THE CHANDULN RIVER

“Concentrate. Channel your kantar and refine it to its purest form,” the mage instructed, watching Christopher closely.

The boy closed his eyes, trying to fully control his kantar—to merge it with the surrounding energy of nature.

“Kantar exists everywhere and in everything,” the mage continued. “To use magic, even in its weakest form, your kantar must resonate on the same wavelength as that of nature. Only then can you access the arcane technique and truly wield magic.”

Shu tried for a while, but then opened his eyes with a frustrated sigh. “It’s not working. I didn’t think it would be this hard. And what exactly is the arcane technique anyway?”

The mage stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. “Let me put it this way. The arcane technique is a kantar method used by mages to create magic. When your kantar harmonizes with nature’s wavelength, the barriers that stop you from absorbing nature’s kantar are broken. Once your energy fuses with nature's, you enter the arcane state.

“In this heightened state, your strength, speed, stamina, and senses are enhanced—and more importantly, you gain access to magic. We mages don’t fight much, so we can’t use its full potential. But someone like you… if you master this, you could become stronger than even a demon lord.”

Shu didn’t understand much of the explanation, but that last line lit a fire inside him. Stronger than a demon lord? That was all the motivation he needed.

He closed his eyes and tried again. This time, for just a brief moment, he tapped into the arcane state. His kantar flared dramatically, sending out a burst of energy so powerful that it repelled everything nearby. But then, just as quickly, the power faded and he returned to normal.

The mage’s eyes widened. He stroked his beard again and muttered, “That was more impressive than I imagined. The boy has immense potential—locked deep inside him.” A light glowed in his eyes as he stared at Shu. “Incredible. I can’t even see where his limit lies.”

Meanwhile, Shu—known here as Christopher—looked at the mage with a confused expression. From his perspective, the old man was just staring at him strangely and smiling. He knew he had briefly accessed the arcane state, but couldn’t hold it for long. Still, that short glimpse was enough to assure him he could do it again.

—

Back at the mage’s house, Hannah was helping Tobi improve his kantar control while Hanz supervised.

“You’re doing it all wrong!” Hannah snapped, extinguishing a fire outburst for the fifth time. “You need to regulate how much kantar you're using. Too much, and you’ll burn the whole place down. Too little, and nothing happens. Why is this so hard for you?!”

Hanz, noticing Hannah’s temper flare, gently stepped in. “Hannah, maybe take a break? I’ll handle this for now.”

She nodded—albeit reluctantly—and stormed back into the house to cool off. Hanz knew from experience that she could be an impatient teacher.

“Alright, Tobi,” Hanz said with a softer tone. “Try picturing your kantar as a flowing wave that starts from your spine and moves through your whole body.”

Tobi closed his eyes and nodded.

“Now channel a bit of that energy into your palm and convert it to flames.”

A small blue flame hovered above Tobi’s hand.

“Good,” Hanz said with a smile. “Now slowly add more kantar—just a bit at a time—and increase the flame’s size.”

Tobi struggled at first, but gradually the flame grew. This time, it remained stable.

“You’re doing great. Keep it up,” Hanz encouraged.

Tobi grinned, and with less effort than before, the flame intensified. Still under control.

“Now, let’s shape the flame,” Hanz said, eyes focused. “Visualize what you want. Manipulate the kantar inside the flame to take that shape. It’s all about concentration.”

Tobi envisioned a dragon. Slowly, he molded the flame into the form of a miniature fire dragon, no larger than a handheld statue.

Seeing his success, he leapt in excitement—and the flame went out.

Hanz chuckled. “You’re making real progress. A few more days and you’ll be able to use your kantar offensively. Blue fire as your inherent kantar technique is rare. It means you’ve got real potential—maybe even enough to catch up with us.”

Tobi beamed with pride, but his curiosity kicked in. “You and Miss Hannah keep mentioning this ‘inherent kantar technique.’ I understand mine’s about using fire, but… what does it really mean?”

Hanz sat on the grass and exhaled slowly. “It’s a bit complicated, but here’s the gist: everything in this world is made of kantar—including people. That’s why some call it life energy.

“Some people are born with the ability to manipulate kantar in a specific form. That form is their inherent kantar technique. It’s different from techniques you can learn—this one is tied to who you are. Others might copy the basics, but it’ll never match the original.

“An inherent technique can also grow. Take someone whose technique is ice—they might eventually be able to freeze their limbs, create sentient beings from ice, or even reach the mystical state. At that point, they could fully transform into an ice entity. As long as they have kantar, they can regenerate and essentially become immortal—no vital organs, no weak points.

“I rarely use mine because of how destructive it is. Hannah, on the other hand, can’t access her full power anymore due to… certain circumstances.”

Tobi clenched his fists. “I’ll get stronger. I won’t be a burden to anyone—I swear it.”

Hanz watched him with a nostalgic smile. The boy reminded him of himself. I wish I could’ve met you in the future, Tobi. At least then I’d know your story had a happy ending.

—

In the nearby forest, Shu had learned how to willingly enter the arcane state—but only briefly. His connection to nature’s kantar still wavered. The mage realized that teaching him to maintain it would take too long.

He needs power now, the mage thought. Something faster… something drastic.

Then it came to him: the Chanduln River. Anyone who drank from it would break through their current limits and unlock new potential.

“Boy,” the mage called.

Shu turned.

“Your training with me ends here. Mastering the arcane state will take too long—and you’ll be defeated by Dracula before then. There’s another way. Head west and find the Chanduln River. Drink from its waters, and your power will surge. You’ll surpass your current ceiling. I’ll give you a map—but this is where we part ways.”

Shu nodded without hesitation. The two returned to the house.

Once inside, the mage disappeared into his chambers and returned with a rolled map, explaining everything to the group.

“I’ll handle this alone,” Shu said with a confident grin.

But Hanz and Hannah quickly stopped him.

“You’re not the only one who needs that water,” Hannah said. “If it does what the mage claims, it might help me recover some of my old strength. And once I finish training him, Tobi could benefit from it too.”

Shu scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. “Yeah… I guess I was being kind of selfish. Alright then—let’s go.”

Everyone exchanged smirks as they prepared for their next journey.