*15 years later*
*Location: Blue Elephant Island.*
In a corner of the world, in one of the many seas that filled the globe, one would find this small island, ditched away from any other civilization. From afar, looking at this island, one would see a formation of mountains that closely resembles the shape of an elephant with eyes and a long trunk.
The name of the island was derived from that very shape. As for the blue color, well, the island was floating in an endless expanse of blue so one wouldn't need that much time to figure out where that color came from.
Anyway, on this island lived a small group of people. There were barely a few hundred of them that built a small village in the heart of this island. They lived on hunting wild animals and fishing from the sea or the river that splits the island in half, originating from the eye of the giant, rocky elephant.
In the heart of this island, a silhouette could be seen running through the thick trees. His nimble feet skillfully navigated the forest as if this had been the billionth time he had run from this route.
A small, relaxed smile rested on the boy's face.
"Come on now, big boy. You know you want it." He murmured as he looked behind him.
A few dozen meters in tow, a giant creature was rushing after the boy at top speed. The creature was similar to a bear in size and appearance except for its grey fur and two long ears that drooped down its face. It had a pair of ferocious red eyes and a series of terrifying canines moist with dripping saliva. This creature was called the 'Long-eared Silver bear' and it's one of the common creatures on this island.
Even though it's ferocious in nature, it rarely attacks humans and keeps to itself unless bothered which is what this boy did exactly to it.
The two continued their cat-and-mouse game for a while until the boy reached a particular open area in the forest where he suddenly halted his footsteps and turned around with a grin on his face.
Not long after, the huge creature appeared, breaking through the thick trees as it rushed toward the boy with maddening Beastiality.
However, the moment it was about to reach him, the ground beneath it suddenly shifted.
The creature made a weird sound as it fell inside the hole. At the bottom of it, a set of long, sharp, and protruding rocks, clearly man-made, was waiting for the creature as it skewered its body ruthlessly.
One single sound of pain echoed in the forest before the creature died. The boy crouched down near the whole and smiled even more widely.
"We're eating big tonight~ Hell yeah!! I didn't hunt a bear in a while!" Triumphing over his successful hunt, the boy quickly went to work to pull the monster out.
Jumping inside, the boy then used a knife he had stored in a bag he had on his back before he started skinning and dissecting the monster. He took the good parts that he knew were eatable and left anything that didn't taste good. After that, he put the meat inside the bag and carried it out of the hole.
"Hm, hm, hm, today was a good day too…" He hummed to himself as he walked back to the village, carrying a huge sack filled with meat.
Reaching the village entrance, he was greeted by an old man, lazily sprawled over a chair, reading the newspaper that was delivered with the trading ship that arrived that morning.
"Oh, Redd?! Where have you been, boy?"
"I caught a bear today, Lax. Look at this amount of meat." Tapping the back with a grin, Redd boasted shamelessly.
"Hahahaha! If you keep hunting these things, they will end up going extinct." Lax replied with a chuckle.
"You think so? Hmm, well, I will keep that in mind." Shrugging with a smile, continued walking inside the village.
Although the village wasn't technologically advanced, it still looked beautiful and elegant. Its brick buildings and paved roads mixed well with the greenery that filled the vision wherever you look on the horizon.
Passing through the streets, Redd was greeted by the villagers.
"Oi, Redd! Want some fruits for later?! I got me a good batch of fruits this morning from Springtown North!" One of the merchants in the street called for the boy as he pointed at the fruits he was selling.
"Ignore that old bastard, Redd! I fished a Glimmerfin this morning. It was twice my size! I can give you a discount on the head and tail."
"Who's the old bastard, you divorced winch!" The fruit merchant glared at the other one as he yelled loudly.
"Wanna go at it? I will shove those rotten fruits down your throat!"
Watching the two insult each other, Redd chuckled. Seeing them fight like cats and dogs never gets old for him.
"Not now, you two. I got a heavy bag to carry back home."
Then, Redd continued his journey through the village till he reached the edge of it. There, on a small grassy hill was a small house. It was mainly made out of wood with glass windows and a rather simplistic design.
This was his home ever since he could remember. Opening the door to the house, he walked inside and put the huge bag of meat in the kitchen before he looked around him.
"Is he still asleep?" Murmuring to himself, Redd walked to a particular room in the house and opened the door without knocking.
Inside, a man was sleeping soundly. His snoring was so loud that it probably could be heard from the village. Approaching the bed, Redd shook the old man.
"It's already 12 p.m. in the afternoon! You've been asleep for 15 hours! Wake up!"
However, the old man didn't respond at all as he slept soundly. Redd stood there, contemplating what to do when an idea appeared in his head as a wide, evil grin appeared on his face.
'Let's see if you can ignore this one!'
Then, Redd put his right hand on the old man's nose and his left one on his mouth, closing all possible ways he could breathe. It didn't take long for the old man to groan slightly as his face turned red.
Eventually, his body flinched as his eyes opened wide and he sprawled up instantly as if he was electrocuted.
"What?! Huh?! Where?!" He looked around with a dazed expression.
"Hahahahaha!" Exploding into laughter, Redd pointed at the old man. "That look on your face! It's priceless!"
"Redd, you brat! Are you trying to kill me?!"
*BONK*
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Grabbing his head, Redd glared at the old man.
"You have to learn to discipline yourself!" The old man replied.
