The First Realm: Lee Ki Jung's story
Copyright© 2019 by Diederik Rask
Chapter 7: Learning New Skills
Following her return, Ki Jung settles back into her daily routine, but it isn’t the same. There is plenty for her to be upbeat about. She is earning money as a martial arts instructor. This alone make her happy. This income allows her to help her mother with the bills. Due to her excellent grades and SAT scores, she received a full-ride grant to attend the State University, which she intends to take advantage of. The university has accepted all her high school AP courses for credits. The credits she earned taking classes at the local community college transferred in full, as well. All said, her entire freshman year is already finished, other than the required Freshmen Orientation. Things appear to be going well. Except, they aren’t going as well as the facade she put up for everyone’s benefit would suggest.
Ki Jung still loves spending time at the dojo. It is a joy to work as an instructor. And, it feels good to be working out and sparring again. She continues to apply herself daily learning all that she can. Seeing her deeper understanding and use of the Pakchulbong style Qi-gong, Master Jamison, “Call me Tom,” provides her with a new manuscript. This one is known as Blessed Heart.
Blessed Heart differs from Pakchulbong in two significant ways. First, it is not combat-related, and it has a healing component. Secondly, it can only be performed while motionless. You may stand or sit. It doesn’t matter which you do. Just don’t practice it while moving as it will fail.
Ki Jung spends hours practicing Blessed Heart at home. She soon discovers that it not only heals, but it is a type of cultivation for some of the body’s internal systems. As one advances, it strengthens the circulatory and lymphatic systems. It washes away fatigue and toxins in the body. And, finally, it allows one to create or improve their Heart Dantian.
Practicing Blessed Heart for four hours a night allows her to feel fully refreshed and ready to greet the new day with only four hours of sleep.
Ki Jung cannot help but feel that there is still something missing. She does her best to ignore and deny the strong desire to return to the First Realm. The danger is a minor portion of what draws her. There is something about being in a life and death situation that ignites the spirit, after all. What she desires the most is to learn more spells, and to gain greater knowledge and understanding of her abilities. She feels, and is, limited in what she can do here. Whereas, in the Realms, she can reach new heights and become so much more. She also felt more alive there.
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