Scrolls lay unfurled before me, their inked calligraphy bleeding like smoke across the aged parchment. Silent Mist Step, Mountain-Crushing Stomp, Lotus Bloom Kick, Cloud-Stepping Method—each name whispers promises of power, of survival, of glory. My fingers hover over the brittle paper with extreme care, trembling as if the decision itself might cut me. What if I chose wrong? What will happen if I accidentally tear one of these manuals? Will I lose my chance of getting free techniques?

Every student can choose three basic techniques for free: one offensive, one defensive, and one movement technique. There are just too many options. Some even hint that there are more advanced techniques of the same kind for after you have progressed to the next stage.

My argument in Instructor Mo's class, and her advice not to worry too much at our stage, sounds great, in theory. But, in practice, each choice seems like a massive commitment. What if, by choosing the mist-laden path, I create a habit that will seal myself off from other options? If you can upgrade techniques at higher ranks, it seems wise to choose one that has a clear progression path. But how high do they reach? I glance at the information on the first page of one of the signature Han Clan techniques:

Silent Mist Step: a foundational movement technique that muffles sound and aura.

Meridians: 1, left or right foot meridian, up to 4 for more advanced variations.

Progression: available from Meridian Carving to Golden Core.

Path compatibility: variations for all major paths and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: None, but affinities for shadow, mist, and steam can boost the effectiveness of the technique.

What the heck is aura? Is it what lets higher-ranked cultivators detect you even when you are invisible? If so, this could make a huge difference. It seems more stealth-based than something you would use in combat, though.

Hmm. Meridian Carving to Golden Core. That is five cultivation realms, I think. A long-term commitment. Not bad. What happens after, though? It may still be a long time away, and most will never reach further, but what if I do? I can picture it in my mind, endless hours of training, decades of training, wasted because there is no further path ahead for the technique, and it's suboptimal at that level. I groan.

"Having problems choosing?" asks Enea, who is browsing through a similar stack of manuals on the opposite side of the low table we are sitting at.

"Yeah!" I mutter.

The techniques don't feel like choices; they are like verdicts. It feels as if whichever one I claim will bind my future fighting style more tightly than chains. I feel frozen, not for lack of skill, but out of fear of stepping into the unknown.

"Really? I hadn't expected that. You seemed so sure in class!" Enea raises an eyebrow, her lips curl up as if amused.

I glare at her. "It isn't that easy!"

Laughter escapes her lips, bubbles overflowing a cauldron that can't hold the pressure in. It cracks through the hush of the library like a stone shattering the calm surface of a lake. I frown.

She looks at me, gasping for air between bursts of mirth. With every echoing snort, a fresh wave of silence rolls in from the surrounding tables. Heads lift in unison, eyes narrowed above the barricades of books. They judge us, their quiet disapproval feels almost physical, a pressure building in the air. I sit, rigid, caught between trying to understand what the heck this girl finds so funny and the collective weight of the stares.

"Silence!" admonishes the librarian. My head whips around toward the elderly and frail-looking woman, startled by the noise. She looks at us with a permanent scowl etched on her face. "Keep the chatter to a low volume or I'll kick you out."

"Sorry!" I whisper.

Enea hiccups then presses her mouth shut, strangling her laughter into an awkward smile. Her cheeks flush. I'm starting to worry about her.

After what feels like an eternity, she lets the air she was holding escape in a quiet wheeze.

"Okay, sorry," she whispers, after catching her breath. "Well, it isn't that hard. You have a foot meridian. Right? Almost two?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, first, you can discard all leg-based attacking techniques," she says.

"What?" I gasp. "That seems drastic."

Enea rolls her eyes. "Not really. You aren't on a knight, or one of those fancy monk paths. You are a rogue, or some rogue variant, right?"

"Yes?"

"Then, apart from discarding everything that won't work with your path, which you have already done, you need the absolute best movement technique you can get, even if it needs multiple meridians for its full potential to blossom. Luckily for you, most of these movement techniques are good. The restricted ones you can buy with contribution points aren't that much better." Her gaze wanders toward the other students, the walls, as if hinting at something.

"It's one of the benefits of being at the school of a rogue-oriented clan. And you can always save up contribution points to switch to a better movement technique once you rank up to the next realm."

She has a point. It's better to go for quality over quantity.

