The forest grew darker the deeper Ryuzen went.
Tall trees surrounded him on every side, their branches twisting together above his head and blocking most of the sunlight.
He had been walking for hours.
His feet hurt.
His stomach was empty.
His clothes were covered in dirt.
But he kept moving.
The old man from the village had given him only one direction.
North.
Somewhere beyond the mountains was an ancient forest.
And somewhere inside that forest lived a man people called the Mad Wizard.
Ryuzen adjusted the bag on his shoulder.
“Why does finding someone who can help me always have to be difficult?”
A branch cracked behind him.
Ryuzen stopped.
He slowly turned.
Nothing.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Again?”
Silence.
Then a bird suddenly flew out of the trees.
Ryuzen sighed.
“I’m getting too nervous.”
He continued walking.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him.
After another hour, the trees became thicker.
Ryuzen eventually reached a small clearing.
An old wooden house stood in the middle of it.
Books and scrolls were scattered around the outside.
Strange plants grew beside the walls.
There were several wooden training posts in the yard, along with rocks that looked as if they had been carved by someone.
Ryuzen stared.
“This has to be the place.”
He walked toward the door.
Before he could knock—
“You’re late.”
Ryuzen froze.
He turned around.
An old man stood behind him.
Long silver-white hair.
A thick beard.
Dark-blue robes covered with ancient symbols.
A wooden staff rested in his hand.
Ryuzen immediately recognized him.
“The Mad Wizard?”
The old man’s eyebrow twitched.
“Who told you that name?”
“Someone in the village.”
“Of course.”
The old man sighed.
“People love giving names to things they don’t understand.”
Ryuzen studied him.
“Are you Eldran?”
The old man didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his eyes moved over Ryuzen’s body.
His dirty clothes.
His wounds.
His tired expression.
Then his eyes stopped on Ryuzen’s hand.
A tiny blue spark appeared between his fingers.
Eldran’s expression changed for only a moment.
“You came here because of your Inner Beast.”
Ryuzen’s eyes widened.
“How did you know?”
“Because I’m not blind.”
“You knew before I told you.”
Eldran turned toward the house.
“Come inside.”
Ryuzen followed.
The inside of the house looked nothing like the outside.
Books covered almost every wall.
Some were ancient and covered in dust.
Others looked so old that Ryuzen wondered if anyone had touched them in centuries.
There were strange bottles filled with glowing liquid.
Maps covered one wall.
Ancient symbols were carved into the floor.
Ryuzen looked around.
“How many books do you have?”
“Enough.”
“Have you read all of them?”
“Most.”
Ryuzen stared at him.
“You really are a wizard.”
Eldran looked at him.
“Was there any doubt?”
Ryuzen smiled.
“I suppose not.”
Eldran placed his staff against the wall.
Then he walked toward a table.
“Sit.”
Ryuzen sat.
Eldran placed a bowl of food in front of him.
Ryuzen immediately began eating.
Eldran watched silently.
Ryuzen noticed.
“What?”
“You eat like someone who’s been starving.”
“I have.”
“For how long?”
“Three days.”
Eldran’s eyes widened slightly.
“You traveled for three days without enough food?”
“I didn’t exactly plan this journey.”
“Clearly.”
Ryuzen continued eating.
For the first time in days, he felt full.
When he finished, he leaned back.
“Thank you.”
Eldran nodded.
“Now tell me why you’re here.”
Ryuzen looked down at his hands.
“My Inner Beast is an Electric Eel.”
Eldran said nothing.
“Everyone thinks it’s weak.”
Still nothing.
“But I don’t think that’s the problem.”
Eldran finally looked at him.
“Continue.”
“My body can’t handle the thunder.”
Ryuzen raised his hand.
Blue electricity appeared.
It crawled across his fingers.
Then his wrist.
Pain immediately appeared in his arm.
Ryuzen clenched his teeth.
Eldran watched carefully.
“Stop.”
Ryuzen stopped.
The thunder disappeared.
Eldran walked closer.
“Your body is rejecting the power.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“I’ve experienced it every time I use it.”
Eldran almost smiled.
“Fair enough.”
Ryuzen leaned forward.
“Can you teach me how to control it?”
Eldran shook his head.
“No.”
Ryuzen frowned.
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“I already did.”
“Then think again.”
Eldran stared at him.
Ryuzen stared back.
Finally, Eldran sighed.
“You’re stubborn.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“Your body is too weak.”
“I’ll strengthen it.”
“You could die.”
“I know.”
“You could permanently damage your body.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still asking?”
Ryuzen’s expression became serious.
“Because I don’t want to spend my whole life believing everyone who called me weak.”
Eldran remained silent.
Ryuzen continued.
“I don’t need them to accept me.”
He clenched his fist.
“I just want to know how far I can go.”
Something changed in Eldran’s eyes.
“Interesting.”
He turned away.
“Come with me.”
Eldran led Ryuzen behind the house.
There was a large clearing.
Several wooden posts stood in the ground.
At the far end was a small pile of objects.
Ryuzen looked at them.
“What’s that?”
“Your training.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“Finally.”
He stepped forward.
Eldran pointed at a small metal needle lying on a table.
“Pick it up.”
Ryuzen walked over.
He grabbed the needle.
Nothing happened.
He lifted his hand.
Then—
His arm dropped.
CLANG!
The needle hit the table.
Ryuzen stared at it.
Then he stared at Eldran.
“Why is your needle so heavy?”
“Two pounds.”
Ryuzen blinked.
“That’s a needle.”
“Yes.”
“Needles aren’t supposed to weigh two pounds.”
“This one does.”
Ryuzen picked it up again.
His arm trembled.
He managed to lift it a few centimeters.
Then he dropped it.
Eldran nodded.
“Good.”
“Good?!”
