In the realm of cultivation, the first stage of Willforce is known as the Awakening of Will. It marks a critical milestone for every cultivator—a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. During this stage, the practitioner awakens the Willforce Seed within themselves, allowing them to tap into their latent willpower. This process is akin to lighting a candle in the dark—a faint spark that symbolizes limitless potential. The purpose of this stage is to establish a connection with one's own will and begin manipulating external forces through sheer willpower.
Within this stage, the first step is called Willforce Seed Formation, where the cultivator senses the presence of willpower within themselves and begins to gather it into a seed in their minds. Following this, practitioners will engage in Mind Fortification, strengthening their mental barriers to protect and enhance their burgeoning willpower. Ultimately, this leads to Willforce Projection, allowing them to project their will beyond their physical form.
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The sun set below the horizon as it cast its final, warm rays over the village of Elaris, in hues of gold and crimson. Outside Aurelia's cottage, soft wind blew through the trees with an almost silent rustle of leaves as Kai and Lia settled onto their mats for another evening of training, and the air was electric with anticipation and uncertainty that underlay it all.
Aurelia stood before them, her presence soothing. "Tonight, we begin the Awakening of Will," she said, her voice as smooth as flowing water.
"This is the important stage. You must learn to feel your latent willpower and collect it into a seed within your minds. Think of it as lighting a candle in the dark—a small spark, but one that holds limitless potential."
Lia nodded with eagerness, though Kai's brow remained furrowed, Watching how Aurelia was walking them through the basics, demonstrating the meditative postures that will help to connect with inner world within them, The flickering firelight danced across her features, illuminating the wisdom etched in her expression.
"Close your eyes for a bit," Aurelia told them. "Let out some deep breath. Focus on your core and hFeel the energy that resides within you.".
As Kai and Lia sat down to meditate, the world outside them began to recede into nothingness. They felt a faint tug of their own essences, a warm flutter that hovered just out of their reach. But every time Kai tried to snatch it, it slid out of his hands, like smoke, impossible to hold.
After what had been for them hours of silent battling, they came out from meditation, the air on the outside cool on their bodies. The candle light now seemed dimmer than it was.
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A week had passed, filled with the rhythm of training. The mornings belonged to Garrick, who pushed them to their limits, teaching them combat techniques, while the evenings belonged to Aurelia, who was teaching them to harness their willpower. However, they had not managed to feel the elusive Willforce yet, nor did they know how to shape it into a seed.
One night, they sat side by side under the enormous sky, with stars twinkling as distant lanterns. The heavy heart and furrowed brow showed that Kai was visibly frustrated.
"Is something bothering you?" Lia asked, tilting her head with concern etched across her face.
"I just… it's been a week. We still haven't felt the Willforce. What if we never can?" His voice quivered with doubt, fear seeping in that perhaps they weren't suited for this kind of path.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to do it?" Lia's voice was low, and for the first time, uncertainty dulled her usually bright eyes.
There fell between them a silence, heavy and stifling. The night's stillness sounded through their doubts, the unspoken fears weighing in upon them.
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The sun rose the next morning to a clear, bright sky; it was a rare day off for both of them. Garrick and Aurelia had gone to Havenbrook, leaving the village quiet and serene. Seeing the chance, Kai and Lia set out to discover the further reaches of the Forest of Ashgrove, feeling quite confident in their developing skills.
"Let's see how far we can go," Kai said, his spirit rekindled. The allure of adventure took them farther into the woods, the air alive with the smell of moss and wildflowers.
As they walked on the green path, their practice was now a play hunt, their laughter reverberating in the woods. Before long, they spotted an adult wolf, its body lean and muscular, ready to burst into the Initial Connection realm. They worked in perfect coordination, a blend of strategy and instinct guiding them as they worked out the hunt, all this being a testimony to the training they had undergone with Garrick.
With the wolf subdued, a surge of pride welled up in them. "We did it!" Lia cheered, her eyes sparkling like diamonds.
"Let's head back before anyone notices," Kai said, but as they turned, a chill enveloped the air, causing their triumph to dissolve into tension.
A pair of cold, dark eyes emerged from the shadows, piercing through the underbrush. An iron serpent, its scales shimmering ominously, blocked their path. Panic washed over Lia, her voice barely a whisper. "It's over…"
Kai felt his heart race. The iron serpent was a formidable beast, even at its weakest—a Stage 1 creature. It towered over them, muscles rippling beneath its metallic skin, an embodiment of danger.
A shiver ran down the Kai's spine, as he felt the iron serpent stand up in front of them; its dark, cold eyes shone like polished obsidian. The air grew tight with tension, and time seemed to hold its breath. Lia stepped back once more, her earlier courage evaporating as she naturally clutched Kai's arm.
