《Ki Horizons》


 Chapter 1 - Island Paradise

    Gentle waves lapped at my feet from the mirror pond. The tide carried water below the earth and up onto the island, causing this special pond of mine. I could see my face reflected in it, even as the water moved, licking and tickling my feet.


    A green-eyed, sun-kissed face stared back at me, practically gleaming bronze in the sunlight. A wide smile adorned my face, but I couldn¡¯t help it! Today was going to finally be the day! I was finally going to really know what my power level was.


    I moved my arm up, the weight making it nearly impossible. My arm was already feeling numb just from putting the device on. I¡¯d had to do something I hadn¡¯t really wanted to do, but that I could no longer resist.


    I¡¯d stolen the family¡¯s Vambrace. I¡¯d heard they called it something else in other parts of the world, but to me, it had always just been The Vambrace. It was a bit of an ugly thing, an early model. It went around the forearm, about the length of my hand, and weighed as much as a good-sized stone. On top of a thick leather strap that went around the arm, was a large screen. It felt otherwordly despite its age, like ancient technology. I knew there were things more advanced than I could imagine out there in the world but¡­ we lived simply out here on the islands. I could practically hear my mother and father''s words already.


    ¡®And what point is all that technology, hmm? We have what we need. Our food is cooked, our water is clean, our bodies are healthy, and our family is whole. What more could you need? No. Excess technology is only meant for those who¡¯ve lost sight of need and gone only into want. Keep your wants simple and you¡¯ll never be unhappy a day in your life Mutai. Now eat your vegetables.¡¯


    I laughed at the memory and then again at my father''s words the next day.


    ¡®Listen to your mother Mutai. Had a phone once, spent every day on it. Nearly missed my first date with your mother playing stupid games. Destroyed it the next day. Never again. Now come play in the sand with me.¡¯


    I¡¯d been seven at the time. And truly, they¡¯d never been wrong. Technology corrupted, led to capitalism and money.


    The words alone made me shudder.


    No. Life was perfect with a good man or woman, some fruit and fish, the ocean by your side, and family that had your back.


    But The Vambrace was different. It revealed information more important than anything else in the world, the thing everyone wanted to know, the thing that had been hidden from me since birth. Your Power Level. How strong you were! The difference between a person who could barely pick up a bottle and someone who could (apparently) shatter mountains! Though, I¡¯m not sure I believed that last claim¡­


    Still, it was important. I¡¯d even heard that you couldn¡¯t get a job with a Power Level less than 10 on the mainland. Some places even used it to decide if you were ready to be an adult. Considering the average adult Power Level was 5¡­


    I stared, hard, as I flipped the massive switch next to the screen. It flared to life, four green zeros staring back at me. I wasn¡¯t really sure how to use it, but it was intuitive. A weird connection formed between me and The Vambrace. I angled it toward myself, and the numbers began to change. I watched, excited, as a new number appeared on the screen!


    [1]


    One.


    A power level of one.


    Weaker than a child.


    I stared, flabbergasted, shocked and horrified, my life flashing before my eyes, my total sense of being disconnecting as I was struck by a new reality that-


    Heh.


    I chuckled to myself, my joke too much. As if I felt any of those things. Had ever felt any of those things! But my laughter soon grew and grew, getting louder and louder. My stomach began to hurt and I could feel tears of amusement rolling down my face. It was all just too funny.


    My parents had tried to hide it, my friends, the elders, my whole village, and all the people I knew.


    As if I didn¡¯t know.


    As if I didn¡¯t see how easy my friends could run and swim and how I struggled so hard to do a fifth of what they could do. Or how easily even children could beat me in an arm wrestling competition. As if I didn¡¯t see how my father suddenly acted like wood was the heaviest thing in the world while I was nearby or my mother ¡®miraculously¡¯ managed to help him do the work. How the villagers all moved slower and like they were barely able to do any labor nearby me even with the smallest of things.


    All my life, everyone had put on a silly little play, just for me.


    As if I didn¡¯t know I was weak.


    But how could I not? And, more importantly, why should I care? I was blessed and happy. I had everything I needed, and my mother had been right. Did I want more strength? No¡­ not really. Maybe once upon a time, I did. Who doesn¡¯t dream of a bit of power? But what would it get me? What could it get me? All those stories of the strong, all those competitions, the strange world we lived in, the dedication to strength, the focus on martial arts¡­ but what did it get those people?


    I¡¯d heard so many stories about harems, wealth, and power. But where¡¯s the kind family? The happy children? The loving parents? Why are all those stories always about taking and never about people giving willingly? What kind of person would be happy with that?


    No. I don¡¯t care for power. But I had always been so curious. My power level was clearly below five but was it three? Two? But no, it was truly the lowest someone¡¯s could possibly be. Well, a baby might be weaker, but that would depend on the baby. Not all children were born equal, after all.


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    ¡°Mutai! Mutai! Where are you?!¡±


    The smile on my face froze. Uh-oh.


    ¡°Mutai! What are you-¡±


    I turned, a sheepish grin on my face. The Vambrace was on my arm, still ¡®proudly¡¯ displaying my weakness for the world to see. A giant glowing one. A woman stared at me in shock, bronze-skinned like me, with matching emerald eyes and silver hair cascading down her back.


    My mother.


    I was ten the last time I got a spanking, my ass beaten raw and red. I had a feeling I was walking a paper-thin line of having it happen again.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Mutai, you¡­ We¡­. I¡¯m so sorry Mutai. We never wanted you to know. We¡­ We¡¯re¡­¡± My mother¡¯s voice sounded so lost, so heavy, and I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes as her voice shook like a leaf in the wind.


    My heart cracked. No. No, this wasn¡¯t okay. I could take angry but my mother about to cry? No. Never.


    ¡°Mom.¡± My voice was sharp, different. Firm. My mother froze, tears still forming. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I said, letting my happy smile return.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I have you and Dad. I have the water and the sea, the fruit and fish, the wind and the earth. My body is healthy, my food is good, my family loves me. All of my family loves me: Cranky Tuwa, Juak, Suma, Maui, the elders, the whole village. Who cares about power? I just wanted to know, but I have what I need and I have what I want. It¡¯s okay Mom. Truly, really. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    I smiled, my most genuine smile, and was caught off guard when my mother rushed to me and crushed me in a hug. Literally. I could feel my bones starting to crack.


    I hugged back, trying to keep the smile on my face. This was a good day, even if I got a little bruised. My mother¡¯s words slipped into my ears. They were filled with so much joy and love and relief, that I almost didn¡¯t hear the actual words themselves.


    ¡°I am gonna beat your ass red for stealing the Vambrace.¡±


    My smile evaporated, and for just a moment, I really wished I had a far higher Power Level.


    ******


    A long, painful, embarrassing walk back home ensued. Every step hurt, and it felt like a dozen angry bees had stung my behind, but I hid it the best I could. I saw our house in the distance, in the middle of the village, waving at a few friends along the way. I moved away from the devil- I felt piercing, knowing eyes lock onto me. I moved away from my very kind and loving mother, letting her talk to father in the living room while I went to put away the Vambrace.


    ¡°Wait.¡± His voice called out, and I was struck stupid for the second time in one day. My mother had almost cried, and now my father was giving me what sounded like a stern order. I¡¯d never heard him sound anything like that. I was starting to feel like I¡¯d really caused a mess this time.


    I turned back to my father, a large-chested, usually smiling man. There was no smile this time. He was stern-faced, whispering with my mother right in front of me. Their voices too low and too fast for me to catch. Finally, he stared at me, emotions I couldn¡¯t read or understand buried and swimming in his dark eyes.


    ¡°Mutai.¡±


    I expected more, and I waited for it, but the silence¡­ just grew longer.


    ¡°Power¡­ we¡¯ve taught you so little about power¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dad. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Both my parents winced at that. They looked at each other, a silent conversation going between them.


    ¡°Perhaps you are right. It¡¯s¡­ good that this didn¡¯t break your spirit. You have what you need here on the island. Yes, our island, your island, will always be your welcoming home.¡±


    I could read between the lines.


    ¡°Wait, is that what you were worried about? That I was going to leave?¡±


    Dad looked uncomfortable.


    ¡°People¡­ can get stronger. With training. Experience. Fighting. Being taught by a master. We don¡¯t have that here.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯m happy here. Everyone I know is here. I don¡¯t want to go to the mainland to try and get stronger. I¡¯d probably have to get a job. No way.¡±


    He sighed, like all the weight of the world had fallen off his shoulders.


    ¡°We feared the worst. The world¡­ the world can be so unkind, Mutai. You¡¯ll be safe here.¡± His words were so, heavy. Knowing. Scared. And ended with such desperate conviction. Like he was begging the world for that last part to be true. I was caught off guard, choking on emotions I didn¡¯t quite get.


    Why was father so scared?


    Mother shattered the tension.


    ¡°And speaking of being safe, you can start by helping me with preparing today''s lunch.¡±


    I groaned. Fish was great! Preparing fish, not so much.


    Before long, it felt like all the weirdness and seriousness was a bad dream. My dad talked about his carpentry, my mom showed off her newest carving, and I relaxed in my family home. Everything was perfect.


    This, this was a paradise. My paradise. And nothing could ever ruin it-


    Screams and yells split the air in our home, unlike anything else ever could. We turned, all three as one, towards the door before turning back to each other and then running out. I was the last one to leave.


    Outside, I saw our village, people outside who should¡¯ve been happily going about their day. But they weren¡¯t. They were staring, up into the sky, where a small black dot floated there. I stared in confusion, but my father screamed, his horrified voice painting the world in terror.


    ¡°It¡¯s King Vega!¡±


    Some villagers froze, some ran, and some screamed. It was like a tsunami had come. My own heart chilled, all of the stories and rumors coming back to me all at once. I turned to my mother-


    I turned-


    I turned to my-


    Flames. Dead. Dying. Fire. Bodies. Their bodies. A golden road.


    I turned-


    Beams, energy, glowing power, whispers, pain.


    I-


    My mother, my mother. A hole through her heart. A beam faster than light, her expression leaving her face, a frozen moment, a voice. So many voices.


    King Vega stands before me. His body is on fire. His skin has melted off. Only muscles and bones are left. His evil eyes melt, yet they still stare into mine. The golden road brightens. The whispers get louder, the voices clearer as power suffuses me. I glow. All is Gold and All is White as evil pours all around the world.


    The End Comes.


    ¡°Your fault. Your family died for you. It was your fault.¡±


    Time fast forwards, time rewinds, a golden blue seeps out of me, I punch and the universe shatters.


    I wake up, bottle in hand, tears in my eyes, as the rain seeps into my bones.


    ¡°S-Stupid dream. Curse. Curse you, King Vega.¡±


    A stranger passes me by.


    ¡°Stupid drunk. You¡¯re going to die cursing the King in his own city.¡±


    The tears flow freely as I remember all that I lost on that damned day¡­

 Chapter 2 - Memories. Oh The Memories.

    Dizzy. Pain. Always the pain.


    My veins, I can feel them. Enflamed, like they¡¯re trying to tear themselves apart. God, I wish they would. It¡¯s all that I deserve. I can¡¯t see, my vision too blurry. I can¡¯t hear, the pounding of my head too loud.


    It doesn¡¯t help. It doesn¡¯t stop them. The memories¡­ oh the memories.


    Tears flow, the pain flares, but they don¡¯t stop. I can¡¯t stop them. I won¡¯t stop them. Nothing will stop them.


    The day¡­ the day it all died.


    ****


    I turned to my mother-


    A beam. A beam, a bright purple beam was going through her. In that moment, I couldn¡¯t understand. I failed to realize I would never understand. I saw her, her face! Shock and pain and her eyes¡­ I saw the light leave her eyes. One second, she was alive and the very next¡­ it was like her soul drained out her body, leaving her eyes empty, blank, like a broken doll.


    Too much, I couldn¡¯t understand, it was all too much and too fast. The screams and cries of the villagers, the hail of more beams out the corner of my eyes, the sight of them piercing others, the cries of ¡°King Vega!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he was real. No, no, he must be fake. I always thought he was made up. A fairy tale, a nightmare made to scare small children.


    The man who survived a nuclear bomb without a scratch, Vega.


    The man who destroyed a mountain with his bare hands, Vega.


    The man who destroys entire cities and leaves remnants purely for fun, Vega.


    The King of the planet named after him:


    Vega.


    I raised my arm, the Vambrace still on it. Why did I raise it? Why? Then I would never have known¡­


    The Power Level¡­


    10¡­


    100¡­


    1000¡­2000¡­5000¡­


    9999¡­


    The Vambrace exploded and cracked, searing my arm. I cried out, the pain only adding to the rest of my turmoil.


    I was still staring in shock when I felt my bones break and the wind rush past me. I can remember it so clearly. I thought¡­ I was under attack! Someone was attacking me!


    I turned, to try to do my best to fight back, to call for help, only to realize the village was getting further and further away at an incredible speed. And that¡¯s why I saw it. The Explosion. The Bomb. A giant sphere of dark purple energy fell and when it hit-


    It was the wake up call, concussive clarity. It snapped all the pieces together and broke me to my core.


    My mother was dead. That was my first thought, before everything else. Before anything else. I saw her die. She was dead. My mother was dead.


    My father lay on top of me, back burnt pitch black. He¡¯d tackled me and ran, so hard he¡¯d broken my bones. So hard and in such a rush that we¡¯d made it away from the explosion, if only barely. He¡¯d saved me, he¡¯d poured everything into saving me, by running as hard as he could.


    My village. My village! It was¡­ gone. Gone. Nothing but a horrible crater was left.


    I stared, shock and terror curdling around my brain and heart like the world¡¯s worst poison, stabbing me over and over again. Yes, maybe I really was in actual shock. How could everything go so wrong so fast? How could? How? How could? What? How could- how could- how could-


    My thoughts stuttered and stuttered, stuck, so horrifyingly stuck, playing it all out again and again. It was a moment of unrelenting torture. The fear only rampaging harder and harder, till it all broke in that one moment. That singular moment. That damn moment.


    Steps. I heard steps and turned, only to see Him.


    King Vega.


    I¡¯d heard about him since I was young, I¡¯d heard he was over a hundred years old, and yet he looked nothing like an old man.


    He looked¡­ young. Arrogant, cocky. Black spiky hair, early to late twenties, malicious eyes, white skin. My mind grappled, trying to take him in and failing. He looked alien to me. So unlike all who I¡¯d known all my life, but not like a monster, more like a bully.


    And yet he¡¯d killed my family. My friends. Destroyed my home. And he was smiling, smirking, as he looked at the devastation. As if this was all just a game to him. A fun activity.


    ¡°Why?¡± I had to know. I had to ask. My whole being radiated with the need, craving understanding. He turned to me then, and his smirk only grew bigger.


    ¡°Oh? You lived huh? Lucky you I guess.¡±


    He held out a hand, palm forward, facing me. My eyes grew wide with terror. Somehow, somehow I hadn¡¯t acknowledged that I was going to die. The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind. I hadn¡¯t had time to think about it. I hadn¡¯t had any damn time to think at all! And now, now-!


    A small sphere of bright purple energy manifested, building, pointed right at me.


    I swallowed and my pupils shook as I stared death in the face.


    It was all too much, all too much.


    All too fast.


    I was going to die.


    I should¡¯ve died. It¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s not right. It should never have been¡­


    A body stood in front of me, blocking my sight.


    ¡°F-Father?!¡±


    ¡°You. Will not. Kill my son.¡±


    His back was burnt black, blood poured down from where he¡¯d barely been clipped by the energy bomb. I could even see his spine. And yet he stood in front of me, arms held out, legs spread, breath heavy.


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    In that moment, everything came into such sharp focus.


    I could feel the pain of my broken ribs, stabbing into my body. The heat in my breath as I hyperventilated and panicked. The cold and icy terror and horror stabbing into my mind like a hundred million sharp needles, making my body feel like frozen ice as it chipped away at my sanity. My shaky body as it still reverberated physically from being so close to an explosion, my failing vision and afterimages seared from the bright light into my cornea, the blunted sound of everything swimming through my blown out eardrums, the scent of ash already in the wind, blood in the air, death in the world.


    And then it all tripled and ratcheted up to a point of no return as the Devil, the Monster, spoke.


    ¡°Two survivors? Well well well, would you look at that? Fair enough. Your son can live.¡±


    As if time had slowed, I saw my father¡¯s head disappear, replaced with a beam.


    I failed you all.


    ¡°NO!¡± My voice tore, the word ripping out of me like a maimed animal. The beam grew smaller and my father¡¯s body fell, toppling lifelessly next to me.


    Before me still stood King Vega, hand still out, the smirk never having left his face.


    My father¡¯s body lay at my feet, headless, blood pouring in torrents out of his neck.


    I tried.


    I attacked him. There was no thought, no conscious decision, only the rage. The feeling of loss. Dark, ugly things broke into my soul that day and would never again let me go. And they all demanded, they all screamed, they all howled and cried and bled and mourned and fought and stabbed and demanded only one thing of this world.


    HE HAS TO DIE!


    I failed. I could barely stand, my punch barely reached, and it did less than nothing. King Vega stared out from where my fist had slammed into his face, expression unchanged.


    ¡°Impressive. I think the blood from your father¡¯s ruined head hit me harder. That¡¯s some incredible weakness. I didn¡¯t know I was sparing an infant.¡± Voice unchanged, expression unchanged, raw amusement lifting the pure smugness in his tone.


    I screamed, the sound broken and wet and afraid and full of unending RAGE. I swung, again and again and again and-


    And¡­ then it was over.


    I woke up.


    I had been knocked out without even realizing it. Had he punched me? Touched me? Even looked at me? Or had he just demanded I fall like a god and I had? I would never know.


    That was when the worst of the nightmare truly began. I was broken, my body ruined. People, strangers, were caring for me. They were on my island, they were bringing me away. I didn¡¯t understand, I tried to fight back. To tear their hands off me, to get up and find King Vega and kill him.


    They held me down as easily as I might hold down a leaf.


    ¡°Only one survivor this time?¡± One said. He wore white clothes, with a bored expression.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Said the woman with her hand on my chest, popping the P. It was wrong, it was so wrong. They, who were they? Where was I? What was happening? Why were they so casual?! My village¡­ mother¡­ father¡­


    The man finally looked at me.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± He said, his voice monotone. ¡°You¡¯ve survived King Vega. As a reward for surviving his trial, you will be healed and dropped off into Vega City. You may seek revenge at your leisure. Per the King¡¯s instructions, he heavily encourages you to try. If you die before being able to challenge him, then you clearly weren¡¯t worthy of seeking revenge in the first place. After all¡­¡±


    ¡°Only The Strongest Is Allowed To Face The King.¡± The man said. He said those words. He said them. But¡­ but they were all wrong. Monotone, as if from a script. A script he¡¯d read so many times before, as if¡­


    The woman laughed. She laughed. I¡¯ll never forget that sound, so long as I live.


    A haunting sound entered my ears. Laughter. It was so wrong, it was all so wrong. Everything was so wrong. I puked. I leaned to the side and puked hard, gagging, crying, sobbing, still being held down.


    The world was broken and so was I.


    ¡°Hey, sorry.¡± She said, staring down at me, a cruel smile on her lips. ¡°For you, this is the worst day of your life. For us? Vega? It¡¯s just another Tuesday.¡±


    ****


    I can feel the bottle, as it falls from my grip. The rain slamming down onto my form. After that¡­ I was broken. So, so broken. I cried, I screamed, I tried to fight them. They didn¡¯t care. Even if I was ten times stronger, they wouldn¡¯t have cared. They held me down and put me back in the healing tank, drowning me in the fluid, till I could breathe it. My injuries healed, but not the ones that mattered. Never the ones that mattered.


    I was¡­ I was part of a process. There were others like me. So, so many others. Shipped and dropped off into Vega City. A whole corporation¡­ made just to transport the survivors of Vega. The Smile Company. I¡¯d only learn later they¡¯d mined my island and stripped it clean of everything that made it special. The special pond I liked so much, most likely destroyed to make bottled water. It was another death to add to the pile.


    For the first time in my life, I¡¯d worked. I¡¯d also stolen. I¡¯d eaten. Maybe said hello. It¡¯s all such a blur. But rage¡­ it kept me going. I awoke with a dark fury every morning. Vengeance. I can remember it so clearly, how bright it felt every night I went to sleep, how it conquered the confusion, how it focused me, how it burnt out everything else. It took time, time to learn this bizarre alien place, time to adjust, time to heal enough to even attempt to seek revenge. A fog that lasted more than a year.


    But I came back. I swore revenge, I¡­ I¡­


    I failed.


    I trained in the gyms, but my power level never went up.


    I scraped together all the money I had to pay for a master, but my power level never went up.


    I fought. I fought and lost, so much. And my power level never went up.


    I begged and begged and begged to be let into one of the dojos, to any of them, all of them, till one finally agreed. I practiced and learned and tried. I tried! I TRIED! I TRIED HARDER THAN ANYONE!


    And yet¡­ and yet¡­


    [1].


    If I looked above me, if I focused¡­ I could see it floating above me. My Vambrace was still broken, shattered, lost long ago, sold for barely enough to last another day. And yet¡­ I could see it there, above my head if I focused. A number. But not just mine.


    [2]. A child


    [7]. A random woman.


    [10]. A muscular man.


    I could see the numbers¡­ floating above them.


    A curse. King Vega had cursed me. Another insult to injury. Always able to see how strong others were. To see everyone¡¯s power level without a Vambrace. To know my own precisely. I could see others increase in power. See the numbers change.


    And yet mine¡­ mine had never changed.


    I gave up. How could I not? Every day¡­ every day the same strength. Every day the same power level. Every day, every day, every day every day every day every day¡­


    No closer to revenge.


    What was there left to do but drink? Too cowardly to kill myself, too weak to do anything, too stupid to figure out what to do.


    Worthless.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Worthless. I¡¯m just so worthless. Why¡­ why did I have to be born so weak¡­


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Worthless. If I¡¯d only been stronger¡­ mother¡­ father¡­ everyone¡­ you¡¯d all still be-


    ¡°HEY STUPID!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say intelligently, looking up.


    Oh. Just a gang.


    ¡°Oi. Whatcha thinkin¡¯ you¡¯re¡¯ doing out here ya homeless bum?¡±


    So many gangs, so many lusting for power. What a terrible place to make a home. All so¡­ weird and bizarre.


    ¡°Are you fucking deaf you dirty bastard?¡±


    ¡°Look at his face. No way he¡¯s local.¡±


    ¡°Ha. You know, I heard King Vega blew up a bunch of islands a few years ago. Think he¡¯s from there?¡±


    ¡°Eh, he could be from anywhere. You know how it is.¡±


    Soft words yet they still break the skin. More painful than anything else. Had it been years already? I couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°Holy crap! Look at his Power Level!¡±


    ¡°What?! It¡­ oh. Don¡¯t you be scaryin me like that Johhny! I thought we had a proper¡¯ tiger on our hands and instead we got a¡­ wait, how are you even alive?!¡±


    ¡°Now that there is a freak of nature. Don¡¯t see that every day. Think he¡¯s dying?¡±


    Why were they even here, out in this dreadful rain? Why couldn¡¯t they just¡­


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Nah, no way buddy. Actually¡­ I¡¯m feeling generous today.¡±


    Generous? Oh great, it¡¯s time to get robbed again. Just my luck-


    ¡°Come join the Kuma Gang.¡±

 Chapter 3 - A New Beginning

    What? I was so stunned by the offer I nearly collapsed on the spot.


    ¡°Hey boss, what are you thinking?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah man, we can¡¯t have trash like that in the Kuma gang! Look at his power level! We¡¯ll be arrested just for having an infant in the gang!¡±


    The man who offered only rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Now what do ya think you¡¯re¡¯ doin, contradictin me like that? I told ya before and I¡¯ll tell ya now, I know what I¡¯m doin. Men, you¡¯re looking at our future cleaner. Yeah yeah, he¡¯s a bit of a mess, but he¡¯s a ref-u-gee. Ya¡¯ll know exactly how they¡¯ be. All so sad and angry. We th¡¯row his ass in a dunk tank, clean him up, knock a few teeth in, and he¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±


    ¡°Ah! We do need a new cleaner after the Snakes killed our last one¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn them, going after the personnel like that¡­¡±


    I tried to fight through the haze of the damn alcohol to figure out what was going on. A gang. A gang was asking me to¡­ become a part of them?


