Curious, Kai began to experiment, trying to touch the tiny particles with his hand. Then he tensed up, as if trying to move them with sheer willpower, but it was all in vain. So he closed his eyes and focused… Kai felt the energy moving with the wind, and a simple idea popped into his head.
What if I try to breathe it in? he thought doubtfully.
Kai calmed himself and took a deep breath, then exhaled… As he did this, he tried to keep a steady rhythm, and after half an hour…
His face lit up with joy!
Kai felt tiny specks of energy begin to seep into his body, so he continued his practice. He sat like that for almost half a day, until the sun began to sink. In a few hours it would be dark, and only then did he realize it…
Looking over his body, Kai felt a strong itch on his chest. He walked over to the river and quickly washed off the herbal paste, his eyes widening in surprise. Although the horrible gash was still there, it clearly looked much better. Even his overall condition felt far more stable…
Was that just the herb's effect? That's strange, it never worked this fast before… he muttered mentally.
Of course! The energy! It's the energy that's having such a miraculous effect on me! This is incredible! At this rate I'll feel normal again in a week… Before, it would've taken at least a month, if not two. Energy really is something else! he shouted inwardly.
Snapping out of his fantasies, Kai realized he needed to find a place to spend the night. Staying in the forest after dark was a terrible idea, and he definitely needed some sleep. After everything he had gone through lately, he felt unbelievably exhausted. He also needed to find something to eat. Fortunately—or unfortunately—he hadn't eaten that often back at the orphanage. Going hungry for a day or two wasn't much of a problem for him.
Kai continued moving along the river, chewing more of the herb and reapplying it to his wound. Along the way, he even found a few fruits. He'd seen them at the market, so he knew they were edible. They turned out to be quite filling! Only after eating a full dozen did Kai finally start to feel okay…
Suddenly, he noticed a cave on a cliff to the left of the river and quickly made his way toward it. It was the perfect place to spend the night, especially since the sun would soon dip below the horizon. If he didn't find anything else, he would be left with nothing but luck to rely on…
Climbing the rocks up the cliff, Kai clenched his teeth tightly whenever his chest brushed against a sharp edge. Each touch sent a jolt of pain through him! But understanding the situation, he didn't let out a single cry.
When he finally reached the top of the cliff, Kai was so exhausted that he practically crawled toward the cave. All he wanted was to get as far inside as possible. Clinging to consciousness with the last of his strength, he managed to drag himself about ten meters into the cave. Immediately after that, he began to black out… His head spun, and his vision went dark… Another second later, he was completely out.
No one knew how long he slept… But then he felt something yelling at him!
"Hey, you! Filthy little pup! Get up, you're ruining the smell in here! Why do you stink so horribly?!" a strange voice rang out. It sounded like it belonged to some arrogant old man…
Opening his eyes, Kai saw a scruffy gray-haired old man in front of him, wearing a displeased expression and an open shirt. Though he looked like a frail geezer, his chest showed that he was in excellent physical shape. His muscles seemed to be made of steel, but his slightly hunched back betrayed his age. Turning his head, Kai saw that the entrance of the cave was already flooded with sunlight.
It was daytime outside!
"Uuuuh…" Kai let out with a dumb look on his face.
Turning back to the old man, Kai realized he needed to be on guard. This old man was a mystery… What was he even doing in a cave in the middle of the forest?
"Forgive me, elder. I was escaping the massacre that the Empire of the Ghostly Halberd carried out in my village. The river carried me several kilometers from there; I don't even know how long I was drifting or where I am now. And the stench is from the Healing Grass I used. I had to mask the smell of blood…" Forcing himself up onto his knees, Kai placed his fist into his palm and gave a slight bow, enduring the pain. He'd seen people greet the village chief like that before…
"The Empire of the Ghostly Halberd? Pfft." The old man snorted contemptuously.
But when Kai straightened up from his greeting, the old man caught sight of the terrible wound on his chest and raised a brow in surprise.
"How old are you, boy? You survived a wound like that and still managed to get here?"
Kai felt a strange sensation. It was as if, just by looking at him, the old man could see right through his insides… The feeling sent a chill down his spine! The old man's eyes seemed able to peer into his very core.
"I'll be eight soon," Kai answered quickly. He didn't want to anger or provoke someone like this old man, so he didn't dare drag things out.
"Huuuh?" the old man blurted out stupidly. "Unbelievable! I thought maybe you were some kind of freak with a stunted body… But you're really just a boy!" The old man was extremely blunt.
"Is there something wrong with me, elder?" Kai asked, confused.
"Wrong with you? Heh-heh, I wish I had those kinds of problems. You're eight years old, and there are already traces of energy in your body. That means that out here in this gods-forsaken backwater, you've managed to reach the first stage of a master all on your own—the Body Tempering stage! People think that at this stage what matters are muscles, bones, and strength. But in truth, the most important thing is tempering your reflexes, instincts, and mind! Training the body is just a side effect." the old man suddenly began explaining.
"You're already almost at the Warrior stage… You even figured out how to absorb energy on your own? I've never seen a brat like you in my life. It's simply insane! Now it makes sense how you survived a wound like that…" the geezer grumbled, studying Kai's body carefully.
"But let me tell you this. Even though you're almost at the Warrior stage, you still need to properly finish tempering your body. Your body hasn't fully developed yet, you can't rush cultivation," he went on.
"Without a solid foundation, you'll just hit a wall sooner or later…" the old man added with a hint of melancholy.
"Body Tempering? Warrior?" Kai repeated, not fully understanding.
"Kid, do you want to learn from me? Become my disciple and I'll help you! I may already be at the twilight of my life and unable to reach new realms myself, but I still have some ambitions left! If my disciple can carry my knowledge into higher realms…" He paused briefly, then continued, "That will be, in a way, the fulfillment of my own desires as well," the old man chattered without pause.
Seems like he's starved for conversation… Kai thought to himself.
"Think about it, kid. In the past, kings would come to me just to beg me to take their brats as disciples!" the old man boasted.
At that moment Kai fell into deep thought… A chain of events had led him to a master who could teach him to become a Warrior. He even recalled the Law of Luck—one of the laws that had branded themselves into his mind. But his cautious and suspicious nature didn't let him accept the offer right away. Since childhood he had always been level-headed and kept a certain distance from everyone.
"What will you want in return?" Kai asked, eyeing the old man warily.
"Heh-heh, so you do have brains… That's how a disciple of this old man should be!" he laughed. "Nothing, just endure my training!" the old man said with a wicked grin. "Long ago I left society and secluded myself in these mountains… I thought I'd be able to break through to a new stage, but it seems that's no longer possible…"
"So why not take you on as a student? I need something to ease the boredom anyway," the old man added casually.
But Kai could see that he couldn't hide the gleam in his eyes…
Thinking it over and weighing all the pros and cons, Kai decided to rely on luck. It had brought him this far already—why refuse it now? He needed strength, and he had dreamed of it since childhood. Kai could hardly believe that he would really be using energy in the future. Not long ago, that had seemed like nothing more than a fairy tale…
"Alright! I accept you as my teacher!" the boy said firmly and bowed low to the ground. In the legends, he had heard that the ceremony for becoming a disciple went something like that.
"Disciple Kai greets Master… Uhh…" At that moment he realized he didn't even know the old man's name.
"Mo! You can call me Master Mo!" the old man answered proudly.
"So, Old Mo… Got it!" Kai said with a wide grin.
"What 'Old'?! I'm your master, you brat!" the old man yelled and kicked Kai in the backside!
Though he pretended to be angry, joy shone clearly in his eyes. It seemed he was quite pleased with Kai's boldness and character.