Bab 17: Chapter 17: Training
Aiden hatched a plan. He would train hard, push his body to its limits, and combine that with the boar meat and his regeneration ability. Maybe, just maybe, he could potentially gain a whopping 16 Maturation points!
He glanced down at the half-devoured boar carcass, then turned his gaze towards the majestic tree. "Thanks to your power, I could hunt it easily," he said aloud, his voice echoing in the stillness, "I want to share this boar with you."
The truth was, He'd originally intended to leave most of the boar for the tree, considering it was the one who lured the creature in the first place. But somewhere along the way, he'd ended up eating half.
The tree remained silent, offering no reaction as usual. Still, Aiden waited patiently.
Moments ticked by, and then he noticed something peculiar. The boar the flower had previously hunted was completely gone, only scattered bones remaining on the ground. But what he truly felt strange was the sight of thick, pulsating roots swirling around the bones, dragging them deeper into the earth as if the soil was greedily devouring them.
He hurried over to the area beneath the strange flower. The bones were already firmly entangled in these strange, fast-growing roots, being slowly absorbed into the ground. Most of the bones were broken into small pieces, but amidst them, Aiden spotted a glimmer of something useful – a small, sharp shard of a boar tusk.
He carefully reached down, gingerly maneuvering his hand between the pulsating roots. Thankfully, they weren't gripping the shard too tightly, and with a gentle tug, he managed to pry it free. If the roots had gotten to it first, he wouldn't have been able to snatch it away from their grasp.
He examined the shard in his hand. It was razor-sharp, easily sharp enough to pierce human flesh, maybe even a beast's hide. "This will make a great knife and a nice weapon," he declared. A knife or a sharp weapon was a must in this dense forest.
Shhhh!!
Suddenly, a sharp rustling sound pierced the silence. Aiden whirled around with a jolt. There, he saw the same thick vines that sprouted from the flower's maw rapidly coiling around the half-eaten boar carcass, lifting it up just like it had done with its previous prey.
A flicker of satisfaction sparked in Aiden. This gesture was similar to indirectly giving him permission.
He could hunt the creatures that the tree had lured, and all he had to do was share the meat.
Aiden gazed up at the two moons hanging in the inky sky. The night stretched before him, vast and silent. He could head out and hunt, but a flicker of doubt held him back.
The truth was, Aiden wasn't confident. He had no fighting experience, no training from back on Earth. The beast he had faced till now was roughly on his own level, and it had been a close call. What if he encountered something stronger, something truly dangerous?
Taking unnecessary risks wouldn't help him survive in this unforgiving place. Luck might get him by for a while, but it wouldn't last forever.
He craved knowledge, a way to improve his overall strength. He bent down and picked up the severed monkey tail, then carefully placed the sharp boar tusk in the burrow. Tonight, he had a different goal in mind: mastering the art of the whip.
He'd never heard of anyone using a whip for fighting, let alone mastering its techniques. But something about it called to him. The boar tusk was a good weapon, no doubt, but the monkey tail was more flexible and it was hard to counter it.
Perhaps the image of the three-tailed monkey, its lightning-fast attack forever etched in his mind, had simply taken root.
Besides, the three-tailed monkey was an uncommon beast, unlike the common boar. If he could master the monkey tail technique, it could become a truly fearsome weapon.
Aiden grasped the severed monkey tail, its dark fur surprisingly soft against his calloused palms. Tonight was dedicated to learning and pushing his body's limits.
He closed his eyes, picturing the monkey's movements that were burned into his memory: the lightning-fast flicks of the tail, the sharp cracks that echoed through the air, the way it used its tail for both offense and defense. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Aiden mimicked the monkey's stance, planting his feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in his knees. He raised his arm, gripping the tail loosely but firmly. He envisioned replicating the monkey's snapping motion with a quick flick of his wrist.
The result was disastrous.
Instead of a controlled movement, the severed tail whipped around like a runaway vine, catching him across the shoulder with surprising force. A yelp of pain ripped from his throat as a sharp sting flared across his back. He winced, reaching back to feel a stinging welt forming where the tail had connected. A thin line of blood welled up, he really underestimated the power it held.
"Maybe I should start with the basics," Aiden muttered through gritted teeth. Patience and practice, that's what this would take. He lowered his arm, taking another deep breath to calm his racing heart. Frantic movements wouldn't do any good. He needed control.
He started with the fundamentals – the tail itself. He gently stretched it out, marveling at its surprising flexibility. He tested its weight in his hand, feeling the way it tapered from a thick base to a fine tip at the end.
Next came the practice of small, controlled flicks of his wrist. Instead of trying to replicate the monkey's powerful attack right away, he focused on accuracy and precision. The tip of the tail swished back and forth, a blur in the fading light. It wasn't much, but it was a steady start. Slowly, he increased the speed of his flicks, wincing only once when the tail caught the side of his leg. Thankfully, the regeneration ability ensured the sting was a mere annoyance.
As the night deepened, the forest came alive with nocturnal creatures. Insects chirped their eerie songs, and the occasional rustle of leaves betrayed the hidden beast. But Aiden was oblivious to it all. His world had shrunk to the feel of the tail in his hand and the small, controlled movements he was mastering.
He has already forgotten the flow of time.
…..
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
priya012
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone