Seeing Erhart once again lost in his thoughts, Zotoady gradually becomes more and more impatient. He scratches his head in annoyance and shouts out, “Don’t think it too hard now, young Erhart! Even if your brain is not hurting. By simply looking at you, mine is. Anyway! Stand up, Up, Up. Let us get the physical training started! HORSE STANCE! GO!”

For a second or two Erhart frozen in place as he is still comprehending the command he was given, he is also confused about ‘Why is he telling me to do physical training in the middle of the night?’ But the discipline he was taught when training with his master tells him to get into action and do not ask any questions. In just seconds Erhart adjusts his body into the position of a medium height horse stance, soon he also takes full control of his breathing and begins to feel the ‘qi’ of his surroundings.

After ten minutes, seeing Erhart stood there like a statue, not moving a single inch. Zotoady gives a few nods in praise. “Not bad, here are some additional challenges. Try to stay standing for twenty minutes, try your best but DO NOT overexert yourself.”Throwing a flask of green solutions onto the ground and running off to check on Yadina. On the flask, a label of “5x” can be seen.

As soon as the potion makes its contact with the ground beneath, Erhart feels a sudden change in the atmosphere pressure around him. His whole body becomes heavier and heavier by the seconds as if a few tons of lead are added onto him, dragging him down towards the centre of the planet.

For first minute or two Erhart attempts to keep up by using his ‘qi’. But soon he realises as the time drags on, his ‘qi’ starts to diminish. Erhart begins to feel the suffocation, as well as the pain discharged on his body by the pressure field, as if pieces of his skin and muscle are being teared down from his bones one at a time. Droplet of sweat begins to formulate across his body. Sparkling under the moonlight, drippling down, making a wet circle on the dry ground beneath.

Twenty minutes passes by, Erhart did not stop.

Half an hour passes by, in which Erhart may say to have been years. With the many of his outmost blood vessels being crashed, adding onto the sweat, thin trails of red [Human] blood gradually leaks out from Erhart’s skin. Now what is holding Erhart up is not his body nor is it qi. It is his determination. His determination to not lose to anyone, the determination that lays deep within his blood and soul. Even when all wills to live has sucked out of him he will not give up, he will not bow down or lose to anyone. ‘You say try to stay standing for twenty minutes. I will prove that I can stand for longer.’ Deep inside Erhart smile to himself, waiting to see the surprised face that will be coming out of Zotoady any seconds now.

“YOU BLOODY IDIOT! Do you know how foolish are you.” Zotoady shouts while sprinting back, seeing Erhart did not stop as he should have. With a wave of his hand, he removes the pressure field around Erhart.

“What? Is there something wrong with what I did.” Erhart asks, slightly agitated as he not only sees his “goes far and beyond himself” just went unnoticed, but also being called “Foolish”.

“What are you hoping to achieve by doing things your body can not handle?!”

“I did not fall over didn’t I?!” Erhart quibbles, seemingly unsatisfied.

Zotoady did not make a reply after hearing Erhart’s rebuttal. He simply walks over with a light tap on Erhart’s shoulder, Erhart fells butt first onto the ground. Soon Erhart feels countless waves of pain and soreness gradually emitting from the muscle and cuts across his body.

 “Your muscles are locked in a single position. Strong as they may see, but also stiff after all that training, you overdid yourself. You will soon begin to feel the fatigue, adding onto that many your blood vessels also busted due to the pressure. That causes the blood sweat you were having and if you are to keep doing this for another few days or so.” Zotoady pauses. Speaks the rest of the words one at a time.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“You.”

“will.”

“Die.”

“Sometime you must learn to give up, you must understand what are you doing your training for. Instead of just blindly going straight with something like an idiot.”

“What do you mean?” Erhart asks, lips curling upwards ‘If I am to die, then so be it, at least I will be with Yuna.’

“No you will not!” Zotoady says, flicking Erhart in the forehead.

