They made their way to Axe's room, which was filled with hundreds of small wood carvings scattered across every available surface. Tiny animals, intricate geometric patterns, and detailed figurines covered his desk, shelves, and windowsills. The craftsmanship was incredible - each piece looked like it had taken hours of careful work.
"Welcome to body enhancement 101," Axe said, gesturing for them to sit on some chairs he'd arranged in the middle of the room. "Today's lesson is quite simple."
He picked up one of his wood carvings - a small bird - and held it up for them to see. "Just like carving, body enhancement is about precision, control, and understanding your materials."
"Our materials being… our bodies?" Sarah asked.
"Exactly," Axe nodded. "Your paradox energy can strengthen your muscles, harden your skin, sharpen your reflexes. But if you don't know how to channel it properly, you'll either hurt yourself or waste energy."
He set the wooden bird down and picked up another carving - this one of a bear. "The key is understanding that your body isn't just one thing. It's a collection of systems that all work together. Muscles, bones, nerves, circulation."
"So how do we enhance them?" Kinnetos asked.
"Simply by releasing your energy, which you guys already know how to do," Axe said, watching them carefully. "You've been doing math problems and leaking energy for weeks now."
He demonstrated by extending his hand, and they could see a faint energy beginning to seep from his skin.
"But instead of just letting it leak out and dissipate, you're gonna think of it as a solid object - like smoke - and then breathe it back in."
Axe took a slow, deliberate breath, and the energy around his hand seemed to flow back toward him, swirling like visible air currents.
"While you're breathing it in, subconsciously think of your muscles getting stronger and tightening. But - and I'm gonna let you know this now - do it slowly. Breathe it in slowly."
He rolled up his sleeve, and they could see his forearm muscles visibly tense and grow slightly more defined as he continued the breathing technique.
"If you try to rush it, you'll either pull the energy in too fast and hurt yourself, or you'll lose control and waste it all," Axe warned. "This is about precision, just like carving wood. One careful cut at a time."
"So we solve a math problem to create energy, then breathe it back into our muscles?" Monty asked, trying to understand the process.
"Exactly. Now let's try it."
They started with what they knew - solving math problems to release their energy. This part was easy after weeks of training. Kinnetos felt the familiar golden glow begin to seep from his skin, like breathing out warm air on a cold day.
"Good," Axe said, watching the energy leak from all three of them. "Now the hard part. Breathe it back in."
Kinnetos took a slow, deep breath and began visualizing the energy as something solid - like cotton candy or colored smoke swirling around him. Instead of letting it drift away, he imagined pulling it back toward his body.
To his surprise, it worked. The golden energy began flowing back into him, dissolving through his skin like sugar melting in water.
The moment it entered his system, Kinnetos felt his muscles beginning to tighten and pulse. It wasn't painful at all - quite the opposite. It felt like getting a relaxing, deep tissue massage from the inside out. His veins were thumping gently, and he could feel every muscle fiber responding to the energy, becoming denser and stronger.
"It feels like a well-needed massage," Sarah said, rolling her shoulders and looking amazed. "Everything feels so… loose."
"I can breathe in air so much better," Monty added, taking a deep breath. "Like my lungs just expanded."
"And I can smell stuff way more clearly now," Kinnetos said, sniffing the air. "It's like having a completely open nose for the first time ever. I can smell the wood shavings, the varnish on these carvings, even what you had for breakfast."
Axe nodded approvingly. "Enhanced senses are a side effect of proper body enhancement. Your entire nervous system becomes more efficient."
Then, without warning, he placed his hand on the floor. The room around them began to shift and change, the wooden walls melting away and being replaced by towering trees. The scent of pine needles and fresh earth filled the air as Axe's workshop transformed into a dense forest.
"Now that you've got the basics down," Axe said, standing up in what was now a woodland clearing surrounded by his wood carvings scattered on tree stumps and fallen logs, "let's see how well you can maintain that enhancement while moving through challenging terrain."