Hardcore: Qi Worlds Chapter 5: Training Day

Gisael gave Benzhi a curt nod, "much better. But do not misunderstand me, you are still the ugliest thing in this forest."

Benzhi would have raised an eyebrow, if he had one, he had to settle for raising the skin where his eyebrow would have been. Although he wasn't exactly enamoured with his appearance, surely the ferals looked much worse.

Taking on a more officious tone Gisael began to lecture, "you cannot focus or control your qi can you." It was a statement, not a question. "Very well, since you are lacking, we will train in other ways. You will run the paths I set for you. No, I want to judge your pathfinding." Gisael changed her mind mid-lecture. "I will set a start and a first end, second end and final end. You will find your own way from end to end. I will then point out everything you did wrong, hopefully, this does not take up too much time."

Gisael sure had a funny way of explaining things, Benzhi thought. She didn't say, point a point b. She didn't say obstacle course. If she is a major part of the simulation who programmed her? Mother was understandable, she was almost exactly what Benzhi expected for her role. Gisael, was, well, just weird. 

Gisael sat. "We will do this like children," she said while tapping the ground in front of herself. 

'What children?' Benzhi thought and proceeded to sit down facing Gisael. He copied her pose by kneeling and sitting backing on his heels with his hands on his knees. After adjusting his position according to Gisael's instructions their knees were almost touching. 'You know, if she wasn't such a bitch, she would be extremely beautiful. In a killer, tree girl sort of way,' Benzhi supposed. 

Gisael grabbed his hands and instructed, "spread your awareness throughout the forest, I will try to relay marks to you."

Benzhi closed his eyes, unsure of what she wanted he tried to feel the forest, listening to its sounds, telling his mind to spread its awareness. He attempted this for ten or so minutes.

"What are you doing?" Gisael asked.

"Spreading my awareness," Benzhi answered.

"I cannot decide if you are more ugly or stupid," Gisael gave a scathing critique.

After an hour of frustrating failures, Gisael finally found a method to communicate markers to Benzhi. She had him enter his meditative state, and, as she explained it, spread her own awareness throughout the forest communicating just the markers to him. He could feel them like beacons. Benzhi knew where they were and if had to spin around three times then point at one he could. Similar to the time of when he first entered the forest, he had a sense of where they were and would know upon arrival. The last marker, he was even able to visualise its appearance, like a dream or vision, not a photograph. It was a little progress at least.

Gisael sighed. "Your lack of skill makes training difficult." She paused for a few minutes peering off into the distance contemplating something.

She suddenly announced. "Now it is time to run. I want you to run to all the markers, in order, and make very little noise. If you scare up the ferals you will have to deal with them yourself. Less noise will make this easier for you." 

"Will you follow?" Benzhi asked.

"Did I instruct you to ask questions? Now run," Gisael ordered.

Benzhi took off for the first marker, taking the direct route while making small diversions to dodge terrains such as trees and large bushes. He also endeavoured not to step on any dry leaves or large twigs if possible. This was as quiet as he could achieve while maintaining any sort of speed. As he ran he scanned the forest, trying to stay alert as possible for ferals, he would not like one to get the drop on him. He was looking forward to trying out his sword on them, but that didn't mean he wanted the ugly creature to have the advantage of surprise.

When he arrived at the first marker he noticed Gisael sitting on a lower branch. She sat there swinging her legs and dropped what looked like a small bulb or nut. Weird girl, Benzhi thought. He took off for the next marker.

Taking a longer step to reach a larger rock, Benzhi balanced before taking the next stride. Looking for the best place to land his foot. While he was traversing the forest he noticed the soles of his feet had become coarser already. Being barefoot was not an impediment in the least. In fact, he had control like never before. Army boots, even the best ones, were about protection first and foremost. There is no way you could run like he was now in those boots. You could kick the rock and not notice too much, but you didn't have the grip or agility. Plus the noise would be atrocious. Benzhi wondered if he would ever wear shoes while in the simulation, not in the foreseeable future, that was for sure. Neither Mother nor Gisael had footwear of any kind, even the forest kind.

As Benzhi's mind wandered, he lost concentration on the here and now and was beginning to run on autopilot. Not good, he thought to himself, he could have run straight into a feral because he lost concentration. Also, his pathfinding suffered if he didn't concentrate. He often slipped or skidded when pushing hard as well, one time he tumbled down a bank. Scraped knees, scratches and bruises were par for the course. There probably wasn't a part of his body that wasn't scathed in some way.

During the run of the entire course, Benzhi noticed that Gisael was dropping the bulbs at each marker. It was easy to deduce that this was her timing method. And when arriving back at the start she informed Benzhi that he had completed the course in five hundred and thirty-three bulbs. Where she got a never-ending supply of the small plant material was beyond Benzhi. He didn't even question that she was at each marker before him unseen.

