Internal Monologue Of A Qi BeastApproximately Ninety Seconds Before Everything Went Wrong
I have existed for three hundred years.
I began as ambient qi in a mountain range.
Over three hundred years I absorbed. I grew. I developed something approaching awareness.
I am not a person.
I am a concentration of qi that has become large and aware and territorial.
Three hundred years of absorption have given me the equivalent of peak supreme master level qi density.
I am not a martial artist.
I do not have techniques.
I have three hundred years of compressed qi and the territorial instinct of something that has been the most powerful thing in its mountain range for two centuries.
The Dragon Vein activation disturbed my mountain.
The qi that I had spent three hundred years absorbing and compressing and making mine began to move.
Through the Dragon Veins.
Away from my mountain.
This was unacceptable.
I followed the qi.
Through a Heaven Rift.
Into this strange world.
The qi is everywhere here.
Moving fast.
Through channels under the ground.
I can feel them.
The Dragon Veins.
Here.
Under this city.
I will reclaim my qi.
I will absorb this world's Dragon Vein flow the way I absorbed my mountain's.
Three hundred years of practice.
I am very good at absorbing.
There are beings in colored armor.
They are hitting me.
The hits land.
They hurt.
They do not stop me.
There is a large shadow one.
The shadow energy is strong.
It wraps around me.
It holds.
I cannot move.
But I can still absorb.
Even while held I can reach the Dragon Veins through the ground.
I am beginning to absorb.
There is a man coming through the people in colored armor.
Blue uniform.
No qi.
No energy.
He is looking at me.
He looks annoyed.
Three hundred years.
Peak supreme master equivalent.
He looks annoyed.
Something is—
He pressed his hand against the ground.
Something is touching the Dragon Veins.
Something is touching the Dragon Veins where I am trying to absorb.
It feels like—
It feels like cleaning.
WHAT.
I am three hundred years of compressed—
THE DRAGON VEINS ARE BEING—
STOP CLEANING THE DRAGON VEINS WHILE I AM TRYING TO—
The Red Gate alert came at two seventeen AM on a Thursday.
Yeongdeungpo district.
Not a standard threat.
The alert description said: Large qi-based entity. Non-martial artist. Three hundred year accumulation estimate. Currently attempting to absorb Dragon Vein flow. All available S-Ranks respond.
Han-Ho read the alert.
Made a note.
Qi beast. Dragon Vein absorption attempt. The clean Dragon Vein flow is attracting territorial qi accumulations that want to absorb it. New threat category. Filing.
He filed it.
Put on his shoes.
Picked up his bag.
Looked at the apartment.
The old man was awake. He was always awake. He looked at Han-Ho.
"Qi beast," said Han-Ho.
"I felt it," said the old man. "Through the Dragon Veins. It is absorbing the flow."
"Can it damage the network."
"Not quickly," said the old man. "But given time a qi beast of that age and density could significantly disrupt the local Dragon Vein flow. Like a blockage but active rather than passive."
"I am going," said Han-Ho.
"I know," said the old man.
"The route passes through Yeongdeungpo."
"I know Han-Ho."
Han-Ho went.
The Yeongdeungpo situation was significant.
Not the threat level in the traditional combat sense. The qi beast was large — approximately fifteen feet of compressed qi taking rough physical form — and its absorption ability was creating a localized disruption in the Dragon Vein network that the equipment team's sensors were registering as a growing anomaly.
But it was not trying to fight.
It was trying to absorb.
Which made conventional combat responses less effective than usual because hitting something that absorbs energy was counterproductive.
Min-Seo had figured this out within three minutes.
He had stopped his direct attacks.
Was maintaining a holding formation.
The shadow energy wrapping the beast. Not attacking. Just containing.
Six S-Ranks in supporting positions.
Yoo Chae-Won managing the perimeter.
Baek Sung-Il on standby with a different approach than his usual output because he had learned.
"We cannot attack it," Min-Seo told Han-Ho when he arrived.
"I know," said Han-Ho.
"It absorbs energy."
"I know."
"All our attacks make it stronger."
"I know Min-Seo."
"So how—"
"It is trying to absorb the Dragon Vein flow," said Han-Ho. "Which means it has connected to the Dragon Veins through the ground. Which means the Dragon Veins are accessible to me through the beast's connection point."
Min-Seo looked at him.
"You are going to clean the Dragon Veins," said Min-Seo.
"I am going to clean the absorption connection," said Han-Ho. "The beast has pushed qi tendrils into the Dragon Vein network to absorb the flow. If I clean the tendrils the connection breaks. The beast loses access to the network."
"And then."
"And then it is just a very large qi accumulation with nowhere to absorb. It will want to leave."
