"Understanding the wind is but the first step in mastering the second level of the Way of the Wind. The next stage is to harmonise your energy with that of the wind," Kremeth announced, as a new day dawned within the Time Chamber.
Max felt a surge of anticipation as he listened. This was a new phase of his training, a step towards attaining greater mastery over the Way of the Wind. Despite the monumental task ahead, Max was not daunted. His successful breakthrough in understanding the wind's language had given him renewed confidence.
"Every living being possesses an intrinsic energy, and you are no exception, Max. Your goal is to meld this energy with the wind's natural flow, to blend so seamlessly that there is no distinction between the two. This process of harmonisation will not only deepen your connection with the wind but also enhance your control over it," Kremeth explained.
Max understood the significance of this phase. Melding his energy with the wind would mean achieving a state of unity, a harmonious relationship where his will and the wind's flow would act in unison.
" For you this might be harder than others because your elemental mana has a fire nature blended inside of it because of your connection with the Agni-Astra. However, despite the ' Nature ' of your energy not being wind, it can still find harmony with the surroundings if you can patiently learn how to blend it in " Kremeth explained as he showed Max an example of what it meant to harmonise with the wind.
" Observe the windflow around me " Kremeth said before sitting in a meditative posture.
Max observed the flow of wind around Kremeth using his senses and found that his body was producing no obstruction or disturbance to the wind around him.
Usually when an individual sat in the open, his body radiated heat and the flow of mana within one's body affected the wind currents around them, however, Kremeth managed to nullify that phenomenon and become harmonised with the wind.
If Max was not observing him through his eyes and just relying on his way of the wind senses blindfolded he would not even be able to detect him sitting there.
With this demonstration Max understood what he was supposed to achieve and from here on it was only a question of how he was to achieve it.
To initiate the training, Kremeth guided Max to sit in a meditative posture in the centre of the plains, surrounded by the diverse nature within the Time Chamber. His instructions were simple - Max was to meditate, focusing on his inner energy and the surrounding wind, attempting to harmonise the two.
Days turned into weeks, and Max's routine took on a monotonous rhythm. Every day, he would sit in meditation, focusing his entire being on the task of harmonisation. He would feel the flow of the wind, its subtle changes, its whispers, and try to meld his energy with it.
He discovered that it was vastly different from merely understanding the wind's language. It required him to surrender, to let go of his ego and personal boundaries, to consider the wind not as a separate entity but an extension of himself.
Days rolled into months, and Max found himself enveloped in the ebb and flow of the wind. It was a difficult process, requiring immense patience and resilience. The strain was not physical but mental, taxing his focus and determination to the limits.
But Max persevered. He felt the initial resistance of his energy, a sort of push back when he tried to blend it with the wind. He understood this as a natural reaction, a defensive mechanism of his energy to an unfamiliar change.
However, as the days passed, Max felt the boundaries beginning to blur. His energy, once rigid and resistant, started to respond to the wind's flow. He could feel it sway with the wind's rhythm, sync with its pulse. The process was slow, almost imperceptible, but it was progress.
Max began to notice that his energy was becoming more fluid, more adaptable. The once hard line that distinguished his energy from the wind was slowly disappearing. He could sense the wind's energy mingling with his own, dancing around each other, gradually moving towards harmony.
This new routine of meditative harmonisation was taxing, yet Max found a sense of tranquillity in it. It was as if he was learning to become one with nature, aligning his very being with the primal force of the wind. The experience was enlightening, humbling, and immensely liberating.
Despite the small progress he made each day, Max knew that he was far from reaching true harmonisation. But he also knew that this was not a race, nor was it a battle. It was a dance, a gradual process of understanding, adapting and merging and he was ready for the long journey ahead.
*********
( Meanwhile Sebastian )
After thinking things through clearly, Sebastian decided that the best course of action for him to undertake was to commandeer a small group of 100 of his finest men on a mission to raid the nearest enemy fort, while keeping the rest of his legion on stand-by to come in and capture the fort when it eventually fell.
Sebastian guided the 100 men through the shade of the night, his senses on high alert as he evaded the border patrol and managed to sneak in close towards the enemy fortresses without anyone being any wiser.
" Give me a bump " Sebastian commanded as he stood beneath the west-wall of the fort and ordered the Bloodfall clan troops to catapult him to the top.
Tying a rope around his waist, Sebastian was tossed into the air by the troops as he landed 40 feet above on the edge of the fortress and quickly United the rope and hooked it on the edge for the rest of the men to climb up from.
The fort that Sebastian had planned to attack was home to about 25,000 Barbarians and had 4 tier4 chiefs on duty, however, before the enemy troops could even be alerted that a dwarf was trying to infiltrate their fort, hundreds of thousands of undead flooded the fort as a bloody battle began.
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/// A/N - Chapter 5 of 6
This bonus chapter has been sponsored by patron Cervantez91 please thank him in the comments for the same ///