PREVIOUSLY-
Theobald's head snapped left, then right. His stomach lurched.
They were encircled. Dozens—no, hundreds—of figures in white robes ringed the field. Medics, their hands gloved, crossbows raised, vials of venom and dart-tipped syringes glinting under the sun. Their formation was tight, disciplined, suffocating.
His eyes darted upward instinctively—searching for wings. Rook.
The vulture was caged, feathers ruffled, his golden eyes burning behind iron bars. A withered old woman clutched the cage as though it weighed nothing. She stood directly before Theobald, her presence pressing against him like a wall. Her gaze bored into him—annoyed, amused… and faintly curious.
Theobald's pulse hammered. He turned back toward the knight—
—but the man's blade was already at his throat, cold steel kissing the vein.
Theobald exhaled slowly, raising his hands in surrender. His mouth curled into a crooked grin despite himself.
"Heh… déjà vu, is it? How about a truce?"
-----x----
"Volkan."
The old lady spoke, weary fingers tightening around the handle of Rook's cage.
"Yes, Mrs. Hilde." The longsword turned by a ninety-degree, the flat of the blade colliding with Theobald's skull.
Pain bloomed across Theobald's head, the impact lifting his feet off the ground before his body tasted mud.
Volkan sheathed his sword to his back with the precision of a master-chef. He crouched, gripping Theobald's hood, "Let's see who you really are?"
The knight's eyes widened as red hair spilled out,
"R-Red hair?!" A vein popped on his temple, "There are not many families with red hair."
Mrs. Hilde looked down at him, "Volkan," her brittle yet sharp voice brought Volkan to his senses.
"Dispose him."
Volkan closed his eyes, debating his actions.
'Red hair, either he is a nobility, or a kid with albinism, or from a family of blood mages…'
His eyes traced the contours of Theobald's face,
'But this strength, either he is scion of red moon vampires or…'
His grip tightened,
"…Theodore Umbra."
Volkan turned to the medics, "My lady," he bowed slightly, "Please allow me to keep this child, he resembles someone important."
"Who?" The response came cold.
Volkan lifted his head, "Either he is a red moon vampire or… an Umbra."
Whispers sprawled across the crowd, even the lying mercenaries looked up in shock.
'A vampire?'
'Umbra?! Those wolves?'
He looked Hilde straight in her eyes, "Let me keep him." Volkan's voice was a mix of frustration, anger and pent-up hate.
Mrs. Hilde turned, walking towards a tent, "Do as you wish."
Her wrinkled lips pursed into a smile, the type that could give goosebumps to a griffin.
Theobald opened his eyes to a void spanning across his vision.
"Huh?" He looked down to check his body, his injuries were healed, his body was bare, floating in an endless void.
"Am I," His hands reached for his face, "Am I dead? No… I can't die, it's just a labyrinth, yeah, I can't die…"
He looked around for answers but was greeted with emptiness.
Suddenly he felt a presence, something present, someone watching, waiting like a predator.
"Hello? Anyone here?... Anyone…"
His fingers balled into fists, teeth biting into lips until copper exploded in his mouth.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly the void shook, Theobald felt the vibrations grow more intense, something was coming, something huge.
Then out of nowhere and everywhere, streaks of light shot up, entangling in impossible geometry.
Theobald's feet met surface. A floor unfurled beneath him, pale and endless, its horizon curving like the back of a giant beast. The surface throbbed faintly under his toes
"Now," He gently tapped his toes against the floor, "What is this?"
"Boy."
A voice echoed in the void. Theobald's eyes darted to a figure standing to his left, sitting upside down to a tree.
Gorvax.
Unlike the purple hologram Theobald always looked at, this form had more color. Grey fur. Golden pupils. A smirk that flashed his sharp fangs.
"Finally," The muscly werewolf flipped, landing on the marble gracefully. "We meet properly."
The corners of Theobald's lips rose, the sight of a familiar figure spreading warmth and relief across his chest.
"Mr. Gorvax," He waved his hand, "Where are w—"
Fur curled around Theobald's skull,
"Quite slow, aren't you?" Gorvax snickered, teleporting behind Theobald, "Making your master escort you."
Gorvax's hand swung like a machete, hurling Theobald towards the tree.
"Master!!!!"
Theobald screamed at the tops of his lungs.
BOOM!
His back collided with the tree's trunk. The collision knocking the air out of him.
"AAARGH!"
"What happened?"
Theobald looked up to see Gorvax, the werewolf's speed and power making the lump in his throat larger.
"Don't cry like some spoiled brat." Gorvax barked, "Your crash-course training starts this moment."
Theobald's nose scrunched, "Training?"
Gorvax cackled, "Training," a rope materialized in his hand, "A lesson for which warriors in my time would die twice."
Theobald's eyes scanned the rope, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
"Stand up," Gorvax pulled Theobald from his feet, forcing him to stagger. His hands pinning Theobald's face to the tree. "Turn around."
Theobald gulped, "Master, can't you just tell what we are doing? Also, why am I the only one naked?!"
Gorvax paused for a moment, "Oh…"
Boxers appeared around Theobald's waist. "See," Gorvax shrugged, "Problem solved."
Swiftly, Gorvax tied the rope around Theobald's wrists.
"Now," His gaze went to the tree, "Climb this tree. Thirty times."
Theobald looked at Gorvax in disbelief,
"Master… How can climb a huge banyan tree only with my feet?"
Gorvax perched his chin on his claws.
"You are right."
With a snap of his fingers, an unnaturally long palm tree sprouted from the ground,
"Climb a palm tree. Smooth trunk to burn those adductors. No branches for cheating."
