"Failed again!" Alfred shouted and then lay on his bed. "It's been a week since I started doing this Breathing Technique. Is this even real?"
Frustrated with his lack of progress, Alfred shut his mouth and stared at the same stain in the ceiling he had been staring at since the moment of his arrival.
In the past week, all he had done was attempt to grasp the feeling of this mysterious Spirit Energy. Yet, he couldn't even understand what he was trying to accomplish.
'This can't go on; I can't continue like this.'
Sitting up, Alfred's eyes began to wander, looking for something that could lead him to enlightenment. His moving sight halted at the item closest to him, which was the tool Elder Ahote gifted him.
"Maybe a hint is not what I need right now. Maybe a change of pace will help me better," he muttered to himself.
Upon making the decision, Alfred didn't waste time; he crawled to the prosthetic and wore it on his already healed wound. Wearing it was very simple; all he had to do was tie the string around his leg, and that was it.
He felt like the prosthetic would fall off if he raised it. It was not very reliable, but perhaps he was asking for too much, as creating a prosthetic in this time and age was already an impressive achievement.
Standing up, Alfred's right foot was instantly invaded by a piercing pain, resulting in his immediate fall. Even though the prosthetic had leather inside, it was not enough to cushion the bone in his leg that touched the hardwood of the prosthetic.
Still, all he could do was get used to the pain. Even back on Earth, he heard that wearing a prosthetic was a painful experience, so he had not much of a choice but to suck it up.
Alfred stood up, enduring the pain in his right foot, but regardless of his will, he would fall after several seconds.
Nonetheless, he chose to stand up again and repeat it over and over. In time, his endurance lengthened as the pain gradually became familiar.
After a while, when he was accustomed enough, he finally decided and took his first step, which resulted in his instant plummet to the ground.
Instead of frustration, a smile was plastered on his face.
'I can do this; I can walk again!'
With a racing heart, Alfred pushed himself up, wanting to give it another try.
"What are you doing?" The voice of an old woman called out to him. "Are you not supposed to practice the Breathing Technique?"
Alfred turned his attention to the entrance and saw Shaman Catori eyeing him with a narrow gaze.
"Elder! I'm practicing. I just kept failing, so I thought changing pace would help me."
"I see, good thinking." Shaman Catori sauntered towards Alfred. "Sit in a lotus position; I need to check your progress."
Alfred tilted his head, making his jet-black hair cover part of his face. "Progress? But I don't think I have felt the Energy yet."
"Do not worry and just follow what I said."
Alfred shrugged and did what Shaman Catori ordered.
The old woman sat behind the young man and placed her right hand on his back.
"Close your eyes and try doing the Breathing Technique again," the Elder stated.
Without questioning what was going on, Alfred shut his eyes and started the technique.
After a few seconds, Shaman Catori removed her hand and stood up.
"Good enough, I guess." The old woman nodded in satisfaction. "If you want a change of pace, you should go out and get some fresh air."
"Can I?" A smile instantly bloomed on Alfred's face.
"Yes, you can. Wait here; I will call Aponi to guide you." Upon saying that, Shaman Catori walked to the exit and went out without saying any more words.
"What, she left already? She didn't even explain what she did," he mumbled. "I guess it's not important." Alfred lay on his bed, his grinning face producing creepy giggles.
'Finally, I can go out again! Perfect timing, I can practice with my new prosthetic better.'
Several moments later, a young girl entered Alfred's tent.
"You're here!" He abruptly sat up, smiling widely at the tan girl.
"Calm down." Aponi softly laughed at Alfred's reaction. "Come on, let us go out."
Without wasting any moment, Alfred stood up, forgetting about the pain that immediately attacked him the moment he leaned his weight on the prosthetic, resulting in his face planting on the ground.
Aponi ran to Alfred's side and asked. "Are you okay? You know there is no hurry, right? No one will stop you from going outside."
"Haha, don't worry, I'm just too excited." He laughed while scratching the back of his head. "I don't think I can walk with my prosthetic by myself. Can you help me?"
Aponi's face brightened. "Of course!"
The tan girl helped Alfred up and let him use her shoulder as a support.
"Are you ready?" Aponi questioned.
With Alfred's agreement, the two of them went out.
Before Alfred's tent, a man in his twenties was waiting for them.
He had green hair like grass, emerald eyes that seemingly examined everything in their sight, and a lean body structure honed with years of effort.
This was his first time seeing him. Yet Alfred knew the man was not simple. Unlike the other tribesmen, the green-haired man was smiling, making it difficult to read what he thought of him.
