The next morning, Kael woke up sore and stiff. His body still ached from the strange journey of the previous day, but the man was already standing tall, arms crossed, waiting.
"Get ready," the man said firmly. "Your training starts today."
Kael rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Wait a second… I've been with you for a whole day, but I still don't know your name." He tilted his head. "What should I call you?"
The man smirked, a shadow of pride flashing in his eyes."From now onward, you will call me Master."
Kael frowned. "That's not what I asked. What's your real name?"
The man's expression hardened. He looked away. "That doesn't matter. You just focus on your training."
Kael sighed, defeated. "Fine… Master it is."
"Good." The man's voice was sharp again. "Before we begin limit-breaking, we need to test the boundaries of your body. Today, we'll push you to the edge and see how far you can go. From next week … the real training begins."
Kael straightened. "So what do we do first?"
"We run," the Master declared. "We'll race until we find a river in this dark forest."
Kael pointed forward. "There's a river about five hundred meters from here."
The Master immediately smacked him lightly on the head."No. That's too easy. We'll find the next river."
Kael blinked. "The… next river? Where's that?"
The Master paused, eyes narrowing in thought."…Even I don't know. The last time I stumbled on a river, it took me a week. Let's hope this time we're luckier."
Before Kael could protest, the Master was already sprinting into the shadows of the forest.
Hours passed. The trees seemed endless.
After three long hours of running, Kael was drenched in sweat."Master," he panted, "where is this river?!"
The Master's face twitched. He looked left and right, uncertain. "…We're close. Just keep running."
But Kael could see it—his Master was lost.
Another three hours passed.
Kael's legs trembled, and his vision blurred. His body finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground."I… I can't move another finger. I'm exhausted…"
The Master glanced at him, then nodded calmly."Fine. We'll rest here for half an hour. Then we continue."
Kael groaned. "Half an hour…?!"
The Master leaned back against a tree, his face shadowed. Where did we even start running from? Hmph. I think… we might actually be lost again.
Thirty minutes later, they began running once more.
Suddenly, Kael's ears twitched. He stopped, holding up a hand."Master… I hear something! Water!"
The Master's eyes widened. Without hesitation, they both sprinted toward the sound.
And there it was. A river. Wide and flowing, glistening under the faint light of the dark forest.
Kael's chest rose and fell, sweat dripping down his face. "Master… today's body test… is done."
The Master allowed himself a small nod. This river… it would've taken me two months to find on my own. Yet we reached it together. Not bad.
"Rest," he commanded. "Tomorrow, we'll measure the other limits of your body."
The two approached the river, kneeling down to drink the cool water. But the moment their hands touched the surface, Kael froze.
Beneath the rippling waves… a shadow moved.
Something was rising.
A dark figure slowly emerged from beneath the water, its shape twisting and stretching as it approached them.
Kael's eyes widened in horror. "Master… what is that?!"
The man's gaze hardened. "Stay sharp."
The water split apart, and the figure lunged toward them.
To be continued…