“PAY ATTENTION! When you practice something, it does not mean that, you necessarily have to do it for a certain amount of time or go beyond yourself to prove the result. For instance, Horse Stance your aim is to strengthen yourself, you sole goal is to complete the aim of the task and that’s all. It is not like a competition, you do not necessarily need to stand for longer than the time I gave you to prove to me that you are better than what I may think you are. First it is stupid of you to do that and second you are not better than what I think you are”

Erhart is speechless, he opens his mouth and attempts to rebut, but is ultimately unable to squeeze out a sound. Zotoady shakes his head and adds on, “Remember young Erhart, sometimes you must distinguish the difference between, being ‘Determined’ and being ‘prideful’. The thing that holds you up back then, is not your determination, it is your pride”

A silence fell, Erhart soon realises, even Zotoady may well act like an idiot and a bastard for not sometimes, but may times before. But ultimately in front of him, with his two life’s experiences stacking together. He is still no more than a child.

“Here.” Zotoady sigh, throwing Erhart a pink coloured potion. “Healing V water melon flavoured.”

“Thanks.” Erhart unplugs the lid of the bottle and chugs the potion down into his mouth in just seconds. ‘still can’t taste anything. Why is it only the edible or drinkables goods that I cannot taste?’

“Is she alright?”

“Yah, she is gonna be alright.”

“Oh.” On surface Erhart sounded emotionless, but deep down he gives out a sigh in relief.

“What do you know about my Master?” do not know what to talk about, Erhart asks.

“Durandal? He is a bit smarter than you, but also an idiot. Once in order to save Taissa, he even [Ignited] his life force. And Time begged me to save him by bowing down in front of my door for three days and three nights, he really could have knocked. Well actually to be fair, I do have ‘unless you are selling cats, do not knock’ written on my door. But there is a door bell.”

“What? Wait what? Cat? Door? Time?”

“Time is a name for someone.”

“O, right!”

“So is Taissa my master’s girlfriend or something? Wait? Actually? Taissa? AUNT TAISSA? WHAT?”

“So they didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“They are married couple?”

“NO, HOLY CRAP! I NEVER ACTUALLY KNOW! But if Aunt Taissa and master are married? Why do they feel as they don’t know each other? Why do they do not even mention each other? And why do they live separately?” a chain of questions are fired at Zotoady.

“Well that is a long story, which I really do not wish to get into now. But if you want to hear a story I can tell you one.”

“Sure?” Erhart has nothing better to do so he decides he will listen to one even if it may be bad.

“Once upon a time.” Zotoady starts.

“Long long time ago.” Erhart adds.

“Shut up!”

“Ok.”

Zotoady clears his throat and continues, “There is a young boy, obsessed with magic and mysterious arts. But in his world magic are forbidden. So, he begins his long journey away from his home, ultimately finding someone that said to have the ability to teach him true magic. He was lied to, he was beaten, looted and sold off to a noble household as a servant. Where he meets his owner for the first time, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Despite only being a servant, everyday this young boy spends with the girl, even if he is unnoticed, he feels happy. But this did not last long, when the noble household got hit by a crashing space ship.”

“WTF”

“Luckily no one died, well, all the important people are there. But the young boy disappears. Leaving behind a simple note saying,” I will return!” Some say he was taken by the devil, some say he was abducted by aliens, some say he was chosen by the Realm of Legends. End of the story.”

“Ok, then, emm, well, I was expecting the story to be bad but this is a trashier story than I thought, I guess I will take my rest today.” Erhart says awkwardly, do not know what other words can be said to Zotoady.

“Sure, I will be on watch.” Zotoady replies.

…..

“Come out.” Zotoady speaks those two words out of nowhere.

A handsome looking man in a white robe steps out from the forest. He has blood coloured red eyes and flashy blonde hair. The golden coloured words “LEGEND” written in the Ancient ones’ language are knitted neatly onto the back of the young man’s robe.

“Normally, people will kneel down onto the ground when they see a god.” The man says arrogantly, his voice sounds exactly like his projection, the white image. He is Arnold Drakia’s true self.

“Why are you here.” Zotoady says coldly.

“I am here for Erhart. I am asked to remove him from this world by my Master.” Arnold says.

“Tell your Master to piss off.”