    I actually focused on the men, taking them in as more than just the random blurry figures that had been bothering me. I almost reacted with shock at what I saw, before remembering just what kind of city I was in.


    They were wearing bear costumes. Well, no, bear onesies. Grown adult men were wearing bear pajamas in front of me, in the pouring and pounding rain, acting casual as can be. I wasn¡¯t surprised, not anymore. This city was bizarre at the best of times. I¡¯d seen an all nude kitchen that scorched even my black heart pink with embarrassment, groups of animal people, people with multiple limbs or eyes or ears, weird skin colors from white to green to every single one under the sun, and all of those had nothing on the dojos.


    And the most important lesson I¡¯d learned?


    Looks don¡¯t matter. Something their power levels confirmed.


    [9]


    [10]


    And¡­


    [??]


    That last one only showed for people above ten power. Their leader, the gang boss, he was strong. Power Level wasn¡¯t linear. Anyone above ten was a terrifying person to me, despite how common it was in this damn city¡­


    ¡°Oi, stupid. How about¡¯ it? Ya keen on joining Kuma Gang already? We¡¯ll even get ya you¡¯re own costume! Gonna have to pay it back though. Still, pretty generous don¡¯tcha think?¡±


    Is this what my life had become? Getting pressed into a gang, forced to wear a costume, forced to clean the blood and gore from others, only to die when a rival gang got annoyed and wanted to take out the weak link?


    I could practically feel my mother from beyond the grave, staring daggers into me. Despite earning scraps and living on the streets¡­ I¡¯d never joined a gang. Never did drugs, I even shied away from technology despite how many companies were more than willing to get me a vehicle or Vambrace for ¡®free¡¯.


    In that moment, I did actually feel gratitude welling up inside me for these people. To feel my mother¡¯s glare on my back, the fury she¡¯d feel if I even thought about joining a gang.


    My mother¡­


    Father¡­


    My whole island¡­


    I¡¯d failed them. I¡¯d failed myself. I¡¯d-


    A Golden Road. A universe ending. Power, unbelievable power. Enough to destroy anything. Enough to protect everything.


    My whole body still shook and I could feel it. How I wish I could have felt then what I felt now. Like I was on a knife¡¯s edge, that fate was swinging me around, that this would be the beginning or the end.


    I could join this gang. I could do that. I could accept and die almost guaranteed in some dirty basement, forced to clean their clothes till my fingers bled and I had to clean my own blood off them.


    Or¡­


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What, I don¡¯t think I heard ya properly there. Now, I know I don¡¯t see no Vambrace on ya, but let me clarify some facts real quick. I ain¡¯t exactly proud or boasting about my strength over here but compared to you? Well, let¡¯s just say ya better rethink real fast ya damn drunk.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Sorry boss, looks like the new guy is too washed up in his drink tonight. Damn shame about it too.¡±


    The boss sighed, looking at his underlings, before nodding with a look of annoyance on his face.


    ¡°Welp, guess there¡¯s no¡¯thin for it. Guess we gotta kill a man tonight. Can¡¯t be getting out we let the weakest man in the world reject us now can we?¡±


    I felt a shiver of fear course its way up my spine through my drunken haze. I¡¯d been clear headed in the moment, knowing with absolute certainty that I needed to refuse. That I had to refuse. That I could never let myself fall that far. That I could never give up!


    That I needed to try again.


    To get my revenge. To increase my power. To grow stronger.


    And now all that fire felt like it had left me.


    I was drunk, dirty, my vision was swimming, my hearing was shot, and I was even weaker than my power level would suggest right now. A single one of their punches, at my best, could still crack my bones. And I wasn¡¯t at my best.


    I considered running away but that dream¡­ it was so clear, so heady. There was no more running.


    My father¡¯s words came back to me in snippets.


    People¡­ can get stronger. With training. Experience. Fighting. Being taught by a master.


    I¡¯ve fought before. Never a gang, never people this strong, but people have kicked my ass before even though I tried to fight back. But¡­


    But I¡¯d never truly been in a fight to the death.


    Maybe this is what I needed. Maybe this is what I needed all along! A true fight to the death to finally increase my Power Level-!


    The pain hit me first. Awareness second. It reminded me of my darkest memories before the unrelenting agony tore a scream through my broken and shattered jaw. I could feel my teeth stabbing into my own gums and my face-!


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Crack


    My whole body seemed to freeze. This time, awareness was faster than the pain, if only by a sharp half second.


    My leg. They¡¯d cracked my leg in two. I could see it, above his damn bear foot, the bones sticking out as my red blood coated the sidewalk.


    The world ceased to exist as white hot agony broke me to my core. There was nothing but the pain, as it grew and grew. It flared and grew higher, as I felt kicks and punches that could shatter stone rain down on me.


    They broke me.


    They shattered me.


    They killed me.


    My own words were my last thoughts as I died. Looks don¡¯t matter on Vega. I was going to die, a drunk failure, to a gang wearing bear pajamas. It was wrong, it was so wrong. I would, I would, I wouldn¡¯t die here! I was, I was going to get my revenge! I was going to, to-


    A foot tearing through a bear costume was the last thing I saw.


    ****


    ¡°Ugh! I tore my costume using his face!¡±


    ¡°What were you thinking?! Now we¡¯ gotta go on and get a seamstress too?! This is a dark day for the Kuma Gang.¡±


    ¡°Oi, boss. What we gonna do about the drunk bum?¡±


    ¡°Eh, cops don¡¯t come around these parts anyway. Sides¡¯, he¡¯s just a refugee. They don¡¯t live long anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, come on. And besides, with a power level like that? Ain¡¯t no way he¡¯s got any connections.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I just wanted to know if we wanted to dump him. Ya guys don¡¯t gotta give me a whole spiel, I live here too ya know!¡±


    Grumbling and walking away from the scene of a murder, an unfortunately common sight in the darker parts of Vega City, the Kuma gang left.


    All was silent save the rain, as Mutai bled out. Minutes of life left in him at best.


    .


    .


    .


    An old man walked by, staring down at Mutai¡¯s broken form.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Two fingers pressed against what was left of his body.


    ¡°Hmmmmm.¡±


    The smallest, tiniest whisp of energy snaked around them.


    ¡°Hmmmmmmmmmm.¡±


    The old man stared down, silently, looking to be in deep contemplation. A hand rubbed his chin as he continued to think, uncaring about the wounds on Mutai¡¯s body or his rapidly draining life force.


    ¡°Ehhhh, maybe? Super weak though¡­ Guess I¡¯ll give him a chance anyways.¡±


    A hand grabbed an ankle and a body was dragged away.


    ******


    Pain. So, so much pain. I could feel my body on fire, doused in a- I can¡¯t breathe. It hit me like nothing else. I can¡¯t breathe, my lungs burn and scream for oxygen. I can¡¯t breathe. Liquid rushes down my throat, all over my body. I can¡¯t breathe. I can¡¯t breathe I can¡¯t breathe I can¡¯t breathe I can¡¯t-


    I try to swim, to escape, to get out. Walls. Up, forward, behind. Stuck, stuck. I¡¯m drowning.


    I¡¯m drowning.


    Panic. Pure and utter panic. I won¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to die like this. Not like this. Not in the sea, not in the water. Don¡¯t ruin the last good thing for me. No, NO!


    Tap.


    ¡°Hey. Calm down in there. You¡¯re just in a healing tank you idiot.¡±


    W-What?


    A light blue tinge takes up my vision. I was floating in liquid, but not drowning. Not truly. Horrible memories assaulted me. The Smile Company had forced me into one of these and been the first people beyond Vega to try and break me down. I still remembered that ship ride so clearly. They¡¯d snapped my arm after I¡¯d tried to escape and then forced me inside.


    Without telling me what it did.


    I¡¯d thought I was going to die.


    Those horrible memories come rushing back. The feeling of water pouring into my lungs, the people on the other side of the glass smiling or laughing at me like I was an idiot, the feeling of pain miraculously leaving my body¡­ it was all so familiar but all so different.


    For one, there definitely wasn¡¯t an old man with one foot in the grave glaring at me like I¡¯d puked on his favorite rug last time.


    He looked positively ancient. He looked like he¡¯d lived a hard life, his hair a dirty white, slight wrinkles adorning his face, scruff around his jaw. He had a serious expression and piercingly blue eyes. His body looked far from weak though. Broad chested, with thick arms, and wearing a mostly open white Gi, he looked like he was able to bend steel, even if only slowly.


    I felt like I¡¯d stumbled upon an old master.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe you survived.¡± He said, rubbing his chin, the glare in his eyes dying down a little. ¡°Thought carrying you down the stairs was going to be it¡­ ah well, good news is good news.¡± He mumbled to himself, saying something incredibly scary. ¡°You¡¯ll need to stay in there for another hour. Don¡¯t leave for at least that long or I¡¯ll put you back in myself. There¡¯s some clothes on the chair here for you.¡±


    So saying he turned around and left without a further word.


    I sat there- floated there, stunned for a moment. My thoughts trying to move and failing to find any grip, like they were constantly slipping away. Even questions failed to make any sense to me, as my broken body slowly healed and regenerated, putting itself back together. The pain going from agonizing to only moderate to nothing.


    It was only after a few minutes had passed like that, that I finally broke out of my trance. My mind spinning. I was an idiot! I should¡¯ve, questioned him! What was going on? What happened?! Why was I-


    I died.


    No, I almost died.


    The memories came flooding back.


    I could still remember it. The speed too fast for me to see, the instant pain, them breaking me. Killing me. Tearing my entire body apart with blunt force. Their blows shattering bones, my blood pouring out in torrents through torn arteries, the white unending agony before¡­ before everything went dark with a foot to the face.


    I had been moments away from death and only the kindness of a random old man with a healing tank had saved me. Without him¡­ I¡¯d be dead.


    My eyes shook. I had almost died. I had turned them down, refused, reliving that dream of Ultimate Strength. Of all consuming power. But that¡­ that wasn¡¯t me.


    I was just a weakling, a pathetic loser. But that didn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯d been beaten by this city, in more ways than one. I¡¯d gotten a job, I¡¯d stayed here, I¡¯d even considered buying a phone and getting a car. That¡¯s when I¡¯d really begun drinking. I¡¯d been within inches of giving up on my vengeance and then again on giving up on my own life.


    No. I owed my family too much to ever even think about that.


    I refused. Never again. Even if I died¡­ No. No, I couldn¡¯t die. I would not die before I had Vega¡¯s head torn from his body and his heart crushed in my hand. That bastard would pay.


    I¡¯d find a way to get stronger. No matter what.


    But first¡­ kindness. It¡¯s not like no one had ever shown me it before in this damn city but¡­ but this wasn¡¯t the normal level of kindness. Who was this old man? Why did he save me? Who even owns a healing tank? What did he want?


    My thoughts went wild, ranging from a bountifully kind soul aiming to help me to a twisted devil aiming to use me. There was nothing but time and thought as I let the healing tank do its job.


    *


    *


    *


    Ding


    Finally, right when I was considering whether the old man was secretly a family member who moved to the mainland a long time ago or a creepy old guy who rescued young naive men, the healing tank finally beeped and drained its fluid. For the first time in what felt like years but was only an hour, I took a breath of air, before promptly puking all the liquid out of my lungs.


    Yeah, I hated that the first time too. Just like before.


    I took a look around now that I was free and realized some important things. My whole body had felt like one massive numb bruise, so it was only now I realized¡­ I was naked. In an old man¡¯s basement. I¡¯d be more worried if I hadn¡¯t seen him- No. No, looks don¡¯t matter on Vega. I have that stupid cursed ability to see power levels, why didn¡¯t I pay attention? I could¡¯ve seen what strength he had! Ugh. Stupidity like that was what nearly ended my life not more than a few hours ago.


    The bare concrete walls of the basement told me nothing. The wooden chair, less. The clothes on it though¡­


    Underwear, a white Gi, and a white belt.


    Oh.


    I¡¯d gone from being forced into a gang to being rescued by a Dojo!


    I winced.


    Let¡¯s hope this one goes better than last time¡­

 Chapter 4 - Welcome to the Dojo

    After putting on my clothes, I frowned, realizing I¡¯d not been given any shoes or footwear. That wasn¡¯t too unusual for a dojo but the already cold concrete on my bare feet was pretty unpleasant. I sighed, trying to remember what the old man had said before leaving me.


    Only to realize he hadn¡¯t really said anything. Just that he had given me some clothes and not to leave the tank before I was fully healed.


    The doorway loomed and for a brief moment, I hesitated. No matter what, I was pretty damn sure what I¡¯d see when I looked at the old man¡¯s power level. Even if I did see it, it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d be any weaker than me. Being at the mercy of someone else¡­ at everyone else, wasn¡¯t a new experience for me. I¡¯d once had some candy I¡¯d bought literally stolen from me by a child after they¡¯d used their Vambrace on me¡­


    But the difference here and now was that I owed him. Whoever he was¡­ I owed him my life. Why? Why had he saved me? Helped me? What did he get out of it?


    The same question had spun around in my mind for over an hour and nothing more was going to come from just dwelling on it. I took a deep, deep breath, and walked out the doorway. I hadn¡¯t really noticed it before, but the doorway had no door. Seeing out, I wasn¡¯t too surprised by what I saw either.


    Stairs. Stairs covered in what I can only imagine was my dried blood¡­ that was a lot of dried blood¡­ How did none of it get into the healing tank room? Or had it and the old man had cleaned it?


    I shook off my stupid thoughts and climbed the stairs, only to find myself in a hallway. Looking to my left and right, the floor was made of wood and the walls were barren concrete. Left seemed to lead to a dead end and right, well, it was the only way to go.


    I passed by a few rooms. Each was basic, seeming to have different training gear or equipment. Nothing crazy. Some had actual doors and after a hesitant knock and more hesitant opening of them, I figured out they were sterile bedrooms. No doubt for the students who actually lived here.


    Finally, there was only a single pair of doors left. They were old fashioned, or maybe just old, and pushing them open I tried not to stare at what I was seeing.


    A Dojo. Wooden floors, walls, and ceiling. It was small but no less impressive for it. I still remembered begging as much as I could to be let into one of these places¡­ only to be kicked out shortly afterwards. My lack of progress getting me thrown out, despite how hard I tried. Those days¡­ those were some of the better days, even if they¡¯d only been a few weeks. I felt like I¡¯d been making real tangible progress, learning, but¡­ it had been a fool¡¯s dream.


    Shaking my head, I focused. I wasn¡¯t even alone. The old man knelt on a mat to my side, eyes closed, the top of half of his gi off. His muscles were like steel cords but tightened and contained in his body. His chest hair was white, making him seem even older than I¡¯d first assumed.


    He said nothing as I stared. It took me a moment, but I noticed that there wasn¡¯t just one mat, but two.


    Ah.


    Cautiously, I walked forward, kneeling down in the same position on the mat opposite him. He finally decided to open his eyes and it was like staring into an icy abyss surrounded by steel all the way down. His blue eyes pierced into me, staring down into the depths of my person. I barely even took the time to look above him, the answer was already obvious.


    [???]


    This old man¡­ I could feel it. He was a monster. I¡¯d met people like him before, rarely but¡­ he might really be the strongest person I¡¯d ever met.


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally awake. Walked right into that imperial ambush.¡±


    My mind blanked for a moment. Imperial what?


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ah, nothing. Just an old game I used to play in my youth.¡± The old master said, his words not really matching his expression. He looked almost bored but¡­ had he just played a joke on me?


    ¡°Anyway, so yeah, you were dying pretty damn bad out there.¡± The old man said, cleaning his ear with his finger. ¡°Thought you might be worth my time. So, you want to be stronger right?¡±


    At this, my own expression hardened. I bowed low, my forehead hitting the ground.


    ¡°Master, please train me!¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip away! I would beg and beg if need be. I¡¯d done it before, I¡¯d do it again. Pride had no place if I was going to avenge my family and tear Vega apart! I¡¯d do anything this old man needed me to do, even if-


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever. Get your head up though, that floor ain¡¯t clean.¡±


    I blinked, raising my head to stare into my¡­ master¡¯s eyes. He seemed so¡­ nonchalant about everything. Was this really the man that had saved me? Wait, was this really the man that had just agreed to make me stronger?!


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question though. You want to be stronger right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I-¡± I froze for a moment, feeling the lie about to leave my mouth. Did I¡­ really want to be stronger? That wasn¡¯t the point. No, no I didn¡¯t care about strength. If I had a nice and easy button I could smash to get my revenge, I¡¯d take it in a heartbeat. If I thought poison or technology could beat Vega, I¡¯d research and use both. No, I didn¡¯t really care about strength. I had visions far beyond that.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I want to tear Vega apart.¡± I said, my voice filled with pure and utter hatred.


    At this, my new master finally gained a serious look on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the goal. If you want to do that, you¡¯ll need to not just become stronger. You¡¯ll need to become the strongest in the world. You barely have a power level of one. Do you really think you can do that?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I said, my heart feeling certain. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way, no matter what. I¡¯ll do whatever I need to do. Get as strong as I need to be. Till he¡¯s dead. Till I can kill him.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then. Good enough. Let¡¯s see you put that to the test then.¡±


    Casually, he got up, stretching as he did.


    ¡°Hey, oi, what do I call you anyway?¡±


    ¡°My name is Mutai.¡±


    ¡°Mutai huh? Well you can just call me Master or Old Man, if you want.¡±


    I blinked at that. I don¡¯t know why I was so surprised. I¡¯d once seen a walking, talking bear having a conversation about ethical food sources with a man wearing nothing but a speedo and lipstick in broad daylight. This was a weird city and I was starting to think a much weirder planet than I¡¯d ever known. An old man without any cares in the world wasn¡¯t that unusual by comparison¡­


    The important thing was he had agreed to train me! No one just ¡®gets¡¯ a Dojo. Not when everyone other damn person in the city would love to have one. Only the strong could get their own place to train others. He¡¯d not only saved my life, but even agreed to help me, even after he¡¯d heard my goal.


    His personality and looks had thrown me off at first but I knew what I needed to do.


    I bowed low.


    ¡°Thank you Master. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for-¡±


    ¡°Whoa whoa whoa, none of that now. Bah, ew, god no. Just go do your best and if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll throw your ass out. End of story.¡±


    Gratitude still swelled in me but now it was tinged by nervousness. I followed Master as he led me back the way I¡¯d first walked into the Dojo from. He seemed to pick a room at random but I doubted it. I¡¯d glanced inside earlier but it didn¡¯t seem like anything special.


    Concrete walls, concrete floor, and a grey punching bag hanging from the ceiling.


    ¡°Alright, here we go.¡± Master said, waving to the punching bag.


    And then everything changed in a split second. Like a veil had been torn apart. I froze and my pupils could barely move, staring at my Master. No longer was he the casual old man. Now, he seemed exactly like his appearance first suggested. Old, but Strong. His words were like thunder in my ears, his eyes like cauldrons of hatred spilling over me, demanding this one thing.


    ¡°You must do your best.¡±


    And suddenly, as quick as it had come, the¡­ aura had vanished. I gasped, barely being able to breathe.


    ¡°Got it? Do your best. That¡¯s all you gotta do.¡± He said, no longer looking like a monstrous creature about to tear my head off.


    ¡°Y-Yes Master!¡±


    ¡°Good. Punch it.¡±


    I looked at the punching bag. Things were kinda moving fast in my life but this was what I had wanted. A second chance. I didn¡¯t think it was a coincidence that the moment I decided to try again, my life was saved by an old master and he decided to train me. That dream had truly shown me the way. Was it prophetic? If I had said yes to those gang members, I¡¯d never have gotten this opportunity.


    I wasn¡¯t going to waste it.


    ¡°Hiyah!¡± With a scream and a yell, I punched the bag as hard as I could. I felt the air go over my fist, felt the impact rattle my arm as it hit, felt the force transfer as-


    It barely moved, if it even did at all.


    I grimaced and looked towards my Master, who had a disbelieving expression on his face.


    ¡°Wow, that may have been the second weakest punch I¡¯d ever seen. Wait, I might have seen a baby punch once¡­¡±


    The wave of despair that hit me was practically physical. It brought back my worst memories. I, I had only one chance and already I was blowing it! When would I get such a kind master again? He¡¯d saved my life and I was already repaying him by being a failure.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Mast-¡±


    ¡°Funny. I didn¡¯t say to stop.¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Punch. It.¡± Master said, glaring at me.


    ¡°R-Right!¡±


    I punched again¡­ and again and again. I didn¡¯t stop, speeding up, going all out. My punches did almost less than nothing, weak as they were. It barely moved yet my arms already felt so heavy, like they¡¯d fall off at this rate. Still, I didn¡¯t stop as sweat poured down my face and my breathing grew jagged and heavy.


    I punched and punched and punched. Left, right, left, right, left right left right left right. Over and over again as the minutes passed. My stamina was just as weak as the rest of me and before long, I had to stop-


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I turned to Master, shock across my face.


    ¡°Master, I-¡±


    ¡°I told you to do your best. If you¡¯re still breathing, you can still punch. So punch it until you¡¯re dead.¡±


    My master¡¯s face was rigid, no playfulness or uncaring found. He was serious.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°You want to beat Vega with this weak of a will? Worthless. Impossible even. No amount of strength would allow you to win. No more talking. Punch it.¡±


    I swallowed, but felt a fire light up inside me. He was right. Was this all I had? Tiredness alone was able to beat me, stop me? No. Never. I¡¯d said I¡¯d do whatever it takes and now I wanted to rest? Unforgivable.


    I punched. Again and again and again and again. Every time I slowed down, every time I felt like taking a break, every time my breathes felt like shards of glass cutting my lungs-


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    -Master¡¯s voice would demand more of me. Always more. I wouldn¡¯t let him or me down. This was the first step! I had to, to take this first step! My vision swam as I clenched my fist, pain radiating from my knuckles, as I threw another punch.


    Another and another. Soon, my vision began to swim and blackness began to edge into my vision.


    Another punch¡­ another¡­ an¡­oth¡­er¡­


    I didn¡¯t even feel the impact with the floor.

 Chapter 5 - Punch it

    ¡°Ughhh.¡±


    I groaned as I woke up, feeling like I¡¯d passed out in a terrible position out on the street again. What had even happened? The last thing I remembered was-


    The dream, the fight, being saved, punching.


    Right! I had a Master now. An actual master. I¡¯d been in a fight to the death and been saved by that old man. He, he actually took me on as a student! And then¡­ and then I punched and punched and punched and-


    ¡°Owww.¡±


    My whole body felt so sore. Every muscle in my arms were practically screaming at me and I felt so tired even after waking up. It was like my blood had been replaced with lead and then pounded down into shape with iron. It hurt. Not like the white hot agony of being broken apart. But still, it hurt.


    Piercing blue eyes stared down at me.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Punch it.¡±


    My Master¡¯s head turned, staring at something I¡¯d not made any noticeable mark on. The punching bag. Still just hanging there, in the same position it always was. My Master, wanted me to punch it? But¡­


    ¡°I think I need to go to the healing tank.¡±


    ¡°No. Punch it.¡±


    There was a serious look in my Master¡¯s eyes. No jokes as I woke up, no uncaring attitude or nonchalance. He was fully serious about me punching the damn bag again. But, I¡¯d just, I¡¯d just passed out punching the damn thing! I even blacked out. I could hardly stand right now, let alone throw a punch!


    ¡°But, Master I-¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get stronger, get out.¡± He said, staring me down. ¡°If you¡¯re still breathing, you can throw a punch. So, Punch It.¡±


    My heartbeat sped up. It was like the whole weight of the world was on me. It was hard enough to throw punches at it normally but like this? Could, could I even get up?


    ¡°I told you. You must do your best. Punch it.¡±


    I gulped. This was the test right? I had to show my resolve. That was the point. That I could keep going no matter what. That I would really do my best, no matter what. That I had the drive and will to be the strongest, to actually be the one to take down Vega. I took a deep breath, centering myself. I wasn¡¯t going to waste this chance. Even if I had to punch this damn bag for a million, no, a billion years!


    I wasn¡¯t going back. To that horrible day, to that horrible trip, to the years spent begging and pleading and trying and working only to be crapped on, beaten up, and even left for dead. To getting drunk and letting the world pass me by in a haze. To getting beat to death and only being saved by a random old man¡¯s mercy. No, never again.


