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I nodded, trying to show El that I was keeping up. He drew a stick figure on the page, shading a circle near it–another power point, I assumed.

Then he sketched arrows from the circle pointing toward the stick figure, miming an absorbing motion with his hands.

"Wait, so... you absorb these points?" I blurted out before catching myself. Damn, he can't understand me.

El noticed my confusion. He nodded thoughtfully, then took the page back. He drew two human figures side by side—one bold and solid, the other outlined with dotted lines. Pointing to the bold figure, he gestured between himself and me. Then he closed his eyes and pointed to the dotted figure.

I furrowed my brow. "Invisible? Or... inside?" I mumbled.

Is he talking about an inner self or one's physical self and the other is something that represents???

El watched me, eyes searching mine for any sign of understanding. I glanced back at the drawings–the solid figure must represent our physical bodies, like his enhanced strength and vision. The dotted one... could it symbolize something non-physical? The mind or spirit? The source of his flame ability?

A light went on in my head. "So, the bold figure is physical powers, and the dotted one is mental or spiritual powers?" I asked, half hoping he'd magically understand me.

He gave a small smile, nodding as if to encourage my line of thought.

"Alright," I said, nodding back. "I think I'm getting it."

He gestured for me to let him continue. I handed the journal back, and he looked at me intently, as if gauging whether I was ready for the next part.

El pointed to one of the power points he'd drawn in front of the two figures. He mimed the flame again, indicating that this particular point was associated with fire or perhaps the mind.

I nodded slowly. "So each point corresponds to a different ability or element," I murmured. "And we can acquire them by... absorbing these power points into either our physical or mental selves?"

He seemed to sense my growing understanding and nodded more firmly this time.

"That's... actually pretty damn cool," I admitted, a hint of excitement creeping into my voice.

He offered a faint smile, the weariness in his eyes momentarily replaced with a spark of hope.

"So, these points–some enhance physical abilities like strength and vision by granting aspects or traits like elementals or night vision and stuff…" I pointed to the bold figure, "and others enhance mental or elemental abilities, like your fire." I tapped the dotted figure.

El nodded again, his expression indicating that I was on the right track.

"Alright, got it," I said, feeling a surge of determination. "Let's see where this goes."

He looked relieved as if a significant barrier between us had just been bridged.

El began by meticulously dividing the bold figure—the representation of the physical body—into distinct sections. He circled both legs, connecting them with a dotted line, and placed a single mark beside them.

I leaned in closer. "So both legs count as one slot?" I muttered under my breath. He glanced up at me and gave a subtle nod.

"Alright, got it," I thought.

He moved on to circle the stomach area, adding a double line next to it. Then he marked the heart, followed by the neck or throat. Next, he drew circles over both arms, pairing them together, and then circled the mouth, nose, and a pair over the eyes. Finally, he shaded the entire body and added a number beside it.

I counted silently. "A lot of spots huh..," I realized.

But confusion crept in. "What the hell does all this mean?" I wondered, scratching my head. El noticed my bewilderment. He pointed to the bloodstains on the floor from his earlier coughing fits.

"Blood?" I whispered. Then it clicked. "These points correspond to vital parts of the physical body."

"Ten physical points," I repeated, nodding slowly. "But why are they important?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Before I could ask, El shifted gears. He circled the flame he'd drawn earlier and lit a small fire in his hand. The sudden burst of light made me blink. Then, he crossed out several parts on the physical body diagram: the entire body, the blood, nose, and mouth, and he lightly crossed the eyes and heart.

I frowned. "Why is he crossing those out?" I muttered. My confusion must have been obvious.

He looked at me, then reignited the flame in his hand. Holding it steadily, he showed me his palm—completely unburned. He gestured toward the physical body drawing and then sketched flames surrounding the entire figure.

"Wait a minute," I said, gears turning in my head. "You're showing me that the flame doesn't harm you physically."

He pointed to the crossed-out parts again and then to his hand, emphasizing that it wasn't burned.

