Quantum Cultivation by Jace Kang (simple e reader TXT) 📕

waving his hands in circles. He pointed up. “Just not up there.”

The where seemed to fit with the master’s earlier description of planes stacked on planes.  However, the master didn’t know everything. Ken shook his head and recited a passage from his history books. “We met the Elestrae in Alpha Centauri in 2392. They’ve told us how they first evolved on a super-Earth orbiting a white dwarf. The crushing gravity made them short and squat. The unforgiving ultraviolet light killed off all those who couldn’t heal quickly. When they formed a symbiotic relationship with spacefaring creatures, they escaped that hell of a planet and colonized others. Unbound from high gravity and ultraviolet light, their DNA allowed them to grow tall, thin, and healthy.”

Master Ryu’s brow furrowed. “I’m telling you, there are immortal beings who look just like them in the Land of Rivers and Lakes. And these radiate so much power, I can detect their Cultivation level.”

Cultivation?  Were the fairies in the Land of Rivers and Lakes farmers? Ken started to shake his head—

“Is that him?” The silver-haired male pointed his chin at Master Ryu.

The Peacekeeper froze, then surveyed his fallen comrades with wide eyes. He drew his sidearm. “What…what happened here?”

Master Ryu bowed to the female. “Your Illustriousness, your Humble Servant apologizes for the mess he has made.”

Ken cocked his head. The Elestrae must’ve been just as confused, judging from the way they exchanged bewildered glances with each other. All but the female, who just studied Master Ryu though narrowed eyes.

The Peacekeeper shot. The blue trail of a particle beam sped through the spot Master Ryu would’ve occupied, had he not shifted his position.

“He’s the one you caught?” The female Elestrae clasped a bangle on her necklace.

“Yes.” The Peacekeeper squeezed off another futile shot.

Still not coming out of his respectful bow, Master Ryu dodged again, then looked to Ken. “Stand there. Knees slightly bent, arms relaxed in front of you as if you were hugging a tree.”

In the middle of a fight? Ken stared incredulously.

“Tuck your tailbone and grip the floor with your toes. Like this.” The master came out of his salute and demonstrated an upright stance.

Well, no one was shooting at Ken. As usual, he might as well have been invisible to the XHumans and Elestrae alike. He imitated the pose, or at least tried.

Master Ryu clucked while pointing two fingers at Ken, then closed the distance between him and the Peacekeeper in the blink of an eye. He seized the gun, which folded like a leaf in his grip. Blue sparks flew from the ruined casing.

The Peacekeeper stared at the remains of his weapon for a moment, then swung a fist. Spinning around, Master Ryu’s arms twirled, one catching the Peacekeeper behind the knees, the other in his chest.  The scissoring motion sent the poor man thudding into the floor.

The three Elestrae all clenched pieces of jewelry, which glowed a light blue as they chanted.

The sounds were so beautiful. Ken’s heart ached at the melody, even as his mind screamed at him. Their jewelry was most certainly made of istrium, and if it was glowing, they were about to unleash some power. He came out of his stance. “Master, they’re about to channel!”

Master Ryu turned back to him. “What does that mean?”

“It means they might throw fire, lightning, turn you into a spider…they can bend reality!”

The master dropped into a low fighting stance, hands raised. The chanting stopped, and Ken braced for whatever would happen next.

Nothing.

The Elestrae exchanged glances with each other, then turned to Master Ryu and pressed their palms together and bowed.

“We have no quarrel with you.” The golden-haired female extended her hand toward the exit.

Just like that? Ken eyed them for a long moment before looking to the master.

Coming out of his stance, Master Ryu returned their salute. “Thank you.” He took Ken by the arm as he walked by, heading toward the front steel doors. The female Elestrae’s eyes roved over Master Ryu as they passed.

The doors slid open at his approach, letting in a warm breeze and the hammering of rain on flexcrete.

Ken jumped back.

Six Peacekeepers with drawn particle guns stood with their backs to the exit, their enhanced skinsuits soaked by the rain. Unlike regular civilian clothes, the current generation of combat suits’ functions would interfere with the evaporators that many civilians wore to keep dry in the rain.

They might not be a threat this second, because facing them were ten—no, twelve soldiers from the Ministry of Defense. Four shocktroopers in heavy power armor held both ends of the line. Most likely there for the intimidation factor, they were doing a good job.  Six more shocktroopers in enhanced light plate occupied the middle, assault rifles in hand. At the fore of the formation stood two XHuman officers in tactical skinsuits, both male, their bare heads drenched by the downpour.

“Again, I’m sorry,” the lead Peacekeeper said without a hint of apology in her tone. “We cannot grant you access to the prisoner or his effects until our ministry approves the request.”

Ken chewed on the inside of his cheek. Unless Bodhi had hacked internal communications, surely every Peacekeeper from Kyoto to San Francisco to London would’ve heard about Master Ryu’s breakout. Was she just stalling?

“Our ministry has waited long enough.” The MoD officer raised a hand.

The soldiers took aim. Miniguns sprouted from the shocktroopers’ power armor. The Peacekeepers responded by levelling their own weapons.

Though hushed whispers spoke of a rivalry between the MoD and the Peacekeepers, it was unheard of for them to come to blows!  But maybe this would be for the better. Let them fight each other, and it would be easier to esc—

“How about if we tone down the hostilities.” Master Ryu shouldered past Ken and through the Peacekeepers, seeming unconcerned that all