Chapter 8: Take Things Slow
Near a lake filled with peace and quiet, a chaotic man was walking near by and that man was me. Eventually I snapped out of it after my leg fell into the lake instead of the ground. I cursed at myself. Immediately went to a bench nearby.
My shoe and pants are soaking wet. How great would it be if I could use my spirit fire technique to dry myself. I can't because it exhausts too much of my internal energy. Just one fist sized fireball could make me unconscious. Although my spiritual power has become stronger since then and also improved the fireball technique, my internal energy is still too low. I can use the technique 3 times now. This training regiment did improve my progress but not by much. I had thought about a solution. Since I can't increase my internal energy by too much in a short time maybe I should look for the solution from a different perspective, a spiritual perspective to be exact. I can try to create a spiritual organ that is like an extension of my soul. It's purpose would be to gather, store and release essence. Using my body's physically stored energy or internal energy as I call it is too inefficient in performing spiritual techniques. A spiritual organ can solve many of my current problems. But as always I have to face and solve some problems. I can't create one yet. First I need to understand how to create an extension of my soul. Then I need to change that extension into a spiritual organ that can hold generate, absorb and discharge essence. Second it's going to take a lot of energy or essence to create a spiritual organ. Both these problems have only one solution and that is to increase my spiritual strength to a level that allows me to sense and control the inner workings of my soul. But my progress has been is becoming slower. The idea of absorbing natural spiritual aura still needs some time as eventhough I am pretty close, I still can't perform essence or energy conversion on it.
I stood up from my place ignoring my wet pants and shoe. I was getting angry trying to unravel this deadlock. Am I really going to hit a limit that I can't break. After sometime anger started to become sadness. My eyes started to swell a little. I forced myself to hold back my tears. But my emotions were uncontrollable even with my soul strength. I finally start to feel something. Yes, this feeling was quite familiar for me. I remembered the time I wanted to make PC game. I was faced with a program issue. No matter how many times I tried change the code my game avatar refused to move. After days of constant research, coding and failures my goal to make a great game started to disappear. And eventually I completely gave upon that project.
At first they were only dreams, desires and wishes I wanted to make real. But once I kept on facing problems after I had started walking on those paths to achieve them, I slowly but eventually gave up on them. I couldn't help but feel if I would give up on these desires as well one day. These were the most precious ones of them all. Any of my other goals pales in comparison even if combined. I did not want to give up but the possibility that I might get bored of it or reach a stage from where I can't go any further tugged on my mind. I thought to myself "Will I really.....".
I stopped. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I started walking again. I started smiling as I kept on walking. I was laughing because I had realised something. This was similar to a scene in a novel where the main character faces some mental predicaments and his or her friends help him to get over it.
I had sensed someone stealthily approaching me from behind using my spirit field and guess who it was. I stopped after sometime pretending to admire nature's beauty.
"Drop the act. I know you sensed me." Said Lia.
She figured it out.
"As expected." I said as I turned around and looked at her.
"You have changed a lot. Let me guess you practice somekind of high grade martial arts now?"
Quite an interesting observation, I thought.
"You could say that in a way. But it is not exactly martial arts."
"Then what is it?"
"I don't want to tell you."
"Why?"
"It is a secret."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No." Well that's what I think. I mean I am not hurting anyone using my abilities. I am still the same as always. I discovered these abilities with my own efforts. I did not do anything bad to get them. I actually wanted to tell her the whole thing but I feel that now is not the right time.
"Anyway, you should find a way to keep that pressure of yours in check. Ordinary people won't feel it but not everyone is ordinary." I thought about what she and agreed.
Lia sighed and then smiled at me. I also smiled back. It seems that everything is back to normal. We both sat down and started talking. I asked her something that was always bugging me.
"Lia, did you face a time when you faced a problem that you couldn't solve?"
"No I can't remember facing anything like that."
"Oh, is that so."
"But there was this one time when I was asked to break a wooden board by punching it many times."
"Oh, what happened?"
"No matter how many times I continued punching. The board didn't break. Seeing how my hands were, my grandpa told me.....".
-- Lia's POV (Past Event) --
"Since you are no longer able to go on. Go take some rest. Come back after your hands have healed."
I was looking at my hands and wanted to let them heal but I didn't want to lose. So I said..
"No, I can keep going."
"Humph. Stubborn child." He said it as if he didn't care what I did.
"Just watch me." I said as I send out my punch but my hand on impact screamed in agony. I didn't cry. I put up with the pain and was going to do the same with my other hand. But I stopped midway because I didn't want the same situation to happen to my other hand also.
"Ha ha ha... do you really think that it's possible for a car to run with a broken engine? Lia, go take rest and heal your hands. After that, they will become stronger and will be enough for you to break this piece of wood. Take this into heart. Sometimes it's ok to slow down or back out. Thinking of only progress can destroy you."
