Hakan: "You're back."
He stood silently in front of Edie, his gaze no longer contemptuous but filled with stern observation. Glancing over the wounds on Edie's body, he remained silent for a few seconds, carefully inspecting each scratch and bruise without a word, merely giving a slight nod.
Suddenly, Hakan turned, raising his fist. An aura erupted from his body like a crashing wave as he threw a powerful punch straight towards the forest before them. The air hissed. The ground trembled slightly. A line of trees fell as if swept by a storm.
Hakan said in a low voice, "That is the strength of endurance, of one who has lost everything...".
"Starting tomorrow morning, we will begin our training," Hakan declared.
From that day on, Edie was forced by Hakan to train from dusk till dawn, without a single proper hour of rest. His body gradually grew weary, feeling as if it could collapse at any moment. But thanks to this, his muscles began to form, and his reflexes sharpened.
During a rare short break, Edie, panting and grimacing, asked, "How many levels does Nifow have?".
"Unlike the common energy Mana, which has seven levels: F, D, C, B, A, S, and W, Nifow only has four. They are X, Y, N, and Z," Hakan explained.
"Who the hell came up with this ranking? It sounds completely out of order," Edie commented.
"Because it is not for ordinary people. Nifow is not an energy for creating magic. It is emotion, the instinct for survival compressed to its limit. Understand? You are not learning how to win. You are learning to survive," Hakan retorted.
"After training for so long, I must be at level Y by now, right?" Edie wondered.
"Currently, you are at level X, the starting level in Nifow. For a normal person, it would take at least a few years to reach level Y, if they even survive that long," Hakan stated.
Edie wiped his sweat, panting heavily, "So, what does it take to become a Master?".
Hakan chuckled grimly, his voice tense, "To become a Master, meaning to reach the highest level in a branch of power, it takes an average of 10 to 15 years. But with me, if I wished it, I could help someone achieve Master level in just 6 to 8 years. As long as they are mad enough."
"Then I guess I'm not mad," Edie said.
"Scared already? Do you know of the Tore society? They are hermits who torture themselves to grow stronger. Every single one of them looks horrifying; they have to cover their faces to hide the scars," Hakan mentioned.
"There are some strange training methods in this world," Edie remarked.
"You'll get used to it the more you experience," Hakan replied.
After two months of relentless training, just as Edie's body had adapted to the harsh intensity set by Hakan, Hakan led him without a word to a clearing in the forest. There, waiting for him, was the Medas snake itself, the very beast that had beaten him to a pulp during his first days here.
"Fight," Hakan commanded. "If you die, I'll save on food."
Facing the snake again for the first time, Edie thought he had grown stronger, but no... after just a few minutes, his body was torn apart by the whips of its tail, its sickle-like hooked teeth, and the mild poison gas emitting from its scales. He was thrown back, his back slamming against a rock, blood splattering on the ground. His life hung by a thread, saved only by Hakan's timely intervention.
"Why is this thing so strong... it hurts like hell," Edie groaned.
"Because you have no skill," Hakan stated.
And so, from then on, every evening after finishing his grueling physical training, Edie would get back up and drag himself to the small arena where the Medas was always ready to fight. Even with a battered body, he fought. Even with trembling hands, he fought. Every time he fell, he pulled himself back up with grit, with a will that tore through his flesh.
The first week, he could only last five minutes. The second week, he learned to read the snake's body movements and dodged a few blows. In the third week, with a move of pure instinct, Edie tore the snake's jaw apart.
The snake's body collapsed like a falling wall. Edie slumped to the ground, drenched in blood—its and his own.
Hakan approached, "Good. Now the real training begins, kid."
Two months had passed since the training began, and Edie no longer felt his sessions were training. They were fierce, cruel, and unforgiving torture. Every day, Hakan would beat him until he collapsed, bruised all over and unable to breathe properly. What was more bitter was that Edie was not allowed to fight back.
"Taking a beating is the first lesson for the weak," Hakan said.
"I'm strong, so I don't need this training," Edie panted.
Hakan said coldly, "Only when you're used to being beaten can you learn how to get up."
Edie hated it. But he didn't leave. He didn't run away.
Thanks to the Zen blood in his body, his wounds always healed quickly. And that very fact made Hakan push Edie's limits further and further. His exercises began to take on the flavor of the Tore society, a group of crazed hermits who practiced self-mutilation to find strength. With every excruciating pain, Edie's body grew a little stronger. Every deep wound was a step closer to true power.
Hakan exploited this. Every week, when the training session ended, he would throw Edie into the sea. No weapons. No preparation time. Just a naked body thrown into a harsh environment where sea monsters several times larger than a man awaited.
"What you need is instinct," Hakan declared. "And instinct only reveals itself when you face death."
"Then you might as well just kill me, make me a world champion that way," Edie retorted.
And Edie, though terrified, though so exhausted he couldn't feel his own heartbeat, always rose up amidst the whirlpools, continuing to fight with his bare hands, his torn body, his vision blurred by blood and saltwater.
