A few weeks after the previous events, on a beautiful morning, a certain forest, as usual, was the stage for the flourishing world of the living. Overflowing with life, the first rays of the sun delicately settled to warm it up. The sweet and pleasant scent of morning dew wafted through the air, accompanied by a light, refreshing breeze. The animals were out, peacefully roaming in search of their daily sustenance. In this calm and soothing tableau, a strange, dissonant noise began to break the serenity:
Haaaaaa...; Haaaaaa...; Haaaaa...
These loud gasps seemed to come from a young boy running with a gigantic rock balanced in his hands behind his back. He pressed on for a little while longer before reaching the end of his endurance:
"Haaaaaa... There, that's 50 laps..."
Completely exhausted, he dropped the rock, which fell with a loud crash, and then let himself slide down it to the ground to catch his breath. After a few seconds of silence, the young boy resumed:
"It wasn't just talk when he said he'd make my life hell... And this is just the beginning. When I think about all the distance I still have to cover..."
This young boy was none other than Nate, who then recalled what Kaiju had told him on the first day of his training:
Flashback
"Well, we're going to start the training with a little assessment so I can gauge your overall level. Come on, show me what you can do."
"Okay, but I don't see a flame anywhere."
"What?!!!"
"Well, yes, I can manipulate fire however I want or increase its intensity, but I need a base. I can't create fire out of nothing; it's not possible!!!"
"Wait, wait, wait... Are you telling me you don't even have access to your inner source???"
"What's that again?"
"My God..."
"..."
"In fact, you're practically at level zero. So I suppose it's pointless to ask you what Renki and Tènkio are..."
"The first one, I don't know, but I do know that "thank you" is an expression used to show gratitude to a person. Do you think I was raised among pigs or something??!!!'
After hearing this, Kaiju froze, completely overwhelmed by the ignorance of this delinquent. But he regained his composure and said to Nate:
"Pffffff... Forget it!!! I'll explain it to you, so listen well because I'm not going to repeat myself."
"Okay, I'm listening."
"Good... Know that it's not impossible for you or any Elementalist to create the element they manipulate from nothing. Well... the word "create" is a bit strong... Let's say generate, materialize. And what will allow you to do that is the reserve of that element you have inside you; that reserve is what we call the "inner source"."
As Kaiju spoke, Nate couldn't help but look skeptical, having never heard such absurd claims. But thinking it over, the powers he currently possessed defied human logic. So, he decided to give this man the benefit of the doubt and said:
"And how do I access this "inner source"?"
"You can't! At least, not for now; your child's body wouldn't be able to handle it. That's why you don't instinctively access it; well, I think. So from today, you're going to do a series of exercises to strengthen your body and mind. Once you've done that, then we'll see."
"Okay, understood!!!"
"Good... I see you're motivated... Now it's time to prove to me that what you said the other day wasn't just hot air."
"Yes, Kaiju, I won't let you down!"
After hearing this, Kaiju let out a sigh and said to Nate:
"Don't get me wrong, kid. I'm neither your mother nor your nanny, so don't count on me to pamper you or come to your aid at the first difficulty. If you can't overcome them, it simply means you don't have what it takes. In that case, you could very well die before my eyes, and I wouldn't lift a finger."
"I understand... And by the way, I wasn't counting on that. I've relied enough on others. I need to manage by my own resources; otherwise, I'll never be strong enough."
"Good, I'm glad you figured that out on your own."
"..."
"Oh! And... one last thing."
Kaiju then adopted a threatening demeanor and said to Nate:
"The next time you call me by my first name without an honorific, it's me who will kill you!!!"
Nate was left speechless because he was dead serious!
End of flashback
With that memory, Nate had regained his breath and began to monologue:
"Kaiju really knows how to scare me..."
Then, almost instantly, he was surprised:
"Look at me adding "sensei" even when he's not here."
But he didn't dwell on it for long and affirmed:
"Well, I'd better move on to the next exercise so I can finish on time and get home early; otherwise, I'll spend another day with an empty stomach..."
He then assumed a push-up position and began his exercise. But as he trained vigorously, an unfamiliar feeling of discomfort and danger overwhelmed him. Trusting his instincts, he halted his exercise and assumed a combat stance. The tension mounted as he continuously stared at a certain bush, sensing that the danger he felt was about to emerge. His wait wasn't long, as he soon began to hear what sounded like footsteps approaching him:
Tap...; Tap...; Tap...
A kind of canine silhouette started to emerge from the bushes, emitting the growl of an enraged dog. Nate swallowed the dry saliva in his throat, anxiously waiting for the figure to take shape. When he could finally see clearly what it was, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed:
"Good God, what is this horror?!"