Chapter 8: A Matter of Courage
The following morning began exactly as every other morning.
Before sunrise, Yun Che and Yun Ren were already awake.
They completed their training under Master Liang.
Returned home for breakfast.
Then spent the rest of the day working inside the forge.
True to his word, Yun Jian made Yun Che work twice as hard.
By midday, Yun Che had forged enough metal to make both arms feel pleasantly numb.
He didn't complain.
A promise was a promise.
As the afternoon wore on, Yun Che found himself glancing toward the sun more than once.
Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked,
"Father."
"Hm?"
"I thought we were hunting this morning."
Yun Jian continued hammering a glowing blade.
"I changed my mind."
"...Why?"
"Because one weak beast isn't enough."
Yun Che blinked.
"It isn't?"
"No."
The hammer struck again.
CLANG!
"If this is a lesson..."
"...then it should last longer than five minutes."
Only then did Yun Jian look up.
"We'll hunt this evening."
"After work."
Yun Che stared.
"...After training."
"...After double work."
"...Then a hunt?"
"Correct."
"I'm beginning to suspect you're trying to kill me."
"No."
His father answered calmly.
"I'm trying to teach you."
Yun Ren burst into laughter.
The forge finally closed as the sun began sinking behind the mountains.
Yun Che returned home, changed clothes, and quietly began fastening on his armor.
One plate after another.
Greaves.
Breastplate.
Pauldrons.
Gauntlets.
Helmet.
Finally...
He lifted his enormous sword onto his back.
Then...
He stopped.
His usual coils of metal wire remained hanging on the wall.
His rifle stayed locked inside the basement.
His throwing knives remained untouched.
Even his smoke bombs stayed behind.
Yun Jian watched silently.
"No support."
Yun Che nodded.
"I know."
"Only your armor."
"And your sword."
"Nothing else."
Yun Che sighed.
"...Fine."
Outside, the family gathered in the courtyard.
Yun Mei checked her bow one final time.
Echo perched silently upon her shoulder.
Yun Ren spun his spear lazily.
Apparently looking far too relaxed for someone about to enter monster-infested forests.
Yun Jian tightened the straps on his hammer.
Then looked directly at Yun Che.
"You understand today's purpose?"
"To fight."
"No."
Yun Che frowned.
"...No?"
"To face something."
His father folded his arms.
"You've hunted since you were seven."
"You've killed monsters."
"You've survived dangerous situations."
"But every single time..."
"You've fought from safety."
Yun Che remained quiet.
"You begin with traps."
"Wires."
"Distance."
"If possible..."
"You shoot first."
"And only approach after you've already won."
Yun Che scratched the back of his head.
"...That sounds efficient."
"It is."
His father nodded immediately.
"And it's also proof."
"Proof of what?"
"That you're afraid."
Yun Che froze.
"...Excuse me?"
"You're afraid of fighting beasts up close."
"I am not."
"You are."
"I am not!"
"You are."
"You've always been."
Yun Che could only stare.
His father continued mercilessly.
"Every time an ugly monster appears..."
"You become noticeably more alert."
"You keep extra distance."
"You unconsciously shift your footing."
"You search for escape routes."
"You avoid direct engagement."
He looked straight into his son's eyes.
"You hide that fear well."
"But I've watched you for thirteen years."
"I know my own son."
Yun Che's mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
"...Father."
"Hm?"
"Stop analyzing my mind."
"I am."
"I don't like it."
"I know."
Yun Che pointed accusingly.
"I am not scared."
"You are."
"I'm cautious."
"You're cautious because you're scared."
"They're ugly!"
"They're supposed to be."
"They have claws!"
"They're predators."
"They smell terrible!"
"They're wild animals."
"They want to eat people!"
"Exactly."
Yun Jian nodded once.
"So?"
Yun Che gaped.
"So?!"
"That's your answer?"
His father looked perfectly calm.
"Yes."
Yun Che threw both hands into the air.
"Fine!"
"I'll prove you wrong!"
"I'll fight it."
"I won't hesitate."
"I won't run."
"I'll show you I'm not scared."
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Yun Jian's mouth.
