—FLASHBACK—
A dense mist covered everything. The sixteen-year-old woke to find the waters eerily calm, yet something felt wrong. Visibility barely extended a few meters ahead. Then he heard something strange—what sounded like a scream. Alarmed, he stood and walked to the side of his boat, noticing an unusual bubbling in the water. Not understanding what was happening, he took a deep breath and entered a state of calm, releasing his energy outward. Even with his eyes closed, he could see into the depths, where a massive creature passed beneath him—followed by one even larger. Both began to rise.
He immediately understood that the bubbles and swell were caused by the beasts. Without hesitation, he swiftly slid his feet across the wooden deck while moving his arms, escaping the area as fast as he could. This woke his saber-toothed companion, who clung with his claws to avoid falling into the ocean, watching in concern as something enormous prepared to surface.
A gigantic whale leapt from the water, leaving both travelers utterly mesmerized by its strange beauty. The animal—around eight meters long and weighing perhaps four tons—was suddenly bitten by the jaws of a far more colossal monster. The whale crashed back down, releasing a final cry as powerful waves spread across the surface.
Zugner watched in fear, wondering what kind of monstrous mouth could seize such a creature so easily. He noticed waves two to three meters high racing toward them—enough to sink the raft. Without hesitation, he stomped the deck and thrust both open hands forward, creating far larger waves—six to eight meters high—that tore through the incoming swell, sparing them with only a minor jolt.
He checked on his friend mentally. Are you okay? Ungar nodded. They looked back to where the whale had fallen. The water there turned red, and a black sphere floated up—the eye of the prey. Both swallowed hard. Before pity could take hold, Zugner closed his eyes, pressed his open palms together at chest level, and released a massive energy wave that spread so far he could see the ocean floor, where a Leviathan finished devouring its victim.
With eyes closed, a tear slid from Zugner's left eye as he thought, Damn you.
Unbeknownst to him, his abilities betrayed him—his thought reached the ancient predator's mind. The Leviathan turned upward, sensing the raft's shadow, and despite its hunger, lunged toward it. Zugner opened his eyes as his energy field began to fade and fled by controlling the water, but the beast pursued at full speed, steadily closing the distance.
Worried about losing their transport and supplies, Zugner sighed heavily, met Ungar's gaze, and thought, Hold on tight. The raft stopped abruptly, tempting the predator. Using his energy-sight, Zugner gauged the distance, prepared himself, and waited. As the Leviathan surfaced with its enormous jaws open, Zugner slid his left foot across the deck and thrust his arms forward, veering out of its path. Supplies—food, wood, stones—were lost as the monster tore into a wall of the raft.
Angered by the miss, the creature dove again for another attack. Zugner prepared to evade—but remembered that avoiding conflict had led him here. Recalling the moment he refused to strike his brother, he shouted in a broken, ancient tongue, "I—I—I won't r-run a-away again!"
He stood his ground, legs apart, breathing deeply as a familiar sensation surged through him. Drawing both arms to his waist, he extended his right hand upward, muscles relaxed, and lifted the Leviathan from the water. He stared with a mix of fear and awe at the small human holding it aloft as it slowly suffocated. Then he shouted mentally, "I've defeated you!" He hurled a left punch empowered by Fiu, releasing an air blade that sliced the beast's snout before letting it crash back into the ocean.
Breathless, Zugner collapsed to his knees on the raft, staring at his hands. What was that feeling—emptiness and fullness at the same time?
Ungar approached to check on him, and Zugner scratched his head to reassure him. They noticed a line of blood drifting toward them. Zugner rose, ready to fight again—the energy field had shown the creature returning. But this time, the Leviathan surfaced calmly and stopped before him in a sign of respect. Zugner sighed in relief, smiled, and gently touched its cold, smooth skin.
A voice echoed in his mind: What do you need?
He thought, Land. The creature nodded and submerged, creating bubbling currents as if guiding him to follow. Confused but trusting, Zugner slid his feet and moved his arms to control the water. After several minutes, they emerged from the dense fog.
They found themselves near an island. The sea creature struck the shoreline with its tail in farewell. The duo headed toward their new home. Upon reaching land, Ungar sprinted into the forest while Zugner maneuvered the raft closer to shore. He sat with his feet in the sand, inhaled deeply, and sighed in relief. He gathered his axe, remaining supplies, and food under a palm tree's shade, then followed Ungar's tracks with only his axe and spear.
A chill ran down his spine. He sensed dark shapes moving. He took a combat stance—but nothing happened. Then a hoofed quadruped emerged: a Daeodon, about 1.8 meters tall. It looked exhausted—an opportunity. Zugner approached, only to see a seven-meter-long Megalania leap from behind and crush it. The prey screamed as it was torn apart.
Zugner licked his lips—such a specimen would be good roasted. But the hungry Megalania charged him—only to be impaled through the neck by Ungar's massive fangs. The reptile was thrown onto the beach. Smiling, Zugner struck with his axe, slicing deep into its ribs. A powerful tail swipe sent both him and Ungar flying. Dazed, they watched the beast rise, blood staining the white sand. It lunged again. Ungar attacked, taking a bite to the torso while raking with his claws. Without hesitation, Zugner plunged his axe into the creature's neck—once, twice, three times—until he severed its head, freeing his friend.
Zugner placed his right hand over Ungar's wound, thinking, Hold on. He concentrated, letting a controlled flame cauterize the injury, stopping the bleeding—though Ungar cried out briefly in pain. When it was done, Zugner stared at his bloodstained hand, amazed that his instincts had known exactly what to do.
They skinned the reptile, cooked its meat, and gazed curiously into the unexplored forest beyond.
Years passed. Little is known of what the First Grand Master did on that island. What is certain is that he survived and built a hut, honing survival skills that would become the foundation of the Society of Users. He trained in stealth, trying to ambush Ungar—often failing due to the beast's keen senses. Nights were spent refining his techniques and crafting garments. Eventually, he created a full-body cloak and hood using Megalania hide, finally fooling Ungar's senses.
Zugner practiced elemental control daily, discovering patterns: relaxed muscles for water, tense muscles for earth, relaxed but swift movement for air, and brief, aggressive tension for fire. He sketched his techniques with charcoal on leaves to remember the results.
At twenty-three, with Ungar watching from afar, Zugner performed a flawless sequence—earth, air, water, fire—laying the earliest foundations of Fiu mastery. Steam rose; he cooled it with air, letting Ungar drink.
Sensing something, Zugner ran to the beach with Ungar. He saw five figures adrift on logs. Hearing a faint plea for help, he ordered the Leviathan to stop. He rescued five children—two boys and three girls—suffering from seawater poisoning. He purified water, saved them, and began teaching.
Thus, the legacy of master and students began.
—END OF FLASHBACK—
Jayden finished his tale with a smile and set down his empty teacup. The students stared, full of questions.
Alexa reflected in awe at how far one seed had grown. Emily realized the meaning of sensing intruders. Tyron wondered why Jayden had once allowed them to spy.
Francesca asked seriously, "So Zugner could use multiple types of Fiu at once?"
"Yes," Jayden replied, "but it's outdated. Mastery grows better when each type is developed separately."
Realization dawned—the Society of Users had gone to space while humanity ruled Earth.
Finally, Jayden concluded, "We'll help this extraterrestrial with his world's problem. Prepare yourselves—tomorrow, we go on an excursion."
Three voices shouted in unison, "Awesome!" while Francesca, blushing red, raised her arms in excitement.