Gary, Xin, and Kevin were all sitting cross-legged on the grass, their eyes following Innu as he paced back and forth in front of them. It almost looked as if Innu was in his own private classroom, ready to give a full lecture. Since he was about to teach Gary how to use this thing called Qi, he figured he might as well teach it to the others too. "So... what is Qi?" Innu began, stopping mid-step to face them. "I guess that should be the first thing you all know before trying to use it." There was a brief pause. Innu scratched the back of his head and let out an awkward laugh. "Well, the truth is... the truth is… I'm really not sure?" Kevin leaned toward Gary and whispered, "Are you sure he's the best teacher for this? I heard he didn't exactly do well in school." "You might be right about that," Gary whispered back, grinning. "But right now, it's just him and Blake as our teachers. And Blake isn't here." "Look, it doesn't matter!" Innu shot back, clearly hearing them. "The point is, I know how to use it, so I'm going to do my best, alright? It's this energy inside of you. It feels like an energy we've always had, but now we're just accessing it in a specific way." He held out his hands, gesturing animatedly. "It's different from your stamina. It's an energy that can surge through your whole body, tingling as it flows. The first few times you use it, it'll be really draining on your body. But as you use it more and more, the amount of Qi you can control seems to grow." Innu paused again, thinking. "There are breathing techniques and meditation practices that help focus on increasing the amount of Qi you have." Kevin raised his hand with a skeptical look. "So... how did you ever learn to use Qi? I don't think I've ever seen you meditate in your life." Without missing a beat, Innu picked up a small rock using his telekinesis and flicked it at Kevin's arm. "Ow, that hurt!" Kevin yelped. Innu smirked. "Aren't you a werewolf? I didn't know werewolves could get hurt by little rocks." Then, grinning wider, he added, "And besides, I didn't touch you. The rock just flew over. You've got no proof I did anything." Still smiling, Innu continued, "Like with most things, Qi is also connected to natural talent. Some people can train to get stronger, and others are naturally strong. Those who train can surpass the naturally strong, but if the naturally strong also train, well, they'd end up stronger than those who trained alone." "I think you're right," Xin chimed in. "But this isn't going to go well... why don't you just show us instead of explaining? That would be better." Hearing that, Innu glanced around for something to use as an example. Finding nothing, he simply picked up his trusty axe. "Alright, here's a strike without Qi!" Innu declared. He swung the axe downward. The blade embedded itself deep into the hard mud with a satisfying thunk. Innu's strength alone, honed from years of martial arts training, was impressive. Then he pulled the axe free and grinned again. "And here's one with Qi!" Energy flared around his arm, enhancing his muscles. The Qi reacted with the beast weapon as well, boosting his strength even further. When he swung this time, the impact sent a shockwave outward. A warm gust hit the faces of Gary, Xin, and Kevin as a large crack splintered across the ground. The three of them clapped, impressed by the display. But despite the performance, they couldn't quite figure out how to replicate it. "Alright, why don't we try a third way," Gary suggested. "How did you first learn Qi? Why don't you do the same thing for us?" Innu blinked, pausing mid-thought. The truth was, he'd been wondering the same thing. 'Why didn't I think of that sooner?' Moving behind Gary, Innu rubbed his hands together at an incredibly fast speed. "The one who taught us Qi was actually Blake's father," Innu explained. "Not Edvard?" Gary asked in surprise. "No. It seemed like only a few of the Altered Hunters even knew what Qi was. Edvard didn't show us anything and wasn't very interested either. But he was just as strong... I always assumed he knew Qi too, but now I think all of his strength came from his experience in the Settlement." Innu then placed both hands on Gary's back. "Now, I'm not sure if I can do what Blake's father did... but he used Qi on me and controlled it inside my body. When he did that, I could feel the changes happening." He closed his eyes, concentrating. "Bit by bit, he helped me activate my Qi less and less, until it became something I could do myself." Gary closed his eyes, listening intently to Innu's voice, trying to be guided. And then, he saw it. Even with his eyes shut, Gary could access his system. The familiar interface appeared in his mind. He could see it, his energy was being used, drained, as Innu manipulated the Qi. 'For a moment there… my energy expanded beyond what I had. I guess that's because Innu's Qi is being added to mine? If it's affecting my energy, then I was right!' 'The energy I have, and the energy I use, is the same as Qi. So doesn't that mean I already have Qi? But if I learn how to properly utilize it… then I can increase it as well, without relying on the system! I can gain even more energy.' Gary's mind buzzed with possibility. "Alright, I'm going to move it into your hand now," Innu said. "Focus on the energy." Gary concentrated. He felt a change rippling through him, his fur began to grow, and his nails extended into claws. When he opened his eyes, he stared down at his hand, it had transformed. "Damn… I didn't think that would happen." Innu shook his head in disbelief. "I… expected it more or less," Gary replied with a small smile. A large realization had just dawned on him, and a whole new path had opened before his eyes. *** For updates on MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below: Instagram: jksmanga *Patreon: jksmanga When news of MVS, MWS, or any other series comes out, you'll be able to see it there first. And if I'm not too busy, I usually reply to messages.