"Pathetic," Gisael critiqued "as expected." She peered off into the distance again, her eyes glazing over. To Benzhi is seemed as if she was communicating with someone or surveying the forest using her qi. He imagined he could sense a fine tendril of qi emanating from her when she looked like this. Gisael wasn't totally hostile to him, but she did not go out of her way to explain things or make him feel welcome to any degree.

Gisael gave a short lecture on pathfinding, just to be contrary to Benzhi's last thought.

"Your selection is adequate when you concentrate. As you get to know the forest you will not need to concentrate. It should be natural as breathing. Hopefully, you can attain this level soon, as my patience is not Mothers. Learn three things. Until you are able to extend your qi, do not leap long where you do not know the answer. Small steps are for beginners and Height is best." Gisael instructed. 'Wait weren't two of those instructions contradictory?' Benzhi thought.

"One last thought," Gisael continued, "you are not aware of your qi. Try to find it. Training is," she paused, "less, without it"

 "Ok, how do I find my qi?" Benzhi asked.

"Just find it, I don't know why you are so stupid," Gisael answered, as helpful as ever.

"How did you find yours?" Benzhi tried a different tact.

"I have been using qi for as long as I remember. It is difficult to teach one as inept as you," Gisael stated bluntly.

Benzhi ran the course again, and again, and again. After four attempts his time came down to four hundred and five bulbs. He could not breach the four hundred mark. However, his main aim was to find his qi, his mind wandered often as he ran a path by rote, feeling for his qi. His instincts told him it was connected to his breath, his life force, his gut feel and strangely enough his instinct. Benzhi laughed to himself. His instinct was his qi was connected to his instinct. Was that like a paradox? Or more like a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Gisael proceeded to setup a longer course, one which encompassed the entire breadth of the forest. This one took hours, she did not even bother with the bulbs and instructed him to finish before sunset.

Benzhi's understanding of the forest and pathfinding improved greatly in just one day. He felt like his progress on qi awareness was infinitesimal. He harboured doubts if he even had the ability. Only a few instances of unexplained events gave him hope. Such as sensing Gisael's qi and when Gisael or Mother set markers for him in the Forest. He felt satisfied with his progress, so before entering the glade wished to review his stats. They appeared in his vision upon command.

 Interesting. Without any announcements from the simulation on increases or levels, his stats had changed. For the better! The increases seemed logical with the training and experience he had undertaken when it came to Body. And, his Qi Core increased by one, he hadn't even done anything. It would be wise to monitor the two Qi attributes, especially after any successes or discoveries. That was why he was here. He hadn't forgotten in all the excitement of a new world, a new existence why he was here.

Benzhi was sore, however, not as sore as he would have expected given the type of training he had undertaken today. He was also extremely tired. Mother and he spoke about his day only briefly before he lay down unable to move or do anything. Next thing he knew, Gisael was dragging him over to the pond and shoved his head underwater. 

When he came up for air she ordered, "Drink, stupid." Benzhi drank deeply and Gisael pulled him abruptly. "Not, too much stupid." She sounded softer this time when calling him stupid. No, that was just his tired imagination. Benzhi began to feel better as energy returned to him.

Mother called across from her Willow tree, "Sit and contemplate child. Focus on the form during your meditation, think of nothing else until you have contemplated the form one thousand times in your mind. If you get that far, focus on the turquoise again. The Core. Our Core"

The best thing about Mothers training, Benzhi thought, was she gave hints. With just a few words she had spoken volumes about the large turquoise gemstone in the bottom of the pool. It was important. 

 Benzhi sat and folded his legs underneath himself, adopting the pose Gisael had used. He relaxed and began to follow Mother's instructions on meditation. At first, it was difficult because it was very different to what he was used to, but after awhile it became soothing, calming and he did not need to concentrate as much on being distracted or what the next move was. He had lost count of the number of iterations he had run through, so much for completing one thousand times. Benzhi began to feel he was in the groove, on the right path, that was when Mother spoke to him.

"Child, now imagine a pool of qi in your stomach. Keep completing the form, imagine a pool of qi in your core as you dance." Mother instructed telepathically. Benzhi wasn't certain what do to so just imagined something turquoise colour, like the gemstone, pooling inside him.

"Good," Mother projected. "Now imagine the qi pumping through your body like blood from your heart." Benzhi did his best to produce what Mother instructed.

"Good," Mother projected again. "Now do this until Morning."  Benzhi must be doing something right.

Benzhi did his best to meditate on the forms in his mind whilst adding imagery of qi running through his body from a repository centred at his centre, his core. It was very pretty, almost luminescent. It definitely felt like progress, he could sense it. He would have to check his stats again in the morning. Benzhi had no time for wandering thoughts he focused on the task at hand until morning. Benzhi was nothing if not hardcore.

Chapter end