Chapter 6:
Warpainter: From Office Workers to World Warriors
The boulder was quickly approaching both of them. Arte looked everywhere she could for a way to avoid the boulder. To their left was just a jagged rock wall, and to their right was a cliff that led to the forest below. Their only option was to keep running.
“What the hell!” Leo shouted as he ran.
The path before them was long and winding, and exhaustion was close behind as Arte trailed him. Her breaths rapid, lungs burning, and limbs blazing. In the span since they started running, they only traversed about a quarter of the mountain, not to mention that the boulder was steadily gaining speed and momentum. Leo was trying to slow his pace enough to match Arte’s, but with the incoming boulder coming toward them, he was torn. His pace slowed, and his mind filled with thoughts of Arte.
“Don’t stop! Keep… Going! I know you’re faster than this!” Arte shouted. “Don’t hold back because of me!”
His heart sank hearing her words. Reminding them of their childhood, where he was very skilled at fighting games, but would let her win. But she knew and always got upset over him holding back. Tears began to form in his eyes, but he accelerated. Through the heavy tremor-like pounding in his chest, the warmth of his body, he kept pushing deeper and deeper, until he was out of Arte’s sight.
“Good. We don’t need to go out here together.” Arte mutters.
The boulder came from behind and rolled over her like an insect. The boulder kept going, leaving her body lying in the groove. The stillness of her body ended when her fingers began to move.
“Owww…” She groaned.
She coughed into the dirt-soaked groove, and her vision swayed.
“My whole body hurts…” She thought.
Arms shaking as she tried to lift herself, she forced herself to her knees. It wasn’t long before the sound of another boulder entered her ears.
“I’m already exhausted. There’s no way I can brute force something like this… This means there must be more to this training than just building our endurance. Think Arte! What changed after the hero did this training for the first time? He was able to fight through an entire horde of enemies… But how…? He went from having meager stamina to fighting hordes after this training… Which means, something changed, or he awakened something.” Arte thought.
The dark of the sky began to overtake the setting sun as it was just moments from vanishing. As the area got darker, golden orbs emerged, lighting the surrounding area. Arte stared into the light of the fireflies, and her mouth hung open with surprise.
“Animaflies.” She spoke in a hushed tone.
She recalled what Sky told them as they were using her cards.
“It’s anima! It wasn’t expanded upon that much in the game, but everyone has anima, and it can be used to strengthen weapons, via the hero’s skill, anima blade. If it’s within us, then it must be able to enhance our bodies as well!” She thought.
“Ah… I don’t know how to use it.” Arte spoke as the next boulder came around the bend at her. She pushed herself to the limit and started running again. With her legs throbbing, she grimaced with each step she took, even with her entire body aching from the pain of the boulder, she held on. With how hot her body was, it wouldn’t be surprising if she collapsed right here.
“My life before coming here was tough. I lost my grandpa and got a terrible job. Steadily, every day became dull. Always getting home late, having no energy to do anything, crashing into bed, then repeating it all over again. Call me crazy, but ever since coming here, these nights where each could be our last, nothing has made me feel more alive.” She thought.
Despite her impassioned thoughts, the boulder rolled over her without regard. Once again, she was left lying in the grooves of the mountain.
“I certainly feel like dying now, though… Ugh…” She groaned in a low, raspy tone.
Leo, on the other hand, kept going. His single-minded determination to keep running carried him forward, as well as the fire burning in his chest. All the heat and fatigue contained in his limbs, concentrated toward his chest, allowed him to carry on. Despite his efforts, the boulder was directly behind him. Having gained momentum from the descent of the mountain, it kept pace with him. At this point, Leo had already traversed more than half the mountain. He fiercely kept going, but the heat in his chest dissipated as quickly as it appeared. And with its disappearance came exhaustion. His eyes were heavy, and bags appeared under them. His speed wasn’t even half of what it had been before, causing the boulder to crush him.
Leo couldn’t even move his body any longer, and heaved for air. Sky landed next to him and scooped him up as though she were carrying a small child.
“You did well today.” She said.
“Doesn’t… Feel like it.” He replied.
“I felt the same way, years ago.” She smiled wryly. “Let's go and get Arte.”
Arte was lying in the groove after being rolled over a third time. Being completely out cold, Sky grabbed her and hung her over her shoulder.
“I guess we’ll head home for now. I should probably get you both some new clothes; you’re practically wearing rags now.” She mentioned.
Sky returned home with the pair, allowing them to rest and recover from today’s extreme training. A few hours later, it was already well into the night, before Arte woke up drenched in sweat. She was breathing deeply as she lay in bed. Sore from top to bottom, she struggled to move without pain.
“Leo? Are you there?” She asks.
She could hear him groaning as he was roused from sleep. It took him a few minutes before he realized it was her voice. He quickly turned over in the bed and fell off the top bunk, slamming into the floor.
“Owww…. Y-you’re alive?” He questions, looking up to Arte.
“Somehow,” Arte stated. “The boulders definitely hurt like hell.”
“You didn’t think I’d actually kill people I was training, did you?” Sky spoke from the doorway. “I applied some magic to protect you. Let's get you off the floor.”
After helping Leo back into bed, she yawned.
“Make sure you both get some sleep, you’ve got more training in the morning.” She winked.
After closing the door, the room was dark and silent. About ten minutes passed before Arte spoke up.
“You still up, Leo?” She asks.
“Yeah. It’s hot as balls.” Leo says while wiping sweat from his brow.
“I already miss air conditioning.” She added.
“The marvels of modern technology.” Leo sighed.
Leo, exhausted from the day's training, felt a powerful tug at his eyebrows. The sudden strength of it made him panic mentally, but he couldn’t fight it. It was like he was being smothered and didn’t have the strength to fight back, as his eyelids closed. Within the reaches of his dream, a figure came floating toward him, drifting through the shadows at an increasingly fast pace. Leo reached for his hip, but his dagger was gone. The figure grabbed both his shoulders, nails piercing his skin. The figure’s face began to appear from the inky black in the shade of the yellow light engulfing his entire being.
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