Heart pounding with excitement, Elias arrived at the dojo for training with his dad, a goofy grin spread across his face.
The birthday present he’d received the night before from his parents had filled him with hope that he was finally ready to move on to the next stage of his combat training, though they’d refused to confirm anything. All Peter had said was, “You’ll find out what it’s for in training tomorrow,” followed by a wink. As far as Elias was concerned, that could only mean one thing, especially after what Analyze had said about the stone basin they’d gifted him.
*******
Elemental Fountain
Rare
Sculpture
 
Effects:

Energy Storage
Mana Generation (tier 3 max)
Mana Containment

*******
The sculpture was simple yet elegant—a thick white marble pillar standing a meter tall, with a squared base and top slightly wider than the column itself. It was now the item with the highest rarity in his possession. As far as Elias was concerned, the Mana Generation effect could only mean one thing: his dad believed he was finally ready to learn how to attune his Spirit to mana.
“Good morning, Eli,” Peter said with a grin as Elias walked into the dojo, clearly amused by his son’s excitement.
“Good morning, dad,” Elias replied.
“Are you ready to find out what your birthday present can do?” Peter asked.
“Yes!” Elias said, bouncing with impatience.
Peter chuckled and moved to stand beside the stone pillar. “Alright then. Choose a tier 1 mana type.”
“Hum… water,” Elias replied tentatively.
Without another word, Peter turned to the pillar and pressed his palm to its flat top.
Water began to slowly pool at the top of the pillar, then trickled down its sides, evaporating into a fine mist before it could reach the floor. The mist spread outward from the base, expanding until it met an invisible barrier a few meters away, forming a faintly shimmering hemisphere around the statue.
“Alright, Eli,” Peter said, gesturing toward the mist. “As you can see, the pillar emits far more mana than the stones I usually use. That’ll make this much easier on your Spirit. I want you to sit inside the misty area and try to feel the mana with your Spirit. The sensation should be similar to when you touch those enchanted energy stones, just much stronger. Focus on the rhythm of the mana. Try to listen to it.”
He motioned for Elias to step into the area affected by the Elemental Fountain.
Elias took a deep, nervous breath and stepped into the enclosed area, the mist curling around him. It felt as if he’d been suddenly plunged into a deep pool, the cool pressure of water pressing gently against his skin. Yet somehow, he remained completely dry, even though the mist felt unmistakably wet.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Elias closed his eyes and embraced the sensations flowing through him, letting himself truly feel the mana with his Spirit. Deep within, he sensed formlessness and fluidity—rushing rivers, rising tides, the ceaseless patter of rain. For the first time, it felt as though he were communing not just with mana, but with the very essence of water itself.
Elias sat down to meditate, just as his dad had instructed, and let himself sink deeper into the impressions and sensations stirred by the water mana.
One moment, he was like a drop of water rolling down a leaf, slipping free and falling to the earth, seeping deep into the soil until he became part of vast underground rivers. In the next, he was the river, feeling everything within himself, giving life to everything around him. Moments blurred into minutes, but Elias couldn’t find any rhyme or reason to the impressions—no pattern, no rhythm to the mana.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Peter said, a slight furrow in his brow. “Let’s try something different. We’ll spar to the rhythm of water mana like we usually do, but this time, I want you to focus on the mana, not on me.”
With that, Peter stepped into the misty area infused with water mana and motioned for Elias to get up and stay on his guard. Elias jumped to his feet eagerly, glad for the chance to try something different after getting nowhere so far.
Peter settled into his stance and began with a swift forward kick aimed at Elias' midsection. Elias recognized the rhythm instantly, slipping into it as naturally as breathing.
As instructed, instead of focusing on his father’s movements, Elias opened his Spirit to the water mana once more. Immediately, a flood of impressions and sensations surged through him, overwhelming his senses. His concentration wavered, and his focus slipped.
He missed a step, tripped over his own feet, and crashed to the ground. Frustrated, he pounded the floor with his fist but got back up immediately, ready to try again.
Again and again, he and his dad moved in the flowing rhythm of water, only to stop moments later when Elias lost the connection and fell out of sync.
Just as he was about to snap in frustration, a memory surfaced.
Years ago, when he was first learning to dance with different types of mana, he hadn’t made any progress until he stopped thinking and started feeling—mirroring the vague impressions he picked up from his father’s movements and channeling them into his own.
So now, he tried the same approach. He let the sensations carried by the water mana guide his body, infusing them into each movement, one at a time.
Elias blocked his father’s blow like a waterfall crashing against a boulder—suppressing and overwhelming. And this time, instead of losing focus or missing a step, he flowed forward, creeping into Peter’s guard like a forming river.
With every exchange, Elias drew closer to uncovering the underlying pattern within the impressions he felt from the water mana, a natural rhythm to his actions. He began to sense how each movement flowed into the next, as if every action were part of a greater whole. The mana itself seemed to guide him, and the feeling was nothing short of sublime.
Before he knew it, Elias was grinning wide as he sparred with his dad. The longer they moved, the more naturally he followed the mana’s lead instead of Peter’s, and it showed in his technique.
His movements had never felt so natural, so effortless. It was as if he were in a combat trance, but deeper—more profound. Peter looked down at his son, eyes glistening with tears of pride, a wide grin spread across his face.
“Good job, Eli. I’m proud of you,” Peter said, hugging Elias as he finally grew too tired to continue their spar. “You’ve nearly mastered Spirit Dancing—and you’re still only fifteen! I know some people who’d want to strangle you out of envy if they found out someone so young had reached this stage.
All that’s really left is awakening your Spirit, but you’ll need to reach Beginner rank for that. So for now, we’ll keep training your combat skills. After all, practice makes perfect. And remember, water mana isn’t the only type your birthday present can emit.”
Elias puffed out his chest at his dad’s praise, a flutter of excitement stirring in him at the reminder that there were still so many different mana types to try. He didn’t know exactly how impressive his accomplishment was, but he did know that Peter didn’t hand out compliments lightly.
If nothing else, Elias was now even more convinced of how incredible this fighting style was, and it seemed there was still one final stage before true mastery.
He couldn’t wait.