Chapter 4 - Training and Molting
‘Before you start training with your weapon, you need to understand how it is made. The spear is a weapon composed of a long handle and a sharp-pointed head. If we want to make a comparison, you can consider it as one of my legs.’ Bao Bei said as she lifted one of her legs and simulated a lunge with it in the air.
The mighty spider leg suddenly snapped, creating a rumble that made Hei flinch at her side. The power of this blow could be seen just by this effect. If she had struck an ordinary person, that force would have been enough to kill them instantly.
‘Spears can be made of various materials. The simplest are those made of wood. They are the lightest to handle but at the same the most fragile. However, since you're still small, a wooden one is just fine. Besides, I'm not able to shape the metal, so it's the only choice at the moment.
The spear is mainly used for direct combat from a mid-range distance, and the longer it is, the less are the chances of being reached by the enemy, given the range advantage. But a long spear has less maneuverability, so you will have to do a lot of practice. In the future, you can choose the length of your spear depending on what size you feel comfortable with.
In some cases, you can also throw the spear and hit the enemy from a distance, but you have to think about it before doing it because you would find yourself without a weapon.’ Bao Bei continued to explain.
Despite being difficult for a 3-year-old child, Hei was able to understand the explanation. It wasn't only because Hei was a very bright child for his age, but it was, above all, thanks to his mother's education method.
As she was able to communicate mentally, since the day she decided to adopt him, Bao Bei had sent to him mental images combined with sound to make him learn as soon as possible how to talk and understand. Furthermore, whenever she explained something to Hei, she would always use such mental images, in addition to her explanation, to make it easier for him to understand, even though he had no direct experience with such concepts or words.
Meanwhile, Hei, who was fervently listening as he watched the various images projected into his mind, became more attracted to the spear. The mere fact that it looked like a spider's leg made it the perfect weapon in his eyes.
It must be said that Hei, ever since he had begun to be aware of himself and his surroundings, had always wondered why he was so different from the creatures in the forest. Although there were beasts of various types, there were still several specimens of the same breed. But he had never met anyone like him, and it had started to worry him.
Even though his mother still gave him all the love she could give him, and she never mentioned his different appearance, it wasn’t enough to completely dispel his anxiety that had increased even more with the birth of Xing and Ye.
However, today, this concern had finally disappeared. Hei trusted his mother, and knowing that he would become like them one day gave him new vigor and hope. And after hearing the spear description, he couldn’t help wishing to start using it as soon as possible.
Bao Bei, who had concluded the spear's description, turned to look at Hei to see his reaction.
‘So what do you say? Do you like it as a weapon?‘
‘Yes, I love it! I want to start right away, can we?’
‘Sure, but first, I have to get you a spear. Since it's your first spear and it's made of wood, then you can choose which tree you want your spear to come from.’
Hei, hearing that he could choose the tree from which his weapon would come out, smiled and immediately rushed to look around to see the most majestic and robust tree in the area.
They were at the forest's heart, and there was much thicker vegetation than the outside area. After all, the trees were older and more resistant. Choosing which one was the most robust was a difficult task.
'Where do I start? Mother said I could pick anyone, but the trees look the same, though. I don't know what to choose...’ Hei thought to himself as he struggled to find the right tree.
Unable to see the difference in hardness between the trees, he decided to go according to their leaves' color. After all, although they were similar in the trunk, the trees had leaves of different colors from one another.
The tree that Hei chose was one with dark purple, dark green, and dark blue leaves. He liked it because it had colors that weren’t bright and reminded him of the night.
Ever since he and his two little sisters received their names, he had begun to appreciate the night more than the day, despite Bao Bei still not allowing him to stay awake late into the night.
‘Mother, I want that one.‘ Hei said as he pointed at the chosen tree.
Seeing the tree indicated by Hei, Bao Bei couldn’t help but be happy inside her, immediately understanding the reason behind this choice. So she approached the tree, and, using a spiderweb thread, she broke off a large branch from that tree.
The branch that was about to fall to the ground was immediately taken by Bao Bei, who started quickly working on it by cutting it at various points. It didn’t take long before the thick branch took the form of a spear.
