Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

The sun was high in the sky, and the heat of the day made the ground burn beneath Kael's feet. The convoy had stopped to rest in a clearing in the forest, an open and quiet area that provided the perfect place for the training Adalric had planned.

The soldiers were busy with their own tasks while Kael stood in the center of the clearing, staring at Adalric with a serious expression. The Fourth King of the Sword, as always, was calm, with an expression that suggested he knew exactly what he wanted.

"Let's begin," Adalric said, his voice firm, leaving no room for doubt. "Prepare yourself, Kael."

Kael, his chest slightly heaving and sweat trickling down his forehead, stretched his muscles, feeling the tension in his shoulders.

He knew the training wouldn't be easy, but he didn't expect it to be this intense. Especially with the various weights on his body that were truly bothering him.

Adalric had been clear about the conditions of his oath: he needed to learn to control his strength. But for that, the training would be grueling, and Kael was already starting to understand that the power he possessed wouldn't be something simple to master.

'The System points... the ones for strength, specifically, are strange... I need to find a way to use them... It's impossible that I can land blows like that with an axe but can't handle simple weights...'

The first exercise was simple but extremely exhausting: running. But not just any run. Adalric didn't care about speed. He wanted to know how much Kael could endure. The man stepped back a little and pointed to a large hill in the distance.

"Take off the weights, run to that hill, and come back," Adalric ordered. "I don't care how fast you go, I just want to know if you can endure."

Without hesitation, Kael removed the weights and began to run, his muscles stretching and contracting as he moved through the forest.

The hot air hit his face, but he ignored it, focusing on his goal. His feet hit the ground hard, and soon he was climbing the hill, the effort taking its toll.

Kael's breath became more difficult with every step, but he didn't stop. Finally, after what seemed like an endless effort, he reached the top and began to descend again. The hot sand beneath his feet made his steps heavy, but he didn't slow down.

When he returned to the starting point, Kael was panting, his legs trembling, and sweat pouring down his face. He stopped in front of Adalric, who watched him with an unfazed expression.

"You're physically fine, Kael," Adalric said, nodding. "But that's not enough. A knight isn't just made of physical endurance. What you're going to do next is more important."

Kael furrowed his brow, confused, as Adalric walked up to him and extended his hand to grab a training sword. The blade was light but perfectly balanced.

"Now, take this," Adalric ordered, "and cut that tree." He pointed to a robust tree with a thick trunk at the edge of the clearing.

Kael didn't hesitate. He grabbed the sword with a firm grip and approached the tree. When the blade cut through the air and made contact with the trunk, Kael felt the resistance. But instead of cutting the wood with precision, he was putting too much force into the blade. The strike was so strong that the trunk didn't just break; it was cut in an irregular manner, cracking and splitting away from Kael, who almost lost his balance. The sound of the impact echoed through the forest, and a piece of the tree was torn off, falling heavily to the ground.

"That's not how you should fight, Kael," Adalric said, approaching him. "You have raw strength, but you need to learn how to control it. A strong strike is useful, but only if it's calculated. A sword isn't a sledgehammer, and your body isn't a destruction machine."

Kael looked at the tree, now with an irregular cut, and felt frustration begin to take over him. He had power. He knew that. But at the same time, he felt like his strength was a wild beast he couldn't tame.

'I don't understand... why does it feel like I'm so weak, but at the same time so strong?' he thought.

Adalric noticed Kael's discomfort and took a step forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are strong, that's undeniable. But strength without control is like a storm. It can destroy everything in its path, but it can also drag you into the abyss. You need to learn to control your energy. I don't know how you have such strength, but it's completely unbalanced."

Kael nodded, but doubt still lingered in his eyes. He didn't know how to control it. He didn't know how to tame something that had already become part of his nature.

"Today, you will learn to control your strength. It won't be easy, but you must understand that strength isn't only in the muscles. It's also in the mind. It's a combination of knowing when to use your power and when to let it rest. The true warrior controls his strength; he doesn't let it master him."

Adalric stepped back and positioned himself a few meters from Kael. "Now, I want you to try cutting that tree again, but this time, use control. No brute force. Just control."

[Feature Activated]

Kael took a deep breath and prepared himself. He knew Adalric wasn't joking. He needed to do this; he needed to learn. He grabbed the sword once more and positioned himself in front of the tree.

He didn't need to cut with all his strength. Instead, Kael closed his eyes for a moment, trying to feel the flow of his energy, the mana around him, everything, nothing escaping his perception, trying to connect with his strength in a way he never had before. He focused. What he wanted wasn't to destroy the tree. He wanted the blade to cut smoothly, without excessive resistance.

With a precise movement, Kael raised the sword, and this time, the strike was different. The blade cut through the tree with more precision, without the burst of power that had occurred before. The trunk was cut with a clean, controlled strike, leaving a straight line where the blade had touched.

'Damn… it's just a matter of saying it…' Adalric observed closely, his eyes gleaming with approval. 'Even so, it's better to be harder for now...'

"That was better. But it's still not enough. Now, you'll try again, but this time, with more subtle energy. Use your power, but in a controlled manner. A warrior must know when to use his energy."

Kael felt the rising challenge. He was starting to understand. Strength didn't just come from muscles or raw magic, but from the ability to balance both, to control them in harmony. He focused once again, and this time, as he made the strike, there was no explosion. Just the smoothness of a controlled movement, with the blade cutting through the tree with a precision Kael never thought possible.

'Eleonor... or rather... Elion... Why did you create such a war machine? Was this an experiment or... just a coincidence?' He could no longer understand this boy.

For Adalric, there was only a smile. "Now you're starting to understand. A true knight is more than a warrior. He's a strategist, someone who knows when and how to use his strength. You have the potential, Kael. Now, it's up to you to learn how to use it."

Kael, though still panting, felt a wave of accomplishment. 'Finally some credit.' He sat down on the ground, catching his breath...

'Energy... it's something like mana, but at the same time, it's not mana... what the hell is this feeling?' he thought for a moment.

"You'd better rest a bit," Adalric said, seeing Kael's expression soften. "That's enough for today." He said, stepping away... However...

'That boy... he'll manage to surpass the feat of that woman... The record is twelve years and eight months... If trained well... he could be the youngest Aura user in history... I'll gain many points with the other three...' He smiled maliciously.