"Let me tell you about Marta..." Adrian looked at Jin seriously.
Jin set the meat aside and leaned back against the hut. "Yes, tell me."
Adrian smiled. "Well, you should be prepared for what I'm about to say; it's quite interesting."
Jin put his hands behind his head. "Alright, go ahead."
His grandfather began, "Marta is the continent we live on."
Jin looked at his grandfather, feigning surprise about what the stupid thing Adrian just said "Wow, I thought I was living on Marta too. What a crucial piece of information."
Adrian laughed and continued, "Our gentle continent is located on the eastern side of the planet. It was once a source of prosperity and strength about 500 years ago, but that didn't last long."
As Adrian spoke, he stood up and sat beside Jin, then closed his eyes and placed his hands over Jin's eyes.
"Hey, old man, what's with this?" Jin was puzzled by Adrian's gesture.
Adrian replied, "Just be quiet and listen."
"Each continent is typically composed of great powers led by Saints throughout."
"The term 'Saint' originally referred to the religious and followers of Christian doctrines."
"But later, the title 'Saint' was given to the extremely powerful Awakened who reached the highest stages of awakening."
"People respect and revere these Saints because they have become an important example to them, much like the importance of worship."
Adrian pressed his hands firmly on Jin's eyes and added, "There was once a Temple Saint named Mira."
"Mira was one of the native inhabitants of a continent called Garcia."
"One night, she gave birth to a blind, weak, and fragile child who was barely alive. But Saint Mira couldn't bear having such a weak child among her lineage, so she abandoned him in a forest in Garcia, now known as the Chaos Forest."
Adrian's voice became more tense. "The child's name was Darko, and he is now known as the Spiritual Father of Chaos."
"Somehow, in a way that was thought impossible, but not surprising, Mira's son transformed into a corrupt being that no one could kill."
"Since his transformation, strange creatures known as Chaos Creatures began emerging from gates called Disaster Gates."
"The terror of these creatures continued, spilling the blood of millions of humans over the past 500 years."
"One could say that humans are nothing more than food to them. But over time, we were granted a power from the gods capable of slaying these creatures, called the Power of Awakening, and to this day, we continue to fight and kill millions of them."
Adrian continued, "It is also said that Darko was so terrifying that anyone who uttered his name would immediately lose their sight."
At that moment, Jin's heart filled with fear and panic as his grandfather's grip tightened over his eyes. "Damn it, why are you telling me this if it's so dangerous, you old fool!"
"Even though Darko disappeared 500 years ago, the chaos remains, and the remnants of his chaos persist in some way."
"There's also a rumor that Darko is dead, and that seems true as well, but I'm still not sure about it."
Adrian removed his hand from Jin's eyes and said gently, "So, what do you think of that lovely story?"
Jin opened his eyes and looked at his grandfather. "Ah, it's a really awful story. So why are you telling me this now?"
His grandfather smiled faintly, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "If the rumors I've heard are true, it won't be long before Anvil faces chaos."
"I want you to at least be able to escape with your life."
Jin looked at him as he stood up. "And what about you?"
His grandfather sighed in resignation. "If chaos is really coming, I won't have any choice but to defend this land, even if it costs me my life."
"After all, this is where my beloved Hana is buried."
Jin looked at Adrian angrily and shouted, "Isn't that really stupid? Are you daring to say my parents were stupid for dying while facing the chaos? And now you're telling me you're ready to face the same fate in the same foolish way?"
His grandfather laughed quietly, shaking his head. "How ironic. I never expected my dear grandson to speak to me this way one day."
Then his grandfather slowly stood up and gently patted Jin's head with a reassuring touch. "Don't worry about me. I'm really strong, you know that, don't you?"
Jin felt embarrassed and then said, "Put your hand down, I'm not a child anymore... And yeah, make sure you don't die. You can meet Hana later."
Adrian smiled. "Yes, now go back to your training."
Jin continued his training for several more days with his grandfather, and his training became more intense and exhausting.
One day, Jin had to run continuously for two hours without a break.
"You old fool, damn you!" Jin was running frantically, his expression grim.
His grandfather ran beside him, laughing heartily. "Think of it as motivation."
A raging bear was chasing them, and Jin responded, "Motivation, my ass!"
He raised his middle finger, realizing the bear was getting closer. "Ah, it's getting closer, damn you! No normal human can outrun bears, you old fool!"
That night passed safely when the bear got distracted by something else while Jin and Adrian hid behind a rock.
On another morning, Jin woke up to find himself hanging from the top of a tree. "Why the hell am I hanging?"
"Get me down, get me down, you old man!" Jin was swaying side to side while hanging, then he saw a snake slithering on the ground below him.
"No, no, Adrian. Grandpa, you damned old man, get me down now, ahhh!"
Then there was the time when Jin had to lift heavy, round stones up a steep hill.
When he reached the top, exhausted and drenched in sweat, "Ahh, I'm going to die, I'm really going to die," he was breathing heavily.
Suddenly, his grandfather appeared, startling him. "Oh, hello there, boy."
Jin jumped in fright and dropped the stones, which rolled down the hill as Jin watched. "No, no, come back here, nooooo!"
His grandfather bent over, laughing. "Ah! It looks like you'll have to climb up here again!"
One day, they were training on dodging.
Jin stood in the middle of a vast space in the forest. "Ah, what are we doing here? What's this training?"
His grandfather smiled mischievously. "Ah, don't worry, it's light and simple training. Wait here for a bit."
His grandfather returned, dragging a large bundle of watermelons in a big cloth.
"Watermelons? Are we training to eat?" Jin wondered as he looked at the watermelons.
His grandfather looked at him. "No, you're training to dodge."
"Dodge what..." Jin didn't finish his sentence as his grandfather started throwing watermelons at him.
"You maniac!" Jin dodged the watermelons as his grandfather kept throwing more.
"Crap! Stop, you damned old man, don't you know how expensive watermelons are these days!"
Adrian laughed and continued throwing watermelons at Jin. "This is fun!"
Despite the grueling and often absurd nature of his training, these moments of humor and camaraderie made the intense days more enjoyable for Jin.
His grandfather's playful yet strict methods pushed Jin to his limits but also made him stronger and more resilient mentally.
Meanwhile, Soldier Sai was running through the corridors of the military compound towards Commander Morgan's office.
He reached the door and knocked forcefully. "Commander, there's something urgent."
Morgan responded, "Come in."
Sai pushed the door open and entered the dimly lit room.
"Commander..." Sai's voice was tense.
He turned his body to the right and stood to the side. "You need to see this."
A girl who had once been extremely beautiful entered the room.
She had red hair, her armor was torn, and she was wounded with severe injuries all over her body.
Her left hand was severed, and she held the remains of that hand in her right hand.
Her eyes were filled with pain and exhaustion as she wept bitterly.
Commander Morgan's breath caught in shock. "Elena..."
Elena's voice was weak and full of pain. "Morgan... we need to talk."
Then she collapsed unconscious on the floor.
Morgan shouted urgently, "Quickly, take her to the medical compound!"