Dan's vision was blurry as he slowly opened his eyes. When he finally managed to get them fully open, he didn't recognize the ceiling of the room he was in, but that didn't bother him.
Recalling what happened before he found himself here, Dan quickly sat upright in panic. A sharp pain hit him in his left abdomen and hand. He examined the area, noticing it was covered in wool and bandages.
"Lively as always," Valerie said, carrying a tray of food, drink, and a bowl of medicine. She placed it on the table beside the bed and began examining Dan's injuries. "It's healed up," she exclaimed, helping Dan to his feet. "I'll remove the bandages now, so stay still." Valerie started untying the bandages.
"Master..." Dan muttered weakly, catching Valerie's attention. "...the mountain?"
"Oh, that mountain! Well, I don't know much about it either. All I know is—it belonged to my teacher," Valerie said as she finished removing the bandages and offered Dan his meal.
Dan's left arm and abdomen bore scars from teeth marks and claw scratches, nearly healed.
"He kept the most dangerous creatures he captured there. The place has ten compartments, each deadlier than the last. The mountain was only just the gate, and I'm sure you met the sly gatekeeper," Valerie concluded with a light chuckle. "it's been years since I spoke with her"
Finishing his meal, Dan finally regained some strength but still looked pale and in need of rest. Valerie mentioned he had been unconscious for a week, having lost a lot of blood that was very much expected. She managed to keep him alive with medicinal herbs she fetched from the forest.
"You should rest for the day. We'll resume training tomorrow."
"No! Let's continue with the training, Master," Dan insisted sternly.
"Kid, you almost died. You need to fully recover before we resume," Valerie stated.
"I have recovered enough, Master. You said I was out for a week, right? Isn't that enough rest? Please, Master, we need to continue," Dan pleaded, kneeling with his head on the ground.
"You are really hard to convince. But if you die, I have nothing to do with it your death" Valerie said and left the room.
Dan and Valerie sat on the ground facing each other. Dan's face looked pale but serious, while Valerie was worried. She wondered what drove Dan to such lengths, even neglecting his own life.
"Before we continue, is there any question you wanted to ask?" Valerie demanded.
"Why did you send me to that mountain?" Dan asked.
Valerie sighed and began, "First off, to use ryo, you have to feel it. You need to have contact with it; otherwise, you'll just be a normal person with great power but unable to harness it. Did you have any strange encounters?"
"Yes! The intense cold, warm water, the animals—everything there was strange!" The trauma was still present in Dan's mind.
"What if I told you that the cold and warm waters weren't real?" Valerie said with a smirk, leaving Dan in a daze.
"They're not real?"
"The water was real, but the temperatures were effects of your body adapting to the sudden exposure to intense ryo clusters. Let's take, for instance," Valerie said, adjusting herself. "You're in a room filled with candles lighting the place. Suddenly, all the candles go out. What happens next?"
"You can't see—"
"Exactly. You go blind. During this stage, your body goes through two phases: first, total blindness where you can't see a thing, and second, using the remnant light particles to see. You adapt to the darkness, giving you the ability to see even in the dark. Do you get where I'm going, Dan?" Valerie said enthusiastically, her face radiant with a bright smile.
"So, you're saying I was feeling those false sensations because I was going through the adapting stage?" Dan asked.
"Yes."
Everything clicked for Dan. He remembered how he had trouble sensing the ryo flow while the beasts easily found him. He also recalled that he gradually got used to the place.
"Now, you've been exposed to ryo. I'm sure you can feel the ryo energy in your fingertips. Direct that little energy into this leaf," Valerie instructed, handing Dan a leaf.
Dan closed his eyes and focused. He felt a warm sensation enveloping his body, his breath calm and easy. The air smelled delicious, and he felt light and free, almost hovering above the ground.
"That's enough. Look at the leaf," Valerie's voice snapped Dan out of his trance. Annoyed at being interrupted, he looked at the leaf. It had turned from green to a bright crimson red.
"Catalyst... lucky you," Valerie said with a proud smile. Dan wondered why she was so proud, but he focused on the task at hand.
"Does the colour signify anything special?" Dan asked.
"It doesn't signify anything important. Just focus on training for now," Valerie replied, waving her hand dismissively.
"Umm, Master, what kind of training should I focus on?" Dan asked.
"Have you really been paying attention to my teachings?" Valerie asked, exasperated.
"I'm sorry."
Valerie sighed and sat back down. "First, you need to train your body. As I told you, Catalysts increase their physical prowess. The stronger the body, the more ryo it can handle and the greater the strength it achieves. And I'll advice you to focus on strengthening your punch and kicks rather than swinging swords." Valerie pointed out.
"Thank you so much, Master," Dan said, bowing.
"Sure. But remember, don't be too hard on yourself. You need breaks," Valerie said as she walked away.
Dan began thinking of training exercises to boost his physique. He regretted not asking Valerie for specific guidance.
"I guess I need to start somewhere," Dan said, looking at the clear blue sky.