Urban Ascent

Chapter 1: Awakening the Mundane

Have you ever woken up and realized you've gotten old before you even had the chance to notice? When I was younger, I always thought I'd make something of myself—that my life would be different. Eventually.

But eventually never came. Now here I am—32 years old—sitting in a cubicle I've long outgrown, staring at a screen that never seems to change. Just like my life. Another day, another meaningless spreadsheet destined to vanish into the void of this company's forgotten servers—along with the rest of my "contributions." Funny how quickly you can become invisible without even realizing it.

It's not like my personal life is any better. Just like my career, relationships always felt like a chore, something I kept putting off. And unlike the perpetually growing pile of laundry in the bathroom—constantly reminding me to buy more shirts—there's no visual reminder of just how much time I've let slip through my fingers.

But life has a way of catching up with you, doesn't it? Sometimes, the most unexpected thing can shake you awake. For me, it wasn't a new job or some life-altering decision. It was a web novel.

This probably won't shock anyone, but I spend a lot of time consuming media—books, manga, TV shows, movies—anything to keep me distracted from thinking too hard about where my life's at. Or, more accurately, where it isn't.

Lately, I've gotten hooked on Chinese cultivation web novels. And, of course, I did what I always do—hyper-fixated on the concept. One story, in particular, really grabbed me. It was about this 18-year-old college kid who, after being randomly added to some chat group, stumbles into the world of cultivation.

Naturally, he thought it was just a role-playing chat—people pretending cultivation was real. I mean, come on. Anyone with a brain knows that stuff's pure fantasy, right? If it were real, there'd be proof online by now. After all, everyone's glued to their phones 24/7—you'd at least expect a few videos to trend.

But you know how it goes. Sometimes that little voice in the back of your head whispers, But what if it is real? Sure, it's probably not. But you're alone, no one's watching, and hey—you already enjoy the novels, so why not indulge in a little meditation and play along? So, that's exactly what he did.

And that's exactly what I did.

This has to be one of the most meta realizations I've ever had—a realization based on a character in a novel having a realization. So, partly out of boredom and partly out of a deep, hidden desire for it to be real, I talked myself into meditating.

But here's the thing—these novels never really explain how to "circulate your chi," or whatever. So I guess I'm just winging it. After awkwardly shoving the coffee table a few feet into the kitchen, I plopped down in the "criss-cross applesauce" position—something I hadn't done since, well, who knows when.

I close my eyes and try to focus on my breathing, but all I can think about is how much my ass hurts from sitting on this cheap, ten-year-old carpet. Sigh. I should've just stayed on the couch. Whatever. Let's see if I can just zone out and "feel" the chi—actually—mana in the air. It's not like it matters what I call it. It's not like it's real anyway.

What exactly does mana feel like? Is it the air on my skin? Should I be sensing some hidden current? It's always described as being connected to breathing, so I guess it's like air, right? But if your "Dantian"—no, let's just call it your Core—if that isn't real in a physical sense, then it's not really about breathing, is it? It's more about the concept behind it. The Intent.

Whoa... why did that just give me chills?

To breathe without breathing. The idea of it, the framework. Absorption? No—more like intake? Gather. That's it. It's the Intent to Gather. This energy around me. This Mana. It's about willpower, I'm contending with reality, trying to reshape it, no matter how small, into something different then it already is.