When I woke up, I was back in my cramped room. They probably didn't drag me by my hair; they must have carried me, perhaps even brought me in on a stretcher. The good news is I'm still alive. The bad news is my body aches so much I can barely move. Thinking back, I realize I… a person… Ugh, I don't even want to dwell on it. I feel bad, but if you ask if I regret it, I'd say no. I was sure that if he didn't die, I would. He would have calmed down and come to kill me, so it was right that I ran to kill him first. Now, because of what he did, I can't even move. For now, I have to stay alive. I have responsibilities, duties, and promises to fulfill. I also need to get out of this place I know nothing about. Yes, I want to go home. Actually, the person I faced probably had his own story too, but he's free now. Maybe he's even home with his daughter already. I, on the other hand, have to keep struggling. Yes… he should even thank me. Why are tears falling from my eyes?
My whole body ached, but I gathered every ounce of strength I had, enduring the pain, and leaned against the wall. How long had I been unconscious? To get out of here, I need to understand this place. One thing's for sure: I think I'll be stuck here for a long time. Will I have to keep killing more people? I'm incredibly hungry. What can I do now? Wait… I can think through almost everything logically. Normally, even if I weren't scared, I should at least be a little shaken. I guess it's because of the Unstoppable Willpower. This skill isn't as bad as I thought. I still have that random skill to figure out too. A useless book and a blood-stained dagger. For now, all I can do is find out what that unknown skill is and recover my body as quickly as possible. Damn it… how am I supposed to recover without any medicine? And on top of that, I'm still hungry.
"Son… let's meditate together."
"Focus on your in-and-out breaths, keep your body relaxed, and don't let your thoughts scatter."
"If you can't sit still, just be aware of what you're doing – know when you're eating, know when you're walking."
Right, I need to meditate. Mom is Mom, after all. For now, there's nothing else I can do. I'll just rest and meditate, without thinking about anything.
'It hurts, my whole body hurts."
'It hurts like crazy."
'It hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
"Creek… Clang…"
The sound of that damned door opening broke my meditation. I don't know how long it had been, as there's no clock, but it felt like a long time. Maybe five hours? No… probably just an hour. I don't want to lie to myself, but I know, it was only about an hour. Anyway, I now understand the benefits of meditation in life. Whether it's due to the skill or just my mind playing tricks, the pain has lessened a bit. I looked up, and it was those two guys again. But what they said made me quite happy.
"Manbandam Wongkalero Jili Jili @#&£¢€¥"
But I understood…
"Will you take the skill to control the dagger with your mind, or should I add a poison to the dagger that kills instantly with one scratch?"
Immediately, I replied, choosing the skill to control the dagger with my mind. My thought was, even if it's poisoned, it's useless unless I can hit the opponent, or stab them. If I miss, I'm dead. Controlling the dagger with my mind is the real, useful skill. If I throw it and miss, I can pick it up again with my mind; I don't even need to hold it with my hand. And then, a flying dagger – or for now, a flying short sword – will hover near me. Just imagine how cool that skill is!
As soon as I spoke, those guys turned and left. They didn't even teach me how to use it… damn it. Nothing felt different either.
"Can't I eat yet? I'm starving!"
I yelled out, but just like the first time, it was useless. A thought came into my head: in this unknown place, it's not just these two, but others must be here too. Especially the ones controlling them from behind. These two are probably just servants. These two bring the food, and these two give the skills. Even though I can't see their faces, I remember them well enough. I'm usually smart too, but my choices are still insanely wrong. The dagger wouldn't move, no matter how hard I tried. Actually, I don't even know how to try.
I truly felt discouraged. I swore to myself: if I live and have to make more choices, I'll think from every angle before deciding. No more crazy, impulsive choices. I'll only take logical skills. Actually, only my thoughts are working; my body feels a bit better but still hurts. They haven't brought any food yet, so I guess I'll have time to practice. For now, I decided to focus on getting better and meditating again. Wait… even in the book, there were pictures of meditation. I can't read the words, but I looked at the pictures very carefully. Now, I think I need to look at the book again. Just die already… The book is on the bed, and I'm by the doorway wall. The room is small, but I don't want to move. With the knowledge that it doesn't hurt as much as before, I rolled about three times to the bed and picked up the book. It still hurt. I flipped through the book, and on the second page, there was a picture of a person standing and a person meditating. In those pictures, there were dots marked as focal points. Many of the dots were on tendons, and also on internal organs like the heart and lungs. The dot on the brain area was larger.
Controlling the dagger with my mind, I guess my spirit must be in the brain area. I don't know if I'm right yet, but I'm starting to understand a little. I have to test it. Immediately, I sat cross-legged in a meditation pose and placed the dagger on one hand. I focused all my thoughts, conscious and subconscious, on my forehead. After a while, I felt subtle currents of heat moving inside my body. But I also felt, and knew, that the dagger was still on my hand. The longer it went on, the more I felt the heat currents. They passed through one focal point after another: from my stomach to my chest, then to my eyes and brain, and from there, flowing down my arm. But my real focus was still around my forehead. I can't describe what it was, but something was there. Right after that, I immediately sent my mental focus to the dagger.
Clink!
"Hahaha..."
The taste of success!
"It moved! It dropped from my hand!"
