Starting Again From Zero

Chapter 3

Victor's POV

This place is still as cold as I remembered it, it's August I thought it would be warmer if it's this cold now I wonder what winter will be like. Oh, yeah, that's right, back home it's harmattan, not winter, I'll miss that, the dry air, the feeling of both hot and cold, then hot, then cold...God, why was that country's weather confused?

Scratch that I might not miss it as much as I think I would.

I found myself on that mountain again, the cool air blowing through me felt nostalgic in a sense, I headed to Ivy's cabin, which was a walk away from where Ignatius transported me.

The weight of this bag is annoying while walking in this rough terrain, this sword is making it worse, maybe I should have sprung for the guns instead, I'm really lucky she isn't living any higher.

I finally arrived at Ivy's home...cabin.

"What are you doing here?!"

I was a few meters away before I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw Ivy in a fur coat(wolf's to be precise) standing with her dead game.

"You returned even from the underworld, huh?" Ivy.

"Nice to see you again, Ivy," I said.

She had an intense look on her face, and she walked up to me fast, I thought she was going to punch me, so I braced myself.

*PAT*

I felt a hand softly patting me on my head, I slowly opened my eyes to see it WAS Ivy patting me on the head...I was scared, nuh uh, not "was scared", I AM scared.

"Don't go dying on me again..." She said in a soft tone.

"I'm sorry for putting your teachings to waste, I promise this time I won't be a spoilt brat and do whatever you say"

"Like hell, you put my teachings to waste, how could you lose so pathetically that you almost died!" She yelled.

Heh, I thought we were having a moment but she seems to be back to her old self, I prefer it this way, sentimental stuff sorta cringes me out sometimes...and I feel like she's the same.

"Go drop your stuff we're starting over from scratch!" Ivy.

She didn't even ask about the sword.

I went to her cabin and dropped off my luggage but still held on to the sword on my waist.

I ran back to her.

"Why are you still carrying that with you?" Ivy.

"I was hoping you'd teach me how to use this to fight"

"We are starting from scratch, we aren't going to use that sword for another two months"

"Two months... TWO MONTHS LATER?!"

"No complaining!" Ivy.

"Yes ma'am!"

She took me to a high spot and told me to take my Jacket and shirt off. I did it, this time, I won't ask questions.

She told me that I needed to build up some muscles, so my physical training consisted of a hundred push-ups per day, running a marathon up and down a slope in the mountain, boulder pushing and pulling in the afternoon, a hundred sit-ups, and 50 pull-ups.

This is how what I went through for the first month, each day I had to get up by 6 am, take a cold bath in the river, ate, then repeat all those things, after a couple of weeks she added some more exercises to push me to the limits.

For example, on a stormy day, she pushed me inside a raging river and told me not to slip up and drown, I couldn't swim in the first place, but that day...I learned the hard way.

I didn't get it at first but that didn't stop her from throwing me into a river to get the hang of it.

It took 4 days of continuous retries and one bit of fear inducement to get the hang of it.

"Oh, that reminds me, Happy new month, Ivy, "

"Huh, what's that?"

"Back home, we say this at the first of every new month."

"Why?" Ivy.

"I don't get it myself, but I think it's like congratulations for making it into a new month alive, since lots of people died in the previous month and you're alive still alive now, I'm wishing you to have a happy new month free from problems and to live long enough to see the next one,"

"That feels like it gets annoying after hearing it for a few more years,"

"Hehe, It does, but hey, it's tradition or something, so yeah, Happy New month Ivy, wishing you won't kill me before I get stronger"

"Uhm... thank you? What about in January? What do you say during that? Happy New month or Happy New year?" Ivy

"Heh, both, depending on the person though,"

"Interesting, now get back to training," Ivy.

"Yes ma'am!"

It's the first of September, and I'm still in the progress of my physical training, it was hard and tiring, I've passed out multiple times from over-exertion, and yet she still has taught me any other skills... I'm grateful she's even teaching me at all.

**********************

Another month of agony passed by and now we're in October.

"Happy New month Ivy," I said.

"You do say that every month," Ivy.

"I'm saying it for the two of us, I made it out from your physical torture- I mean exercises alive, It's a reason to be happy,"

I smiled.

*Sigh* "I'll only say this back to you when I have a reason to, but for now you're looking fitter, congratulations on not giving up(and not dying)"

I feel like she muttered something I should be wary of, anyways, she was right, I do look, fitter, my stamina's increased a lot, and I look more muscular but not enough that you'd call me buff or beefy, Just average.

"I can't believe I have abs now, they feel tough"

"Come back in ten years when they'll be as strong as mine,"

"It's on!"

Heh, after I'm done doing what I need to do...I never want to work out again.

"This month was supposed to be your sword skill acquisition but I'm going to add a few more things to make you learn it faster," Ivy.

"No need to rush, take your time, I'm not going anywhere,"

A gust of wind blew in.

"That's not what I meant, I have an ominous feeling, my bloodlust is feeling something's not going to go right here, so I want to make sure I teach you many things as much as I can, "Ivy.

Ivy kept staring to the side while she talked as if she could see something I couldn't.

She had a serious look on her face from there I knew whatever was coming she wanted me to prepare for it...