08 - BUD OF HOPE

Many months later.

His hair fully grown, Edgar was standing calmly, wearing an underwear made from stitching tree roots and leaves, for his clothes long perished in the heat of the battles.

In groups, fifty stones came flying at Edgar from different directions. He blocked more than two dozen stones in a streak, but when the stones began to strike his body, his body leaked out a red energy, and his speed increased at once. With a single sweep of his arm, he stopped numerous stones at once coming from many directions, while gyrating on his feet like a dancer. In three simple steps, he destroyed all the remaining rocks before they got to him. However, the dozen hairy soldiers that were in stand by now made their move.

A ferocious fight broke out as each part showed no mercy. Unlike in the past, Edgar’s sword was now able to pierce through hairies, and though he couldn’t cut the hair, he could still push them around with his body or blade-swings and made some hairies lose their forms at least temporarily.

Despite getting stricken and hurt numerous times, Edgar didn’t stop. Even when his sword was broken, he didn’t stop and fought them with bare hands. As more time passed, he got hurt less and less.

About fifteen minutes later.

“Stop,” the old man’s voice echoed in the chamber, and Edgar halted and bowed to him. “Mm, that wasn’t bad. Your temper has greatly improved. You’ve persisted this long without having to use any special moves. Also, you’ve managed to overcome the tension of my hair whenever it was required. Above all, your battle aptitude has improved significantly. Though there is still a lot more lore to Drive than you know, you should now be able to steer your way through trivial troubles without a hitch. With the arts I taught you, unless you lose your cool, it won’t be easy for someone around your level to take your head. That said, keep on practicing the arts and solidify these foundations. When I come out of this place, I’ll teach you the advanced techniques of these arts… and I will get that slave mark off your ankle.”

“This disciple understands,” Edgar said, still bowing, not showing much emotion through his voice.

“To be honest, it’s still proving a bit hard for me to believe that you’ve come this far in just six months or so,” the old man said and smiled. “You look completely different from how you were back then, both in looks and in strength.”

“You’re overpraising me, Master.”

“Is that so? It’s just been too long since I’ve taken a disciple before you after all,” the old man then broke one of the glowing stones in the chamber and handed a bunch of them to Edgar.

“What are these for, Master?” Edgar looked puzzled.

“These are fully charged crystals, so they keep glowing for years. You’ll be needing them.”

“Right,” Edgar nodded. “I remember roaming in circles in the darkness for so long without even finding a wooden stick to light up a torch. That was a horrible experience.”

“If you had done that, you would’ve died,” the old man casually said.

“Huh? What?”

“We’re quite low before the surface. There’s less oxygen here, so fire will only make things hard for you to breathe.”

“Oxy, what?”

“Uh, oxygen is the vital air we breathe, but never mind,” the old man sighed. “Just keep in mind to not use fire on your way out, at least not until you can see the sky. And also, don’t use these stones unless you can’t find your way ahead. Light attracts certain beasts after all.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Master.”

The hair of the old man then made a spear and drilled through a wall and opened up a way. “This path will take you to a tunnel. From there on, you’re on your own. Don’t hide in caves unless you have more than one escape route. Always prefer to hide in plain sight. Don’t climb up hastily, but even if it takes long, take the path that’s safer. If you kill any beast with glowing eyes, then don’t forget to take their core. Look for weapons or rings on dead bodies. The sooner you replace that wooden sword, the better your chances will be. Last but not least, even in the world of yodhas, life is a fragile thing, so never be uncertain about what you do, and never let your guard down.”

“Thanks to your repeated mentioning, this disciple is well aware of that by now.”

“Mm…”

A few seconds of silence passed.

“Then,” Edgar hesitantly said. “I’ll get going—”

“Listen carefully,” the old man’s tone suddenly turned serious. “This valley isn’t ruled by vipers. If you come across any moving thing that is blue, then just run.”

Edgar’s eyes enlarged. A chill crawled over his spine. “W-What are you…” All these years, whenever everyone had talked about the valley of vipers, only the ferociousness and the dangers that the vipers possessed were brought into discussion. Yet, this old man was saying something else entirely. What he was saying was going against the name given to the valley itself. He couldn’t tell whether the old man was joking or not. “This isn’t a joke, right?”

“I’ve done everything I should,” the old man closed his eyes. “Now it’s your turn to fulfill the promise.”

Edgar pursed his lips, then picked up the bronze plate lying near the crystal rock all this while and started to walk away silently. One of the hairies then handed him a basket full of fruits. The basket was made from thin branches of wood.

With every step Edgar took, he thought about the old man. (Though everything you did was to free yourself in the end, you still did so much for me. You were good to me, too. I will never forgive that. But…) Edgar clenched his fists. (I may be dumb, but I’m not blind. Why did you cover up the hole in the ceiling with your hair and broken rocks? Why did you lie? Was it to keep me in here for long so that I’d feel like I owed it to you? Why did you never reveal your name no matter how many times I’ve asked you? Why did you have to hide things till the end?) No matter what he thought, he couldn’t think of a good reason. But he eventually let go of the frustration and loosened his fists. (I… I’m going to stick to my words. If I find out that you’re a good person, I’ll look for help. Otherwise, I’m afraid…) The corners of his mouth turned down as he left the chamber without looking back.

The old man took a deep breath. The time when Edgar first unlocked his Drive flashed in his mind. (To directly go to the third stage from nothing… Those who achieved such a feat can be counted on fingers anywhere in the world. This kid’s potential is vast. And he has come far in just a few months. This bud of hope, a mendicant he may have been in the past… he will likely blossom into something beautiful, though hopefully not beyond my expectations.)