Image training. Why hadn't I thought it before. I quickly moved, dodging a strike from a staff and quickly flicking my staff forwards in response to several stones flying towards me. I was practicing my Ki control and my combat skills at the same time. Using my Ki, I could project a copy of myself to send false readings of attacks towards me. It was surprisingly effective training. I'd even managed to lose against myself often enough. This was only a temporary measure though. Rein had been letting me observe her shadow magic when it was in use.

It was a difficult concept to understand, making the intangible physical. Shadows were just places where light was not projected. If light hit an object, the light was reflected away, leaving a shadow in the place the light didn't touch. So how could it be moved?

I dodged another hit as I thought this. If I could understand the concept of moving shadows, I was confident that I could create a more tangible training partner. Vivian was strong enough to give me a run for my money and Adarna was good for reaction training, but I needed a partner around my size. The other four were too weak at the moment, though growing stronger and the Kobolds were too big. Besides, I personally believed that I'd exhausted how much sparring could benefit me. It was a good way to practice the moves but...

I flinched as a wind blade passed through me, causing me to lose this new round of combat with my projection.

In movies and books, there are the characters who got stronger through life and death battles and I was beginning to understand why. Sparring with allies or image training only helped further the understanding of existing skills. It was only through nearly dying could a person improve themselves.

It was why I was trying to learn shadow magic. If I could create a shadow copy of myself, I could have it try to kill me and push my beyond my limits. I needed that push.

With a frown, I headed out towards a rather empty area. I spread my fingers out and stretched my Ki. I hadn't gotten good enough to use wide area magic yet, but my telekinesis had reached a new level recently. Stones of varying sizes began to float above me, rising higher and higher into the sky.

Once they'd gotten as high as I could raise them, I let them drop, using small bursts of Ki to increase their speed. This was another form of training I'd designed, to simulate a deadly situation. I focused Ki into my arms and legs. I quickly dodged the first stone as it struck the ground nearest me.

Then it began to rain stones. My body moved like the wind, weaving through the rocks as they slammed into the ground with surprising force. I flicked my staff and slammed it into a hand sized stone when I realized that I couldn't avoid two stones. One had to be destroyed.

The second the stone was impacted, energy flowed into the rock and caused it to explode upwards away from me. I'd learned from past mistakes when causing the mana of things to detonate. Instead of just randomly outwards, I focused the energy away from me. It'd make a nice shotguns style blast if I ever needed it.

I tried to catch my breath as the dust began to settle around me "Damn..." I sighed softly as I sat down. Every time I got stronger, I'd increase the amount of stones that fell on me. It was really tiring. The speed at which I moved took my entire concentration, my Ki constantly pumping.

I slowly took a deep breath and began to meditate. I found that meditation was far more effective when I'd exhausted nearly all my Ki. The time it took to recover the lost Ki had gotten smaller and smaller. An hour at most and I'd be ready to fight again.

Energy flowed through the air and into me with every breath. Once I felt that my energy had reached its peak strength, I slowly began to stand up before I stumbled forwards. A pain lanced through my stomach, traveling up my spine and into my head. I twitched and looked down at my stomach. The pain was coming from my Ki Wisp. It was about the size of my fist at this point. It had grown a lot since I'd first discovered it.

But now I was in pain and this wasn't a normal pain either. It was like someone had shoved a hot wire into my but and up my spine. Not only that, but the Ki in my limbs was beginning to recede, flowing towards my stomach. I quickly moved myself into a proper meditating position just as I began to lose feeling in my hands and feet, the numbing sensation quickly traveling up my arms and legs.

Even my head began to grow numb but I didn't lose any sense of thought, just a sense touch. For the first time since I'd woken up, I suddenly found myself blind, truly blind. I couldn't see the surrounding mana or my own Ki. But I could feel it, slowly draining into my stomach, into my navel and into my Ki Wisp.

Pain continued to grow and grow, forcing me to want to scream out but I couldn't. Then I felt more and more energy flowing into my body, mana surging into my stomach directly. It quickly converted into Ki. I felt my Ki Wisp begin to grow smaller, twisting and squeezing as it quickly reached half its original size.

A cracking sound filled my thoughts before the sound of glass shattered and I opened my eyes. The bright blue glow of mana entered my vision once more. I opened my hands, stretching the fingers.

"What the hell?" I stood up and felt my bones popping as I began to stretch. Despite feeling a bit stiff, I felt great. I did a few test punches and kicks before looking towards my Ki wisp once more. I blinked at the shining golden ball that was there instead. It was only about the size of my palm, but I felt a tremendous energy flowing through my body from that ball.

