It had been a full week since Flux began his training.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, adjusted his robe, and looked up at the sky. The sun had just begun to rise, painting the clouds in warm golden hues.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. "Whew… finally mastered the basics of this technique."
"I should start hunting soon. I need real combat experience if I want to truly master this movement."
He narrowed his eyes, recalling the essence of the skill. "The heart of Twilight Dance is to hide the intent behind each movement. Even if my opponent is right in front of me, they won't be able to predict or counter my attacks—no matter how sharp their senses or instincts."
His gaze drifted to the trampled grass, the countless footprints, and the torn-up soil all around him—marks of relentless practice.
"Haaah… took me a whole week just to grasp the basics."
"But at least now I can use it in real combat without fumbling around like a fool."
"It'd be real trouble if I moved like a drunk goose in the middle of a fight."
He chuckled at the thought—then noticed a familiar presence in the distance. A small horned rabbit sat there, watching him with its usual gleaming eyes.
Flux smiled.
In an instant, he vanished from his spot, reappearing beside the rabbit using Twilight Dance. But the creature didn't flinch. Instead, its eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Pii! Piii! Pii!" it chirped excitedly.
Flux crouched down, smiling. "Good morning, little one. Still watching me, huh?"
"It's been a whole week since I started training—and I finally got the basics of Twilight Dance down. That's worth celebrating, don't you think?"
"Pii pii pii pii!"
"Haha, I'll take that as a yes. I guess it's time for us to eat—your favorite fruit."
Flux pulled out a few spirit fruits from his pouch. While the spirits had gifted him plenty, his appetite had thinned his stock. A week of constant training hadn't helped.
He handed one to the rabbit. "Here, take this."
"Pii pii pii!" the little creature squealed, happily accepting the treat.
Flux sat down beside her and bit into his own fruit, glancing over as the rabbit chewed with bright-eyed delight.
"I've heard that some beasts awaken spiritual awareness as their cultivation grows," he mused silently. "But it looks like this one awakened hers pretty early."
"Could be the fruits… or maybe she's just special."
He smiled. "Either way, I'm glad we can understand each other now."
As they ate, a soft light began to shimmer from the rabbit's body.
Flux blinked. "Oh? Another breakthrough already?"
He leaned closer with interest. "That means you're reaching the sixth level of Qi Refinement now. Impressive."
Thanks to Flux feeding her spirit fruits every day, the rabbit had advanced quickly. He sat quietly as her qi climbed steadily, the glow surrounding her like a small sunrise. After about half an hour, the light faded.
"Congratulations—you've reached the sixth level," he said with a proud grin.
"Pii pii pii pii pii!" she responded, bouncing in place.
"Come here. I'll help you stabilize it."
The rabbit happily jumped into his hands, and Flux sat down cross-legged. He guided his qi gently into her body, helping her settle the turbulent energy. It took four hours before the last ripple smoothed out.
Flux stretched his arms and sighed in satisfaction. "It really is a good day."
"I've mastered the basics of Twilight Dance… and you've had another breakthrough. Right, little one?"
"Pii pii pii!"
He lay back on the grass, hands behind his head, watching the clouds drift lazily overhead. "Maybe I should take a break from training today…"
"But I don't really have anything else to do."
He turned to the rabbit, who was still munching on the last piece of fruit. "What do you think I should do?"
She tilted her head and blinked. "Pii? Pii?"
"You don't know either, huh?" he laughed. "Well, I guess I could cultivate all day… but the spiritual qi around here's so thin, it won't do much."
He let out a deep sigh. "Haaah…"
The rabbit stared at him for a second, then let out her own tiny sigh. "Piii…"
Flux blinked. "Are you… copying me?"
"Pii pii pii!"
He smirked. "Well, suit yourself."
His gaze drifted toward the cave entrance nearby. He recalled something he'd said on his first day here.
"…Maybe I really should build a house someday."
A moment passed—then he sat up.
"No. I'll build it now."
He stood with sudden purpose. "Little one, I'm going to build a house. Let's go see the clearing near the cave."
"Piii pii pii!"
The rabbit eagerly followed as he walked through the trees, soon arriving at a small open patch just a short walk from the cave.
Flux examined the area thoughtfully. "Hmm… this should be good enough. What do you think?"
"Pii pii!"
"Alright, let's get started."
He released his qi and began clearing the area—removing rocks, lifting branches, and flattening the earth. The rabbit watched intently as he worked. After a while, he stepped back to admire the cleared space.
"Hmm. This is good enough."
"Now I just need to build the house"
Then he froze.
A sudden realization struck him like lightning.
A long pause followed.
"I… don't know how to build a house."
"Pii pii?"