Ryu, after what seemed like an eternity, came out of the cave and was greeted by the warm sunlight. He was filled with determination and excitement, and rightfully so, he earned his aura after suffering for 3 days and 2 nights.
While walking down the same trail they used days ago, Sven spoke up.
"I don't want to ruin your expectations but... Foundational Aura is still pretty weak, so you have a long way ahead of you, kid."
Ryu, though worried, nodded.
"I understand."
...
"Once you're out there in the real world, you have to talk to others, that way you can learn something, got it, kid?"
"Yeah, I know that, gramps."
They continued walking silently.
Ryu pondered, what does this mean for him? Now that he has found his Aura, is he really ready for everything?
"Gramps... I don't know how to fight..."
Sven chuckled, amused by his admission.
"Kid, if you wanna learn how to fight like a real man... You're gonna have to fight on your own. Go hunt some boars or beat up some logs, you might learn a thing or two."
Ryu groaned.
"You won't teach me?"
Sven scoffed and shook his head.
"I said, you need to learn on your own."
Ryu sighed in defeat.
But Ryu was scared, no surprise there. He didn't even know how to punch yet. Is Sven being serious here? He wondered.
...
They reached the old house, filled with many peaceful memories.
Sven faced Ryu, concerned.
"Go pack your things."
He patted his shoulder and left for a walk.
Ryu nodded and entered the house to pack his essentials for his travels.
...
Sven was walking along a trail. After a while, he reached a giant lake.
"Hm..."
He sat down on a huge rock, his usual spot, and pondered for a moment.
"I guess I'm gonna be alone again..."
Sven's eyes got watery, he obviously cared for Ryu. He cared for him for 5 years, and now, he needs to let him on his own.
Though crying, he lets out a scoff.
"I'm gonna miss that brat..."
Sven considered Ryu as his own grandson, even though not in blood. He truly wished for his adventure to be safe.
...
Sven returned home and was greeted by Ryu, who was carrying a... Comically larger bag.
"Y-you're gonna use that...?" Sven was quite shocked.
Ryu smugly replied, "Of course, half the battle is preparation... Or something like that."
Sven chuckled and shook his head.
"You're seriously new to this, huh..."
Ryu, embarrassed, replied, "T-that's not my fault! I was basically a sheltered kid my whole life..."
Well, he wasn't wrong though, Sven admitted that part.
Sven nodded and sighed.
"Let me help you pack up."
Ryu smiled and nodded.
...
After a while, Ryu was carrying a decently-sized bag, way easier to look at than his previous package. He was about to head out when Sven called out to him one last time.
"Kid... Stay safe out there, alright...?"
Ryu nodded eagerly and smiled warmly at him, "I know, Gramps."
Sven held back his tears and hugged Ryu tightly.
"Goodbye, you punk...*sniff*"
Ryu chuckled and patted his back.
"Goodbye... Gramps."
And with that, he went off on his own.
...
Sven returned inside after the theatrics.
He smiled warmly at Ryu's bed.
"Goodbye, Ryu..."
He sobbed, he held his tears back because he needed to look strong in front of Ryu, and now that he had left to experience the world, Sven could only cry. He's gonna live peacefully now, albeit alone...
After a while, Sven stopped crying, now moved on, and was about to go on his usual routine, when something caught his eye.
...
Below the bed, just outside enough to see it, a paper was poking out. Sven took it and he can only gasp.
"T-this.... This is supposed to be Ryu's map..."
Sven rushed outside, yelling for Ryu, but it was too late. Sven sighed in defeat and chuckled.
"That brat... Good luck out there..."
...
A sheltered young man in the middle of the vast forest of Japan, with no sense of direction, and no map. What could possibly go wrong?
...
Hours later, Ryu was walking aimlessly. He naively thought that if he walked just enough, he would see a road or even just a sign of a city. He walked and walked, determined to go out on an adventure.
...
"What the hell...?" Ryu muttered, his breath ragged.
It has been hours since he first walked, where the hell is he?
"... It's starting to get dark..."
Ryu noticed the sky getting darker, the Sun was slowly coming down.
"Oh no..."
Ryu steeled himself up and continued walking. It's now or never. He walked through the muddy terrain, his feet growing tired.
"Huff... Huff... Roads... There's gotta be one here somewhere..."
...
The night had fully crept in, and still no signs of human civilization.
"What the..."
Ryu already walked for hours, fatigue already conquered his body.
"Awoooooo"
The howls of wolves rang out through the forest, which scared Ryu.
"Eek! What the hell?"
Though he knew what a wolf was, he still hadn't seen one in real life. He had heard stories of different kinds of animals from his mother and father.
"A wolf..."
Though scared, he continued his travels. He can't back down now.
"Wait a second... my spear... I left it at home... And my map too... Shit..."
Ryu was nervous, but what's done is done.
After what felt like hours, he finally came across a dirt road.
His eyes lit up, he was cheering with joy. Finally, it's all gonna be worth it.
"I did it... I did it, Gramps..."
Ryu was smiling widely, but his happiness was cut short when he saw a pair of glowing eyes from the dark woods across the road, hiding in the trees.
"Eek-"
The eyes moved and disappeared.
"What the..."
Then all of a sudden, a wolf across him lunged, targeting him. Ryu was startled and fell to the ground. He managed to dodge the wolf, but that was only a small victory. The wolf snarled and planned to attack again.
"Shit!"
The wolf charged and targeted his thighs. Ryu kicked its head at the last second, though it only seemed to push the wolf back. It growled and ran circles around Ryu, attempting to flank him.
This is it, this is his first real battle.
Ryu tried to keep up with the wolf, but it was too agile.
Then, the wolf lunged again, and by pure instinct alone, he punched the wolf, and the symbols on his right hand glowed blue. Ryu felt the wolf's skull crack, and then the wolf was thrown away.
The wolf remained lifeless on the ground.
Ryu fell to the ground, tired.
"Huff... Holy shit..."
Though he won, Ryu was still scared as hell. He stood up, not wanting the victory to get into his head. He continued walking down the road.
...
After a while, he finally saw signs... He saw light from a village.
"Finally..."
Ryu cried, elated to realize that all his hard work paid off. He finally ventured out into the real world.
Not trying to be slow, Ryu ran towards the village.
...