    I tried to get back up¡­ and failed. I blinked in shock before a wave of pain hit me. My muscles were toast, some might even be torn. I had to grit my teeth as my exhaustion tried to lull me to sleep along with the pain.


    I pushed.


    I sat up.


    I stood.


    ¡°Punch it.¡± Came the words from the old man, his stare never leaving me.


    ¡°Yes Master.¡± I managed to say.


    I punched and couldn¡¯t resist letting out a wince. My fists didn¡¯t like that one bit. I wasn¡¯t strong and my durability wasn¡¯t high either. I already felt like my knuckles were bruised. My punch practically swam through honey before it finally hit the bag. My second punch was a bit faster but it was like I had become rigid iron, piloting a body that didn¡¯t want to move.


    I kept going, exhaustion clawing at me. I hadn¡¯t had much time to rest. However long I¡¯d been out, it hadn¡¯t been long enough. Minutes passed and I could feel myself slowing down.


    ¡°Faster. Harder.¡± My master said, his words forcing me to do just that.


    Over and over again. My body complained, fiercely, but it was just a work out. I just had to, keep going. Over and over and over again. Before long, it all seemed to fall away. My punches went forward, over and over again. My fists smacking into the grey material, the soft thumps echoing out. The sweat dripping off my form, my body swaying, and always my master¡¯s words flowing into my ears.


    ¡°Faster.¡±


    ¡°Harder.¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I could feel my chest heaving, my eyes drooping, my soul feeling exhausted. Just had to punch it. Just punch it. All I had to do to beat Vega was punch it. Punch, punch, punch, punch. The bag and me, that was all there was. Empty words and the endless bag. I didn¡¯t stop and my stamina was holding me up better this time.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Punch the bag.


    Hit the bag.


    My arm moves forward, it hits the bag.


    Again and again and again.


    Sweat hits the ground, the bag resists, the words blur. Iron pushes forward, endless blows rain down like droplets in a storm. Always moving and going, always pushing forward. Light begins to blur and in that darkness it¡¯s only me and only the bag. Time halts and keeps going at the same time. An eternity awaits me and yet it¡¯s the same stop as the first.


    ¡®Punch it.¡¯


    Just had to punch it.


    .


    .


    .


    The old man watches as his newest student finally starts to get the memo. He¡¯d been embarrassed when he¡¯d passed out but at least he was finally starting to get it. He¡¯d entered a good ole workout trance. That should last him at least a few hours.


    The old man frowns. He forgot how weak his new student was.


    Maybe half an hour¡­


    How ridiculous. The problem with his new student was plain for him to see. He was too soft. His will was weak.


    Well he¡¯d fix that right up. There was always a surefire way to make people¡¯s will stronger.


    Just put them through hell.


    .


    .


    .


    Punch¡­ punch¡­ punch¡­


    Punch¡­ punch¡­ punch¡­


    ¡°Faster.¡±


    Punch.


    ¡°Harder.¡±


    Punch.


    Punch¡­


    P¡­unch¡­


    ¡°Get up. Punch it.¡±


    Get up? I was just, just catching my breath. God, I felt so tired. I just wanted to go to sleep. How long had I been doing this? But I just, just had to keep throwing, throwing my punches. Just had to. Just had to.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    Up? I wasn¡¯t, I wasn¡¯t sitting down.


    ¡°Up.¡±


    I could feel the cool concrete under my hand. I felt so hot. So tired. I just, just needed to rest for a little while.


    ¡°Vega will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    ¡°If this is all you can amount to, Vega will kill you.¡±


    The words were backed up by some of Master¡¯s aura, cutting through my tired mind like a knife. Vega. What was I doing?! When had I even sat down? I don¡¯t remember. I had to kill him. How could I lose to something so measly as being tired?


    I got up and threw another punch. My arm hurt, my knuckles hurt, my vision swam again, but my feet stayed planted. Again. Again. Again!


    Again!


    Punch after punch left me. And disgust and anger filled me. Every punch seemed to scream at me. I still had this much left in me? I still had another punch? Another ten? Another hundred?! And I was going to lay down before giving it my all? What a fool I was.


    No wonder I¡¯d never gotten stronger. I¡¯d never wanted it enough.


    I wouldn¡¯t stop. With every punch new conviction filled me. I imagined the bag as Vega¡¯s evil face. Till every blow can smash him apart, till every punch breaks him like he broke me, I can¡¯t stop.


    I won¡¯t stop.


    Never.


    I kept going, but the body, it¡¯s a betraying temptress. The fire in me could only last so long. Before long, it began to scream at me. Every muscle pulled, every second seemed like I was fighting through a wave of sickness, my breaths came heavy, sweat stuck to every part of me, and began to feel disgusting. I¡¯d fought through the exhaustion but all that awaited me on the other side were these awful sensations.


    There was no trance this time. Just the endless repeating motion of pulling my arm back and pushing it forward. Having my aching knuckles hit a bag, over and over again. My shoulders ached. My mind began to skip, as if I hadn¡¯t gotten sleep in a very long while.


    I heaved, holding the bag just to stand up. My master¡¯s words came and hit me like an old wound and sore in one.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I tried. I threw a final punch. The same punch as any other, except far weaker than even by normal standards.


    And then it all went dark again.


    .


    .


    .


    When I next woke up, my body felt even worse than last time. I let out a silent scream as my body told me exactly how it felt about what I was doing. Every muscle hurt. It was a different pain, one I wasn¡¯t used to, and my face twisted in agony. Silent tears fell down.


    I¡¯d pushed too far. Far too far.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    The words were like the deepest coldest horrors. My face paled, terror gripped me. There¡­ there was no way right? I was in so much pain¡­ I¡¯d passed the test right? We could, surely we could take a break already right?! I didn¡¯t even know what day it was¡­


    My master stared down at me, face like an uncaring mountain. Eyes staring directly into my soul and finding nothing worth anything.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    Those words were repeated, over and over. I could barely think. The pain coiled around and through me unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced. My mind barely had the energy to generate an action, let alone a thought.


    I got up. I cried. My body screamed. I don¡¯t know how I did it.


    I pulled back, I screamed. I punched, my knuckles lit up in agony.


    I barely lasted a minute. I didn¡¯t pass out this time. But I collapsed. The cold concrete hit me like a punch from Vega.


    I lay there, writhing with every movement causing even more pain.


    ¡°Hmm. Well, I suppose this is good enough for today.¡±


    A hand grabbed me, the force of it causing a pained groan to escape me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be spending most of your nights in the healing tank from now on.¡± I felt a stabbing in my arm, only to see a needle in it. When, where? ¡°For the nutrients. We don¡¯t have time to waste with you eating right now. The healing tank will deal with the dehydration but I¡¯ll get something for that tomorrow anyway. A basic IV should work while you''re passed out. Bah, I¡¯ll have to get some actual water too won¡¯t I? Well, whatever.¡±


    I barely could take the words in, my body barely able to focus on anything.


    ¡°Congratulations kid. You made it past day one. We¡¯ll be doing the exact same thing tomorrow.¡±


    I cried in a different kind of pain this time.

 Chapter 6 - Day 2

    I woke up in the healing tank for a second time.


    I hated it but sadly, I think I was going to have to get used to it.


    I¡¯d spent the night floating in here, having my muscles put back together. It didn¡¯t actually take that long, it had healed far worse injuries far faster. But Master had said before he shoved me in that it took longer if it was only stimulating natural healing. Something that was going to be needed if I didn¡¯t want my body to ¡®lose about 80% of its progress.¡¯ Master¡¯s words, not mine.


    I glanced up, looking at the number above my head.


    [1]


    No change. I hadn¡¯t gotten any stronger after yesterday. But I did feel¡­ good. This wasn¡¯t anything like when I was last at a dojo. There, there''d been dozens of other students, all following forms and doing stretches and lightly sparring with each other. It wasn¡¯t like we didn¡¯t work out, but nothing like what had happened yesterday.


    I hadn¡¯t made any real progress. Even without a Vambrace, that was easy enough to see. Finally, the master there, Jing Ho, had kicked me out. I simply wasn¡¯t keeping up with the class forms or advancing well enough.


    Here¡­ I hadn¡¯t seen any other students. Maybe there wasn¡¯t any. I¡¯d seen a few rooms, this was clearly a dojo that could hold them, but I seemed to be the only other person here.


    And I still didn¡¯t know why.


    I¡¯d been so excited about being essentially offered the chance to grow stronger from someone so strong, someone who saved my life, that I¡¯d jumped at the chance. And master hadn¡¯t demanded anything from me, except for my best.


    And then pushed me right to it.


    I shuddered, still remembering what had happened yesterday. I¡¯d passed out before, but it had usually been from drinking too much or something stupid like that. I¡¯d never collapsed multiple times in a day from pure exhaustion. Never blacked out from overworking my pitiful body. And maybe that was the problem. I had tried so hard¡­ but never this hard. Not to the point I needed a healing tank to put me back together.


    I snorted.


    Of course. All along the only problem was my work ethic, capitalism to buy something vital, technology to help me, and the inherent strength in the first place to keep it once I bought it. Figures. My biases got in my way. But¡­ even without a healing tank, I could¡¯ve pushed harder couldn¡¯t I have? Muscles and bodies heal. I could¡¯ve pushed myself further.


    My power level hadn¡¯t increased yet, I wasn¡¯t any stronger, but if yesterday¡¯s training was any indication¡­ I might actually be able to do it!


    One day¡­ one day they¡¯ll be a different number above my head.


    There was a soft ding and the healing tank opened, letting me out.


    I stretched, feeling¡­ good. After yesterday and the times past, I didn¡¯t think I could ever feel this good again. My body felt, well, if not strong at least healthy. I¡¯d been in too much pain and shock after being beaten to near death the first time. I shuddered even now, just thinking about those damn gang members in those stupid bear pajamas. They¡¯d nearly killed me. No, they practically had¡­ It hadn¡¯t exactly given me a lot of time to appreciate just how great I felt. That healing tank was a miracle.


    I took a deep breath, doing a few more basic stretches. The previous dojo at least taught me how to do that much. How long has it been since I last did them? Time was a blur and the drinking hadn¡¯t helped. Now? Now I felt so good. Like I hadn¡¯t thrown away so much time wasting away and destroying myself. Like I hadn¡¯t spent the entirety of yesterday tearing my body apart.


    I looked to my right and saw a familiar sight. A pair of underwear, a white belt, and a white gi on a chair, neatly folded. I stared down, belatedly realizing I was naked again. Did Master¡­ strip me yesterday? I don¡¯t remember¡­ That was kinda eerie.


    Putting on the clothes and walking back up the steps, I could almost believe I¡¯d been caught in some kind of¡­ loop. It was all the exact same as yesterday, the same room, the same clothes. Except no master, or horrific awakening, or dried blood on the stairs. It was the little differences that made everything else stand out so much more.


    Walking back towards the dojo, I paused. There was another difference today, as the training room from yesterday passed me by.


    Master was standing there, arms crossed, waiting. The bag still hung there and a mix of fear, dread, and excitement boiled around inside me. Part of me begged that what I was going to hear would be different. Part of me hoped I would hear it. Master cared not.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    *****


    Time seemed to lose meaning for a while. My body was weak but not deficient. Meaning, I didn¡¯t just instantly pass out the moment I had to do some labor. For now, there was a quiet rhythm I¡¯d gotten into after my experiences yesterday. Right, left, right, left, right left right left.


    It left room to think.


    ¡°Master?¡± I asked cautiously.


    ¡°Hmm? You¡¯ve got room to speak? Wild. Well, that won¡¯t last long.¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine at that.


    ¡°Uh, Master. Can I ask, why are we doing this? Why are you doing this?¡± I said, my weak punches still thumping into the bag. The only sound in the room beyond my master¡¯s humming.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a secret, though I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask sooner. That type of desperation isn¡¯t attractive you know? You¡¯ll never find a woman like that. Tsk tsk.¡±


    Whatever expression I had been making had definitely become strained. Ah, right. I¡¯d forgotten how¡­ caring old people were with those kinds of things. Who could think of romance at a time like this?! I had a journey of a thousand miles to go and I had only just barely begun to walk it.


    ¡°Anyway.¡± Master continued. ¡°The reasoning is simple. You¡¯re not the only one that wants someone dead. I¡­¡± Master¡¯s voice, casual and maybe even jovial in the right context, turned¡­ different. Off. Melancholy with an undercurrent of pure hatred and maybe even fear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have my own revenge story. I¡¯m hoping you can get strong enough to deal with that.¡±


    I stopped punching in shock.


    ¡°You want me to kill someone? You believe I could kill that someone?¡±


    Master raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill Vega aren¡¯t you? Do you think there¡¯s anyone else you can¡¯t kill if you¡¯re going to manage that? I¡¯d be insulted by the powers that be if that¡¯s the case. And don¡¯t worry about morals or anything like that, I have a feeling you¡¯ll gladly kill them when the time comes. Oh, and, get back to punching.¡±


    I did, my mind whirling with so many thoughts.


    Master wanted me to kill someone, their enemy. Someone that had harmed them. That was why they were helping me. That was the cost of their help. I¡¯d barely even considered that as an option because¡­


    Master thought I could do that. Me. He actually believed I could do it. And the way he spoke¡­ I¡¯d said my intentions about killing Vega to people but¡­ but no one had ever believed in me. In those words. How many people had said them? How many people had died trying? Yet with master, it was hard to see whether he really believed in me through his casual attitude but, it didn¡¯t seem like he was just saying that. I didn¡¯t really get the feeling he was the type to lie or spare other''s feelings¡­


    But that just left one question.


    ¡°Why me?¡± I asked, scarcely able to believe it.


    I was weak. The weakest. I would genuinely struggle to hurt a fly because I might not generate enough force to kill it with my bare hands. I had tried a million and one things and never raised my power level even by a bit, while others had it naturally grow through age alone. A child could kill me with some effort.


    So why me?


    ¡°Oh, that. I got an ability a while ago that lets me detect potential. You have enough to, maybe? Yeah, maybe kill them. That¡¯s about it.¡±


    I nearly stopped punching in shock again. Master was telling me things with the same cadence as talking about the weather but that were life altering to me.


    ¡°I have potential?!¡±


    ¡°Everyone has potential. Almost no one meets it or lives up to it.¡± At this, Master seemed genuinely unhappy, a frown marring his face. ¡°Such a waste of everyone and everything, shame to say. Speaking of, punch harder, and a bit faster. You¡¯re slowing down too much.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes Master.¡±


    My mind whirred but I focused. Master believed in me. He really did. Otherwise¡­ why even try to help me? Maybe he didn¡¯t believe I could kill Vega, maybe he did, but he did believe in one thing. That I could grow stronger. That I could grow stronger than him.


    That fuel lasted me as long as it could, before my body began to feel like it was falling apart again. The same as yesterday. Master wouldn¡¯t let me stop. The familiar feeling of iron and lead muscles, of my lungs burning and crying, my sweat coating me and dropping till it had nothing left to give, all of it came back again and again.


    I didn¡¯t pass out, but I did collapse.


    The moment I did, master practically teleported, stabbing me in the arm with different needles and then hooking up an actual IV to my arm. I stared at it in confusion. It¡­ it hadn¡¯t been in the room with us a moment ago.


    ¡°Five minutes and then you get back up.¡±


    It felt like the blink of an eye when I was forced to get back up. The same words as always reverberated in my head.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I was going to be hearing that in my nightmares!


    Just gotta keep going. Over and over again. Even as my legs felt like jelly and my soul felt like it was breaking, I just had to keep going. I wouldn¡¯t let my family down. I wouldn¡¯t let my village down. As I glanced at Master out of the corner of my eye, I realized I had a new person in my life that I needed to help. Vega, of course, wasn¡¯t the only evil bastard out there.


    My next punch hit harder.


    My goal was Vega¡­ but a thrill went up my spine as I imagined it. Defeating and destroying evil like him. A journey of a million miles and thousands of dead bad guys along the way. It filled me with determination.


    I could save so many people¡­ so many would never have to suffer like I suffered. No more gangs killing people, no more monsters blowing up villages. My fist would end them all.


    The day passed me by, muscles screamed, blood flowed, sweat poured, knuckles ached, my body collapsed, needles were stabbed, that random IV kept reappearing out of nowhere but throughout it all¡­


    I had a smile on my face.

 Chapter 7 - Day 3-7

    I woke up again floating in breathable liquid. The feeling of it rushing down my lungs, filling them up, spilling out my throat. It was everywhere. In my ears, my nostrils, my eyes, holes I didn¡¯t even know I had. It was a lot like water but there was just more of a ¡®presence¡¯ to it. I could feel it against me.


    Cool, rejuvenating, and very slightly viscous. It also dried quickly the moment you came out and didn¡¯t seem to like being apart from itself. There was probably a good reason I¡¯d only heard of healing tanks and not something you could drink or spray on. It simply didn¡¯t act like a liquid that would work that way.


    And I hated it. Although less than I did yesterday.


    A soft ding, cold concrete, and a white belt, underwear, and gi on a chair.


    Same as yesterday and the day before then.


    I walked up the stairs, my eyes drawn to the area around me. It had quickly become normal, but spending a few days in one area would do that. I grimaced. I wasn¡¯t always a homeless bum. I¡¯d had a job and a shitty ¡®apartment¡¯. It was by far, worse than living on an island with a house. I had no idea how people lived that way for their whole lives. When I¡¯d finally stopped working and couldn¡¯t pay rent, I started to understand. The wilderness was too dangerous for any normal person, let alone me, and living homeless in the city was¡­ rough.


    Very rough.


    This city had destroyed its wilderness, put human civilization over it like a toxic poison, and then made it nearly unlivable. And then got angry at those less fortunate that were just trying to survive because they were dirty and ¡®uncivilized¡¯. Well, at least the people did with me. I¡¯d seen strong beggars that others had both given generously to and avoided like the plague, lest they end up dead. Strength above all huh¡­


    And now I had the closest thing to a home. My bed was a healing tank and my days were spent in agony but at least that was better than being spat on and kicked around. And there was even someone that at least somewhat cared for my well being. Adding in the fact that I was making real, tangible progress to getting stronger and this was practically a paradise. It honestly was the best situation I¡¯d been in since¡­ since Vega.


    I was going to kill him. And that started with training till I couldn¡¯t anymore!


    A quick walk brought me to the same room. The punching bag hung there, same as it always did. With a stern expression on my master¡¯s usually casual face, he said the fated words.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°So, master.¡± I said, in between punches.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am I really the only person you could find to¡­ kill whoever this person you want dead is?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re not the first student I¡¯ve trained.¡± He said, raising an eyebrow in slight disbelief. ¡°None of the others made it that far though. Like I said yesterday, people rarely live up to their potential.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    That put a damper on things for a bit. It made me feel¡­ far less unique. So I wasn¡¯t the only one that master had trained and the rest just¡­ hadn¡¯t made it? Is that what awaited me if I didn¡¯t go far enough, try hard enough? To ¡°only¡± get a little strong but never reach the levels I needed to beat Vega?


    I hadn¡¯t thought about that or considered it. About what would happen one day if I¡­ actually grew any stronger. What would I do if I finally grew stronger, only to reach the level of the gang members that had nearly killed me? What could I do? My life would be a lot easier since I¡¯d finally reach the level of a normal human but¡­ but I¡¯d be so far away from my goal. Would it really be any different¡­ than being this weak? One or a hundred¡­ what did it matter if I couldn¡¯t reach the heights I needed to achieve?


    ¡°Get your head out of the clouds and punch the bag. Harder. Faster.¡±


    I focused back up. It didn¡¯t matter. I would break those limits if I reached them, just like I would break this one now!


    ******


    I¡­ I woke up again.


    Today felt, off. The liquid came in and out and I floated in a daze before finally being practically forced out. It must¡¯ve been on some sort of timer or something. I went slow today. I wasn¡¯t feeling as good as I had before. My body was fine but my mind¡­ this was difficult. This was so difficult. But it would all be worth it.


    I did some stretches, a lot of stretches, before finally putting my clothes on.


    Cold concrete, white clothes, stairs.


    Never any socks or shoes. Not even any sandals. Should I ask for some?


    I shook my head, following the same pattern as always.


    This time, when I looked at the bag and my master, the only thing I had on my face was a grimace.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    Those words felt like shards of glass scraping against my soul. I breathed deep, letting it out slowly, before firming up. Just another day. Another few days and surely, there¡¯d be a change. I glanced at the number at the top of my head real quick to see if there had been any change.


    [1]


    Right. Of course not. I had to keep going. Onwards. I had to break these limits!


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°Master¡­ don¡¯t you get bored just standing there?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve had to stand for longer doing worse. Once, I had to stand in a rainstorm of falling meteorites that tore off chunks of me and poisoned the air for thirty eight days. I was entirely purple by the end of it. Couldn¡¯t move a single muscle the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Wh- but why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, someone with some real balls hit me with a paralyzation array. Real fancy piece of magic. Anyway, yeah, they¡¯d timed it right with the meteor storm. Well, maybe it was man made? Never found out one way or other but it¡¯s kinda hard to tell. Lots of interesting pieces of nature out there.¡±


    Once again I was left mostly stunned by some casual words. Wait, was magic real? I knew there was Ki but¡­ was magic real? How was it different from Ki?


    My head hurt.


    I punched.


    *****


    I¡­ I was so tired today. I hadn¡¯t even gotten out of the healing tank and I already felt like I wanted to go back inside. What was once awful was now starting to feel really comforting. I just¡­ I just wanted to go to bed. But I had just woken up¡­


    I stumbled out of the tank as it drained and released.


    My body felt great, as it always did nowadays. Like all the time I¡¯d been abusing it had vanished. I felt healthier than I had in years. But I also felt¡­ so tired. The healing tank, apparently, didn¡¯t heal my mind.


    This was so hard. Every day, just, just endless punching and destroying my muscles. So much exhaustion every day. I looked down at my knuckles. They hurt. Phantom pain. Even now, healed up, they hurt. My body wasn¡¯t the same one I¡¯d entered this place with. I wasn¡¯t exactly strong enough to punch hard enough to leave calluses or scars but still, there was some change. The skin looked a little different than the rest. Who knows, maybe in a few months I might actually develop slightly stronger knuckles. I breathed deeper, my body felt better, my heart beat steadier. If nothing else¡­ I was getting used to it all.


    But¡­


    [1]


    It was the same.


    No matter how much I adapted, I wasn¡¯t really growing stronger without that. My durability would remain the same, how much I could lift, my speed, my stamina, this world usually rewarded constant exercise with power but it had never done anything for me. Without that¡­ you could work out all your life and there¡¯d be no change. Even now, it simply¡­ conditioned me better to do more. That was still good. That was good¡­


    Tired.


    Cold concrete, white clothes, stairs, and-


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t whimper. I didn¡¯t. But a single tear may have rolled down my eye as I looked at the bag and heard those words.


    Just¡­ how long was I going to have to do this?


    *****


    Tired. Tired. I leaned against the tank, barely able to stand. The pod had drained. Nothing was wrong with my body but¡­ but I was so tired. I wanted to sleep for a week. I¡¯d never been so tired in my entire life.


    Deep, deep breaths. I glanced upwards.


    [1]


    No change.


    This was, this was intense. Every day was like the first day. Every single day. None of it was getting that much easier. No, no in fact¡­ it was getting harder every day. It was, the work was endless. My body hurt, the sweat, the feeling of exhaustion, my blood starting to feel more like it was pumping lead, my heart beating so hard, my arms feeling like they¡¯d fall off, all of it, every day, again and again.


    It hurt. It sucked. How long had it been? I, I felt like I¡¯d been doing this forever¡­


    White clothes, cold concrete, stairs.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    Fear and¡­ something else arose up in me. Ah. I¡¯d felt this one before.


    Despair.


    *****


    [1]


    White clothes.


    Concrete.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I did. I felt like I was an exhausted human piloting a robot. So tired. So, so, boring. It was just, just endless punching. On and on and on and on and on. Over and over again. Till I fell. Till my muscles pulled wrong. And then right back up again, in pain, doing it over and over and over again. So much time to think, so little to think about. Tiring but not stimulating. Drudgery.


    ¡°Master¡­ when¡­ when are we going to stop?¡±


    ¡°Stop?¡± My master raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    I put my arms down. I stopped punching, looking at my master.


