Gosh! Life is hard
Immediately, Charles opened his eyes. He felt extreme pain all over his body. It was as if his cheeks, back, and stomach were being pounded by a pestle. Before he could process what was happening, the feeling of being pounded returned, but this time, something was resting on his head.Charlie held the thing that was pressed on his face and shoved it aside. It was a leg! What the… how can a little kid’s leg be this strong?He stood up with great difficulty and looked around the place, to know where he was and why he was being punched and kicked around by a little kid.A group of kids were standing in twos and threes were standing at a safe distance, watching unconcernedly, like a group of spectators at a stadium. Most of the kids were wearing ragged clothes, others used large leaves sewn together to cover the most private parts of their bodies.A young boy wearing a tattered cloth was cursing wildly as he punched him a few more times.The little feather on the little boy’s headband wobbled left and right as he cursed in a language that sounded like whistling and tongue-clicking.The language seems strange to him, but he clearly understood what the boy was saying. He is very sure that he has never learned or heard anyone speak that language before, yet! He understood everything.“You this shameless fool! This is the fifth time that you’ll be attending the awakening ceremony, yet the only thing you could awaken is this shameless attitude of yours.” The Young boy said as he raised his chin and acted like a hero fighting for people’s rights.“You should be ashamed of yourself and leave this reservation cave for orphans as you deserved to live in the desert, with rats and ants as companions. Tue!! You’re as shameless and disgusting as your useless father!” the young boy spat on his body as he turned to leave.Just as Charlie was wondering what has happened to him and he was checking his now small-sized body, a penetrating pain assaulted his mind. It felt as if he was being stabbed by thousands of needles at the same time. He could only endure the pain for a moment before he fainted. Before he loses consciousness completely, he heard loud noises from afar, and within a split second, he felt himself in someone’s huge warm arms.It was near dusk when Charlie finally woke up. He found himself lying on a hard Rock in the cave. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the other children were out of sight. He went through the new memories that were transmitted into his brain, it was the memories of the original owner of the body his soul was transmigrated into.The little boy is an orphan who lived with other orphans in the reservation cave of the flaming totem tribe. Once the kids turn 5, they are eligible to participate in the awakening ceremony that always takes place once every year. If they successfully awaken a totem spirit, they will leave the cave and become totem warriors, but they would demand orphans who failed to awaken at their fifth ceremony to do extra and dangerous work for a living.what shithole is this! You’ll let a ten-year-old fend for himself just because he didn’t pass some test?! Charlie thoughtThe tribe only feeds orphans up to the year they turn ten. Now that Charlie is above 10 since a month ago, and he has failed to awaken a totem spirit, he is expected to join the hunting logistics team to help totem warriors during the tribe’s hunting session.He now understood the reason why the other boy hated him to the Bone. Charlie’s Father Thralie was a famous totem warrior who went hunting with the tribe 5 years ago but never came back. Ptoka’s father was part of the hunting team as well, and he was Thralie’s partner during the trip. Ptoka’s father was the only warrior who came back from the trip. His life was hanging on a thin thread when he was seen crawling out of the forest.Ptoka’s father dropped a piece of shocking news on that day. He said Thralie found a Grand flaming core, a rare and precious material used by totem warriors. It is useful when warriors level up to the highest rank of totem warrior.Ptoka’s father accused Thralie of betraying the tribe and fleeing with the Grand flaming core.“sigh!! What sh**ty luck did I have? I didn’t transmigrate into the body of a powerful expert or rich young Master as written in all the great novels that I’ve read. Why do I have to suffer for someone else’s sins? Why?” Charlie sighed deeply as he imagined the kind of odd job he’ll be doing from tomorrow onward, to feed himself.“Time to check on the real culprit that brought me here,” Charlie thought as he raised his arm to examine a tattoo of a mini golden tree that only appears on his left arm whenever he focused on that place. While he was trying to clear his head after waking up earlier, the image of that mini golden tree also appears in his head. It was the same mini golden tree in the Amber Fossil Uncle Ben gave him on the trip to the site.