Spirit

"Fight."

The reason the beasts were smiling wasn't because they were going to win.

A pulse of purple light flickered across their bodies, crawling over their wounds like living mist. Their torn flesh sealed. Their broken bones snapped back into place. The hollow eyes remained lifeless, but their bodies—fully restored.

'No, no, no, no, NO.'

In their pack was an Asya.

Asyas weren't hunters. They didn't fight. They healed. Not only that, but they stayed hidden, lurking in the background, keeping their packs alive no matter how many times they were cut down.

Which meant that no matter how many times I killed these chevas, they would always stand back up.

Unless I killed the Asya first.

The chevas grinned wider, moving toward me. This time, they didn't rush. They toyed with me, taking slow, deliberate steps, knowing I couldn't kill them permanently.

I scanned the ruins, heart pounding. The Asya had to be close. It wouldn't risk exposing itself, but the light came from somewhere.

Then I saw it.

A shadow perched atop a jagged pillar, just within the tree line. Small, hunched, its hollow eyes glowing with the same purple light that had healed the chevas. Its long fingers clutched a twisted staff, still shimmering with leftover energy.

That was my target.

The chevas lunged, claws flashing. I ducked under the first strike, rolling backward to create distance. But distance didn't matter. Every wound I inflicted would mean nothing until the Asya was dead.

I needed to get to that pillar.

I moved.

The first cheva swung its shifting weapon, slicing through the air where my head had been a second earlier. I twisted past it, using the momentum to drive my Cultro deep into the other cheva's gut. It let out a gurgling hiss, staggering back.

Then the purple light pulsed again—

And the wound closed.

I ripped the blade free and sprinted toward the ruins.

The chevas howled, realizing what I was doing. They moved fast—faster than before. One leapt into my path, intercepting me mid-stride.

I didn't stop.

I planted one foot down, twisting all my weight into the next step. My elbow smashed into the cheva's ribs, forcing it aside just enough for me to break past.

The Asya shrank back against the pillar, sensing danger. Its fingers twitched over the staff.

I jumped.

My hand caught a crack in the pillar, my Cultro clamped between my teeth as I scrambled upward. The Asya hissed, raising its staff. Another pulse of purple light shot toward the chevas, and I knew they were already coming for me.

I had seconds.

I reached the top.

The Asya screeched. It raised its staff to strike—

I tore my Cultro from my teeth and threw it.

The blade sliced through the air, spinning once before it buried itself deep into the Asya's skull.

Silence.

The glow in its eyes flickered. The purple light wavered. Then, just like that—

It was gone.

Below me, the two chevas staggered mid-charge. The wounds I had given them didn't heal. The grins slipped from their faces.

They weren't invincible [title card] anymore.

Now, it was a real fight.

And this time, I would win.

I climbed the pillar and retook my Cultro.

I jumped down on the closest cheva to the pillar, piercing its dome with my Cultro spraying its profane blood on my cloak, I Enhanced my Cultro with Sefor and sliced the chevas head off, and made it bite down on my left arm.

I ran after the other and slid on the ground, going under it, and jumping upwards with the Cultro pointed to where I thought Its heart was, I sliced off its head and put it on my right leg.

I now had five cheva's all I had to do was return to the house.

As soon as I stepped into the sun, it was already morning, meaning I had enough time to get there by sunset but If I wanted to get to my family I had to train as much as possible as fast as possible because with my strength there is absolutely no way I would survive my way across the world.

I rushed all the way back to the master's house, which took me a cruel hour and a half to reach only to find a note written on the door with a bunch of exercises that I was told to perform.

"Train.

There is no time for hesitation. You have come far, but not far enough. Every day, the world grows harsher, and your enemies are always one step ahead. The strength you have now is but a fraction of what you will need to survive.

The only way to progress is through relentless effort. Every motion must be deliberate, every action must bring you closer to your goal. You are not just training your body, but your mind. Prepare yourself for the battles to come.

Exercises:

Speed Drills: Run, not for distance, but for time. Push your limits until every muscle screams. Endurance is key, but speed is your weapon.

Strength Conditioning: Lift, push, pull. Repetition until failure. There is no weakness in a body that knows no limits.

Combat Mastery: Continue your practice with the Cultro. Every strike must be precise, every movement must be calculated. Make each action a lesson in efficiency.

Mind Focus: Meditate. Clear your thoughts. Focus only on what is necessary—your survival. The mind must be as sharp as the blade you wield.

Resilience: Endure pain, hunger, exhaustion. Show the world you cannot be broken.

Failure is not an option."

I will be out of the house for about a month, during this time I want you to do everything I told you in the list above, if you don't the results will show when I come back and fight you.

"OH COME ON" I screamed, "I WORK MY BUTT OFF ALL NIGHT JUST TO COME AND FIND THIS"

I did the excerises anyway.

