Continue of training

Six months later, Leo sat cross-legged on the stone floor, eyes closed in concentration. The cave's ambient temperature had dropped with the winter season, but he barely noticed anymore. His body had adapted—hardened like the very element he commanded.

"Again," Old Stone barked. "You're still wasting energy on the initial compression."

Leo exhaled slowly, focusing on the wooden training dummy trapped in his Earth Shackles. The earth around its legs quivered, then suddenly contracted with devastating force. The lower half of the dummy splintered with a satisfying crack.

"Better," Old Stone grudgingly admitted. "But in real combat, you'd be dead three times over by now."

Leo wiped sweat from his brow. "The Earth Crusher requires too much concentration to execute quickly."

"Then train harder," Old Stone snapped. "Your enemies won't wait while you gather your thoughts."

The harsh training regimen had become Leo's new norm. After nearly dying against the golem—and spending weeks recovering from his shattered leg—Leo's perspective had shifted dramatically. The spirits weren't merely difficult teachers; they were preparing him for a world where hesitation meant death.

"Did all your previous students die here?" Leo asked one evening as he practiced maintaining multiple Earth Shackles simultaneously.

Old Stone's presence darkened. "Seventeen came before you. Eleven died during the first test. Six during the second."

Leo absorbed this without flinching. Months ago, such casual mention of death would have horrified him. Now he understood the brutal calculus behind it.

"The Earth Crusher isn't just about strength," Old Stone continued, circling Leo's training area. "It's about precision. Trap the enemy, then crush only what you intend to destroy. Too much power wastes energy. Too little fails to eliminate the threat."

Leo nodded, focusing again on his practice target. This time, he cast Earth Shackles around the dummy's midsection, then executed Earth Crusher with surgical precision. The wooden torso imploded exactly where he'd intended, leaving the rest intact.

"I'm not training you to disable opponents," Old Stone said, something like approval in his voice. "I'm training you to survive and to kill. In my time, mercy was a luxury few could afford."

Leo looked at his hands, calloused and scarred from months of relentless practice. "I understand now," he said quietly. "The weak die. That's just how it is."

Old Stone's presence settled beside him. "Perhaps. But remember this—true strength isn't measured by how many you kill, but by how well you protect what matters."

Leo frowned, running his hand along the rough cave wall. "I've studied every book in the Shmidt library. Why have I never seen Earth Crusher mentioned?"

Old Stone's laughter echoed through the cavern, a sound like grinding boulders. "And this surprises you, boy? You think the truly powerful would document their greatest techniques for any fool to find?"

"But—"

"But nothing," Old Stone cut him off. "The weak catalog their mediocre skills in fancy books. The strong keep their best techniques hidden, passing them only to worthy successors."

Leo absorbed this harsh truth. It made sense—the academy taught standardized spells, but family techniques remained closely guarded secrets.

"The greatest skills are either buried with their creators or passed down through blood and oath," Old Stone continued. "Sometimes sold for prices that would bankrupt kingdoms."

Leo nodded slowly. "So Earth Crusher..."

"Is but one of many techniques you won't find in your precious books." Old Stone's presence shifted, growing more focused. "Which brings me to what I'll teach you next."

The spirit circled Leo, his energy pulsing with unusual intensity. "Earth Affinity Increase. A foundation skill I developed centuries ago."

Leo straightened. "What does it do?"

"Simple in concept, difficult in execution. It deepens your connection to earth element, enhancing control over every earth spell you cast."

"Like a mana efficiency technique?"

"More fundamental than that," Old Stone corrected. "It doesn't just conserve energy—it transforms your relationship with earth itself. The element becomes more... responsive to your will."

Leo's eyes widened as he grasped the implications.

"Every earth spell you know becomes more potent. But the technique's true value depends entirely on your understanding of earth's nature." Old Stone's presence contracted, focusing to a point. "Close your eyes. Feel the stone beneath you. Not as something separate, but as an extension of yourself."

Leo obeyed, placing his palms flat against the cave floor. The cool stone seemed to pulse beneath his fingertips.

"Earth isn't just dirt and rock," Old Stone instructed. "It's foundation. Stability. Endurance. The more deeply you understand these qualities, the more powerful this technique becomes."

"Let me make something clear," Old Stone's voice rumbled through the cave. "Earth Affinity Increase isn't like your other spells. Most mages never truly master it."

Leo frowned. "How long does it typically take?"

"Decades." The spirit's energy rippled with what might have been amusement. "I'd wager it will take you at least that long to reach even moderate proficiency."

"Decades?" Leo's jaw tightened. "I don't have—"

"Of course you don't," Old Stone cut him off. "No one believes they have decades to master anything. That's why most remain mediocre."

The spirit directed Leo to sit in the center of the cave. "Begin with a small area—just the earth directly beneath you. Close your eyes and extend your senses into it."

Leo obeyed, pressing his palms against the cool stone floor.

"Don't just feel the surface," Old Stone instructed. "Understand it. The earth contains everything—life begins in it, and you return to it when you die. It nurtures seeds and buries kings."

Leo concentrated, trying to sense beyond the physical texture.

"It can be soft as powder or hard as diamond," Old Stone continued. "It holds the bones of mountains and the memory of ages. Make it part of yourself."

Hours passed as Leo struggled with the exercise. Unlike his other training, there was no visible progress, no measure of success. Just endless concentration that left him mentally exhausted.

"This is impossible," he finally muttered, opening his eyes.

"Is it?" Old Stone's presence hovered nearby. "Or are you simply accustomed to quick results? Not everything worth learning comes easily, boy."

Leo wiped sweat from his brow. "How will I know if I'm making progress?"

"When you stop asking that question." Old Stone's energy contracted. "The earth doesn't hurry. Most of the stones here will live past most of the people you know."

Leo closed his eyes again, trying to sense the ancient patience in the stone beneath him. For a brief moment, he felt something—a whisper of connection, as if the boundary between himself and the earth had thinned slightly.

Then it was gone.

"I felt... something," he said hesitantly.

"Good," Old Stone replied. "That's your first step. Now take a thousand more. Hehe"