The next morning, Sumit gathered up some of the fruits the plant-monkeys had gifted him. He carefully packed them in his bag, making sure not to crush them. He'd learned the hard way that juice-soaked supplies weren't ideal for travel. As he swung his bag over his shoulder, he grabbed his staff, now more than just a walking stick—this was his weapon, his tool, his lifeline. He looked back at the crowd of plant-monkeys gathered to see him off. There was a warmth in their eyes, and he felt a pang of something close to gratitude. But just as he was about to say a farewell, he locked eyes with one of the little monkeys, a particularly mischievous one, staring at him with that smug, knowing look.
Sumit narrowed his eyes, smirking. He raised a fist, playfully mimicking a "Just wait 'til I catch you!" look. The little monkey squeaked and stuck its tongue out at him. Sumit huffed in mock anger, rolling his eyes. "Stupid little furball," he muttered, though he couldn't stop the grin tugging at his lips. Turning away, he mumbled, "I'm out of here before I turn into one of them."
Sumit started walking just like usual, but this time, he knew exactly where he was heading. His gaze followed the dark, lifeless trail that wound through the jungle—a trail left by the dark figure that had terrorized him and nearly ended his life. Most people would think he was out of his mind for going after something so dangerous, but he had his reasons.
"Not just one of them," he whispered to himself. "If there's one, there might be more. And if I have to help them let's do it all the way through."
Then there was the memory of the black tree, the twisted, menacing thing he'd encountered early on. That same sickening feeling, the aura of decay, hung around this creature too. It couldn't be a coincidence. The traces left behind by the dark figure led straight in the direction where he remembered that black tree being rooted, hidden deep in the jungle's heart.
"And lastly…" he muttered, tightening his grip on the staff, "that thing attacked me first. I'm not just going to forget that."
"The cat-man told me to never attack first but it was the dark tree that attacked me that means I can get my revenge this time and besides I am stronger now"
The thought of revenge gave him a grim satisfaction, but it also kept his nerves steady as he followed the trail. After a few minutes of silent walking, his eyes drifted down to his staff. The memory of shattering the dark gem with it flashed in his mind. He didn't think of it first but how did he was able to do that? Could he now channel his aura outside his body? Or could he only do it with the staff, as he had when he'd broken that gem?
He stopped and pointed out his empty left hand in the air and tried to push the aura out of his body through his hand, after some time he could feel his aura getting out of his body but as soon as the aura flowed out it disappeared in the air.
"Tsk…that just made me waste my aura but what if I…"
He put his hand down and took a deep breath, holding the staff tightly. Focusing his aura, he channeled it into the wood, feeling it surge down his arm and into the point. Testing it, he struck the staff into a nearby tree. At first, there was just a faint crack in the bark, and he frowned, feeling slightly deflated.
"It was a strong attack but not as strong as my punch. Why it is weaker than before?" he muttered. But he wasn't about to give up that quickly. He took another deep breath, this time focusing harder, letting his aura build in his chest before he funnelled it into the staff and again struck the tree but this time he stabbed it.
When he struck the tree again, the effect was immediate. The entire trunk exploded, bark and splinters flying in all directions. He stumbled back, shielding his face from the debris, his heart pounding with both fear and exhilaration. The impact left him speechless for a moment as he took in the splintered remains of what had been a solid tree.
"Whoa…so only stab works" he whispered, a smile slowly spreading across his face. But the feeling was short-lived as he noticed the staff's condition. A thin crack had formed near the tip, splitting slightly from the force of the explosion.
"Damn it…," he cursed softly, inspecting the staff more closely. "Looks like it can't handle that level of force all the time."
He flexed his fingers around it, testing its balance. It was clear now that the staff had limitations—it could channel his aura, but only so much before it became unstable. If he wasn't careful, he could break it, or worse, he could end up with shards of wood embedded in his hand.
"Alright, then," he sighed, accepting the challenge. "If I can't use too much power, I just need to focus on precision."
As he tested his aura, an idea began forming. Sumit bent down and picked up a small stone, curiosity sparking in his eyes. He poured a light stream of aura into the stone, watching as it began to glow faintly in his hand. He held his breath, mesmerized by the small, pulsing light, but the stone suddenly exploded, sending sharp shards into his hand. Wincing, he clenched his teeth, trying to keep his voice steady as he muttered, "Well, that was... unexpected."
The pain in his hand was sharp, but he quickly channeled his aura to heal the wound, watching as his skin slowly mended itself. He took a deep breath, letting the healing process calm his mind. The stone wasn't like the staff. It couldn't channel his aura; it could only store it for a moment.
"Was it too small to store the aura? Let's test more" Sumit said to himself and concluded that the bigger the stone, the more aura it could handle before it became unstable.
"Alright," he murmured, bending down and finding a larger rock, one about the size of his palm. He poured aura into it slowly, watching as it glowed brighter, then carefully pulled his hand back and threw it toward a large boulder nearby.
BOOOOOOM!!!!
The rock hit its target, and the explosion was immense. The boulder shattered into fragments, and Sumit barely shielded himself from the flying rubble. His mouth dropped open in shock, a thrill rushing through him.
"Shit… did I just…" He took a shaky breath, grinning. "Did I just create a bomb?"
He chuckled, the adrenaline rushing through him as he looked at his hand, still tingling from the aura he'd poured out. "Now that's what I'm talking about." But as he looked down at the damaged staff, he realized he'd have to be careful. With the right tools, the aura he controlled was powerful, but he needed to know his limits, or he'd be left defenseless.
"Alright now it's time to find its limits" saying this he picked up another rock and soon the sound of the explosion filled the forest.