The next morning.
Hifung woke up early. He stepped out of his room, headed to the kitchen, cooked his meal, and ate.
After finishing his meal, Hifung left the house and walked into the forest that was still within the territory of the Milty Kingdom.
He sat on a tree branch that was low to the ground, deep within the woods.
Hifung (in his thoughts): "My left hand still can't release magic. How can I recover faster...?"
Hifung: Huh, oh well. I guess I'll just train using only my right hand for now.
He suddenly remembered his sword.
Hifung (in his thoughts): "My sword... Huh. Oh right, maybe I should focus on increasing my chi capacity for now. Maybe someday, I'll be able to use advanced elemental magic."
Hifung then started training magic using only his right hand.
He trained until noon.
Hifung looked exhausted as he sat again on the same tree branch on the ground. Several trees in front of him bore the marks of magical attacks, with two of them toppled over.
Suddenly, Ray appeared.
Ray: Hifung.
Hifung: Ray?
Ray sat down next to Hifung.
Hifung: How did you know I was here?
Ray: My dad used to bring me here a lot to train magic.
Hifung: Oh.
Ray: Here.
(Ray offered Hifung some food.)
Hifung: Hm?
Ray: Eat. You haven't eaten, have you?
Hifung: Thanks.
(They sat together and ate until they finished.)
Hifung: Ray, your eye ability—can it break magic?
Ray: Hm? Yeah. My eye power can break basic elemental magic, but only if it's not enhanced with aura.
Hifung: Oh...
Ray: Why do you ask?
Hifung: I want to train magic. Can I ask for your help?
Ray: Magic training? But your hand...
Hifung: I'll only use my right hand, don't worry.
Hifung: I want to challenge your magic-breaking eye.
Ray: Oh. Okay.
Hifung: I'll release magic, and you try to break it.
Ray: Got it.
Hifung readied himself. He conjured fire magic and aimed it at a tree.
Hifung: Ready?
Ray: Ready.
Hifung launched his magic toward the tree.
Hifung: Fire Shoot!
(Ray activated his eye power.)
(The fire magic burst apart.)
Hifung: Okay, what if I use orange fire magic?
Ray: That's still considered a basic element. I should be able to break it.
(Hifung aimed a fireball at the tree again.)
Hifung: Wait—but my orange fire magic needs to be infused with aura.
Ray: If it's magic with aura, then my eye can't break it.
Hifung: Then I'll try it without aura.
(Ray looked confused.)
(Hifung poured a huge amount of chi into the fireball.)
Hifung: Argh...
(His chi started to drain.)
Ray: Hifung, don't push yourself.
(Finally, the fire magic turned orange.)
Hifung: Ray, get ready.
Ray: Okay.
(Hifung launched the magic.)
(Ray activated his eye power again.)
(Ray struggled to break it.)
(He used a lot of his chi.)
(The fireball turned red again, but Ray couldn't fully destroy it.)
(The magic hit the target tree.)
Ray: Hah... So, this eye ability uses a lot of chi.
Hifung: Are you okay?
Ray: Yeah. What about you? You used a lot of chi to make that fire turn orange.
Hifung: Yeah...
(They took a short rest.)
Suddenly, they heard someone shouting for help.
??? (in the distance): Help!
(They both turned toward the sound.)
Hifung: Ray.
Ray: Let's go.
(They ran toward the source.)
??? (still shouting): Help!
(They finally saw the person—being chased by members of Ziden's group.)
(Ziden himself wasn't there.)
Ray: Hifung.
Hifung: Got it.
(Hifung fired fire magic at the pursuers.)
(They stopped chasing.)
(The fleeing person glanced at Hifung and Ray, but kept running away.)
Ziden's Group: Hey, Hifung! Move! We're not looking for trouble with you!
Hifung: And yet you still bully someone weaker than you.
Ziden's Group: Look who's grown some courage.
(Hifung summoned his fire magic again, this time infused with aura. The fire turned orange.)
Hifung: I'll let you go if you leave now. But if you insist... I'll burn you with this fire.
(The group looked panicked and frightened.)
Ziden's Group: Orange fire?!
(They turned and ran away in fear.)
Hifung: Haha.
(Ray smiled.)
(Suddenly, Hifung's expression changed.)
Hifung: Ray.
Ray: Yeah?
Hifung: I can't cancel the spell.
Ray: Huh?
Hifung: What should I do?
Ray: Just fire it into the sky.
Hifung: Oh, right.
(Hifung released the orange fireball up into the sky.)
Hifung: Oh yeah, Ray—I wanted to ask you something.
Ray: What is it?
Hifung: Come with me.
(They returned to the place where they had trained earlier and sat on the tree branch again.)
Ray: What's up?
Hifung: I read in a book yesterday... It said aura is the natural enemy of magic?
Ray: And?
Hifung: But we channel aura into magic to make it stronger?
Ray: Yeah.
Hifung: How can something that's the natural enemy of magic also strengthen it?
Ray: Oh, I asked the king that exact same question yesterday.
Hifung: And?
Ray: So, magic draws power from chi. Aura draws power from willpower.
Ray: If you pit magic and aura against each other using equal amounts of chi and willpower, magic will lose.
Ray: I don't know why, but that's just how it works—magic will lose in that kind of clash.
Ray: But if aura touches magic from inside the magic, it strengthens it.
Ray: If it touches from the outside, it causes a clash of forces.
Ray: Aura doesn't have a consistent form. I'm not sure, but maybe aura can be shaped or controlled somehow.
Ray: As far as I know, aura can only be released from within ourselves, weapons, or magic.
Hifung: Oh...
Ray: Hifung, I think you should stop training magic for a while.
Hifung: Hm? Why?
Ray: I'm worried about your left hand. What if it takes even longer to recover?
Hifung: Don't worry, I won't push myself.
Ray: But—
Hifung: It's getting late. I'll head home first. See you.
(Hifung walked away.)
Ray (in his thoughts): "Is he really going to be okay...?"
(Hifung arrived home, opened the door, and stepped inside.)
Hifung (in his thoughts): "Three years!?"
(He looked frustrated.)
(He went into his room and sat on the bed.)
(He stared at his left hand, still wrapped in bandages.)
Hifung (in his thoughts): "Three y
ears without my left hand..."
(Tears began to fall from his eyes.)
Later that night, he left his room and went into the kitchen.
He began preparing a meal.
After cooking, he sat at the table and ate.
Once he finished, he returned to his room and went to sleep.