NOVEL WEB Chapter 17: Path of the Possible
The golden mist around Master Oogway hadn't yet faded when Alex dropped to one knee, his breath ragged.
"That was… that was only step one?"
Master Oogway calmly extended a clawed hand, helping him stand.
"Every mountain begins with a single step," Oogway said, serene as always. "And every warrior falls many times before rising. You are doing well."
Alex wiped sweat from his brow—or what felt like sweat. Time wasn't real here, and neither was dehydration, apparently. His body was reacting like it was real, though. Muscles aching. Arms shaky. Core screaming.
"I just did a million stances and punches."
"You did one hundred and forty-seven," Oogway corrected gently. "But who's counting?"
"You are, obviously," Alex groaned, standing upright.
He had just finished a brutal round of repetitive motion training. Oogway had drilled him on proper posture, stances, and flow—something about 'letting the spirit move through the breath, not the muscles.' Which sounded beautiful… until he had to do it for what felt like an eternity.
"Okay," Alex said, shaking his arms out. "So what now? Is this where I learn the Dragon Warrior jump-kick or something?"
"No."
Alex blinked. "No?"
"Not yet," Oogway said with a chuckle, his staff lightly tapping the ground. "Your spirit is clouded. Your movements are reactive. Even now, your thoughts are not here—they are worrying about Root, Tsunade, fusion, and death. You cannot punch with fear clinging to your fingers."
"That's because I am scared, dude!" Alex burst, throwing his arms up. "I am terrified. I don't belong here. I don't know how to fight. I'm fused with some universe soul or whatever and now I've got ROOT agents breathing down my neck like sweaty stalkers! I am scared all the time!"
Oogway's smile did not waver. He simply closed his eyes.
"You believe fear is weakness," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "But fear is a compass. It points to what matters. What frightens us… also reveals what we treasure."
Alex paused. His heart was still racing, but slower now.
"What if I break?" he asked quietly.
"Then you will break," Oogway said without hesitation. "And rebuild. Stronger. With clarity."
The turtle stepped closer and tapped the center of Alex's chest.
"You already carry more strength than you realize. But to wield it… you must be present."
Alex took a breath. A real one. Grounding. Centering. He let it out, shaking a little less.
"Okay," he muttered. "I'm ready."
Oogway nodded. "Then your next lesson begins."
And so it did.
They spent what felt like hours—not in combat, but in movement. Alex was guided through fluid transitions: Snake style, then Crane, then slow Tiger postures. Oogway didn't just show; he explained. He broke each motion down to purpose. Balance. Leverage. Intention.
"The body does not strike," he said, guiding Alex's footwork gently. "The mind strikes. The body obeys."
They sparred. Not with blows, but in rhythm. Alex learned to feel the shape of a movement. He fell. A lot. Sometimes Oogway swept him without even touching him.
Each time, the turtle helped him up.
"Why am I doing this if I have chakra?" Alex panted during a break.
"Because chakra is a flame," Oogway said, stirring the mist with his staff. "If your vessel is cracked, the fire escapes. Control the vessel. Master the flame."
Alex sat cross-legged, hands on his knees, trying to center his breathing. His mind wandered again. ROOT agents. The feeling of Cataclysm Echo tearing out of his skin. Tsunade's eyes. Her words. That deep, gnawing fear he was a ticking time bomb wearing a discount hoodie.
The system pinged.
Warning: Neural Interference Detected. Thought Drift Exceeding 65%.
Initiating Focus Protocol.
A soft bell chimed somewhere in the air. A ripple of calm followed it.
"Sorry," Alex muttered.
"Do not apologize for distraction," Oogway said, now beside him once more. "Apologize only if you choose not to return from it."
They meditated.
They practiced.
They sat in silence.
They fought. Slowly. Deliberately. Oogway blocked every attack like it was a breeze.
And Alex, little by little, stopped flinching when he missed.
At one point, he caught Oogway's staff with both hands.
"You are learning," the old turtle said.
Alex smiled.
For the first time in this world, it felt like a real one.
The training continued. Hours bled into each other without fatigue. The Mindscape responded—growing wider, clearer, firmer under Alex's feet.
He wasn't just imagining this anymore.
He was building it.
And somewhere deep inside, the fusion stirred—not in warning, but in quiet observation.
Alex opened his eyes, dripping with effort, fists poised in a tiger stance.
"I think I'm ready," he said, chest heaving.
Oogway tapped his staff twice.
"No," he replied calmly. "But you are willing. And that is the first truth of power."
The mist thickened. The air around them shimmered slightly.
And the system whispered.
Training Threshold Reached.
Chakra Control Increased: +4%.
Body Adaptation Increased: +7%.
Mental Stability Improved: +6%.
New Skill Unlocked: Flow State – Level 1.
Alex felt it. The rhythm in his blood. The coordination in his limbs. It wasn't perfect—but it was beginning.
And that beginning felt… good.
"Tomorrow," Oogway said, stepping back into the mist, "we begin sparring with intention."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What were we doing today?"
"Teaching you how not to punch your own face," Oogway said with a small smirk. Then he vanished in a swirl of golden petals.
Alex sat down again.
And smiled.
He was still scared.
But he wasn't broken.
Not anymore.
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I love all three Kung Fu Panda movies. Four? What are you talking about they never made a four.