‘ maybe it’s some kind of portal that helps transverse between two worlds. Since it brought me here, it can also bring me back to the normal world’But how do I activate this thing?Open sesame!!System activate!!“Old Grandpa, I know you’re in there. Come out now and explain to me how to get out of this difficult situation. I know you’re the one behind my inability to awaken all these years. Come out now before I cut down the tree!”Charlie tried all the means to activate the golden tree, but nothing happened.Just as he is in deep thought, looking for ways to activate the mini golden tree, he heard footsteps approaching the entrance of the cave; the ‘kids’ are back. He lay back down on his stone bed and pretended to be fast asleep, lest he attract trouble.When the other orphans had gone back to their stone bed to rest, a 7-year-old boy came up to him with a broken bowl in his hand and woke him up from his fake sleep.“What is it? Ponka,” Charlie asked.The little boy didn’t say anything but offered the slightly stinking stew held in the bowl, and swallowed hard as if the stew was something precious and delicious.Looking at the ugly and smelly Stew that looked like the kind of sacrifice offered to the devil at the T junction in his past life, Charlie knew that this is his supper (according to the new memories in his head), and he couldn’t help but groan slightly.Chapter 2: Gosh! Am I dying so soon?A 10-year-old kid was sitting on a flat, slightly elevated Rock while looking at a broken bowl beside him with contempt, his hand moved a few times but he couldn’t find the courage to dip it into the bowl.Growl!!His stomach rumbled for the tenth time, then… he starts to eat as if the content inside the bowl will grow wings and run away if he was a second late. He finished the food within a minute even though he was fighting the urge to throw up on the spot.Who else could it be if not Charlie?I must look for a good restaurant to enjoy better food once I get my first pay. Charlie swore inwardly.Soon enough, the moon appears in the sky and Charlie was dumbfounded by the sight of the super big moon that lingered in the sky. His mouth was wide enough to contain a big egg as he observed the moon through the cave hole. Before he blink a second time, a much smaller red moon appeared on the horizon. Unlike the super big moon that looked much like the n
Beneath the two glowing moons in the sky, two figures were seen running in this dangerous forest. The one in front is a little boy who should not be older than ten years old, while the one chasing him is a shadowy being whose physical features were covered in a thick layer of smoke. Except for its dark green eyes, and its bared fangs, other parts of its body were encased in the smoke. Despite the shouts and screams from the little boy being chased by the humanoid shadow, no help came his way and the shadowy beast didn’t stop chasing after him.“Help! Help!!”Charlie was running frantically as he shouted for help, maybe the totem warriors in front could hear him and come to his aid. Not long after, he began to lose his stamina as the mark on the red moon increased. Knowing that he’ll soon be devoid of any strength, he took a sharp turn to the right and continued down the path. He did this a few more times but he couldn’t shake the beast off his back.About ten minutes after the cat a
Chapter 5: AwakeningCharlie was now rolling on the ground due to the unbearable pain he was suffering. Who told him to swallow the monster's core?The monster core was too expensive to be left to the gluttonous golden tree to consume when he could sell it to totem warriors for a sky-high price.He still wants to eat at an expensive restaurant for crying out loud!!While he was rolling about on the ground, strange energy was released into his body. It was as if he was bathed in cold water after boiling for a week, all of his tensed nerves and exhausted muscles were relieved as the strange energy passed through his vein to reach every part of his body.Not long after, the strange energy met its nemesis. It was a phantom of the white ape that just died. The phantom roared to the sky and intercepted the flow of the strange energy.The chaotic energy in Charlie’s body, having nothing to hold it back again continued to cause havoc. The ape phantom used this opportunity to invade Charlie’s
