent the entire day training under Master Gwon's watchful eye, and while his body was still that of a child, his mind was sharp—too sharp for his age. The strange man who had appeared at the gates of the Hwarang Blade Clan still lingered in his thoughts. He could sense something was different about this Gao Yu.
Outside, the sun began to set, casting a soft golden hue over the quiet courtyard. The air was cool, and the sounds of distant birds echoed through the silence. Jin Ryu's father, Jang Minho, stood by the door, as if waiting for something to happen. His presence was like a mountain—calm and steady, but Jin Ryu could tell his father was concerned. He had been for days now, ever since that mysterious stranger appeared.
The door to his room creaked open, and Master Gwon entered with a solemn expression on his face. The old master's features were hardened by years of discipline, his deep-set eyes filled with experience.
"Jin Ryu," Master Gwon said, his voice soft yet firm, "there is someone here who wishes to speak with you."
Jin Ryu looked up at the man, his curiosity piqued. He had seen the stranger before—a cloaked figure whose energy radiated with an unfamiliar intensity. Gao Yu had made an impression, one that lingered in his mind long after their brief encounter.
The two of them walked in silence to the courtyard, where Gao Yu stood beneath a willow tree, his dark cloak billowing lightly in the evening breeze. The stranger's face was obscured by the hood of his cloak, but there was something in his stance that spoke of power—untamed, raw, and unrestrained. Jin Ryu felt an odd pull toward him, an instinctive tug that drew him forward.
Master Gwon stopped a few paces away, his posture defensive, as if preparing for something. Jang Minho appeared behind them, standing close, his eyes scanning the stranger with wariness.
"Master Gwon, Jin Ryu," Gao Yu greeted them with a voice smooth like velvet. "I trust you are well. I come with an offer—a chance to unlock the true potential that lies dormant in this boy." He turned his gaze to Jin Ryu, his eyes glimmering beneath the cloak. "I see greatness in him."
Jin Ryu stiffened at the man's words. How could this stranger know of him? He had barely begun his training with the clan, and yet this man spoke of his potential like it was already known to him.
"You speak boldly, stranger," Master Gwon said, his voice laced with distrust. "We are not interested in shortcuts or half-baked teachings. The path of the Hwarang Blade Clan is one of tradition and discipline. Jin Ryu will follow the path of his ancestors."
"I do not offer shortcuts, Master Gwon," Gao Yu replied, his tone unwavering. "What I offer is a deeper understanding of power—beyond your traditions, beyond your rigid teachings. I offer him the chance to see the world as it truly is."
Jin Ryu glanced at his father, who stood silently, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. He could feel the tension in the air, a tension that crackled like the energy before a storm.
"And what do you mean by that?" Jang Minho asked, his voice low.
Gao Yu's lips curled into a slight smile. "I mean that Jin Ryu has yet to see the true potential within him—the power that is beyond traditional martial arts, the power that comes from the world itself. I can show him how to unlock it."
Jin Ryu felt a strange stirring in his chest, a sudden awareness that he couldn't explain. The more he listened to the stranger, the more a question began to form in his mind: What if everything I've been taught so far is just a fraction of what I could truly become?
Master Gwon stepped forward, his eyes cold. "Enough of this nonsense. Leave at once."
But before the words could fully leave his mouth, something extraordinary happened.
Jin Ryu's senses sharpened. His body felt light, as though his very being was attuned to the world around him. He saw the faintest traces of energy, flowing in the air, in the trees, in the very ground beneath him. It was as if something had opened inside him—like a window to an entirely different world.
The air around him seemed to vibrate, and then it became clear: Qi.
He could see it. Life force. It was flowing everywhere.
The glowing veins of energy extended from Master Gwon's body like bright threads of light. He could sense the deep, steady rhythm of the old master's qi, like a river flowing through a calm, rigid path. Jang Minho, his father, emitted a solid aura—grounded and unshakable, like the mountains that had raised him.
But Gao Yu? His energy was unlike anything Jin Ryu had ever seen before. It flickered wildly, like flames dancing in the wind, unpredictable and chaotic, yet brimming with raw power.
Jin Ryu's heart raced as he took it all in. This is not Earth. This was not a place where things worked the way he had known. This was a world governed by something entirely different, something he could feel but not yet understand.
The realization hit him like a hammer—he was truly in another world. The power here, the Qi, was the key to everything. It was why he could see it, why he could feel it—he wasn't simply learning a new martial art, he was learning a new way of being. The limitations of the Earth martial arts no longer applied.
"I see," Jin Ryu murmured, his voice barely audible. "So this is what you meant."
Gao Yu's lips twitched into a knowing smile. "Exactly. And with this power, you can break free of the limitations of traditional martial arts. You can create something entirely new."
Master Gwon's face was pale, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What is this madness?"
Jin Ryu's gaze remained fixed on Gao Yu, his mind racing. The world around him felt more alive than ever. Earth Qi. It was real. And he could use it. Perhaps, just perhaps, this man could show him how to awaken the true power inside him.
"I want to learn," Jin Ryu said, his voice steady. "I want to learn what you know."
Gao Yu's eyes gleamed with approval. "Then come with me, Jin Ryu. Together, we will unlock the power you were always meant to wield."