The pale brilliance of the moon barely illuminated the dense forest. Even with all the stars and the chariot of Artemis, the shadows of the tall trees remained pitch black, hiding everything in their embrace. If one looked closely, they might barely spot a child and a wolf lurking in those shadows, moving in silence. Ghost and Sagan were hunting.
It had been a year—a long time in their short lives—since they last hunted together, yet they moved in perfect sync, as if they were the same being. Sagan moved on all fours, mimicking a wolf, and it seemed completely natural. Ghost moved with a perfect blend of instinct and intelligence.
Tonight was proving difficult; they still hadn't found any prey. Most animals in the mountains weren't nocturnal, so hunting at night wasn't ideal. But only the veil of stars could hide them from their parents. They roamed the forest for two more hours, yet had no luck. Eventually, they lay down in a small meadow hidden deep within the trees.
He's getting fluffier, Sagan thought as he used Ghost's furry belly as a pillow.
They continued a conversation that had been interrupted by Sagan's father that morning. Everything about it was still hard to understand, yet the important part was clear—he was finally allowed to train. Sagan didn't feel any resentment toward his friend, but he hated being a burden during their hunts. Sensing his emotions, Ghost licked his face.
That was new too. It felt as though something now linked them.
It's like we can read each other's emotions. It's pretty weird…
"I agree. It is weird," Ghost said, startling Sagan.
Now he can read my mind?!
"No, I can't read your mind. Stop looking at me like that," Ghost grumbled. "I just felt it. And your face is an open book."
Sagan tried not to laugh. His face looks funny when he's frustrated.
Ghost looked like he was about to rant but sighed and relaxed instead. They talked for a while longer, finally catching up with each other. After that, they fell silent, enjoying each other's company under the starry sky. Slowly, they drifted into the realm of dreams.
As they slept peacefully, a pale man with white hair, white eyes, and a pristine butler's uniform silently emerged from the shadows. With utmost care, he carried them both to their beds. After tucking them in, Bai bowed toward his master's quarters and vanished back into the darkness.
Sagan awoke with the morning sun, now used to waking up in his room no matter where he had fallen asleep. Seeing that Ghost was still snoozing, he tiptoed to the training ground, where his uncle—and now master—Hyuk stood surrounded by scrolls.
"Good morning, Uncle."
"Good morning to you too, Sagan. Are you ready for your first day of training?"
That made it feel real.
"Yes, I'm ready!" he nearly shouted, full of new energy.
"Then let's begin," Hyuk said. Two swords floated toward them. "We'll start with the basics of swordsmanship. Have you studied the theory?"
Let's see… Swords are usually double-edged. They can be used with one or two hands depending on their size and weight. They're versatile, good for both cutting and thrusting… yeah, I remember all of it.
"Yes, Uncle. I have."
"Good. That saves time. Now, take this."
Sagan gripped the beautiful weapon.
It feels lighter than I expected… or maybe I'm just stronger?
He examined the sword closely. Holding it a certain way didn't feel right, so he let instinct take over. Hyuk watched in amazement.
"Damn demigods…" he muttered before suddenly striking.
Clank!
Sagan parried without thinking. His eyes widened, his body trembling with raw energy. He felt like a coiled spring, ready to explode into motion.
Clank! Clank!
"Never lose focus in battle," Hyuk said, still attacking. "Always watch your opponent, and stay aware of your surroundings."
Sagan blocked again, instinctively. Then Hyuk's blade struck his hilt, sending the sword flying.
What just happened? How did I do that?
Staring at his hands, Sagan turned to his uncle, who was already reading one of the scrolls. Curious, he picked one up himself. It was old and written in classical Mandarin. He managed to read the title:
"How to Raise a Demigod, Vol. 9 — by Celestial Blossom."
They have books for this? So I'm not the first. I guess that's not surprising… though a bit disappointing. Celestial Blossom… probably the same sect as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.
Sagan jumped when he felt Hyuk's hand on his shoulder.
"You really are like my brother. Even your startled expression is the same," Hyuk chuckled. "You probably have a ton of questions. Don't hold back."