    He frowned.


    ¡°Then leave.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ please.¡±


    ¡°I will make you strong but I told you. You have to do your best. If you want to quit, then go quit. I don¡¯t need someone with such a weak will. No, I can¡¯t have someone with such a weak will. Do I look like I have that kind of time left? Do you think killing Vega is going to be easy? Do you think he did training this easy? You either toughen up or you give up. Which one is it going to be?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    I looked at the punching bag. Hatred flared but¡­ it was dark, bored, and tired. More like an oil or a poison in my blood than a flame.


    I punched.


    ¡°Harder.¡±


    I punched harder.


    ¡°Faster.¡±


    I punched faster.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    I punched it.


    The days¡­ the days began to blend together.

 Chapter 8: Day ???

    I fell. The cold concrete met my face. No thoughts existed.


    Cold concrete.


    White clothes.


    [1]


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    The same. Every day.


    *****


    Cold concrete.


    White clothes.


    [1]


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    ******


    Cold Concrete.


    White Clothes.


    [1]


    ¡°Punch It.¡±


    *****


    Cold Concrete


    *****


    White Clothes


    *****


    [1]


    *****


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    *****


    ¡­.


    *****


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    *****


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    *****


    Hard. So hard. Move. Gotta move. Gotta move. Gotta¡­ Move¡­


    Punch it. Gotta punch it. Punch it. Punch it. Punch¡­ it¡­


    [1]


    ¡°Are you going to stare at the bag all day? P-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? You-¡± He spoke, but I couldn¡¯t listen. I couldn¡¯t see. Body¡­ so hard. I¡­


    I¡­


    Cold concrete. Light. Face.


    ¡°Get up. We¡¯re not done yet. You haven¡¯t even punched the bag today.¡±


    ¡°Tired.¡± A voice said. It sounded tired.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Tired.¡±


    The face frowned. I couldn¡¯t see. Nothing was in focus. Who was talking to me? Tired. Tired. Tired. Tired.


    Muffled words. I couldn¡¯t hear them. So tired.


    Change. Different. Weird feeling. Like-


    ¡°Vega will kill you.¡±


    The words shot down my spine, hitting me like a spark hitting tinder. Seeped in freezing water, like suddenly finding myself in an ice bath. I think I could see fog coming out my mouth. Those words had been said before but¡­ but now I heard and felt them. The Truth of them.


    Vega was going to kill me. Even if I saw him with the same level of strength, even with ten times as much strength, he¡¯d kill me. I¡­ I wasn¡¯t strong enough. Not my body, not my form or techniques, me. Mutai. I was too weak. In all the ways that mattered.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to kill him?¡±


    ¡°He killed¡­ my family. He¡­ he took them all away.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Something sputtered and flickered inside me. My empty mind blanked harder. I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°So what? He killed your family.¡±


    My heart ached, it hurt, it hurt so much at those words, spoken like they were words from god. The truth in them. The-


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡±


    ¡°I- They were my family.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re dead.¡±


    That piece of me flickered and glowed.


    ¡°What, what are you saying?¡±


    My eyes focused, finally seeing master. His cold blue eyes staring into me. His aura pressing down unto me. His nonchalant, casual expression peering down at me.


    ¡°People die, family members are lost. Natural disasters, old age, sickness and disease. What, you¡¯re going to fight all of those too? Tell me how well punching a storm or a tidal wave goes. I¡¯ll personally buy you a beer if you can punch old age, considering. We all die Mutai. Your family died easier and earlier than most. And I bet all of them didn¡¯t even go by Vega. You really never lost a grandparent or two growing up?¡±


    He snorted as if that was ridiculous.


    ¡°You want a family so bad Mutai? Just go get another one. Stop pining after what¡¯s gone already.¡±


    His words¡­ casual. Everything about master was casual. Uncaring. Airy. As if nothing had importance. He stuck his pinky finger in his ear, cleaning the wax, seemingly done with the conversation.


    He¡­ he¡­


    The spark ignited into something rare.


    Rage.


    ¡°Fuck. You.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I was on my feet, staring into those cold eyes, finally seeing them for what they really were.


    Dead eyes. How much did this old man care about anything anymore?


    ¡°My family mattered! They were taken from me! By an evil monster! I will kill him!¡±


    He snorted.


    ¡°Not going to bring your family back. Not even what they would¡¯ve wanted either ya know?¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they want! It¡¯s not about them!¡±


    My words reverberated in the empty room, seemingly coming back and punching me in the face. Echoing the words that had been buried deep inside me all this time.


    ¡°Vega¡­ he¡­ he tore me away from my life! From my paradise! I was happy. I had a future! I¡­ I was the real Mutai! And now I¡¯m, I¡¯m, I¡¯m this thing! I know about taxes, I use technology, I feel good in a healing tank and every fucking second of every fucking day I miss what I¡¯ve lost. Every single day since then¡­ has been miserable! He didn¡¯t just kill my family¡­ he took me away from me. He killed the best and happiest parts of me. He ruined my life!¡±


    I was breathing heavily, hyperventilating, staring into a still uncaring face. I¡¯d vented what this was really about. I missed my family¡­ I missed them so dearly. And this was for them but¡­ but¡­ it wasn¡¯t¡­ the only reason Vega had to die. He¡¯d hurt me so bad, that the wound could never recover. Every day was the same damn shit. Over and over again. Of course I¡¯d thought about going back or going to a different island. Relaxing, finding another village like mine, starting a new family, getting away, giving up.


    I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. It was like I¡¯d been poisoned and even the thought of trying hurt more than anything else ever could. Even dying would be preferable to even attempting that. I¡¯d be spitting not just on my family¡¯s grave, but my own life. As if¡­ as if everything that had happened before was just a bad dream.


    What¡­. What was the point of all of my suffering if I just gave up?


    I couldn¡¯t do that to myself. Death would have to come first.


    I¡¯d kill Vega, I¡¯d destroy him, rip him apart. Tear him to shreds for destroying who I am and who I was. I¡¯d murder him! I¡¯d tear every single bone from his body till he was nothing more than a stain on the ground, bleeding out. Rip and tear and rip and tear until it was done. I¡¯d-


    ¡°That sounds like a you problem.¡± My master said.


    For a moment, my mind blanked white.


    The next, I was throwing a punch.


    It hit the side of the old bastard¡¯s face with only barely a ripple.


    He raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Faster. Harder.¡± He simply said, as if we were just training.


    The rage only grew, like an inferno. How- How dare he! I roared as I waylaid into him. There was no saving stamina, no going steady or slowly, no sense to it. I threw punches as hard and fast as I could, raining blows down onto his stupid, smug, uncaring face. Over and over again! I¡¯d break it, I¡¯d break him, I¡¯d kill him! How dare he say that about my family, about me!


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°With ease I suppose?¡±


    ¡°AHHHHHH!!!!!!¡±


    I punched and punched, as if he was the same punching bag I¡¯d had to beat relentlessly. It was worse than punching in my dreams, it was worse than any dream I¡¯d had of Vega. I was so weak, his face barely even moved. It was more like I was hitting a steel wall with a pillow than fists that had been training relentlessly.


    It was a long time. A very long time. I punched and punched and punched.


    The rage didn¡¯t die for a long, long while.


    But my mind¡­ my stamina¡­ It couldn¡¯t keep up with the rest of me. I could feel my muscles tearing, feel my bones crack against his face, feel the heat pour through my blood and down through my body, as my lungs pushed air like bellows as I yelled in his face and punched and punched. Over and over again.


    ¡°¡®Punch it! Just punch it Mutai!¡¯ Do you have any idea how annoying is it to hear that every single day?!¡±


    ¡°Too bad?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible Master! You barely say two words and make me work out till I practically die!¡±


    ¡°Not like you¡¯re talking too much either? And besides¡­ I told you to do your best. Not my fault this has been your best.¡±


    ¡°You told me you¡¯d make me stronger!¡±


    ¡°And I have.¡±


    My punches didn¡¯t even slow down as he talked but those last words¡­ my rage practically exploded.


    ¡°YOU LIAR! I HAVEN¡¯T GOTTEN ANY STRONGER!¡±


    I threw a punch. It was the same as any other but it felt¡­ different.


    I-


    ¡°Fuck!¡± My hand! It, it hurt! White hot agony shot up as I collapsed. And that was like the start of a cascade. I couldn¡¯t breathe, I couldn¡¯t move. As if my whole body had locked up all at once. My blood felt like slow moving oil as it coursed through my veins. Even my rage seemed to slowly wither and die, as reality made itself known.


    I fell flat on my back, eyes staring up at the ceiling, paralyzed, unable to move. Breathing was painful. Everything was painful. My body felt like it was¡­ cracking apart. No, like it had been cracked apart. What had I done to it?


    No. Wait. What, what had I been doing? I had¡­ I had attacked the old man. I had tried to, had wanted to, kill him.


    The pain radiating through me made itself known as I screamed a silent scream.


    I had attacked the old man and somehow broke my own body apart in the process. Is this really, the height of power? The difference in power? Will I¡­ ever be able to reach such a thing?


    I stared upwards, the number floating in my vision.


    The same as always.


    [1]


    Stronger? I hadn¡¯t gotten any stronger. I was still just Mutai. Weak. Doomed. I wouldn¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t stop, but that just meant I was doomed to die. My family¡­ my revenge!... I¡¯d¡­ never get it at this rate. Master would throw me out now. I¡¯d attacked him. I¡¯d be lucky enough to be able to move ever again without that healing tank.


    Is this¡­ is this the end of me?


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± Master¡¯s words broke me out of my thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ve finally done it. Only took you¡­ three weeks? Around there. Pretty slow but, whatever. Then again I was starting to think you¡¯d never break through that damn wall.¡±


    I looked up at master, confused, before staring back at my number.


    [1]


    ¡°Master¡­¡± I said, exhaustion coating my words, afraid he¡¯d just kill me right here and now. In fact, I didn¡¯t understand what was happening at all. ¡°I, haven¡¯t gotten any stronger.¡±


    ¡°You know, that damn power of yours to read power levels is weird.¡± Master said, face casual. I startled. I¡¯d never brought that up before. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty obvious when you don¡¯t wear a Vambrace and keep looking above your own and other people¡¯s heads ya know? Had me thinking I was starting to go bald every time you glanced at me¡­¡±


    I looked at master¡¯s face and only now noticed, that there was a slight smile on it. That was even more unusual than seeing him frown. Had I¡­ ever seen him smile?


    He disappeared. Or at least, he must have, because he was at a different point next to me, holding something sleek in his hand.


    ¡°Clearly, whatever weirdness you have has some flaws. I guess it rounds down.¡±


    He strapped something that looked like a Vambrace to my arm but¡­ smaller. Sleeker. More high tech. It seemed to have different menus and settings, looking more modern than anything like my old Vambrace. Master clicked ¡®power reading¡¯ for me and the numbers flickered up and down for a while, before finally:


    [1.01]


    I stared, my pupils shaking, my breathing going erratic, my heart beating like a drum and pounding in my ears. The world fell away as I stared and stared.


    For anyone else, for anyone else, this wouldn¡¯t have mattered.


    All my life, all of my life, I¡¯d been at one. The weakest anyone could realistically get. There were children born at higher levels of power. Old people who didn¡¯t just die from a body failing them, had a higher level. I was the weakest person I¡¯d ever known or seen. Permanently stuck at the beginning, a curse. An awful, terrible curse of forever being weak in this horrific world.


    And now¡­ and now¡­


    ¡°I¡­ grew stronger.¡±


    I grew stronger!


    For the first time in my entire life¡­ I¡¯d done it! I¡¯d done it! I did it!


    Even if it was only point zero one, even if it was only a one percent increase, even if I had to go through weeks and weeks of intense suffering to get even a little further every single time. I could do it. I could grow stronger. It wasn¡¯t impossible. I wasn¡¯t stuck and broken. I wasn¡¯t doomed. I could¡­ I could do it.


    My cheeks felt wet and my vision blurred. Tears streamed down my face.


    ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s actually possible, phew. Was starting to get really worried there ya know?¡± Master said, still staring down at me.


    Oh no. Master.


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I-¡±


    ¡°Blah blah blah, if I cared about a weakling like you hitting me a bit I¡¯d be insane. Now,¡± Master said, before grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder, causing a very verbal scream to echo out of me from the pain. ¡°Your body practically destroyed itself breaking through that wall. Probably going to take two full days in the healing tank. Well, if we don¡¯t want to risk resetting your progress at least. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s got a nutrition and bathroom system. It¡¯s meant to be a medical device ya know? Anyway, after that, we can get back to punching the bag.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Punching¡­ the bag?¡±


    ¡°Well duh. Of course. Now that the training is actually useful, we aren¡¯t going to stop it.


    ¡°C-Can¡¯t we do anything else?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm no. You¡¯re not strong enough to do any of the other trainings I have in mind. Not like I have a track in this dojo. No, it¡¯s the bag for you.¡±


    My thoughts filled with the knowledge that not only would I need to spend two days in a healing tank¡­ but I¡¯d be going right back to punching that stupid bag afterwards.


    ¡°M-Master! S-surely we could take a break right? I, I¡¯ve been training so hard after all¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think the two days in the healing tank are for? I mean, getting injured is a pretty good way to take a break. Oh, but don¡¯t try to do it on purpose you pansy. We¡¯re trying to make you strong here after all. Not that you could normally damage yourself much.¡±


    My soul cringed, hard. Then, did that mean¡­ I¡¯d only ever get a break if I was injured?! I¡¯d have to just relentlessly train, over and over again, only stopping when my body was broken. And even then, I¡¯d usually be right back into it the next day unless I overdid it¡­


    Training till injury, over and over and over again¡­ Forever. Or at least till Master was satisfied.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Now come on, faster you¡¯re in the faster I can go and binge some TV for the next two days. Been missing all my favorite shows training you. Sherlock Sluts is coming on and I want to know who killed Patty. It¡¯s the season finale ya know?¡±


    I sighed. Truly¡­ master was an enigma.

 Chapter 9: Explosive Growth!

    ¡°Hahaha! I can feel it! Power¡­ Overflowing!¡±


    ¡°Would you calm down? You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡±


    Master huffed at me but he didn¡¯t understand. I had grown stronger. I¡¯d spent over two days in the healing tank and it had been amazing. I¡¯d been so tired that any time I opened my eyes, I¡¯d just gone back to bed. Feeling the cool liquid envelop me, floating there, breathing it in and out¡­ truly, I¡¯d been going about things all wrong. Being in the tank while awake was just so relaxing. It turned out I¡¯d been completely wrong. If you just took a bit more time, the healing tank could heal mental exhaustion. At least, it could be so utterly relaxing that it felt like it did.


    But by the end I¡¯d been more than ready, practically wanting to tear myself out of it. I was stronger now. So, so much stronger. I could feel it, utterly. My fist hit the punching bag and I could feel my fist hitting it harder. Feel the resistance from my skin and bones being higher. But that wasn¡¯t the only change. I could feel my blood pump smoother, my lungs breathe easier, everything felt so cataclysmically different.


    I felt like a whole new creature!


    I felt so much stronger now!


    ¡°Master! Why, why do I feel so much more powerful?!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, you know, people change every day. Weight goes up and down between a few pounds just from food alone, your inner temperature raises and lowers constantly, even the amount of blood in the body has micro changes. There is nothing that stays 100% stagnant. For most of your life, your power level has been the exact same. Even a minor change must feel like a dawn in the night.¡±


    I stopped, staring at Master.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just, that feels like the first time you¡¯ve actually taught me anything.¡±


    Master huffed in annoyance.


    ¡°What, am I supposed to hold your hand and wipe your ass too? Ask more questions if you want more knowledge. Punch the stupid bag.¡±


    I did. I could feel a massive grin practically overflowing on my face. It might have only been an increase of .01¡­ but it felt like I could lift mountains now. It wasn¡¯t just the increase in power¡­ it was my mind. I¡¯d really thought¡­ I think I had begun to really think it was impossible. That I¡¯d never get stronger. That I was just going to keep trying till I died and that was it.


    And now!


    And Now!


    I could feel my heart beating so fast, like a war drum. My fists slammed again and again into the bag, doing nothing, but I didn¡¯t care. I could feel the force in them, the power. I was going to get stronger! I was going to become so powerful that I¡¯d tear Vega apart! I, I could do it!


    ¡°Slow down.¡±


    The command was so surprising I nearly tripped.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    I looked back at Master.


    Had he gone insane? What was this? Hadn¡¯t he always been telling me to go harder and faster?


    ¡°The training has changed. Destroying your body isn¡¯t the most efficient way now that you¡¯re not trying to break through a wall. We¡¯re going to begin working on your endurance.¡±


    I stared in shock, before nodding. It was different, but I couldn¡¯t expect the training to always be the same. Sometimes things changed. I went back to punching the bag, some of the fervor dying down. I still had a long ways to go.


    And the only reason I¡¯d gotten this far¡­ the only person who had done this all for me¡­


    Was incredibly unwanting of gratitude.


    I¡¯d tried the first second I¡¯d gotten out of the chamber, to bow and thank him and more, only for him to get grumpier and grumpier, till he practically ordered me to get to the hitting the bag. Master was kind, but he certainly didn¡¯t want any thanks for what he did.


    But I was thankful. I owed him. He¡¯d gone above and beyond for me, just some random hobo dying in the street. I¡¯d get strong enough for him. I¡¯d listen, train, and grow as best I can. He believed in me when no one else ever did.


    And speaking of¡­ he said I could ask questions right? Actually, he¡¯d always answered anything I¡¯d asked pretty fully. So¡­


    ¡°Master, what do you mean by a wall? You¡¯ve mentioned it a few times now.¡±


    And he had, saying I¡¯d broken through it. I could understand through context clues, that there¡¯d been some kind of natural barrier between me and strength. I just didn¡¯t understand why or what it was.


    ¡°What? This is basic knowledge. Did you not have school where you grew up?¡±


    ¡°I uh, I was homeschooled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± My master said.


    I grimaced.


    ¡°I thought my parents did a pretty okay job¡­¡±


    ¡°And let me guess,¡± Master sighed. ¡°Your parents knew from early on what your power level was. And tried to hide it from you?¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°Uh, yes actually.¡±


    Master sighed again, hard.


    ¡°This is going to be a long one,¡± Master mumbled to himself, before speaking to me. ¡°A wall is a natural barrier everyone runs into. Everyone. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone or anything not running into it. At some point, your power level slows down and then stops. Stops growing and then stagnates. With enough effort, it can be broken. There¡¯s always another wall until you finally reach the height of your potential. You were born with a wall. Never seen that one before.¡±


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    As I felt my fists reverberate from the bag, I took that information in. Had my parents known? No, maybe not. They¡¯d probably known about walls¡­ but how many people actually reached them? Probably only fighters and trainers. Who would ever think you could be born at one?


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, realizing something. ¡°You knew I was at a wall? Not just¡­ stuck at power level one?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Master said, scratching his chin from the corner of my eye. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone stuck at [1] forever or born with a wall, so, eh, I figured it was the second. Was willing to give it a few more months before giving up.¡±


    ¡°Truly¡­ Master¡¯s patience for me is incredible.¡±


    Master blanched.


    ¡°Punch the bag and stop doing that. It makes my skin crawl.¡±


    ¡°...being nice?¡±


    ¡°Acting like anything less than a proud warrior.¡±


    I kept training, thinking on that. The answer was obvious. Master must not run into a lot of happy or nice people. I could relate, this city sometimes felt like it was only full of terrible people and gang members. Still, if I couldn¡¯t thank him with words, I¡¯d just have to settle for action.


    The training continued and I felt energized in body, mind, and spirit. Just had to throw a million more punches and I¡¯d probably reach at least power level two. That¡­ that would be an amazing day. But it was going to take a damn near lifetime of effort. If it took me three weeks of grueling training just for a .01 increase, then it would probably take me years.


    But that didn¡¯t slow me down, if anything, it just made me go harder and faster.


    Even if took years or decades, I could get there. I could do it. I¡¯d punch and punch and-


    I froze. A light sound went off on my arm but I didn¡¯t pay attention to that as it felt like my whole body was¡­ vibrating. No, improving. Growing! W-What was going on?! I stared at my arm in shock, seeing something that made me feel like I was on the edge of a panic attack. I hadn¡¯t taken off the Vambrace master had given me. I¡¯d just left it there and now¡­ the screen had changed.


    [1.02]


    ¡°M¡­ Master!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The¡­ my¡­ my power level! It¡­ it went up again!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Maybe I really should explain things more¡­¡± He mumbled. ¡°You were at a wall. Now you¡¯re not. You¡¯re going to see a lot of growth now.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but why?! What?¡±


    ¡°Keep punching the bag while I explain what children learn around the same time they can walk.¡±


    I did so, having to force myself to tear my eyes away from the Vambrace. My fists¡­ they were hitting so much harder. It was only a two percent increase¡­ and yet I felt I could destroy my old self. Maybe that wasn¡¯t really true¡­ but that¡¯s certainly how it felt. Every change was like a bomb going off inside me, I even felt as if I was moving faster now, with both my eyes and my punches. Even my hearing felt better.


    ¡°So.¡± Master started. ¡°Power levels are a combination of all you are. It¡¯s a representation. There can be differences, people who are faster in one area, more enduring in another, stronger, etc. But it only shows a representation of a combination. There could be a power level of [9] that could hit harder than a [10] and so on and so forth. Power level is holistic though, you can improve the strength in your arms so much that you become twice as fast on your feet, your bones are twice as durable, and so on. Just awful in terms of actual efficiency. Good way to stagnate your power level really. Anyway, one of the reasons your power level was even below children is because all combined, you have less than everything. Speed, strength, durability, etc.¡±


    I absorbed master¡¯s lesson as I continued punching, thinking about it. I had never really considered it like that, but it wasn¡¯t anything I didn¡¯t really know. But it still didn¡¯t explain my rapid power increase!


    ¡°But your body,¡± Master started. ¡°It¡¯s still a healthy twenty something. Probably. How old are you anyway? Doesn¡¯t matter. The point is that it¡¯s definitely healthy, the healing tank and needle nutrition-¡±


    I shuddered at those memories. I really hoped I could start eating actual food and drinking actual water now¡­


    ¡°-has made sure of that. Sometimes, even if an old person manages to break through a wall, they don¡¯t have the actual life force left to continue making any kind of improvements. Power has an age limit for most. And finally, after every wall, there¡¯s usually a period of explosive growth. You shouldn¡¯t see yourself as being the weakling you were. You¡¯re like someone just born, shoved into a twenty year old body, that just broke a wall. Your gains are going to be-¡±


    Another sudden change rocked me. The Vambrace changed, making noise as the numbers changed.


    [1.03]


    ¡°-pretty fast.¡±


    I gaped like a fish. I¡­ I was now like everyone else? No. No, even that wasn¡¯t right. If anything¡­ my growth for a little while would be even faster than anyone else while my power level and body tried to catch up to each other. It was¡­ I was like one of those old cars! The engine had been broken in me but now that it was fixed¡­


    I hit the punching bag harder, faster. All those weeks worth of grueling training were now paying off. All those years of misery were now paying off! I¡­ I was going to grow so much faster than I thought! Years? Decades? Maybe¡­ maybe to reach Vega still, yeah.


    But not to grow in power at all.


    The hours wore on and every change felt like an impossibly growing storm. I laughed like a maniac as sweat dripped down my body, as my lungs huffed and puffed and sucked air in and out, as my blood lit up like a fire and adrenaline roared through me and me along with it.


    I tried, I tried to listen to Master telling me to go easier, to go slower, but it was so hard! I wanted, I wanted to go all the way! To push beyond! To go even further beyond!


    To meet that Horizon and see beyond it.


    The day wore on, the hours went by, and I only passed out twice. An IV in my arm both times for dehydration and more shots for food. My muscles barely even felt torn! I could keep going for so much longer, even if I got so exhausted my fists felt like weak slaps of a feather at best.


    But the gains¡­ the gains!


    1.04¡­1.05¡­1.06¡­1.08¡­1.10¡­


    ¡­1.13¡­1.16¡­1.19¡­


    [1.25]


    One day. It had only been one easy training day¡­ and I was already 25% stronger. It felt like I was living a fever dream. That wasn¡¯t just some number on a screen. I could feel those changes. I felt¡­ almost inhuman. This level of strength made me feel like a god. And I hadn¡¯t even begun to approach the average level of [5] that most people had as an adult. How¡­ how did people go around feeling like this all the time? So¡­ so powerful¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve certainly never seen anyone be in awe of being at that level of power. There¡¯s a first time for everything I suppose.¡± Master said.


