Chereads / talent of the doomed / Chapter 4 - defeat yourself

Chapter 4 - defeat yourself

Kane woke up in his bed, feeling a pleasant warmth and comfort. Every day began the same way, but he still savored these brief moments of peace. Today, he had slept a little longer than usual, and his friends were already waiting for him outside. His mother had seemingly gone to the store, leaving him alone in the house. But on this day, Kane didn't feel like meeting his friends. He quietly left the house through the back door and headed into the forest.

Just yesterday, a thought had formed in his mind about the perfect stick, one he had often seen in the hands of those who beat slaves. This stick seemed to embody all the cruelty and strength he so desperately wanted to grasp. And now, as soon as he thought about it, it appeared in his hand, heavy and unfamiliar. It was heavier than he expected, but Kane felt that this was exactly what he needed. In this illusory world, everything seemed possible, but the weight of the stick reminded him of reality and its harsh rules.

As he entered the forest, Kane stopped for a moment, looking around. The silence was only broken by the rustling of leaves. He slowly bent down to the ground and began drawing tracks. But these weren't ordinary tracks; they were the paw prints of a saber-toothed boar—a creature he had always feared immensely. He knew this animal was one of his most terrifying nightmares.

He barely finished when, from the shadow of the trees, the saber-toothed boar suddenly emerged, exactly as he remembered it from the real world. Massive, with gleaming tusks and eyes full of wild rage. The boar lunged at Kane. Parrying its blows was extremely difficult, but Kane fought desperately. He knew that in real life, such a blow would have broken him, but here, in this world, he was invulnerable. However, invulnerability did not help in the fight; the boar kept attacking, each time striking harder.

On the third blow, Kane couldn't hold out any longer and was thrown several meters back. In the real world, he would not have been able to get up, but here he felt neither pain nor fatigue. He quickly got up and prepared for the next attack. The boar changed its stance, raising its horns, and began circling Kane. Not understanding why the beast was behaving differently, Kane prepared for another defense. But, momentarily distracted, he was stunned by a sudden attack—the boar charged and struck with renewed force, using the speed and weight of its horns.

Kane was barely holding on. Everything that was happening felt like a real nightmare, but he knew he had to endure. Even in this deadly situation, he began to notice that the boar's actions were becoming primitive and predictable. Seizing the moment, he aimed the stick directly at the boar's eyes. The beast froze, stunned, and Kane, taking advantage of the confusion, mercilessly struck it on the head.

The boar, maddened by the pain, lunged at Kane with its eyes closed, but he managed to dodge and deliver a counterattack. Sensing its end was near, the beast turned and tried to flee but was too injured. Kane caught up with it and mercilessly finished it off. Afterward, he collapsed onto the ground, staring at the sky. Though his body felt no fatigue or pain, his mind was shaken. All the emotions he had experienced during this short but intense moment mixed in his head. He remembered how he had often dreamt of the boar tearing him apart and how he had feared that death more than anything.

But now, after yesterday's contemplation, he made a decision: he would no longer be a slave to his fears. He realized that illusions did not solve his problems; they merely delayed the inevitable, and that something had to change in his approach. He knew that if he stayed here, his fears would never disappear—they would only grow, like a monster in his mind.

The illusory world could create the perfect refuge for him, but it couldn't change his memories. Too many experiences had left a mark on his soul for him to stay here without thinking about what lay beyond this ideal world. He would use these illusions to his advantage, to overcome his psychological barriers and become stronger.

He understood that this was not the end, but merely the beginning of his journey. He repeated the fight again, and then again, each time making small steps forward. Each fight was a step forward, each blow—an attempt to overcome himself. The world of illusions was no longer a refuge for him; it had become an arena for battling his own demons. Over a few days, he made three key observations: the boar's most vulnerable spot was its eyes, an injured animal begins to falter and tries to flee, and the boar's movements are predictable and primitive.

With these thoughts, he ventured deeper into the forest, continuing to fight the saber-toothed boar in different landscapes. But his main goal was not just to defeat the beast but to find out what lay beyond the village. When night fell, he continued to fight, making the task harder for himself. In the darkness, the boar was better at navigating, and Kane realized that he still had a lot of work ahead. He didn't feel hunger and slept wherever he could find a convenient spot to rest. After a week, he had improved his skills so much that he could defeat the boar even at night. Although the subsequent fight wasn't as successful, Kane was satisfied.

Once Kain felt ready, he summoned from the depths of his mind the shadows of the forest, conjuring the one who had become his worst nightmare and the very reason he had ended up in this place. From behind the trees, a massive figure began to emerge, gradually gaining clarity. This was no ordinary beast—it was a creature before which even time itself trembled. Back then, paralyzed by fear, he couldn't make out the monster clearly, but now he could see every detail. The monster resembled a terrifying being, a combination of a giant stag and a predatory beast. Its massive body, covered in dark and coarse fur, exuded fear and blended perfectly with the dark, shrouded forest that surrounded it. Its antlers were twisted and sharp like daggers, each curved branch capable of piercing him through. The creature's head was covered in thick black fur, its eyes glowed with a bright red light, like searchlights, and when its maw opened, it revealed rows of massive, sharp teeth, perfectly suited for tearing flesh apart. And that scream... It echoed through the forest like the cries of thousands of dying souls, chilling to the bone, draining all strength and hope.

In an instant, all of Kane's confidence vanished. His chest tightened with terror, and his legs felt as though they had grown roots into the ground. The monster, without even taking a step, seemed to crush him with its mere presence. A second felt like an eternity, and Kane realized he was utterly unprepared for this confrontation. This wasn't just fear—it was despair, deep, all-consuming, eating away at him from within. He saw before him the embodiment of all his fears, and the terror was so overwhelming that every instinct screamed for him to run.

Kane bolted away without looking back, but the creature was faster. One swipe of its antlers sent the boy flying to the ground with such force that he lost his sense of direction. And though his body felt no pain, Kane's soul screamed in horror. It was as if he were trapped: the monster was closing in on him, its shadow engulfing him, depriving him of light and hope.

When the beast lunged, its maw snapped shut with a monstrous roar just millimeters from Kane, and he realized he couldn't harm this creature. He struck at it, trying with all his might to fend it off, but the monster didn't even notice his blows. Every attempt was futile, every scream silent. The creature seemed to feed on his fear, growing stronger with each passing moment, until… he stopped fighting. In the final instant, as the monster loomed over him, ready to tear him to shreds, Kane gave up. Reality dissolved, and the world plunged into endless darkness.

When he regained consciousness, the forest was shrouded in the darkness of night, but the terror still clung to his mind like icy claws. He wasn't sure if it had been a dream, an illusion, or if he had truly been defeated. But something had changed.

When he awoke, he found himself on the ground, at night, in the same forest where he had fought the monster. He just lay there, staring at the sky, without thinking about anything. The morning came too quickly, but Kane was full of energy and ready to try his luck again. Perhaps if he had felt physical pain, he would never have dared to face the monstrous thing, but now the past seemed something distant and insignificant.

He had already made his choice, and now, after a short rest, he summoned a weapon capable of injuring the monster. A battle axe, one he had often seen in the hands of executioners, appeared in his hand.

When part of the monster's body emerged from the shadows, Kane did not retreat. Perhaps he would never defeat the creature, but he intended to overcome something greater—his own fear.