No one knew what he would become after this process. But it was clear... Edie was no longer the weakling he once was.
A light rain was falling. Edie was crawling up after one of Hakan's hooks sent him flying several meters onto the sand. His whole body ached, his shirt was tattered, and blood trickled from wounds that hadn't fully healed. Hakan stood with his arms crossed, watching without a word.
A footstep sounded from behind.
"That's enough!" Jinna shouted.
Hakan turned. A girl in an academy cloak stepped out from the shade of a tree. It was Jinna. Holding an umbrella, her expression was cold, but her eyes revealed a hint of worry.
"This isn't training, it's torture," Jinna said.
Hakan raised an eyebrow, "So I'm torturing him. So that later, your beloved can protect you."
Edie struggled to his feet, "It's okay. This is... what I agreed to."
Jinna looked at Edie, silent for a moment. The boy she once knew as quick-tempered, defiant, and impulsive now stood like a rock on the sand, sweat and blood running down his body, yet his eyes were as steady as forged steel. "You've changed," she said.
"I've changed, but my love for you remains unchanged," Edie replied.
"You're hateful. You must have experience from flirting with many girls in the past," Jinna retorted. She stepped closer and used a cloth to wipe the blood from his face.
Jinna turned to Hakan and bowed her head slightly, "Thank you, anyway. Perhaps he really needed someone like you to handle him."
Hakan didn't answer, just waved his hand, signaling Edie to take the afternoon off. Jinna watched as Edie walked towards the resting shed, his back straight even as his legs staggered.
In her eyes, Edie was no longer the student famous for his thoughtless punches. He was now someone taking steps towards the abyss to find his own path to the summit.
Early in the morning, the small kitchen warmed with sunlight and the simple smell of fried eggs. Hakan sat back in his chair, holding a hot cup of coffee, his leg casually propped on the table as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Edie brought out a plate of bread and sat opposite him, his hair still damp with sweat from his morning workout.
"Seeing you wake up early to cook every day makes me feel for you. I'd love to help, but I just can't wake up that early," Edie teased.
"What can you help with? You don't even know how to cook, don't pretend to pity me," Hakan said.
Edie glanced at him, "No one would think you're just a janitor. The way you're all quiet and then suddenly punch down a wall."
"Let them think that. I like being the foundation," Hakan said. "Remember, the foundation must be strong, or the whole building will collapse."
A moment of silence passed. Sunlight reflected off a glass, creating a seemingly peaceful scene.
"Finally going back to school today. No more torture, I've never been this happy. But I wonder how everyone will react," Edie said.
"Don't worry about it too much. Who are they to do anything to you?" Hakan replied.
Edie smiled faintly, but his eyes were determined.
"Go on," Hakan said. "I'll be there later. The mop broke yesterday, I have to go buy a new one for the school."
The school was always crowded in the morning, but today the atmosphere seemed even more boisterous than usual. Because someone everyone thought would not return was leisurely walking along the stone path leading to the main gate: Edie.
On the other side, near the school gate, Jinna was waiting. She leaned lightly against the trunk of an old flamboyant tree, holding a cup of hot milk, her eyes watching the crowd pass by. When she saw Edie appear, tall and in his usual simple clothes, she gave a half-smile.
"You still look like a survivor from the wild mountains," Jinna commented.
Edie snorted a soft laugh, "Survivor is a good word, I think it suits me."
"I'm not kidding. Your face always looks like you just took a punch to the left cheek," Jinna said.
"You're right, except it was many punches," Edie replied.
Jinna handed the rest of her milk to Edie, "Drink this. If you start yawning in there, people will start rumors that you're an addict."
"I've tried it before, but now that I have my love, I'll be good. No more depravity," Edie said.
The two walked through the school gate together. Immediately, strange looks and whispers began to pour in like waves.
"It's that suspended guy..."
"Scary. I heard he beat someone into a near-vegetative state."
"I don't understand why Jinna is with him."
"Maybe she's being forced?"
Jinna walked on calmly, not bothering to glance around. As for Edie, his eyes just lowered slightly, saying nothing. Until a deliberately sarcastic voice came from the right.
"Sui: Jinna, you really have a special taste. Hanging out with someone who almost ended up in a correctional facility, and so intimately too..."
The speaker was a tall male student with slicked-back hair, leaning against the ground-floor railing with a group of friends who burst out laughing.
Edie stopped. He didn't turn his head, but Jinna could feel the chill in the air around him.
Slowly, Edie turned. "If you have something to say, say it to my face. Don't drag others into it."
Sui smirked, "Oh, the hero is angry."
"If you want, let's settle it in the ring," Edie said.
"Sure, I'm not scared of you," Sui replied.
Edie nodded, "The fighting ring. After school."
Sui shrugged, "I'm just afraid you won't show up."
Jinna frowned and pulled Edie's arm, but he just said quietly.
