CHAPTER 9: Shaping Thunder and Lightning - Part 1

  Lorn bought provisions for the remainder of the journey as well as wine and cheese for Dorian in the last village. Afterwards, he and Varne continued their journey until they came upon a towering cliff with a line of waterfalls in the distance.

  “Why does uncle Dorian live so far away?” Varne asked.

  “Our organization was quite vengeful. We live far apart so we don't get caught together.”

  As they walked, the cluster of hills at the base of the cliff emerged from the horizon.

  “Uncle Dorian used to be called Genius Dorian. He was a great fighter, but his genius lay in perfecting techniques, so much that the organization adopted his techniques. Your techniques, Varn, are his creations. Oh, he also gave you your name.”

  “Why don't I have a family name?”

  “Our organization isn’t an honorable one. It's our custom to discard personal legacies, including names.”

  “Your organization... who are they?”

  “They're not important.”

  Dorian lived on the highest hill, and by late afternoon, they had reached the summit. The hilltop was flat and wide. The waterfall from the cliff's peak thundered, but its spray did not reach this place. An apple tree grew on one side of the hill, its roots wrestling each other down the cliff. A windmill on the other side creaked as it lifted a row of water-filled buckets.

  A well-maintained small cabin stood next to a chicken coop and vegetable garden. Slices of apple, rosemaries, sages, and dried mushrooms lined its wooden roof.

  “Perverted Pig! Get out here!” Lorn yelled. Before long, Dorian emerged from the cabin. He was usually tidy, but now his ashen hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his beard had not been trimmed in a long time.

  They hugged each other before uttering a word. He felt Dorian's body getting thinner; it was unusual for his arms to wrap around Dorian's body like this.

  “Good to see you, Pig.”

  “Can't say the same,” Dorian replied with a smirk.

  As they sat facing each other inside the cabin, Lorn thought he had a lot to tell. However, years of living in hiding seemed to offer conversation topics that ran out in an instant.

  Through the window, he saw Varne observing the apple tree bearing both green and red fruits.

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  “Is that the boy?” Dorian asked.

  “He's my boy.”

  “Does he have it?”

  “Yes. His Prana regeneration is fast, well above the normal limit. I even tested him with Arcanzite. He has it.”

  “Then we’ve made the right decision. We saved him but also cursed him to a lifetime of hiding.”

  “I'll give him the best life I can.” Lorn turned to look again. Varne bit into a green apple and immediately spat it out. The wrinkles on his face were enough to guess the taste.

  In the end, he stayed for a month before leaving.

  “Very well, teach my son your dirty tricks. And take care of yourself.”

  ***

  Varne leaned back as Dorian piled up books on the table.

  “What? Do you think these books are dusty? I read and take care of them often. These books are far more valuable than you think. These are books on Prana theory. But I know you're not interested at all.”

  To his surprise, Dorian put the books back into a locked chest.

  “I want to ensure your knowledge first because from a young age your father relied more on intuition than theory. What's the difference between passive and active Prana Decima?”

  “Passive Prana Decima can channel Prana throughout the body to enhance physical abilities, but that's it. Active Decima can do it better and also unleash Prana techniques.”

  Dorian nodded. “In short, the difference lies in the ability to project Prana outside the body. By mastering Prana, you gain complete control over your body. You can not only sharpen but also dull your senses. You can regulate your body temperature and so on. Now, everyone has Prana. Why can't everyone benefit from it?”

  “Because their Prana is not enough?”

  “Not quite right. Prana originates from the Prime node below the navel. From there, you draw Prana to irrigate the secondary nodes scattered throughout the body. Like a lake feeding its rivers and branches. Only after irrigating a sufficient number of secondary nodes can you get the beneficial effects.”

  “So, for most people, their Prana is not enough to irrigate these secondary nodes?”

  “Correct. That's what makes people with Prana below the minimum threshold unable to use it. There are many secondary nodes in the body, and not all of them need to be irrigated. The Prana flow scheme and which secondary nodes are irrigated is called Constellation. Each martial art has its own Constellation, depending on which capabilities emphasized.

  “There are nine body capabilities: Stamina, Strength, Explosive Power, Speed, Agility, Flexibility, Balance, Reaction, and Coordination. They can all be enhanced by Prana, and the degree of enhancement depends on the maximum capacity of your Prana. The larger your Prana, the greater the enhancement.”

  “Uncle, can I use Mana?”

  “Mana also has a minimum threshold like Prana. Unfortunately, your father and I both don’t meet it. But for you, Varn, you'll be far better off if you focus on learning Prana.”

  Varne did not understand. Lorn had also said that he was more suited to learning Prana without ever explaining.

  Dorian taught unarmed combat techniques as well as some Prana techniques. Projecting any Prana technique followed the same principle.

  He needed to draw a certain amount of energy from the Prime node and then flow it into specific secondary nodes in a certain order and quantity, and finally project it out of the body. Therefore, once he mastered how to control Prana flow and knew the manual for a technique, learning a new technique was not too difficult.

  The first technique Dorian taught was Ruin Fist, a direct punching technique. Varne irrigated a number of nodes from his lower arm to his hand according to the manual. Warm energy then emanated from his clenched right fist in the form of a light blue energy sphere.

  The more difficult part was gauging whether he had fully mastered it and could exert the technique's maximum power. Just being able to perform the technique did not guarantee he could exert its greatest power.