The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the training grounds. Towan stood alone, a slight breeze tugging at his hair. His fists clenched and unclenched as he tried to focus, recalling Eryndar’s words about his essence flow being powerful yet wasteful.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Feel the flow,” he muttered to himself, remembering Eryndar’s instructions. “Don’t force it, just observe.”

Towan’s breathing steadied, and he began to sense the faint hum of energy coursing through his body. It was raw and relentless, like a rushing river smashing against its banks. The flow surged into his arms, pooling in his fists before dispersing outward in uneven waves. It was chaotic, but undeniably powerful.

“No wonder my punches are strong,” he thought, his brows furrowing. “But… it’s all over the place. I’m burning through too much energy just standing here.”

To test his theory, Towan threw a punch, focusing on his essence as he did. The air cracked with force as his fist shot forward, the ground beneath him trembling slightly. He staggered back, his chest heaving.

“Damn,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. “One punch and I’m already winded.”

He stood still for a moment, thinking about what Eryndar had said. “Imagine how it should flow.” The words echoed in his mind.

Towan closed his eyes again, this time paying closer attention to how his essence moved. He imagined the rushing river within him, its chaotic energy spilling over the edges. But instead of trying to control it outright, he visualized the river narrowing, its waters channeled into a single, steady stream.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Slowly, he raised his fists, this time with intent. He threw another punch, focusing on channeling his essence into the strike.

The result wasn’t as explosive as before, but it felt different—more deliberate, more controlled. His body didn’t feel as drained, and there was a strange sense of satisfaction in the movement.

“Not bad,” he said to himself, a small grin forming on his lips. “Still not perfect, but… it’s a start.”

He continued experimenting, throwing punch after punch, adjusting his stance and breathing with each strike. As the minutes turned into hours, Towan began to notice patterns in his essence flow. He realized that his natural flow favored short bursts of power, but it lacked any rhythm or consistency.

“It’s like a wild animal,” he thought. “Strong but unpredictable. If I can tame it… no, if I can work with it, I could make my strikes even stronger without burning myself out.”

His mind raced with possibilities. What if he could channel his essence into just his fists, without letting it spill into the rest of his body? What if he could release all of it in a single, devastating blow?

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

The thought excited him, but he knew he wasn’t ready yet. For now, his goal was to understand the flow as it was, to get a feel for its natural tendencies before trying to reshape it.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Towan finally stopped, his chest heaving with exertion. Sweat dripped from his brow, but his eyes shone with determination.

“This is just the beginning,” he said, clenching his fists. “I’m going to make this flow mine.”

Kade stood beneath the shade of a tall tree, its rustling leaves offering some reprieve from the afternoon heat. He exhaled slowly, his sharp blue eyes scanning the open field ahead of him. Unlike Towan, Kade wasn’t one for brute force. His strength lay in precision, timing, and strategy—qualities he’d honed for years in sparring matches.

“Feel your flow,” Kade whispered to himself, closing his eyes as he sat cross-legged on the grass. He let the world around him fade away, focusing inward.

At first, he felt nothing. The silence was deafening, and doubt began to creep into his mind. “Maybe I don’t have some special flow like Towan,” he thought, his jaw tightening. But then, like a whisper in the wind, he felt it—a faint, steady current running through him.

Unlike Towan’s wild, rushing river, Kade’s essence flow felt calm and deliberate, like a gentle stream weaving its way through his body. It moved with precision, flowing to specific points before retreating and cycling again.

“It’s… controlled,” Kade realized, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Not chaotic like Towan’s. It’s almost like it’s waiting for me to tell it what to do.”

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants, and rolled his shoulders. “Let’s see what you’ve got,” he muttered to his essence, as though it were an opponent he needed to outsmart.

Kade began to move, taking slow, deliberate steps. He focused on how his essence responded with each shift of his weight, noting how it surged to his legs when he lunged forward or to his arms when he extended them. It was efficient, almost intuitive, but it lacked something.

“It’s reactive,” he thought, stopping mid-step. “It’s moving because of me, not with me.”

He closed his eyes again, replaying Eryndar’s words in his mind. “Imagine how it should flow.”

Kade pictured his essence as a network of threads, each one connected to a different part of his body. If he could synchronize their movements, he could react faster, strike quicker, and dodge with greater precision.

He began to experiment, shifting his stance and visualizing his essence flowing ahead of his movements instead of trailing behind. With each step, he imagined his essence guiding him, like a dance partner leading him across the floor.

Kade’s movements became smoother, his transitions seamless. He darted across the field, weaving between imaginary opponents with an agility that surprised even him. His essence felt lighter now, more responsive.

“Not bad,” he said to himself, a grin spreading across his face. “But there’s still more to figure out.”

As he continued his training, Kade began to notice something interesting. His essence flow naturally favored balance and adaptability, making it perfect for quick, precise movements. However, it wasn’t as strong or explosive as Towan’s.

“It’s like a scalpel compared to a hammer,” he thought. “Precise, but I can’t rely on brute strength to overpower anyone.”

He paused, rubbing his chin as an idea struck him. “If I can predict my opponent’s movements, I can use my essence to strike where it’ll hurt the most. It’s not about hitting hard—it’s about hitting smart.”

The realization excited him, and he spent the rest of the afternoon testing his theory. By the time the sun began to set, Kade felt more in tune with his essence than ever before.

“It’s not perfect yet,” he admitted, wiping sweat from his brow. “But it’s a start. I’m not like Towan or the others—I don’t need raw power. I just need to be faster, smarter, and always one step ahead.”