Under the weak morning sun, Colin waited for his companions near the green pasture, where a light breeze blew serenely. His long, messy shoulder-length hair swayed in front of his eyes as he stared at the wind-swept grass.
Many things were going through his head at the moment, but the main thing was that he was at peace, at least for the moment. He looked back and saw people grooming horses to fetch supplies from the nearest village. Children were helping their mothers to hang out clothes, and some old men were turning to the forge to work on their swords.
"Did you… hit me?" Her voice was a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"I warned you," replied Colin, crossing his arms. "The outside world won't take it easy on you, Safira. If you can't react to a blow from me, how are you going to defend yourself against a real enemy?"
Brighid flew over to Safira, her small green eyes brimming with concern. "Are you all right, Safira?"
Safira took a deep breath, a mixture of pain and determination taking over her features. "Yes, I… I'm fine."
The villagers, still gathered around, began to murmur among themselves.
"Is this training?"
"He's going to kill the girl like that!"
"Maybe we should call Betidor…"
Colin ignored the whispers and kept his gaze firmly on Safira. "Get up. We're not going to stop because of one punch."
She nodded, still trembling, but positioned herself again. Her fists closed, and she adjusted her posture, imitating the way she had seen Colin fight.
"If you keep treating me like a child, I'll never grow up, will I?"
A subtle smile formed on Colin's lips. "Now you're beginning to understand."
Brighid, still reluctant, pulled away a little. "It doesn't seem right… But if that's the way you want it, then do it right."
The villagers, sensing the seriousness of the training, began to disperse, some still casting suspicious glances, but others curious to see how far it would go.
Colin advanced again, this time more slowly, testing Safira's reflexes. She stepped back, dodging the blow, and, in one agile movement, tried to punch her mentor.
He defended with his forearm and, instead of attacking her again, stepped back.
"Good. But you're still hesitating. If you're going to hit, hit hard."
The girl nodded, her eyes shining with a mixture of fear and determination.
Brighid signed in the background, crossing her arms. "Those two will kill each other before they face the real enemy..."
With a sigh, Safira allowed herself a moment's rest, accepting Colin's hand, which lifted her up.
"Animals are easy to kill, fairy," he commented. "We're used to it."
"We'll see about that! Better not relax!" said Brighid, flying away. "Get some swords and change before we leave!"
After changing, Colin was descending the stairs when the tavernkeeper's daughter called out to him, making him hesitate on the steps.
"Mr. Colin!" she exclaimed, with a tone that mixed admiration and urgency, capturing his immediate attention. "I saw you and Miss Safira training. You were sweaty, so it must have been a hard workout, huh?"
"… Yes, we've been working hard," he replied.
"Wait a minute, I've got something for you," she asked, guiding him with a graceful gesture to the counter.
Disappearing briefly into the dimness at the back of the tavern, she returned triumphantly, her hands studded with swords that glittered like newfound stars.
"My father made these swords and was about to throw them away. He said they were no good, but I doubt that's true. Luckily, I managed to save them for you."
Colin, with a reverent gesture, took one of the swords, feeling the perfect balance of the blade under his fingers.
"These are really great. Thank you."
The young woman blushed, a blush of rose petals adorning her cheeks.
"If you're hungry, I can prepare dinner..."
Colin looked at the short sword in his hands and then at the girl.
"Training isn't over. But thank you, I don't even know what our stay here would have been like without your attention."
With a nod of thanks, he turned away, walking alongside Safira towards the exit.
The first few minutes were uneventful, but soon tiredness set in. It was different from a conventional workout, where he rested for long minutes before returning.
Brighid didn't allow rests longer than a minute, making everything torturous.
His body was drenched in sweat, and, just after completing the session of a hundred push-ups and a hundred sit-ups, he fell to the ground, completely exhausted. Safira didn't even manage to complete the hundred push-ups and almost fainted.
"Shameful!" sneered Brighid. "You two are worse than I imagined. You can't complete a simple session like this, let alone fight a demon?"
Colin would have retorted if he could, but he remained lying down, trying to catch his breath. Brighid pointed with her index finger at the two of them, and they were embraced by a yellowish light. Their pain slowly faded, and they were whole again.
Colin sat up, scratching the back of his neck.
"So you can cure even that…"
"Of course I can, now get up and start all over again!"
"All over again?" they both said simultaneously.
"Yes, and without complaining! Once you've been healed, it's like you've had a long rest. We can do this all day, so no loitering. We have to reach the first full level of your primary trees, so this thing we're doing isn't even real training yet."
They continued until nightfall.
After failing to train well over three hundred times, Colin and Safira finally managed to complete one session each. The process of healing and fatigue stiffened their bodies. The fibers in their muscles were firmer, and they had both gained a little muscle mass.
The fairy wasn't lying; that few hours' training was worth a few weeks, maybe months.
"Now I propose we go hunting to gain experience!" said Brighid, who glowed like a candle in the darkness. "Let's go! What are you waiting for?"
Colin felt a strange expansion in his being, as if every fiber of his body was stretched to the maximum, but, curiously, without the slightest trace of pain.
With an effort, he pressed his palms against his knees and stood up slowly, his muscles protesting only with a muted tiredness.
Beside him, Safira looked like a warrior after an epic battle, sweat dripping down her skin like morning dew on blades of grass. Her breathing was a heavy, ragged rhythm, and her face a tapestry of ruddy hues.
