Chapter 354 - Is it illusion??

In the very next day, Eric made his way down the Volcano. Meaning, he jumped from the edge of the Volcano and down in the Lava as if he jumped in a lake, head first. Xalk enjoys the sound of splatter once Eric dives down the Lava, but recently he has been busy with other things, The Blue Bubbles.

Although Eric still isn't scared enough to let go of this habit, Xalk's paranoia towards the new bubble has led him towards the fact that life isn't how it used to be anymore. It is all Paranoia and detachment now, followed by sleep deprivation.

Eric thought that the Calidum Lutum can't get noticeable eye sacks due to their natural dark skin, but man he was wrong. Considering the fact how Xalk currently looks, he wouldn't escape the description of a crazy man.

His beard isn't combed, his eyes are constantly wide as if he saw a ghost and he is constantly looking out for the Blue Bubbles the whole time he is awake. You would think that an elderly would at least have a better life at the last years, or at this point at the last couple hundred years.

However, regardless of how paranoid one of the Grand Masters is, the other four of the five are more than capable to continue teaching Eric more and more. It is a fact that they have no plans to stop it at the moment, they did stop it a couple of days when Xalk almost got torched due to a Blue Bubble but afterwards training continued.

It has been a few months since Eric started with his training, and although he still is Level 1 (Hatchling) in Lava Controlling, new training methods have to be introduced to him since he got a grasp of the older ones.

Recently, he has been training the toughest once mostly. For example, balancing a rock on the tip of his finger. That still remained the toughest exercise yet, but it is not impossible. With time in his hands, he managed to hold the rock up for 117 countings, which means roughly 2 minutes.

It isn't anything comparable with what the Grand Masters can achieve, but considering the fact that his previous records originated around 20 countings, this is indeed progress. And the mental challenge that tagged along due to the attempt of getting this training exercise right, helped on the long run and could be one of the main reasons he can think a tad more clearly now.

"The exercise you need to do now, is associated with an exercise you did in the first days. Or at least you tried to do it." Kazer spoke clearly, slightly giggling actually. Which is weird because his friend is going insane with paranoia. Yet Grand Master Kazer managed to find humour in the midst of all this.

"You don't mean...." Eric tried to ask, having a little theory of what Kazer could be talking about, but not being exactly sure. So he stretched the last word of his sentence.

"Yes I do! You will attempt a Hand stand, but this time you will walk with your hands." It is amazing how much Kazer has progressed with the Ignite language, in just a matter of months he went from skipping several words in a sentence to making full understandable ones.

"I will fail... I think all of you are aware of that fact." Eric pointed out, knowing the Grand Masters will get a laugh out of this.

"We know." He giggled, roaming a couple of feet back and watched the show. Requesting, "Now try it."

With the given exercise, he placed his palms over the ground and tried to get his feet up and balance them with his belly. But of course, at the first couple of shots he couldn't really get there. His feet raised high half way and then they met the ground once more.

This is where he found out by common logic that he should give a little bit more thrust, but thanks to past experiences with similar moves he knew that if he gave too much thrust he would fall on the other side.

With his belly used furthermore to balance his hand stand, he managed to finally attain such a move properly. But now comes the most challenging part of the move, walking with his hands.

Not wanting to try his luck on how long he can stand like this, in a dash he started walking with his hands. Due to the fact that his body is slightly more well toned with muscles now, he can keep this form going but not for long. After walking about three steps... or how should we call this? Hands? He fell down on his side, using his shoulder so he doesn't fall on his head.

No injury followed, at least none that would last more than a few seconds. But of course he had to ask for a little refresher, "Can you explain to me the point of this exercise, before I spend another hour doing it?"

"Simple." He answered, as if the ways of how the mind works is child's play. "Physical self control, how will you control Lava if you can't control your body properly? You need the physical strength, and this exercise will build up half of the required muscles in half the time.

...

In a matter of an hour, Eric repeated the move over and over. In fact, he feels strongly dizzy now, being upside down all the time caused such an effect obviously. But the important part is that he got a better grasp of the exercise, he knows how to do it a bit better if not mastered it completely. His record for now, 5 steps.

The Grand Masters suspect that he will attain Level 2 in the new year or a bit after it. Fairly faster than the Grand Masters suspected it but after all Eric is the Electus, the gifted, the all powerful.

But after Kazer gave the word that the exercises for the day are over, something rather unusual stopped him from walking up to take a break. And I'm not talking about Blue Bubbles this time.

Technically, after a short lunch break he is supposed to get out of the Town and up over the mountain which covers this Town, so he can continue his training with his mentor Mogranius.

But... what followed along is a small scene that managed to hold a firm grasp on every bit of his attention. He could see a bone, long and thick but yet slender, nearly his entire size come to think of it. This bone, is floating above lava about 10 feet away!

Still Dizzy, he shook his head a little bit and afterwards rubbed his eyes to determine that what he saw wasn't just an illusion... Yes that's what the Grand Masters call it. Opening his eyes, he saw the bone again.

He could not let this opportunity slide away, so without asking the Grand Masters he walked a few steps back to gain some space in aims of momentum, and afterwards ran as fast as he could, leaping and going head first in to the Lava.

When he broke the Surface, looking around a little bit he noticed that the bone is just a foot away from him, well more like behind him. The leap he took was tad too big.

At first grasp, he noticed that the bone is heavy. But he made it this far and he is the only one who can get it back to the Volcanic side walk the fastest.

Trying to push it, he found it easy. The Lava made it feel a lot lighter although the bone alone could be anywhere from 20-50 kilos heavy.

Tying his arm around it and trying to swim with the other, it became rather easy since Lava doesn't burn him and due to its natural thickness, each swing to swim elevates him higher a lot easier.

"What are you doing out there?" Kazer asked with a shout, after seeing the boy with a large bone on his hand. Rather confused of this sight and slightly mad that Eric appears to be doing something potentially all on his own.

But when he saw weird stuff they called it illusion and when they cooperated once for research it really didn't go so well. He is the only one who can jump in Lava and execute a task quickly, he did not want to wait.

"I got a giant bone!" Eric shouted as he managed to swim a couple of feet closer towards the Volcanic walk way.

In a blink of an eye, Eric found himself elevating. This time again, it wasn't due to a Blue Bubble. He saw a huge skull underneath him, possibly 7 feet wide and 12 feet long!

And when he took a peek behind him, he could see a large spine along with the ribcage and when he turned around, the Skeleton's long and bat like arms swung through his eyes too.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked himself with a mumble, and taking a glimpse in front of him he saw Xalk frozen on his spot. Wanting to attack but not knowing what to do, Eric thought. "It doesn't look dangerous, or alive."