The Desolate Mountains (The Divine Elements Book 2) Page 2
……………..
The struggle between the man and beast continued as they fought hard for the ownership of the delicious roasted bird.
Usually Calron would just give the monkey whatever cut it wanted, as he found that it was embarrassing for him to continuously bicker with a baby monkey, but this chicken-like bird was a rare find within the mountains, which was mostly inhabited by four-legged creatures.
Seeing that the big human was still not relinquishing the meat after this long, the baby monkey’s cheeks started to balloon up, as it mischievously glanced at Calron.
“Huh? What is it doing?”
Calron curiously muttered while still tightly gripping the roasted bird’s leg.
This was the first time he had seen the little monkey do this.
Suddenly without warning, the baby monkey spat into Calron’s eyes and violently tugged the bird free from his grip!
“Shit!”
Calron angrily cursed out, as he wiped the globule of saliva away off his eyes!
By the time he could see clearly again, the tiny monkey had already ran off with his roasted bird.
“I’m going to kill that little bastard!”
Calron furiously yelled as he shot a bolt of lightning into the cluster of trees in front of him.
“Relax, kid. It is exactly because you get so agitated, that the little monkey continues to pester you. Just go hunt another beast now, and besides, it’s good training for you!”
The Voice amusedly spoke within Calron’s mind, with hints of laughter in the background.
“Teacher, how long do we have to remain at the outer edge of the Desolate Mountains?”
Calron exasperatedly asked, as he started walking into the forest to hunt for some other beast.
The small mountain that Calron was currently residing in was mostly habited by lower ranked beasts, and the abandoned children of other beasts. Calron did not feel a sense of danger from these low-ranked beasts, and he wanted to test his real battle strength with the Blood Legacy!
Calron fervently wanted to enter the inner range of the Desolate Mountains, but his Teacher remained adamant in refusing to let him set foot into those mountains.
“Be patient, Calron. You are almost ready to start training in the third stage of the Thunder-Bird technique.”
The Voice calmly stated, as it tried to appease the restless boy.
“Wait…. Is that what I have been training for all this time? What is the third stage of that technique?”
Calron curiously inquired, as he abruptly stopped in his footsteps.
“Hahaha, did that suddenly spark your interest?”
“N-No! I’m not curious at all!”
Calron hurriedly replied in response to his Teacher’s question.
He knew that no matter how hard he would try to weasel any information out of his Teacher, the Voice would not reveal it him unless it wished to. So, Calron simply hid his curiosity and refused to be baited by the Voice.
*sha-sha*
Calron suddenly detected a trace of movement from the corner of his eye.
The aura around Calron abruptly changed, as he quickly crouched to the ground and intensely observed his surroundings.
It was finally time to hunt.
*shua*
Suddenly, a dark metallic bow appeared within Calron’s hand!
Chapter 3 – A Warrior’s Heart
Feeling the heavy weight of the metallic bow in his hand, Calron strained the muscles in his arm in order to steadily position the bow in front of him.
The intricate symbols on the dark bow glowed with a faint golden luster as Calron started to imbue it with his lightning essence.
After escaping from the Red Boar School, Calron had completely forgotten about the mysterious black bow, and it was not until a few years ago when Calron had accidently summoned the bow out in the open.
His Teacher had immediately detected the presence of the dark bow, and frantically bellowed out within Calron’s mind as he inquired the boy about how he had discovered the bow.
Faced with the unusual outburst of the Voice, Calron had just stood there with a blank expression on his face, while his Teacher had suddenly materialized next to him.
Tenderly touching the bow with his smoky hands, an unusual trace of emotion flickered across the Voice’s face as he continued to softly brush his fingers against the metal of the bow.
“Take good care of it, Calron.”
His Teacher gently whispered, and then abruptly returned back into Calron’s body.
Calron was utterly puzzled as to why his Teacher had reacted this way, as the Voice rarely ever showed its true feelings, but it was obvious to Calron that it had something to do with the dark bow.
Recalling that yearning gaze he had seen on his Teacher’s face, Calron felt that there was a deep history behind the mysterious bow.
………………..
“I think I see it!”
Calron softly whispered to himself, as he sent more of his essence into the dark bow.
Slowly, a faint outline of a golden arrow started to coalesce at the bow’s nocking point.
“Hmm, I distinctly recall telling you that you were not allowed to use your essence during this training period.”
The Voice interrupted Calron in an amused tone, just as his student was about to unleash the elemental arrow.
