Damien stretched his arms once and stood up. 'Time to work.'
He stepped away from the lake and moved into a small clearing nearby.
The ground there was flat and open.
Perfect.
He rolled his shoulders slowly and inhaled deeply.
Magic essence gathered around him instantly.
Not violently. Every ounce of essence was controlled and measured.
Damien closed his eyes as he directed the flow through his body.
Muscle.
Bone.
Skin.
The essence layered itself across him like invisible armor, strengthening every fiber of his body.
He held it there.
Maintained the pressure.
Then increased it slightly.
Pain followed.
His muscles trembled under the strain.
Good.
That meant progress.
Essence reinforcement wasn't about comfort.
It was about control.
About forcing his body to accept greater and greater levels of enhancement without tearing itself apart.
He tightened the flow further.
His bones vibrated faintly under the pressure.
Sweat formed across his brow.
Minutes passed.
