Chapter 17: Training Day

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when we all gathered at the training grounds. I rubbed my eyes, still trying to shake off the sleep, when suddenly, Nine, who had been standing in front of us, began to change. His skin stretched over massive muscles as his body grew and swelled, his frame expanding until he was towering over all of us. It was like watching a twig turn into a walking mountain. I swear, the guy looked like he could bench press a dragon. Everyone else was just as stunned, staring at him in wide-eyed disbelief. I never imagined his transformation would be this... grotesque.

Rhian was the first to react. He swallowed a huge gulp of saliva, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. I swear I could hear the gulp from across the field.

Tafi, the cute little guy he is, quickly hid behind me, his tiny hands gripping the back of my shirt like I was his shield. "What happened to Mister Nine?" he whispered, peeking over my shoulder with big, round eyes.

As for Elliot, he looked completely petrified, his face frozen in shock. I'm pretty sure he forgot how to blink for a second.

Nine stood there, his arms crossed, looking at each of us with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, what are you all good at? What's your weapon of choice?" he asked, his deep voice booming through the still morning air. It felt like he could crush the earth beneath his feet with that tone.

Rhian, still trying to process what just happened, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, weapons? I... I've never even touched one before." He laughed nervously, but it came out more like a squeak.

Elliot, who was trying to act cool but clearly didn't know how to, stepped forward. "Well, I know the basics of sword fighting," he said, puffing his chest out. He made a little sword-fighting motion with his hand, but it looked more like he was swatting at a fly.

Then there was Tafi. The little tiger boy stepped forward, his usual playful grin replaced by a determined look. Without warning, he shifted into his full tiger form. But instead of becoming a fierce beast, he transformed into a small, adorable baby tiger—his fur soft and fluffy, with big, round eyes that screamed "cuteness overload." His tiny paws pitter-pattered on the ground as his tail swished back and forth.

Nine, clearly taken aback, blinked a few times before his face fell into his palm in disbelief. He let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. This was definitely going to be more difficult than he had imagined.

"You're a tiger boy, alright," Nine muttered under his breath, "but you're really going to fight like that?"

Tafi gave an innocent little growl, his voice high-pitched and playful. "Meow?" he teased, looking up at Nine like he was ready to take on the world.

Nine just rubbed his temples and shook his head. "This is gonna be harder than I thought... Alright, looks like we've got some work to do. Let's see what you can do, but remember, this is training. No running away!" His voice was serious, but the hint of exhaustion was clear, mixed with just a touch of amusement.

As we all geared up—well, sort of—Rhian awkwardly held a wooden sword (which was clearly way too heavy for him), Elliot looked like he was preparing for a duel with the air itself, and Tafi... well, he just padded around, tail swishing, as if he owned the place.

"Get ready, guys," Nine said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if we can actually make warriors out of you."

And just like that, they were all about to begin the weirdest training session of their lives.

Sure! Here's the updated version with the staff's words italicized:

I went back inside to check on the Enchanted Staff, and what I saw made me stop in my tracks. She was practically drooling all over the window, eyes glued to Nine outside.

"What are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shh, I'm just admiring this beautiful view," she said dreamily, not even glancing my way as she kept her eyes locked on Nine.

"You know what would be helpful?" I said, trying to get her to actually do something useful. "How about cooking those guys a meal? You know, so you can make a good impression on Nine."

"That's a good idea!!!" she squealed, floating excitedly to the kitchen. I followed her, curious to see what she'd do next. What I saw left me in awe.

Various kitchen tools were floating around, and vegetables were chopping themselves. It was like the kitchen was cooking a meal all on its own.

"You're actually pretty useful," I said, impressed.

"Anything for my hus— I mean, Mister Nine!" she said, her voice suddenly mischievous.

I couldn't help but shake my head, chuckling as I left her to her antics and went back to my room.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but reflect on what had happened last night—the Theodoreford curse...

There wasn't such a thing in my Book, I'm not sure if what I remember would still be helpful, So many things had changed, and now I wasn't even sure if my memories would be of any help. I guess the saying about how a single flap of a butterfly's wings can create a tsunami really is true.

I stayed up late last night thinking about what Nine and I talked about, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

-

I opened my eyes and found myself in a familiar, empty room. It took a second, but I realized I was in the tiny room I used to rent back when I was still on Earth. Everything felt so real. I tried looking out the window but saw nothing but darkness. Guess this is a dream, I thought. Only the stuff I can remember is here.

I looked in the mirror and saw a silver-haired girl with ocean-blue eyes staring back at me. Guess I'm Anya now.

I scanned the room more and spotted a laptop on the bed. Reaching for it, I saw a document that looked... familiar.

It was my book!

I almost screamed from the shock and excitement, but when I tried to read it, I saw it was just the part about Nine's backstory and how they all met.

Nine. The legendary martial arts master, like something straight out of an anime, with one of the most heartbreaking backstories of all my characters. I honestly have no idea how I ended up making him so gentle and kind with everything he's been through.

