Adlof continued walking with heavy steps toward the distant hills, where the night still draped the sky in a dark, suffocating cloak. The air was cold, biting, like merciless needles of ice piercing his exposed skin. Every breath he took was a challenge to his exhausted body, which was beginning to groan under the weight of fatigue, yet he was determined to press on. There was no turning back. No surrender.
Rugged hills surrounded him, and tall trees stood silent like ancient guardians, watching him with unseen eyes. Adlof settled under the shadow of a massive tree, his body trembling in the harsh night breeze, his mind drowning in unrelenting questions. Suddenly, a strange voice pierced the silence, as if whispering from another realm, coming from inside his mind:
"If you are special... how special will you truly be?"
A heavy silence followed, then the voice vanished as if it had never existed, leaving Adlof in a state of confusion and doubt. He stood still, staring into the surrounding darkness as if searching for meaning behind those cryptic words. Slowly, he shook off those incomprehensible thoughts and resolved to continue his mission.
He made his way toward the shepherd's location, and when he arrived, he found an old shepherd staring sharply into the distance, as if waiting for a challenge. Adlof asked the shepherd for two sheep, and as soon as he mentioned the old man's name, the shepherd suddenly raised his staff violently, aiming a fatal blow at Adlof's neck.
In a flash, Adlof dodged the strike with lightning-fast reflexes, drawing his iron sword cautiously, ready for whatever attack might come next. He knew this fight was no ordinary one; he faced a man with long years of combat experience, merciless and precise.
The shepherd launched a rapid series of strikes, his staff flashing like lightning in the darkness—unpredictable and relentless. Adlof danced between the shadows of the trees, narrowly avoiding the blows with astonishing agility, even though a sharp pain spread through his left foot, as if it had suddenly broken for no apparent reason.
He paused briefly, looking down at his broken foot in disbelief. How had he not noticed any attack targeting it? An electric, searing pain shot through his body, but he refused to give up. He leapt onto his one good leg, sword gleaming in his steady hand, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on his opponent.
The shepherd smiled wickedly and said in a calm yet threatening voice,"You should have expected this."
He charged at Adlof with his staff raised high, but Adlof threw his iron sword forcefully toward the staff, cleaving it clean in two with a single strike. The shepherd responded with a heavy punch to Adlof's stomach, yet it seemed as though it barely fazed him, for he laughed as though enjoying a battle unlike any he had ever faced before.
In the midst of this fierce struggle, Adlof realized his opponent was no ordinary shepherd but a seasoned warrior, well-versed in the game of perception—the interplay of body, mind, and soul.
The shepherd advanced toward him, speaking quietly:"You are the gem that old man Ratzcher found."
Adlof froze, eyes burning with surprise and curiosity."A gem? What do you mean?"
The shepherd whispered almost softly:"Do you know what perception is?"
Adlof replied honestly, "No."
"You'd better not know. Your eyes show no trace of the three paths of perception mastered by body, mind, and soul. You fight on instinct alone, without perception."
He gestured toward the sheep and said,"Take the two sheep and go."
Adlof remained puzzled, unable to comprehend what was happening, but he had no other choice. He took the sheep and ran back to the village, his mind swirling with questions about those words, about his true abilities.
On his way back, the night silence shattered with horrifying screams that sliced through the air—sounds filled with terror, pain, and panic. His heart pounded faster and faster, his pace quickened into a frantic run.
He reached the village, where a scene of catastrophe unfolded before his eyes. Thick smoke billowed between the houses, the cries of the villagers rose in a crescendo of chaos, and destruction was evident in every corner. It was a nightmare materialized.
He stopped for a moment, his eyes taking in everything, wondering how he could possibly be ready for what awaited him. But deep down, he knew with certainty that this was not the end—it was the beginning of a harsher, more thrilling journey, one that demanded he transcend every limit of perception he had ever known.