Nice. I should also ask about me and Ghost—he might know something.
"What just happened? How can I fight without training?"
"It might only last a few seconds," Sagan thought, "but I still don't get it."
"Did your father never tell you?" Hyuk asked, surprised. "How unlike him. The answer's simple, my cute nephew: you cheaters are born with enough muscle memory and reflexes to skip years of training. I was skeptical at first—Old Man Shin tends to exaggerate his sect's talents—but you've got it. That's probably why your father started your training so late. I thought he'd gone soft."
Muscle memory and reflexes from birth? That actually explains why mythical heroes are always so young. Otherwise, how could Theseus kill the Minotaur, or—wait. I'm only seven!
"Uncle, I'm seven! How early does this usually start?!"
Hyuk laughed. "When I was three, my father gave me a knife and let wild animals loose on me…"
What!?
"Don't get me wrong—hyenas and foxes were easy. Wolves and panthers were trickier. I almost died to lions and bears. Huge bas-beasts, bears. Took me two years to kill one. Your father wasn't much different. All great clans had similar rites. So yes, nephew, you are late. Thankfully, this is..."
That's insane. Wait—did he say he killed a bear at five? For my sanity, I will not question this.
"Any more questions, Sagan?"
"Oh, yes. It's a bit off-topic, but… me and Ghost—my wolf best friend—can kind of sense each other's emotions now. It's like—"
"Like he can read your mind, right? Like your hearts are sending messages to each other?" Hyuk finished for him.
Sagan sighed in relief. At least it's not some weird, unique thing. Knowing what's happening with my body—or mind—is a comfort.
"There's something like that," Hyuk said thoughtfully. "Check your father's library. Look for The Beast Palace. Enough questions for now. Let's stretch and work on flexibility today. Begin."
And so, Sagan trained until dusk.
That night, he collapsed into bed and closed his eyes. It still took a while for his muscles to relax.
I don't even know where this pain is coming from anymore. I should look for that book before training. There's no way Uncle will give me time afterward—I won't even be able to lift a finger.
With that, Sagan slept like a brick until dawn.
Before training, he rushed to his father's library. Jianhong was already there, smiling and talking to himself while reading.
"Oh, this is a good one… That's a stretch, don't you think? Puhahaha—no, no, no—hahahaha! I should've sent this to Abbott…"
Jianhong turned to his son, still grinning. "Good morning, my little star. How was your first day in hell? Still excited about martial arts?"
He knew. And he didn't even warn me. Father, my vengeance shall be legendary…
"Ouch! What was that for?" Sagan yelped as Jianhong flicked his forehead.
"You were planning something heinous," Jianhong replied, unfazed.
What?! First Ghost, now Father? Why can everyone suddenly read minds?
"Ouch! Dad, stop it!"
Jianhong gave him a "You know what you did" look and returned to his book. "The book about the Beast Palace is on the second shelf from the left. It's bound in hide—you can't miss it."
Uncle already told him, huh. Well, if it were that important, he would've told me earlier. Hide-bound book… there it is. It's huge. I'll read it after training.
"Have fun!" Jianhong called after him, then returned to chuckling like a lunatic.
Sagan ran to the training ground, where Hyuk was already waiting with a sword in hand. Sagan grabbed the one laid out for him and turned to face his uncle.
Seeing Sagan's expectant gaze, Hyuk began. "Now that I know your level, I've made a program. First, we'll spar while I teach you swordsmanship. Then two hours of flexibility training, a twenty-minute break, more sword training, and we finish with strength training. Let's begin."
And with that, Sagan's leisurely life turned into something resembling hell.
Still… it's kind of exhilarating.
**************
AN: Hello again everybody sorry for the late chapter. I know this one is a bit small but the next one is gonna be big so I had to divide it. Also some benevolent dude gave me one of my favorite books epub and with the new dmcas I might dived it too much.Anyway there was a small earthquake here that messed up with my plans and studies so I had to delay my writing. Anyway the story goes smoothly and I really like where this is going. Please dont forget to comment on your takes too and thanks for reading.( Also I will never drop any of my books so dont worry about that.)