The Use of Energy

"Um… Where am I?", I asked myself groggily. "You slept for quite a while, everything should come back to you in a while", master Irwin's voice sounded in my ears. Though a bit disorientated, I gazed at my surroundings. We were near a cliff, with a forest spanning in front of us. 'Now I remember…', "Where are all those dead bears? This place looks a bit unfamiliar", I asked. "That's because I moved you someplace else. Now that you remember, come over here. You must be hungry after all", he invited me over.

Truthfully, I was really hungry. My stomach released growling noises, demanding food right away. "How long did I sleep?", I asked while joining him at the campfire. "One full day. Anyway, grab anything you like and eat", he replied.

"... As far as I recall, you were supposed to teach me something new. Are you going to teach me about the sword?", "Well, you did sort of okay in that fight. I guess it's time for my part of the deal. No, I will not teach you any sword moves. That requires time, and you have a journey to continue. I'll tell you how to use your energy properly, or rather differently", he replied.

"That's not much of a reward, but fine. What can you teach me about energy?", I replied, dissatisfied. "You think your knowledge about energy is good? Your primitive use of energy is appalling, to say the least. Your efficiency is poor, while your control is basic. Hence, I will teach you how to utilise it better. You might even learn how to exert it outside your body", he said.

"I'm all ears then". "You've been focusing on splitting and controlling your energy better, right? That is not the only way though. There's another method called Condensed Energy Point. This method requires a specific type of manipulation of your energy. To be precise, you have to condense it, not split. Moreover, condense it to a tiny point in your body", he explained.

"Instead of splitting your energy into few flows, directed towards your limbs or certain parts of your body. You'll learn how to condense the energy in a specific part of your body. Not only can this teach you a lot, the effectiveness of your energy will increase. Of course, such control isn't possible without a strong body, but your body is fine to start the practice", he added.

"... I guess the effectiveness is desired, but why'd that sort of control help me out?", I asked. "That's why you are the kid, and I'm the master… Actually, let me show you the difference. I'll show you both methods, while using the same amount of strength and energy", he replied before standing up.

He walked up to the face of the cliff's, then extended his bare arm. "Boom!", his fist slammed the wall, creating a large caving. "This is the first example, using the same method that you know. Controlling the flow, and using a specific amount of that flow to strike. Nothing complicated, right?", he asked. "Yes, that's how energy works, at least that's how I use it", I replied.

"Great. Now, let me show you what happens under the same circumstances, but with a different method of energy control. In other words, I'll condense the energy into my fist", he said while moving a bit to the side.

"BOOM", The wall also caved in, by that wasn't all. Large cracks formed all around the caving, while his fist got buried in the cliff's face. "Crumble… That is the difference. In simple terms, once you concentrate your energy at a single point, the strength of your attacks increases exponentially. Now, why would that be of help to you, since your weapon of choice is a sword, not a fist?", he asked. "I don't really know. Just like you pointed out, I'm using a sword not my fists to fight. This would be useful to Tara… She's my friend, who uses fists for fighting", I replied a bit confused.

"Think a little. What else did I tell you? This sort of control can teach you how to exert your energy outside your body. Now, once you achieve that, you'd be able to envelop objects with your energy. Which means…?", he asked. "...That I'll be able to envelop my sword in energy?", I replied a bit unsure. "Yes. Your blade is not bad by any means. Though add energy into the mix and you can achieve much more, even with the energy you currently possess. I'll put it like this. You'd be able to split that silver bear in half, if you learned to exert and condense your energy", he explained.

"That's... Amazing! Why didn't mom or dad tell me about it?", I asked. "Women… Did you even listen to what I said? Don't pick and choose what to hear, when I explain things. This sort of energy control is very dangerous. Once overdone, it will not end in a simple injury. You can lose limbs in the process. Do you really have to wonder why they didn't tell you that?", he replied.

"Then why the hell are you trying to teach me such a dangerous method then?", I argued. "Because I'm not your father nor mother. Listen Anna, and listen well. The world we live in isn't a playground for your little adventures and journeys. There are loads of dangerous beasts dwelling inside those forests, and even more dangerous bastards floating around the Empire. If you can't take a life, someone or something will take yours. That is the reality", he replied.

