Chapter 368

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We make our way through a winding black hallway before Monk leads me to a room that has dozens of rectangular doors on it.

He turns to one, then points to all of them.

"Choose a room; there are showers and fresh clothing in all of them."

I walk up to the closest door and pause for a moment, then place my palm against the cold stone.

I push on it with a lot of force, but it doesn't budge at all. It's like a solid wall.

Monk speaks.

"All it needs is a small amount of Qi. Less than you would use to throw a punch. Channel a small amount into your hand while making contact with the door, and it will open wide. The stone won't budge unless a Qi user opens it."

I do as he says, letting a small amount trickle into my fingertips, then the panel of stone swings open.

There's a small dimly lit room with fresh white shirts and pants, along with the orange robe everyone wears in this place.

On the back wall, there's a shower and bath.

I take 10 minutes, and the room steams up nicely as all my soreness and fatigue from our training goes away.

I change into the shirt and pants provided, but decide against wearing the robe, putting my armor and cloak back on as an overlayer before coming out.

Monk greets me, and we make our way to the Dining hall as initially intended.

There are many bows and greetings as we get food from a fast-moving line. Everyone gets a very similar meal, but it smells delicious.

I sit down across a table from Monk and we begin to eat.

There's meat, vegetables, rice, and plenty of water. It's all very standard food, but I'm grateful for the hospitality.

The only thing that stands out to me is a small spherical white pill that comes in a black cup next to the water.

Monk swallows his whole without a second of hesitation, and I watch many people at the surrounding tables doing a similar thing. They all take the pill before even starting the meal.

I pick up the tiny black cup with the pill inside and look straight ahead.

"What's this? Why is everyone taking it?"

I can sense there is energy coming off it, but it's unclear what exactly it does.

"A Tier 1 Qi pill. Everyone takes it after training."

He points to the floor and continues.

"Natural Qi resides in these mountain stones; we've mined and harnessed the power for centuries waiting for a time like this. Everyone restores their Qi after training instead of waiting weeks, months, or possibly even years to fully restore one's core."

I stare at the pill with a curious gaze but place it back down on the table.

Monk begins to eat, but nods.

"You don't have to take it now, but it would make you feel much better and prepare you for the next stage of training."

I take the pill out from the cup and hold it between my thumb and index finger, examining it carefully.

"What's the next stage?"

Monk replies.

"You need some practical training, and you'll need to adapt to a fighting style that includes both your mana-based skills and new Qi Techniques. The Arena event tonight will be a great place to test out what you've learned."

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