Nine was born to a slave mother and a nobleman, who abused her relentlessly until her death. Afterward, Nine was sold back into the market, a child with no name, and his unusual appearance—white hair and blue eyes—made him more of a commodity than a person. Still just a kid, he was bought by a nobleman, who named him Nine—not because of any affection for the number, but because Nine was meant to be given as a "gift" to the nobleman's ninth daughter. The nobleman had nine daughters, and Nine was expected to be little more than a servant, treated like an object or mistreated like the rest of the slaves. But to Nine's surprise, the ninth daughter was different. She cared for him, educated him, fed him, and even taught him how to wield a sword. Over time, Nine transformed from a mere servant into someone strong and valuable. And as she helped him grow, he found himself falling in love with the woman who had freed him from his chains.

But of course, things took a turn. When Nine and his master's daughter, the noble lady, had a child together, the noble family went into a panic. They couldn't stand the thought of their family name being tarnished by a half-slave grandchild. In a fit of rage, they threatened Nine's life and demanded the baby be abandoned. Fearing for their safety, Nine fled with his lady to the outskirts of the empire, seeking a life where no one knew them. To help them blend in, they sought out a magician to dye their hair, with Nine's silver hair turned brown and his wife's appearance altered as well. With their new looks, they started fresh, living as commoners, far away from their past and the dangerous eyes of the noble family.

They lived near the border of the empire, in a quiet forest, him, his wife, and their two lovely children. It was peaceful—until one day, when Nine went out hunting monsters to provide for his family. When he returned home, it wasn't to the warm, cozy embrace of his family, but to a nightmare.

The house was soaked in blood—The ceiling, walls and floor were filled with dried and fresh blood, and in the middle of the house, three corpses lied on the floor, dismembered, their heads were severed from their bodies, so are their limbs. The eyes of the corpses were still open but are lifeless. Nine sank on his knees as he looked at his family on the floor. He felt rage, pain, and sorrow at the same time, he wanted it to be a dream but then the stench and he feel of blood under his bare feet are too real. He walked slowly to the corpses and with a trembling hand, he reached for the bodies slowly. That's when he saw a note, on the body of his wife. He took the note and read it. The note says 'If she can't be of use to us, then she can't be of use to you either' . Despite the very short note, the intelligent man already knew who did it. various thoughts popped in his mind

The heartbreak was unbearable. Rage, sorrow, and guilt tore through him, each emotion more suffocating than the last. His mind was consumed by thoughts like, If only I had stayed... If I hadn't left... The weight of it all sent him spiraling, lost in a sea of self-blame and madness.

But when the storm of emotions faded, what remained was the harsh reality of the house—bloodstained walls, rotting corpses, a stench that clung to everything, suffocating him. And yet, there was nothing inside him. No sadness. No anger. No grief. Just a hollow emptiness.

For a month, he worked. He burned the bodies, repaired the house, replaced the furniture, repainted everything. He threw himself into the task, focusing on the work until it was done. When he finally stepped back and looked at the house, it was like nothing had ever happened. But there was a gnawing emptiness in him, a sense that something vital was missing. He tried to ignore it, telling himself it didn't matter. It wasn't important.

And so, Nine lived on in seclusion, training relentlessly every day. He went through the motions, feeling nothing but sorrow, existing but not truly living. It was during this time, when he was wandering the forest one day, that he stumbled upon two young men, barely alive, their bodies weak and stumbling like corpses. They were chained, wandering aimlessly. Moved by his old kindness, Nine took them in, fed them, and cared for them.

As they recovered, they watched him train every day, and one day, they asked him to teach them. For the first time in a long while, Nine felt a flicker of purpose. The emptiness inside him shifted, and he found himself drawn back into the world, joining their journey and, in doing so, reclaiming the spark of life he had long forgotten.

I can't believe I actually wrote this. I kind of feel guilty for giving him such a messed-up backstory. What was I thinking?

Wait, I need to know what happens next! I quickly scrolled down and dove into the next chapter.

 One of their usual days, Nine took Rhian and Elliot to the nearby marketplace, Frasha Village, to pick up some supplies. As they walked through the bustling market, crowded with people selling everything from fresh fruit to trinkets, their attention was suddenly drawn to a commotion nearby.

A young mage, looking frantic, was surrounded by a group of masked individuals. The masked figures were closing in on her, clearly trying to abduct her. Without thinking twice, Nine sprang into action, and Rhian and Elliot quickly followed. They fought off the masked men, with Nine expertly using his martial arts skills to disarm them, while Rhian and Elliot helped subdue the rest. After a brief but intense struggle, the attackers fled into the chaos of the marketplace.

Once the threat was gone, Nine turned to the young mage, who was shaking with fear. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm but concerned.

The mage took a deep breath, wiping tears from her eyes. "They... they took my master," she said, her voice trembling. "The masked men... they kidnapped him. I have to find him before they do something worse."

Her words hung in the air, and Nine exchanged a glance with Rhian and Elliot. They had no idea who this mage was or who her master might be, but one thing was clear—they couldn't just let her face this alone.

I scrolled down more, but before I could get any further, something round hit me right in the forehead, snapping me out of the dream. I blinked and heard the enchanted staff sounding absolutely furious.

You made me cook, and you're just gonna sleep there?! it yelled. How dare you! I'm an enchanted staff, not a maid!!