CHAPTER 143: DONE WITH THE BASICS

It had been a full month since Aamir began training in the basics of Pran.

Deep in the heart of the jungle, beside a serene blue pond, Aamir stood barefoot with his eyes closed. His breathing was steady, slow, and measured. Both his hands glowed faintly—coated in a soft, flickering pink energy. The light shimmered like mist, pulsing gently across his knuckles.

He exhaled and took a stance.

THWACK!

With what looked like a gentle tap, Aamir’s fist connected with a thick jungle tree. The moment his knuckles made contact, the pink energy flared—and the tree snapped in half, exploding from the center and crashing to the ground with a mighty CRACK.

Birds scattered into the air.

Aamir stared at his hand, then the fallen tree.

"That was... a baby punch," he said, amazed. "I didn’t even use my own strength. That was purely Pran energy."

Across the pond, Vyuk was lazily floating in the water, arms behind his head. Spark, the small lizard-puppy beast, splashed nearby, while Tony—his squirrel-sized monkey companion—sat contently on Vyuk’s head like a crown.

Vyuk looked toward Aamir and smirked. "Not bad, kid. You’ve come a long way."

He sat up, water dripping from his shoulders. "You’re almost done with the basics. Just read the final page of the manual. Once you’ve got that down... we move to the real training."

Aamir gave a confident nod. "Yes, Master. I’ll get it done."

He sat down beneath a tree, flipping through the weathered Pran Manual. The final page flickered slightly, glowing faintly with ink that responded to his energy. He began to read aloud.

"Advanced Application — External Projection of Pran Energy. Once internal mastery is achieved, users can learn to fire energy as slashes or waves to hit targets from afar."

Aamir’s eyes lit up. "I’ve done something like this before... but only using Adrenaline Energy."

He stood up again, the manual resting in his palm.

"Let’s see what it’s like using just Pran."

He focused, letting the pink energy surge from his core and flow toward his arms. His right hand lifted, fingers curling into a sharp edge. He focused on a large stone a few meters away.

"Slash!"

He sliced the air.

A faint pink arc of energy shot from his palm—like a crescent moon made of pure light. It whizzed through the air with a quiet hum, cutting through vines, grass, and finally—

BOOM!

The arc crashed into the stone and split it cleanly in two.

Aamir’s jaw dropped. "Whoa! That’s a clean cut!"

Aamir lowered his arm slowly, his breath catching in his throat.

The arc had vanished, but its afterglow still danced in his vision. The stone that once stood solid and whole now lay in two perfect halves, clean as if sliced by a master blade.

His heartbeat thudded in his ears. Not from effort... but disbelief.

"I actually did it," he whispered. "I didn’t just punch—I cut through stone with a wave of energy."

For a second, he said nothing. He simply watched the severed rock and let the stillness of the forest sink in around him. No birds sang. No leaves rustled.

Even nature, it seemed, paused for his moment.

Across the pond, Vyuk didn’t move either. His smile faded into something more contemplative, almost nostalgic.

He’d seen many students learn Pran—but something about this boy was different.

"He learns fast... but he doesn’t rush," Vyuk thought. "He listens. That’s rare."

Aamir finally turned, blinking the awe out of his eyes.

"So that’s what focused Pran feels like..."

He touched his wrist. It still hummed.

"It’s like holding lightning... but not getting burned."

Vyuk stood and clapped once from the water.

"That’s it. You’re ready."

Aamir turned to him, grinning ear to ear. "So what’s next?"

Vyuk climbed out of the pond, stretching like a cat. "Now, we begin the path that separates warriors from legends."

He tossed Aamir a fresh towel and said with a smirk:

"Welcome to real training, kid."

Aamir caught the towel mid-air, still riding the high from his first successful Pran slash. He wiped the sweat from his brow, then looked down at his palm—still tingling from the surge of energy.

"It feels so different from Adrenaline Energy," he murmured. "It’s calmer... more alive. Like it listens to me."

Vyuk, still drying himself from the lake, walked up with a light smile on his face, Spark trotting behind him and Tony now perched lazily on his shoulder.

"Wow, kid," Vyuk said with a proud nod, "you actually did it. You’ve learned everything I wrote in that book. I’m impressed."

Aamir grinned. "Told you I’d master it. So... does this mean I’m finally done with the basics?"

Vyuk’s smile turned into a mysterious smirk. "Almost. But there’s one thing I never wrote in the book. The final part of your basic training."

