CHAPTER 18
As Megumi sat on the floor of ice, he clutched his chest, trying to regain his breath after letting out that loud scream. On his face was a bright smile. He was filled with nothing but pure joy.
Having already gotten the hang of how saturating his cells with innate energy worked, he was left burning with passion as he embarked on his journey to complete the harrowing test.
The burning pain he felt had now turned into a warm, pleasant sensation that ran through every inch of his being. He felt more… alive. The closest he had come to feeling this way was after the torment of his Light Awakening finally concluded.
However, his body didn't seem any different from what it was before he arrived at the mountain. His muscles were still refined due to all the intense physical training he would normally go through; it wouldn't be wrong to say that his body was perhaps at the peak of physicality… Not that he expected any significant changes anyway.
Slowly, he stood up from the floor and gazed down at the lush greenery that lay a few meters away from the foot of the mountain. He walked closer to the edge of the path where he stood, and then he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.
Then, he opened his eyes and turned around, staring intently at his sister, who was standing behind him with her usual lifeless expression. However, she had an intense look on her face as she glanced at him.
He watched as she squinted her eyes slightly, then she furrowed her brow and slowly walked toward him. She stopped right in front of him, just a few inches away from their bodies making contact, and grabbed the talisman that hung around his neck.
It was a gentle hold around the facet of the obsidian charm, and then, without saying any words to him, she took the charm off his neck and carefully placed it inside the pocket of her jacket.
"The pain won't kill you."
That was all he heard before his legs buckled and he crumpled sideways on the icy floor. Luckily, or rather unfortunately, he hadn't blacked out like he did the last time his muscles gave in like they just did.
His entire body felt strained, like days of stress had been simultaneously piled up inside him. Every inch of his body was aching intensely, and all he could do was grit his teeth through the pain.
However, now he was able to feel the changes that had occurred within him even better. His body was now refined, as if he had been reborn. His innate energy flowed vigorously yet gently at the same time.
Quickly, a gentle, warm sensation washed over him, soothing the strain that was pressing on his body and mind. It was the same feeling as when Rikiyo would touch him; only she wasn't standing next to him at the moment.
His body was healing itself, repairing any internal damage he had suffered as he tried to master control of his innate energy.
Due to his newfound resilience, the ache had barely managed to get a single groan out of him. Compared to what he had felt when he began his training yesterday, this was nothing.
He was soon back on his feet, his body feeling as good as new. Rikiyo was still with him, gazing at him with a cold, intense stare.
He shifted slightly, shivering at the look she was giving him. This was the same gaze she would have each time they sparred; perhaps it was the best she could make of a somber expression. But it was still scary, regardless.
He looked ahead at the narrow path that spanned further to the summit of the snow peak and then turned back to his sister as he nervously scratched the back of his neck.
"Ehm… Soo… When exactly are we going to begin the next stage of my training?"
Rikiyo turned her head to the opposite side of the narrow path, down at the point where the plateau lay; her cold stare was still unchanged.
"Let's go have breakfast."
Her voice sounded frosty as she began descending the path of the mountain toward the plateau.
"We'll descend the mountain after that, and then we'll continue your training inside the forest."
With that, he followed suit behind her, and they soon reached the gently sloping area of the path up the great peak, where their camp stood.
And for breakfast, they had tea—something he couldn't quite bring himself to enjoy—and roasted shadow acorns.
The tea leaves were Tsukigane, a type of delicate silver plant that could only grow in certain areas of Tsukimori. Well, it was a moon silver plant, and it was better than most tea he had tasted, but it still wasn't enjoyable.
He had barely managed to drink half of his cup, and now, swirling the cup around, he paused for a moment and looked down at the contents with slight contempt.
He raised the cup and took a sip of his tea, and as quickly as he drank, he spat it out, cursing under his breath as he smeared his tongue against his upper jaw.
Having grown tired of forcing himself to actually try to enjoy the cup of tea, he walked to the edge of the path and poured all the contents away.
'I'll be sure to enjoy a good cup of coffee once I get back home.'
He then slowly raised the cup to his face.
'This is just horrible.'
*********
Having quickly finished their breakfast, he descended the snow-veiled mountain with Rikiyo. They walked thirty meters down a path of nothing but thick snow, and soon they reached the foot of the mountain.
The cold air felt refreshing as it blew across his face, ruffling his hair a bit. Rikiyo walked forward and then turned around to face him, staring him deep in the eye.
She spoke softly; her voice was cold from the frosty air of the snow peak.
"Tell me, brother, what do you think is the greatest weapon a warrior can wield?"
Megumi shifted slightly, his breath hitching as his mind dwelled on her sudden question. He stroked his chin repeatedly, trying to think of an answer.
'Strength? Awareness? The will to survive? No, that's not it…'
Then his face brightened, his lips curling up as he thought of something…
'Yeah, that's right, the greatest weapon a warrior can wield. It's his…'
"Mind, the greatest weapon a warrior can wield is a strong mind."
Rikiyo nodded affirmatively, quickly voicing her words.
"You aren't entirely wrong, brother… Only when you can envision can you carve a way to your victory. A clouded mind is no different from a dull blade; completely lacking in focus. It will only slow you down once you're on the battlefield. So, brother, for the next stage of your training, you'll be honing your mind, sharpening it until you cut through every cloud of doubt that remains within it. This test... will be one of clarity."