Dear diary, I hate my master.

Day 1-3: Breaking the Limits

The first days were grueling. Each exercise seemed designed to break me, to see if I could withstand the pressure before the real work even began.

Speed Drills: I ran. And ran. The sun rose, and by midday I was still pushing my limits, my muscles burning and my breath ragged. The goal wasn't distance, but speed. Every time I felt my legs screaming, I pushed harder. I focused on short, fast bursts, making sure I didn't just run—I attacked the earth with every step. Sprint, pause, sprint, pause. The faster I could move, the faster I could react in battle.Strength Conditioning: After the speed work came the lifting. Logs, stones, anything heavy. I didn't care if it was unnatural; I just kept lifting until my arms and legs felt like they might snap off. A single movement, a single press, until I could do it without thinking. The idea was simple: force my body to be unbreakable. Repetition was everything. Fail, and repeat. Fail, and repeat.

The nights were even worse. Sleep came only when I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, my body aching from the abuse I had just put it through. But there was no choice. I knew I couldn't afford to be weak.

Day 4-7: Combat Mastery

On the fourth day, I began training with my Cultro, as the note had instructed. It wasn't just about the blade; it was about understanding it—how it moved, how it felt when I swung it, the flow of energy with each strike. It was a deep connection.

Combat Mastery: I started with the basics. Every strike had to be calculated, every motion deliberate. I practiced with my Cultro, making the same motions over and over until they became second nature. It wasn't just about force. The key was precision—where the blade would land, how I would recover, how I would flow into the next strike. I used every piece of training equipment I could find to simulate battle, striking them with my Cultro until I had no strength left.Shadow Sparring: For hours, I would shadow-box in front of the mirror, imagining every move of an enemy. I focused on agility, avoiding incoming strikes, testing my body's response time, making my reflexes sharp enough to avoid every blow.

Day 8-14: Mind Focus & Resilience

The physical training wasn't enough. The real challenge was in the mind.

Mind Focus: Meditation became a daily ritual. I would sit, cross-legged, in the center of the training grounds, focusing only on my breathing. No thoughts. No distractions. Only survival. I meditated for hours, emptying my mind of everything but the concept of battle. Every time my thoughts wandered, I would snap myself back to the present, reminding myself of the only thing that mattered—getting stronger.Resilience: I had to push past pain and discomfort. Every time I felt hunger gnawing at me, every time I collapsed under exhaustion, I reminded myself that it was part of the training. When I could barely stand, I forced myself to continue. When I felt like giving up, I ran another lap. When I was hungry, I trained even harder. Pain, exhaustion—they were nothing but obstacles to be conquered.

Day 15-21: The Breakthrough

By now, my body had become accustomed to the daily grind. I could feel my strength growing. My speed had improved dramatically, and I could already feel the difference in my combat movements. But it wasn't enough. I needed something more.

I remembered the note. The last line stood out: Failure is not an option.

And that was when I understood what I needed to do.

Cultro Enhancement with Sefor: In the quiet moments of training, I began to experiment with Sefor. I used every ounce of my mental and physical power to push the Cultro further than before. I focused on the connection between the blade and my mind, pouring everything I had into its edge, sharpening it not only physically but spiritually. My body trembled, my mind swam with exhaustion, but I pushed through. Each swing felt heavier, yet more powerful. I was beginning to wield not just a weapon—but an extension of my will.The True Test: One night, I faced my own reflection in the mirror, my Cultro held firmly in my hand. I struck. The air around me seemed to vibrate with the force. I'd done it. The Cultro had transformed—becoming something beyond what it once was.

Day 22-28: Real-World Application

The true test of the training came when I ventured into the wild. I needed to see how my new strength and skills held up in real combat.

Survival Trials: I hunted alone, facing beasts far more deadly than the chevas. I used every skill I had honed over the past few weeks. Speed. Precision. Agility. Combat. I fought for survival, pushing my limits every day, every moment. The world around me was unforgiving, and I had to adapt fast.

Day 29-30: The Final Push

The final days were the hardest.

Endurance Test: I forced myself to run for hours, covering long distances across rough terrain. When I felt like collapsing, I reminded myself that this was my last test. No more failures. No more excuses.Sparring: I faced off against imagined enemies in a mock battle, pushing myself to the edge of my capabilities. Each movement was a step toward becoming the warrior I needed to be.

End of Month Training:

I stood on the last day of my training, my body broken, but my resolve stronger than ever.

I had pushed myself to the limit, fought against pain, exhaustion, hunger, and weakness.

When I returned to the master's house, I wasn't the same person who had left a month ago. I was stronger. Faster. More focused. Ready.

The note had been right—failure was not an option.

Now, I was ready for whatever awaited me.