Realization dawned on me. "Oh, I get it now! The power point grants new traits or aspects to the user, but it would be stupid to assign something like fire—which naturally burns—to certain physical parts of the body."

He gave a slight nod, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"So assigning fire to, say, the blood or the heart could be disastrous," I mused. "But if it's properly integrated, it enhances without harming."

El tapped the shaded circle over the entire body and then gestured around himself as if enveloped by an invisible aura.

"An aura?" I guessed. "A protective layer?"

He nodded, confirming my suspicion.

"This is wild," I muttered. "So the flame power can be used to create a protective aura around the body, but you have to be careful where you channel it."

He pointed back to the diagram, specifically at the eyes and heart, which he'd lightly crossed out earlier.

"Assigning fire to the eyes or heart is risky," I said aloud. "But maybe not entirely off-limits if done carefully?"

He gave a so-so gesture with his hand.

"Alright, noted," I said. "Proceed with caution."

I looked back at the ten physical points he'd marked. "So these are potential slots where powers can be applied," I thought. "But compatibility matters."

El began drawing symbols next to each point—some I recognized as elemental signs, others were unfamiliar. He pointed to the arms and drew a symbol resembling strength, then to the legs and sketched speed lines.

"So powers like enhanced strength and speed can be assigned to these parts," I concluded.

He nodded, then pointed to the eyes and drew a small lightning bolt.

"Vision enhancements," I said. "Maybe even lightning-based abilities."

He smiled, clearly pleased that I was following along.

"But how do you know which powers are safe to assign to each point?" I asked, more to myself than to him.

He tapped his temple, indicating thought or knowledge. Then he pointed to himself and then to me.

"Experience?" I guessed. "Or maybe intuition?"

He shrugged, then drew a question mark beside the symbols.

"Trial and error," I muttered. "Fantastic."

El suddenly coughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed in the cavern. Concerned, I reached out. "Hey, you alright?"

He waved me off, but the strain was evident on his face.

"Maybe we should take a break," I suggested.

He shook his head firmly, pointing back to the diagram.

"Stubborn, aren't you?" I said with a smirk.

He chuckled weakly, then pointed to the non-physical figure he'd drawn earlier–the one outlined with dotted lines. He circled it and then drew symbols around it: a flame, a wavy line that might represent water and a swirl for wind.

"Elemental powers," I realized. "Assigned to the non-physical aspects."

He nodded, then pointed back to the physical body and drew a barrier between the two figures.

"A separation between physical and non-physical powers," I mused. "They operate differently."

He pointed to the flame in his hand, then to the non-physical figure, emphasizing the connection.

"Your fire ability comes from your non-physical power points," I said. "Whereas your strength enhancements come from the physical ones."

Another nod.

He gestured for me to look back at the diagram, then pointed to the crossed-out parts again.

"Assigning incompatible powers to the wrong points can harm you," I said. "Or even be fatal."

He tapped the crossed-out heart symbol, then mimed a heart stopping.

"Death," I whispered. "Got it."

A heavy silence settled between us. The weight of this new information pressed down on me.

"Thanks for the warning," I said softly. "I'll be careful."

He offered a weak smile, then leaned back, clearly exhausted.

I glanced around the cavern. "We should rest," I suggested. "You've pushed yourself enough."

He didn't protest this time, closing his eyes briefly.

I sat beside him, lost in thought. "This whole system of powers is more complex than I imagined," I pondered. "But if I can navigate it properly, it could be a game-changer."

I looked over at El. "You've risked a lot to teach me this," I said quietly. "I won't let it go to waste."

He opened his eyes slightly, meeting my gaze. There was a depth of understanding there, a silent acknowledgment.

"Get some sleep," I told him. "We'll figure out our next move when you're feeling better."

He nodded faintly, settling into a more comfortable position.

I leaned back against the cold stone wall, staring up at the faint glow of the moss above. "So much for a simple survival mission," I thought wryly. "Now I'm knee-deep in mystical power dynamics."

A sardonic grin spread across my face. "Just another day in the life, huh?"

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