Kael held the low stance, muscles screaming, sweat beading on his virtual brow despite the chill mountain air. Hours passed. The sun, a distant fiery orb, crept steadily across the vast sky, finally dipping towards the jagged western peaks as Master Hu had instructed. Only then did the old monk stir from his meditation.
He approached Kael, his sharp eyes assessing the younger man's trembling but unbroken posture. "You endured," Master Hu stated simply. "There is will within you, yes. A stubborn flame." He motioned for Kael to rise. "But endurance alone does not forge a master. Your inner energies, boy... they are a landslide. All force downhill, heedless, destructive. Your vessel is not yet ready for true technique."
He elaborated, his voice patient but firm. "Your Strength screams while your Wisdom whispers. Your Vitality overflows while your Mind remains a shallow pool. This profound imbalance prevents true learning. Pouring fine wine into a cracked and warped cup achieves nothing useful."
Kael listened intently, understanding dawning. The monk wasn't just talking about combat; he was talking about Kael's entire approach, his entire being within this world.
"Go," Master Hu said, his gaze distant yet penetrating. "Leave this peak. Return to the world below and temper yourself. Continue your journey, face its trials, but heed the lesson you have glimpsed today. Distribute your power as you pledged – equally among Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom. Seek equilibrium."
He turned fully towards Kael, his expression serious. "Return to Whisper Peak only when you have walked the Path. Return only when the five pillars of your being stand tall and balanced, each reaching a foundation of true strength. Let each core energy achieve a measure of at least one hundred and fifty points. Only then will your vessel be ready. Only then can your training in the Way of the Empty Hand truly begin."
As the monk finished speaking, a resonant chime echoed softly in Kael's ears, accompanied by a prominent system notification flashing with a unique, golden border.
[System]: Unique Quest Received: The Path of Equilibrium Description: Master Hu of Whisper Peak, a guardian of ancient martial ways, has recognized your potential but senses profound imbalance prevents you from learning his techniques. To unlock the true Way of the Empty Hand, you must cultivate harmony within yourself by strengthening all aspects of your being according to his guidance. Objective: Achieve a state where all five core attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Intelligence, Wisdom) reach a minimum value of 150, while continuing to distribute new attribute points equally among them. Reward: ???
Kael stared at the quest log, then back at the monk, then mentally reviewed his own stats. STR 136... DEX 25... VIT 91... INT 11... WIS 11. Getting the lowest stats, Intelligence and Wisdom, from their base level plus the title bonus (11) all the way up to 150... while adding only 3 points per level? That would take forty-seven levels ( (150-11) / 3 = 46.33, so 47 levels minimum). He wouldn't even be eligible to start training here until he reached Level 15 + 47 = Level 62!
Level sixty-two. The number felt impossibly distant. He had just found a potential master, a path to refine his unique combat situation, only to be sent away with a task that would take weeks, maybe months, of relentless grinding. Frustration warred with a strange sense of acceptance. This wasn't a simple fetch quest. It was a long, demanding journey prescribed by someone who radiated ancient wisdom. And that Reward: ???... unique quests with hidden rewards were legendary, often game-changing. Could this be the path to the hidden class mentioned in his original concept?
He took a deep breath, pushing down the disappointment. This was his path now. Not just grinding for levels, but grinding towards balance.
"I understand, Master," Kael said, his voice firm with newfound resolve. He opened his status screen and focused on the 15 points waiting from reaching Level 15. With deliberate intent, he allocated them exactly as he had pledged: +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Vitality, +3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom. It felt strange, almost wasteful, not pouring everything into STR or VIT, but it also felt... right. A conscious step onto the Path of Equilibrium.
Name: Kael
Level: 15 (Displaying: 3)
Class: Novice
HP: 1225/1225
MP: 95/95
Title:
Stats: (Including +1 Title & Lvl 15 Allocation: +3 each)
Strength (STR): 140 (136 Pre-Alloc + 3 + 1 Title)
Dexterity (DEX): 29 (25 Pre-Alloc + 3 + 1 Title)
Vitality (VIT): 95 (91 Pre-Alloc + 3 + 1 Title)
Intelligence (INT): 15 (11 Pre-Alloc + 3 + 1 Title)
Wisdom (WIS): 15 (11 Pre-Alloc + 3 + 1 Title)
Stat Points Available: 0
EXP: 6850 / 12500
Kael looked at the numbers. The gap between his highest and lowest stats was enormous. Closing it would be a marathon. He bowed respectfully to Master Hu. "Thank you for the guidance. I will walk the Path. I will return when I am... balanced."
Master Hu simply nodded once, already turning back towards the valley, resuming his meditative pose on the rock. Kael took that as his dismissal.
With a final look at the simple hut and the imposing figure of the monk, Kael turned and began the long, careful descent from the desolate heights of Whisper Peak. He was leaving his potential master behind, armed only with a cryptic quest and a radical new philosophy for his own growth. The vast world of Genesis spread out below him, filled with monsters to fight and EXP to gain, but his purpose had shifted. Every level gained, every point allocated, was now a step on the Path of Equilibrium, a journey towards that mysterious reward and the promise of true mastery. The grind had a new, daunting meaning.