THE RISE OF WHITE CONQUEROR

"Oh."

Kelly took her words in stride, his expression barely changing. His eyes drifted toward her reddened hand, and only then did he fully realize how much force he had used. A quiet sense of regret rose inside him.

’Why can’t I just act normal and not make her angry for once? I really used more force than necessary... this is becoming a headache. I need to control this enhanced body soon.’

Kei, still rubbing her hand, narrowed her eyes at him and said,

"You better have come here to apologize."

Kei said it with a fully accusatory tone. Kelly looked at her silently. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to apologize. After all, it was just saying sorry it wouldn’t hurt him or cost him anything.

However, during the short time he had been alone after Kei stormed off in anger, he had spent that time trying to understand his current physiology and psychology.

It was obvious that he had become far stronger. The problem was control. To a large extent, he still couldn’t properly control his own strength. If he had to explain it simply, he could only fix that in two ways either through heavy training, or through an actual fight where he could let go, give in to instinct, and allow his body to naturally adapt to its newfound power.

And speaking of instincts... Those had become sharper too. Before, it had felt like some vague, drifting sensation something blurry and hard to grasp.

Now, it was different. Now, he could actually feel it. He still couldn’t control it properly, and maybe it wasn’t even something that could be controlled in the first place, but his awareness of it had become far clearer.

As for his other five senses, surprisingly, those were the easiest to manage. In just the past hour or so, he had already regained almost full control over them.

It was as if he instinctively understood how to use them now how to use his nose to smell things from far greater distances, how to use his ears to hear sounds from much farther away than before.

That was exactly how he had found Kei. Believe it or not, he had quite literally sniffed her out. And with his far sharper eyesight and hearing helping him, finding her had been ridiculously easy. However, it was his psyche that truly worried him.

At first, he had no idea how to even begin figuring out what was wrong with him. He tried a lot of things even forcing himself several times, hoping he could somehow stammer out an apology or properly express his appreciation.

But he knew forcing something like that, when it didn’t come naturally, wasn’t going to help in the long run. He needed to find the deeper issue.

The real problem. As he kept walking inside the cave, lost in that dilemma, he suddenly remembered something his grandfather used to do every single morning, Dhyana. Meditation.

Something he practiced the moment he woke up. According to his grandfather, it helped with controlling emotions, understanding oneself better, and gaining clarity over the mind.

He had tried teaching Kelly many times. But for Kelly, it had always seemed unbelievably boring.

In his mind, only old people had the patience to sit there for hours, doing absolutely nothing while "reflecting upon themselves."

But now? Now, Kelly felt like this might actually be the solution. So after a very long time, he decided to try it again. He sat down on the cold cave floor, the faint sound of the nearby river still echoing softly in the silence around him.

His thoughts were tangled...they were fast...A Lot louder then he was used to...And a whole lot noisy. Tired Kelly let out a sharp breath and ran a hand through his hair.

’There has to be a way to slow this down...’

And then, like a voice rising from somewhere deep in memory, his grandfather’s words returned, calm, steady, and patient.

"Kelly," his grandfather had once said, "the mind is like a restless lake. If you keep stirring it, you’ll never see what lies beneath."

Kelly swallowed, then slowly lowered himself onto the floor.

"First," the remembered voice continued, "sit down. Not casually sit with intention."

Kelly crossed his legs, adjusting awkwardly at first before settling into a more stable position.

"Let your spine rise straight, like a tree. Not stiff... just naturally upright."

He straightened his back, alert, yet grounded.

"Now, place your hands on your knees," his grandfather’s voice guided, "and gently bring your thumb and index finger together."

Kelly followed, forming the gesture carefully, his fingers touching lightly.

"Good," the voice echoed in his mind. "This is not just a pose. It sends a signal to your body, to your mind that you are turning inward."

Kelly’s breathing was still uneven.

"Now listen carefully," his grandfather had said, his tone softening. "You are not here to fight your thoughts."

Kelly paused.

"Close your eyes."

He did, immediately he got swallowed by Darkness. However unlike the silence he was expecting, The moment Kelly closed his eyes, his emotions rushed in immediately, most predominant of it was Anger.

So much anger. It came from somewhere he couldn’t fully understand, mixed with pride, ego, and something far more primal. Then his thoughts followed, crashing in right after.

’Why am I so angry at everything...? Has my temper become this bad? It doesn’t feel familiar... like it’s not me. Is it still me? I’ve become so impulsive... what happened after I killed that wolf-like beast? Have I become that wolf?’

"Let them come," the remembered voice interrupted gently. "Thoughts are like passing clouds. If you chase them, they will pull you away. If you simply watch them... they lose their power."

Kelly’s brow tightened, but he remained still.

"Now bring your attention to your breath," his grandfather continued. "Don’t change it. Just observe it."

Kelly focused. He tried to rhythmically start Breathing. to have a semblance of control.

Inhale...

Uneven.

Exhale...

Slightly longer.

"In this moment," the voice said, "you are learning the difference between reacting... and observing."

Time passed. Slowly. And then, something shifted. Just slightly. The thoughts were still there, but they felt... farther away. Not gone. Just quieter.

"Why are we doing this, Kelly?" his grandfather had once asked him.

Back then, he hadn’t known the answer. Now, the memory answered for him.