Chapter 3 - Planning

— Three months later —

Lazas stood over the newly built cemetery, viewing the clear blue sky. The clouds passed above him while he quietly dazed on. Then, his eyes started to fall to the ground, seeing the nine gravestones. Quietly, the wind blew across the ground and over the graves. He felt the breeze flowing through him as his hair stood up. It has been a lot for the last few months.

The wind gave him a nice cool air as it gently touched his skin and flew over his sweat. It wasn’t too long ago that he was training, but he took a break from the workout to come over to pay respect. Of course, it was his father’s idea to start working out, to begin with, yet he quickly began to like it… like a lot. He hadn’t stopped training since his father died. His mother immediately grew worried for him when he tore several muscles and broke multiple bones doing so. After that, he couldn’t even move his body for a whole day. Yet, it showed progress as he could lift a large boulder that he struggled with in the beginning. It weighed over 150 pounds, and it was really hard for him to lift it. (75~Kg)

During his session and with a sudden inspiration, he gained an idea to use his Ki to regenerate his torn muscles. This rapidly sped up his training as he started to pick up tiny rocks, weighing over 50 pounds, 55 pounds, 65 pounds, 80 pounds, and then 115 pounds. Each new day, his progress showed. Where it would have taken months, now only takes days to become truly strong. A normal person would die before they even gained any muscles due to their decreasing lifespan. But, he has all the time in the world. If it wasn’t for his pain tolerance being ‘tested’ each day, his strength would grow endlessly. Plus, a human body could only grow so much, and it has its limit. The only thing he could do is to grow the other muscles on his body such as his leg. In the beginning, he placed big boulders over his shoulders to squat, but it was either not heavy enough or too heavy to pick it up. Seeing this, some of the villagers helped him place heavy logs over his back so it could be easier to balance. Oh boy, it did a number on those legs. It also doesn’t help that he has been kicking trees’ trunks while healing them over and over again. Then moving on, he trained his back, lats, abs, chest, etc. He also just did some pull-ups before coming here.

Training wasn’t the only thing he has done, he went hunting with the retired veteran hunters. He learned tips and tricks like learning how to tie a knot, how to track animals, how not to make any noise when hearing a sound, and more. Mavint and his friends were impressed by how naturally stealthy Lazas was. Plus, with his strength and dexterity, he easily hunted down the prey. Of course, he still had to get used to having one arm, but, for some reason, his fighting capability came very naturally to him. It’s probably his talent that Lucifer, may his Grace not be bothered by our presence, was talking about. Anyhow, the villagers were very happy with the new abundance of food.

Pulling his eyes away from the gravestones, he refocused and began to move away from the cemetery. He continued his training as he jogged his way to the river. He greeted the two young guards on duty when he passed by the gate. Just under a few minutes, he ran and finally got to the riverbank. The water drifted gently down the stream with a width of 20 feet. Of course, the surroundings are still filled with the jungle canopy, but there was a clearing next to the shoreline. Sitting there next to it is a man, looking a little lost. “Hey, Mavint. What’s you doing here?” Lazas said cheerfully.

Mavint turned his body on the rock to face him while the person in question started to kneel next to the water. He sighed, “Nothing much. Well… just thinking about the past. Not the past few months, I mean, because that was the wildest few weeks in my life. Everyone was just more active and moving just cause of a few orders from a little brat, huh?”

“Oh c’mon, it wasn’t me. It was the food we caught that caused that, and people got more energy to become more active, of course,” he muttered in between his sip of the water.

“Nah kid, you earned our respect, so stand proud. And face up,” he said seriously, dropping his joking tone.

“Hmm, I guess so,” he smirked as he stood up regally. “So, you were talking about the past?”

He let out another sigh, “Yeah, been thinking about new hunters and old. It’s really hard to train them with the old hunters gone. They shouldn’t have died back then, y’know. I sometimes think that I should’ve been there instead of my brother. Maybe, people would get annoyed at him cuz I’m the better brother, but… I don’t know. I… I should’ve died instead of him. I just wished things should have played out differently. I know, I know, even the gods can’t change the past.”