“You lifted it.”
“For half a second!”
“Half a second longer than before.”
Ryuzen stared at him.
“You’re insane.”
Eldran smiled.
“People have called me worse.”
He pointed toward a spoon.
“Pick that up.”
Ryuzen walked over.
He grabbed it.
His eyes widened.
“What is this made of?”
“Metal.”
“That is not normal metal.”
“No.”
Ryuzen struggled to lift the spoon.
His arm shook.
Finally, he managed to raise it.
Eldran nodded.
“Now eat.”
Ryuzen stared at him.
“With this?”
“Yes.”
Ryuzen slowly brought the spoon toward his mouth.
His arm trembled so badly that some food fell.
Eldran didn’t react.
Ryuzen tried again.
And again.
After several attempts, he finally managed to eat.
He looked exhausted.
Eldran calmly said,
“Breakfast tomorrow.”
Ryuzen frowned.
“Why?”
“Because tomorrow you’ll use both hands.”
The next morning, Ryuzen discovered that Eldran had been serious.
Everything in the house was heavy.
The cup.
The plate.
The spoon.
The chair.
The books.
Even the door.
Ryuzen struggled to open it.
“Why is your door heavier than a wall?”
Eldran drank his tea.
“Builds strength.”
Ryuzen pushed harder.
The door slowly opened.
He nearly fell backward.
Eldran nodded.
“Good.”
Ryuzen glared at him.
“You say ‘good’ too much.”
“You complain too much.”
Ryuzen walked away.
Then he stopped.
“Wait.”
Eldran looked at him.
“How heavy are your clothes?”
Eldran smiled.
Ryuzen’s expression dropped.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Training became Ryuzen’s new life.
Every morning, he carried heavy objects around the forest.
He carried buckets of water.
He moved heavy logs.
He opened heavy doors.
He climbed hills wearing weighted clothes.
He carried books from one side of the house to another.
He even had to eat with Eldran’s ridiculously heavy spoon.
At first, everything felt impossible.
But Ryuzen refused to surrender.
He fell.
He rested.
Then he tried again.
One morning, Eldran placed a heavy wooden bucket in front of him.
“Carry it to the stream.”
Ryuzen grabbed it.
His arms immediately shook.
“It’s too heavy.”
“Then become stronger.”
Ryuzen clenched his teeth.
He lifted it.
One step.
Two.
Three.
His legs trembled.
He nearly dropped it.
But he continued.
By the time he reached the stream, his entire body was shaking.
He dropped the bucket.
BOOM!
Ryuzen fell onto the grass.
Eldran stood nearby.
“Again.”
Ryuzen looked up.
“You’re joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Ryuzen sighed.
“No.”
He stood.
He picked up the bucket.
And started again.
Days became weeks.
Ryuzen’s body slowly began changing.
His muscles became stronger.
His movements became faster.
His breathing became more controlled.
But the most important change came when Eldran allowed him to use his thunder again.
“Small amount.”
Ryuzen raised his hand.
A blue spark appeared.
He allowed it to travel through his fingers.
Then his wrist.
Then his arm.
Pain came.
But it wasn’t as bad as before.
Ryuzen’s eyes widened.
“I can control it.”
“Don’t celebrate yet.”
Ryuzen continued.
The thunder moved toward his shoulder.
His body trembled.
He breathed slowly.
Instead of forcing the thunder through his body, he guided it.
The electricity moved smoothly.
Ryuzen smiled.
“I can feel it.”
Eldran nodded.
“Your body is becoming stronger.”
Ryuzen looked at his arm.
“So my Electric Eel wasn’t weak.”
Eldran’s expression became serious.
“Never assume that.”
Ryuzen looked at him.
“Then what was wrong with it?”
Eldran pointed at his chest.
“You.”
Ryuzen blinked.
“Me?”
“Your body was too weak to contain its power.”
Ryuzen stared at his hand.
Eldran continued.
“An Inner Beast is only as strong as the vessel carrying it can withstand.”
Ryuzen slowly clenched his fist.
“So if I strengthen my body…”
“You’ll be able to use more of its power.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“Then I’ll keep getting stronger.”
Eldran turned away.
“That’s the answer I wanted.”
Ryuzen didn’t notice the strange look in Eldran’s eyes.
The old wizard had seen many people chase power.
Most wanted strength for revenge.
Some wanted fame.
Others wanted control.
But this boy…
He had lost everything.
Yet he still wanted to move forward.
Eldran looked toward the sky.
For a brief moment, his eyes glowed.
A vision flashed through his mind.
Blue thunder.
A distant battlefield.
A young man standing alone.
Then—
Golden light.
The vision disappeared.
Eldran’s eyes returned to normal.
Ryuzen noticed.
“Are you okay?”
Eldran looked at him.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Ryuzen frowned.
He didn’t believe him.
But he didn’t press further.
Eldran looked at the boy standing before him.
The Master of Souls…
He remembered an ancient prophecy.
A warrior.
Thunder.
An ancient sword.
And darkness.
Eldran closed his eyes.
Perhaps the time has finally come.
He opened them again.
“Ryuzen.”
“Yes?”
“Tomorrow, your real training begins.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“I thought this was real training.”
Eldran turned toward the house.
“It was preparation.”
Ryuzen’s smile disappeared.
“Preparation for what?”
Eldran didn’t answer.
He simply walked away.
Ryuzen stood in the clearing, staring after him.
Then he looked at his hands.
Blue thunder crackled between his fingers.
For the first time, it didn’t feel like something that wanted to destroy him.
It felt like something waiting for him to become strong enough to carry it.
Ryuzen smiled.
“Then I’ll become strong enough.”
And somewhere deep within the ancient forest…
A forgotten power stirred.
The journey that would transform Ryuzen had finally begun.