Colin's hair, now heavy and dark with moisture, formed droplets that fell in a steady rhythm, marking time like an antique clock.
He took a step towards Safira, holding out his hand in a gesture of camaraderie. She, still panting, glanced at the outstretched hand and then into Colin's tired eyes.
With a sigh, Safira allowed herself a moment's rest, accepting Colin's hand and lifting it. "Animals are easy to kill, fairy," he commented. "We're used to it."
"We'll see about that! Better not relax!" said Brighid, flying away. "Get some swords and change before we leave!"
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
After changing, Colin was descending the stairs when the tavernkeeper's daughter called out to him, making him hesitate on the steps.
"Mr. Colin!" she exclaimed, with a tone that mixed admiration and urgency, capturing his immediate attention. "I saw you and Miss Safira training. You were sweaty, so it must have been a hard workout, huh?"
"… Yes, we've been working hard," he replied.
"Wait a minute, I've got something for you," she asked, guiding him with a graceful gesture to the counter.
Disappearing briefly into the dimness at the back of the tavern, she returned triumphantly, her hands studded with swords that glittered like newfound stars.
"My father made these swords and was about to throw them away. He said they were no good, but I doubt that's true. Luckily, I managed to save them for you."
Colin, with a reverent gesture, took one of the swords, feeling the perfect balance of the blade under his fingers.
"These are really great. Thank you."
The young woman blushed, a blush of rose petals adorning her cheeks.
"If you're hungry, I can prepare dinner..."
Colin looked at the short sword in his hands and then at the girl.
"Training isn't over. But thank you, I don't even know what our stay here would have been like without your attention."
With a nod of thanks, he turned away, walking alongside Safira towards the exit.
From the kitchen, the girl's father watched everything with a gloomy countenance.
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
Colin and Safira, now more agile and resilient thanks to their training, faced the supernatural pack summoned by Brighid. The wolves, entities of pure magic, far exceeded the strength and savagery of their mortal cousins.
Colin's eyes shone with unbreakable determination, reflecting the silver moonlight, as he maneuvered his sword with a dexterity that defied the exhaustion creeping into his limbs. Each dodge was a ballet of shadows, each thrust a symphony of steel.
Next to him, Safira was the embodiment of lethal grace, her dagger a blur of light that danced between the dark shapes of the wolves.
She moved with an agility that seemed to defy the very laws of physics, her blade meeting ethereal flesh time after time. But even she, with her skill bordering on the supernatural, felt the weight of the battle that seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
As the night wore on, Safira became one with the repetition of her movements, each action flowing more naturally than the last.
Colin, watching her discreetly, couldn't help but notice the layer of sweat that covered her face, witnessing the effort and dedication she poured into every gesture.
It was clear that she was improving at a pace that he could barely keep up with.
As the moon traced its silent path across the sky, they faced countless packs, each more powerful than the last.
The battle raged for hours, a test of endurance and will, but they had already become familiar with the weight of fatigue.
Their bodies, although tired, had adapted to the constant demand, allowing them to continue the fight without giving in to wear and tear.
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
Tired, Colin sat down on the stone and moved his ring, looking at his current status.
________________________________________________
STATUS
NAME : COLIN SILVA
AGE : 23
________________________________________________
POWER TREES
PRIMARY TREE : HEAVING - LEVEL 00
SECONDARY TREE I : MIGHT - LEVEL - 01
SECONDARY TREE II : CHAOS - BLOCKED
________________________________________________
VITAL ATTRIBUTES
HP (VITALITY): 1100
MP (MANA): 125
________________________________________________
COMBAT ATTRIBUTES
STRENGTH: 35
DEXTERITY: 26
AGILITY: 23
INTELLIGENCE: 24
STAMINA: 28
________________________________________________
Finally, I've evolved one point in Might, but that's still too little…
"What's that?" Brighid asked next to him, pointing to the object in his hand. "An analysis ring?"
Colin's status disappeared.
"How do you know what it is?" He raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"That wasn't a very clever question, little Colin. I'm a Monarch of Two Trees; there are few things I don't know." Brighid replied with a perceived smile.
He remained silent as Brighid approached, staring at him closely.
"After you learn magic, you won't need the ring anymore. You'll be able to observe a person's attributes with your eyes."
Colin arched his eyebrows in surprise. "With your eyes?"
"You can see my attributes?" He asked, curious.
Brighid gave him a smug smile, taking a step back.
"You currently possess the attributes of ten adult men without magic."
"Is that a lot or a little?" Colin asked, trying to understand the scale.
She rested her index finger on his cheek.
"It depends. For a fight in a tavern, it's a lot. But to face a demon, it's not much. Don't worry, little Colin, in a week, I'll have you with the strength of at least thirty men!" She glanced at Safira. "Safira! Let's get back! We'll continue tomorrow morning."
Colin got up from the rock he was standing on.
"I need a bath."
Brighid, blushing, looked away and began to play with her fingers.
"If you wish, I can accompany you… We've worked hard today, a bath would be well deserved..."
He arched an eyebrow, intrigued.
What is she up to?
"I can bathe myself, I'll see you later."
"Ah, of course… as you wish."
With a discreet nod, Colin disappeared into the darkness of the night.