06 - TIRING MONTH

The chamber was quite big, so Edgar had many places to hide, be it behind the boulders or pillars or in the smelly foliage and whatnot. Currently, Edgar was hiding behind a boulder, his back resting against it. He was eating a banana, and his eyes were closing at the same time. He hadn’t slept in a long time.

The hairy silhouettes were inspecting potential hiding spots, one by one, so Edgar didn’t get much of a time to hide at one spot. He kept changing places and sometimes he got caught, leaving him with the only option, which was to fight. And every time his location was found out, the old man would laugh mockingly and send all the silhouettes to that location. Then an all-out brawl would break out. Everytime, it ended up with Edgar getting utterly lashed and trounced.

The hairy soldiers were anything but weak. Each strand of hair was exceptionally tough and resilient, and each of these soldiers were like boulders themselves. Neither could he cut, nor could he push them around. And they adjusted their speed and strength accordingly, always making it a little bit hard for him to face their attacks. So, he was forced to improve in every single aspect, especially the speed and fleeing skills.

The old man, on the other hand, kept personally teaching him at times, but he taunted the boy most of the time, testing his mental fortitude during the fight with the hairy soldiers.

This went on for weeks. Soon, all the boulders were broken, and all the foliage was spread out, leaving only the pillars and the trees in the chamber the suitables places for Edgar to hide.

It had been two months since the harsh training started, Edgar was currently hiding in a mango tree.

The old man purposely didn’t look in that direction. (Mm, he’s finally gotten good at regulating his breathing. Nice. This shows that he’s now adept in controlling his body and senses, especially the sense of smell, which will be crucial when it comes to escaping this valley alive for the likes of him. He’s getting closer and closer to unlocking Drive. All that is needed is a big push in the right direction.) He pondered for a moment. (Alright, I’ll give him ‘that’ as a goal.) He then briefly glanced in the direction of the mango tree. (Still, it’s a weird way of hiding. Why’s he hugging the branch like it’s his lover? Does he think I can’t find him that way? Or… don’t tell me, he’s sleeping?) The old man was startled. (This kid… I can’t let you sleep so easily!) He mobilized the hairy soldiers, and they all climbed up the trees. Yes, they climbed the trees and attacked him, for their movements were much more agile and complex than regular humans. Edgar was forced to jump directly into the pool. However, the soldiers followed him into the pool. A fierce battle took place.

In the end, the soldiers moved too swiftly inside the water, unlike Edgar. Eventually, they overwhelmed him. After defeating him, the soldiers brought him to the giant crystal rock that the old man was sealed in.

“Not bad,” the old man teasingly said. “While fighting against twelve, you were able to last one and half a minute inside the pool. Your awareness is up to snuff.”

“That’s not long at all. But, how can these hairies be so strong?” Edgar was panting heavily. He had long started calling the hairy soldiers as hairies. “How can they carry so much weight? Shouldn’t hair be soft? Because of their absurd power, I’ve never defeated a single one of them yet.” He sounded dull, to say the least. (I can’t even tell if I’m improving or not.)

“My hair is strong because I learned the ‘Flowing Wind Folding Hair Arts,’” the old man casually replied. “Even though my power was sealed away, and I can’t use Drive right now, my hair still can do some handy things.”

“Eh? So that’s how it is,” Edgar looked at the crystal rock that had many scratches on them. “Those marks… you tried to destroy the rock with your hair didn’t you?”

The old man didn’t say anything. (He’s not smart, but he’s naturally attentive, so he’ll get smarter sooner or later with experience.) He then glanced at the marks that he could see. (If only I had learned Flowing Hair Folding Wind Arts instead, I would have long escaped this God-forsaken place. But luck just wasn’t on my side.)

“Anyway,” Edgar stood and picked up his wooden sword. “I’m not counting days, but I’m sure, it’s been a few months since I’ve come to this place. How much longer will it take for me to unlock this Drive?”

The old man glanced toward the banana tree. “By the time you are able to cut that banana tree with your wooden sword, you’ll have found your Drive.”

“Banana tree?” Edgar shook his head. “Isn’t that just a simple task? I used to cut a lot of trees, so it feels like you’re underestimating me.”

“You’ve climbed that thing, but you don’t know its sturdiness. Go check it yourself.”

Edgar paused a moment before moving.

“Oh, by the way,” the old man said, “I don’t trust in talent; however, hard work isn’t enough to get you through all troubles. If you fail to cut the tree in one week, then I’d say that it’s better that you forget about ever seeing your sister again.”

Edgar gripped the sword tightly and ran ahead with a resolute look.

The old man faintly smiled. (Good. Everything’s set now. Desire is what drives a man. Though he wants to see his sister badly, he doesn’t know how to manifest it into something physical. Now that I’ve given him a physical enemy he must overcome, he’ll give it everything he got. It is time for me to witness your true potential, kid.)

As the old man was looking, Edgar ran straight toward his new-found target; however, he suddenly stepped on a banana peel and fell on his face.

The old man’s expectations went down the drain. Never mind.

The hairy soldiers also lowered their shoulders in conjunction.