Chapter 23 - Cave First, Fortune Later

Eshmund woke up feeling refreshed. Thankfully, just as he had hoped, this time the body conditioning didn't leave him burning with fever.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"It was successfully completed," Sage replied. "But we'll need to run a few tests."

The conditioning was a success, but there was no precedent for this kind of physical enhancement. Without a direct comparison, there was no way to measure his progress. A test was necessary.

"What kind of test? Strength?" Eshmund asked.

"Yeah. Start by breaking that wooden plank over there with your bare hand."

A faint glow appeared in his vision as Sage marked the item - a chopping board resting on a nearby table.

Eshmund frowned. "...That's the chopping board."

"Well, do you want to test it or not? That's the only plank solid enough for this. Unless you feel like making a trip to town to buy one first?"

Eshmund sighed and walked over, picking up the board. He lined up his strike and -

CRACK!

The board snap.....