Healing and learning a movement technique

"You nearly killed him," Old Water's voice rippled with displeasure, his essence condensing into mist that hovered protectively over Leo's unconscious form.

Old Stone remained unmoved, his energy a solid, unrepentant mass. "I did what was necessary."

"Necessary?" Old Wind whistled sharply, circling the chamber in agitation. "The boy lost a hand and a leg! If we hadn't intervened—"

"But you did intervene," Old Stone cut in. "As I knew you would."

The three ancient spirits had stabilized Leo's condition immediately after he collapsed. Old Water had stemmed the bleeding while Old Stone carefully reattached the severed limbs, mending bone, muscle, and skin with painstaking precision.

"His connection to earth deepened in that moment," Old Stone continued. "Did you not feel it? When death approached, when all seemed lost—he touched something primal."

Old Wind paused his restless movement. "I felt it. The earth responded to him as if... as if it recognized him."

"Precisely." Old Stone's energy pulsed with rare satisfaction. "No amount of safe training would have triggered that response. Fear of true death was the catalyst he needed."

Old Water formed a cooling mist around Leo's feverish body. "And if he had died before reaching that breakthrough? What then, Stone? Another millennium of waiting?"

"Then he would not have been worthy." Old Stone's response was cold, unyielding. "Better to know now than waste more time on an unworthy brat."

"You're a cruel teacher," Old Water murmured.

"I am an effective one," Stone countered. "Look at his aura now."

The three spirits observed the faint golden glow surrounding Leo's unconscious form—a glow that hadn't been there before.

"His foundation has deepened," Old Wind acknowledged reluctantly. "The connection is... remarkable for one so young."

"Worth the risk," Old Stone said firmly. "Worth every drop of blood."

Two days passed before Leo's eyes finally fluttered open. His body felt strangely whole despite his last memories of dismemberment and agony. He flexed his fingers—all present and functioning—and cautiously moved his leg.

"Welcome back to the realm of the conscious," Old Stone's familiar harsh voice greeted him. "You survived. Barely."

Leo stared at the aftermath of his battle with the tiger golem. Massive earth spikes jutted from the ground like a forest of stone daggers, some as thick as his torso. The wall he'd summoned in his final desperate moment towered nearly fifteen feet high, its surface jagged and imposing.

"I... did that?" Leo whispered, his voice still raw.

"No, it was the tooth fairy," Old Stone snapped. "Of course it was you, boy."

Leo pushed himself up to sitting position, muscles protesting with each movement. He ran his fingers along his previously severed limbs, finding only faint pink lines where the horrific wounds had been.

"Your connection deepened," Old Water explained, his voice gentler than Stone's. "In that moment between life and death, you reached beyond your normal limitations."

Leo sighed, eyes still fixed on the destruction he'd caused. "I almost died because I couldn't move fast enough. My spellcasting was decent, but what good is power if I can't dodge a simple attack?"

"Simple attack?" Old Wind swirled around him mockingly. "That golem would have torn most Eight-level mages to pieces in seconds."

"Still." Leo's fingers dug into the dirt beneath him, feeling the earth respond to his touch more readily than before. "My movement was shit."

Old Stone materialized closer, his energy sharp and critical. "The boy is right. His footwork was abysmal. No sense of positioning. Might as well have been standing in quicksand."

"You need a movement spell," Old Wind observed. "Something to complement your earth abilities."

"And better tactical awareness," Old Stone added harshly. "You wasted energy. Panicked. Nearly got yourself killed with amateur mistakes."

Despite the criticism, Leo sensed something different in their tones—a hint of approval beneath the harsh words. They'd left the aftermath of his battle intact deliberately, allowing him to see what he'd accomplished in that final moment.

"Your connection has grown," Old Stone admitted grudgingly. "But don't get cocky. You survived by luck."

Leo nodded, absorbing both the criticism and the unspoken praise. He'd need to work on movement, positioning, and tactical thinking—but his core power had taken a significant leap forward.

Six months flew by in a relentless cycle of training, failure, and incremental progress. Leo spent countless hours studying the remnants of the cheetah golem's attack patterns, obsessively analysing how it had nearly ended his life.

"There," he muttered one morning, fingers tracing patterns in the dirt. "That's how it moved so quickly."

The spell—earth glide—was deceptively simple in concept but fiendishly difficult to execute. It required precise manipulation of the earth beneath one's feet, creating a frictionless surface that propelled the caster in their desired direction.

"Again!" Old Stone barked as Leo stumbled for the twentieth time that day, his body skidding awkwardly across the training ground. "You're pushing too hard on the left side. Balance the flow!"

Leo wiped blood from his scraped palms and tried once more. This time, he managed to slide forward ten feet before losing control.

"Better," Old Stone grudgingly admitted. "But still pathetic."

After three months of daily practice, Leo could maintain the glide for nearly thirty seconds, changing direction with increasing precision. By month four, he was weaving complex patterns across the training ground, his movements fluid and unpredictable.

"The boy might actually survive his next real battle," Old Wind commented, watching Leo dart between earth spikes at impressive speed.

Old Stone grunted. "Perhaps. His progress is... acceptable."

During their evening session, Old Stone materialized with an unusual shimmer to his energy. "Boy. Come here."

Leo approached cautiously, always wary of his mentor's unpredictable moods.

"Take this." Old Stone's energy pulsed, and a fist-sized crystal materialized between them, hovering in the air.

"High quality magic stones?" Leo's eyes widened.

"I want you at mage level before the year ends," Old Stone stated flatly. "Your foundation is solid enough now. This will speed things along."

Leo carefully took the crystals, feeling its latent power humming against his palm. "I thought you said shortcuts were for the weak."

"It's not a shortcut if you've earned it," Old Stone replied. "Consider it a tool, not a crutch. Your connection to earth has deepened enough that you won't be harmed by accelerated growth."

Leo nodded, understanding the unspoken message. Old Stone believed he was ready to advance beyond apprentice level—a significant vote of confidence from the harsh spirit.