"Then you plan the rest of your build around the movement technique you have chosen. Some movement techniques give you additional benefits apart from speed, like evasion. That lets you go lighter on your defensive techniques. And maybe get an additional attacking technique. A wider range in your attacking techniques is great because it lets you be flexible, prepared to face every situation, or chain attacking combos on your opponents."

Hmm, I can even take it a step further. Enea doesn't know about my runes. I don't need as much flexibility from my techniques as she thinks because I can shore up the weaknesses with runes. I can go for a singular movement, defensive, and attacking technique, respectively.

I shove all those fancy kicks to the side for now.

For some reason, seeing them disappear almost hurts. But I can't be too sentimental about what could be. I need to choose. The mountain of manuals shrinks to half.

I massage my temples. "Still too many," I groan, keeping my voice to a hush.

Enea glances at me again. Then, toward the rest of the students who seem to have forgotten about us.

"Well, if you aren't sure, choose a flexible method, one that works with a singular meridian, but can be improved to use more, acquiring new traits along the way. So, you have something to help you now. And later, once you open the remaining meridians, you can choose if you want to expand the technique's utility or learn an additional technique instead."

"That's smart!" I acknowledge.

I shove aside a mountain of movement techniques that use just one or two meridians, or that don't work until you have opened four. Only five manuals remain.

"Good," praises Enea. "You see how it isn't that difficult once you discard the trash?"

Well, I wouldn't call them all trash. This one seems incredible:

Specter's Veil Escape: melt into shadows when struck, reemerging elsewhere.

Meridians: 5, left and right foot meridians, left and right leg meridians, and the lung-heart-skin meridian.

Progression: Meridian Carving. Manuals for Mana condensation to the Soul Foundation are available on the second floor.

Path compatibility: Rogue and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: At least a low shadow affinity. It may require higher affinities if you wish to upgrade the technique at higher realms.

Five meridians to work? The heck? That's almost half of the twelve we all have when we finish carving them all. Another drawback is that reemerging elsewhere seems a bit random. I browse through the manual out of curiosity.

You can increase your control of the direction of your movements and when the technique triggers after upgrading it at higher realms.

Hmm. It's not even an active technique. It's reactive; very situational, useless when you aren't under attack. But it could protect you from an assassination attempt, I suppose.

It seems almost a defensive technique, not a movement one; something wealthy scions who fear for their lives would choose. I tilt my head. It's also a risky technique. I bet it gobbles up a lot of mana to work. Even if it doesn't, if it triggers every time someone hits you, it's useless in a fight. They would only need to tap you a few times to make you bounce around until your mana runs out and you are left defenseless.

Yeah, not for me. Maybe at higher realms it becomes more useful. I tilt my head even further. It mentions that the higher-ranked versions of the techniques are only available on the second floor. That's where they store all the techniques you need contribution points for.

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So, what is this? A hook? A scam? A lure to give people a taste for free to make them pay later? I almost snort. It's not even a good one.

I shove it aside and start studying the first of my five remaining choices. It's the Silent Mist Step I saw earlier. Is karma making fun of me? I check the second page of the manual.

Effects:

1 Meridian: blurs your physical outline and muffles the sound of your steps.

2 Meridians: additionally muffles your aura when walking.

3 Meridians: Increase the distance each of your steps covers. Take one step and cover ten strides.

4 Meridians: You can glide over harsh terrain as long as there is water in it—swamp, lakes, rivers, ice.

Related concepts: Stealth, Silence.

This option is already solid, great for stealth operations, and for traveling and fighting in challenging terrains. Maybe that bandit I saw walking on the river's surface on our way to Minas Kalin had something similar.

A wave of nostalgia washes over me. I wonder what those two noble girls I befriended, Yuileen and Kamoe, are doing now. Are they missing me? Are they worried about the ongoing war? Could the fights have arrived at their doorsteps? Turstan, one of the contenders for the throne, is Yuileen's cousin. I shake my head, dismissing the memory of the girl's giggles. Not my problem, not my war. I need to choose a skill.

Well, the Silent Mist Step seems solid if I don't find anything better. The only drawback is that I could probably replicate most of these effects with the runes I know, except for the aura muffling part. I would need to learn an Aura rune to cover that weakness in my toolkit. The technique could be a solid addition until then, but it doesn't excite me.

What else is there?