The lines of Ki that flowed through my body were smaller as well, but stronger, like little powerful rivers of Ki. The movement of Ki felt better as well. In an instant, the ground rumbled underneath me and I slid forwards as I used Earth magic to move myself forwards before I met a cushion of air.

A flick of my staff sent a burst of fire forwards.

Everything felt so smooth. I barely had to think to use some of my basic magic. Ki pulsed in my hand and lightning danced across my fingers and shot into the ground before I flicked my wrist and sent the bolt into a nearby boulder. At this point, using magic was as easy as breathing.

I rolled my shoulders as I stretched my Ki outwards "Lets see..." a quick stomp and several stone pillars shot up into the air before I used air magic to lighten myself as I jumped through the pillars. I reached out and felt the water of a nearby pond and pulled it towards me, twisting as I turned the water into a thin blade that cut through the pillars.

As they fell, I called forth fire magic and earth magic. Fire magic to burn and consume and earth magic to steady the flame. The stone pillars quickly became molten. I suddenly had a new idea as Ki pulsed into my mind, revving it up like an engine.

I borrowed the intent from water. The essence of its existence. To move and flow, to fill its container. Then I imbued that intent into the magic around the molten stone. Fire and Earth flowed like water as I twisted the Lava around me, keeping it a small distance away.

Then I built a pillar of lava before slowly extracting the heat of Fire, watching as the lava quickly cooled into rock.

I laughed softly. I had never thought about taking the intent of one element and imbuing it into another. It explained a few things. I'd thought of making lava with fire and earth, but controlling two elements at the same time wasn't something easy...at least before. But this made thing easier. Water was a liquid. The intent to flow and fill wasn't just water, but all liquids. To move earth and fire, I had to change its intent into that of a liquid instead of two elements.

A liquid into a solid and a solid into a gas. Imbuing the intent of various elements into each other could not just allow me to move lava, but I could theoretically turn earth into a gas. With enough practice, I could even turn earth into a liquid without super heating it first.

I flexed my Ki slightly but I couldn't just force one state of matter to become another without a reaction. I shook my head and sighed. I felt fine. I'd been slinging around different types of magic so easily and my Ki didn't even feel weakened.

Even my movements felt faster. I normally needed to enhance my body with Ki to do what I could do now naturally. Whatever this change was to my Ki, it was extremely beneficial.

This Ki...Core. It was a denser form of Ki, smaller than my previous Ki wisp, but containing so much more Ki. Even more interesting, above that was a second Ki wisp about the size of my first wisp when I first discovered Ki.

I shook my head. It hadn't even occurred to me that there would be levels of Ki. It was now obvious to me. There were seven Chakra points along the body in the books I'd listened to. What was strange was that my Ki started in my navel instead lower which was supposed to be the root of all energy.

Maybe different races had different starting points. Humans were highly sexual creatures and so their energy was focused mainly in the sexual region of their chakra. It would also explain why humans were so creative. I shook my head. I would have liked to find the person who started this whole system, this was a little too on the nose for me.

Now...it seemed that my next focus was in my solar plexus. It was the center of achievement in the human body. That also made sense, right after this next area had been unlocked, I'd suddenly felt sure of myself and my abilities. I'd been able to do things that I hadn't been before.

It was kind of amazing. I felt not only smarter but in tune with my body and my emotions. Despite this new strength, I was still aware that I was not strong enough. However, I was now able to consider having my brother and friends fight along side me. With them, as well as Vivian and Adarna, I would have a higher chance of defeating the Monster.

Still I only had a month, even less at this point, before they had to leave. Before then, I'd have to train them even harder. But...maybe I could take a page from the Deity handbook. Instead of forcing the Ki into a specific pattern, perhaps it would be easier to guide it. If the others had a better understanding of how Ki moved, it should be easier for them to use it.

Another thought arrived in my mind "What if I can imbue an intent into a shadow?" to make the ethereal physical...I could theoretically combine the concepts of sturdiness and fluid to a shadow to bring it into the physical realm.

Realms...

I could feel the sun at my back which meant that there was a shadow directly ahead of me. I stretched my Ki forwards and ran it across the ground, feeling for my shadow. But I couldn't find anything, just the ground before me. A shadow gave off no energy. It was a purely visual concept.

Not like light. It was so much easier to find. It was a constant force that was around me. I wasn't much of a science person but I understood that light was a electromagnetic force. The more I observed the particles as they moved around me, the more I began to understand.

I didn't need anything special to feel the wavelengths, my Ki could theoretically manipulate atoms, though I hadn't attempted to do so. I wasn't entirely sure what would happen if I attempted to play with them.

