In the summit of one of countless mountains of Dart Mountain Range, a rocky cave can be seen.
The cave began to faintly humming with the blowing breeze from outside.
Drip... Drip...
The cave is moist.
From the deeper part of the cave, the sound of water drops dropping echoing time to time, setting the melody of the lone summit's cave.
And I wake up there.
Beside a campfire and my katana, Sakura-no-shiroame.
Ah, also, with an untitled book.
"Where master go?"
I looking around but can't find him anywhere inside the cave.
I walked outside, thinking that he maybe waiting me there, but still can't find him.
"Did he abandoning me here? In this unknown place?"
I starting to feel nervous now...
Anticipating the worst case, I hold my katana, began to unsheathing it to checking this only weapon I have now to survive.
However...
"H-hah? Why can't I pull it out?"
I can't pull the katana's blade no matter how I try to unsheathing it.
It's different from before when master gave me it. At that time, I can easily pull it out without matter just like an well-oiled machine.
Felt the surging of anxiety and urgeness within me, I turn my attention to the last thing that I think would help me in this situation.
I take the untitled book and read it.
Seeing what wrote there, I can't help but to curse: "Are you kidding me, you Hellish Demonic Spartanians Sadistic Abyssal-Heavenly Oni Master!"
I slam down the book, feeling the surging urgeness to scream right here and right now.
•The first page of the Untitled book:
—|"Good morning, my disciple.
When you wake up and read this book, you don't have to worry.
This place is one of Dart Mountain Range's mountain summit.
(Ilustrated map of Dart Mountain Range).
If I travel with you while we passing this mountain range, surely this journey will end in just an fleeting time.
That's would waste this golden opportunity to train you too much.
Just see this mountain range.
Sheer terrain and harsh climate, minim plants, boundless monster of Dungeons and several magical beast's lair everywhere.
It is a perfect place to your training.
So, your goal here is to survive, train the sword technique noted in this book, and travel to the another side of Dart Mountain Range.
Note: Don't ever think to escape because I always watching you.
Note: Depend on how you grown up stronger in this short travel, I will give you a reward.
And... Call me Sensei."|
[Mission Found.]
[Mission: Travel to Another side.]
[Difficulty: Hard.]
[Main Goal: Reaching the Yang Empire in the another side of Dart Mountain Range.]
[Side Goals: Getting stronger as strong as you can; Learning the sword technique—Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu.]
[Rewards: The special Gift from the Plum Shadow, Kawaou Ken; +10 level.]
I directing my cold eyes to the System window that suddenly shown up.
"Even you, System..."
Sigh.
Scratching my head, I calming myself down and setting my mind.
"Well, I guess I don't have any others choice."
System already gave me another promised reward other than the reward from master. It's giving me more motivation, at least.
I smiled, take a glance to the silent sheer scenery of Dart Mountain Range and the dark-clouded sky above.
I directing my fist forward up.
"Bring it on then, Dart Mountain Range!"
The tension heating up!
But then, I remembered.
"How I use this katana?"
Flip! Flip! Flip! Flip!
•The last page of the Untitled Book:
—|"Sakura-no-shiroame is a katana I forged long ago with the help of an Dwarvern Blacksmith.
This katana is not just a mere katana but a katana forged specially for a Swordsman practiced the Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu.
A swordman should master the first 5 Petals of Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu to even permitted to using it.
Note: You can unsheathed this katana before is because I let you to at least once seeing how your katana's blade is looked like.
Note: The sword technique is centered and borned from the Physique, not weapons."|
Sigh.
"I see..."
I messaging my forehead, overwhelmed by the circumstances I faced now.
"So you simpliy order me to travel pass this damned mountain range, alone, not with proper weapon, but with random emergency or entirely with no weapons at all, master... Sensei?"
My ma—Sensei is too extreme.
He is not even human, i guess.
"An 8 years old boy, traveling pass by the Dart Mountain Range... That's sound like a quite sad story. Maybe I should write a short novel about it instead... Haha."
I am overwhelmed and felt somewhat hopeless, but...
"Okay, stop it, me..."
... I remembered the real goal in this life of mine.
"Babbling and complaining won't change anything!"
My real goal is to change the story of this very world—changing the destiny itself.
"Travel to the another side mountain range?"
I smiled, put an determined expression in my face.
"That's easy-peasy!"
Compared to my grand goal, it's seems so trivial and simple—akin to just mere a child play!
Well... Not that easy, but...
I think I can somehow managed it.
I opened the Untitled Book once more, opening the pages where the explanation and the instruction of the Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu writed.
"Ah, that's right. Before starting the travel, I need to secure the foods, and..."
While I reading about the Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu and recording it in my brain, I use a stone to write my short-term goals in the rock wall of the cave before executing any plan to really traveling.
"Foundation makes building... Right, Risa?"
Thunder rumbling sounds heard from firmament afar.
The flow of wind began to fastened.
The sun above began to covered by the could.
I furrow my brow and stop reading, take a glance to the outside of the cave.
"What is this..."
Rain start to pouring down.
The tempo of the dropping raindrops is so fast because of the sudden storm.
I use my left hand to cover my face from the rain splashes, struggling to looking around the cave in this stormy surroundings.
Thunders above keep rambling harshly, illuminating the dark world of storm time to time, frequently.
Right at that very moment.
I guess... I did see 'something' big among the cloud.
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[Note: Surroundings change is detected!]
[Note: Mission: Travel to Another side is needed to be evaluated once more.]
[Re-Evaluating... Success.]
[Mission: Travel to ?Another? side.]
[Difficulty: Very Hard.]
[Main Goal: Reaching the Yang Empire in the another side of Dart Mountain Range.]
[Side Goals: Getting stronger as strong as you can; Learning the sword technique—Hitoe to Fugenzou-ryu; Do not die.]
[Rewards: The special Gift from the Plum Shadow, Kawaou Ken; +15 level; 20 Stats points.]