“Then, do something about it.”

Mavint went wide-eyed, but he just continued, “You already know history can’t be changed, so I can’t console you on that. So, do something about it. You could try to find a resolution, find inner peace, etc, or… you could try to make it so that it won’t happen again, just like me.”

He stared at the boy intensely, and all he found was unwavering determination in those eyes. “Heh, I guess so. Do you think my old bones could get stronger? It makes even more sense why you were training so hard, huh?”

“Yes, you can. My father was old just like you, yet he still fought on. He fought against monsters above his league, and he came out as a victor. No matter the age, we can fight, we can grow, and we can win. So to answer your question, yes, you can get stronger, and you will get stronger. So come join me.” he loudly stated with vigor and majesty as the surrounding turned quiet.

The faint image of the former chief glowed behind him, and a soft light surrounded him in a golden halo. Just as fast it appeared, it faded into nothingness like it was a part of his imagination. “Then, I am at your service.” he slowly spoke, and, just like so many others before him, he bowed in respect.

“Alright, stand up. There’s no need for such formalities,” he said, waving it off. “You are a loyal friend to Father and a good senior to everyone, so don’t bow your head so low. We are me- no… we are hunters, we are equal.”

“Haha, of course! Oh yeah before I forget to tell you, our preparations are ready. We have almost gathered everyone for the meeting as per your order.”

“Yes! Can’t wait to tell them what our god just said. It’s gonna be a big surprise. Hehehehe, let’s go!”

Before he went off back to the village, he quickly glanced at the river, seeing a figure. His reflection. His own reflection of a boy yet a man. Where his face still resembled a young boy, were defined lines placed across his cheeks. His slim physique such as his narrow waist and wrist made him look agile and dexterous. Under his clothes would be his hard abs and cut legs. His kicking of trees training arc did not go unnoticed as it looked shredded and beefy like the legs of a masterfully crafted Greek statue. He continued to stare at it as it still baffled him, seeing the difference that he is used to. Then, he suddenly shook his head and began to walk back.

It only took ten minutes before they reached the gate once more. They greeted the guards and were let in. “Oi, everyone! The chief is ready, so gather up. Except for Evan and Jacko, you two will stay guard. Everyone, he has an announcement to make!”

Everybody was now facing them as people gasped and whispered. Then, they quickly moved into positions around a circle as they had practiced for generations. In that circle is an open gap where the chief’s main tent was at. Everyone swiftly cleared out of the way as Lazas leisurely walked to his spot. When he finally reached his tent, he turned around and faced them. He saw all of his people quietly eyeing him with reverence and high esteem, including the guards, Vanvari, her parents, and the elders. He began to calmly speak, “Young and old, parents and children, hunters and veterans, I have been blessed by his Grace once again. Lucifer, may deference be upon his name, has sent me a message. He commands us to move westward to a new land. We shall strive there for the betterment of our children and elderly. We have been attacked by wild beasts for the past few months, and I won’t let it continue. He has told me to convince the other tribes to come along on our pilgrimage. Unification will be our goal! And we shall unite everyone to fight back against the beasts that roam these jungles. So, who’s with ME!”

“HOO - OAHH!”