However, he knew that his smile was not friendly, which gave him an ominous feeling in his heart.
"Let me introduce you." Aponi's gentle voice caressed his ears. "He is Armani, a hunter of our tribe. He will overlook us while we venture into the tribe."
"Hello there," Armani said. "Alfred, right? Nice to finally see you awake."
Alfred stared at the man for a moment before replying.
"N-Nice to meet you."
"Oh, by the way, he is the one who found you in the forest, so technically you are alive because of him," Aponi explained.
Armani's expression did not change, smiling as if what Aponi said was something trivial.
Alfred, on the other hand, was shocked. He was uncomfortable around the man, but hearing he was his savior made him rethink his view of him.
'Maybe he is not bad. Although his smile creeps me out a bit, this man is the reason why I'm still breathing.'
With that decision, Alfred's face cracked a wide smile. "I have been wanting to meet you. Thank you very much for saving me. I might not have anything right now, but I will do my best to repay this debt in the future."
"No need; I was just in the right place at the right time," Armani casually replied. "Perhaps fate brought us to you. In any case, do not worry about it too much. We should begin moving while the sun is still up. It is cold when the night arrives. We do not want anyone to get sick, would we?"
Although the man's words appeared nice, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel threatened.
Alfred shook his head.
'I'm probably overthinking things.'
Soon, the trio set out on their relaxing walk.
People still glanced at Alfred with hateful gazes, but the number had drastically decreased compared to last time.
He hoped it was a sign that the tribesmen were warming up to him.
After a while, they stopped in a wide, clear area. In the middle was a structure that appeared to be a place to light a big fire.
Children were chasing each other, some playing with a ball made of unknown materials, while others sat down in a circle, seemingly listening to one adult's story.
Hearing the joyous laughter and seeing how lively the area was would warm anyone's heart.
However, Alfred knew how big the problem the tribe was facing. The malnourished tribesmen were a clear reminder of that.
While watching the energetic scenery, Alfred couldn't help but wonder and ask Aponi.
"How big is this tribe, and how many members do you have?"
Before Aponi could utter an answer, the man behind them preceded her. "May I ask why you are interested? I do not think that is an appropriate question from an outsider. If I did not know any better, I would think you are gathering information about us, and I might take that the wrong way."
Alfred looked at Armani with widened eyes. The green-haired man was still smiling, making him more uncomfortable.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound nosy. I'm just curious how much food is needed to feed everyone in this tribe."
"That is right, Armani," Aponi interjected. "Alfred wanted to help us, so it is not suspicious to ask that kind of question. Also, he has amnesia, so I do not think he would have ill intent towards us."
"I see." Armani nodded.
Even though Armani seemed to understand, Alfred knew he was still suspicious of him; thus, he had no choice but to drop the question and go back to his observation.
Amidst his peaceful viewing, one of the balls rolled beneath him.
Instinctively, Alfred sat down and took the ball. Then he saw a child standing nearby, staring at him with curiosity.
Alfred saw this as an opportunity.
With a smile, he extended the ball toward the boy. The child appeared hesitant as he slowly approached him, while occasionally glancing at Armani and Aponi.
All the tribesmen halted their activity as they watched what was happening. A few hunters placed their hands on the stone daggers at their waists, slowly creeping towards him.
But Armani raised his right hand, stopping all of them from getting closer.
Alfred's heart was thumping loudly when he noticed this. He even thought of pulling the ball and stopped his attempt. But seeing the green-haired man's action gave him a bit of courage.
Soon, the boy reached his side. Without making unnecessary movements, Alfred stayed still, waiting for the child to take the ball from him.
A few seconds later, the boy finally reached out his hands and took the ball.
His pounding heart was on the brink of explosion, but upon seeing the boy's reaction, he instantly calmed down.
The child gave him a smile deprived of any worry, a smile that had to be protected, a smile that gave hope to anyone who saw it.
In his daze, Alfred didn't realize that the child had gone back to his friends, waking up only upon hearing Aponi's voice.
"See, you just need to be patient and show your sincerity. Sooner or later, the tribe will harmonize with you."
Something clicked inside Alfred, thanks to the tan girl's words.
"That's it!" He abruptly stood up. "I know now why I can't feel the Spirit Energy. Thank you, Aponi, but I think I need to go back now; I don't want to forget this feeling!"
"O-Okay."
The trio left in a hurry, leaving the people who were startled by Alfred's sudden outburst in confusion.