"Says the guy who sleeps 15 hours a day…" Redd murmured with a sulking expression.
"Did you say something? I couldn't quite hear you." Tightening his fist, the old man asked with a dangerous smile.
"Ha! Hahah, no, I said nothing."
Grabbing his face, the old man sighed. This old man is Lodra… Lodra Malcott. He was a rather handsome man if he didn't keep his hair long and disheveled. He had a short beard and a pair of piercing blue eyes.
Even in his old age, the old man had a very muscular body and a huge scar that ran from his neck all the way down to his chest.
In contrast to him, Redd was rather short for his age. He had eye-catching short, deep red hair and a pair of monochromic eyes. One was a clear shade of green and the other was a piercing red color, slightly clearer than his hair.
He was very unique-looking, ignoring the fact that he had rather beautiful features.
"So, where have you been the whole morning?" He asked as he stood up and cracked his neck.
"Hunting. I also explored a new cave I found near the rocky trunk."
The old man's movements halted for a second as he looked at Redd. "Didn't I tell you not to go any deeper into the forest? The animals there are dangerous. You could get yourself killed, Redd."
"I'm old enough to be able to go there, Lodra," Redd replied as he looked away.
Sighing, the old man approached him before he crouched down to his height and tapped his forehead. "You clearly don't understand how dangerous it is, do you? The world isn't as forgiving as you might think."
"Then, why don't you let me leave and see for myself how this world is unforgiving? Isn't that how you learned about it?"
For the two of them, it felt like the thousandth time they discussed this particular topic. Growing up in the heart of a forest, surrounded by nature, Redd was completely fascinated by the beauty of the world around him.
He quickly started sneaking out to explore the forest alone. He rarely played with other kids in the village and instead spent his days roaming the forest, discovering every nook and cranny of it.
Eventually, he found himself looking far beyond this forest and into the vast sea.
'If a small island could be this beautiful, then what lay behind the horizon should be even more amazing.'
Redd knew that this island was nothing but a speck of dust in a bigger world and that thought alone filled his body with endless adrenaline. How could he not be eager to leave and explore this world? Especially when every fiber of his being was screaming for him to do exactly that.
However, he found himself stuck when Lodra completely refused his request with the reason that he would die if he left this island and that he should live here like every other kid.
Redd was very disappointed with what Lodra said so he decided to prove to him that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. So, he started training religiously every day, strengthening his body with the sole goal of proving himself to be strong and capable.
That's when he started hunting bears, fighting off wolves, and surviving alone in the depths of the forest. However, even then, the only response he got was.
"You're far from strong enough to leave this island."
That response came down crushing on Redd's mind. He really couldn't understand why he was being stopped from doing that. Was the outside world really so dangerous that he wouldn't be able to survive even if he worked hard till his hands bled and his body succumbed to exhaustion?
That's when he decided to do something different. One day, he snuck to the island's port, got inside one of the ships, and hid in the storage room. That was his plan to be able to leave the island. He didn't care if it was a stupid idea or if Lodra would get really angry at him.
His urge to venture into the unknown completely captured his heart.
'New world, here I come!' He kept fidgeting with anticipation, only for his hope to get crushed when the lid to the barrel he was hiding in was opened and Lodra looked inside.
The moment he saw Lodra, Redd gulped down a mouthful of saliva before he smiled.
"Hey~"
Lodra looked at him silently before he dragged him out of the barrel and back to the island.
"We're going back."
"No! Let me go! I want to leave!"
"Stop being foolish and follow me back!"
"No! I grew tired of this place!"
"What part of 'You're going to die' do you not understand, huh?" Lodra glared at Redd with a powerful gaze.
"I would rather die than stay stuck here for the rest of my life!" Redd yelled angrily. His emotions burst out like a dam.
Those words made Lodra's expression change to that of surprise. He kept staring at Redd's burning eyes before a sigh leaked out of his mouth.
"You're like your dad, aren't you?" He murmured in inaudible tone.
"Huh?"
"Nevermind. Fine, you want to leave? I will allow you to leave." He said.
Those words drew a wide smile on Redd's face, only for the next words to crush his hopes again. "If you can land a hit on me in a spar, I will let you go."
Redd knew that the old man was very strong. He had seen him train with the sword before during the night. But, for better or worse, he got himself a chance to leave the island. As long as he can punch Lodra once, he will win.
'How hard could that be?' He thought to himself.
That was the official start to a struggle that took Redd years and years of endless trying. He fought Lodra, again and again and again and again, hundreds of times. But, not even once could he land a hit on him.
It reached a point where Redd genuinely believed that the old man was some kind of invincible god that couldn't be touched.
However, even then, he didn't give up. He kept challenging him every single day with the same determination and vigor.
"You still didn't land that punch so no leaving."
Pouting slightly, Redd stood up. "Tsk, stingy old man…"
"What did you say?!"
"Nothing, nothing! I'm going to make lunch!" Quickly running out of the room, Redd left the old man alone.
"Sigh, what a troublesome kid…" Sitting down, Lodra ran his fingers through his hair with a tired look.
"What should I do, Lian… Your kid is growing up to be just like you…" He murmured with a low voice.
A string of memories, pleasant and unpleasant passed through Lodra's head before he sighed and shook those thoughts away. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hold the boy for longer in this prison. His spirit was as free as his desire for adventure.
"That thing runs in his goddamn blood after all…" Standing up, Lodra walked toward the door and left.