From the fragments of experience Dalton and Philip had just described, Karl quietly identified another crucial issue.
Adult minds were simply too complicated.
Years of experience, worry, calculation, and emotional residue tangled their thoughts into dense knots. When such a mind attempted to calm itself and focus on a single, pure image, the result was often frustration rather than clarity. Achieving the absolute stillness required for true visualization was extraordinarily difficult for them.
Children, however, might be different.
Their thoughts were simpler, their emotions more direct, and their inner worlds far less cluttered. Perhaps that very innocence would allow them to take the first step into the Breath of the Sun more easily than grown men ever could.
The idea settled into Karl's thoughts, forming the outline of a new plan for the future.
For now, though, he turned his attention back to the two men standing before him.
Karl stepped forward and placed one hand on Dalton's shoulder and the other on Philip's. His voice was calm and steady as he spoke.
"Don't be discouraged," he said. "Visualization is always the most difficult hurdle for beginners. Struggling at this stage is normal."
Dalton and Philip straightened slightly, relief flickering across their faces.
"I'm going to change the approach," Karl continued. "Instead of having you imagine everything on your own, I'll directly construct the energy circuit for you."
Their eyes widened.
"Relax completely," Karl instructed. "Feel my power as it moves through your body. Memorize the sensation. Every detail."
At his words, both men nodded vigorously. They shut their eyes once more, forcing themselves to let go of tension and doubt. Every scrap of attention they possessed turned inward.
With a silent thought, Karl released two impossibly thin threads of orange-gold Divine Power.
He deliberately chose Divine Power rather than raw Solar Energy. Divine Power was gentler, more refined, and far easier to control. It would allow him to guide the process with absolute precision while minimizing any risk to their bodies.
The glowing threads slipped into Dalton's and Philip's bodies like warm sunlight passing through glass.
Slowly and carefully, Karl guided the power through meridians that had lain dormant their entire lives—narrow, clogged pathways that resisted at first, then gradually yielded. Where the power passed, it was as though a dry riverbed were being carved anew, channel by channel.
The circuit he traced was complex and elegant, forming a symbolic pattern reminiscent of a blazing sun. Each curve and intersection served a purpose, connecting breath, body, and will into a unified whole.
"Now," Karl said softly, his voice cutting through their concentration without startling them, "visualize the sun. Match your breathing to the rhythm of my power."
Neither Dalton nor Philip dared hesitate.
They summoned the image of the sun in their minds—not the vague warmth of daylight, but a vast, burning celestial body. At the same time, they struggled to synchronize their breathing with the slow, sacred flow moving inside them.
Almost immediately, their bodies reacted.
Their skin flushed as their internal temperature climbed sharply. What had begun as a gentle warmth swelled into an intense, spreading heat, as if a miniature sun had been lit deep within their chests.
The sensation was far from pleasant.
The heat pressed against their nerves, making their muscles tremble. Sweat soaked through their clothes, and their teeth clenched so tightly their jaws ached. Every instinct screamed for them to stop.
Yet they endured.
With sheer willpower, both men held their breathing steady and clung to the blazing image in their minds, refusing to let their concentration shatter.
Half an hour passed.
Then Philip's body suddenly shuddered.
His eyes flew open, disbelief and elation flashing across his face. He could feel it—clear as day. Along the path Karl's power had traced, a tiny but undeniable current had appeared.
It was his own energy.
Infinitesimal and fragile, it flowed hesitantly along the newly opened circuit, like a newborn stream trickling through freshly cut earth.
Moments later, Dalton gasped and snapped his eyes open as well. His face was pale with exhaustion, yet his gaze burned with uncontrollable excitement.
"Lord Karl—it worked!" Philip exclaimed, his voice shaking as sweat dripped from his chin. "I can feel energy!"
"But it's… different," he added quickly. "Cooler. Not like the warmth you sent."
Dalton nodded vigorously. "The same for me, my lord. It's thin, weak, and cold."
Karl smiled, deeply satisfied.
Directly forging the energy circuit had been the correct decision.
"Excellent," he said. "Now, try gathering that energy at your fingertip."
Philip obeyed at once, closing his eyes and focusing intently. He attempted to coax the slippery strand of cold energy out of its comfortable loop.
It resisted.
The sensation was like trying to grab an eel with bare hands. The more he forced it, the more it wriggled away. Sweat poured down his temples as minutes dragged by.
Finally—barely—he managed to guide the fragile energy to the tip of his right index finger.
There was a faint pop.
An almost colorless speck of pale yellow light appeared, hovering above his fingertip. It flickered weakly, existing for less than a heartbeat before sputtering out and retreating back into the circuit inside him.
"My lord—it vanished—" Philip blurted, panic creeping into his voice.
He glanced at Karl anxiously, afraid that his failure had ruined everything. Startled by his emotional spike, the energy recoiled deeper into the circuit and stubbornly refused to emerge again.
"That's enough, Philip," Karl said calmly, raising a hand to stop him. "I've seen everything I need."
With Karl's extraordinary vision, even that fleeting instant had been more than sufficient.
He now possessed a clear, concrete understanding of how ordinary humans initiated the Breath of the Sun.
"For a first attempt," Karl continued, "forming an energy thread and completing the initial circuit is already remarkable."
He looked at Philip, then Dalton. "Difficulty in control is completely normal. The light you produced was pale yellow."
"As your mental discipline improves and your internal energy grows stronger, the color will deepen. In time, it may even shift toward a hotter orange."
His tone hardened slightly.
"Remember this well. The Breath of the Sun strengthens your Physique gradually and silently. It is a long road—one that demands patience and persistence."
"And without my explicit permission," Karl said, his gaze sharpening, "this method must never be passed on."
Dalton and Philip exchanged a single look.
There was no hesitation, no doubt.
Together, they straightened and answered in voices filled with unwavering resolve.
"Yes, Lord Karl! We understand!"
The following day, Karl traveled to a scenic site within Terra, where his future temple was to rise.
Mountains stood like silent guardians at its back, while a broad river flowed calmly before it. The location was naturally majestic—perfectly suited to a place of worship for the sun.
The area bustled with activity.
Dwarf craftsmen barked orders while human laborers hauled stone and timber. The air rang with the sound of hammers striking chisels, saws biting into wood, and shouted instructions echoing across the site.
Massive marble blocks lay scattered across the ground, roughly shaped but far from finished. Thick logs formed makeshift scaffolding, while ropes and pulleys strained under heavy loads.
Karl surveyed the scene, his brow slowly lifting.
Progress was… slow.
More than a week had passed, yet only the foundation had been leveled. A single marble pillar—fifteen meters tall—stood proudly at the center, its surface still rough and unfinished.
Wooden frames surrounded the site, hinting at future structures, but the main body of the temple had yet to take form.
At this pace, Karl estimated it would take eight or nine months to complete.
Perhaps even longer.
He frowned slightly, already considering how to accelerate the process.
The Sun Temple could not afford to wait.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Robertt45