But wavelengths were different. I could feel them as they bounced around, like a steady vibration. However, the major problem was that there weren't just one. There were tons of them all stacked up, packed so tightly that I couldn't actually pick out what made visible light different from other types of light.

Still...at least I could feel it. I needed some science books or something. There were some things I could figure out and some things I needed a reference for. Though this wavelength stuff gave me more ideas. Radio waves were quite similar. If I could figure out how to manipulate the various waves, I could probably turn myself into a veritable walkie talkie.

That thought made me laugh. I could imagine sending messages with my Ki using magic. Definitely could mess with people that way.

Unfortunately, without more information, light manipulation was a bit more of a dream than anything else. Even if I observed magic being used, I wouldn't be able to understand what it was doing to cause that effect.

I suddenly had a thought and turned my attention back to my Ki. Maybe I was wrong about shadows. My Ki gave off light but it was only visible to me. Maybe if...

Slowly, I pooled my Ki into a small ball of energy in my hand and pushed it out in front of me. I'd been thinking of manipulating shadows in the same vein as manipulating light. Most of my experimentation had been scientific nature, attempting to feel it so I could understand it. But not everything was understandable, at least by normal science.

I shook my head. I figured magic wasn't always going to be easy to understand. Elements were kind of easy as they followed a basic principle, but the ethereal had to be connected to something else.

The ball of energy floated away from me. Then I forced it to explode, showering me with my own Ki like a small sun exploding. The light struck me but didn't pass through me. It was a weird feeling. Ki normally held a partially intangible form. It could pass through things if I wanted it to and observe physical things as well.

Then I felt it. The small explosion of Ki had forced the mana in the air behind me away. It was a blank spot in my senses, like a point of darkness in a bright room. It was effectively a shadow. Just as a normal shadow was an absence of light, this shadow was an absence of energy. Ki and Mana...there was nothing.

The strangest thing was that the Mana in the surrounding air didn't immediately dive back into the empty space. Suddenly, my staff yanked my hand forwards, pulling me away from the...emptiness.

I turned my head just to see a thick claw swipe through the air. It wasn't visible, but the Mana in the air moved as something touched it, forming into the shape of a claw.

The Ki in my staff responded to the sudden danger, activating the basic retreat command I'd instilled into the Ki. I hadn't had much time to test it but I was glad that it was working. The Mana moved, but I wasn't sure what would have happened had that claw touched me. I'd never seen anything like it.

"Oh...interesting. You avoided it." a voice entered my ears, lilting and thick. The emptiness shifted and twisted until it formed the shape of a person. This was new, very new. Even after seeing this, I could see no Ki or Mana being used.

"I've never been called like this before. In fact...I've never been called at all. Usually it is I who is doing the calling. Very interesting. What did you do?" the figure waved its arms as its head turned towards me.

"Ki light. I used the energy from it expanding to push away the Mana in the air, the resulting spot created a shadow." it felt easy to talk to...whatever this was. Like my mind was being set free, then my eyes tightened and my Ki raged as it searched. Then I found it, a very thin line of emptiness attached to my forehead. So small that I couldn't even see it. The connection broke easily when I swiped my Ki through it.

"Fast to react as well. A human from Earth. I have some vague recollection of your world. Primitives with no understanding of their energy. You do however. Why?"

I frowned, feeling no compulsion to just spout out my secrets "I have my ways" I said watching the space "You've been asking questions. My turn. What are you? You have no Ki, no Mana is being manipulated, I can't feel anything from you"

"I? I am a Deity. Well...a type anyway" the being chuckled at some unknown joke "They'd have you believe that the only way to become a Deity is to flood yourself with all of your Ki, to every cell. They are right for the most part. But there are a few ways. Most require stepping into other Dimensions"

"Other Realms" I said. I'd had this thought earlier. It was possible that just as there are other world, there were other Dimensions.

"Exactly. How smart you are. Yes, I am from the...hmm. I'm not sure you have a word for it in your language. Darkness is apt, but there is so much more to it. More like a Void. A substance with no substance. Fill yourself with it, become it. Unfortunately not everybody can do it. Most simply perish."

The Void. An absence of everything. It was a terrifying concept. It didn't feel evil, just very foreign. Even my Ki was rejecting the concept, like it was terrified "Why? What does it entail?" I asked. It sounded interesting. A new concept of a God basically. It was different from the shining, golden forms I'd come to know.

"Abandoning your Ki and your dimension. It is not a light decision. You gain much power but lose certain benefits. Without a medium for which to express my power, I have very little substance in your dimension. Little more than a shadow, a poor copy of the true Void, but more than one would expect from such a hybrid dimension"

So...it couldn't actually do a lot. I kind of got what it was saying. I was sure that in the Void, this being was a supreme being. Probably greater than any Deity of this dimension. Here though...it was as weak as my own shadow. That claw though...it had been dangerous, I had felt that clearly enough.

