Be A Sloth

"AAARGH!!" I scream—not in pain, but in sheer frustration.

The electric shocks don't physically hurt me anymore, so I've learned to ignore them. But this? Being slower than a sloth?

It's driving me insane.

"I give up!" I burst out.

"You can't give up," Master Long's voice echoes. "Unless you want to be trapped here forever."

I freeze. "What?!"

"You heard me," he chuckles. "No escape until you pass."

My hands ball into tight fists. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

"I can't be slower than a sloth!"

"You don't need to be slower than the sloth. Just don't be faster than it."

I huff, rubbing my temples. "Fine. Again!"

We reset.

For the umpteenth time, I fail before I even take my first step.

I groan. "I don't even know how slow a sloth moves. Give me time to—"

"You don't need to know. Be a sloth."

"What???"

"Be a sloth, and you'll naturally move at its speed."

He says it so casually, like it's the easiest thing in the world.

I glare at him. "You think it's EASY to convince my brain I'm a damn sloth?!"

"Why is it so hard?"

"BECAUSE I AM NOT A SLOTH!" I explode.

Master Long just smiles. "That's exactly why you keep failing."

I throw my hands up. "What's even the point of being slow?! Nothing good comes out of it!"

Master Long tilts his head. "What do you think my age is?"

I squint at him. "Seventy? Eighty?"

"I'm 124."

I stare at him. "What?!"

"Slowness has its benefits," he says matter-of-factly. "One of them is longevity."

I blink. "Wait… you're saying you've lived this long because you move like a sloth?"

"Partially, yes." He nods. "Slowing down lets you observe everything better—both around you and within you. You perform every action with full awareness, achieving the best results possible."

I frown. "But I'll be left behind."

"I'm not telling you to be a sloth all the time." He smirks. "I'm telling you to have the ability to slow down when necessary. Your brain is on overdrive—if you can control it, you'll prevent it from exploding."

My stomach drops.

That's exactly what I needed.

"Again!" I say—this time, with full determination.

-

Of course, it's easier said than done.

I lose count of how many times I fail, before I finally reach the point where I'm running side by side with the sloth.

The finish line is right in front of me—just a few steps away.

I whisper to myself: "Almost there..."

"Mr. Bennet... Mr. Bennet..."

Someone is shaking my shoulder.

Slowly, I open my eyes.

Han's round face is hovering over me.

"Why were you sleeping here?" he asks.

My brows furrow. "What... why..." I rub my eyes. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know. I just found you here and woke you up."

I sit up, stunned. Was... was that all a dream?

Han hands me a tiny folded paper.

"Master Long told me to give you this."

I take it and unfold it.

One word is written inside:

"Congratulations."

My mood skyrockets.

It wasn't a dream.

I grin. "Where is he?"

"Master Long left early this morning. He had a flight to Mainland."

My smile fades. Damn. I didn't even get to thank him.

Han studies me. "Are you okay?"

I nod, standing up. "Yeah. Just tell him thanks from me."

I pause.

Something feels off.

My eyes widen.

A knife. A spear. A glowing energy orb.

Flying toward Han's back—out of nowhere.

"WATCH OUT!" I yell.

Time freezes.

I whisper to myself: "Fighter jet."

Everything halts—even Han.

I grab the knife and spear, redirecting them to the floor.

But the energy orb—

I can't touch it.

I have no choice.

I lunge forward—crashing into Han, shoving him aside.

BOOOOM!!!

A deafening explosion shakes the temple.

Dust and debris scatter. The wall where Han was standing is now crumbling.

Han gasps. "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"

I pant, trying to recover from the shock.

Then—

A familiar giggle whispers in my ear.

"Hehehe... Great reaction, Mr. Bennet. You passed the test!"

My eyes bulge.

"WHAT?!"