Standing outside on the floating island was as if standing in a crimson sea. The blood mist stretched out in every direction. I could not see the ground beneath the island or the sky above. There were only the screaming faces in the fog. Thousands of empty eyes that watched my every move. A thin veil of purple energy was all that separated the floating island from the sea of blood threatening to consume us.

“Right,” Svend said with a booming voice as he stood in front of me, “We are now going to test the effects of my experiment. If it has succeeded, you should be able to exert strength ten times that of a grown man in peak physical condition. So long as you stay dedicated to training, that power will only increase.”

I looked down at my hand and clenched my fist. “I do not feel that much stronger than normal.”

“That is because you have not yet activated your Divine Body for the first time. While it is true your body in your normal state will also get stronger, that only happens as it adapts and acclimates to the power of your Divine Body. You will understand once you have experienced it for yourself. Now, let’s begin.”

Svend breathed in deeply and his body began to exude a golden metallic radiance. He almost looked like a statue when standing still. As he breathed out, visible steam filled the air.

“A body’s strength starts from the breath,” Svend explained, “When you train your innate talent and domain, you absorb energy through your skin and circulate it through your blood but for a Divine body, you draw in that energy through your lungs. I know a normal person would suffer minor injuries trying to do so without a Divine body and can even risk mutation. Your experience is a hindrance here. You must ignore it and follow my instructions.”

I nodded hesitantly and did as I was told. I closed my eye and felt the natural chaotic energy that filled the world. Taking a deep breath, I breathed that energy in. My lungs started to burn but I ignored it and continued.

Svend smiled in satisfaction. “Good, do not breathe out just yet. Feel the energy in your lungs and how it is absorbed into your body just like oxygen. Filter out the contaminants and expel them.”

I breathed out and a faint mist formed. I looked at Svend curiously. “I understand energy manipulation. How do I actually activate the Divine Body.”

“Patience. Pay attention to the flow of energy in your lungs as you breathe. Right now, most of the energy is dissipating into your body but a portion of it should be flowing according to a pattern. That flow is the key to the Divine Body but right now it is clotted and clogged up. You must clear that blockage like clearing debris from a stream. The first time is difficult but it becomes easier the more you do it. Continue breathing in energy and direct it towards that flow.”

I frowned and closed my eyes again. I felt for the flow Svend talked about. With the burning fires that raged through my body, it was not easy to tell. Sensing something so delicate was not my forte. It took me nearly half an hour before I succeeded in just sensing the pattern Svend mentioned. Once I found it, however, the next steps were not too difficult. I continuously breathed in energy and pushed it through my body. As I did, I began to understand Svend’s creak metaphor. It really was like a small stream of water trying to flow past sticks and leaves. Once washed away, the energy began to flow more easily.

From my lungs to the tip of my arms and legs then back up to the top of my head, the flow of energy was almost like another set of veins in my body. Once energy filled those veins completely, I started to feel the changes in my body. It was as if I had suddenly received a shot of caffeine directly into my blood. Every muscle in my body was suddenly filled with boundless strength.

“Congratulations!” Svend shouted excitedly, “That was much faster than I expected.”

I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands. I expected to see the metallic shine of the Divine Body but what I saw instead was a faint bronze geometric pattern under my skin. It almost looked like… “Are these Tressan energy veins?” I cried out in surprise.

Svend smiled wide in a show of pride. “An imitation of them, yes. I told you I was attempting to improve the Divine Body and that it might be a bit different fro the original. This is the culmination of all my research as well as Mare’s calculations.”

Feeling as if my body had unlimited strength, I reached down and picked a rock up from the ground. I did not even tense my hand before the rock cracked and crumbled. “Amazing!” I shouted in fascination. “Do the energy veins help with innate talents too?”

“Try it out,” Svend replied simply.

I snapped my fingers and a mix of flames ignited on my hand. The flames did seem to come more easily but the effect compared to becoming an Adept. I played with the fire as I did some calculations in my head. “My guess is that I am saving a little less than ten percent of the normal energy cost.”

Svend frowned. “Even my worst estimations put it above fifty percent.”

“I think it is more because of Mare’s first experiment on me rather than your process being flawed,” I explained as I dismissed the flame, “For a normal person, it should easily double their energy flow.”

I could not help but smile as I clenched my hand into a fist a couple of times. I felt superhuman. Curious about the extent of my strength, I punched the ground. A deep thud echoed across the floating island as my hand sunk into the rock. Pulling my hand back I did not see even a single scratch on my skin, despite the fact I had not used my domain to protect it.

“I am glad you are enjoying the fruits of my labor but you should deactivate the Divine Body now,” Svend said with his arms crossed.

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“You will understand once you do,” he replied.

Accepting that Svend knew more about the Divine body than I ever would, I closed my eyes and focused on the flow of energy. After a few seconds, I brought the flow to a halt and breathed out the excess energy in a cloud of steam.

Instantly, my body felt as frail as a newborn. Every muscle in my body was screaming in pain and exhaustion as if I had just finished running a marathon. My legs went limp and I collapsed to the ground weakly.

“The Divine Body takes a large toll on its user,” Svend explained, “Over time, your body will begin to acclimate to the pressure and you will be able to maintain it for longer stretches of time. Until then, you should only use your Divine Body in short bursts. Otherwise, you could suffer irreparable injuries.”

“I understand,” I said as I struggled to stand.

Svend held out his hand and helped me to my feet. “If you are satisfied with the results, I will be performing the same experiment on the rest of your family tonight. I have just enough resources for ten total doses. Mare has claimed one in exchange for her help and you used another. Your mom, dad, Charly, and Donte will use four more doses. That leaves you with four extra doses still unused. Do you want to give them to anyone or save them for later?”

“I think we should use three of them now,” I said after a moment’s thought, “Sigmund, Dom, and Cyra, they are the ones that will benefit from this the most.”

“I am surprised you are not nominating Sebastion as well.”

“Would you really give him a Divine Body even if I did?” I asked with a smirk

“I may not like the man but his power is nothing to ignore. I understand that in this war we need every advantage we can get.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Sebastion does not need it. While it is true that melee combat is Sebastion’s weakness, he rarely finds himself in that situation. Even if he does, a bonus in physical strength will not be stronger than his talent. Dom and Sigmund, however, always fight up close and personal and Cyra has a bad habit of leaving herself open when she uses her flames.”

“I understand,” Svend replied with a nod, “In that case, what are you going to do with the last dose? The resources are rare but I can always get more after the war. It is not worth saving it indefinitely.”

“I am saving the last dose for someone special…” I said with a sad smile, “As soon as we breach Ater-Albus.”

Svend placed a big hand on my shoulder. “I get it, I really do. You will get Lucia back.”

I clenched my hands into fists as I stared out at the crimson mist surrounding the island. “I know I will.”