"So...from what I understand, you should be omnipotent in your dimension, why do you need a medium here?" I got the feeling that some things were the same in any dimension.

"All of us have the same amount of power but nothing to do with it. After the first few million years of fighting, it grows boring. So we play games, who can gather the most amount of Faith. The living beings of this Dimension are the most....faith filled beings. All of them find something to believe in, heroes, gods, tall tales, whatever suits them" it chuckled once more "It is why the Deities of your dimension are so intent on protecting their worlds. Their belief is what makes them strong. Without that, they are the most basic of Deities. Stronger than mortal beings but weaker than other Deities.

I myself am fond of those who have a strong belief in their strengths. Depends on their specialties. But you...you believe in your intelligence and creative qualities, very strongly as well. I could feel it when you called me."

It wasn't wrong. I'd come to rely greatly on my own ingenuity to survive. Still, I didn't know that even that generated this...Faith energy that Deities apparently gathered. A strong belief went a long way I suppose.

"So, my belief called you here? Had I had a different kind of Faith, would that have called someone else?" I needed to be more careful in the future. I'd gotten lucky with this being. It didn't seem capable of harming me...at least not after the first attack. A great amount of energy was needed to cross dimensions. Perhaps that initial claw had been nothing more than this being appearing?

"Essentially. Considering what you were doing specifically, you would have always gotten someone from the Void. Why were you experimenting in that particular way? Perhaps...a study of the Void?"

"I wasn't trying to go there if that is what you mean. I personally like my Dimension too much to leave. I was trying to learn how to control shadow magic." the being began to laugh softly at that.

"Mmm, there were many like you in the past. Some came to our side, some left for others. Shadow magic hmm. I may be able to help with that. Magic dealing with the Void came from it after all. A clever faith gathering technique. The more people that use your branch of magic, the more faith you gather..." I couldn't see a face, but I was sure it was grinning "Say I give you a bit of my energy in exchange of your Faith...would you be willing to then teach your shadow magic to others on your world?"

It seemed a harmless offer, but what it was really asking was if I would become a pawn in its games against others of its kind. It was a bit annoying. Still, from what I understood, all shadow magic came from some Void Deity. It made me wonder about Elemental dimensions. Perhaps that was where Holy Elemental magic came from? If it existed...

This Void Deity said something about my dimension being a hybrid one. It was possible that our dimension had a little bit of others attached to it, maybe some early Deities attempting to gain more power changed the way this dimension worked, bringing aspects of others into it...

"Alright" I said. If I had to use shadow magic, let it at least be on terms I'm willing to accept. Better to receive it straight from the source. I was now understanding why I hadn't been able to grasp the concept earlier. The shadow magic relied on a belief that it would work, as designed by whatever Void Deity designed it. I didn't contain their belief system. Had I been a bit more simple minded it might have worked, but I had to analyze the magic and understand how it worked.

With a nod, the being flicked a finger towards me and I watched as a small ball of emptiness landed before me. Thin threads of nothingness slowly changed and shifted until I was viewing a shadow of myself along the ground.

Of course. It couldn't attach to me because I still had Ki, but my own shadow held no special quality. It was like a blank slate. Imbued with the power of the Void, it now had a minor substance. I touched it with my Ki and the nothingness flared up with energy and I knew. I knew how to control it. It was as malleable as my Ki. It flowed and twisted and I watched as my Shadow moved independently of my body along the ground.

When I focused on the Void energy, I could feel the minor presences of other Void energies. Other shadows dotted all around me. I could stretch my own Shadow and touch that Void energy, but it rejected my energy, causing it to rebound back towards me.

"This magic is dependent on your style of learning. My understanding of you is that you study and then improve your understanding of something. It'll take time to learn to use your new magic. A little hint, the Void energy reacts very similarly to Mana as Ki does. Mana is a substance, add a shadow to it and it becomes a physical shadow" the being waved to me "I'll be observing your progress. As much faith as you give me, you aren't better than an entire world." and then it was gone. I could tell because the mana quickly began to fill the space it had been occupying.

I shook my head and began to tinker with my new energy. It was as free moving as my own Ki but its strength was variable. It seemed to be tied to my belief. The less I believed in myself the weaker the Void energy became. Well, luckily for me, I did belief a lot in my ability to figure this out.

I could only move my own shadow at the moment, and only in an intangible state, but in the future I expect to be capable of turning the shadows around me into weapons.

The Void energy surged in response to my belief. One more tool to add to my arsenal.