*****
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
( Proverbs 3 : 27 )
*****
Ze was walking in the snow.
'Where are you going?' Zeru asked.
"We need to find a place to rest for now," Ze answered as he walked. They had been walking for about an hour by now.
'What are we going to do now? (⊙_⊙)?' Zeru wondered.
"First, we need to wait until I fully integrate with your body," Ze replied, looking at his still-shaking hand. "Second, we need to get stronger. If the people who tried to kill you find out you're still alive, they'll try to bury us again. And third, once we're stronger, we should confront and defeat them."
'How do we get stronger? You said I am an average chosen one. (´.＿.｀),' Zeru inquired.
"Yes, but we just have to wait for me to regain my strength," Ze said, dragging himself through the snow.
'How long will that take?'
"About 10 years."
'What! (⊙_⊙) Ten years? But I need to go back to Mom.'
"Don't worry, it will take ten years for me to fully regain my power. But we can manage with five," Ze reassured.
Ze looked into the distance and spotted a cavity in the mountain. He increased his pace and arrived at the cave but didn't rush in. He carefully observed the cave and its surroundings.
Taking a step inside, he noticed a foul smell emanating from within, with scattered bones on the ground. Moving cautiously, he remained vigilant as he couldn't see the end of the cave.
*Grrr*
A growl emerged from the darkness, and two yellow eyes glimmered. There was a predator inside.
Ze stopped and stared into the yellow eyes, observing their movement and the darkness for any signs of more danger. The yellow eyes stepped out of the darkness—it was a grey wolf, standing about 4 feet tall, nearly Ze's height.
Ze confirmed that it was alone. He loosened his bag, which was dripping with blood-soaked meat, catching the wolf's attention. Ze assumed it was attracted to the smell of blood.
He looked at the wolf, which was fixated on the meat. Seizing the opportunity, Ze threw the bag at the wolf, and it pounced, tearing it apart. The meat fell onto the cave floor, scattered.
Ze used the distraction to launch an attack on the wolf. He leaped at the wolf and clasped its neck. The wolf shook its body vigorously, attempting to shake Ze off.
Holding on tightly, Ze struggled to maintain his grip as the wolf slammed its body against the wall. Ze's grip gradually weakened as the wolf continued to smash into the wall.
Eventually, Ze lost his grip, flung from its back. He rolled and crashed into the wall. The wolf shook its head and focused its gaze on Ze.
With a leap, the wolf prepared to tear into him. Reacting swiftly, Ze grabbed a nearby bone and used it to defend himself against the wolf's bite. The wolf bit down on the bone, forcing Ze to the ground.
A sense of impending doom washed over Ze as he grew weaker and the bone began to crack. Ze released his hold on the bone and rolled to the side, causing the wolf's head to strike the floor.
Spitting out the bone, the wolf stared at Ze. He picked up another bone lying nearby, his eyes fixed on the charging wolf. Ze's body trembled with anticipation.
As the wolf lunged, Ze lunged as well, attempting to stab the wolf. The wolf clawed at him successfully, pushing him back. Ze's stab lacked power, unable to pierce the wolf's flesh.
The claw mark ran across his chest, blood gushing out and staining the floor crimson. Ze fell to his knees, his legs losing strength.
The wolf slowly approached, realizing Ze couldn't fight back. It opened its jaws, preparing to bite his head off. Its teeth were mere inches away from Ze's vulnerable throat.
At that moment, an electric shock surged through Ze's body. His trembling ceased, his eyes sharpened, and his muscles tensed.
Clutching his fist, Ze struck the wolf's neck as its teeth sank into his own. A cracking sound echoed through the cave as the wolf's neck snapped, its body relaxing and collapsing lifelessly.
Ze fell to the floor, his own blood pooling around him.
As blood poured from his neck, Ze's vision started to blur, overwhelmed by the metallic scent. Small tentacles sprouted from his wounds, working to close them.
Feeling his consciousness slipping away and his vision turning black, he knew he was nearing death. Yet, he caught a glimpse of hope—a piece of meat nearby. With all his fading strength, he reached out and grabbed the meat.
As he bit into the raw, fresh, and cold meat, a metallic taste coated his tongue. He devoured the meat without worry, relying on the demonic healing abilities that were still at work.
His vision slowly returned, and he searched for more pieces of meat. He spotted one nearby, dragging his body toward it and tightly gripping the meat, he started to eat.
He slowly started to gain strength as he ate, his body absorbing it for healing. He sat, his back supported by the cave wall, and breathed a sigh of relief. He had come dangerously close to death once again. Looking down, he noticed the tentacles diligently performing their task.
'What are those in my body? (⚆_⚆),' Zeru asked.
"Do you remember the man from earlier?" Ze inquired.
'That disgusting mass of flesh?' Zeru recalled.
"Yes, he is a demon. I asked him to heal me, and he gave me a part of himself to facilitate the healing process," Ze explained.
'Ugh, (⩪⩍⩪),' Zeru reacted with disgust.
Ze assumed a lotus position. It was time for him to grow stronger. Having already faced death's door, the stronger he became, the greater his chances of survival.
He attempted to tap into the nearly non-existent mana within Zeru's body. As he made the effort, he felt a burning sensation coursing through his body. He halted his attempt and opened his eyes, realizing there was an issue with his body.