“Eh? But it’s for food! Don’t tell me I have to fight to eat as well? I’ll just starve to death this way!”
Calron vigorously protested as he dissipated the essence around the metallic bow.
“Nothing is ever easy in life, boy, but if you want to achieve something, then you must relentlessly pursue that goal and never give up no matter what!”
The Voice passionately conveyed and tried to ignite the fire within Calron’s heart.
“Tch, but this is a goal you set, not me… ”
Calron disgruntledly muttered under his breath.
“What was that?”
The Voice promptly inquired.
“Nothing! I was just saying what a terrific idea this is.”
Calron quickly replied and stood up from his crouching position. It no longer mattered whether he hid or not, as his Teacher had made it clear that he would have to confront the beast either way.
“I will beat that stupid monkey senseless the next time I see it!”
Calron annoyingly cursed as he realized that it was all due to the baby monkey’s fault that he had to fight another beast with his bare hands right now.
Only recently had the Voice implemented the bare-handed training with beasts, so the earlier roasted bird was something that Calron had killed a while ago with his bow.
Taking in a deep breath, Calron stepped out of the bushes and scrutinized his surroundings in order to search for the beast that he had detected earlier.
Just as Calron had finally located the targeted beast, he immediately felt goose bumps all over his body.
“Uhh… Teacher, I don’t think I’m that hungry… let’s just go back and I’ll lift some heavy rocks… ”
Calron nervously stated as he wiped away the drops of sweat that had formed on his forehead.
A few yards away from Calron was an enormous grey beast known as the Mountain Ash Bear.
The huge bear had a thick bulky frame and its skin was even harder than some metals! With fumes of smoke emitting from its nostrils, the beast slowly prowled through the forest.
This gigantic bear would stand over ten feet tall if it rose on its hind legs, and it was also a magical beast with the fire attribute. A Mountain Ash Bear could easily reach the seventh rank of the Spiritual stage as soon as it entered its adulthood.
Clearly, the bear in front of Calron was a fully grown adult.
Fortunately, the monstrous bear had not yet taken notice of the human boy a few yards away, and it slowly settled down next to a nearby tree for a quick afternoon nap.
Opening wide its horrific maw in a yawn, it g
ingerly set its snout on its front paws and blissfully closed its eyes.
Seeing that the bear had not even detected him, Calron desperately wanted to get away from that gigantic beast as quickly as possible! He could have easily taken care of it with either the Blood Legacy or the Azure Lightning, but fighting against that monstrosity with just his bare hands?
Impossible!
This grey bear was a beast at least in the seventh rank of the Spiritual stage, and it was not an opponent that Calron would like to fight solely with his physical strength.
“You need to experience danger, Calron. Without an unwavering heart, you will never be able to reach the heights of cultivation that you dream of! Pain is temporary kid, but if you can push through it, then you will enter the realm of true cultivation!”
Hearing his Teacher’s words, Calron unknowingly started to feel his heart race with excitement!
He had long ago vowed to seek strength and to avenge his family, so how could his heart waver when facing off against a beast merely in the Spiritual stage?
Power.
It had been ages since Calron had felt the thrill of battle, as within the past few years, he had gotten used to a life of peace and routine training.
The truth was that Calron had not yet met a worthy opponent in the mountains, which had caused his fighting spirit to dull and slowly fade away.
Deep within the depths of his soul, he had never really felt a sense of danger, as he knew that he could always rely on either the Blood Legacy or the Azure Lightning to completely suppress any beast within this small mountain.
It was just at this moment, that Calron suddenly realized why his Teacher had been forcing him to fight his battles without his essence or the legacy.
It was because his heart was starting to lose its fighting spirit!
“Fuck! How did I not realize this until now?”
Calron heatedly yelled into the forest, as he started boldly walking towards the Mountain Ash Bear!
Hearing the loud shout, the enormous bear abruptly awoke from its nap, and tried to locate the source of the sound that woke it from its peaceful slumber.
Sighting a human boy slowly walking towards it, the grey bear angrily rose from the ground as a vicious growl erupted from its throat. Thick dark smoke erupted from its nostrils, as traces of small embers started to form around the enormous beast.
Meanwhile, a sudden rush of hot blood surged through Calron’s veins, as his heart started to excitedly pound against his chest.
“I had forgotten this feeling… ”
Calron softly whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and felt the adrenaline coursing through his body.
“Embrace this moment, kid. Do not worry about whether or not you can win against the bear, and even if death stares right into your eyes, fight until the bitter end! This is the true heart of a warrior!”
