'Because you are one of them'

Renn opened his mouth, but he couldn't formulate anything.

'I am... one of them? But... how can you know?'

'Because I can sense your core and the talent you possess. To my surprise, I sensed a light affinity in you and only high humans are able to have one.'

Although he was taken by surprise, this news filled him with overflowing joy! He actually had the light affinity! But...

'When will I be able to use it?'

'That, is a bit complicated, as far as I know. Compared to us light wolves, who evolve their affinity at a set certain age, high humans wait for a certain revelation. You could also say, a moment of clarity.

Only after evolving an understanding of the invisible true energy world, will they be able to grasp their affinity. For that, they have to accumulate a respectable amount of knowledge and wisdom. For that, they have founded the order, which keeps their entire heritage of knowledge and wisdom. Every high human begins to study it at a young age.'

'But how will I be able to grasp my affinity?? Do I really have to study for years in their order to do so?? I can't wait that long!'

'Haha, you sure are some impatient boy.'

Renn laughed shyly. 'Hehe, I just can't wait so long to get stronger! The earlier the better!'

Raghnall waited with his answer. Renn persisted 'There is another way, right?'

'There is indeed one. But everything comes with a cost, you should know that.

Naturally, you want strength, but can you also take its toll?'

'Yes, I can!' He said with a burning passion. 'Please teach me the other way!'

Raghnall again waited with his answer. He couldn't figure it out, but this human boy moved his heart as no one did for a long while.

But that was actually a lie. He knew, deep down. It was this passion, that moved him. A passion he once felt too. And this boy before him arose this passion once again. He had already decided. To teach this boy.

'Yes, I will teach you, but don't regret this decision!'

'I won't! And thank you!'

Raghnall led the way. 'Follow me.'

Renn followed hastily.

The old chief wolf walked leisurely ahead, deeper into the plain. After a short while, a gigantic tree came to sight. But with gigantic, he didn't mean gigantic as the trees he saw before. This tree was the meaning of the word gigantic itself. It was truly huge!

A trunk, so large that not even a hundred wolves would be able to surround it with their combined body span. As they slowly came closer to it, the foliage filled their entire field of view.

'Unbelievable' Renn whispered awestruck.

'Impressive, isn't it? This tree is older than the wolves race itself. It was always there, as long as the wolves can remember. Maybe it was there since the beginning of time and planted by the creator himself. If you look closely, you will see, that it's not a single tree, but actually an uncountable mass of trees, which grew together. So what you see can't really be called a tree, but rather a forest, an ancient forest.'

Full of amazement he looked closer and now was able to discern separate trunks in that one huge trunk. It was simply beautiful, how so many things became a whole.

'I brought you to this sacred place because of the abundant energy, which fills this ancient forest.

It is the best place to study one's perception of true energy. Normally, you would need to live in this environment several summers long and slowly develop your perception, but I will help you to achieve a shortcut - by simply forcing my perception of this place right now onto you. Do you understand?'

Renn clearly didn't, but it sounded scary.

'I'll give you an example. Instead of slowly forming and carving wood, we will brute force it to the right form. Any normal living being would break under the sheer explosive power, but from my understanding of your talent, which I deem exceptional even among your kin, there is a chance for you to withstand the pressure and emerge stronger as you could ever be through ordinary means. I will ask you one last time. Are you really decided to take this path?'

Renn breathed deeply in and out before he blinked finally.

With an expression of pity, respect and determination, Raghnall touched Renns forehead with his snout.

The moment he came in contact, Renns mind exploded.

An indescribable unimaginable mass of information, sensation and impression overflowed his entire mind. Unbearable pain shot through his entire being and rendered him completely helpless. It felt like his entire mind was being torn, trampled and then set on fire.

Not able to keep up with the pain, he screamed his incinerated heart out. Impression after impression, sensation after sensation flooded his mind completely, making him lose his mind.

He no longer was able to feel his self, no he felt EVERYTHING. He had become the plain itself!

He could feel every single breath of the wind, every swaying blade of grass, every ant, every heartbeat, every emotion, fear, joy, anxiety, happiness, anger, calm, hatred, love.

He was the majestic eagle soaring in the sky. He was the worm, which crept in the dirt. The wolf which hunted down the rabbit, but also the rabbit which was hunted by the wolf.

He felt the euphoric joy of slaying its prey. He felt the terrifying pain and the void death after.

He was the breath that was inhaled and exhaled. He was the forest before him.

Oh, how could one put to words what the forest actually in front of him was? Never could words do justice to the entirety of it.

It was a gigantic cosmos, filled with uncountably many lives, more than there are stars in the night sky.

A torrential storm wrecked in him in that single instance when Raghnall touched his forehead.

No longer able to endure the strain, he collapsed.