A cold wind blew, and I felt it all around me. Emptiness. Was this truly what I had wanted all this time, or was I no longer myself?
I was still in the same place, in the same room, but I felt completely alone in a crowd.
Nothing made me happy. Staring at a monster no longer made me afraid. I knew this was wrong, but I couldn't fully understand it.
Today, I went to see physician Sugeng again. I wanted to know why I had changed and to find any signs of my old self.
"Karman, let's go to the cafeteria. You've been here for almost half the day."
"No, I won't."
"Come on, you're still as stubborn as you used to be. Everyone is waiting, and you're the only one not here."
"Okay," I agreed to Tono, looking at Physician Sugeng, who was still asleep. I wish Physician Sugeng was here. I could ask him.
From a distance, Putri called out, waving her hand. "Hey, over here!"
"Karman, go ahead," Tono told me.
"But I..."
"It's fine, I'll take care of it..."
"Ah... okay."
"Karman! Hurry up! We have a surprise for you!"
Tono tripped, and a big plate of food fell onto the ground. It was all for me. "Move aside, move aside..." he said, bumping into people as he walked. He was so focused on the food in front of him that he didn't notice the people around him.
Crash!
The table quickly filled up.
"So what's the..." I started.
"Finish eating, then we can talk about something else."
The moment was filled with laughter, as if they were trying to cheer me up. But the space was still empty. I laughed a little, but I didn't feel anything.
"We're finished. Now it's time to talk about something exciting," Putri said, unfolding a map scroll. "So, I just found something interesting."
Bonar, Tono, and Putri all looked very excited.
"Yes! We're going on an adventure again! You're coming, right, Karman?" Tono exclaimed.
"Uhm... I..."
"Come on, Karman, please... It won't be fun if you don't join," Putri insisted.
I couldn't deny it, I was afraid. I not afraid of death, but I afraid of bringing them into danger again.
"But I think I..."
"Don't worry. Senior Bagong will be with us, just like before. Also, we're only exploring the outer regions."
Senior Bagong. Hm... that sounds interesting, I thought to myself.
"I'm in," I said.
"Okay! The decision has been made. We're leaving tomorrow. And you, Bonar, tell Senior Bagong that our group is all set," Putri announced excitedly.
"Okay," Bonar said.
This day was just like any other. I still couldn't feel anything. Maybe if I spend time with them again, I'll feel like my old self again.
The day they were supposed to arrive finally came. The four of us went to the Kidang Alas Gate, where Senior Bagong was waiting for us.
"Greetings, Senior! Have you been waiting long?" Putri asked.
"Not at all. I just got here myself," Senior Bagong replied.
I looked at Senior Bagong, and he looked back at me. It was as if we were in sync, sharing a secret without saying a word. We set off and reached the werewolf den. We hunted like crazy, and our beast's earnings were countless. Tono was already thinking about buying something at the equipment shop.
Everything was normal until we faced the leader of all the werewolves. We even managed to quickly defeat the Werewolf King by working together and using Senior Bagong's experience. We were completely unstoppable.
But what was this feeling I had? White Tiger? What do you want, White Tiger?
"Yes! We had a huge harvest today!" Tono cheered with excitement.
A second later.
Fwoooosshh...
I felt like I couldn't move because of the extreme pressure. The White Tiger stood right in front of us. Tono and Bonar had already passed out. Putri, who had seemed strong at first, also collapsed. Only Senior Bagong and I remained standing.
Rage. That was all I felt right now. My heart was beating very fast, as if every bit of adrenaline was flowing through my body. It felt like something very important had been taken away from me. But what kind of hatred was this? It was illogical.
Its eyes were the worst. They made it seem like we were completely worthless. They were mean and insulting, like we didn't matter at all. My blood boiled even more.
Roooooaarrr!
The White Tiger roared right at me. My ears bled, and I was sent flying tens of meters, crashing through the forest and shattering trees in my path. Senior Bagong was leaning forward, his ears bleeding, and about to pass out.
I couldn't accept this. I had to save my friends, no matter what it took. I used the energy I had left to remember how I had activated the Golden Body's powers before, when its claws had made a hole in my chest. I must remember the flow. My hair and eyes started to turn a golden color. With what I learned from Elder Hartono, and with this internal flow, I shot forward like lightning, and my fist connected directly with the White Tiger.
A shockwave erupted, throwing everyone and the surrounding trees back. But the White Tiger didn't move.
I started to understand. I hadn't lost myself. I was just too proud to let anyone treat me like I was less than. And that someone was the White Tiger.
Crash!
Its claw hit me, and I couldn't react in time. The attack made me fly hundreds of meters, and then I crashed into a cliff. My Golden Body Mode disappeared. I felt pain all over my body.
But I wouldn't give up. I activated the Golden Body again, even though I was coughing blood. I hurried back to it. But the White Tiger just smiled and climbed back up the hill.
I was about to chase it, but then I realized my friends might be in danger if I left them. Finally, I came back and tried to save my friends. With Putri hanging over my shoulder and Tono and Bonar being dragged by both my arms, I moved slowly.
"You can walk, right?" I asked Senior Bagong.
"Karman, why didn't you kill me? Are there no witnesses right now? And I once tried to kill you," Bagong said, feeling hopeless.
"What are you talking about? Since when was an ant like you capable of killing me? Don't dream," I said cruelly. "Be grateful for your weaknesses; they let you keep breathing tomorrow," I said.
"K-Karman..." he repeated.
"Senior, enough! I don't want to get my hands dirty again. Besides, they still need you," I said firmly.
"That's not it. I mean, be careful of Suheri. Many spies want our group to fail. Including me," Bagong admitted.
"Whatever."
"I hope you join the tournament and win."
I ignored him and continued to carry them out of Kidang Alas.
The whole group was upset again because the White Tiger was acting more strangely than usual. Meanwhile, in the back garden, the Sect Leader and Elder Hartono were fishing.
"What's your take on it?" the Sect Leader asked.
"I don't know. I'm confused and afraid," Elder Hartono replied while fishing.
"Didn't you tell him that the Golden Body technique is always bound to great disaster and responsibility?"
"I didn't plan on taking him this far. But what can we do now? I will take responsibility," Elder Hartono stated.
"I understand. You might remember your Master and fellow disciples. This is our contract. The White Tiger always demands a Golden Body user.
Elder Hartono didn't say anything, and he was looking at the water in the pond.
"I understand your worry. But unlike other techniques, the Golden Body chooses its owner. Even the Fist King..." the Sect Leader paused.
"Yes, you're right. I lied to him. Normal people like us can only use it for 15 seconds. Then we die."
The atmosphere was both silent and tense. Was a storm about to happen?