The bright morning was quiet as the sun began to rise. Birds chirped, signaling that it was time to wake up and carry out the daily routine. Dewdrops adorned every tree, as the heat of the morning gradually melted the ice around them. A gentle breeze blew continuously, as they were on the peak of a hill.
Knock after knock could be heard. As usual, Isruf went into the forest to cut down trees. It was part of his daily routine, since the wood could be used for many purposes, such as making a campfire at night.
"Aargh!!!" shouted Rihisna as he yawned loudly.
"Hey, kid! Come here and help me!" ordered Isruf angrily when he saw Rihisna's behavior, which looked like that of a lazy person.
"What? Help? How?" asked Rihisna in confusion while swallowing the bread he had been given.
"How, you say? …Wait a second… take this axe and chop!" Isruf handed Rihisna an axe that was only slightly smaller than his own body.
The moment he took the axe, he could feel its weight, it was heavier than the sword he usually wielded. He could not believe that Master Isruf could lift the axe with just one hand. Rihisna immediately looked at Master Isruf's arms and body. His muscular arms and solid, well-built physique made it easy for him to wield the axe.
"Tsk! This axe is really heavy," Rihisna said as he tried to swing it.
Unfortunately, the strike missed the wood.
"Hmph… I knew you couldn't do it," Isruf mocked Rihisna.
"What! I missed it?" shouted Rihisna.
"No need to be so shocked… just look at your body."
"What about it? It's fine."
"Your physical condition is weak… you need training."
"What? What kind of training?"
"Come here, I'll show you."
From that day on, Rihisna was trained harshly, like a soldier preparing for war. Day after day, he was forced to do sit-ups and push-ups to strengthen his muscles, as well as cut down trees in the forest using an axe. He once asked why he needed to train his physical body when iktas could be used in daily life. That question was answered by explaining that not all iktas could be mastered without physical training. To become proficient, the body must be able to withstand heavier iktas in order to control them.
Therefore, Rihisna was trained to strengthen his body so that it could endure the wind iktas he wished to master. Otherwise, he would only understand the theory without fully mastering it, due to a weak body. Indeed, everyone could learn all basic elemental iktas, but it still required intense physical training. That was why those who held ranks such as generals or kings had already undergone such training to achieve mastery. Of course, it could not be denied that there were a few people born with talent or special traits, that was a different matter altogether.
After more than a month of harsh training, Rihisna was finally able to cut down five trees without using any iktas at all. He was also able to climb back up the hill every day. Throughout that month, he did not use any iktas in his daily life. He relied solely on his physical abilities to carry out his routine.
Isruf was proud to see Rihisna's progress over the past month. Rihisna was like a disciplined soldier who obeyed every order. At first, Isruf thought Rihisna would be stubborn and difficult to teach. After all, the first time they met, Rihisna had already shown his fangs by fighting a former general. It turned out that his judgment was wrong, completely off the mark. Rihisna was actually easy to teach. He was like a tree that grew easily if watered every day. Now that tree had grown and flourished, its leaves shining brightly under the morning sun, and all that remained was to make it bear high quality fruit.
"Rihisna! After this, you can come into the house," Isruf instructed briefly before walking away.
"Huh? But—" before Rihisna could ask anything, Master Isruf had already left. Without wasting time, he simply followed from behind.
Both of them arrived beneath the house, in what could be described as the basement of Isruf's own residence. A powerful aura could be felt throughout the entire space. Not only that, the basement began to tremble little by little.
"All right! Listen here, kid! I want you to release all of your iktas energy right now!" Isruf shouted loudly.
"What! Now?" Rihisna asked in shock.
"Yes, when else do you want to do it?"
"All right! …If that's the case!" he clenched his fist tightly and struck it against his other hand.
At that moment, Rihisna's iktas aura was unleashed. In response, Isruf pushed back with equal force. Rihisna did not give in either he strengthened his aura further until the entire space shook violently. Both sides continuously released wind element iktas. Even though they were only staring at each other, it felt like a clash between two summoned beings.
In an instant, the basement was completely destroyed, shattering the roof of Isruf's house and revealing sunlight pouring in from outside. Thus, a large hole or rather, a crater was formed as a result of the collision of their auras. Without saying a word, the two looked at each other.
"Hahahaha!" "Hahahaha!"
Both of them burst into loud laughter at what had happened.