The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 20: Ki

Chapter 60

The van rumbled along the road leading to the West Side Gang’s hideout, its suspension groaning under the weight of tension that filled the air.

The city outside was cloaked in darkness, its flickering streetlights barely piercing the thick, suffocating gloom.

The occasional neon sign buzzed, casting eerie glows onto cracked pavement, where stray dogs and shadowy figures lurked in the periphery.

The scent of damp concrete and distant cigarette smoke seeped into the vehicle, mixing with the faint tang of adrenaline that clung to its passengers.

Tony, gripping the wheel with steady hands, kept his gaze fixed ahead, his knuckles whitening as he maneuvered through the labyrinthine streets.

Beside him, Dean sat in the passenger seat, his fingers playing with a coin.

Every now and then, he flicked his gaze toward the rearview mirror, scanning the faces of the three figures in the back.

Elijah sat closest to the door, his red eyes half-lidded, staring out at the cityscape with an expression unreadable yet heavy.

Next to him, Kai had his arms crossed, his posture relaxed but his aura anything but.

Jack, meanwhile, was excited, shifting every few minutes, as though they were late to go to a party.

Jack finally broke it. "You know, I was thinking," he said, stretching his arms with a yawn. "Why do those gang hideouts always have to be in the most rundown parts of the city? Like, do they intentionally pick the worst places?"

Tony chuckled without taking his eyes off the road. "Probably because no one gives a damn about what happens there."

Dean smirked. "Yeah, but come on. You’d think at least one gang would splurge on a decent place. Maybe a high-rise with air conditionin?"

Elijah scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "That’s because, in the gangless area that they isn’t enough money for that."

Jack leaned back against the seat, exhaling. "Still, man... If we make it big, I’m not spending my days in some damp warehouse. We should at least get a place which is like a corporation."

Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "Then we’d need money. And a lot of it."

Tony exhaled, changing the subject. "Speaking of things that don’t make sense... Kai, I gotta ask. Back when we fought those guys, you dodged bullets like it was nothing. How the hell do you do that?"

Kai smirked slightly, his blue eyes glinting under the dim interior lights. "It’s all about Ki."

Dean furrowed his brows. "Ki? We all have Ki, but dodging bullets? That’s not just normal strength and speed."

Jack tilted his head, intrigued. "Yeah, I know Ki enhances us, makes us stronger, faster, tougher. But dodging bullets? That’s something else."

Kai leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "Ki is more than just raw power.

It’s the flow of life energy within us, influenced by our emotions, our instincts.

Think of it like a river—if it’s calm and controlled, it flows smoothly, guiding everything in its path.

But if it’s chaotic, it crashes against itself, wasting its strength.

Those who can sense Ki, can sense the intent of something and sometime people’s emotions. In simple words you can mostly see where the bullet is aiming for before it is shot."

Tony glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "So, it’s not just about training? It’s about your state of mind too?"

"Exactly," Kai said, nodding. "Ki isn’t just a force—it’s perception.

The more in tune you are with it, the more you can sense beyond what your eyes can see.

Think of it like being in a dark room.

Most people stumble, relying on their sight.

But if you listen—really listen—you’ll hear the faintest creak of the floor, the softest shift in the air.

Ki is the same. It lets you feel the world around you."

Dean whistled, shaking his head. "That almost sounds like magic."

Kai smirked. "It’s not magic.

It’s awareness.

The air, the ground, even the intent of the people around you—it all carries weight, a pulse.

When you train hard enough, you don’t just react to attacks; you feel them coming before they happen."

Jack’s expression shifted, his usual carefree attitude dimming as he processed the words. "Huh... You know, I’ve always kinda known when something is aiming for me or someone eying me.

Like a gut feeling, but I never understood why.

This explains it."

Kai nodded. "Exactly.

It’s a survival instinct refined through training, you must understand a person breathing, moving, releasing heat, looking, talking are all part of Ki.

The same goes for items they produce Ki also and you should just focus on it.

The more you hone it, the sharper it gets.

That’s why I taught Elijah how to sense people nearby. When he told me about your spar.

In a fight, knowing where your enemy is before they strike can mean the difference between life and death."

Elijah closed his eyes for a moment, focusing. He let his breath slow, his mind stretch outward.

Faintly, he could feel it—the flickers of life energy around him.

The strong, steady pulses of his companions. It was rough, unrefined, but it was there.

A skill still in its infancy.

Tony and Dean exchanged glances, both intrigued yet frustrated.

Tony exhaled sharply.

"Damn... so we’re at a disadvantage since we’re just Beginner Knights?"

Kai nodded. "You can still develop it, but it takes time.

Effort.

Your bodies aren’t attuned enough yet.

It’s like trying to listen to a whisper in the middle of a storm.

You need to train your senses, quiet the noise."

Dean exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his head. "Just when I thought I had this whole Ki thing figured out... turns out there’s levels to it."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, and here I was just thinking Ki was like hitting the gym but with extra steps."

Kai smirked. "Most people think that. Until they run into someone who understands it on a deeper level. That’s when they realize how small their world really is."

A heavy silence settled in, not from discomfort but from contemplation.

Each of them was forced to confront the gaps in their knowledge, the realization that power wasn’t just about brute force—it was about understanding.

As the van continued its journey, the distant sound of sirens echoed through the night, a stark reminder of the world they lived in.

A world where knowledge and strength weren’t just tools, but necessities for survival.

Elijah exhaled, his fingers tapping against the van’s metal frame.

The West Side Gang’s hideout loomed in the distance, a shadow among shadows. Whatever awaited them there, they were ready.

Or at least, they would be.

Before anyone could ask Kai how he knew all this, the van slowed to a stop.

They had arrived.

Kai’s voice turned sharp, authoritative. "Elijah, you’re killing the boss."

Elijah felt a cold weight settle in his chest.

His first kill.

He clenched his fists and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

There was no turning back.

"Everyone, open a path for me when we enter," he ordered, his voice firm despite the turmoil in his mind.

This was it.

His first step into the true underworld.