"Why are you so childish? You get mad just because of what someone says," Jinna said.
"But I already made the challenge, so I have to go. Otherwise, your man will be ridiculed," Edie replied.
"Who's your man? Don't make challenges like that again," Jinna said angrily.
The class passed by heavily. Although it had been a long time since he'd been back to school, Edie still remembered the location of everything, both people and furniture. The teachers kept a certain distance, and the students whispered even more.
The final bell rang, and students began to trickle out of the classroom. Edie didn't go straight home but turned towards the gymnasium. Though she said nothing more, Jinna quietly followed, keeping just enough distance not to distract him.
At the free-for-all fighting area, students had formed a large circle. They were eager to see Edie get beaten after showing off for a girl. Although Sui was a year younger than Edie, he was already one of the strongest fighters in the first and second years.
The match between Edie and Sui caused a commotion throughout the entire east courtyard. Curious students crowded around in a large circle, jostling to see the fighting ring. In the distance, a white-haired man stood with his arms crossed on the second-floor balcony, his eyes fixed on the scene without blinking. It was Professor Elmir, who rarely watched such things but had come to see today.
"The match begins!"
Immediately, Sui rushed forward with a fierce red aura flaring around his hands. He threw a punch as if to crush his opponent, but Edie just tilted his head, dodging lightly as if swatting a fly.
"Is that all you've got? Still too weak," Edie said.
The crowd of students murmured. A few laughed. Sui was furious, his aura exploding. But the more he attacked, the more he was hit as Edie began to counterattack. This time, a horizontal kick covered in Nifow, followed by a touch on the shoulder that sent his opponent's aura into chaos, out of control.
Professor Elmir on the balcony narrowed his eyes. It was unmistakably Nifow. A distinct aura suppression, just fast enough to tear the air, yet as fluid as traditional martial arts. It was a more perfect level Y Nifow than anything he had ever seen before. "Very similar," Elmir muttered.
In the ring, Edie had closed in on Sui, launching a series of strikes, continuously targeting the abdomen where the weak armor offered little protection. "Still too green," Edie said. He channeled a swirl of Nifow around his right hand and delivered a final blow that sent Sui flying off the ring.
"Winner: Edie!"
While the students were still in an uproar and Jinna was running down to Edie with a smile of both surprise and delight, a figure approached from the edge of the ring.
"Edie, is it?" Elmir asked.
They both turned. It was Professor Elmir. "Are you free? I'd like to invite you to my office for a moment," Elmir said.
Edie raised an eyebrow, "I haven't caused any trouble yet."
Elmir smiled faintly, "You haven't, I just want to talk to you for a bit."
Jinna whispered beside him, "He's the type to keep inviting someone until they agree."
"As long as there's tea and cake," Edie replied.
At Professor Elmir's Office
The room was on the top floor of the research building, a place where few were ever invited. The air inside was strangely quiet, the walls covered with energy maps, research documents, and a few mysterious objects kept in crystal cages.
"You were using Nifow earlier, weren't you?" Elmir asked.
"I don't know," Edie replied.
"Who taught you? It looks very similar to someone I once saw on the battlefield... the 'Death God' Hakan," Elmir inquired.
Edie was startled, "I don't know him, and I haven't learned anything from anyone."
"What's wrong? You look a bit strange. Did I say something to scare you?" Elmir asked.
"I'm a little uneasy. After all, you're famous for having a way of talking that makes people cry or... get hurt, I don't know," Edie said.
"Our light is eternal. We are the chosen ones to bring peace to the world. Do you understand?" Elmir stated.
"I don't understand. Is that your life philosophy?" Edie asked.
"You may go," Elmir said.
Edie walked out of the office, his heart still pounding. The conversation with Elmir wasn't long, but it left him feeling exposed.
The late afternoon sun cast a reddish hue through the glass corridor. Edie walked slowly, his head still buzzing with Elmir's words. "Eternal light..." He smirked, not understanding why it sent a chill down his spine.
It was almost dark when Edie arrived home.
Too quiet.
He stepped into the yard and felt something soft under his foot. Looking down, he saw a severed hand. The blood was still fresh. Nearby, several bodies lay scattered around the house, twisted and dismembered. The walls bore marks of slashes, punches, and scorch marks as if burned by something.
The door to the house was ajar. Edie pushed it open, and the sight that met his eyes froze him in place.
In the middle of the living room, Hakan stood as still as a statue. His legs were covered in blood, and his rough hands were tightly gripping the neck of the sole survivor of the group. The man struggled, his eyes rolling back, his whole body trembling as if his very soul was being squeezed out.
He screamed, "Our light is eternal...".
Crack - the sound of a neck breaking echoed as sharply as a dry branch snapping. The man went limp, falling like a sack of garbage.
"Who are they? Why did you kill them?" Edie asked.
Hakan sighed, "Remnants of Sill. They wanted me to join them for a job. To attack Bellasia school and retrieve the book of Gana."
--End of Chapter—