The Voice solemnly spoke within Calron’s mind.
*step* *step*
Calron continued to walk towards the beast as he reveled in the ethereal anticipation of the coming battle. The muscles on his naked upper body coiled with tension as Calron prepared to unleash his strength.
*ROOAARR*
Suddenly, the gigantic bear raised its head as it wildly bellowed into the sky, and just a second later, it immediately began to charge towards Calron!
“A warrior’s heart… ”
Calron’s eyes abruptly opened as a familiar bloodthirsty aura erupted around him.
Chapter 4 – A Nightmare
“A warrior’s heart… ”
Calron’s eyes abruptly opened as a familiar bloodthirsty aura erupted around him.
A strange sensation started to surge within Calron, as he calmly gazed at the massive bear rapidly approaching him. He knew that under no circumstances could he actually defeat the bear with his physical strength alone, but Calron no longer hesitated in confronting the beast.
A trace of fear still existed within Calron, but it was only a matter of time until his heart would be tempered.
“Breathe and relax your muscles… your body is too tense right now. Conquer the fear within your soul, and just try to dodge as many of the bear’s strikes as you can.”
The Voice calmly advised his student with a soothing tone.
“Alright, Teacher… “
Calron softly whispered back, as he slowly exhaled and prepared to face off against the incoming beast.
The tensely coiled muscles on Calron’s body slowly loosened up, and the bloodthirsty aura around him also started to dissipate as well.
“Fighting is not just using your brute strength, Calron, it is about finding the most effective way to kill an enemy! So far, you have only fought against weaker opponents and your brute strength has always helped you. However, not all of your enemies in the future will be that weak, so you need to start learning how to strategize and to calmly assess your current situation.”
The Voice serenely began instructing Calron in battle tactics.
*thud* *thud*
Meanwhile, the Mountain Ash Bear continued to charge straight towards Calron, with a long trail of smoke following behind it. A series of small embers burst on top of its grey fur while the bear’s eyes sharply pierced through Calron.
“Your opponent right now is a beast from the bear species, so their main offensive strength lies within the sharpness of their claws. It is also a fire attributed magical beast, so you will need to maintain your distance to avoid getting burned. Get ready, Calron, here it comes!”
His Teacher abruptly yelled, just as the grey bear was almost upon Calron.
Intently focusing on the massive beast’s claws, Calron slightly bent his knees as he prepared to immediately dodge the first attack.
However, just as the bear was half a foot away, it suddenly raised its right paw and struck down towards Calron.
“Shit!”
Calron immediately cursed, as he realized that he had greatly underestimated the massive bear’s astonishing speed, and would not be able to dodge the incoming attack in time!
*Slash*
Suddenly, a spurt of bright red blood sprayed onto the grass below, and continued to slowly drip onto the ground as a small puddle of thick, crimson liquid started to form on the grass.
“Urghh!”
Calron gingerly clutched his injured chest while he heavily panted from a lack of breath.
There were four parallel slashes on the center of his chest, and a hint of white ribs could be faintly seen in the deepest part of the wound!
“Forget the pain, Calron, and focus on your opponent!”
The Voice strictly conveyed to his wounded student.
Although Calron was not currently using the Blood Legacy, it still granted his body a passive regenerative ability, as the wound on his chest was already starting to show signs of recovery! It appeared as if within several days the injury would completely heal, but it might leave a faint scar.
An ice-cold fury suddenly blazed within Calron’s eyes as he viciously glared at the grey bear. Noticing the bear’s right claw stained with his blood, Calron forcefully tried to suppress the wrath he currently felt.
*crackle*
Small bolts of Azure Lightning flickered across Calron’s eyes, as it violently tried to emerge out of his body!
“I’ll hold it back!”
The Voice suddenly whispered to Calron, and suddenly a mysterious energy started to envelop around his core.
“I’ve suppressed it with my soul energy, but I won’t be able to hold the lightning back for long. Continue your fight, and anticipate the strikes rather than waiting for the bear to attack you.”
The Voice evenly replied and continued to guide Calron through the battle.
“I will try, Teacher!”
Calron seriously stated as he tuned out the pain he currently felt from his wounds.
Seeing the human take a hit from its attack, the grey bear smugly looked into Calron’s eyes and prepared to strike again.
Calron icily whispered.
*growl*
With bursts of flame erupting from its nostrils, the grey bear once again charged towards Calron.