Secret book of Powers

When Ash woke up, he found Avasyu standing in front of him, holding a folded book in a pose that suggested he was just about to whack him on the head.

For Avasyu, the sudden noise of Ash waking up in the quiet library startled him.

"Huh!" both exclaimed in surprise.

Avasyu recovered first. "What kind of dream were you having?" he asked.

Ash smiled in a way that clearly said he was hiding something. "Hehe... nothing. Just a weird dream."

His gaze shifted. "But why are you holding that book rolled up?"

Startled, Avasyu quickly tossed the book onto the table with a soft thump. "Uh—that was nothing," he mumbled.

Switching the focus, Avasyu asked, "Anyway, where were you all day? You just disappeared."

Ash stretched and replied, "I was searching for this book." He patted the book he had been sleeping on. "And... well, I dozed off after finding it. Guess I was more tired than I thought."

He slid the book toward Avasyu. "Here. Take a look."

Avasyu sat down across from him, opened the book, and scanned the title. "Secret of Elemental Powers," he read aloud. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the author's name. "Written by... Me?"

He glanced at Ash, bewildered. "Who the heck is 'Me'?"

Ash shrugged. "Some crazy writer, I guess," he said with a smirk. "But I do know something about that book."

"Hmm? What is it?" Avasyu asked, flipping through the pages.

"My powers got boosted because of it," Ash replied. "You wanted to know why my veins looked like they were on fire, right?"

Avasyu nodded. "Yeah... so?"

Ash shook his head. "The answer isn't just my veins."

"Huh?" Avasyu blinked in confusion.

Ash leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming. "It wasn't just my veins that were on fire. My whole body was."

Avasyu's eyes widened. "Your whole body?"

"Yeah," Ash continued. "The veins in my legs burned, boosting my speed. The veins in my arms ignited, making my punches stronger. Every vein in my body was on fire... ready to enhance me in any way I needed. Even if you'd landed a hit, it wouldn't have been easy to hurt me."

He paused, then added with a smirk, "To be precise... I was on fire."

Avasyu asked, "And you learned all that from this book?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "This is the secret I wanted to tell you."

He paused, then added, "No one else has seen my powers the way you did... that's why I'm telling you."

Ash gestured to the book. "Since you've got it now, how about you read it today and tell me what you think tomorrow?"

Avasyu glanced at the pages, hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Umm... fine."

Ash stood up from his chair, stretching. "See you tomorrow," he said with a grin.

Avasyu rose as well, giving a small smile. "See you tomorrow."

Avasyu returned to his room with the book in hand and immediately began reading. The book detailed five types of elemental powers, with Fire listed first.

As he delved into the section on Fire, he learned about the process of harnessing its power. It explained how to achieve the five stages of Fire Power—though strangely, the stages themselves weren't described.

Curious but undeterred, Avasyu continued reading. The next section covered Thunder Power. Excitement surged through him as he eagerly absorbed the information, reading and learning simultaneously.

Before he knew it, the next day arrived. In class, Ash was slouched over his desk, fast asleep—just like usual.

Avasyu walked over and gently nudged him awake.

The school day passed by quickly, lessons blending into the background as Avasyu's mind lingered on what he had read.

After class, Avasyu turned to Ash and said, "The book was interesting. I read through everything on both Fire and Thunder."

He paused, then added, "But I want to know if it really helped you."

Ash gave a confident smile. "It did."

He snapped his fingers on his right hand, and in an instant, a small flame sparked between his fingertips.

Avasyu's eyes widened in surprise. "It's so cool."

Ash chuckled. "You can do it too. But you need to understand the concepts in the book and train accordingly."

Avasyu nodded, determined. "Understood. I'll master every theory and concept... and train just like it says."

He clenched his fist with resolve. "Before the physical exam arrives, I'll be completely different. You'll see."

Thus began Avasyu's intense training to enhance his powers. With the exam just two months away, he had limited time to master all five stages of Thunder Power.

His daily routine became relentless—waking up early, attending academy classes, returning to his room, and heading straight to the training hall.

But this wasn't ordinary training. Each of the five stages required a different type of preparation. To acquire the first stage, which focused on enhancing his body, Avasyu needed to push his physical limits.

The training hall featured a large open field with running tracks, making it easier to measure his progress.

On the first day, he ran 5 kilometers. The next day, he pushed himself to 6 kilometers. By the third day, he managed 6.5 kilometers. On the fourth day, he reached 7 kilometers and maintained that pace for one more day. By the end of the first week, he was running 10 kilometers daily.

The results spoke for themselves. His legs felt stronger, his endurance increased, and he noticed a significant improvement in his speed.

One day, curious about his progress, Avasyu asked Ash, "Hey, watch my legs while I run. See if you notice anything."

Ash nodded, standing behind him, eyes focused.

Avasyu took off at full speed. The first lap was steady, showing his improved pace. The second lap remained consistent. But on the third lap, something caught Ash's attention—something unexpected.

"I can see it!" Ash shouted. "Avasyu! Your veins—they're glowing!"

Avasyu kept running, but glanced at him in surprise.

"They're glowing with a greyish color... like lightning," Ash added, awe evident in his voice.

Avasyu's face lit up with happiness upon hearing that his veins were glowing—just like Ash's, but with his own unique color and style. The greyish lightning coursing through his legs was proof that his efforts were paying off. His power was awakening.

But this was only the beginning. Achieving the first stage of Thunder Power wasn't just about speed. There was more training ahead—grueling exercises to push his physical strength to its limits. His journey to fully attain the first stage had only just begun.