Kael frowned slightly but followed, expecting another variation of the same routine. Another task layered on top of the rest. Another way to make his life more difficult under the excuse of training.
They stopped near a large rock not far from the cave. It was not particularly remarkable, but it was solid, dense, and unmoving. The kind of rock that did not yield to effort.
Kael glanced at it, then at the old man.
"…What now?"
The old man did not answer immediately. He simply stepped forward and struck the rock.
The movement was simple.
There was no wind-up, no visible force behind it, no dramatic motion. His fist moved forward and made contact with the surface.
The rock cracked.
Not shattered. Not destroyed. But a clear fracture spread from the point of impact, thin lines branching outward in a way that did not match the force that had been applied.
Kael stared.
"…No," he said quietly.
The old man stepped back.
"Punch it."
Kael looked at the rock again.