When the spear was finished, Bao Bei placed it on the ground near Hei's feet to make him look closely.
‘Here, this is your spear. For now, you can use this. In the future, we'll see if we can find you a metal one when you grow up, okay?’
‘Yes, thank you, mother. I'm really happy. Thank you very much.’
Full of happiness, Hei ran to hug his mother and stayed in that position for a while. He was overwhelmed by emotions of joy and gratitude, and he wanted to show his thanks in that way. Bao Bei, who had guessed what was on his mind, let him do it and patiently waited for him to calm down.
Once he calmed down, Hei set his eyes on the spear resting on the ground. Meanwhile, Xing and Ye, intrigued by what was happening, had come closer to observe the strange object on the ground.
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Spurred on by his mother, Hei took the spear with his hands and raised it from the ground. Although it was made of wood, for a 3-year-old, it had considerable weight. Furthermore, since it had a length of 1 meter, it was somewhat strenuous for Hei to maneuver it, considering he was just a meter and few centimeters tall.
Seeing him take the spear, Bao Bei was overwhelmed by a flurry of emotions and memories, but she suppressed them for the moment.
From the day she decided to take him with her and started giving him her blood from time to time, Hei's future had been shaped toward becoming a martial artist. So it was too late to regret this choice. Moreover, the spear wasn’t evil in itself; it depended on what purpose the user intended to use it.
Bao Bei wanted Hei to learn to use the spear to protect himself and his two little sisters. Moreover, she trusted him fully - a human raised by a spirit beast that wanted to be like them.
For Bao Bei, Hei represented the opportunity to realize the old dream of his deceased companion. But her mother's instincts held her back because she didn't want to impose such a cruel fate on her child. Instead, she wanted him to choose his destiny, and she would accept whatever he decided. So, Bao Bei explained how to hold the spear and the basic attacks, leaving aside this storm of thoughts.
Because she was a spirit beast, she didn’t know precisely the various techniques that spear users utilized. However, having fought against humans and demons for a long time, Bao Bei knew how this weapon was generally used, and she planned to pass her knowledge to Hei. Still, she knew that Hei had to learn the technique from other humans and fight real battles for him to learn to use the spear properly. But for the moment, it was still too early.
Hei, while he was waving his spear as indicated by his mother, was finding it difficult to move it as he wanted. But he didn't give up - he knew it would be difficult, but the thought of looking like his mother spurred him on.
‘Keep it up, Hei, train with it every day, and in the future, you will see that you will be familiar with it. Xing, Ye, come with me. Let us resume your workouts. You have to put the same commitment as your big brother into training, alright?’
‘Yes, we will do our best. We promise.’ the little spider and the little snake said in chorus.
Both of them saw that Hei was working hard, and they didn't want to be outdone. But, at the same time, they were also getting excited about learning to use their skills, and they wanted to be able to use them quickly.
To increase their survival skills, Bao Bei also decided to make them undergo, in addition to training their hunting skills, physical training to improve their bodies.
This training was quite simple and consisted of exercises like running and using their bodies to simulate blows in the air - for Xing her spider legs, for Ye her tail and head, for Hei a mix of punches and kicks. After all, for a spirit beast, the body was a fundamental aspect that should be strengthened absolutely. Even for humans, this concept was valid, especially for those who fought often.
This rigid training regime soon became a habit in Hei and his two little sisters' lives. Although it was tiring, they still practiced hard every day under the strict supervision of Bao Bei, who, despite being very strict in their education, became increasingly proud of their improvements.
*
It had been a month since the start of their training, and they began to see the results of their training slightly, which spurred the three of them to want to increase their training hours. However, Bao Bei categorically refused to increase their training load by telling them that, to get stronger, they needed an adequate quantity of rest.
To ensure they rested enough, she began to force them to sleep after lunch, making them stay inside their den and sleeping with them to ensure they didn't run away somewhere.
It was during one of these afternoon naps that it happened.