He tried to sense the mana veins within him but discovered they were damaged, and the core was contaminated. This posed a problem because, without a functioning core, one could not utilize mana.
Ze stood up and approached the grey wolf. He picked up a bone and scraped it against the cave floor, sharpening it. Using the sharpened bone, he skinned the wolf and dissected it into various parts, discarding the unwanted innards. Among the remains, he found the mana core.
Taking the mana core, he consumed it. Normally, ingesting a raw mana core would be suicide, as the untamed mana within it would cause the person who consumed it to explode. However, Ze allowed the wild mana to run rampant in his body, using it to destroy his damaged mana veins and purify his core.
Ze resumed his seated position, remaining motionless for hours.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and exhaled deeply, the breath fogged in the air.
'What are you doing? (? _ ?)' Zeru asked.
"Trying to become stronger," Ze replied.
'Okay, but can you give my body back? (^◕.◕^)'
"I could, but I wouldn't want to die, would I?" ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Ze teased.
'I can survive too. I know how to hunt, o((>ω< ))o' Zeru argued.
"My dear Zeru, catching food in your home kitchen is not exactly a survival skill, (￣,￣)" Ze playfully retorted.
'(´.＿.｀), you know?,' Zeru expressed.
"Yes, I witnessed everything that occurred," Ze responded.
'<(＿ ＿)>,' Zeru sighed.
"Come on, don't be sad," Ze comforted, "don't worry, we will grow stronger once we leave the mountains."
"How long will it take to become strong?" Zeru asked.
"Until I fully integrate," Ze replied.
"A decade!" Zeru exclaimed.
"What did you expect? Did you think strength could be obtained like fast food?" Ze retorted.
'No, but how strong will we become?' Zeru inquired.
"Strong enough to overcome anyone who stands in our way," Ze assured.
"(￢_￢), really?" Zeru questioned skeptically.
"Well, instead of just telling you, I will show you," Ze declared.
'Will you? ￣へ￣,' Zeru challenged.
"I will, and I'm not weak either," Ze stated as he stood up.
He picked up the wolf skin and some bones, sharpening one of the bones. He cut two holes in the wolf's skin and wore it as a makeshift garment. Walking towards the entrance of the cave, he could see a storm raging outside, with snow covering everything.
"Where are we going?" Zeru asked.
Ze clenched and unclenched his fist, feeling the increased strength within his body.
"To hunt," Ze replied.
With that, Ze vanished into the midst of the raging storm.
*****
Years passed as the snow melted, forming rivers that flowed through the mountains.
Ze traversed the mountains, hunting down monsters without discrimination. He rarely rested, continuously seeking out adversaries. With each battle, he honed his body and faced tougher opponents.
He engaged in combat, relying on his bare hands and using bones as weapons. Defeated foes became a part of him, as he swiftly moved on to his next challenger. The monster ecosystem underwent a change, with a new predator roaming the mountains.
Ze's approach was brutal towards his targets and cunning when pursuing his prey. He adapted and mastered his fighting style as he confronted stronger and more formidable beasts.
Zeru, who watched from the front seat, was amazed as he witnessed Ze gaining full control over his body. Ze slowly moved towards the south, determined to leave the mountains behind.
Ze returned Zeru's body to him for training, and Zeru felt a newfound strength within himself. His body felt rejuvenated, like a newly acquired weapon to master. Ze also taught him martial arts, but Zeru didn't need to practice much as it came naturally to him.
Standing at the mountain's summit, Ze admired the bright sky with fluffy clouds floating by. It had been three years since they entered the mountains. He gazed at the distant sunrise, providing warmth to this cold land. Despite the harshness of the environment, nature still displayed its beauty.
Ze scanned the surroundings, searching for signs of human activity. Covered in fur from head to toe, he resembled a beast with his fur coat.
'Why are we heading to a human village?' Zeru questioned.
"What? Do you want to cuddle with monsters?" Ze responded.
'No,' Zeru replied.
"Alright, we need to find a human settlement to acquire proper gear for our mountain hunts," Ze explained.
In the distance, Ze spotted a cloud of smoke, indicating a potential human settlement. He felt a sense of joy at the thought of encountering another human. The three years without human contact had been a mentally exhausting experience, and he was grateful for Zeru's companionship, which kept him sane.
Ze hurried in the direction of the smoke. It took them a week to reach their destination, as they engaged in hunting and got occasionally distracted. Finally, they arrived, and Ze observed the cause of the smoke.
"Yep, crap," Ze muttered.
It wasn't a human village but the eruption of a volcano.
'Well, we can head south instead and find a human village,' Zeru suggested.
Ze continued to gaze at the volcano, noticing the mana in the surroundings being drawn into it. He leaped towards the volcano, and his landing was softened by the snow.
"Seems like coming here wasn't a waste," Ze remarked.
'What did you find?' Zeru inquired.
"There's something absorbing the mana around here," Ze replied.
"What is it?" Zeru asked.
'Probably a rare metal or maybe a meteorite,' Ze speculated as he surveyed the volcanic pit, which resembled a crater.
'But how do we reach it?' Zeru wondered.
"We'll swim. It's time to use some magic," Ze declared enthusiastically.
'But we can't use mana,' Zeru reminded him with concern. (-_-√)
****