    ¡°Master! Thank you so-¡±


    ¡°No. Shut up. For once¡­ you¡¯re actually able to walk yourself there. Go get in the healing tank.¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°But, Master. I feel fine. I could even keep going! We could go throughout the night!¡±


    ¡°While your change in attitude is amusing, no. There¡¯s a reason we have you heal constantly, it¡¯s because we¡¯re breaking you. Now go to bed. We have an early day tomorrow. Another week or two of this¡­ and you might be ready for something new.¡±


    My heart beat like a storm. The endless days of punching a bag weren¡¯t over¡­ but soon there¡¯d be a change. How would I¡­ what would I even be like after another week of this? Let alone two? I could hardly imagine¡­


    ¡°What will we be doing?¡±


    Master smiled, but in a way that sent a shiver up my spine.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    Even through the joy of power¡­ I still had a sudden fear in my heart.


    Surely¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be that bad though right?

 Chapter 10: A Shocking Discovery!

    Cold concrete.


    White clothes


    But today wasn¡¯t like the others. Three days. I¡¯d kept going for three days and the change in pace had been relieving but¡­ frustrating. I could feel myself growing stronger, unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced in my whole life. It was intoxicating, like a drug. I put on my clothes and they felt lighter. My whole body moved faster, stronger. I could breathe easier. And the most shocking change was during my workout. It felt¡­ so much easier. The bag still stood steady, but now hitting it hurt less. My endurance lasted longer. Every single part of me was just¡­ different. Changed. I even saw the punching bag sway when I hit it as hard as I could.


    And that wasn¡¯t the only change.


    For the first time since I got here, I sat down on the chair, just taking a moment.


    And looking up.


    [2]


    Two. My power level¡­ was at two. My whole life, it¡¯d been at one. My whole life I¡¯d never even known the exact number. I still remember thinking it¡¯d be at three or two when I¡¯d first put on my family¡¯s Vambrace out of curiosity. On that fateful day. How I¡¯d only seen the number one as amusing.


    And then¡­ the pain. The years of pain. Of being the weakest creature in an ecosystem of predators, whether they be human or not. Of trying to adapt. Of the snarky responses, the looks, the difficulty of getting a job in any place. Of being looked down upon, of being made lesser than, of being¡­ weak.


    Of seeing a number, mocking me, floating over my head, and never leaving me, always reminding me of my failure as a creature. My failure no matter how hard I trained or worked out or tried or sought improvement.


    Of dying, as my blood poured out on the ground from picking a fight I could never have won. As death came for me. Because I was too weak.


    And now¡­ I was twice as strong, as powerful, as durable. I¡¯d barely been 20% human¡­ and now I was 40%.


    Tears welled up in my eyes.


    I was still weak. So weak. But I wasn¡¯t¡­ the same. The difference between [1] and [2]... it was more than just a doubling. People would still look at me with shock and disgust, I¡¯d still lose in a fight, I was still the weakest¡­ but it meant that for as long as I lived, my number would never go down.


    It meant¡­ the death of Mutai, power level [1], who couldn¡¯t save his family. Who could never improve. Who would die in a gutter as a drunk hobo.


    I had become Mutai, Power Level [2], martial arts student, Warrior, and future killer of Vega.


    I breathed in. I breathed deep. And then slowly, I let it out.


    I clenched my fist, feeling the power, looking at it. I could do this. I could do it. No. No, I knew that already.


    I smiled.


    I will do it.


    *****


    ¡°Faster. Harder. Punch it.¡±


    It was the first time in a while that I¡¯d heard those words. It¡¯d been a week now and the changes were shocking and unbelievable.


    [3.33]


    I was really learning to value this new Vambrace my Master had gifted me. Without it, I¡¯d only know I was at [3].


    Heh. Only. As if that wasn¡¯t literally life changing. Then again, I could certainly feel the difference now.


    No longer did the punching bag stand there silently like an obelisk out of hell as I rained down my fury upon it. Now, it swayed and moved, even if only barely, from every single one of my punches. I had nearly choked up with emotion at seeing how far I¡¯d come. The current me could take on three of the past me. Maybe more. My strength felt incredible. I¡¯d actually opened a door the other day before training, when Master had asked me to fetch him some¡­ odd¡­ magazines. And it¡¯d felt so light! Were doors not meant to be heavy?


    Every day was learning a new experience. It felt like I was actually turning into a human, or more like, that I¡¯d never truly realized how separate I was from everyone else. That I¡¯d all along been some kind of otherwordly creature and only now was I waking up and becoming what I was always meant to be.


    That thought soured me as I took it to its logical conclusion.


    It was one thing to feel human¡­ but what if I was above something? I¡¯d only ever been ¡®stronger¡¯ than insects and even then, not all of them. Most animals, besides the truly pitiful, could annihilate me. Even a cat or dog probably could¡¯ve won. What would it be like if I had a power level in the triple digits? Or even in the quadruple? As far as I knew, only Vega had that and even then¡­ it was practically at quintuple.


    Would I see humans the same then? Did others see humans the same then? Was the reason Vega was so horrifically evil¡­ because he barely even thought of the rest of the people like humans? Did he see them as below insects? What would it be like, if mountains weighed the same as doors and a wave of your hand could destroy a civilization? What did that do to a person? What would do that to me?


    ¡°Get your heads out of the clouds.¡± My Master¡¯s voice shook me awake.


    I glanced, habitually, at my power level. Only to blink in surprise.


    [3.52]


    ¡°Master¡­ is this level of growth normal?¡±


    The first few days had been the same .25 increase, more or less. But the rest had grown bigger and bigger. It felt crazy to me that it hadn¡¯t been half a day and already my growth was twenty times what had caused me to feel so incredibly strong just a week ago. I felt like I could¡¯ve stopped and marveled at my own body and power for years and enjoyed and discovered new facets about it forever.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    But of course, there was no time to slow down. I needed more power. I could rest on my laurels and explore it later. Right now, I still needed to gain as much as I possibly could. But still, it felt like my growth was incredible right now.


    Master waved his hand back and forth in an ¡®ehh¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Most people grow into an average of five by the time they¡¯re an adult. Some children are born stronger than that. So it¡¯s hard to say if your body is just catching up or not and it¡¯ll become more regular at the average or that it¡¯s going to keep going past that point till it naturally slows down.¡±


    ¡°I see, so¡­ we¡¯ll know more at power level five?¡±


    ¡°Around there. Something like that.¡±


    One of the things I had stopped slacking off on, was asking questions while I worked out with master. He was a wealth of information. It was only too bad I didn¡¯t know what to ask. I¡¯d tried asking about Ki but¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough to worry about Ki.¡±


    And that had been that. Master had a literal lifetime of experience in both teaching and fighting. Who was I to say I knew better? So, I¡¯d just have to learn about Ki when I got stronger. Stronger. It put a smile on my face. No longer was that just a dream and a hope. It was a reality I was really living. No matter how frequently or how often I¡¯d look at the number above my head, I¡¯d always be happy.


    ¡°And there¡¯s the problem.¡± Master said.


    What?


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Walk with me Mutai.¡±


    We left the training room, which felt bizarre in its own way. I¡¯d always woken up and left at the beginning and end of the day, minus that one time master asked me to get him some magazines. That bizarre feeling only heightened as we turned right for once, exiting into the dojo proper, where I¡¯d sat on a mat and Master had agreed to make me stronger.


    But I was floored when we kept going. Right outside the main doors.


    For the first time in probably over a month¡­ I was outside.


    Somehow, in that single month alone, the world felt different. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even really know where we were. I hadn¡¯t expected the Dojo to be on some secret hidden mountain but all I saw was a dirty alleyway.


    ¡°Master¡­ is this the back entrance?¡±


    ¡°Nah, this is the only one. Makes it easier to keep people out.¡±


    Master had clearly decided less was more¡­ and that obscurity via decline was the best way to hide. The front of the Dojo looked¡­ run down at best. More like it¡¯d been fifty years since it was made and in all that time, no one had cleaned it or taken good care of it. There was graffiti on the side. One that even showed a stick figure drawing that looked like¡­ a woman and donkey were¡­ ah.


    ¡°Master¡­ do you want me to clean this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No, not at all. Doing graffiti is fun. I personally made that one.¡± Master said, before pointing at the aforementioned woman and donkey.


    Of course. Why would I ever think Master made sense or did anything but what he wanted?


    ¡°Now come on, time for some real food.¡±


    My mouth began drooling. Food! I hadn¡¯t had food in over a month! Food food food food- Ah. Wait.


    ¡°Master, I haven¡¯t begged on the streets in a long while. I have no money.¡±


    ¡°Bah, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Master. I¡¯ll repay you when I can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rich, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I blinked at that. It should have been obvious, given the healing tank and Master owning his own Dojo. Not to mention whatever strength he¡¯d reached. Frankly, it should have been more shocking if he¡¯d been broke. But¡­


    ¡°You choose to live like this?¡±


    Master huffed and continued walking.


    The city was big and I¡¯d been all over it. I knew a lot of the general areas and certain places you just shouldn¡¯t go, ever, at all. That said, I would¡¯ve liked to be able to say I knew where we were at. I didn¡¯t. The city was just that big. It had to have a few million people in it at least. Actually, wait a minute.


    ¡°Master, how many people live in the city?¡±


    ¡°What am I, the internet? Booble it, but it¡¯s probably around fifty million.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t have access to Booble.¡±


    ¡°Do you think your fancy Vambrace is useless? Explore it, it comes with internet access, calls, blah blah. You know they¡¯ve started replacing cell phones these days? So weird¡­ I hate video calling yet now they¡¯re all the rage. I remember back in my day¡­¡±


    I fiddled with it while listening to Master speak of the good ole days. It hurt. It reminded me so much of Cranky Tuwa and the elders at that moment. The way they¡¯d always complain about how things had changed or how good things used to be and how much easier the youth had it now. A timeless classic from the old to the young.


    By the time I found the video call function and how to open the browser, we were on the main street. People passed us by and my eyes were flooded by a sea of numbers, if I focused right.


    [5] Man walking his dog.


    [??] Old guy


    [6] Dog man walking his monkey.


    [6] Fit woman talking on her Vambrace. Master gave her a frown, clearly missing cell phones.


    [??] Rock Golem ice cream vendor


    [2] A young child-


    I stopped and stared.


    [2]


    The number was [2].


    I stared at her. In shock and awe. My heart pounded like a drum and-


    Slowly, Master grabbed my face and turned it away, towards him. He raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation. His look brooked no argument.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m stronger than her.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well¡­ never do that again. Or at least stare at adults, like a normal creep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not- Master!¡±


    He chuckled while forcing me to speedwalk to keep up with his pace. But my mind still felt in turmoil.


    Yes. It had been a child¡­ but it was the first time I¡¯d ever known I was stronger than someone else. Anyone else. The very idea, the very fact¡­ it was the first time in twenty years that had ever happened. I could¡­ well I would never¡­ but I could beat her in a fight. That¡­ wasn¡¯t true a month ago.


    I¡¯d never be weaker than children again. Rather than anything like pride¡­ all I felt was existential relief. Children could be worse than gang members if they thought they had an advantage. Now if only I could be stronger than teenagers, I¡¯d really be living large¡­


    We finally reached the hot dog stand and Master got us both ones with everything on it. Not my favorite, I preferred mine with just ketchup, but it was still delicious. It was the first time I¡¯d eaten food in gods knows how long and good food? Well, it wasn¡¯t like beggars were choosers and the homeless had easy meals around¡­


    ¡°So,¡± Master said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about why you¡¯re about to fail.¡±


    My heart nearly froze.

 Chapter 11: First Real Fight

    ¡°Fail?¡±


    At what? At everything? At my whole life? What did Master mean?


    ¡°Yup.¡± Master said with a mouthful of hot dog. ¡°This is great by the way. But no, yeah. You¡¯re about to fail at your whole goal and at getting stronger and all of that. All at once. Pretty dire actually.¡±


    My heartbeat began to race. Panic began to set in.


    ¡°But, but Master¡­ how? Why? What am I doing wrong?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± He said, taking another bite out of his damn hot dog. Master was always so casual, even at moments like this¡­ where did his sense of urgency go?! Had it died with normalcy as he aged? ¡°Well, it¡¯s really simple actually. You need two things to become stronger. To succeed. In everything really.¡±


    I listened with rapt attention. Even him taking another bite of his food didn¡¯t distract my focus.


    ¡°The first, is Pride.¡±


    ¡°Pride?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You need to have pride. You need to believe you¡¯re worth something and what you do or are trying to do or even going to do, is worth something. But mostly pride in yourself. It¡¯s what makes people rage when someone damages their car or kills people when they feel their dignity is hurt. Without pride you¡¯ll just let things go and move on. What do you care after all? If everything, even yourself, matters to you equally as much as someone stepping on some dirt in a foreign country twenty years ago, you¡¯ll never fight anything.¡±


    ¡°Master. I believe I have Pride-¡±


    ¡°Your pride is shit.¡± Master said, looking slightly angry for once. ¡°It¡¯s truly trash Mutai. But at least it¡¯s there. It exists. It can be developed further and already is, now that you¡¯re no longer the weakling you were. The problem is the second thing.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Alright. What is it?¡±


    ¡°In a word¡­ dissatisfaction.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that. Then both eyebrows as a confused look took over my face. Just, what? What? What on Vega was Master saying?


    ¡°Uhhh, what? Explain, please? Master I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m pretty dissatisfied.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Or at least, you¡¯re close to being not. Dissatisfaction isn¡¯t really the right word. More like¡­ pressure. A combination of the two. With only pride but never any dissatisfaction, you¡¯ll rest on your laurels and annihilate any source that bothers you but it won¡¯t be constant enough for you to progress. You¡¯ll become one of those uppity rich people or young masters satisfied with their meager power.¡±


    I blanched. The idea of me becoming either of those kinds of people felt downright sickening.


    ¡°Pressure without pride well, that¡¯s how you get long lasting oppression and also how people will just walk all over you without you ever doing anything back. Conflict avoidance does not a warrior or successful figure make. Anyone who¡¯s ever done anything worth anything, has made enemies and dealt with trash and shit on their way up.¡±


    I thought about it. And realized, horrifyingly, that I had been the second kind of person. That last day¡­ when I¡¯d met that gang¡­ I could have given in. It wouldn¡¯t have been the first time I¡¯d avoided conflict by giving my money or keeping my head down or going along with other people''s demands. Master hadn¡¯t said it, but conflicts also had a way of being¡­ unpleasant and deadly. But that was the point wasn¡¯t it? How could anyone do anything if they avoided conflict at every single turn?


    What would it have been like, if I hadn¡¯t avoided it? Not with the gang who¡¯d nearly killed me, but with people more in the realm of average human? That time another hobo took my money or when that lady had punched me in the gut. What would¡¯ve happened¡­ if I¡¯d actually fought them? Been more aggressive? Even if I¡¯d left with some extreme damage, I might¡¯ve survived. And that might¡¯ve pushed me forward to breaking that wall faster. A year or two of being an aggressive weakling and only picking fights with those at [5] or below¡­ I might¡¯ve already broken through by the time I met that gang.


    My eyes felt opened.


    But wait¡­


    ¡°You think I¡¯m not pressured enough? But-¡±


    ¡°Your goals are too far. They¡¯re beyond your horizons. You can¡¯t see them, you can¡¯t feel them, even the memories scorched into you are just that, scorched. They¡¯re not a burning fire needling in your gut all the time. You¡¯re getting too strong too fast for your own self. You¡¯ll crack [5] soon and then [6] and [7] and then what? Your desire for power needs to be more mortal.¡±


    I frowned and thought about that. It never felt like my goal of murdering Vega was too little. That felt like plenty of pressure. But Master wouldn¡¯t be saying all of this if he didn¡¯t truly believe it and well, he simply knew better than I did here. If he said I wasn¡¯t dissatisfied enough, then he was probably right.


    ¡°Well, what do I do then Master?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Master started. ¡°Power levels past five and ten don¡¯t go up linearly.¡±


    I blinked in surprise at the seemingly non-sequitur.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    Master just nodded, as if everything made sense.


    ¡°Yeah, past those points, power level scaling breaks down strangely. Oh, it¡¯s still extremely effective to know the difference, vital even. But a [10] can take on four or five [5]¡¯s. Maybe more depending on techniques, advantages, body shape, bloodlines, knowledge, magic, etc. And it only starts to grow from there. At some point, the ten percent rule comes into play.¡±


    I nodded along as if I understood why we were talking about this.


    ¡°The ten percent rule?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t run into it for a while, but it¡¯s simple. If someone has more or less than ten percent of your power level, you¡¯re not equal. Doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t win, just that a [63] fighting a [80] is going to have a really hard time. A [90]? Well, they¡¯ll probably be dead quickly. Course, these are just rough figures, I¡¯ve seen someone at half a power level win before. Oh, and uh, I guess don¡¯t underestimate those only ten percent lower?¡± Master shrugged.


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I said, still feeling uncertain.


    ¡°Anyway, just thought it¡¯d help keep you alive.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    A chill went up my spine. Something in me told me to run.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Suddenly, Master¡¯s hand was gripping the top of my head. My eyes shot open and I struggled, trying to pry him off. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°You know,¡± Master said casually, as if he didn¡¯t have my head in a death grip. ¡°Ki really is useful. Lots of utility.¡±


    I could see and feel a blue light above my head. As if something was glowing.


    ¡°Master?! W-What¡¯s going on? What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Like teleportation. Find the dojo if you survive and I¡¯ll train you some more.¡±


    ¡°Mast-¡±


    *****


    ¡°-er!¡±


    I blinked, my voice echoing back at me. What? Where, where am I?


    I looked around, seeing nothing but stone walls. No, not stone. Stone brick. But it was dark, the only source of light being from some kind of dim bulbs implanted into the side at set intervals. I was in a tunnel, on a walkway, with another on the opposite side. Between, there was a flowing thing of water. Wait a minute. This was-


    The smell slammed into me with a vengeance.


    I knew immediately where I was as my soul just about left my body. My heartbeat sped up as I gagged.


    ¡°Why-¡± I cut my voice off, fear overtaking me.


    Why am I in the sewer?!


    The sewer in Vega City was not normal. I thought I knew and understood sewers. I¡¯d heard about them before ever leaving my island. The one in Vega City was, unique. And deadly. And dangerous. And horrible and awful and-


    A skittering noise echoed out in the dark.


    Oh no.


    Out of the dim darkness¡­ came a rat.


    The size of my torso.


    I could feel panic begin to overtake me. A cold sweat broke out on my skin. That rat was huge. And it¡¯s power level, that¡­ I was in trouble.


    [7]


    It sniffed the air, its beady eyes looking all over. Had it not spotted me yet? The answer was taken from me as its head snapped towards me.


    I felt its weight slam into me, knocking me to my back. It¡¯d moved so fast! Its horrid breath poured down on top of me, reeking of rot and shit and death. Its claws pulled at my chest, leaving shallow scratches as my hands instinctively tried to push it off me. It was all I could do to barely hold it back and away and it wasn¡¯t a battle I was going to win for long.


    Its body lowered as it struggled harder and faster in my grip, my chest alighting into fiery pain as it began to carve into me. It¡¯s rat head squealed and squealed as it leaned down and-


    I barely moved my head out of the way as its teeth tore through the space between us, trying to bite my head off. They scraped against the stone with a nasty sound right next to my head. The weight was growing, my arms were failing, teeth were coming for me. The claws would kill me or the teeth would bite into my artery. I¡¯d be dead soon. I was going to die to a rat in a sewer looking for a meal.


    No! I refuse!


    Fury overtook me. I wasn¡¯t going to die like this. Not like this! I pushed, my muscles straining, my own aggression rising, and with a heave, I managed to throw it off me. My arms hurt, my chest was a bloody mess, and I was already tired and all I¡¯d managed to do was throw a rat off me.


    It was already back on its feet, hissing and growling at me.


    I wanted to run. So much of me wanted to run away. I was outmatched, outsped, this thing was at least two, maybe three times stronger than the current me. Logic hit first.


    It¡¯s just too fast.


    Rats were faster than people without a power advantage. With one, I didn¡¯t stand a chance. I¡¯d just get my back ripped apart.


    Emotion blossomed and slammed into my stomach next. Master¡¯s words reverberated inside me.


    ¡°Anyone who¡¯s ever done anything worth anything, has made enemies.¡±


    I was going to win. In that timeless moment, as a rat with over double my power level stared at me in anger and hunger, I realized it.


    I was going to win.


    It came fast, too fast for me to see. I was already moving. I wasn¡¯t thinking, thinking could come later or when I needed it. It was too fast for me to think right now, I was moving on instinct. Master¡¯s words practically flowed into my ears.


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    And for the first time¡­ I threw a fist that actually did something.


    It had leaped at me, aiming to do another flying tackle. I hadn¡¯t known. I¡¯d just punched forward, hoping to hit it. My fist slammed into its nose, knocking it back and making it let out a cry of pain. My fist hurt. I was still weak. This was like a weak teenager trying to beat a very fit adult. In so many ways, they¡¯d lose.


    But this wasn¡¯t a person. It was an angry animal.


    As it came again, I realized just what an angry animal could do. My punch didn¡¯t land this time and it slammed into me, rolling with me, biting and scratching and screaming. Its aggression was unlike anything I¡¯d ever faced. Fear lanced through me.


    And something awoke.


    Something dark and evil and furious came out of me. This thing was on me. This thing was hurting me. This thing was killing me.


    This thing thought it knew anger.


    I screamed and bit and headbutted and tore and tore. My fists and elbows landed when they could, my thumbs rammed into eyes, I bit its tongue, I rolled it onto its back and beat it with my fists. It gave as good as it got, blood running down me, pain lighting me up, but it didn¡¯t matter. This thing had never trained, it had never tried, it had only lived a life of survival.


    Well, guess what rat? So have I.


    It was stronger, it was faster, it might have even been meaner.


    I was angrier.


    My blows rained on its head, knocking it around even as it bit my arm and tore my flesh.


    But my punches weren¡¯t nothing anymore.


    They dazed it. Even weak, my punches were blows to the head and they had my full fury behind them. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill, I wasn¡¯t strong enough yet. But as it bit for my neck again, only barely missing, it shook its head in frustration.


    I didn¡¯t miss the chance.


    I shoved it down and tore into its neck with my teeth.


    It was like trying to bite through plaster covered in wet disgusting fur. I didn¡¯t stop. Not until I tore it out. The rat paused for only a second, the violence stilling, before it went berserk.


    It was dying now. I¡¯d killed it. Blood was pumping up through its neck where I¡¯d managed to bite through an artery. Red blood coated us both, like a fire hose splashing around us. It knew it was dying.


    And it was determined to take me with it.


    Claws ripped through flesh, teeth bit through my body, two of my fingers were nearly torn off and my body was growing weak from blood loss.


    But slowly.


    The fighting slowed.


    The aggression slowed.


    And I stared into the giant rat¡¯s eyes as its soul left its body.


    Just like when I¡¯d seen my mother die.


    I puked. I screamed in agony and puked.


    That was not a glorious fight.


    That was a dirty, deadly, awful, scrap in the shit and piss. That was a fight for survival. That was the death of another creature by my hands. That was¡­


    That was my first victory.


    I roared.

 Chapter 12: The Sewer is no place for anyone

    I heaved air in and out of my lungs. I¡¯d been in pain before, thank god for once. It was still nearly debilitating. It wasn¡¯t that it was too much, just that it was in too many places in too many odd ways. One of my hands had to be carefully pried open, my fingers half bitten through. My chest hurt and it made me want to lean a certain way, except I couldn¡¯t without causing a ton of other wounds to bother me.


    I¡¯d been more injured before but not with so many. That rat had carved me up like a turkey.


    And I was so exhausted. I just wanted to lay down and sleep forever. But if I did, I probably would. The sewers were dangerous. I nearly laughed, that felt like saying a fire was a little hot after almost being burned alive. That rat had nearly killed me.


    But I¡¯d won.


    I felt, of all things, a wide smile sprout on my torn lips.