As Bao Bei was sleeping with her three cubs beside her, she suddenly felt gasps nearby. Looking down, she noticed that Xing and Ye were writhing in their sleep, and then they suddenly woke up scared.
‘Mother, what's going on? I feel something pinching all over me.’ Ye said with fearful eyes. It was the first time she felt such a sensation, and she didn’t understand why. Then, turning around, she saw that Xing was also in the same condition, and she started to get even more panic-stricken.
‘Ye, Xing, calm down. Everything is fine. Listen to me, okay? Everything will be fine.’ Bao Bei tried to cheer them up as she examined their condition. In an instant, she immediately recognized what was wrong and hastened to explain to them.
‘Calm down. There is nothing to be afraid of. You are simply molting.’
'Molting?'
‘Yes, every now and then, when you grow up, you have to take out a part of your body to become bigger. For Xing, it's her exoskeleton, while for you, Ye, it's your skin.’
‘And does it take a lot?‘
‘Well, it depends. But it is an important process, and it shouldn’t be rushed. So stay calm and let the molting continue. You must complete it properly and throw away every single old part of your body. You also have to remember that the molting should only be done if you are in a safe place.’
Ye and Xing calmed down a bit with these words, even if they were still a little afraid of the new experience. Finally, however, they decided to listen to their mother and let the molting process take its course. Meanwhile, Hei, who had woken up from the bustle in the den, stood by his two little sisters with a careful look.
‘Mother, will I also molt as Xing and Ye?‘
‘For you, Hei, it's a different case. You don't need to molt, but it's a good thing, you know? Molting is a delicate process to do if you don't have someone to protect you. You have to stand still, and if you move a little, you can cause bad molting that could lead to serious consequences. For this reason, from now on, you will have to help your little sisters when they molt, okay?’
‘Yes, mother. I'll protect them.’
Seeing Ye and Xing's frightened faces and feeling that the molting was dangerous, Hei thought, for the first time, it was okay to be different from them since he would be able to protect his two sisters during those times. Then, thinking back to his mother, he said, ‘And you, mother? Don't you molt? I never remember seeing you do it.’
‘Good boy, you have watchful eyes. As for me, I also have to molt but not as much as Xing and Ye. They were born recently, and they grow fast. So they will often have to molt. I am already in the adult phase, and, therefore, I don't have to do it so frequently. I also have some control over this process, so I can decide when to do it. When the time comes, you will have to protect me, okay?’
As she said this, Bao Bei put one of her legs down to caress Hei's head. Happy to be able to help his mother, Hei focused himself on the two that were molting. Under the Bao Bei's guidance, he occasionally helped Xing and Ye in their molting, cutting off, with his two hands, the parts that were being thrown away.
Three hours passed before the molting process ended. Then, finally, Xing and Ye, exhausted, were laid on one side by Beo Bei while, helped by Hei, she used some water to clean them. The two of them then went to sleep after the grueling process.
In the meantime, Hei was curious about the wastes resulting from the molting. For some reason, he found them very beautiful and asked his mother.
‘Mother, what do we do with these? Can I keep them?’
‘And what would you like to do?‘
‘I don't know... but it would be a waste to throw them away.’
‘You are right. Then, how about eating them?’
To this answer, Hei was stunned. He didn't think these wastes could be eaten. Then, seeing him speechless, Bao Bei said.
‘The molting process is very tiring and consumes a lot of energy. So it happens to become hungry after finishing it, and being in the wild without energy is very dangerous. Therefore sometimes eating one's molting becomes necessary. But don't worry, it tastes good if you cook it first with the fire.’
Convinced by his mother, Hei decided to help her with preparing food. In the end, they opted to prepare Xing and Ye’s molts together with a couple of rabbits caught in the morning. As Bao Bei knew that humans had trouble eating raw food, ever since Hei had become able to eat solid food, she had always prepared cooked food for him, and this custom was also passed to Xing and Ye.
A fragrant smell was soon transmitted in the den, which awakened the two sleeping little creatures. Being still exhausted by the molting, they were more hungry than ever. So, together with their mother and their brother, they put themselves in a circle around the fire. Then, the whole family ate together to recover from that hard day.