"Mastery isn't a spark. It's voltage control."
---
The wind carried the bite of frost, and the pines whispered like cautious onlookers as Kai stepped into the clearing just past East Hollow's boundary. The cold snapped against his coat, and static clung to the hem of his sleeves from last night's workshop binge.
He'd barely slept. Not because of nightmares but because his head wouldn't stop buzzing.
Literally.
"Alright," Kai muttered, flexing his fingers as he stepped into the middle of the clearing. "Let's see if I can throw lightning without frying myself again."
The Modular Interface Band on his wrist flared softly.
[Lightning Affinity Integration: 3%]
[Mana Control: 6 | Spirit: 7 | Core Stability: Weak]
[Warning: Risk of minor neural damage remains significant.]
Kai rolled his eyes. "If I had a coin for every time someone warned me about frying my brain, I could build a lightning cannon."
[Still wouldn't help you dodge it.]
He inhaled deeply, then brought both hands forward. He focused on the Techno-Core embedded in his mind, a hollowed hub of sockets connected by a web of golden circuits. In the top-left node: a dim white-blue sphere pulsed erratically.
Lightning Node v0.1.
"Okay, buddy," he whispered. "Let's try channeling to the hands."
A sharp static crackle filled the air.
Blue arcs leapt across his palms, dancing between his fingers like hungry worms. The sensation was hot and cold like holding dry ice dipped in fire.
His muscles spasmed, and he clenched his teeth as sparks popped across his gloves.
[Warning: Surge Build-Up Detected]
"Balance the flow," Kai muttered, shifting his stance. "Don't force it."
He imagined the circuits not just in his mind—but in his arms. Visualized the flow like fluid in pipes. He tried to guide the lightning along his forearm.
And for one glorious second, it worked, it really worked.
A thin, controlled line of white-blue light arced to his palm and hissed outward, before it buckled sideways, overcharged, and blew up in his face.
The jolt sent him spinning backward into a snowdrift with a grunt. A pinecone fell from above and hit him square on the forehead.
He lay there for a moment, dazed.
[Surge Failure: Neural feedback loop. Minor trauma sustained.]
[Current Thought Consistency: 83%]
[System Note: You may have just invented the reverse brain massage.]
Kai groaned and sat up. "Alright, maybe I need a conduit."
He fished through his satchel and pulled out a copper-reinforced wrench—a prototype grounding tool he'd put together the night before.
Insulated grip. Conductive shaft. Rune-etched notches.
He grasped the tool with both hands and stood again. "Round two."
This time, he focused the lightning from his core node directly into the tool. He imagined the wrench as a lightning rod, not a weapon.
White-blue arcs jumped instantly from his wrist to the tool, crawling up the shaft.
It lit up like a storm blade, glorious, buzzing, alive.
Then a pulse snapped back up the copper and bit him on the ear.
[Feedback Surge Detected. Insufficient grounding.]
Kai dropped the wrench and slapped the side of his head. "Ow!"
The tool buried into the snow.
Steam rose from the imprint in his gloves.
He blew into his palms and let out a breath through clenched teeth. "So I either zap myself or explode something."
He sat on a rock and accessed his Affinity Panel.
[Lightning Affinity
Integration: 3%
Color Signature: Pale Blue (Flickering)
Core Sync: Weak
Upgrade Path: Locked
Next Elemental Slot: LOCKED
Requirements to unlock next Affinity Circuit:
Spirit: 8+Mana Control: 7+Integration: ≥ 10%]
"Ugh, so I literally can't handle more than one affinity yet."
[Correct. Your brain's current capacity is equivalent to an overloaded tea kettle. Adding fire would result in spontaneous combustion—likely from your eyebrows outward.]
Kai groaned. "Fine. Lightning it is. One voltage at a time."
Training Log – Day 2–4: "Electrocuting Myself for Fun & Gains"
Day 2:
Wore copper-threaded training vest. It sparked mid-run and nearly lit his shirt on fire.Attempted "reflex jolt dodge" test with rubber projectiles. Hit in face 4 out of 5 times.Nearly electrocuted a squirrel. Apologized with nuts. Squirrel now watches him from tree.
Day 3:
Built a "Lightning Resistance Anklet" (Failed. Shocked himself in the knee. Cursed for 12 minutes straight.)Meditation with lightning thread visualization. Burned rune lines into meditation mat.Finally held a stable arc for 15 seconds—nosebleed followed.
Day 4:
Crafted second prototype tool: Arc Spike (simple grounding dagger).Lightning now exits body through controlled path.Integration rose. Muscles twitch less. Lightning coloration starts shifting to crisp white with hints of violet when focus peaks.
By dusk, he stood in the clearing again, breathing steadily.
His palm sparked.
This time, the arc moved like a dancer—coiling, responsive, smooth.
It curved outward to a wooden post he'd set up, singed the center, and stopped.
No backlash. No numb fingers.
Kai stared at his hand, chest rising and falling.
"I did it."
[Lightning Affinity Integration: 6%]
[Stat Gains – Spirit +1 | Agility +1 | Mana Control +1]
[XP Gained: +10]
[System XP: 40 / 150]
[System Note: Congratulations. You now shock only what you aim at. Most of the time.]
Kai grinned and flopped onto the snow with arms spread wide.
The stars blinked overhead, as if watching.
He pulled out a journal and scribbled blueprints with shivering fingers.
"Project: Arc Boots – Lightning Step enhancement system."
Goal: Channel lightning bursts into movement speed—controlled sprinting over short distances.
He sketched a sole lined with copper channels and mini-capacitors.
Would it fry his legs? Probably.
Would he try anyway?
Definitely.
But not tonight.
Tonight, he'd earned the right to rest.
And tomorrow?
Tomorrow, he'd run with lightning.