He patted Theobald's back, "Should you fall even once, you are going to climb all over again."
Theobald gasped in disbelief,
'How- how the hell am I supposed to do this?', his gaze flickered to Gorvax who was looking at him with a deadpan gaze.
'Should I complain?' His head dropped, 'Why am I always complaining? Isn't this an opportunity for me?'
He closed his eyes in denial,
'Master Raphael pushes himself to the very limits, even Leon and Sigmund comply with training without a single complaint.'
A memory flashed his mind again,
"You have a blessed body Theobald. Something even I lacked."
The five-year old Theobald looked up at a white-haired boy, the older boy's smile fueling encouragement in his younger-self.
"Work hard Theo. It's not wrong to be timid, but it's wrong to stay weak."
The boy stretched a hand towards him, the pinky finger outstretched.
"Promise me you will train hard."
The young Theobald broke out in a bubbly smile; he wrapped his little finger around the boy's.
"I promise, Vay—"
"BOY!"
Gorvax's voice flashed Theobald back to reality.
"Just get climbing already. I want to see your glutes and adductors fired up."
Theobald nodded, "YES MASTER!" running towards the tree. He lunged at the trunk, feet wrapping around the bark.
'Ok,' Theobald looked down at his feet, 'Let's take this slowly.'
Theobald rested his chest against the bark, pushing the trunk with his heels. His thighs stretched as his chest pushed upward.
'Okay, that's good,' Then he contracted his glutes again while squeezing the trunk with knees, bringing his ankle closer to the hip, preparing to climb again.
Theobald repeated this once, twice, thrice. Sweat made his body slippery, making him grip the tree tighter.
'Hah… Its not hard as it seems.'
Theobald lifted his face up; the long trunk greeted him.
'I-I haven't even started!'
Theobald continued, pushing upwards. His glutes ached, the bark stung his skin, his chest turned red from the friction.
Nevertheless, Theobald continued.
A FEW MOMENTS LATER-
'Yay!'
Theobald beamed, looking down at the ground,
"I reached the top! Master!"
Gorvax woke up from his sleep, he sat up from his hammock,
"Hmm… Good, now just climb down and do these twenty-nine more times."
Reality hit Theobald like a guillotine.
'Oh shit! Now I need to climb down and do this again…No! This is training!'
'I have done this before, the grueling training at the duchy is harder.'
A FEW MINUTES LATER-
'I want to go back to the duchy.'
Theobald's breaths came out in ragged puffs, a rash had formed on his chest, similar wounds appeared on his knees and ankles. His glutes burned, his calves refused to go further, his adductors screamed for a break.
'Is it my twentieth climb? Or eighteen?'
He bit his lips in defiance,
'Had master Raphael had been here, he would have never had such thoughts.'
'Leon would have already completed this training. Even Sig would go past his limits.'
He strengthened his grip,
'I will count this as eighteen…'
Suddenly, Theobald's right foot slipped.
"Argh!!" Theobald clenched harder,
'Move! Just fucking move!'
His vision grew blurry with sweat,
'I can't… can I do this? No, I promised…' —
Theobald pushed further.
"Haah… haah…huff…"
Theobald finally reached the top, his head lolled downward,
"Now… Back again…"
But a shock suddenly reverberated throughout the tree.
"You completed twenty reps!" Gorvax cheered, clapping mockingly, "Now, time for a upgrade."
His claws swirled a massive stone towards Theobald. The rope curling gracefully around Theobald's back.
"It's just a small change, a thirty kilogram add on… easy, isn't it?"
But before Theobald could muster up a word, the stone pulled him towards the floor, his grip broke loose, his body floated in air.
The air brushed against his skin, his eyes closed,
'Aah, so peaceful, if I could just be like this for a moment.'
A calm smile stretched his lips but his joy was short-lived.
THUD!
CRACK!
Theobald's skull clashed with the floor, his back arched from the impact, his ribs broke, his hands dislocated, legs swollen.
Pain exploded again. But Theobald did not even have enough energy to scream. Before his eyes closed, Theobald caught a glimpse of Gorvax snickering.
"Raphael… help…"
"Hahaha!" Gorvax laughed,
"This boy sure is talented, I never told him that gravity was raised by twenty percent in this space, yet he completed twenty reps without complaining!"
He lunged down from the tree, landing near the passed-out Theobald,
"My liege, I will make sure to turn this kid into a monster." His snout turned to Theobald, "Wake up boy, the training is half left."
SNAP!
A/N-
Again, I am sorry. I was so busy with my packed schedule that I couldn't find write. But following my friend's advice I began outlining chaps during my commute time. So, I will try my utmost best to stay committed and consistent.
Another announcement… or a confession. When I started I used to write the chapter, then give it to the AI for spotting gaps and then filling them. This caused my chapters to expand easier. This chapter of 1720 words took 2.5 hrs to make. Which could have been reduced to half with AI.
The guilt of using AI, though only for filling the gaps in my writing was always there, I would just run away from it. But, as I invested time and effort to actually level up, I came across a book… 'The First Five Pages'… Which was basically a book on how to write a book.
Though I have currently only made it to the first chapter/segment. It explained that There are no rules to assure great writing, but there are ways to avoid bad writing.
So, I decided to take a leap of faith and have started writing without any use of AI. I will correct any flaws if I see them or a reader points them out.
I ask for your forgiveness and understanding.
PS- The chapter may not always be 2k+ words but I will surely keep it above 1500.
Thanks For Reading ✍(◔◡◔)