"In a sense, I'm giving you a way out. A sort of hidden card that you can resort to, if you are in deep shit. Don't you think it's better to lose a finger, hand or arm, than your whole life? Though that being said, not everything is so grim. Your body is not exactly weak, that mother of yours isn't an idiot. She prepared you for many years, that's how your instincts are so well developed. That's also why your body is this strong. Well, your parents being who they are, it's not that much of a surprise. I'll warn you again. Don't overestimate yourself with this method, but don't be afraid of practicing it either", he added.

His answer really surprised me. Mother treated me seriously in the past, but she wouldn't speak to me like that. Master Irwin wasn't joking at all, he experienced the world beyond my beliefs. He knew what to expect from the world, and he was determined to live. "Now that you understand, I'll tell you how to achieve that. In simple terms, you have to push your energy towards one point. Starting with collecting as much energy in your arm. Then you limit the scope to a fist only, and then to a single finger. That's the best route to achieve this", he said.

"Of course collecting the flow in your single arm is one aspect. The other is compression. To compress it, you have to do the opposite of division. Since you know how division works, figuring out how to reverse that shouldn't pose you too many problems. Once you achieve that in your arm, fist and a finger, you'll be able to apply that experience to any part of your body. Don't be an idiot though, start slow with the minimal amount of energy you can control. Then you can work your way up", he added.

"I understand. What about using my energy outside of my body?", I asked. "That will require good control from you as well. Once you are able to collect and compress your energy in one part of your body, try to force it out. You can't achieve it right now, because your energy is too weak. Once it's compressed, you'll be able to achieve it without any issues. The progress will not be instantaneous either. Your energy will seep out a bit, denying you any sort of control. That is fine though, you just have to do it often, and get accustomed to that. Once enough time passes and your energy strengthens, you'll be able to achieve control outside your body", he explained.

"That is not all. Your energy can be compressed outside your body as well. Auras are these sorts of things, albeit not exactly like that. You see, Aura is the energy with the addition of mood… Auras are really hard to explain, even Yater would struggle. Anyway, Auras use energy and require energy to travel outside the body. Your father awakened his Aura when he reached the Outer Limits stage, from what I know at least", he added. "He did? Does that mean I can achieve that too?", I asked.

"Hmmm, perhaps? It's hard to tell, since your father had a very good grasp of his energy. He controlled it much more proficiently than you right now. He was very knowledgeable about his own body and the energy it contained. That bastard really has a talent for adapting like a madman. Anyway, that allowed him to comprehend his own Aura. Usually, people comprehend their Auras after passing the Half Step, and they usually have hints like I'm giving you right now. Your father had none of that, he is simply insane", he replied.

"Heh, if he could do it, so can I. I'm his daughter after all… Anyway, am I still heading north-west?", I asked. "Of course, nothing's changed. Therefore you'll go north-west, until you reach the sea. We will not help you, Anna. You have to deal with your problems, that is the way our world works. A word of advice though. Rely more on your instincts. They were honed since you were just a kid, you simply never used them because of your stupid thoughts. Your mother prepared you really well, but you simply abandoned her preparation", he replied.

"… Alright, thanks for the meal and the lesson, I'll try to make it to the sea. We will see each other there, I assume?". "Something like that. Go forth, prove to me you are really his daughter", master Irwin replied, then bid me farewell. 'Alright, there's no escaping it now. Compressing my energy might be dangerous, but this place is not exactly safe. I should focus on that… and probably rely on my instincts a bit more', I thought.

The matter of my Aura had to wait though. I knew master Irwin didn't tell me everything about Auras. I had an Aura already, and he knew that. If my energy couldn't leave my body, how come that angry Aura was able to escape it? 'There are still loads of things I have no clue about. Maybe they will provide me with some answers, after I reach that sea'.

The forest in front of me wasn't normal. I had to take extra care with my movements, noises and presence. 'To think I'll be forced to actually learn how to be quiet… I can't practice my sword under these conditions… This is going to be a long and difficult part of my journey…'.