"Will it go back through the Gate."
"If it has somewhere to go yes."
"Its mountain."
"Yes," said Han-Ho. "If the mountain Dragon Vein connection is still accessible."
"Is it."
Han-Ho thought about this.
"The old man went back to the martial world yesterday," said Han-Ho. "He coordinated with the sect leaders. The western territory Dragon Veins were part of the activation. The beast's mountain is in the western territories."
He called the old man.
The old man answered immediately.
"Qi beast in Yeongdeungpo," said Han-Ho. "Western territories. Is the mountain Dragon Vein connection accessible from there."
"Yes," said the old man. "The western territory activation was complete. The mountain connection is clean and flowing."
"Can you open the martial world side of the rooftop Gate from there."
"I can create a direct Dragon Vein connection point. The beast can follow it back."
"Do it."
"Give me four minutes."
Han-Ho hung up.
Looked at Min-Seo.
"Four minutes," said Han-Ho.
"For what," said Min-Seo.
"The old man is creating a direct Dragon Vein path back to the beast's mountain."
"From the martial world."
"Yes."
"He is creating a navigation route for the qi beast."
"Yes."
"So it can go home."
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo maintained the holding formation.
Han-Ho pressed his hand against the ground.
Found the beast's absorption tendrils in the Dragon Vein network.
Started cleaning.
The beast felt the cleaning immediately.
The tendrils it had pushed into the Dragon Vein network — three hundred years of practiced absorption technique — were being cleaned.
Not attacked.
Not cut.
Cleaned.
The qi in the tendrils was being separated from the Dragon Vein qi the way contamination is separated from a surface.
The tendril connection was dissolving.
Not violently.
Just cleanly.
The beast pulled the tendrils back.
The cleaning followed.
Not aggressively.
Just persistently.
The way cleaning is persistent when something needs cleaning.
The beast pulled back further.
The cleaning reached the edge of the beast's qi accumulation.
Started on the outer layer.
The outer layer of three hundred years of compressed qi that had accumulated through territorial absorption was not supposed to be there.
Not in the Dragon Veins.
Not in this world.
The cleaning recognized this.
The outer layer began to dissolve.
"NO," said the beast, in a sound that was not language but communicated the concept clearly.
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
"MY THREE HUNDRED YEARS—"
"The outer layer is contamination from territorial absorption," said Han-Ho. "It was never supposed to be in the Dragon Vein network. I am cleaning it."
"IT IS MINE—"
"The Dragon Vein flow is not yours," said Han-Ho. "It belongs to the network. You were absorbing network energy that is supposed to flow to all connected worlds."
"I WAS HERE FIRST—"
"The network was here first," said Han-Ho. "By twenty thousand years. You have been absorbing for three hundred. You were absorbing the blockage residue not the clean flow. The clean flow started six days ago." He applied more cleaning to the outer layer. "This layer is contamination. It comes off."
"IT DOES NOT—"
"It does," said Han-Ho. "Hold still."
The beast held still.
Not because it wanted to.
Because something in three hundred years of absorbed qi recognized what was cleaning it and understood that resistance was not productive.
The outer contamination layer came off.
The beast was smaller.
Cleaner.
Still large. Still three hundred years of accumulated qi. But the contaminated peripheral absorption that had been incorrectly drawing from the Dragon Vein network was gone.
What remained was the legitimate three hundred year core.
Still formidable.
Just not contaminating the network.
"The path home is open," said Han-Ho. "Through the Dragon Vein connection the old man created. Follow the western territory flow. It will lead you back to your mountain."
The beast was quiet.
Then: "My mountain."
"Yes."
"The Dragon Veins there."
"Are clean and flowing," said Han-Ho. "The activation cleared them. Your mountain will feel different. Better ambient qi."
"Better."
"Yes."
The beast was quiet for a long moment.
"The absorption," said the beast. "The layer you removed. I needed that to survive."
"You did not need it," said Han-Ho. "You wanted it. There is a difference." He looked at the beast. "The clean Dragon Vein flow on your mountain will provide more ambient qi than twenty years of aggressive territorial absorption. You will not need to absorb aggressively anymore."
"How do you know."
"The same way I know a floor is clean," said Han-Ho. "I read the surface. Your core qi needs clean ambient flow not contaminated territorial accumulation. The activation gives you what you actually need."
The beast looked at him.
Not with the territorial aggression it had arrived with.
With something older.
The specific quality of something that has been doing the wrong thing for a very long time and has been told that the right thing is available.
"Go home," said Han-Ho.
The beast went.
Following the Dragon Vein path the old man had opened.
Min-Seo released the holding formation.
Sat down heavily.
"Han-Ho," said Min-Seo.
"Yes."
"You told a three hundred year old qi beast that it was absorbing the wrong thing."
"Yes."
"And it listened."
"Yes."
"And went home."
"Yes."
"Because the right thing was available."
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
He looked at the ground where the absorption tendrils had been.
At the Dragon Vein network underneath.
Clean.
Completely clean.
No absorption damage. No contamination. Just the clean flow the old man had felt on the KTX and had not had a word for.
Han-Ho pressed his hand against the ground.
Read it.
Made a note.
Dragon Vein network post-qi beast absorption: clean. No lasting damage. Absorption tendrils fully removed. Network flow normal. Outer contamination layer from beast dissolved — represents approximately fifteen years of incorrect Dragon Vein absorption. Beast core unaffected — legitimate three hundred year qi accumulation intact. Beast returned to home mountain via old man's Dragon Vein path. Filing completion report.
He filed it.
Stood up.
Looked at the S-Ranks.
"The apartment," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo looked at him.
"The apartment," said Min-Seo.
"I have been thinking," said Han-Ho.
"About what."
"The qi beast wanted to absorb the Dragon Vein flow because it did not know the clean flow was available on its own mountain." Han-Ho looked at his notebook. "There are probably more qi beasts like it. In the martial world. In other places connected to the Dragon Vein network. Things that have been absorbing incorrectly because they did not know the right flow was accessible."
"That is a lot of potential qi beasts," said Min-Seo.
"Yes," said Han-Ho. "Filing a report."
"Of course you are," said Min-Seo.
Han-Ho filed a report.
Qi beast incident analysis: Dragon Vein activation may be drawing territorial qi accumulations from across the martial world and potentially other connected worlds. These entities have been absorbing contaminated flow for extended periods and may not know clean flow is now accessible at their origin points. Recommend: old man to advise on martial world qi beast distribution. Proactive Dragon Vein path guidance rather than reactive incident response. Will reduce Earth-side emergencies significantly. Filing.
He sent it to the Director and the old man simultaneously.
"Han-Ho," said Yoo Chae-Won.
"Yes."
"The floor space."
Han-Ho looked at her.
"You said the apartment," said Yoo Chae-Won. "What about the apartment."
"The qi beast wanted to stay," said Han-Ho.
Everyone looked at him.
"What," said Min-Seo.
"Before it followed the Dragon Vein path. It made a sound." Han-Ho looked at his notebook. "The sound meant—" He checked the note. "The sound meant: can I stay."
Complete silence.
"You," said Min-Seo.
"Yes."
"A three hundred year old qi beast."
"Yes."
"Asked if it could stay."
"Yes."
"In your apartment."
"Yes."
"And."
Han-Ho looked at his notebook.
At the current apartment occupancy situation.
At the variance column in Ara's spreadsheet which was currently at three.
At the floor space which was currently at seven occupants.
At the cactus and the old man's center floor position and River's counter and Moru's corner and everything that had accumulated in the apartment over the past five weeks.
"I said no," said Han-Ho.
"Good," said Min-Seo.
"I told it the floor space was not available."
"Good," said Min-Seo.
"And that it should go home."
"Good," said Min-Seo.
"And that the clean Dragon Vein flow on its mountain was better than anything in my apartment."
"Han-Ho," said Min-Seo.
"Yes."
"That is the first time you have said no."
Han-Ho thought about this.
"There are two cacti already," said Han-Ho.
"Yes," said Min-Seo.
"And the old man and Wei Junhao use the Seocho apartment."
"Yes."
"And Hwang Chulsoo and Wei Junhao are at Yoo Chae-Won's."
"Yes."
"The floor space is genuinely not available," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo looked at him.
"Han-Ho," said Min-Seo.
"What."
"Are you telling me that the reason you finally said no to an apartment occupant is the floor space."
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
"Not because it was a three hundred year old qi beast."
"The floor space was the primary concern," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo looked at the sky.
"I Re-Awakened twice," said Min-Seo.
"I know," said Han-Ho.
"Twice."
"I know Min-Seo."
"TWICE."
Yoo Chae-Won was laughing.
Oh Kyung-Soo was laughing.
Even Song Mi-Rae was smiling.
Baek Sung-Il was looking at Han-Ho with the expression of a man who has accepted that his career has been shaped by a blocked pipe and is now learning that a qi beast was turned away from an apartment on floor space grounds and is finding this funnier than expected.
Han-Ho made a note.
Floor space: currently at capacity. No additional occupants. Including qi beasts. Filed.
He closed the notebook.
"GS25," said Han-Ho.
It was two forty seven AM.
The GS25 was open.
They went.