“Exactly. And you are just barely in the second realm.” Amos rubs his hand over his beard and breathes deep. “I’m not going to lie to you kid, unlocking the third level of power in your element while barely into the second realm of ascension is dangerous. The typical progression is being in the first tier of power while still in the spirit realm. It’s considered extremely difficult to gain enough understanding, resonance and affinity with your element to advance it until you’ve gained in experience using your element. Figuring out how to use it, how to fight with it, how to interact with it, what it can do and can’t do. All of these questions are things cultivators take years to figure out to allow their understanding to grow; which in turn allows their element’s level of power to grow. Most don’t reach the second level of elemental power until they reach the third realm, which is called the Mind realm. And even then it’s not until late into the third realm.

  I can only assume this advancement was achieved through your understanding of elements from your old world.” Amos releases a big sigh. “This will be a boon to you, but it’ll also be a risk. If your spirit gets shredded and destroyed by an out of control element that your spirit isn’t strong enough to endure or control, you will not only lose your ability to wield that element, you will lose your ability to use Qi and probably die.”

  A heavy silence filled the clearing after Amos said this. Eventually Will had to ask.

  “Probably?”

  “Eh, there have been cases where the person lived. Let me tell you though, being in one of the realms of power and then brought down to the strength of a toddler is not fun. Some would consider it a fate worse than death.”

  Will’s mood sobered immediately. “Noted. I’ll be careful.”

  “See that you do.” Amos gives Will a pointed look, making sure his point was well and truly received.

  “Now, being in the spirit realm offers you benefits other than being able to use your element. It also allows you to utilize something called aura. Now before you bombard me with questions..” Will’s mouth, already halfway open, closes slowly, a slight frown now on his face. “While the spirit realm allows for utilization of aura, it does not mean you’ll be able to use it. While aura is an effect of power, for those talented enough it can also be used almost like a skill. Cultivators will naturally grow one over time, but most just learn to suppress it so as not to accidentally kill those weaker than themselves. But there is a way to actually use it. Those skilled in it may use it to target specific people, target a wide area, and even use it more delicately to get a gauge on other’s strength.”

  Will quickly asked a question before Amos had a chance to quiet him again. “What exactly is aura though?”

  “Interrupting your master is a sin you know.”

  Will at least has the decency to look ashamed. “As I was about to say.” Will winces and Amos decides to continue. “Aura is, at its core, the power of the spirit. Which reflects the over all power of the cultivator. Now this develops naturally as I said. The stronger the cultivator the more powerful and oppressive their aura. But technically the second you step into the world of cultivation you, theoretically, have an aura that can be used. It’s just so small that it is extremely difficult for a new cultivator to use. If a person has the talent for it however, developing it as a skill is possible. It can be very effective in a fight for example. Being able to add a layer of pressure to your opponent to make it harder for them to fight, move or think easily can be the difference between life or death. Or say you want to attack someone and they look young and weak, but a quick subtle scan may allow you to ascertain their general strength. This saving you from attacking someone who could paint the street in your blood.”

  Will’s eyes widened slightly at the implication. His master is right. Developing his ability to use his aura could make all the difference in the world.

  “It has also been theorized that developing this skill can help to strengthen the spirit, which is something you desperately need. Especially because there’s only so fast that you can ascend the realms to increase the strength of the spirit.”

  Wait a second. “Is this what you and Ezra did to me when we first met?”

  “…Yes.”

  …

  Amos guardedly answers Will with a short and terse yes. Amos has seen to many young talents ruined by arrogance and he will not see the same happen here. If Will were to discover how unusual, how practically unheard of, for a person not even in the core realm yet to be able to sense someone using their aura to scan them…the boy would ruin himself before he ever got started.

  “Are there any other ways to strengthen the spirit?”

  Amos growled internally to himself. A good question. Amos thinks. But an answer that may be too dangerous for him to know. Do I trust him?

  Amos pauses, giving himself a second to think. He makes a decision.

  “In a nutshell, life experience. That comes in many forms in this world. I know I haven’t spent a lot of time educating you about this world, but there are all sorts of monsters that live here. Fighting for your life against those monsters, or in unfortunate circumstances, against other cultivators, may strengthen the spirit.” Amos speaks slightly faster to cut off Will’s inevitable questions. So many questions. “This is not a shortcut howev-“

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  …

  Amos’s head snaps to his left, looking north. Will looks oddly at Amos, wondering why he suddenly cut himself off and what could have possibly caught his attention so completely.

  Will looks around himself, but he doesn’t see anything.

  “Master wha-“

  “Insufferable woman.” Amos mutters to himself. “There’s nothing else for it I suppose.” Amos looks back towards Will. “We have a visitor Will.”

  “We do?”

  Amos’s eyebrow raises. “Correction. We have visitors.”

  Amos nods in the direction towards the north and stands up. Will follows suit and just as he gets to his feet Will sees a slight distortion to the air. Almost like space itself is bending.

  The distortion grows and looks to be a fold in space. The fold twists in on itself, and as it does two women appear out of the fold. The fold continues to twist into itself and then disappears. Leaving two women, one with a slight smile on her face, and the other a slight frown.