"So."
"It worked."
Realization dawned on Yun Che.
"...You provoked me."
"I encouraged you."
"You manipulated me."
"I motivated you."
"Those aren't the same thing."
"They're similar."
Yun Ren doubled over laughing.
"I can't breathe..."
"You two..."
"...You argue exactly the same way."
As the group began walking toward the western gate, Yun Ren slowed until he matched Yun Che's pace.
"Don't think too much about it."
"I wasn't."
"You absolutely were."
"...Fine."
"I was."
His older brother rested the spear across his shoulder.
"Father did exactly the same thing to me."
Yun Che looked over.
"He did?"
"When I first hunted alone."
"He stayed nearby."
"But he made me think I was alone."
Yun Ren smiled at the memory.
"I was terrified."
"You?"
"Oh yes."
"I'd already fought bandits."
"I'd hunted monsters."
"But standing in front of one..."
"...with nobody between us..."
He shook his head.
"My legs nearly forgot how to work."
Yun Che blinked.
"You never told me that."
"I didn't want my little brother laughing at me."
"I still might."
"You'd better not."
They shared a quiet laugh.
Yun Ren's expression softened.
"Father always acts strict."
"You know that."
"He shouts."
"He criticizes."
"He makes impossible demands."
"But..."
He glanced toward Yun Jian, who was walking a short distance ahead with Yun Mei.
"...He's softer than anyone I know."
"When it was my turn..."
"He walked close enough that he could save me at any moment."
"I just didn't realize it."
Yun Che followed his brother's gaze.
His father never looked back.
Yet somehow...
Yun Che suspected Yun Ren was right.
The lesson might feel harsh.
But Yun Jian had never once confused harshness with carelessness.
Whatever happened in the forest today...
His father would never allow his son to die simply to prove a point.
That knowledge didn't make the coming battle less intimidating.
It did, however...
Make the path into the darkening forest feel just a little less lonely.
-----------------------------
The gates of Mistforge closed behind them with a deep rumble.
Yun Che adjusted the grip on his greatsword as he and Yun Ren walked along the snow-covered trail leading into the mountains.
The evening sky had already darkened.
It was close to seven.
The last traces of sunlight disappeared behind towering peaks.
Within minutes, the forest swallowed them whole.
At the edge of the trees, Yun Ren stopped.
"From here..."
"You're alone."
Yun Che nodded.
"I know."
His brother smiled.
"You'll be fine."
Then...
He vanished into the darkness.
Yun Che knew better than to believe he had actually left.
Yun Ren was nearby.
Watching.
Just hidden.
Their father would never risk his sons' lives carelessly.
Even so...
The feeling of being alone settled over him.
The forest was different at night.
Very different.
Giant pine trees blocked most of the moonlight.
Snow reflected what little light remained, creating strange silver shadows between the trunks.
Every branch looked like something waiting to move.
Every gust of wind sounded like whispered footsteps.
Yun Che activated Body Enhancement.
Ki flowed quietly through his body.
His muscles tightened.
His hearing sharpened.
His eyesight adjusted.
Even his sense of smell became slightly clearer.
Despite that...
The darkness remained oppressive.
Back on Earth...
He would never have willingly entered a forest like this after sunset.
Here...
It was simply another lesson.
The mountain was alive.
Somewhere in the distance...
A wolf howled.
Owls called to one another across the valley.
Snow shifted beneath unseen footsteps.
This mountain belonged primarily to the Frost Wolves.
A century ago, the ancestor of Shen Tianyu's family had subdued the Frost Wolf King instead of killing it.
That alliance had protected the surrounding settlements.
Eventually...
Mistforge had been built beneath the wolves' watch.
The descendants of that first contracted Frost Wolf still served the City Lord's family today.
Without them...
The city might never have survived.
Yun Che moved carefully through the forest.
Every footprint.
Every broken branch.
Every scratch upon tree bark.
His mother's lessons resurfaced naturally.
A moose passed here yesterday.
Fox tracks.
Old wolf scent.
He crouched beside a tree.
Long claw marks.
Fresh.
"...Bear."
Good.
A bear would be ideal.
Powerful.
Straightforward.
Aggressive.
Exactly what his father wanted him to face.
Hidden several hundred meters away...
Yun Mei watched silently from a tree branch.
"He found the tracks quickly."
Yun Jian nodded once.
"I expected nothing less."
Master hunters first learned to observe.
Yun Che had always excelled at that.
On another ridge...
Yun Ren rested his spear across one shoulder.
"He'll finish soon."
His own trial had lasted barely thirty minutes.
The first roar had startled him.
Then instinct had taken over.
One thrust.
One dead beast.
Simple.
His little brother was stronger than he had been at the same age.
Surely...
It wouldn't take much longer.
Meanwhile...
Yun Che remained focused on the bear's trail.
So focused...
He missed something else.
A shape drifted silently between snow-covered bushes.
White fur.
Black stripes.
Golden eyes.
A Snow Tiger.
Sixth Stage of the Mortal Realm.
It lowered itself against the ground.
Patient.
Watching.
Waiting.
Predators understood distraction better than most humans ever could.
Yun Che took another step.
The tiger exploded forward.
ROOOOAR!!
The forest shook.
The deafening roar erupted only a few feet away.
Yun Che's entire body froze.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs.
Every instinct inside him screamed the same command.
Run.
The tiger reached him before rational thought returned.
Massive claws crashed against his armored chest.
CLANG!
The impact drove him backward.
Yun Che barely managed to catch its forelegs.
The beast snarled directly into his face.
Its hot breath washed over his helmet.
Its yellow eyes...
Contained only hunger.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
Only the absolute certainty that the creature intended to kill him.
The killing intent struck harder than the claws.
For one horrifying moment...
His thoughts simply...
Stopped.
The world narrowed.
There was only the tiger.
Its teeth.
Its roar.
Its weight.
His carefully prepared plans vanished completely.
He couldn't think.
He simply reacted.
With tremendous effort, he shoved the tiger away.
The beast landed lightly in the snow.
Then...
Disappeared.
Yun Che spun frantically.
"Where—"
A blur.
From behind.
Another roar shattered the silence.
He swung instinctively.
His sword cut nothing but air.
The tiger crashed into his back.
He hit the ground hard.
Snow exploded around him.
Before he could recover—
The tiger was already on top of him again.
Its claws scraped violently against his armor.
Its jaws searched for exposed joints.
Yun Che tried to strike.
His arms felt slow.
Far too slow.
His breathing became ragged.
His heartbeat thundered inside his ears.
Move.
His body refused.
Think.
His mind wouldn't listen.
Fear.
Raw.
Ancient.
Primal.
It wrapped itself around every thought.
The pressure of the predator above him grew heavier with each passing second.
The armor protected him.
But he wasn't fighting back.
He couldn't.
His father had been right.
All the confidence.
All the boasting.
All the plans.
None of them had prepared him for this.
A spear slammed into the snow barely a hand's breadth from the tiger.
BOOM!
The ground cracked.
The tiger leapt backward instantly.
Yun Ren stood between his brother and the beast.
His spear remained lowered.
He didn't attack.
He simply stared.
The killing intent pouring from him was cold enough to freeze the air.
The Snow Tiger hesitated.
Growled once.
Then slowly retreated into the darkness.
It knew.
This new opponent was dangerous.
Within moments...
It vanished among the trees.
Silence returned.
A soft rush of wings followed.
Echo landed gently beside Yun Che.
The great snowy owl lowered his head.
Yun Che reached out almost instinctively.
He wrapped both arms around the familiar spirit beast.
His breathing gradually steadied.
Echo remained perfectly still, allowing the frightened boy to regain his composure.
Only after several moments did Yun Che realize his hands were trembling.
Not from exhaustion.
From fear.
He slowly looked up.
Yun Ren stood only a few steps away.
The older brother wasn't laughing.
He wasn't disappointed.
He simply watched quietly.
That somehow made it worse.
Yun Che lowered his eyes.
For the first time since entering the forest...
He understood exactly what his father had been trying to teach him.
Strength alone...
Could not overcome fear.
Only facing it could.