Shima's body was wrapped in a warm, pulsing energy. After all of Adrin's power transferred completely into her, she felt her limbs grow light, overflowing with vitality.
"What did you do to me?" Shima asked, clenching her fists and punching the air a few times. She could feel the strength surging inside her.
"Normally," Adrin began, "humans only use about 2.5% of the energy output from their mitochondria. That's just enough to move, think, and live daily life. But where do you think the remaining 97.5% goes? It sleeps, only awakening in moments of crisis. For example, have you ever felt so afraid that you suddenly ran faster than you ever thought possible?"
Shima touched her chin thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, when I was a kid, a neighbor's dog chased me. I was terrified, scared to death and I ran so fast that within seconds I was home, jumping over a two-meter fence. I was only nine back then."
"That's what I mean. In desperate moments, especially between life and death, humans can perform beyond logic. But imagine if you could summon that kind of power at will. That's what I just did for you. I opened your internal gate of energy, allowing your body to release five percent more power. Your mitochondria are now working twice as hard."
"Really?!" Shima's eyes sparkled. "Does that mean I have superpowers now? Can I jump over two meters again? Or maybe… can I get those tiger eyes of yours?"
Adrin smiled faintly. "These eyes aren't as impressive as they look. It might look cool to looko at, but their only function is to help me see in the dark by capturing more light. With your new energy, you can do the same. Try focusing your energy into your eyes, see the darkness more clearly."
Shima closed her eyes gently and focused. A faint blue current flowed through her veins, and when she opened them again, her pupils had narrowed, like a tiger.
"Whoa! I can see everything as if it's daytime! You said it's not impressive, but this is cool as hell!"
She looked around excitedly, at the chicken coops, the rats by the ditches, even at the doors of sleeping villagers, until Adrin flicked her forehead.
"Ow! Why did you do that? That hurts!" she pouted, rubbing the sore spot.
"Let me remind you, Shima. With great power comes great responsibility. I've only unlocked five percent of your potential, and with proper training, you can go even further. But remember, this power is not for you to play."
"Only five percent and I can already do this? Imagine a hundred! I'd be like a god!" Shima shadowboxed playfully, her fists cutting through the air.
"Don't make me regret choosing you," Adrin said calmly. "You'll need that power to face Dona, remember?"
Shima immediately straightened like a soldier. "Ohh yeah, sorry master! I won't disappoint you!"
"Good. Now we need something to test your strength. Is there anything hard around here, something like a punching bag?"
"Hmm… not really," Shima said, thinking. "But there's a huge stone that's been guarded by the Trunka tribe for generations. My ancestors said no one has ever broken it. If someone ever does, it means they're descendants of the gods, destined to change the village's fate."
Adrin smiled. "Bring me to it."
At first, Shima hesitated, but eventually led him to the village center, where the massive stone rested. It stood near Dumba's house, in the middle of a wide, barren field, about the size of a soccer pitch.
"This is the ancestral stone," Shima said, introducing the five-meter-tall black rock. "Are we really going to use this? It's sacred."
"Are you sure this is the hardest thing here?" Adrin asked, scanning the dark horizon.
"Of course. I doubt any human could destroy something harder than this."
"I assure you, one can, and that person is you."
Shima still wasn't convinced, but followed his instructions anyway. Adrin told her to press her right palm against the stone, gather all her energy into one concentrated sphere, then release it in a single strike.
"Hmm… nothing happened," she said after punching it. Strangely, her hand didn't hurt.
"You did it wrong. I told you to release all the energy, not hold any back. And don't punch it in anger, just a calm, single tap. Emotions scatter your focus."
Shima listened carefully. She inhaled deeply, relaxed, and opened her fist, placing her palm softly on the stone's surface. She concentrated her energy into her palm, and in one firm motion, struck it. Her hair lifted from the sudden burst.
"Still nothing! Are you pranking me?" she groaned, feeling foolish.
Adrin smiled mysteriously. "Count to five."
"Huh? Whatever… One, two, three…"
Crack!
"Four, five."
BOOM!
The stone exploded into fragments, scattering across the field with a thunderous shockwave that made the ground tremble. Villagers jolted awake and ran from their houses, some of the naked, panicked by the blast. Dust enveloped the entire area, shrouding the two of them.
Shima stood frozen. Beneath her feet, the once-mighty stone had turned to powder. She stared at her own trembling hands.
"I—I can't believe it. Did I really do that?"
"Congratulations," Adrin said calmly. "You destroyed the sacred stone."
"I-it's impossible… this was only five percent of human power?"
Adrin patted her head gently. "You'll be amazed at what you can do with twenty percent. You could even fly."
Shima's eyes widened. The thought of reaching such strength left her breathless. She wondered, how much power did Adrin himself possess?
"We'd better leave before someone sees us," Adrin said.
Through the dust, they both leaped away. Shima, testing her newfound power, jumped over twenty meters in a single bound, landing awkwardly on someone's chicken coop. She mumbled a quick apology and kept running.
By the time they reached her backyard, the sun had risen, flooding the land with golden light. Shima was panting, exhausted. The scent of her sweat evaporated in the morning air. Her body was wet with beads of sweat, from her armpits to her cleavage, flowing freely like crystals. A little bit erotic, while Adrin didn't even sweat.
Under the morning sunrise, Shima finally spoke. "What do we do now? We just destroyed the sacred stone that's been guarded for centuries!"
"I told you to find something harder," Adrin said calmly. "The stone shattered from within, it couldn't contain your energy. If there were a stronger one, it wouldn't have disintegrated like that."
"Well, there isn't anything harder here," she sighed.
"At least you've learned to control your energy. How about your combat skills? Do you have any fighting techniques?"
"I told you, I'm just an ordinary girl. I've never fought anyone. But my mother was a great warrior. I used to watch her practice here, she performed a traditional technique passed down through generations. It's called the Untai Form."
Adrin's memory stirred. The Untai was Velstria's ancient elemental martial art, five stances representing wind, water, fire, earth, and finally, a combination of all four, forming a devastating ultimate strike.
Shima continued, "But the true Untai form is lost. Since no one can control elements anymore like a god of ancient times, the people of Velstria modified the movements, it's more like regular kung fu now."
"Do you still remember the basic movements?" Adrin asked.
"Yeah, I think I can mimic my mother's."
"Show me."
Shima stepped forward with her right foot, slightly bending her knees. Her arms spread wide, and she slowly rotated them in a circular motion. A soft swirl of wind gathered in front of her. She gasped, the movement was supposed to be defensive, but now she was actually summoning air currents.
Fascinated, she followed the flow, moving gracefully. Her hands swept through the air, dancing in rhythm with the wind. Each motion grew smoother, more fluid, as her energy synchronized with nature itself.
Adrin smiled, watching her evolve. He let her create new, unique movements, ones only she could perform. With every strike, the air roared, amplifying her strength. Sooner or later, she'd reach six percent mastery of human power.
Then Adrin spoke again. "Shima, do you know where Dona's house is?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"I want to make sure of something. Do you know the place?"
"Well, she lives near the main gate, on the edge of the village. You'll recognize it immediately; her house is… eccentric."
"Good. Keep training here. I'll go give that woman a little visit."