Cloud Stepping Method: a foundational movement technique that lets you step on air and flow around attacks like the wind.

Meridians: 1, left or right foot meridian, up to 4 for more advanced variations.

Progression: available from Meridian Carving to Golden Core.

Path compatibility: variations for all major paths and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: None, but affinities for wind, mist, and steam can boost the effectiveness of the technique.

Effects:

1 Meridian: harness the wind to increase the distance your steps cover.

2 Meridians: use the air displaced by incoming attacks to flow out of the way.

3 Meridians: you can create solid clouds under your feet that let you step on them, and soar into the skies.

4 Meridians: increases your mastery over wind currents and the clouds you create, letting you detach them from yourself to hinder your opponent's movements.

Related Concepts: Freedom, Wind.

Meh. Three meridians to do the same thing my Air-step runes do? Redundant. Useless. Well, useless for me. I glance at Enea. She has a Wind affinity if I remember right. She was talking about evasion.

I shove the manual into her hands. "Here, take a look at this. I think you'll like it."

She blinks and looks up at me, then at the manual. I see her frown at first, then she turns the page and gasps, before browsing through it frenetically.

"This is awesome," she whispers. Her shoulders hunch upward. She grins, balling her fists, then looks around us and drops her shoulders again, reining in her burst of excitement. "Thanks!"

I smile. Well, maybe for Enea it is. I still prefer the Silent Mist Step over this.

Next!

Relentless Bull Rushing Technique: a foundational movement technique that lets you run faster and further the longer you run.

Meridians: 1, left or right foot meridian, up to 3 for more advanced variations.

Progression: available from Meridian Carving to Golden Core.

Path compatibility: variations for all major paths and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: None, but affinities for earth, wind, and fire can boost the effectiveness of the technique.

Effects:

1 Meridian: Each successive step you take is a bit faster and reaches a bit further than the previous one.

2 Meridians: reduces the accumulation of fatigue in each successive step you take.

3 Meridians: You stop on the spot, releasing your accumulated momentum in a massive burst in front of you that has a chance to stun anyone caught in the blast radius. Caution: if the released momentum is too much for your body to handle, you may hurt yourself from the backlash. You also need to be careful of crashing into obstacles when the speed you accumulate becomes greater than your mind can follow and your body can react and change its trajectory.

Related Concepts: Momentum, Kinetics.

Huh? What is this? A hybrid between a movement and an attacking technique? I don't think I could replicate this with runes. I don't care, though. It seems to be an awkward technique. Useless in a battle, unless you rush into it from afar. Maybe it's useful if you work as a courier or have to outrun a pack of wild beasts. Too niche. Next!

Thousand Phantom Stride: each step leaves behind afterimages to confuse pursuers.

Meridians: 1, left or right foot meridian, up to 4 for more advanced variations.

Progression: available from Meridian Carving to Golden Core.

Path compatibility: Rogue and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: None, but affinities for light, shadow, mist, and steam can boost the effectiveness of the technique.

Effects:

1 Meridian: Each of your steps leaves behind an image made out of mana that has your aura-signature, confusing your pursuers until it fades away.

2 Meridians: increases the distance each of your steps covers, confusing your pursuers even further.

3 Meridians: You can increase the time your afterimages last by spending more mana on the technique. You are no longer limited to a single afterimage. You can release multiple illusory clones that run away in different directions.

4 Meridians: Your illusory clones can release more clones of their own.

Related Concepts: Illusion.

Hmm, this is interesting. I have no idea how to replicate this with runes either. It seems like the perfect technique to shake off pursuers in a crowd, and in general. It could be great in a fight too, as long as your opponent can't distinguish your clones from the real you. But if your clones just run around randomly instead of simulating an attack, maybe not so much.

Still, it has potential. Is it better than the Silent Mist Step, though? I don't know. Generally, I would prefer not to be seen at all.

I hope the last one is better.

I frown. This one is almost illegible. The ink is fading, and a previous student has filled it with scribbles.

Unshackled Ghost Step: Ropes, shackles, doors; nothing will hold you back. You take a half-step into the shadow-plane to become intangible for a brief instant with each step, allowing you to step through obstacles in your path.

Meridians: 1, left or right foot meridian, up to 4 for more advanced variations.

Progression: available from Meridian Carving to Core Crystallization. Manuals for Golden Core to Nascent Soul are available on the second floor.

