CHAPTER 10

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The next morning, the forest was veiled in mist, with the rising sun barely visible through the thick canopy. Despite the cold, I felt the fire of last night’s battle still burning in my veins. The hermit's words about the gods lingered, gnawing at the back of my mind, but I pushed them aside. I couldn’t afford to get distracted.

Today, I was going to focus on honing my skills even further. I needed to master everything if I was going to defeat the demon. I had Analyze, Slip, and the power to instantly learn and master magic. But I needed more. More precision, more control—things the hermit kept reminding me about.

As I made my way through the trees to our usual training ground, I could hear the sound of rushing water. It was a small stream that ran through the clearing, peaceful and unassuming. But today, it would serve a different purpose. I had decided it was time to master water magic.

I sat by the stream, closed my eyes, and reached out with my senses. I let the Aetheric Flow guide me, feeling the energy of the water as it moved over the rocks, as it twisted and flowed through the earth. Water was always in motion, always shifting, yet it was calm—just as the hermit had taught me.

“You’ve learned the basics of each element,” the hermit’s voice came from behind me. I hadn’t noticed him approach, but I wasn’t surprised. “Now, you need to understand the intricacies. Water isn’t just a weapon—it’s life. It adapts. You must learn to do the same.”

“I know,” I replied, my voice steady. “That’s why I’m here.”

The hermit stepped closer, standing by the edge of the stream. He dipped his fingers into the water, barely making a ripple. “Water is patience. You can’t force it. You have to let it guide you.”

I nodded and focused, letting my breathing slow as I called on the flow of magic. Slowly, I lifted my hand, and the water responded. At first, it rose gently, curling around my fingers like a snake. But as I concentrated harder, I began to manipulate it more forcefully, turning the gentle current into a swirling vortex.

“Good,” the hermit said, his voice calm. “But you’re still trying to control it. Let it breathe. Let it flow naturally.”

I grit my teeth, frustrated by his constant need for subtlety. I didn’t want to move water gently. I wanted power—enough to drown my enemies, enough to control the battlefield. I pushed harder, forcing the water to rise higher, creating a towering wave above my head.

“Niv,” the hermit warned. “You’re pushing too much.”

“I have to!” I snapped. “I need power! I can’t afford to waste time!”

And then it happened. The wave collapsed, slamming into the ground with a force that sent me stumbling backward, soaked and breathless. The water surged in every direction, uncontrolled, chaotic.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The hermit didn’t say anything at first. He simply stood there, watching as the water settled back into the stream, quiet once again.

“Do you see now?” he asked softly. “You can’t force water. You need to adapt to it.”

I sat on the ground, my fists clenched. “I don’t have time for patience. I need to be ready.”

The hermit knelt beside me, his eyes meeting mine. “The skills you’ve chosen—Analyze, Slip, the elements—they’re powerful, but without control, without understanding, they’ll consume you. You think you’ve mastered magic, but you’ve only scratched the surface.”

His words cut deep, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I pushed myself to my feet. “Then show me,” I said, my voice defiant. “Show me how to control it.”

The hermit sighed, but nodded. “Very well. We’ll start with water. But this time, you’ll listen.”

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The next few hours were grueling, but enlightening. The hermit walked me through the subtleties of water magic, teaching me to control it with the Aetheric Flow rather than brute force. I learned to let the water guide me, to feel its rhythm and adapt to its movements.

At first, it was difficult. My instinct was always to push harder, to control. But as I practiced, I began to understand what the hermit meant. Water wasn’t about domination. It was about adaptation, about patience.

With each passing hour, I felt myself growing more attuned to the element. I could feel the difference now when I called upon the water. It responded to me, not because I forced it to, but because I understood it. I could bend it to my will, but it was a mutual understanding—a partnership between mage and element.

As the sun began to set, I finally managed to summon a perfect sphere of water, floating above my hand. It was small, but it was stable, controlled. The hermit smiled, a rare expression of approval from him.

“Well done,” he said quietly. “Now you’re starting to see.”

I stared at the water in my hand, mesmerized by the way it moved, how it held its shape effortlessly. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was trying to control it. I felt like I was working with it.

“Tomorrow, we’ll move on to something more advanced,” the hermit said as he turned to leave. “But for now, you should rest.”

I nodded, but my mind was already racing with possibilities. If I could master water like this, what else could I learn? I had the ability to instantly learn and master magic, but I had been too focused on brute strength, on power. Maybe the hermit was right. Maybe there was more to magic than just force.

As I watched the sphere of water floating above my hand, I realized something else. The skills I had chosen—Analyze, Slip, the elements—they weren’t random. I had chosen them because they were versatile, because they gave me control over the battlefield. But more than that, they reflected who I was.

Analyze was my mind, always calculating, always looking for weaknesses. It allowed me to see things others couldn’t, to break down the world around me and understand it on a deeper level.

Slip was my adaptability, my ability to change the environment to my advantage. It wasn’t about strength, but about precision, about turning the tide of battle in my favor.

And the elements—fire, earth, wind, water—they were my tools, my weapons. But they weren’t just blunt instruments. They were extensions of me, of my will.

I was starting to understand now. The power I sought wasn’t just about strength. It was about mastery. True mastery.

That night, as I lay by the fire, I couldn’t stop thinking about the hermit’s words. He had spoken of the gods, of something bigger than the demon I was hunting. Something I wasn’t ready for.

But I would be. I had the power to master any magic, any skill. And I would. No matter what came next, I would be ready.

Because I wasn’t just a boy seeking revenge anymore. I was becoming something more.