Torrin's eyes shot open. All he could see was darkness.
"Not this again..." he sighed heavily.
'Eh? I can actually talk and sigh?' Torrin felt thoroughly confused at this point.
"Boy, what are you going on about?" an elderly voice rang through his ears as his eyes were uncovered.
'Oh, it was just a blindfold.' Torrin thought as his face blushed slightly, reaching up and removing the cloth.
"Nothing... Nothing..." He waved his hand before him like he was getting rid of a bad smell. Torrin peered at the old hag sitting on a comfortable plush chair beside him. 'Where am I?' he thought.
Torrin's thoughts were still muddled from his loss of consciousness, but the longer he thought about it, the less worried he became. He remembered nearly being cat food by the river. A snap that rang out. The two cats exploding like a simple balloon being popped.
'If that old hag wanted me dead, I would be dead. I was completely defenseless and it seems like she helped me out.' he relaxed further, analyzing his situation.
"Where are we?" Torrin asked with an curious tone.
"My hut." Came a curt reply.
Hearing the reply, Torrin looked around the place. It was at least three times the size of the orphanage, and that was just the room he was in. 'A "hut", is it?' Doubt evident in Torrin's mind.
"Thank you for saving me, Grams. I surely would have been dead if you hadn't intervened." His head bowed respectfully towards the old lady.
A cackle burst from the old woman, startling Torrin.
"Grams? No one has called me that in a very, very long while, young man. I like it!" she continued cackling as tears of mirth began welling in her eyes.
Torrin lifted his head, staring at her with wide eyes; he started to get worried she'd keel over if this kept up. A whole minute passed while Grams was laughing her head off. Torrin took this time to inspect his injuries--he didn't hurt at all--but that made him even more worried. He knew he'd been in a dire state before passing out from blood loss.
Not a single scratch remained on his body. His elbow was completely healed, the nicks and cuts from the brambles and bushes were even gone.
"Uhh, Grams... Sorry to interrupt your good time, but I was curious how long I've been out? I was in a terrible state from being chased through those woods, but now there's not a scratch on me..." He trailed off awkwardly.
"It's been about half an hour since you passed out into that river, young one." She said with a toothy grin, showing immaculately white teeth.
'Hmmmm... She's not what I'd expect from an old witch in the middle of the woods.' He thought, narrowing his eyes as he took in the old lady, 'Wait. Half an hour?!' his eyes shot back open.
"Surely it's been longer than that, Grams... I'm fully healed, no?" He asked, standing up from the comfortable bed he'd been set up in. He stretched his arms back and forth, testing his range of motion. Everything seemed in working order, a bit better than before the chase if he was honest.
"Boy, why would I lie about such a trivial matter? I healed you up good as new in just a moment." She explained, shit eating grin plastered on her wrinkled face, silver colored eyes bright with unconcealed mirth.
"Well, thank you, Grams. I truly appreciate your kindness." he said with a proper bow.
"Oh! Such a gentleman. You can stop all that nonsense, boy. If you're gonna call me Grams, I shall treat you like my own grandson!" She burst into another fit of cackling.
'The way she said that makes it sound much more ominous than I like...' he lamented inwardly.
He was soon sitting at a table with the nice old lady, enjoying a stew she'd prepared. The aroma was heavenly--It contained meat! It was perfectly seasoned, something he would have had visiting the palace in his old life. Torrin hadn't had meat since coming to this world and he was already on his second bowl, devouring it like his core devoured mana.
"Haha! Slow down, boy! The food won't run away!" She cackled, sipping her own stew slowly.
"Excuse my impropriety, Grams. I haven't had anything this delicious in a very long time. So much better than vegetable broth and hard bread!" He continued devouring the stew like his life depended on it.
Grams sat watching the boy eat the stew, a mysterious glint in her silver eyes. Torrin didn't notice this, as he was enthralled with the meal.
After his third bowl of stew, Torrin finally gave up. His stomach felt as if it would burst at any moment. As he sat staring languidly around the house, he began to feel a warmth spreading from his stomach.
'Eh?'
"Uhh, Grams... Was there something... Special? Something special with the stew you prepared?" He asked awkwardly as the warmth continued spreading, wondering if he'd been drugged.
"Of course, young one, you didn't think old Grams would just give you a paltry dish, right? Some of the ingredients used were mana infused! Tear Drop Herb diluted into the broth, meat of an E-Ranked Mana Beast--Thunder Boar." She said with a self-satisfied smile.
"Well, do I need to do anything? My body is beginning to feel uncomfortably warm," he replied with a grimace. He felt like he was developing a fever.
"Go sit back on the bed and meditate, you need to absorb the energy the meal has provided. Direct it into that little ole' core you've got growing in there." She advised.
He did as instructed, quickly returning to the bed and focusing on gathering the mana from the food. He felt like his body was getting stronger, just from the meal he had eaten.
In the mean time, Grams was still sitting at the table, staring at the boy intently. A few hours passed before Torrin came out of his trance-like state. He was still meditating, but no longer was he focused so intensely, the mana from the food had been assimilated with his own that he'd gathered.
His defunct core was now brimming with mana, no more could fit into it and it was flowing out. He began circling the excess mana smoothly as he'd done before cracking open his inert core. Once he got the mana moving to the point that only a small trace would leak away, he was satisfied and opened his eyes.
A pair of silver eyes sat inches away from his face, staring at him with an unbridled intensity.
"Well, boy, I believe it's time that we talk. Your secrets are your own, but if you want Grams' help with forming your initial mana core, I'd like to at least know a little more about you." She smiled as she moved away from him, sinking onto her plush chair beside the bed.
'What should I even tell her? "sorry, grams, I don't know much about this whole mana thing due to coming from another world!" yeah, like that'd go down well...' He groused internally, trying to think of what he should say. He decided to let her lead this conversation.
"Grams, please tell me what you'd like to know and I guarantee I'll answer truthfully. You've been nothing but helpful and generous! I own nothing, so the least I can do is repay you with honesty, please ask your questions." He said genially, gesturing towards her with his hand.
'This old woman is powerful to an extent I can't even understand. If she wants me dead, I'm dead. Better to be truthful and try to earn an ally in this new world... Especially with people like those shadows running around torching down whole villages and snatching kids up like they're flowers on the side of the road.' he thought to himself, waiting for the old lady to begin.
"Do you prefer Torrin or Rin?" she asked simply.
His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. 'How does she even know my name? Did I tell her before passing out?'
"No, boy, you didn't tell me, just answer, please." She said.
"I prefer Torrin, but everyone calls me Rin, you can choose whichever you want to use." he replied, wondering if she was reading his mind somehow.
"Sesh or Lark?" the next question shot out like an arrow.
His heart nearly stopped.
'How... How could she know that name?' his mind whirled.
He felt truly apprehensive hearing this question. No one in this new world should know his name was Torrin Sesh in his old world. A wide grin broke out on the old woman's face. She looked like the cat that got the cream.
He sighed. This woman knew things no one could possibly have information about. He decided to go all in.
"Torrin Sesh is dead... He died with his fiancee, Princess Perria, in a world of Chi Warriors... Please, let's just cut to the chase, Grams." A sullen look on his face, rage simmering deep within his soul from thinking about his past life.
"I am sorry for your loss, boy... It must be difficult to cope with the circumstances of your arrival in this new world... I'll explain as much as I can, if you want to listen." She said with a sad smile on her old, withered face.