    I was a mess, I might even die, but I¡¯d won. Not against something weaker than me but a level [7] creature. While I was only at three. A month ago, I¡¯d have never believed either of those statements separately, let alone together. I would have called it impossible.


    Yet I¡¯d done it. I nearly died, might still die from my wounds, but I¡¯d done it.


    Slowly, in agony, I stood up. The rat had been big and if there was any saving grace, its claws had been fiercely aimed at my chest and stomach. It had nearly disemboweled me but my legs still worked relatively fine and I hadn¡¯t lost my manhood or anything related. That was worth a miracle in and of itself.


    But I was still bleeding. A lot. Maybe even out.


    I briefly thought about taking off my Gi and trying to use it to staunch some of it but it would be like plugging a single hole out a million. I was just too scraped up for it to matter. I¡¯d either live or I¡¯d die.


    More sounds, more skittering.


    I made too much noise.


    There was a battle, the battle was over, things were going to come investigate. I had to get out of here. Luckily, I knew which way not to go. The skittering came from the same area the other rat had come. That meant at the very least there was no decision paralysis. I booked it the other way, running, not walking.


    There¡¯d be a time for being quiet, that time would come when rats that can move almost faster than I can see and scratch down to bone and bite through my neck weren¡¯t close by.


    The running did not help my wounds. They did not help them a single bit.


    Finally, I turned a corner and heaved like a mountain was crushing me. They were pained, aching breaths of air. I couldn¡¯t believe the thought I was having but I was so immensely thankful to Master right now. Without the training pushing myself to the limit, without that agony, I¡¯d probably be curled into a ball. I¡¯d never thought about it before, but my pain tolerance was going to have to go up if I ever wanted to beat anyone, let alone Vega.


    But I did beat someone. Or at least, something.


    It still didn¡¯t feel real. That I¡¯d won. That I¡¯d killed something. But that look of its soul leaving its body, the light going out of its eyes¡­ I¡¯d seen that twice now. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever forget it. They were both branded onto my memory.


    The death of my mother, by an evil monster.


    The death of a creature, by my hand.


    Why did both have to die?


    I shook my head, almost toppling over from how woozy I felt. One died because people are evil. Another died because creatures can be awful and greedy. Both paid the price for other''s actions but at least the rat got what it deserved even if it was only following its nature. But so was I. Except I¡¯d have let it live if I was stronger and it attacked me. It didn¡¯t seem inclined to give me the same luxury.


    I was thinking about this too much. The blood loss was getting to me.


    I was weak, it was hungry, I was on the menu. That was all. I fought, I defended myself, I¡¯d won.


    It was just¡­ the law of the powerful. The strong took and the weak endured or died.


    I needed more. I understood, right then and there, what Master had meant. About my desires not being mortal enough. It was all good and fine to want to kill that horrible monster but it was never pressing. It was never do or die right now, this exact second.


    If I didn¡¯t get stronger right now I was going to be eaten and die in this damn sewer. My desire for power was desperate, clawing, and panicked. I needed to be stronger. There were going to be more rats and worse in this sewer. I was already horribly injured. If I ran into literally anything else, I¡¯d die.


    I breathed deep, feeling painful tugs from literally all over my body. I¡¯d thought enough, I¡¯d stayed still enough. I needed to find a safer place.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Time passed as I walked through the tunnels. The same stone brick, the same flowing water, but there were different passageways. Branches that would sometimes be singular, ones that would sometimes be a crossroads. Even a few wooden bridges between the walkways. But always, the tunnels would be extensive. Labyrinthian. Whoever had designed or made this sewer was a madman at best. My bare feet stepped on things I¡¯d rather not think about. Mostly a slick stone walkway.


    There were no manholes or way out that I saw. Unsurprising. The sewers had very few entrances and exits. All guarded, at least, that I knew of them. The sewers below the city were known to have giant man-eating creatures, insane and dangerous people, and worse. Any conversation that I¡¯d ever heard about it, had mostly come from horror stories of something rising up from them.


    It wasn¡¯t a place anyone should actually go to.


    Skittering. Closer now. My eyes went wide, realizing it was too close.


    I turned¡­ and froze.


    [3]


    A rat. But¡­


    [4]


    [3]


    [4]


    [4]


    [4]


    [4]


    [3]


    [3]


    [3]


    [4]


    [3]


    And more¡­ and more. That¡­ that was a whole horde of rats. They weren¡¯t as big as the last one, only the size of a small dog but¡­ there sure were a lot of them. Dozens. Hundreds? I swallowed, staring at them all.


    They stared with their beady eyes, all glaring at me. Wait. Glaring?


    Uh oh.


    As one, they seemed to screech in a million different rat squeaks at once.


    I ran.


    I sprinted as fast as I could but I could already hear some of the rats catching up. I pushed harder. There was no way on this planet I¡¯d survive that horde, they¡¯d tear me apart in moments! I was going to die if I so much as tripped.


    I barrelled down tunnels, the rats close behind, my blood falling in divets, sweat along with it, my wounds practically screaming at me.


    I couldn¡¯t slow down. I had to, I had to find a way to get away.


    Faster. Harder. I took those lessons to heart, pushing for all I was worth and then some. My balance nearly killed me twice, but I was keeping up. But there was no end in sight. It was just more and more tunnels. Where did all these rats even come from?!


    I tripped. The floor was slick and I tripped.


    I skidded across, terror flowing over me. I saw it then, turning around. I saw the hoard of rats practically light up in glee. They paused, the same way a snake would pause right before going for the lunge. My eyes went wide in terror, but I readied myself as best I could.


    I wasn¡¯t going to die here! I wouldn¡¯t! I would-


    In a flash, in an instant, there was motion. It was so quick that it was only the single moment when it stopped that I truly saw it.


    [??]


    An alligator. A really, really big alligator. Big enough that it opened its mouth¡­ and ate the whole hoard of rats in one bite. I froze, not moving a single muscle.


    Faster than I could blink, it was gone, sinking back into the water. It¡¯s meal sated. It hadn¡¯t even looked at me. Even as it left, I didn¡¯t move. My eyes, oh so cautiously, turned to my left to see the water.


    There wasn¡¯t even a ripple or any sign that it lurked there.


    My heart hammered in my chest. My eyes didn¡¯t leave the water. All was silent for a long, long moment. Finally, painfully, I let out the breath I hadn¡¯t known I¡¯d been holding. I laid my back on the disgusting walkway, just taking a moment.


    ¡°That was too close.¡±


    If that gator had decided to aim a bit more forward instead of for the rats¡­ I¡¯d have been gone. There was no way I was surviving or even realizing I¡¯d been eaten by that thing before it was too late. How did it even fit in the water or the tunnel?


    I glanced to my left and it took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize something through my foggy brain.


    I wasn¡¯t in a normal tunnel. This one was huge. I¡¯d have needed to swim across it to make it to the other side and it wouldn¡¯t exactly be a short swim. What on Vega was going on with this sewer? This felt more like a small underground river.


    I frowned.


    Maybe that was exactly what it was.


    Vega City wasn¡¯t exactly coastal per se, but it wasn¡¯t that far from the ocean. An underground river wouldn¡¯t have been that weird. Why anyone would build a sewer around it or with that in mind, especially like this one, was beyond me. But a river meant it might lead to the ocean. The ocean wasn¡¯t the sewer.


    That meant I needed to follow this thing to find a way out. It was better than any other plan I had.


    I tried to move¡­ and couldn¡¯t.


    I felt¡­ weak.


    Weaker than I ever had.


    That¡¯s¡­ weird.


    I struggled. I knew what this was. I was passing out. I couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­


    No! I couldn¡¯t pass out here, I¡¯d die!


    I had to find someplace¡­ someplace safe.


    Through a titanic effort of will, I rolled onto my side.


    One arm on the wall. One foot underneath.


    Standing. I was standing.


    I had to keep going. I needed to. I had to find somewhere safe or I¡¯d die. Had to- to-


    My eyes swam as black nearly took over my vision and my body tried to topple.


    No! No. I had to, to find¡­


    Tired.


    No.


    Step. Step.


    Safe. I just needed¡­ somewhere¡­


    Safe.


    Safe.


    Safe!

 Chapter 13: A Miserable Wake Up

    I woke up feeling like burnt shit.


    Everything hurt in too many ways. Parts of me were sore. Other parts were enflamed. My chest ached like literal fire was in it. I had a fever and cold sweat was breaking out of me as my body shivered. I felt sick. Thirst and hunger grasped at me, their urging unfamiliar.


    I¡¯d been coddled.


    That was the first thought through my hazy brain. I wasn¡¯t ready for this, I wasn¡¯t prepared for this. Master had devoted everything to helping me break through and increasing my power. The rest¡­ he¡¯d left me on my own. To live or die.


    But at that moment I hated how much he did for me. I hadn¡¯t gone hungry or been sick or even been thirsty in over a month. He¡¯d always stabbed me with nutrients or hooked me up to an IV or shoved me into the healing tank. It was like I¡¯d had another paradise ripped from me.


    I snorted in amusement.


    Yeah, it sure didn¡¯t feel like a paradise when I was living it.


    Then again, death from disease and infection and feeling like your stomach will fall out of you in three different ways changed your perspective. I breathed deep, focusing. I wasn¡¯t safe. I didn¡¯t know where I was. I didn¡¯t remember finding any place I could pass out in. But apparently, I had.


    I was¡­ for the life of me, it looked like I was in a crevice.


    There was a single small hole leading out near my feet and all around me, just rock. My body was practically squashed inside here. The hole was so small that I didn¡¯t know if I was going to be able to even get out. I was shocked I¡¯d managed to get in.


    But I had to leave. Something had made this, no doubt about it. And whatever or whoever¡¯s home I was invading, could chew through stone brick and rock given enough time. Hilariously, I hoped it was a rat. If it was anything else, my chances would go from low to zero.


    I didn¡¯t want to move. My body was exhausted, my throat was dry, my body was covered in brutal wounds and scratches that had only barely closed, if at all. I was hungry, felt like I was poisoned, and could feel an infection setting in on every single place I¡¯d been hurt. My gi and underwear were soaked with my blood, rat blood, and more. It stuck to my skin in a way that made me feel disgusted.


    Even dying in agony hadn¡¯t felt so totally miserable. It¡¯s as if someone had dumped every single awful way a human could feel at once on top of me. It was rapidly taking the third spot on the worst way I¡¯d ever woken up. Right behind waking up from Vega and when I thought the Smile Company was trying to drown me in a healing tank.


    I breathed a shaky breath.


    I still needed to get out of here. Death was close by and would only get closer, not farther. I needed healing, I needed help, and I needed power.


    I wasn¡¯t going to get that by sleeping and dying in a hole in the wall.


    It took me longer than I¡¯d wanted to get out. I didn¡¯t know what was on the other side, which was terrifying, and I didn¡¯t want to make too much noise. Not to mention that the hole was barely wide enough for my hips, I felt like I was truly dying, and everything felt sluggish and sore¡­ it probably took me the better part of an hour.


    I¡¯d begun to think I was stuck and would never be getting out. Mutai, died in a hole. That would be my end. It wasn¡¯t a comforting thought, which just made me struggle all the more.


    Once I finally got out, I scrambled to my feet, eyes staring out. I had nearly died twice within an hour of being here and I saw no reason that would change. Except there was no way I¡¯d be able to run or fight in my current condition. I was on a walkway, where I¡¯d somehow managed to find and crawl into a random hole. The only indication of the way I came was the trail of dried blood leading to here.


    I needed to find somewhere safe to eat, drink, and heal.


    It dawned on me then, painfully. I wasn¡¯t getting out of here in a day or two. I needed my wounds to heal and they were only going to do that slowly. I needed this fever and disease to break if they did at all. I needed food and water that hopefully wouldn¡¯t poison me.


    I grimaced, hard.


    I was going to be in this sewer for weeks, maybe months.


    And I didn¡¯t have any idea how to survive in this environment. In so many ways, this was worse than being lost in a forest. There were a lot more things trying to kill me, the water I could have was poisoned, I was hopelessly lost, and all the ¡®food¡¯ would fight back.


    ¡°God damn it old man¡­ was this really the only way?¡±


    This was a death sentence disguised as training. I was incredibly grateful to Master¡­ but I hadn¡¯t been wrong about my impressions. His eyes were like steel dipped into ice. Dead and hard. His nonchalance was just the ultimate expression of not caring about anything. I was grateful, so incredibly grateful for what he¡¯d done, but this¡­


    We would have to talk if I survived this.


    The first thing I had to do was get lucky. If I ran into a swarm or a large rat I was dead. I couldn¡¯t make too much noise either but that would only go so far.


    Quietly, cautiously, I walked through the dark tunnels. Only to stop. I looked back, ideas dawning on me. This area¡­ was pretty safe. The rats made too much noise, they¡¯d get eaten by the alligator. If I was very careful and very quiet, I could survive. As for the rats¡­ I eyed the water.


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    A good throw would solve my problems if it was a large one. I¡¯d just have to hope the alligator didn¡¯t murder me too.


    I resolved in my heart, this was going to be my base. I¡¯d have to be deadly quiet but there was value in living next to an apex predator.


    I felt, smarter. I had never been stupid but this¡­ I didn¡¯t remember ever having these kinds of survival instincts. But maybe I had. The same feeling that made someone look away when someone strong came at them was now screaming at me.


    Food. Water. Shelter. Power. Protection.


    Evolution itself was guiding me through this primal world.


    I coughed out blood and nearly fell head first into the water.


    I could worry about my sudden clarity later. I needed to start finding food and water now.


    *****


    There was really only one thing to do. I continued on, following the path I¡¯d been heading. I didn¡¯t dare drink the water flowing nearby. That wouldn¡¯t be a good way to go out, drinking sewer water. I was feeling sick enough as is. That would probably send me to the afterlife within a day¡­ or maybe an hour, depending.


    I need fresh water. My throat ached and burned. My body shivered and a constant feeling of lightheadedness wouldn¡¯t leave me. I stumbled and even fell, each time more terrifying than the last as I froze, worried a hungry gator monstrously strong would be my end before I even had time to realize it.


    It wasn¡¯t but I never let my guard down, keeping my ears sharp. That had been my only warning for the rats before.


    And before long, I heard it.


    Skittering.


    I panicked. It was coming from the walkway on the other side but everything connected. Would they hunt me down if they saw me? Would the gators eat them before that? Heart hammering, my mind raced, trying to come up with something, anything! I needed to hide. I needed to somehow hide on a flat walkway right now.


    The skittering grew louder, I could hear it echoing. Down in the distance I could see small brown dots. I was running out of time. They¡¯d see me, they¡¯d screech, they¡¯d hunt me down.


    They¡¯d kill me.


    Now. I needed to do something now!


    Survival grabbed me by the wheel and took control. I swung a fist, shattering a light. Darkness descended in the area and I hunched, unmoving within it.


    Moments later, moving quickly but more quietly now, was a family of rats. Three of them, all bigger than my head but smaller than the first one.


    [5]


    [5]


    [5]


    My heart beat erratically in my chest, the tension nearly made me retch, and I did my best not to move a muscle. The rats walked by¡­ and kept going. They didn¡¯t look at me, they didn¡¯t see me, and when I couldn¡¯t even hear them, I finally let out the breath I¡¯d been holding.


    I collapsed with my back towards the wall, sliding down it. That had been too close. I looked at my hand, adding broken glass to the list of injuries. It was so small compared to everything else. Barely a minor inconvenience.


    I hadn¡¯t been thinking, I hadn¡¯t known what to do. I¡¯d just, I¡¯d panicked and smashed the light out of some primal instinct to hide.


    But I couldn¡¯t linger. Nothing had changed. I was still dying of thirst and soon, I¡¯d be dying of everything else if I didn¡¯t get food before I grew too weak.


    I continued on, following the walkway. Slowly, it began to do something I hadn¡¯t seen before. It had already gone longer than my vision could see but now it¡­ began to bend. Instead of a sharp turn, the path was bending.


    My nerves spiked up. I already had no idea when I¡¯d meet another terrifying creature or even just another rat but not being able to see what was in front of me was horrifying. I could walk around the bend and run right into a monster.


    Forward I went, heart hammering, nerves on fire. My body shook like a leaf, my knees felt weak, and I suddenly missed my mother¡¯s cooking so, so much for some reason. Blood loss was terrible. I felt dizzy and my body felt both so hot and so cold.


    Finally, I was around the bend and-


    ¡­


    I realized two things in that moment.


    One, the person who had made this place was crazy.


    And two, whether male or female, I was going to kiss them when I got out of here.


    In front of me was something I was fairly certain no sewer in existence should have actually had. There was a wide walkway, a massive area, where the water ended, hitting a grate. From the sides, small flows of water pooled down, causing the massive room to have what looked like a thin coat of water evenly spread out across the ground.


    I didn¡¯t know how it was possible. I didn¡¯t know why. Some of the water spilled towards the river going into the grate but most seemed to just stay still like a pond after the rain.


    And it looked fresh.


    I was never going to get another or better chance. Caution was observed but it was a wide and mostly well lit area for once. Massive lights hung from the ceiling, only causing further confusion. Why was this area so well lit but the rest had significant areas of darkness all around? Why have proper lighting here but nowhere else I¡¯d seen in this labyrinth?


    I pushed away my confusion, it could wait. I hobbled my way towards one of the streams flowing down. If I was unlucky¡­ this was going to be terrible.


    I leaned forward and let some fall in my mouth.


    I waited for a moment. Waited for a terrible, awful, disgusting flavor to take hold of my senses. Instead the water tasted¡­ clean.


    I cried.


    Pure tears of joy streamed down my face. I¡¯d somehow found clean water in a sewer. Was this part of the process of cleaning it? Did they not just dump it all out into the ocean?


    Whatever the answer was, I had clean water.


    I¡¯d never take it for granted again. I¡¯d never realized how precious water was till I needed it. Another day and¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have lasted another day I realized. My body was weak enough as is, how much longer could I have searched? Before I grew too tired? Before something found me? If I hadn¡¯t found any today¡­ I sure as hell wouldn¡¯t have tomorrow.


    I stared at the water in awe.


    It almost made me miss the croaking.

 Chapter 14: A whole lotta life

    I blinked, turning quickly. The room was large and had what looked like a natural turn towards the right, as well as a tunnel leading down. That tunnel was where the noise was coming from. I blinked, only to gape at what I was seeing.


    I¡¯d seen a lot of weird things in Vega City, but still, I¡¯d never seen a¡­ was that a humanoid toad man?


    I stared as he stared back at me. His skin was a very dull green, dry looking, with small brown streaks. He stood on two legs and had two arms, but the similarities with humans ended there. The legs looked like he was a professional gymnast, his thighs thick and his feet webbed things with three long toes. His arms followed suit, looking like he regularly went to a gym, with his hands being five nearly equally bulky fingers.


    And his head, well. Eyes and mouth check, but his face was a bit flat with two small holes for a nose and no hair anywhere to speak of. The top of his head was just smoothish toad skin.


    He looked less like a real creature and more like an action figure come to life.


    [8]


    Oh no.


    He saw me and immediately frowned. A toad man¡¯s frown was horrifying. He may not have eyebrows but his face could certainly narrow and bend the same way. His mouth was just so huge for his face, it looked like if he really tried he could bite my head off.


    And he was unhappy.


    And he was looking at me.


    My mind raced, thinking hard. This thing was going to kill me. I had moments before it decided it didn¡¯t like me and then I was dead.


    Even with moments to spare¡­ my mind came up blank.


    I couldn¡¯t run, I couldn¡¯t fight, I couldn¡¯t hide. It was staring right at me. What was left to do?!


    Against all better judgment¡­ I chose to hiss. I raised my hands, the meager fists I could, prepared to go down swinging. I didn¡¯t know how but I¡¯d been absolutely sure I was going to survive the rat. That I¡¯d find some way to victory.


    I wasn¡¯t confident here and now.


    This might truly be it.


    It didn¡¯t like that. It didn¡¯t like that at all. It stalked forward, murder in its eyes. Cautiously, slowly, I backed away. For a brief, fleeting moment, I thought I could make it. That it would just let me go. That maybe I seemed too strange, awkward, and deranged for it.


    It disabused me of that notion shortly.


    One second it was slowly approaching, the next it was rushing me so fast it was a miracle I even saw it coming. I threw a punch, aimed for its toady face and it dodged. It pulled back its own arm, lowered, and-


    All at once, my world seemed to break and shatter. I puked immediately as all the breath in my body left me heaving and gasping like a fish. Air refused to come in. The pain radiated in the same way getting hit in the balls did, affecting my whole body. My whole torso spasmed as it punched me in the gut. My pupils shook as my world broke.


    And then, like a horrible breath of fresh air, the pain really hit. Sharp, searing, burning, cramping. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and all I could do was fall to the ground in abject misery. The toad was long forgotten, the pain and misery all consuming.


    I groaned, moaning and weeping, as my whole body tried to pull itself together. It failed.


    The toad wasn¡¯t done however.


    I felt its slimy hand grip my ankle but I was in too much misery to even pay attention.


    Until I was airborne.


    With a grunt of exertion and a silent scream from me as my body was forcefully moved, it hoisted me over its head and shoulders¡­ and slammed me into the ground.


    I felt my nose break, my teeth shatter, and blackness pulled at my vision. The pain and intensity were so all consuming, so total, that I could do nothing but stare lifelessly my mouth agape. The toad reached down, grabbing me by the head.


    Whatever look it found must¡¯ve been enough. It dropped my head, stood up, and spit on me.


    Then¡­ it walked away.


    I lay there, broken, blood leaking out my mouth, mixing with the thin sheet of water on the ground.


    An eternity passed and at the end of it, blackness finally took me.


    *****


    I woke up screaming.


    Every fiber of my body hurt. Then multiplied. Then again and again. Every wound from the rat, every bite, every broken bone, all at once.


    I laid there, crying, wanting it to end.


    Wanting for it all to end.


    There was only pain.


    Hours passed, all miserable. I thought the toad would come back and finish me off but I never got that luxury. It was just pain and more pain.


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    Sleep came and went in spurts. Time was an illusion of hell. My mind spun and turned and in those depths a clarity unlike any other finally hit me.


    Why? Why did they have to die?


    Why is my life like this?


    Why?


    Paradise then hell, paradise then hell. Am I doomed? What cosmic deity hates me so much?


    Why¡­ why is this world so cruel?


    The darkness threatened to consume my soul. I could feel it, the blackness, rising up within me. Spreading and leeching all. My revenge, my hatred, my pain, it was all consumed in the inky void. In all the ways that mattered, Mutai was dying. My body, my mind, my soul.


    The world was cruel. It was hell. It was darkness and evil. So what? Why should I be any different? Why should I care?


    Rage swam up, like a dull red energy spreading through the darkness.


    I wanted to rip and tear and destroy. To kill, to rage against the heavens and my fate. But even it was consumed by the growing avalanche of darkness in me. The blackness threatened to swallow me whole. I should have stolen and killed. I could¡¯ve done more. I could¡¯ve poisoned a family and taken their money. Used it to buy a healing machine. Could¡¯ve kidnapped someone, another weak homeless person, and used them as a training dummy. Why was I even trying anyway? Master¡¯s words wrung in my ears. Vega killed my family. So what? Why does it matter. Why does anything matter? Should¡¯ve just bought that car and worked and moved on. I¡¯d still be alive.


    The dark thoughts continued as both my blood and emotions seeped out of me.


    In that terrible way, a rat entered my vision. It began to head towards my face, slowly, cautiously.


    [3]


    This was how I was to die. Eaten by rats. My eyes plucked out and swallowed.


    Fitting.


    I stared, watching the worst and slowest form of death I could imagine come for me. I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t care¡­ about anything anymore.


    It doesn¡¯t matter.


    The blackness, the depression, the hollowness. It encompassed me wholly.


    I closed my eyes.


    This was The End.


    .


    .


    .


    I love you Mutai.


    A glimmer in the black.


    Your father made meatloaf!


    Did not. I made Meatpancakes.


    Father! That¡¯s not a thing!


    Haha. Then explain how we are having it!


    A spark in the darkness.


    Mutai, I hope Tuwa doesn¡¯t find us.


    Don¡¯t worry Maui! She¡¯ll never know-


    What are you kids doing to my vegetables?!


    Run!


    A brightness that began to grow.


    Hey¡­ Mutai?


    Yeah Suma?