“Good! We shall proceed with our plans. As y’all know, we have been making preparations for something big. Now, we shall lay them out. On to our food situation, we have gained a lot of it with the help of our young hunters volunteering. Unfortunately, If we bring most of our smoked meats and picked fruits, we won’t be able to stay fed during the long journey. Even then, the weight of it would only slow us down. To solve it, we will go savaging during the trip. The hunters and I will leave the main group and hunt separately. Speaking of which, before any of that, we shall not waste our time on hunting and foraging as we have an abundance of stock already. We shall spend our time wisely preparing and getting fed. I want all of you to train as we consume all of our food supply. Either that or we leave it here. All of us will train and gain some mass and muscles, including the women as well. We have grown a lot since we had the bountiful amount of food, but it is not enough to cross the wilderness.” he concisely said as he gazed over everyone, seeing them less skinny and more healthy than before. “Our elders and new hunters will teach all of you how to workout and train your body.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The dozen retired veterans nodded when he spoke, as well as the newly trained kids. The men and women started to turn to each other in confirmation. Some of them looked down at their children and nodded along, so they would have the ability to protect them. Vanvari’s father continued to stare at their young chief in wonderment at the new changes. He was proud yet worried. Hope the boy doesn’t collapse cause all the pressure and all that. It’s a heavy responsibility, and he's just a 14-year-old kid. Just like a father worrying about his son, he continued to absently contemplate as a little girl tried to get his attention. “Daddy! Did you hear that? We could become strong just like him! I’m gonna protect you when I’m that strong.”

Before her mother could speak, Lazas continued, “Our camping supply will be our most important luggage to bring with us. We need a place to sleep under. Sewolk and his son will be responsible for making our portable tents, so come to him if you want stuff done. He discovered a new plant that could help us sleep better in the jungle. Thank you, Sewolk.”

He and his son nodded in response. “On to the next topic, Mavint and Saber will take care of the training group, and the rest will be their assistants. Sewolk and his work league will handle the crafting and sewing. Evan will be allowed to pick and assign the guard positions. The children will be taken care of by Grandma Zehu. The training group will consist of ten people per time, and the worker group will switch half of their people in between. The rest can join in their free time while everybody goes around and helps what they can.”

Several villagers looked at each other, conversing with people who needed help or were looking to train themself. Vanvari went with her dad to meet Mr. Saber. As he noticed his surroundings, he nodded and said, “Good. Now, go. I will come back later to help out with training. Mavint, Evan, Ghud and his friends, Bosido, and Mother will come with me. Saber and Sewolk, stay here and help them out. Everyone, get moving, now.”

All the villagers started to shift into their assigned jobs and positions. The remainder of them followed Lazas while Evan assigned one of the young hunters to replace him. He slowly entered his 30 by 30 ft tent that was given to him when he became chief. In that tent was a finely crafted big round table made of wood, placed in the middle. Chairs surrounded it. There are two beds on each side, and a small fireplace on the far end. On the floor was a 20 ft wide black fur of an animal. Lazas lazily walked to the middle end of the table and sat down, hanging his free arm over the chair. The veterans and the rest followed suit. He took a comfortable position on the chair and relaxed on it. The fire, behind him, crackled, and he began to speak like the tradition dictates, “That went well. Oh my Lucifer, it was more tiring than I could imagine. Couldn’t believe I said all that.”

“You were a natural out there. I don't know what you’re talking about. It seemed pretty easy when you did it.”

“Well, yeah! Cause I've been practicing! Whatever,” he hmphed away from Mavint and turned to face Evan, “So, whatcha think of it?”

“That was great of course. The younger adults are going to be fuming with our new hero. They’re probably gonna try to reenact it,” he let out a sigh and continued, “Although, they still don’t respect me as much as they do with you. It has been very difficult to command them without the help of their parents.”

“Oh no… Guess I’ll talk to them later.”

Evan was still young, barely older than Lazas by 2 years, but his mature outlook was the reason why he was assigned his position. Even taking this into account, the younger generations were very reluctant to take orders from the same age as them. “You did good either way, my little baby,” his mother remarked.

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered, turning his head away as it blushed red. There’s people here, mom! “Ahem, well… first of all, how’s your daughter miss Bosido? Didn’t she say she wanted to become a hunter last time?”

“What, you curious about Vanvari? Oh my, do you ‘care’ about her that much?” she teased with a little more implication than needed.

“What! No, I’m… just, uh, it’s a new thing for me that girls want to become hunters.”

“Hehe, I’m just joking. If you want her, all you have to do is ask her out,” she chuckled as well as the others. “To be honest, I was just as surprised as you when she came to me and asked me if she could become a hunter. Of course, I didn’t want her to fight, but how could I say no? It would break her heart. At least she has the ambition to back it up. She’s a strong girl, she’ll be fine.”

