"Yo!"
A tiny figure appeared in front of Ashborn, flashing a peace sign with a big grin.
"Haha… Finally! I can manifest myself!" the spirit cheered, stretching his arms as if he had just been freed from a long confinement. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment!"
Ashborn blinked in surprise. "Wow… that was quite the entrance."
The spirit puffed out his chest proudly. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself properly. I am a fairy spirit of the World Tree. The name's Alan!"
He floated around Ashborn as he continued, "There are three main types of spirits. First, fairy spirits like me, who mostly live with the World Tree. Then there are dead spirits, which are souls of powerful beings who refuse to leave this realm even after death. Lastly, there are elemental spirits, born from the condensation of pure natural energy, capable of controlling elements like fire, water, and wind."
Alan paused for dramatic effect before adding, "And then, there are the rarer unique spirits and the primordial spirits… but those guys almost never show themselves."
"Whoa…" Ashborn's eyes sparkled with fascination.
Alan glanced at the setting sun. "Hmm… the time looks good. Let's start training."
Ashborn sat up, eager. "Right now?"
"The time and place where you begin your training have a huge impact on your progress," Alan explained. "The best times are sunrise and sunset—when natural energy reaches its peak. The presence of both the sun and moon acts as a catalyst to speed up your growth."
Ashborn nodded and sat down in a lotus position as Alan instructed, ready to meditate.
"Natural energy is similar to mana, but there's a key difference," Alan continued. "Mana exists everywhere, but natural energy only exists where life thrives. It's closer to life energy itself."
"To absorb it, you need to first sense the life energy inside you. Only then can you connect to the life energy around you."
Ashborn closed his eyes and focused. Minutes passed. Then hours. Sweat dripped down his face, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sense it.
Frustrated, he opened his eyes. "Alan, how am I supposed to sense life energy? I can't find it at all!"
Alan scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh… I don't know. Just focus more, I guess?"
Ashborn stared at him, dumbfounded. "What do you mean you don't know?! Aren't you supposed to be training me?!"
Alan averted his gaze. "W-Well, we fairies can sense life energy naturally from birth… so, uh, I never really had to learn it myself."
Ashborn groaned. "You mean I have to figure this out on my own?"
"Pretty much," Alan admitted with an innocent shrug.
Ashborn exhaled sharply and went back to meditating. He tried again and again, but the results were the same. That night, he went to bed feeling frustrated.
The next morning, Ashborn buried himself in the castle library.
"Where is it?! Why can't I find anything?!" he groaned, lying on the floor surrounded by books.
He had spent the entire day searching for something—anything—about life energy, but found nothing useful. Taking a break, he absentmindedly picked up a book on mana devices.
It described a security system that used mana frequencies to detect intruders. The device worked by releasing a broad range of frequencies, using the principle of resonance to amplify specific signals and make them easier to detect.
Something clicked in Ashborn's mind.
"If resonance amplifies signals… then what if I use the same concept to amplify life energy?"
His exhaustion vanished as excitement took over. He dove into books on wave theory and energy resonance, piecing together a method to detect life energy.
Alan observed quietly from the side, wondering if Ashborn had given up on training. But as time passed, he realized something—Ashborn hadn't quit. He was just approaching the problem in his own way.
After three days of relentless study, Ashborn finally had a solid theory. He rushed to his parents with his findings.
Feronia studied Ashborn's notes carefully. "Hmm… this does seem possible. I don't see why it wouldn't work."
Gray, however, frowned. "If this is true, it could revolutionize our understanding of energy. But if it falls into the wrong hands… it could also be dangerous."
Feronia nodded. "We must keep this a secret."
Ashborn's eyes burned with determination. "Mom! Dad! I want to try it!"
After some discussion, Feronia decided to test his theory herself.
A moment later, she opened her eyes in shock.
"It works…"
Ashborn pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! I knew it! I knew it!!"
Feronia smiled proudly. She had spent six months learning to sense life energy, achieving it at age seven—a record only broken by Gray, who had done it at six. But Ashborn?
He wasn't even four yet.
That night, they celebrated Ashborn's achievement.
The next day, Ashborn began applying his theory.
For a full week, he practiced relentlessly. And then… finally…
He felt it.
A flame-like energy surrounded his body—not burning, but cold and soothing. It pulsed softly, like a heartbeat, wrapping him in a gentle warmth.
Ashborn widened his senses. Slowly, he reached beyond himself—and he felt it.
The life energy of everything around him.
The world came alive in his mind. Every plant, every creature, every breath of wind—he could feel it all.
The deeper his concentration, the stronger the energy became. Time slowed, and in his mind, he floated within an endless sky, surrounded by glowing particles. More and more gathered, as if drawn to him, before surging toward his chest—absorbed by the World Tree's mark, which began to glow brightly.
Ashborn's eyes snapped open, now shining with newfound power.
Alan beamed with pride. "Congratulations! You did it."