AwakenedOn this day, Charlie’s horizon has been broadened once again. Different kinds of beasts came out from all parts of the forest; it was like an annual general meeting for all forest animals. A three-headed snake was in attendance, a flaming lion was present, and a black-striped tiger wouldn’t miss out on this opportunity.About ten strong animals, went near the carcasses while the others were waiting at a far distance, with their tails between their legs, hoping to eat some leftovers.The ten beasts glared at each other for like two minutes before the flaming lion went near the carcass of the big ape. It touched it with its paw and the white ape caught fire immediately.Charlie assumed that the beasts were the big ape's comrades and they were only here to send him off as the other beasts didn’t attack the flaming lion for setting fire to their food.A few seconds later, a finely roasted ape was resting before them. All the long fur on the ape's body was long gone, remaining the
Reunited with the teamAfter resting for a little bit, Charlie got up from the bed of leaves he was lying on and got ready to look for the rest of the team. Even if he can’t meet up with the team, he had to find his tool sack. There are some useful materials he wants to carry with him but nowhere to place them. The white ape's bones, tendons, and internal organs… will fetch a lot of money if they were to be sold at the flame market.After skinning the alligator, he took the jaw and some other materials, bound it with some raffia ropes, and placed it on his back, holding the other end of the rope in his hand as he walks.A few minutes after he left, all the other beasts in that territory came out to feast on the leftover from the alligator.Something had been bothering him ever since he saw the big white ape commit suicide. What’s the driving force behind that move? Is it depressed, or tired of living? What could have happened to it for it to commit suicide without a second thought?An
Defeating the flame lionCharlie quickly dodged to the side, but still didn’t escape unscathed. Flame lion swiped its paw at his chest, leaving a scratch and some burn marks on his chest. His already tattered clothe was now filled with more holes and burn marks.The most amazing thing is that, as the flaming lion's body makes contact with Charlie’s body, the flame on its body reduces. The spectators didn’t notice at first, but after observing the fight for like twenty minutes confusion was boldly written on the team leader's face while the other people thought that it was due to the flaming lion's exhaustion.Well, the culprit who was slowly stealing the flame is none other than the golden tree in Charlie’s body. When the lion makes contact with Charlie, the golden tree will quickly extend a tiny tendril, suck a little flame, and quickly retracted itself before anyone could see it. This went on until the flaming lion was finally exhausted.Charlie made use of this opportunity to use t
hey! why are you acting mysterious all of a sudden?Charlie wondered in his mind.The team leader quickly get to writing, he wrote the letter in totem codes which is full of symbols and words that doesn't make sense, but Charlie knew the language but can't read the codes. Seeing the message written, all the level two totem warriors present also frowned."They are back!!" one of the senior totem warriors exclaimed."Yes, and we're in big trouble this time." the team lead affirmedAfter writing the message, the group leader put the note on the messenger pigeon but later changed his mind and gave it to one of the level 2 totem warriors present. he whispered something in his ears and sent him on his way.he also called two more people from the group and sent them to summon the two other groups to the "crime scene"." Charlie, you said there were beasts who ate the corpse of the stomping ape, did you notice any abnormality in them after eating the ape?" the team leader questioned."No Sir
The four level 3 totem warriors finally concluded... they'll be staying in this damn forest for the next month. they might even go deeper into the deep forest in search of rare herbs and treasures.The other team members of the logistics team didn't know of this new development, but due to Charlie's enhanced hearing, he could hear their conversations even though he was standing far from where they were. "Where is the little boy you said discovered this strange beast? I need to reward him." Becky inquired from the team leader, parka."He's right under that tree..." parka turned to search for Charlie and he saw him staring back at him, it was as if he has been watching them since.Charlie saw his team leader motion for him to come, so he quickly stood up and went to meet with the group of elders." you called for me Sir" Charlie bowed to greet the other group leaders when he got there."You're Charlie, right? can you narrate how you came into contact with this beast once again? my frien