Path compatibility: Rogue and Rogue-Variants.

Affinity requirements: At least a low shadow affinity; mist and steam affinities can boost the effectiveness of the technique.

Effects:

1 Meridian: Increases the distance each of your steps encompasses. Take one step and cover the distance of half a dozen.

2 Meridians: You can use mana to break through techniques designed to restrict your movements.

3 Meridians: You take a half-step into the shadow-plane with each of your movements, becoming able to step through obstacles and purely physical attacks.

4 Meridians: You remain in control while half-stepping through the shadow-plane. You can learn how to change directions mid-step. You can step through mana-reinforced techniques or objects by holding yourself together with a shadow-mana shell. Caution: it may require a significant amount of mana if the object you are phasing through has a high mana density.

Related Concepts: Freedom, Travel.

I gasp, then blink, and blink again. What is this? My breath freezes in my throat. My hands are shaking. My eyes dart around. Nobody looks at us, nobody has seen it. I turn it over, feeling a sudden urge to hide it.

I found it! A treasure!

I slowly breathe out, feeling my pulse drum through my veins. Calm down!

Could this let me step through walls? Nothing will be safe from me! Hmm, unless the walls are warded or reinforced with mana. Most of them probably will be, if techniques like this are publicly available. But still.

I need to analyze this rationally. What are the pros and cons of each option?

Silent Mist Step:

Pros: Best for stealth. Aura-blurring, which could synergize with my invisibility runes to better hide me? Best for increasing the distance fast, I think, even though it isn't clear. I could upgrade it for free each time I rank up until Golden Core if I like it, which would allow me to save my contribution points to shore up other weaknesses.

Cons: I could probably replicate most of what it does with runes, almost all of it if I manage to get an Aura rune.

Hmm. It still seems like a safe option, but I don't think it's the best one.

I glance at the Cloud Stepping method and the Relentless Bull Whatever Technique. I don't even need to consider them. They are useless to me.

Thousand Phantom Stride:

Pros: Best to create confusion and shake off pursuers. It could have decent fighting potential, I'm not sure. Aura-shenanigans. You can upgrade it for free until Golden Core.

Cons: reactive instead of proactive. It's better not to be seen in the first place. It doesn't help you to travel through harsh terrain or avoid obstacles. I don't like it.

I stroke the spine of the last manual. It has a bone-like texture, cold and smooth.

Unshackled Ghost Step:

Pros: It gives me a completely new tool and expands my movement options. Walls would no longer be obstacles. Great fighting potential. I could step through incoming weapons, then attack when my opponent loses their footing due to the lack of resistance. Maybe. It can be upgraded further than any other available technique, up to the Nascent Soul realm.

Cons: It would require a lot of training, probably, and a way to detect when incoming weapons are reinforced with mana and can harm me in the incorporeal state. Will the ghost-like state apply to my clothes? Only the first three upgrades are free; after that, you need to spend contribution points. That isn't a problem, though. I don't plan to stay here for decades to reach such a high realm anyway.

Who am I kidding? I want this technique. Maybe Bae or Master Wen could help me find the necessary upgrades for the technique if I reach the Golden Core realm. I could steal them before I leave.

I shake my head. That's a bad idea. The last thing I need is to increase the risk of my stay here by planning two heists instead of one.

I walk toward the librarian, holding the manual to my chest, crossing my arms around it.

"Wait!" yelps Enea.

Shit! I almost forgot about her.

"I want a copy of this technique," I tell the librarian, while I wait for Enea.

The woman glances at the manual, then at me. "Unshackled Ghost Step, huh?" She sneers at me for some reason before handing the manual back. "You can take this one," she tells me, before checking the Cloud Stepping Method manual that Enea almost slams onto the desk, giving the flustered girl a stern and disapproving glare.

"Ambitious fools." I hear the woman mutter before we leave.

Excuse me? I feel the urge to turn around and tell her where she can shove her opinions. But Enea grabs my arm. "Don't!" she whispers. "It isn't worth it."

She is right, of course. If there is one thing I've learned in the time I've been here, it is not to talk back to higher-ranked cultivators. It's useless.

"Idiot," I mutter under my breath, letting the air escape in a hiss.

Enea giggles. "Come, let's find Kenae. She told me that she found a boy to fill out our dungeon delving team.

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