    I think uh¡­ I think¡­ I love you. But uh, like, a sister?


    Oh. Haha!


    You¡¯re¡­ are you okay?


    Suma¡­ I¡¯ve never had a sister before!


    You¡¯re so weird! I thought you¡¯d be upset!


    Huh? Even if it''s as siblings, at least you still love me!


    Growing more and more.


    Fetch me those planks Mutai!


    Y-Yes Juak! Why are they so heavy?!


    U-Uh, oh. We¡­ got¡­ heavier ones.


    ¡­We got heavier trees?


    Y-Yes!


    Juak, you¡¯re so weird.


    Just help me build this house you little jerk!


    Exploding brightness echoed outwards.


    Happy Birthday Mutai!


    W-Why are there so many people?!


    Come on Mutai, you only turn ten once!


    Yeah, cheer up brat. Enjoy your day already!


    It was Tuwa¡¯s idea. To get the whole village together.


    T-Tuwa? But¡­ I thought you hated me.


    Brat¡­ I¡¯m only going to say this once. I love you.


    We all do Mutai. The whole village does.


    We love you Mutai.


    I was a fool.


    I could feel the darkness breaking. The light shining through, past the misery, past the pain. I was loved once. I was loved once by so many people. So many friends and family, so many. But I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d forgotten about the good. It had only been about the pain, the revenge, the mission, the duty, the brokenness.


    I¡¯d forgotten the good times. The happy times. The times to be cherished and always remembered. My dad making meat pancakes, the time me and Maiu raided Tuwa''s vegetable garden, the time Suma had let me down gently only to make my heart grow happier, when I¡¯d built a treehouse with Juak, and even my tenth birthday.


    I¡¯d forgotten so much. I¡¯d let Vega take even that from me. I¡¯d let my family only weigh me down and hurt me, when they would be appalled at the very idea. The whole village had loved me and I¡¯d loved them. They were gone now. Gone, but never forgotten.


    The rat inched closer, hunger clear in its eyes.


    The pain was still there, the agony, all the terrible misery hadn¡¯t left me. My body was broken, I wanted to scream, and I was stuck in a dank and dangerous sewer.


    But the most important problem had gone away. My soul felt lighter and even through my broken face, a smile stretched across it. A determination lit up inside me. Live for myself and for others. I wasn¡¯t going to die here. I was going to keep going, if only so I could sit down and remember them again. So that I could enjoy the greatest gift they¡¯d left me with.


    The memory of them.


    The rat inched closer and finally, it was within range.


    Fierce blinding determination flowed through me. Not just for survival but for something even more worthwhile. To truly live. I was alive and that meant more than a heartbeat or a brain. It meant to strive, to grow, to experience, and to enjoy.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to get there lying down in the muck and dying. It was a kill or be killed world and I had made my choice.


    I lunged, the rat trying to back away, but it was too late. I bit down, the rat frantically trying to free itself, but I bit down hard. Once, twice. And finally, a third. It stilled, its head torn off. I swallowed quickly, along with the rest of the rat, barely chewing.


    This world was cruel¡­ but it could also be beautiful.


    I¡¯d embrace both.

 Chapter 15: Sewer? I hardly know her!

    The first day was the hardest. They oh so often are. My wounds were brutal, far more brutal than I realized. I was lucky to be alive. The rat I¡¯d eaten didn¡¯t sit right, not at all, but I didn¡¯t lack for a toilet. The river was right there, though concerns about falling over were definitely had. As was making too much noise.


    I collected and drank as much water as I could. I also finally stripped out of my Gi and underwear. Being nude in a sewer was immediately a horrible idea and feeling but the grime was so much that I had honestly started to feel weighed down. That split moment of slowness could actually kill me, so, the clothes had to go.


    I tossed them, carefully, down the tunnel the toad had come from. Walking towards it, I noticed a wide branching turn, making the room lead down into a much more expanded area. It looked like someone had seen the rest of the sewer and decided ¡°Why not bigger?¡± A whole massive floor all covered with a thin thing of water, with varying amounts of water flowing from holes on the side. It boggled my mind continuously but I wasn¡¯t about to learn anything by staring.


    Hopefully though, nothing would come through there. Hopefully, the toad would see my clothes and make a sound that alerted me, allowing me to run. Hopefully, I wouldn¡¯t die of parasites, infection, or disease. Lots of different hopes there.


    The water didn¡¯t get me clean, not nearly. It did get me mildly less awful and that already felt like a god send from heaven. Cleaning my wounds was a bit too little too late but I¡¯d take it. Carefully looking over my body, the worst by far was actually my stomach. It had nasty puncture wounds from the giant rat¡¯s teeth and a massive black bruise that hurt unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced.


    Everything hurt, all the time, constantly. A lot.


    I was not happy when I learned that pissing blood was my new regular.


    That was only the beginning of the many, many problems I had.


    But! I could remember my family happily now and that was honestly, probably, well worth the trade. I¡¯d have done anything before to have the kind of lightness I felt now. Becoming this broken was honestly pushing it but well, it would all be worth it in the end.


    My head felt woozy, my body felt sick and cold and hot, parts of me were broken and I¡¯d only barely missed having any significant broken bones by some sort of miracle. The toad had only, probably, left me alone because it thought it had killed me with those two moves. My front teeth were ruined, my lip torn, my hair a grimy mess, and the only parts of me miraculously mostly undamaged were my legs and back.


    In other words, I was good to go.


    Collecting and drinking water was easy now. I just had to be absolutely certain there wasn¡¯t a toad and then leave as soon as I had my fill, while keeping my ears active and listening. The slightest twitch of anything unusual would have me moving. I could theoretically throw a big rat into the water or get lucky with a horde via alligator but another toad would kill me.


    When I wasn¡¯t getting water, I was getting rats. This was both easy and hard. Rats traveled in packs or hordes. The sewer was also filled with them and they weren¡¯t shy about trying to kill you. I avoided multiple big ones, by the grace of finding out they had terrible eyesight. The path between my hole in the wall and the water was becoming scarily dark from all the bulbs I was breaking but it had to be done.


    The rats didn¡¯t like the dark but they¡¯d go in it. I¡¯d seen another horde while silently traveling around the tunnels. I had to. I needed to map out the area, figure out the prey and the predators, and make do. I hadn¡¯t been chased but I was quickly hating the dark. It felt dangerous. It was dangerous. But necessary.


    Actually getting single rats to eat sucked. It sucked a lot. But they truly were everywhere. Just not near the alligator river. I failed more times than I succeeded, before I finally figured out that playing dead was a very viable strategy.


    Eating them was worse. It was raw meat, probably riddled with parasites. I choked and threw up more than a few times. I had no way of making a fire and no idea how to. I was really praying for the best but on the lookout for anything that could make heat.


    There was nothing, of course.


    The tunnel probably led somewhere useful, but toads were that way. At least one and that was one too many. The turn in the big room probably also went somewhere but the idea of running into anything I didn¡¯t already know about was horrifying.


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    I needed to be better healed and stronger before that.


    And speaking of¡­ I had something I¡¯d almost forgotten about till I had started removing clothes.


    My Vambrace. The one Master had gifted me. A look at it proved shocking.


    [4.12]


    I had grown stronger. By a lot. That was from one fight, one run, and one ass beating. And yet it was over a fifteen percent increase. My growth had been higher past [2] but that was ridiculous. I made it a point right then and there not to look too much at that feature of my Vambrace. It would corrupt me. I needed strength and power but I could already imagine myself having [5] and thinking that was enough to fight a toad.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    Best to continue assuming I¡¯m weak and desperately try to gain power then think I¡¯m strong enough or let my mind get clouded by pride.


    That wasn¡¯t the only useful feature the Vambrace had however. I was in a life or death situation and any tool was going to be used right now. I¡¯d have even taken a gun, despite the extreme stigma people had about them. The tool of cowards and oppressors, useless past a certain power level. But still, I¡¯d have taken it immediately.


    I shook my head. My thoughts were still blown to pieces at the best of times.


    The Vambrace had video calling, which I¡¯d immediately tried only to get no signal. Which wasn¡¯t really surprising. It also had access to the internet, but also again, no signal. I was probably pretty deep underground then. The power level reader was ignored, though it was amusing that it, of course, went both ways. I could read others, not that I needed to. My eyes had been cursed since that fateful day to always see power levels.


    The vambrace also came with music, ignored. It could take photos and videos, which was useless to me. And it could store information, which was finally the first useful aspect it had. Notes alone would¡¯ve been good enough but a drawing app on it let me actually make a real map. That was invaluable.


    The second best thing, was the flashlight.


    It turned out that rats had terrible eyesight and didn¡¯t do well against a suddenly bright light.


    And so the days continued on and on.


    *****


    A week later, the first real problem started rearing its ugly head. I was sick. Really sick. Deathly sick. But there was no medicine down here, no healing, only me.


    I did as best I could, stayed quiet as best I could, but my body still shook like a leaf and I fell in and out of consciousness with a high fever more than a few times.


    My confidence waned, hard, in my continued survival. I even thought about trying the toad path or the right path to find some way out but I knew that was hopeless. I just had to tough it out. Sickness didn¡¯t last forever. My body would adapt, adjust, break the fever, and then I¡¯d feel like shit but I¡¯d manage.


    Or I¡¯d die because it killed me.


    The infection didn¡¯t help. Having a bunch of open wounds in a sewer was bad for health. I was pockmarked and parts of me had strangely gone green. That was probably bad. The abscess and pus were pretty awful though. The high fever that felt like my brain was burning and melting helped take my mind off it though.


    Catching rats became strangely easier. They took one look at me and thought I was practically already dead.


    While fair, that seemed pretty rude.


    The sickness only got worse and worse and by the end of it, delirium started slamming into me. I lost track of time completely. Seconds felt like hours, hours like days, and days¡­ I don¡¯t know.


    It was all a horrible blur. There was fighting. Eating. Running. I ate a dog sized rat. Puking. I fell into the water with alligators once I think somehow. All bad.


    Finally, after who knows how long, I realized I was sitting down.


    The pain had also receded by a massive margin. My mind was coming back. The clarity of it at least. It took a few more days before my mind truly cleared up at all, but when it did, I nearly burst out laughing. It was only the hard fought desire to stay alive that stopped me.


    I was alive.


    I wasn¡¯t well, not at all.


    But I was still alive.


    My wounds had healed up enough. However long it had been in that horrific state of delirium, I¡¯d made it. Somehow. I could¡¯ve sworn I¡¯d spent a week unable to move at one point there but time was practically an illusion without having a sun or a moon. It could have been only an hour or it could have been a month. There was just no way of knowing.


    The important thing was I was alive and well enough. My body felt¡­ awful, terrible, and still broken. But I could at least throw a fist again. I¡¯d put it at even odds I could beat that giant rat again.


    I smiled a broken smile.


    I wasn¡¯t going to get out of here without growing stronger and those big rats? Well, those were just punching bags in disguise.


    It was time to get stronger again.

 Chapter 16: USW. Underground Sewer Wrestling!

    The sewers were worse than I remembered. Which was saying a lot. It was a mix of things. My hearing had improved, or at least, became deadly focused on sounds. My own sounds had grown quieter and quieter and even breathing too loud caused me to wince. And because of those things, the sewer had opened up to me.


    I could hear water dripping down, echoing throughout the tunnels. The rush of the current between the walkways, all feeding into the bigger river and down through other areas. The squeak of rats all throughout and then periods of nearly deafening silence. That wasn¡¯t all. I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but I could hear an¡­ airflow. I couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from but the passage of air through the tunnels created a nearly imperceptible ambient sound.


    My own breathing mixed in made it all the worse. It was like I was surrounded by noise, despite how quiet it all was. I never thought near silence could be so loud.


    The worst parts were the mysteries. I could hear things that weren¡¯t rats out there. Some made¡­ slopping sounds. Like meat slapping and dragging against stone. Others made sounds like rattling chains. They were far but the thought of running into them chilled me. I was healed, I was ready, and my soul had been lightened but, I was still in danger. So much danger.


    I stalked the tunnels, moving from dark alcove to dark alcove. My goal today was simple. It was time to start another fight to the death. This time without suffering nearly as terrible injuries, hopefully.


    I needed another big rat.


    There were smaller groups I ran into. And for once, I didn¡¯t avoid them.


    [4]


    [5]


    [4]


    [4]


    They turned a corner. I¡¯d realized something interesting. The rats were somewhat starving. They formed groups and then ate other rats. I¡¯d seen it. Any lone rat was usually prey. Sometimes bigger groups came out ahead or rarely, formed into an even bigger group. In a way, it was fascinating. In another, it was horrifying. It was only a matter of time before I ran into another horde.


    I waited in the dark. The rats this time were only the size of small dogs. Hopefully an easy fight.


    They approached my side of the walkway. Normally I¡¯d have run long before this, having heard their approach. This time I didn¡¯t, waiting in silence.


    They didn¡¯t like the dark. They hesitated, trying to peer in, hoping to see if there was a predator there.


    There was.


    I burst out, running at them. I aimed for the strongest first, feeling my foot launch it back and down the pathway. The rats were surprised and jumped back in fear. A far cry from the first rat I¡¯d fought. They were fast, they could get away, but running away didn¡¯t seem to be in the blood of rats down here. Cowards, they were not.


    I was on the second one immediately. I¡¯d been taught the aggression of rats and I used those lessons well. My fingers wrapped around dirty fur and slammed the creature''s head into the stone as fast and as hard as I could. It was dead within moments.


    The other two came at me then. Biting, flailing, scratching. Beads of blood ran down my legs but another quick kick launched another and I made short work of the second. The first rat was coming back now. Stronger, faster than the others. Even stronger than me. It was faster, more durable, and had more strength, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    I dodged its lunge and grabbed its tail, taking another lesson from another creature. This time the toad man. I swung and huffed, as I slammed the rat into the stone. I tried to go for a second swing but that turned out to be a mistake. I felt the second to last rat latch onto my foot and not let go. I hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention to it, too in the moment.


    It made me drop the rat and from there, it devolved into an annoying fight of claws, teeth, biting, and stomps and kicks.


    I won in the end, but with an annoying amount of damage. Not dangerous or deadly or anything but another ten of those and I¡¯d be right back where I was before. I needed to be more careful.


    Especially with the prey I was going after.


    I continued on my way, idly tearing off the fur of one of the bigger rats and eating its flesh. I was used to it by now. It was amazing what you could get used to.


    Finally though, I saw what I wanted.


    [6]


    I frowned.


    It was bigger. The same size as the rat that had nearly killed me. But a whole level weaker. But, I knew. I could tell. This wouldn¡¯t be the same as fighting the [5] rat. This was¡­ a qualitative difference. A big jump up in strength and power and speed.


    Not to mention, it¡¯d be less lopsided like the weaker rats. The last [5] rat had only very technically been as strong as a human. Its weight and size had hampered it, a lot. This rat was going to sail past that point.


    I waited, cautiously. But this time, I wasn¡¯t going to waste an advantage. Tools in fighting only made you weaker. No one who had ever used a weapon regularly had gotten that much stronger than someone who used their bare bodies and fists. It was frowned upon for a reason.


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    But this wasn¡¯t just some training, this was a fight to the death.


    It approached and I held my breath as the tap of its claws against the stone echoed out. Closer. Closer. Till finally-


    A bright light erupted into the rat¡¯s vision. It hissed and squeaked but I was on it in a flash, punching into its head. I¡¯d learned. I didn¡¯t have claws or fangs. I had fists and teeth. And my teeth were broken. For once, that was in my favor.


    One fist didn¡¯t do anything but I didn¡¯t let up, wailing into it. But the rat proved different than the weak ones. Even half blind, it attacked, lunging at me with teeth open to latch on and claws ready to rake into me. I didn¡¯t let it. Fast it may be, so incredibly fast, but I was stronger now. My perception and speed had grown and it wasn¡¯t as fast as the last one. Barely, I dodged. It soared past me and by the time I turned it was already jumping at me again, teeth nearly at my head.


    So fast-!


    A panicked duck was all that saved me from losing an eye at best.


    This time I reacted the same moment I heard its claws touch the ground. I threw out a punch, feeling its nose connect with it. I couldn¡¯t let this thing get on top of me. That tackle was far more deadly than it seemed. If they got you on the ground they could maul you with every claw as fast as they could run. You¡¯d be dead in moments. I had the dozens of crisscrossing scars across my chest to prove it.


    I didn¡¯t let up. Letting up on aggression meant death with these things. Blow after blow rained into its head while it snapped and tried to bite at me, bulldozing into my legs, trying to latch on. I moved, knees smacking into it when it decided to stay low but injuries were unavoidable. It clawed at my thighs and bit into them, nearly taking a chunk before a sharp combo of knee and elbow made it let go.


    Finally, I realized I¡¯d been going about things wrong. I¡¯d never kill it. Not with fists in the realm of human still. The skull was too thick. I couldn¡¯t shatter bone yet with them. I needed to learn further from the rats.


    I backed away, pretending like I was going to run. It was only prior experience that let me avoid its flying form going through the air. The moment it sailed past me, I leapt, crashing on top of it. It bucked and railed, going ballistic as it felt my full body weight press it down. It rolled, it tried to bite me, but I held on. Both arms wrapped around it as I bit into its neck.


    My broken front teeth acted like the world¡¯s least effective shiv. But I¡¯d done this with flat teeth once, I could do it with this. I bit and bit and bit, my teeth sinking in, causing it to bleed. I aimed for the artery but a bucking, frantic, angry rat was a difficult opponent to aim for at the best of times.


    Minutes passed and finally, I bit into something more important. Or had just torn my way inside.


    Blood came out in torrents now, far more than the last time I¡¯d done this. Blood poured into my mouth but I¡¯d been eating raw dead rats. I was used to this by now and didn¡¯t stop biting and biting and biting and-


    And it was dead. I blinked, before quickly moving. It was dead but fighting was loud. Something would come. I needed to get the hell out of here right now, immediately.


    Turn after turn came and went and finally, I slowed, hiding in a dark alcove I¡¯d prepared, the light already busted.


    I waited, listening. Focusing, making sure not a single sound was missed. A dozen minutes must have passed. Nothing was growing louder. Nothing was coming after me.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, that just came out as a mouthful of blood. I found it amusing. I had spit out a mouthful of blood but it wasn¡¯t mine for once. I had also won. And far easier than last time.


    My body was covered in wounds, yes, but they were mostly minor. Scratches and divots, sure, but the only really bad one was that bite on my leg. I¡¯d say that one was going to take stitches but it¡¯s not like I had that down here. I¡¯d simply have to hope for the best like the rest of my wounds. More parts of me might be going green though. The flesh that didn¡¯t close had a habit of doing that I¡¯d noticed.


    I breathed, thinking back to the battle.


    I¡¯d underestimated their speed again. I thought I had it, that I was ready, but the jump from [5] to [6] was crazy. It was a miracle and a half that I¡¯d won the fight against that first rat. The next problem was damage. I¡¯d had half a plan but I should have thought about it more. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d just fight and maybe win but I hadn¡¯t planned far enough ahead. I was always going to have to bite into its neck, I had no other realistic ways of killing these things right now. Well, not quickly at least. A half hour of bludgeoning its head in might work but by that time something else would¡¯ve shown up and then it was my speed against both of theirs. A losing battle if there ever was one.


    What else?


    Half an hour must¡¯ve passed while I thought about it. I wasn¡¯t stupid but I also wasn¡¯t a fighting prodigy. Hell, I¡¯d been in a grand total of three fights now where I wasn¡¯t single handledly destroyed.


    Pride and joy lit up inside me at that.


    It wasn¡¯t that long ago that I was permanently stuck at power level [1]. Now I was- No. No it didn¡¯t matter what I was, I had to use my own skills here to judge that. Listening to a machine about how strong I was, even looking up at my own, it was a disaster waiting to happen. But still, I¡¯d progressed. I¡¯d grown to at least [4] and was well on my way to growing farther.


    I almost couldn¡¯t believe it. That I was [4] times stronger than I used to be. That I had won three fights. It felt like a dream come true. How strange, to feel so much joy and pleasure at purely winning. It almost felt, sacrilegious. Like I was defying the world and the heavens. Maybe I was. But more than anything, even diseased, infected, and with a litany of health issues¡­ even through all the pain and the misery, I took in the sewer.


    The river of piss and shit, the squeaking of massive rats, the faint noises of flesh smacking on stone, the rattling of chains, the dark alcoves, the terrible grime seeping into me. In all ways, it was horrible. Beyond horrible. Others might have just given up long before they had to eat raw rat.


    And yet¡­


    I felt so much joy. It almost scared me.


    I was fighting things, dangerous things. And I was winning.


    This, This! This was what it meant to be a Warrior!


    *****


    In the deep darkness below the city¡­


    A broad grin stretched over broken teeth and through torn lips. Eyes lit up with passion.


    And a new monster was born.

 Chapter 17: Mutai Goes Buck Wild

    ¡°Rip and Tear until it is done.¡± - Wild man from the sewers.


    *****


    The days swam together but now they were exciting in a way previously lacked. Fighting. It sang to me, unlike anything else. It was a way and form of improvement denied to me for so long. What use was fighting when you were weaker than a child? Who would you even fight?


    But now! Now I could. I¡¯d stockpiled meat too. My hole was too small, so I¡¯d begun clawing and clawing at it with my fingernails. The rock was tough but my fingernails and fingers would heal, it wouldn¡¯t. In a few more months, I might even be comfortable.


    In the meantime, I¡¯d begun devouring meat. Fighting was exhausting but I could feel it flowing through me. Knowledge, experience, skill. The smaller rats needed to be attacked a certain way, they would attack a certain way, and my fists knew where and how to hit.


    A kick here, a punch there, a throw, a stomp, it was almost amusingly fun to fight the smaller rats. But they were no challenge. They were just annoyances between me and the real enemy. I still avoided the bigger groups because strength could only do so much against numbers, but I ruthlessly hunted down the bigger rats.


    Most were the same I¡¯d fought before. But a few¡­


    [7]


    It was night and day between now and my first fight. For starters, at some point I began to actually be able to see them move. For the next, tearing out throats with my sharpened teeth was no longer nearly impossibly difficult.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate, blinding it, tackling it, and trying to rip out its throat. It flailed, it kicked, it clawed and bit. But I was Mutai. I was a Warrior! And I wasn¡¯t going to die here. I gripped its body close and bit and tore. But I ended up far too wounded from it. To the point I had to take it easy for over a week after a single fight.


    The water area was still deathly worrying and once, I¡¯d even heard a croak. I had run with all my speed without looking back and heard nothing following me, but the fear had been real.


    This wasn¡¯t tenable. It was a miracle I¡¯d survived the sickness and it was a miracle the toadman hadn¡¯t returned and ran into me. I needed some way to store the water. Easier said than done. All I had were half eaten rat corpses.


    But the things you¡¯ll do in the name of survival, they¡¯re gruesome.


    A hollowed and ripped open rat¡­ technically could contain water.


    It wasn¡¯t the only tool I made use of. My hair had begun getting too long and in the way. It was already grimy enough, it needed to go. A lot of trial and error with rat bones and claws finally saw it coming off. I stared at my dark hair coming off in chunks and pieces. The water wasn¡¯t nearly reflective enough but I did my best.


    I¡¯d also had the bright idea to start trying to use the tools to better dig out the hole. It made too much noise. A pity. But oh well, what can you do?


    I fought. More and more. Energy and vigor filled me. But I had to improve my ability to limit damage. Which was easier said than done. The only way I could properly fight was to bite their necks through to cause them to bleed out.


    Or was it?


    The days all blended together but today, I decided I would try something new.


    *****


    It took a while but I found a [6] rat. I had to search farther for them and dodge not one but two hordes of rats. That was a worrying development to find. I had no idea what they were eating besides each other. Well, if there was anything else, I hadn¡¯t run into it yet.


    This time, I fought differently. I still blinded and ambushed it but I didn¡¯t tackle it this time. I focused and punched. I was cautious, my aggression was great but I reined it in. My punches slammed into its face over and over, dazing it, but doing no real damage.


    It squeaked and yelled but I merely grinned and kept going. A dodge, a kick, a roll, but always punch after punch, backtracking along the walkway. It always came at me, squeaking in rage. But I didn¡¯t stop. Not even when I heard more squeaks coming.