"What do we do?" she whispered shakily.
Kai's heart was racing, but his mind was beating faster. He had been prepared for this. They had trained for it, yet before this beast, he felt the pangs of doubt. "We fight," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "Stay close to me, and remember what Garrick taught us.".
The serpent's cold, dark eyes seemed to gleam as it slithered closer with its fangs glinting menacingly. The forest felt dense as if every tree and leaf sensed the struggle that was going to take place between the predator and the prey.
Kai held the spear firmly. He stood between the creature and Lia. His thoughts ran hard and fast inside his mind, sharpening his instincts as he stood up to the forest floor. Lia crouched beside him, breath caught in tight, shallow intake. Without a word, she moved to his flank, ready to counter the serpent's strikes. They had no choice but to stand their ground.
TThe iron serpent's muscles rippled under its metallic scales, and then he flashed out with deadly speed. With his feet rooted to the ground, Kai met the serpent head on; he thrust forward the shaft of his spear. When it struck the jawbone of the serpent, an echoing metallic clang came rolling through the forest. but the creature barely flinched, and was already pulling back once more to lunge out again, this time swift and with fury anew.
Lia sensed the attack and leapt in from the side, her sword slashing at the belly of the serpent. Her blade rebounded off its scales, leaving only a shallow scratch. The serpent coiled back, raised its head, and with a brutal arc of its tail, whipped it toward her. She barely had time to leap back as the ground erupting where the tail struck.
Kai lunged forward, thrusting his spear in a series of swift jabs, aiming for the serpent's weak spot- its eyes. His movements were precise and controlled, yet he could feel exhaustion setting in, his muscles straining with each attack. Blood trickled down his arm, where a shallow wound from an earlier strike burned with every movement. Gritting his teeth, he pressed on, each strike heavier, his breaths turning ragged.
Meanwhile, Lia moved in fluid motions, her sword flashing as she aimed for the serpent's exposed sides. But even her agility and speed weren't enough to inflict real damage; the serpent's scales deflected her every attempt, she was running out of energy.
A low hiss reverberated from the creature as it pushed closer, each strike more relentless, each dodge more draining. Their injuries multiplied: bruises and shallow cuts marking their skin, reminding them of how close they had come to the edge of their limits.
It twisted once more, prepared to strike anew, and this time Kai staggered back, the exhaustion weighing down on him as heavily as an anchor. Chest heaving, his field of vision started to swim at the edges. This was where a flicker of fear insinuated itself into his thoughts-something that told him neither he nor Lia would probably get out of this alive.
Desperation clawed at his mind, but he would not give in. A fierce, unyielding instinct surged within him. He clenched his spear, and in that instant, he felt a faint warmth in his chest, a spark buried deep within him, as though his very soul was responding to his desperation.
Nearby, Lia's breaths were short and uneven, yet her grip on her sword tightened. The burden weighed upon her in fearful doubt was turned into another force something that rises from very marrow of her bones-the fiery defiance that seemed born deep within. She also knew it, a sort of radiance inside her brain seems to pulse with a vibration of her heartbeat, every detail becoming clearer as though a new strength was emerging within her.
The serpent lunged once more, and Without thinking, Kai sidestepped and spun his spear, the spear turning under his grasp, the weapon moving with an ease he hadn't felt before. His moves sharpened and quickened like he tapped into some reserve of power he had no idea he'd been withholding. Thrusting it forth with an intensity that astonished even himself, the spearhead slid into the serpent's scales, pushing the creature back for a second.
Lia seized the moment, her body moving almost instinctively, her sword an extension of her own will. She darted in, her blade finding a chink in the serpent's armor. The serpent recoiled, a hiss escaping its mouth, and Lia's heart raced, the newfound energy in her mind urging her to keep fighting.
They attacked together with a spear charge from Kai, Lia moved in sync behind him, her sword cutting with precise strikes from the side. Their energies were pulsing; the fire in their minds built into steady glow that fueled every move.
Again Kai's spear stabbed, riving through the air to hit harder; Lia's blade came often, the creature being driven back by every blow, and for the first time in the conflict, it seemed uncertain of itself, the cold gleam in its eyes uncertain.
He let out a final injection of energy and Kai went through every ounce of what was within him in one whack. The spear leapt forward, piercing by everything which had been set aside in defense by the snake as if his soul dwelled within it. Lia trailed after, her sword cutting to precision, her movement moving fluidly in phase with his.
The serpent let out one final furious hiss before retreating into the shadows, its dark eyes lingering on them before disappearing into the forest.
Kai and Lia stood in silence, their bodies bruised and bloodied, but an undeniable warmth pulsing within them, a steady rhythm of power they had only just begun to understand.