*Horse neighing*

*Trop*

*Trop*

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - And what kind of training will we do now?

(Hitashi Olaf) - You will have to wait and see.

*Sigh*

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - At least you could have given me a hint.

*Trop*

*Trop*

When they got to the forest, they did not go too far in and they stopped, tied up the horses, scouted the area, and set up a camp.

(Hitashi Olaf) - We need to get some wood and food first.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - There are no animals in this forest.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Who mentioned anything about animals?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - What food then?

(Hitashi Olaf) - Vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, anything eatable.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - We could have just picked up something from the village.

(Hitashi Olaf) - This is part of your training.

*Sigh*

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Fine, I'll do it.

(Hitashi Olaf) - I am going to get the food first, you get the wood. I will teach you how to pick food later. Some things are poisonous.

*Step*

*Step*

*Grab*

*Crack*

*Grab*

*Step*

*Step*

*Throw*

*Drop*

*Step*

*Step*

*Grab*

*Step*

Ryuji gathered wood for about two hours but Olaf was not there every time Ryuji went to the camp. He thought Olaf just left him alone. After piling up a good amount of wood Ryuji waited, and nothing. No sign of Olaf. The horses were still tied up so he could only leave on foot. After another hour he came back with a sack. When he unpacked it, it had all kinds of berries and mushrooms.

(Hitashi Olaf) - We are lucky, a river is nearby and the water is clean.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - That means we have food and water, but what for?

(Hitashi Olaf) - We are going to camp here for 3 days.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - 3 days in this forest?

(Hitashi Olaf) - We can leave faster if you can master the next training.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - You still have not said a thing about the training.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Right. Well, it will be related to your sword.

*Swing*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Observe.

Olaf pulled out his sword and pointed it at a tree. He swung the sword at the tree with the dull side and made a deep dent in that tree. Ryuji has not seen anything like that before. When people are training they use the sharp side to cut, but Olaf was able to cut the tree with the dull side.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Your turn.

Ryuji pulled out my sword and tried to mimic his movements. But when his sword hit the tree he fell and there was not even a scratch on the tree.

(Hitashi Olaf) - 3 days might not be enough.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - How am I supposed to master this in 3 days?

(Hitashi Olaf) - You are not the first apprentice I had, and the best one mastered it in 3 days.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - What about your worst?

(Hitashi Olaf) - He died trying to do it.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

*Shocked*

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - How?

(Hitashi Olaf) - He thought using pure force will help, and the sword bounced from the tree cutting him.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Thank you for sharing this important information before starting.

(Hitashi Olaf) - You are the only one who knows this, although it will not help you much.

*Sigh*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Now let me explain to you how to pick the food, without getting poisoned.

Then Olaf showed him and explained where to find the mushrooms and berries, how to check if they are not poisonous and everything there is to know about surviving with the food you find in nature.

*Distant howling*

*Shaking*

(Hitashi Olaf) - We should be fine here.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - That sound will haunt me for the rest of my life.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Or until you are prepared to face it.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Do you know what makes that sound?

(Hitashi Olaf) - Not yet, but I am planning to find out eventually.

*Continues shaking*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Why don't you start training, it will help you pass the time while we are here.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Good idea.

*Picked up the sword*

*Hit*

*Thud*

*Distant howling*

*Hit*

Ryuji kept hitting that tree until the howling stopped. It was around midnight and they were sitting around the fire. Olaf prepared something to eat and then they took shifts to look overnight. Ryuji was not able to rest well, and when his shift came he was still tired.

There were some distant noises and howling, but Ryuji tried to not pay attention. And he was thinking of a way to improve his training, while Olaf was sleeping soundly. He told him that the force is not the key to improvement, but he did not say more. It was hard to figure out just that little piece of advice.

When the morning came Ryuji went to pick up his sword and resume his training, but he was shocked to see that the cut from Olaf on the tree was not there anymore. Ryuji thought he was imagining it, he thought maybe it was the wrong tree. But it wasn't. The tree somehow regenerated as if the forest was alive.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Do you see what I'm seeing?

(Hitashi Olaf) - What do you mean?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - The cut, is not there anymore.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Indeed it is weird. But how?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - I am as confused as you.

*Pick up the sword*

*Hit*

*Hit*

*Crack*

*Thud*

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Why did you cut the tree?

(Hitashi Olaf) - You will see tomorrow, now resume your training. I will head into the forest to gather some more wood.

*Nod*

*Pick up the sword*

*Swing*

*Hit*

*Swing*

*Thud*

It was so frustrating that he could not make a dent in a tree with the dull side. Ryuji also did not understand completely why do he need to train for something like this, when he could just use the sharp side.

There was something more to this training that he had to find out. Or he was just imagining it?

After two long hours of hitting a tree, and not being able to cut it, Ryuji decided to head into the forest to take a break. He was not scared this time, because the forest is quiet in the morning.

While walking in the forest Ryuji passed by the place where the tragedy happened. It was so clear like it was yesterday.

*Step*

*Step*

(Villager) - Oh . . .

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Good morning.

(Villager) - I was not expecting to see you around.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - I am currently training, and I am camping not far from here.

(Villager) - Training, camping, here?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - It does sound unbelievable, but can't do much about it.

(Villager) - And how it is, staying here overnight?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Besides all the noises and howling in the distance everything is good.

(Villager) - And the training?

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - It does not go as well as I hoped, I can't figure out something.

(Villager) - I'm sad to hear that, but I am sure you will figure it out.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Before you go, can I ask you to inform my parents that I am fine?

(Villager) - Sure.

*Step*

*Wave*

(Villager) - Good luck!

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Thank you!

After wandering around for some more time, Ryuji headed back to the camp, still thinking about what he could do about the training. Olaf also came back from the forest. Ryuji continued to hit the tree while Olaf was preparing lunch.

Ryuji kept thinking about that moment when he almost died while hitting the tree, and something unusual happened. When he saw the tree coming down right before the impact there was a loud thud and woke up from the dreaming state he was in.

*Loud thud*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Hmmm . . .

*Step*

*Step*

(Hitashi Olaf) - This is unexpected indeed.

When Ryuji looked at the tree his whole sword was sunk in it.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - I - I . . . I don't know what happened.

*Shaking*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Try again.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - I can't pull out the sword.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Let me try.

*Pull*

*Shake*

*Shake*

*Pull*

(Hitashi Olaf) - It is stuck.

*Pick up the sword*

(Hitashi Olaf) - Here, take mine.

*Grab*

*Prepare*

*Hit*

*Thud*

This time it was not as powerful as the last one, but Ryuji managed to make a dent in the tree with the dull side.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Looks like we can leave now, your training is done.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - Can we not stay more?

(Hitashi Olaf) - There is no point in staying more.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - What about the book?

(Hitashi Olaf) - For that, we do not need to camp in the forest.

(Yoshimoto Ryuji) - But there is no harm in it, is it? After all, I can continue my training and we can also explore the areas that were circled.

(Hitashi Olaf) - Fine, let's head back and grab the papers.

After convincing Olaf to continue with the forest, they went back to the village, grabbed the papers, and went back to camping. They decided to explore the marked areas the next day. While waiting for the night, Ryuji went and gathered some food, with the guidance received from Olaf.