Aamir raised an eyebrow. "Wait... what? You mean this slash thing wasn’t the last step?"

Vyuk chuckled. "No, that wasn’t the last step. That was the beginning of the last step."

Aamir crossed his arms. "Okay then, sensei. What’s the real last step?"

Vyuk’s eyes sharpened. "It’s about using Pran... not just in your fists or your arms. But across your entire

body."

Aamir blinked. "Like... full body coating?"

Vyuk nodded slowly. "Exactly. You’ve been focusing it into specific limbs. Now it’s time to circulate it through every nerve, every muscle, every bone. Become one with it."

Aamir scratched his head. "Wait, I think I’ve already done something like that... when I use Adrenaline Energy."

Vyuk looked mildly surprised. "You can do that with your Adrenaline stuff?"

Aamir shrugged. "Yeah. It sort of rushes through my whole body. Boosts my strength, reflexes... everything."

Vyuk crossed his arms, intrigued. "Then yes, it’s similar. Except this time, you’ll have more control. No surges. Just flow."

Aamir nodded. "Then let me try."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Just like he’d summoned Pran to his fists before, now he visualized it flowing through his entire body—like a gentle current wrapping around his arms, his chest, his legs.

A faint glow emerged—a light pink shimmer spreading across his skin, starting from his chest and extending outward. It wasn’t chaotic like Adrenaline Energy. It was warm, steady... peaceful.

Aamir opened his eyes slowly.

Vyuk stared at him, impressed. "You actually pulled it off on the first try."

Aamir smirked. "Didn’t I tell you I know how to do it?"

But then he stepped forward to lean against a nearby tree—

BOOM!

The tree exploded the moment he touched it, shattered from the uncontrolled force.

"Oh no—!" Aamir fell backward in surprise, landing with a thud on the grassy ground. "That... wasn’t my intention."

Vyuk shook his head, laughing under his breath. "Well, congratulations. You summoned full-body Pran."

Then he walked over and extended a hand.

"But now, it’s time I teach you how to control it. That’s what real mastery looks like."

Aamir grabbed his hand and stood up. "So I’ve passed... but barely."

Vyuk grinned. "You passed like how a beast cub learns to walk—lots of crashing into things."

Aamir rolled his shoulders. "Then teach me how to run, Master."

Vyuk’s eyes glinted. "Oh, I will. And when I’m done, you won’t just run. You’ll fly."

"It feels so different from Adrenaline Energy," he murmured. "It’s calmer... more alive. Like it listens to me."

Vyuk nodded as he approached, now fully dry despite just being in the water. Tony leapt from his shoulder and landed gracefully near Spark, the two small beasts playing with a glowing butterfly that flitted around the pond.

Vyuk knelt near the stone Aamir had split, running his hand across the clean cut.

"Exactly," he said. "Adrenaline Energy fuels you like a storm—wild, explosive. But Pran..." He tapped the stone lightly. "...Pran refines you. It’s the difference between a hammer and a blade."

Aamir tilted his head. "Then what happens when I master both?"

Vyuk smirked. "Then you become a storm... with precision."

Aamir couldn’t help but grin at that. "Sounds deadly."

"It is." Vyuk’s tone dropped slightly. He stood up straight, eyes scanning the jungle trees. "And necessary. Because what’s coming... won’t be stopped by brute force alone."

The mood shifted slightly. The air grew still.

"Master," Aamir said slowly, "that day I saw Zorwath’s memories in the sword... those visions... was he always like that?"

Vyuk paused.

"No," he said, voice distant. "He was once like you. Bright. Brave. A little reckless." He looked at Aamir. "And good."

Aamir lowered his gaze.

"What changed him?"

"The same thing that changes many great men," Vyuk said, stepping away. "Power without restraint. Vision without compassion."

He turned back.

"And that’s why I gave you the manual, Aamir. Because you’re a good kid... and I want you to stay that way."

Aamir’s expression grew firm.

"I won’t become like him. I swear."

Vyuk looked at him for a long moment... then nodded.

"Then let’s make sure your heart stays stronger than your fists."

As the sun began to dip past the canopy, bathing the jungle in golden light, Aamir sat again by the pond. He opened the Pran manual once more—not to learn, but to reflect.

He had finished the basics. But he knew that was just the first step.

From here on out, it wouldn’t just be punches and slashes.

It would be purpose.

"No turning back now," he whispered.

He looked up at the orange sky and smiled.

"Let’s begin the next Chapter."