    What finally showed up first was a small group of five and not a horde, thankfully. But I finally got to see something I hadn¡¯t before. The enemy rats didn¡¯t rush to help their fellow, they attacked us both. I¡¯d seen rats fight each other but never a smaller group go after a bigger one.


    That only left two for me to deal with and they were dead quickly, only being [3] and [4]. The rat for its end didn¡¯t take long to tear its fellow brethren apart either. There was a brief moment of pause, as we both stood among corpses, and glared at each other. Well, it glared and I grinned like a lunatic. I couldn¡¯t help it. Every fight was fun and new now. Perhaps I¡¯d gone insane down here but then again, none of the battles felt like I was going to die.


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    Even now, I knew I was going to win.


    It rushed and I rained more blows into its face, only barely managing not to lose a finger, and constantly having to dodge and move to not be hurt. Once I even had to shove it into the water and do a palm strike for breathing room but always we fought. Another two groups ambushed us but neither were any threat.


    As the minutes ticked by, it slowed.


    And it slowed.


    More and more.


    It was getting tired, which baffled me. I was tired, sure, but not exhausted. It was stronger, it had better everything than me. How was it tiring out more quickly? The thought plagued my mind as it lunged, tried to tackle me, bit at my legs, and clawed at me.


    Finally, it clicked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been pushed this far have you?¡±


    My voice felt rusty and broken, coming out strangely hoarse through my broken teeth. I even nearly cut my tongue. But it was true. This rat had more endurance but that didn¡¯t mean it could use it all. It also didn¡¯t know how to conserve its stamina. It was going all out, trying to hunt and kill and survive, and it was dooming it. Humans were stronger than they knew and I guess so were rats. This might be the most tired it had ever been.


    I laughed, letting my joy ring out. There was no use being too silent in fights, I¡¯d already made too much noise in every single one I¡¯d fought.


    I continued and finally, it stopped, panting, dazed from my blows.


    Then came a part of the fight I didn¡¯t enjoy.


    I punched and punched and punched and-


    Stopped.


    Everything in my body froze all at once as I thought about what I was doing and why. I had won the fight. I wasn¡¯t hungry. It¡­ my pupils shook.


    It wasn¡¯t a threat to me.


    The other rats, they could¡¯ve gotten in the way. They made my fight more dangerous. They had to go. They had to die. But this one¡­ there was no more fight. I¡¯d won. I was just killing it because¡­ it would kill me? It was dangerous?


    I didn¡¯t need to kill it.


    I was stronger than it.


    I had won the fight.


    Something in me broke open. A sound like steam and a groan escaped my mouth, as a mix of feelings unlike any other arose within me.


    I was stronger. I¡¯d won. I didn¡¯t need to kill it. I had won without killing. I could let it live.


    Those, none of those had ever been real options before. It was kill or be killed and now, and now! Here I was, seeking a fight, finding it, and winning! All without needing to kill anything!


    Tears streamed from my eyes.


    I was feeling so much.


    Joy, relief, shock, pride. I had won. I had truly won. It was no longer just a desperate scramble for survival. I had grown strong enough to decide, to choose, to seek and fight, and to let go if I wanted to. Death, death was now only an option.


    That kind of power, that kind of choice, it floored me.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­.hahaha!¡±


    I stared at the stone ceiling, letting my emotions roll over me. I don¡¯t know how long I stood there, experiencing the shock and awe, but I was broken out of it as I heard the sound of claws on stone. The rat had begun to stand.


    I could kill it. I could.


    But what would be the point?


    I wasn¡¯t hungry. I didn¡¯t like killing. It was gruesome and gross and reminded me of the worst parts of my family''s lives. The day they were all taken away. The look in the rat¡¯s eyes was always the same way my mother¡¯s was. That emptiness, the look of the soul leaving the body, I truly hated it. It hurt me every time but I¡¯d grown numb to it now.


    But it didn¡¯t need to be that way anymore.


    Killing gained me nothing. Not anymore. Not from this rat.


    How hadn¡¯t I realized this earlier? Fighting¡­ fighting without having to kill was the best. Not only that, but it was grossly overpowering. A warrior held life and death in their hands. Not just death. Could I even call myself a true warrior, if I wasn¡¯t strong enough to survive without killing?


    I laughed out loud again and punched the rat in the head. It fell, knocked out.


    I stretched, feeling lighter than air.


    Death would come. I¡¯d be forced to kill things too strong for me to survive without doing so. I also still needed to eat. Survival of the fittest after all.


    But I had choice now.


    It was like the sweetest of elixirs. I hadn¡¯t felt this good since I¡¯d been in a healing tank.


    And not only that! I¡¯d won with my fists without taking any damage! I barely even felt that tired. This, this! Now this was winning! I¡¯d won in every way that counted, in every way that mattered, in every way that a warrior could!


    It was intoxicating, being this strong!


    ¡°Come on you rats! Fight me! Come one, come all! I¡¯ll show you how strong this Mutai is!¡±


    I ran, sprinting down the tunnels. I needed to find more! More rats to fight! More rats to win against!


    Not in a desperate scramble for survival, but as a true warrior!

 Chapter 18: Meat and Chains

    We all make mistakes. Some take longer than others to materialize. Some are barely survived, if at all. Some doom you.


    I was trying to decide which I¡¯d just run into as I looked at my burnt arm and heard the wailing.


    ¡°I was too cocky.¡± I chuckled to myself.


    I leaned back against the wall and decided to think about my family for now.


    I¡¯d have to make a choice soon.


    *****


    Earlier


    I could feel the power radiating through me! I felt stronger than I had, I was stronger than I ever was and I embraced it fully. I ran down the corridors, running into different groups of rats. The smaller ones I tackled, fought, and scrapped. I was sadly forced to kill them, their small size actually making it harder to keep alive than to not when it came down to it.


    The next fight I tried harder to manage it and ended up having to fight more and more rats that showed up. Unusually, these all seemed to just solidly gang up on me. I didn¡¯t know by what esoteric rules the rats decided who was foe and ally among their kind but this time I seemed to have lost that gamble. Three become four became seven became a dozen.


    And by the end of it?


    I left twelve rats the size of small dogs beaten, bruised, and hurt. But alive. And with only mild injuries to show for it. None of them would even scar! I laughed, taking it all in. It was beyond intoxicating for once in my life to be strong. To fight things that would kill a weaker man, a weaker Mutai, a hundred times over, and come out on top!


    My soul felt light, my fists felt solid, my feet felt steady, and despite everything, I felt better than I ever had. If I got strong enough, I might even be able to purge the diseased flesh! I was truly living on top of the world, despite being in a sewer!


    The fighting continued and continued, each one bringing with it more than I could have ever hoped to gain. New ways to fight, new ways to move, new quickness, new movements. I learned quickly, every injury a new lesson on what to avoid. I couldn¡¯t just win. I had to win while taking as little damage as possible and keeping my enemies alive.


    That last one was purely a luxury and because of that, it was the sweetest of victories.


    But it also served as effective training. In a few ways, I was hobbling myself, making it harder to fight. In others, I was learning how to properly fight. Not all opponents would be as easy as these rats. Not all would simply fall from jumping on the big ones and biting into their neck or throwing the smaller ones towards the ground. No. I¡¯d seen that toad man. He was going to take this sort of fighting, my punches to his body.


    I grinned in a pained grimace. I was also going to take his own move and use it against him. Make him know how it feels to have your stomach nearly punched through.


    Days became weeks and changes were apparent. Smaller rats seemed to join together more, groups got bigger, and hordes became more common. I could outrun them with ease now but once, just once, I decided to try and fight one.


    It was glorious.


    It was the most enduring, longest lasting fight I had. I had to constantly back peddle, practically running backwards, while throwing out mostly kicks but also a few punches here and there. Stomping and killing the weaker rats when I could, diving into turns to get even a single moment more of pause, hiding in dark alcoves and ambushing them with light from my Vambrace. I had thought it impossible to fight a horde and in many, many ways, I wasn¡¯t wrong. But no challenge would stop me! I would push the boundaries till it broke. I couldn¡¯t fight a horde, but I could slowly destroy it over time.


    Long lasting it may have been but nothing could be forever. A large rat intervened and then I was forced to run away for all my might. I managed to avoid the horde but it was the first time I had to run away and fight a large rat. It was dangerous. Its claws raked into my back and nearly hit something vital. I fought with all my might for that one, but any delay allowed the horde to catch up.


    I finally managed to both kill it and run away from the horde. In many ways, it reminded me of my first day here but the difference was staggering. Hurt? Yeah, I was hurt, but I had won and felt better than ever. I would have liked to beat the horde but some things just weren¡¯t possible without being able to hit a whole lot of enemies at once. I was many things, but not an army.


    When the big rats started to group up, I struggled. Fighting two torso sized rats was far more than twice as difficult and practically eliminated half my advantages and made so fighting cautiously was the only option. I would call that battle a draw, at first. I got away and one seemed to be knocked out.


    Still, I didn¡¯t stop. The things I could learn from fighting two enemies at once was vast. I got better, I got stronger! And I explored further.


    New enemies awaited. I¡¯d practically beaten all the rats I could but I still didn¡¯t know if I was ready for the toad man. But I¡¯d heard the slopping of meat and the smacking of chains. It was finally time to explore those corridors.


    Carefully, I walked down, keeping my eyes open. The first thing I noticed was how many more rats were here. They seemed to be everywhere and that was saying something. And they always attacked on sight, en mass. Their power level was the only thing keeping me from being totally overwhelmed.


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    [2]


    [3]


    The vast majority were just normal rats.


    Finally though, I found the source of the slopping meat sound. I thought I was prepared for anything. I expected a new enemy, something that slapped against the ground to move.


    I was not ready for what I saw.


    I turned the corner, only to see what seemed like a hundred rats eating something. For once, to my astonishment, they ignored me totally and completely. The thing, whatever it was, kept moving. I could barely see what it was underneath all the rats.


    It walked forward, mindlessly, making large meaty sounds on the ground.


    [2]


    It was, weak. Pitifully so. Whatever this creature was, it was no enemy. It was a poor victim of rats. I heard a loud meaty thwack and turned towards the source. Another creature, but this one had come from the ceiling. I only now noticed a hole there.


    It stood and-


    My heart broke and my mind spun.


    For starters, this thing¡­ it was dead. No matter what, it was a hundred percent dead. It looked like a person but, bloated. Skin stripped away but somehow filled in with more, meat. My first thought was a zombie. I¡¯d heard rumors they existed but to see one¡­ but if it was one, it wasn¡¯t anything like the stories.


    Where its legs should have been was just, tumors. More like an elephant¡¯s legs than a person''s. It was horrifying.


    Its clothes were, in a way, the worst part though.


    Because I recognized them.


    Stained and bloody they might be, but I¡¯d never forget that symbol. Two lines and a large crescent underneath. A smile.


    The Smile Company.


    I grimaced. The Smile Company was the one that followed after Vega, destroying the land and stripping it of its resources. Its HQ was here in the city but it apparently was spread all around, through many locations. Their people had been the ones to destroy my island for resources and force me to go to Vega City, a deal between them and Vega himself.


    I¡¯d mostly thought of them like the world¡¯s worst, most cruel vultures. Terrible, awful, and annoying, but my hatred towards them had been far more minor in comparison. They hadn¡¯t killed my family or destroyed my village, just my island. Terrible but, I had bigger worries and sources of vengeance.


    Looking at this though, it had a good way of growing my hatred in rapid time.


    I¡¯d been hearing these sounds for the entire time I¡¯d been down here. This was¡­ that had to be at least hundreds of people. How many more places did they dump their failed experiments out at? How long had they been doing it? Their kill count had to be higher, a lot higher.


    This¡­ this was evil.


    They were a technology company for god¡¯s sake¡­ why would they need to do so much human experimentation? Why would they need to kill so many? What on Vega were they doing?


    Bile in my mouth, I turned away. I knew what the rats were eating now and was far worse for it. There was no helping these¡­ Abominations. Their soul was gone, all that was left was a rotting corpse walking around, in all the wrong ways.


    I¡¯d make sure to stop this when I could, if I ever got strong enough. Fighting a company rather than a person seemed, nearly impossible. But I¡¯d figure it out. They deserved that and more for what they had done.


    Shaking off the malaise, horror, and disgust, I returned to my search. Meat wasn¡¯t the only sound I¡¯d picked up echoing across the tunnels. There were also chains. The sounds seemed to be louder, or perhaps just echoed more, because it took me a while to find and get to their source.


    I could hear them now, on the other side of the tunnel turn after I crossed one of the wooden bridges. Whatever it was was just around the corner.


    I prepared myself, smiling. Whatever this was, it was going to probably be a new enemy. I had no reason to believe anything that stayed down here for a long time was going to be anything short of hostile. I took a deep breath, and turned.


    I¡¯d expected chains.


    But until that exact moment, I hadn¡¯t realized that I¡¯d expected more than chains. Humanoid, two arms, two legs, bald, even a face, but composed entirely out of chains. Every step it took seemed to cause a million chains to grind against each other and even just standing still, its body seemed to be in constant motion. The chains moving almost like liquid through it.


    And yet all of that paled before one very important realization. One that made my heart skip a beat and my body go cold.


    [15]


    Oh.


    It turned towards me, eyes of glowing red narrowing.


    I tried to run but it raised a hand and snapped a finger.


    I saw a spark and then all was fire.


    *****


    I barely made it out alive. It hadn¡¯t even truly bothered to attack me. It had simply caused a spark and the sewer gas had exploded. A lucky, fearful dive into the nasty water had saved most of me but I felt like I had been boiled alive and my right arm had been burnt entirely. It was a miracle my Vambrace still worked at all.


    Now everything was in motion. Seeing me had set that thing off. It was some kinda, some sorta Chain Wraith. The ability to make sparks down here was far more dangerous than I had ever thought. I was practically sitting on top of a bomb at all times.


    I could hear explosions now, many explosions, which was bad. I was at home. If the noise was reaching me, it was only a matter of time before they reached the alligators below. They would come up and I would die. I could run away but how long till the chain wraith¡¯s were gone? Because there was definitely more than one.


    I couldn¡¯t fight those things. They were far beyond me. If I was truly unlucky, which seemed probable given my luck, they were actively searching and hunting for me right now. They were probably running into rats.


    I poked the bear and now I had a choice to make.


    I either run far, far away, and hope to find somewhere else I can escape.


    Or I explore the tunnel or the water room and potentially have to fight toad man or some new horrifically dangerous creature.


    ¡°I was definitely too cocky.¡± I chuckled.


    The choice was obvious and there was no time to spare.


    The river below was already stirring and the explosions were growing louder.


    It was time to fight a toad man.

 Chapter 19: Mutai VS Toad Man! Round 1!

    The choice wasn¡¯t really a choice.


    Trying to go somewhere else in the tunnels would get me killed, for sure. The explosions were only growing louder. I¡¯d set something off with the chain wraiths. I just had to hope the giant alligators would stop them.


    That left the tunnel at the end of the water room and the right of it that seemed to lead to a supersized version of the sewers. A whole vast area that seemed to be endlessly covered in a thin sheet of clean water.


    The problem was that nothing was there.


    Everything was everywhere. There were rats, alligators, horrible meat monstrosities, toad men, and chain wraiths. The sewers were many things but not desolate. A giant, wide, empty area? Unlikely. Considering I never saw any creatures running through there, it really meant only one thing.


    Something down that way was strong.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, but the closer I had gotten to the chain wraiths, the less rats I saw. The answer was obvious, it was the same reason almost none were near the alligators. Things didn¡¯t go near apex predators if they didn¡¯t have to.


    Caution had been quite literally exploded back into me. I cringed at the past. I¡¯d been so carefree, it was amazing I hadn¡¯t died when meeting something at power level [15]. Even if it wouldn¡¯t have helped¡­ I could have taken far more time to train up, been far more cautious, been quieter. I¡¯d approached it like I was ready for a fight when I should¡¯ve approached it like a terrified mouse ready to bolt. And in stealth. Even just backing up a few tunnels to get a better view of it from afar.


    I¡¯d messed up and now I had to leave.


    I wasn¡¯t even shocked when I saw the same toad man standing there at the entrance of the tunnel. What did bother me was that in the moment before it noticed me, it had been looking down the water room tunnels with a worried expression. That put a few different things and pieces in my mind together.


    This was a guard and there was definitely something dangerous down that way.


    He was worried something was going to come this way. Time was more limited than I thought.


    But all of that fell away as its eyes gazed at me. The explosions, the rats, the sewer, the chain wraiths, my injuries, all of it fell away. I took in its power level.


    [8]


    Still the same.


    The toad man looked shocked to see me and for my part¡­ I was ready.


    This thing had nearly killed me. It had permanently broken my face. My nose hadn¡¯t healed right and breathing was harder now. My front teeth were broken and I still sometimes cut my lips or tongue on them. It hurt. Everything hurt all the time and I¡¯d gotten used to it, but it still hurt.


    And that gut punch¡­ it had been the single most debilitating and shocking thing I had ever felt in my life. It had practically knocked the soul and air out of me all in one go. I limbered up, stretching. There was going to be no ambush. There couldn¡¯t be or I¡¯d have taken it. Idly, I¡¯d hoped I could just sneak by and avoid this fight, but it had been a long time coming.


    I was stronger now. Not as strong as it¡­ but stronger.


    I told myself I¡¯d avoid it but I needed to know the gap. I had used my Vambrace¡¯s power function before the fight. I strongly doubted it would make me confident but I needed to know what I was dealing with.


    The answer had shocked me.


    [6.12]


    I¡¯d shot all the way past normal human. I¡¯d skipped a power level. Or at least, I hadn¡¯t paid any attention to it while I was at it. Utter insanity. I was now around as strong as a human that actually worked out decently. It felt like too much and too little all at once. But given the environment, my rough health, and even my diet¡­ it was more than I could ask for. A lot more.


    But it would still be impossibly difficult. It was about the equivalent of a fit human versus one that went to the gym and pounded at weights every single day. Hell, I had a gut feeling it wasn¡¯t exactly at the low part of an [8] either.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be like this you know.¡± I said. ¡°You could just let me go. I just want out of the sewer.¡±


    If it understood any of my words, it showed no sign of it. Well, besides an increasingly angry glare. What did it have to be angry about? That it hadn¡¯t killed me last time? I frowned, remembering how it had spit on me. It might not understand my language but it most certainly had human intelligence.


    It got into a pose built for power and a part of me¡­  sighed in relief.


    ¡°Thank god. I really wanted to beat your ass.¡±


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    It rushed me, a fist the size of my head inches away from my face. I moved, letting out a scream as I launched my own fist at his. A toady croak mixed with a grunt was the only response as it dodged. For a brief moment, both our fists were extended past each other''s heads, eyes locking.


    It tried to throw a gut punch in that moment, a fist coming from my blind spot but I¡¯d been waiting for it. A quick side step and I smashed my elbow across its face. If it was mad before it looked pissed now. I didn¡¯t stop, raining blow after blow into it. It crossed its arms, blocking my punches, before surging forth and ignoring a jab to its face to land one across my chest.


    My chest creaked but my eyes blazed.


    Punch after punch was exchanged, blocking forgotten. Punches like cannonballs rained down on me. My face, my chest, my stomach, blow after blow after blow slammed into me. My stomach hurt, my arm cried out in agony, my lip cracked and my head felt rattled but I didn¡¯t stop. I pushed, raining just as many blows onto this damn toad! My punches had less effect but they weren¡¯t doing nothing.


    If you want a battle of endurance, I¡¯m not going to lose you bastard!


    With a mighty croak, the toad man threw a punch aiming to knock me out. But it might as well have been shouted from the rooftops. All power, no technique! I ducked down, feeling the wind blast over my head and came up in a rising uppercut, slamming the damn thing in the jaw.


    It stumbled back and I felt a grin stretch across me, blood leaking from the corners of my mouth. Take that you bastard.


    It stared at me, murder in its eyes, and let out a loud warcry. It ran in and no longer was I given the luxury of returning blows. Every punch felt just as strong as that one to the gut it had once given me and I didn¡¯t dare let any touch me. I ducked, weaved, and frantically dove out of the way. I couldn¡¯t afford to be hit by these, I knew. They were too strong.


    Then the toad did something I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    A leg came up, slamming into my side like a wrecking ball. I grit my teeth as I felt something break and was launched across the water. I frantically got up, narrowly missing a follow up leg drop that nearly saw a webbed heel breaking my head open. The toad was done playing around and I¡¯d severely underestimated its leg strength.


    At least one of my ribs was broken and breathing had suddenly become a pained, awful affair.


    And the fight had only just begun. It launched itself at me, its feet slamming into the ground and practically causing it to fire itself at me like a gun. It leapt, soaring over my head and I turned up just in time to realize it had one palm out and the other arm was cocked back for a punch.


    My eyes widened and I dropped, letting my legs collapse under me, as a fist came within centimeters of breaking my skull. I felt the wind from that punch blow back my hair as the toad man finished his leap. He must¡¯ve been rusty or really playing with me before because suddenly I was having to deal with a monster of movement.


    It pushed down again as soon as it landed and leapt at me, right leg fully sideways and prepared for a bone shattering kick. I didn¡¯t think, there wasn¡¯t time. I simply moved.


    It wasn¡¯t the only one that could jump.


    The quickest jump of my life narrowly had me dodging the leg, yet before I could even land, he did, throwing out a kick with the other leg that slammed into my chest. I winced as I felt my sternum nearly crack. This thing was a monster.


    Explosions rippled the chamber as it stared at me, one leg still extended. I breathed heavy, exhaustion clawing at me, one rib broken, and a mess of bruises forming on the rest of me. In all ways that mattered, I hadn¡¯t won any of that exchange. It was simply too fast, too strong, and too smart. It may look like an action figure toad made real but it was a monster with the mind of a person and far too much power for me.


    But I¡¯d win. I didn¡¯t know how, it may not even be possible, but I was going to figure out a way. Because not doing so meant death.


    I took a pained breath, feeling the way my body radiated and cried out to me. Every painful breath, every painful bruise, the beat of my heart, the air out my lungs, the blood pumping in my veins. Sweat poured down and my eyes locked on my target. I needed to win and I was going to give it all I had to make sure that was possible.


    I ran at him, feeling the water and stone beneath my feet. The putrid air and the humidity of the water. The squeaks of rats and the roars of alligators and the explosives of the chains. I took it all in and breathed it all out. It was only me and him and I was going to win.


    A blow came for my face that I ducked, feeling the air blow past my ear. Another came for me, and I turned, feeling my muscles stretch taunt, pulling me away from the inevitable. My own punch pushed through, burnt and black, wounded, infected, but with all the force I could muster anyway. It slammed into the side of its face and it croaked.


    More punches came for me but I didn¡¯t block or take them this time. I stared, my focus going into overtime as I dodged each and every one. They got faster and faster, but I forced myself to go farther. If I could see them, if I could see them! I could dodge them!


    Blow after blow after blow, dodge after dodge after dodge. I felt my bones crack against his face, his head, and his neck. He guarded, I aimed for his chest and sides, he moved, I followed. A rising knee came for me, I thrust one palm down meeting it and forcing myself above him for a split second. My elbow came down, cracking into his face.


    And for the first time, he bled. Purplish blood came out near the front of its face, slightly dribbling down. The first sign that it had taken any damage.


    It reacted with rage. The punches were harder to see, almost impossible to dodge. My head was moving so fast that it hurt and tracking every kick was nearly an impossible task. I couldn¡¯t see them, the punches too fast. When I felt a knee slam into my gut this time, it felt inevitable.


    A spinning kick from the toad was the follow up, cracking my jaw with its heel and sending me spinning away across the water.


    I struggled to get up. My vision was going dark and I couldn¡¯t breathe. There was no air. I dry heaved and gagged, blood pouring out my mouth. I was on my hands and knees, palms splayed out, trying to get back up. I turned, sweat clouding my vision as I struggled to pull in a breath. The toad man was approaching.


    This time, I knew. He wasn¡¯t going to let me leave alive if he caught me.


    Am I¡­ going to die here? After all this? After all this suffering, was this going to be it?


    No.


    I smiled, catching the toad man by surprise before-


    My fist punched into the ground. Again and again and again. A primal roar forced its way out of me as I screamed and felt my knuckles crack against the stone. As I forced air to come into me faster and faster, breathing faster and faster.


    With a roar I slammed my fists down and forced myself up.


    No more thought. No more worries.


    Only the fight!