  The one who is smiling is tall. Maybe an inch or so taller than Amos. She has straight, long blonde hair that seems to go to the middle of her back. Will can tell she is athletic, and tone. She is wearing a tight sleeves shirt with a thinner sword strapped to her back. He can see clear and defined ab muscles outlined through her tight shirt, and her triceps and biceps are smaller but ripped as well. Her lips are thin and her eyes are dark brown, practically black.

  The other girl with her seems to be about the same age as Will. She’s about an inch taller than him, with long extremely curly black hair. She has full lips and striking green eyes. And he can’t help but to notice thicker thighs and what looks like a bigger back side.

  Will nervously keeps his eyes trained on the woman’s faces and tries not to ogle. Despite the powerful air that surrounds the women, they are both undoubtedly extremely beautiful.

  “Amos!” The blonde’s smile turns teasing. “Is this how you welcome an old friend? A pissed off expression and a locked down area? Come now. I thought we were closer than that.”

  “Taleya.” Amos speaks her name through gridded teeth and annoyed eyes. “Why are you here and how did you find me?”

  “Always to the point huh? Isn’t it considered good manners to host your guests for several days before allowing them to bring up the point of their visit?”

  Days? Will thought to himself. Must be one of this world’s customs.

  Amos sighs. “You know you’re not getting days. But you’re right. I’ve forgotten my manners. Let’s go to the house and have a drink. Still a tea fan?”

  Did my master just…CAVE to someone’s request?!

  Will may have only known Amos for a short while, but for the past six months or so he has spent every single day with the man and he has never seen him so…amicable? Is that the word?

  “Will!” Will snaps out of his thoughts and focuses on his master. “Taleya and I have a lot to discuss. Entertain…” He looks over at Taleya seeking an answer. The girl speaks up instead.

  “Alea. My name is Alea.”

  “Right. Entertain Alea, while her master and I talk.”

  Without waiting for a response from Will, his master and the woman Taleya disappeared into the cabin.

  Will stands there slightly stunned. The sudden appearance of the two women, and then the quick seclusion of the two adults left him not knowing what to think or how to act. Will has been in training mode for basically six months straight. His social muscles are one of the few he hasn’t exercised in a long time.

  Will looks over at Alea. “Um, hi. I’m Will.”

  Alea looks over at him. She either had a resting jerk face, or she was pissed for some reason. “I heard.”

  She looks around the clearing. Her face softens slightly, as if appreciating the beauty of the glade and the forest. She’s stunning. He caught himself staring and quickly looked away before she notices.

  “Why is the Amos Statler training someone so weak?”

  And there it is. Beauty can’t cover up a bad personality.

  Will caught on the the in her question though.

  “Is Amos well known or something?”

  She quirked an eyebrow at him. An incredulous and slightly mocking look on her face.

  “Are you serious? The famous Amos Statler? The metal hurricane himself?”

  “Metal hurricane? Little tacky don’t you think? He definitely didn’t come up with that himself.”

  Alea sneers at him.

  “A whimp like you, mocking the moniker of Amos Statler?”

  The remark cut deep. Probably deeper than she realized. It was a weak insult; something most people brushed aside without a second thought. But it was something that he had been calling himself for years. Something that he was only just recently starting to believe maybe wasn’t true.

  On impulse he almost started circulating his Qi, but stopped himself. He took a deep breath.

  He was too used to fighting recently. Too used to taking his frustrations out through training and sparring. It was jarring and sobering that his instant reaction had been so martial compared to how he used to react to heated situations.

  Actually, training doesn’t sound that bad right now.

  He was mostly recovered from summoning his element, his strained spirit feeling strong again. He also felt like training was just the thing to get his head back on right.

  He went to turn away, his habit to train alone kicking in. But then a thought struck him.

  He had been wanting to know for a long time now how he measured up against literally anyone else besides Amos.

  This was his chance.

  He looked back at her. “Mock? No. State the obvious? Absolutely.”

  He laughed a little. Somewhat to annoy her, but also because he genuinely did find the nickname funny. He’d have to ask his master about it later.

  Her slight mocking look changed to a disapproving and angry frown.

  Good. Serves her right for the whimp comment.

  “Listen, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll apologize to master Amos for making fun of his nickname if you agree to spar with me.”

  Her eyebrows shot up.

  “Spar? With you? Aren’t you a baby fighter still in the core realm? I don’t fight infants who can’t even fight back.”

  “Hilarious. What do they say about people who can’t fight? They hide behind jokes?”

  No one says that, but he’s gotta convince her to fight somehow. And it’s not beneath him to anger this arrogant girl into a sparring match.

  She gets visibly angry. Her brow scrunching down into an even deeper frown and her cheeks slightly coloring.

  Kinda adorable actually.

  Immediately a quote from an old movie pops up in his head and he almost says it. “You know what Princess? You are ugly when you’re angry.”

  He smirks to himself at the thought, but all Alea see’s is someone who is apparently laughing at her.

  “Fine! But don’t blame me when I beat you bloody and you can’t stand up from the broken bones!”

  He smiles cheekily. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He raises his hand to show her the way to the sparring area that him and his master always use.

  They walk over and get into position. Squaring off about 30 feet from one another.

  “I’m going to enjoy this.” Alea says.