I looked at grandpa who was walking away. I will remember his words. He looks full of energy and life eventhough he is so old.
-- Lyle's POV --
After I heard the story I realised my situation was also a bit similar. I have been fixated on fast growth. I also needed to realise that it is ok to slow down a bit. It is not like I don't have any options. There are still things I haven't tried out yet. This was a good lesson for me. I would have figured this out even if I had not met Lia now that I think about it because unlike my past goals, this was different. This dream I am living now, I was never able to let it go even during the times I wasn't sure of it's existence. This question of it's existence tormented me for years since childhood. But I am now finding the answers. If I faced and solved such a huge predicament then I am definitely not going to give up now or in the future. I still have time after all. Meeting Lia here was also good.....
"Earth to Lyle. Hello, wake up from your daydreaming you idiot. Seriously, I thought you changed too much in a short time but you are still an absent-minded blockhead."
"Isn't that too much." I said. It stings when others say that about me.
"Whose fault do you think it is. You never notice me unless I call out to you. Eventhough you were free these days you never meet or call me."
"I...." I was at a loss for words because I realised how much I was ignoring my surroundings to focus on magic.
I thought a lot about what to say or do to make her forgive me. My thoughts explored dozens of ways at a speed that can put geniuses to shame. Finally the perfect words were found. I said...
"I am sorry and I sincerely apologize. Can you forgive?" It was my fault so I sincerely apologised.
"Hmm. Let me see... Ok, treat me to some good ice cream sold in that shop over there and also show me something interesting. Let me see if I can forgive you."
"Ice cream and something interesting to show..... Ok it's a deal. But don't be surprised by what you see."
"You think it's going to be that easy?"
I can see that she thinks nothing will surprise her but just you wait. But first was Ice cream.
We both went to the ice cream stand nearby and brought two vanilla ultra specials. When we were eating our ice cream, Lia would look at me from time to time. Feeling her gaze I couldn't help but remember similar scenes in novels, manga, movies and animes. This is usually the part where the relationship between the MC and female comrade deepens. But this is real life. I didn't know in what meaning she was looking at me. I decided to wait some more time before talking to her about my doubts and feelings. I was also looking at her from time to time as well. But we never spoke anything and kept eating silently.
It was getting dark quickly and I noticed that the shopkeeper was looking at the both of us with a smile. It seems Lia also noticed it. She also seemed to think about something.
Sometime had passed. It was finally the time for my plan. After the both of us finished our ice creams, I took her to my favourite spot near the lake. It was a bit of a strange romantic atmosphere with nighttime, fireflies and a small half moon instead of a big full moon on the sky and it was being reflected by the peaceful lake.
It seems that Lia also sense this strange feeling of experiencing a scene from a romance novel. She started blushing. Even I couldn't help but be embarrassed a bit.
Lia started talking...
"Lyle... Is this what you wanted to show me. I must say it is quite beautiful.....Ok I decided to forgi....."
Lia seems to like this moment as she was eagerly looking around while speaking. But before she finished.
"Actually even I didn't expect right now this place would be like this. I was planning to show you a magic trick."
"?! What... What trick are you planning to do?" She didn't quite expect such a turn of events.
"Trust me, it's a trick that I had to do some major research and practice to perfect."
Instead of talking further, I started to bring my hands forward with my palms facing upwards. Lia seems to be prepared. I can see that she was not going to be surprised by standard tricks. But what I was doing is not a trick.
Suddenly Lia's face started showing amazement when she saw what was starting to appear and float on top of my hands. It was a small cute yellow flame. Then the yellow flame started changing shape into a small line that started flying through the air often circling around both of us. It took me a lot of hard work and research to this. The line of yellow fire if looked at closely you can see it is not perfect as their was obvious flickers and sparks here and there sometimes. But it was still beautiful to see this in the night coupled with the unexpected fireflies, lake, reflections and half moon which I wish was a full moon. Thanks for the assist. The line of yellow flame was controlled to make sure it won't burn anyone. Finally it flew back to the top of my hands and disappeared from the night.
"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" Lia asked with amazed eyes.
"It is a secret. I won't tell you the trick because I didn't put this much work into it just to tell you and expose the secret. Try to find out by yourself."
"Cheapskate."
"He he. So did you like it? May I receive your forgiveness?"
"I loved it. I also forgive you but if you repeat yourself again..."
"I will try my best to never do that again."
"Good..... It seems really late. I am leaving first."
"Ok, be safe.....Goodbye."
"Yeah..... Goodbye."
After a moment of silence she left. Both of us for some reason felt like there was something we didn't talk about. But I did'nt know what it was. After she left I took an energy bar from my pocket and ate it. Eventhough I am stronger now, this technique is still a bit too expensive but I can bear it. Today was a really good day. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone