The next day began with Orion waking up bright and early. His body ached from the previous day's brutal training, but his spirit felt strangely lighter. Silver's words about strength still rang in his head.
"Strength isn't something given—it's something taken, carved out with your own hands."
Orion decided that today, he'd carry a different mindset. No more sulking, no more self-pity. If he was going to train, it would be on his own terms — strength not just for survival, but to prove that he could carve his own path.
He strapped on his half-broken bow, tightened his cloak, and made his way toward the training ground.
When he arrived, he stopped. Silver was already there — or at least, his younger form was. The teenage version of the First Werewolf sat cross-legged in the centre of the barren stone arena. He wasn't meditating, not exactly. Meditation was far too serene, too disciplined for someone like Silver. Instead, he sat in absolute silence, his face unreadable, claws loosely resting on his knees, his bluish-silver aura faintly flickering around him like dying embers.
Orion tilted his head.
"He's… what, thinking? Planning? He looks like he's fighting some invisible war inside his head."
Whatever it was, Orion saw an opportunity. A grin tugged at his lips.
He crept silently along the edge of the training ground, pulled an arrow from his quiver, and drew his bow. His heartbeat quickened. This'll catch him off guard for once.
The string twanged. The arrow hissed through the air.
Silver's eyes snapped open in an instant. With a guttural growl, he slashed upward. His claws ignited with bluish energy, carving the air like blades. The arrow didn't just break — it exploded into shards, the aura wave streaking forward faster than lightning.
Orion's stomach dropped.
"Sh—!" He threw himself sideways, every muscle screaming as he rolled across the stone ground. The wave grazed his shoulder, scorching the fabric of his tunic. He barely avoided being split in half.
When the dust cleared, Silver was on his feet, eyes blazing, lips peeled back in a snarl.
"CAN'T YOU SEE I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW I'M GONNA TRAIN YOU? AND YOU TRY TO LAND CHEAP SHOTS ON ME?"
Orion scrambled up, heart hammering, face red with anger."OH, I'M SORRY! BUT DIDN'T YOU SAY DEATH WAITS FOR NO ONE? OR DOES THAT ONLY APPLY WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE SWINGING? BESIDES, YOU NEARLY KILLED ME, YOU OVERGROWN DOG!"
Silver exhaled sharply through his nose, his aura dimming. He dropped back onto the ground, sitting cross-legged again.
"Tch. You're lucky I didn't hit you." He flicked his claws dismissively. "Look, the training plan I've got for you isn't finished yet. Which means no training today."
Orion blinked. "What? Then what am I supposed to do? Stand around twiddling my thumbs?"
"Go explore," Silver muttered, closing his eyes again. "There's plenty on this mountain you haven't seen. Interact. Learn. Come back tomorrow."
And just like that, his energy shifted back into that silent, unreadable state. It was as if Orion no longer existed.
"...You've got to be kidding me," Orion muttered, rubbing his temples.
By midday, Orion found himself wandering through the Flower Fruit Mountain village.
The place was nothing short of a chaotic paradise. Bamboo houses were perched precariously in trees, connected by rope bridges and ladders. Monkey-folk darted about, laughing, wrestling, and stealing food from each other with zero shame. Children swung from vines like acrobats, while older ones sparred with wooden staffs that splintered at every strike. Markets bustled with stalls selling tropical fruits, jars of fermented drink, and trinkets carved from bone.
Orion couldn't help but smirk. The monkey-folk were savage, loud, and wild — yet oddly human in their habits. They argued, they bragged, they fell in love. Only difference? Their violent streaks would put any mortal village to shame.
As he turned a corner near the training square, Orion froze.
There she was. Chun Hua.
She stood before a battered straw dummy, her hair tied up in a messy knot. Sweat trickled down her brow, a smear of dirt across her cheek where she'd clearly wiped it carelessly. She struck with precise, sharp punches, each one sending the dummy swaying violently. Her movements were graceful but fierce — like a dancer who could break bones mid-step.
Orion's chest tightened.
Oh no… not this again.
He swallowed hard. His heart skipped like a misfired arrow.
Chun Hua glanced to the side briefly, strands of loose hair falling over her cheek, and Orion almost forgot how to breathe.
She's… wow.
Orion, for all his boldness in combat, was a pretty ordinary teenager when it came to girls. He'd never had a girlfriend, and while he liked to tell himself it was because they were "a waste of time," the truth was simpler — he had no idea how to talk to them without making a complete fool of himself.
But now, watching Chun Hua train, he clenched his fists.
Alright. Forget gods, forget monsters. If I can't even talk to a girl, how can I face the world? This… this will be my true training.
Orion inhaled deeply. His palms were sweaty, his heart racing.
Lesson one… how to speak to girls.
And with that, he took his first hesitant step forward.