"Creek… Clang…"
Damn it… the sound of those two opening the door again. I was just happy, but when I looked back annoyed, I became even happier. It wasn't porridge like yesterday. It was a large piece of meat and a bowl of soup! It smelled so good and looked incredibly appetizing. Maybe it's a reward for winning? I looked at them with a smile and grateful eyes.
"Can I get another piece of meat?"
I asked, but as usual, they just turned and left. Wait a minute… when did they take back the porridge bowl from last night? I clearly remember the porridge bowl wasn't there when they took me out after I woke up. Did they come to take it while I was asleep? Never mind… I'm hungry. I wanted to gobble it down, but I ate it slowly, finishing both the piece of meat and the whole bowl of soup. After that, the pain, while still noticeable, slowly lessened. But the effect was quite significant; it went from slowly recovering to much better. I continued meditating, wondering if anything else would change. I've never felt this good in my life. I felt more energized and mentally refreshed. I'm in an unknown place with unknown powers, killing people, and getting energy from food isn't that strange anymore. But I like it.
After meditating, I slowly tried some physical exercises. The pain was still there a bit, but it didn't hinder my exercise. I continued meditating to recover and practiced controlling the dagger.
For progress, I can now keep the dagger suspended in the air for about two seconds, which is quite an improvement. But the dagger's speed is like an old man walking. And I can only control it within one meter. Damn it… how useful will that be in a fight? So, instead of sleeping, I kept trying to control the dagger more. The more I sought, the more I found; finally, I discovered a way to increase the dagger's speed. It wasn't very difficult, but it required a lot of focus. I just had to focus three or four times more than I was currently focusing on the dagger. It was quite tiring. I can't really tell the exact speed, but it's probably about 100 kilometers per hour. But I think it has limits; I didn't test it to the limit because I don't know what might happen. The control range has also increased to about two meters. It's not good to hear, but while practicing, I accidentally stabbed my own shoulder with the dagger. All of these are lessons. I don't know if it's the meditation that's powerful or the food, but the old wounds are much better. It's a real shame there's no more meat and soup left. I swear I didn't lick the soup bowl clean. Seriously…
In this unknown place, before the second battle began…
If I'm right, those two guys will come for me soon. One thing to think about: the bowl and spoon are still here. Yesterday, I definitely remember the porridge bowl was gone. Did they take it while I was asleep, and if I don't sleep, they don't take it? Anyway, it's still here today; if I survive, it'll still be here tomorrow too. The wound from the dagger is still bleeding. I won't sleep tonight; I'll just meditate.
"Creek… Thud…"
"Damn it… did I fall asleep?"
Those two opening the door woke me up.
"Next time, I'll have to tell them to open it slowly."
One of the two came close, as if to grab my hair.
"It's fine… it's fine… I'll follow on my own,"
I said, getting up and walking out. The bowls were gone. Those two were just like before; they didn't say a single word. They really can endure silence.
Along the way, I carefully observed my surroundings, but it was dark and foggy, and I couldn't see anything clearly. And I still haven't seen the faces or feet of those two guys. I passed many rooms like mine, but I couldn't see through any of them. This place is even more mysterious than I thought. I think it will be harder ahead. After a while, a door opened as if a portal had opened. It was the same place as yesterday. At first, I thought it was a door, but it's not a door at all. As a result, I now know a little about where I live and where I have to fight. But how do they open the portal? Are there sensors, or do they open it with something else?
This time, with a tremor, I entered the doorway. Damn it… the guy on the other side isn't human. Well, he is human, but he has horns on his forehead and a tail. Is this what people call a demon? His skin is a bit dark, but he's better looking than me. I'm pretty good-looking too. He had a long sword in his hand; I wanted a sword like that. It looked like a katana or something. Anyway, I was just about to try to talk to that demon-like guy…
"Fast!"
Not fast, I only saw a shadow.
He didn't even give me time to think or speak.
He came in front of me and swung his long sword.
It was the kind of slash that would cut me cleanly from shoulder to waist.
I managed to dodge a little, but…
"Arghhhhh!"
One of my arms was severed from the shoulder. Luckily, after he cut, the demon immediately retreated. This guy seems to know martial arts and is quite vigilant. Calm down, nothing happened. I'm not dead yet. I threw the dagger I was holding in my left hand far away. I can't win. Yes, I can't compete. He's too fast.
"End me with one blow… let me die with dignity,"
I yelled at the top of my lungs, pressing down on the severed part of my shoulder. When I said that, he froze. He was still cautious and didn't come closer.
"Even though it's only been a short time, I'm already so tired, I want to be free, I really want to go home,"
Tears even came to my eyes. I don't know for sure, but maybe if I die, I'll wake up from this nightmare and be back in my own bed. The demon looked at me with a disdainful gaze and spoke in a deep, hoarse voice.
"How did you survive the first battle?"
"The one I fought was more scared than me, so I won."
"I will end you after I ask my questions. Now, you must answer what I ask."
"Yes, sir… please ask. Just don't hurt me anymore." I knelt down.
"How much do you know about this place, and what skills do you have? Tell me everything you've experienced."
He also seems to want to know about this place, just like me. It's getting interesting. I should be thankful he didn't kill me immediately.