Blood, iron, and fur

"Mental training is hell, kid. But it's the only way to forge a real warrior."

Sakchai's words echoed in Niran's mind like distant thunder, a warning of what was to come. In front of him, the mental arena twisted into an abstract landscape, a floating ring suspended in the void. The ropes were made of shadows, and the floor vibrated beneath his feet as if it were alive.

Sakchai, with his usual smirk, rubbed his bandaged wrists and took his stance. His presence was overwhelming, his eyes burning red like embers.

"This isn't just a dream. Here, your body moves like in reality. If you fall, you feel pain. If you make mistakes, you pay. The only advantage is that when you wake up, your body won't be broken… but you'll still carry the pain."

Niran swallowed.

"And now?" he asked, raising his guard.

Sakchai chuckled. "Now… I break you."

The first strike was faster than sound.

An uppercut to the liver folded Niran in half. He barely had time to breathe before Sakchai's elbow crashed down on the back of his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Too slow."

A kick to the ribs.

"Too distracted."

A punch straight to the face.

"Too dead."

Niran spat blood. Or at least, he felt like he did. The pain was real, and so was the exhaustion. His heart pounded like a war drum.

"Move, kid! If you want to use that piercing elbow of yours, you need to prepare it without getting killed first!"

Sakchai didn't give him time to react. He attacked again.

And again.

And again.

It was a silent massacre.

But slowly, as time passed, Niran began to understand. Sakchai's movements were a perfect rhythm, a deadly dance that could only be broken if Niran found the right moment.

He had to prepare the elbow without exposing himself.

The realization came in the middle of yet another brutal exchange.

Sakchai launched a body kick. Niran barely dodged it, feeling the wind brush against his skin. At that moment, he started preparing his breathing.

15 seconds.

He dodged a punch.

10 seconds.

He blocked an elbow, feeling his bones vibrate.

5 seconds.

Sakchai lunged in for the finishing blow.

Niran struck first.

His olecranon, reinforced by his calcium accumulation, slammed into Sakchai's chest with the precision of a spear thrown by a war god.

For the first time, Sakchai stopped.

Silence.

Then, the warrior grinned.

"Not bad, kid. But in the real world, it'll be a whole different story."

Niran woke up drenched in sweat, his muscles aching as if he had truly fought. He massaged his sore arms and stood up with difficulty.

The dojo was silent, sunlight filtering through the broken windows. He needed to test his technique in a real fight.

And so, he set off for the mutated forest-dump.

That place was a monument to abandonment, a fusion of nature and human waste. Twisted trees intertwined with rusted car carcasses. The air smelled of metal and decay.

But what made the place truly dangerous were the creatures that lived there.

Nature had adapted its children to survive the ruin.

And Niran would face one of them.

The sound of snapping branches put him on alert.

A shadow moved between rusted scrap.

Then, in a sudden leap, the enemy appeared.

A mutated ape, as tall as an adult man. Steel-like muscles, gleaming eyes filled with predatory intelligence. Its arms were disproportionately long, made to grab and tear apart prey.

Niran raised his guard.

"Are you ready to die?" Sakchai's voice echoed in his mind.

The ape didn't wait for an answer. It attacked.

Its movements were wild but precise. It jumped, moved unpredictably, using every angle of the environment. Niran barely kept up.

He needed to find the right moment to prepare his piercing elbow.

But the ape was too fast.

The first attempt failed.

The second one, too.

On the third, he took a direct hit to the chest, making him stagger.

"Too slow."

Niran gritted his teeth.

That thing was faster than him. But maybe… not stronger.

That realization was the key.

Instead of trying to strike immediately, he started controlling the fight's rhythm. He made minimal, efficient movements. Shifted his weight on his heels, dodged just enough, forced the ape to tire itself out.

And meanwhile… he began his breathing technique.

15 seconds.

10 seconds.

5 seconds.

The ape lunged at him with a furious roar.

Now.

Niran drove his elbow forward.

His reinforced olecranon pierced into the ape's flesh like a divine spear. The impact was devastating.

The ape staggered. Niran finished it with a spinning kick.

Niran collapsed onto a piece of rusted metal. His breath was ragged, his body burning.

"Not bad, kid."

Even Sakchai sounded satisfied.

But then, in the silence of the forest, a sound.

Weak.

A cry.

Niran struggled to his feet, following the noise.

Among the debris, curled up and trembling, was a small mutated ape. Its eyes locked onto his, filled with fear.

It was alone.

It was vulnerable.

It was… like him.

Niran knelt beside it. The little ape watched him carefully, as if evaluating his intent.

"If you take it with you, it'll be a burden."

Sakchai's voice was neutral, almost curious.

Niran slowly extended his hand.

The small ape hesitated… then climbed onto his arm.

He sighed. "This is going to be trouble."

He stood up, the little ape perched on his shoulder.

Then, without another word, he walked back to the dojo.