He sighed while wiping his hair out his face, and definitely not the blush on it, “If you’re fine with it, then I guess it could work. Anyhow, how are the rest of the workers? Any news I should be concerned about?”

“Nope. Sewolk and his son got it covered.”

“Okay, good. Now… on to a heavier topic. How would we like to go about asking the other tribes? Most of them won’t be convinced by mere words.”

—

After the meeting was settled, they left one by one, except for Lazas. He was planning to go outside soon, but he was truly tired. He needed to take a break. Phew, that went better than expected. Well, let's play it back, just in case. How should we convince them? We must show that we are serious about this matter by putting our words into action. Hmm, like… letting them see our preparations for the migration. Check. He nodded. Then, the rest… ugh I don’t wanna think about it. Plus, we’ll figure out the rest later, I need to take a break.

He somehow merged even further into his chair. His body relaxed while his eyes stared at the floor. More specifically, he stared at the 20 ft black panther hide. It was truly a monstrous beast, but it was only just that. It ‘was’. He fought it for over 5 straight minutes while the attack of the dire wolves only took under 3 minutes. He had to as it was waiting to ambush a little boy trying to forage outside the village. Luckily, he was supervising and grabbed the boy out of the way, and he threw him across the jungle. Then, he fought tooth and nail as his spear broke. He tried to pull it out of the big cat, only to have it stuck in there to continuously bleed it out. So, he used his legs. His kicks were powerful, like air shatteringly powerful, but the hide of the panther was too thick to be pierced. It was down to who would drop first, and he did not falter. The beast wide-eyed as he saw the human begin to regenerate his large wounds. Then, the rest was history. He turned his gaze to the entrance with intensity and thought, “If it was someone else, if he were alone, if he wasn’t so lucky, he could’ve died. God damn it. Glad his parents scolded him.”

Then, he looked at the beast once again. He always wonders why the panther was so big and humans so small. It was monstrously over 10 feet tall. Was it just how the world works or did it eat to be that big?

(Author: Should have seen the dinosaurs. Lazas: the dino what?)

It couldn’t have gotten so big yet be so nimble, even the human body has limitations. Could they use Ki as well? He sighed again… need to be more careful with intelligent beasts. Also, the strange bamboo from Sewolk… felt weird. We found it by accident, and it was sending out an invisible energy. It wasn't Ki, I know that, but it felt like a condensed energy. No one else felt it though… weird. Unlike Ki, it felt fluid and airy, and the air around it was filled with that stuff. Wait, it was in the air! Ki couldn’t do that… ughhhhhh my head hurts. Well, at least it has a use for Sewolk. Can’t wait for those hammocks! Oh yeah, the energy was probably strengthening the bamboo as we tried to cut it at first. Unluckily, It was hard as a boulder. But when we cut it off, the material softened and the energy around it disappeared. Something along those lines… might have skipped over some of the details. Then, he began to close his eyes. Whatever, it’s not like Lucifer is listening on to me.

— Meanwhile with Lucifer —

(Extra short story for the end of the chapter)

After the battle of the black panther attack, Lucifer’s father, Lord of Creation, cheered in relief that the boy could be saved. Then, his mood quickly turned sour as he watched the panther die in pain. To make it worse, animals like those across the globe experience the same suffering, each day. The thought of it made him sad. He immediately teleported back to Lucifer’s domain, and Lucifer leisurely turned to him with a questioning gaze.

“Luci! Lucy. So many innocent creatures are dying. I can't let them suffer like this. What do I do?”

“Don’t worry. I can take care of this.”

“Really? You’ll do? :DDD”

“Yes, I’ll create a new hell,”

“NOOOO-”

“Father, it’s not like that. It’s more like a heavenly- hey! Afterli- stop it.”

“You mustn’t do it! Those things are the cutest! You. Must. Not!” He frantically grabbed Lucifer's dress and shook him back and forth.