- A few Hours Later - In The Mountain -
Training was divided into three distinct sessions: morning, midday, and evening.
The members of the Ten Rings never knew what each day held in store for them.
They simply followed the instructors' orders without question.
The training after the meditation involved a partial descent of the mountain to gather water from a distant spring.
Each trainee was given a carrying pole balanced with two or four large water buckets on either end.
Their task was to return to the headquarters without spilling a single drop. Any failure meant starting the journey over again—back to the spring.
Erik walked through the snow, the carrying pole balancing on his shoulder effortlessly.
As he stepped forward, his foot suddenly slipped on the icy ground. "Ah!" He gasped, his body tipping forward.
"Whoa there!" A voice called out from behind as a fellow trainee rushed to help.
His arms outstretched to catch the pole. But before he could even touch it, Erik's body instinctively kicked into overdrive.
In a split second, his superhuman reflexes, speed and agility activated transforming his near-fall into a seamless recovery.
He straightened up, standing perfectly upright as if nothing had happened.
The young trainee blinked in surprise, lowering his arms.
"That was close, man." The boy said, letting out a small laugh. "It's a long way to the spring if you spill them. Better be careful next time."
"Nnh... Thanks." Erik muttered, setting the pole down on the ground for a moment.
He rubbed his shoulder, acting like the weights were tiring him out even though they weren't.
Better to keep up appearances, he thought, glancing over at the boy with a slight nod, remembering him.
He had seen the kid upon his first arrival, and again during the introduction ceremony this very morning.
"So, what brought you to the Ten Rings?" The boy asked, his breath forming small clouds in the cold air as he walked alongside Erik with an air of curiosity.
He was about the same age, maybe a little older.
"I.. luck, I guess." Erik responded, keeping his face straight, avoiding giving too much away.
"Luck ? Pfft" The boy laughed, shaking his head. "You're funny."
"Name's Erik, by the way" Erik said, glancing at the boy. "I'm assuming we're at least allowed to use our real names between us?"
He suddenly recalled Xu Wenwu words about burying the past and being reborn with a new identity, all for the purpose of serving the Ten Rings.
"Probably.." The kid shrugged, still smiling as he grabbed two buckets of water. Erik mirrored his actions, and together they started the long walk back up the mountain.
After an hour of walking, the two finally reached a small clearing where they decided to take a break.
The air was thinner here, colder and on their side was a vast precipice . Erik approached it, the ground falling away sharply at his feet. Before him stretched an endless sea of mountains, their jagged peaks rolling one after another until they disappeared into the horizon. The afternoon light spilled across them in shifting shades of gold and shadow, painting the ridges in layers of depth and color.
Wisps of cloud clung to the higher summits, drifting lazily like ghostly veils, while valleys below were draped in a soft, silvery mist.
It was an absolutely breathtaking sight. A world both vast and untamed, beautiful in its raw immensity.
For a moment, the air itself seemed to still, as though the mountains were holding their breath, daring him to enter into their endless embrace.
The boy, after placing his buckets down leaned against a rock, gazing out at the view. "My father was a member of the Ten Rings." He said, a slight resentment lacing his voice. "When he died, he left me orphaned. The Master took pity on me and brought me in." He paused, clenching his fists before relaxing them. "I swore that would be the last time anyone ever took pity on me."
Erik listened in silence, placing his own buckets down beside him.
The two stood there, looking out into the endless expanse of mountains. It was a view that would make most feel small and insignificant.
The boy turned his head, studying Erik for a moment. "And you? What are your goals, Erik?" He asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
My goals? Erik pondered in silence, the question circling in his mind like a shadow. What are my goals ?
Vengeance! Punishment! Justice!
The words came easily enough, but as he turned them over, they felt hollow. All of it meant nothing if he died at the first turn of the road.
To survive in this world… He paused, thinking deeply, until the faintest, rare smirk touched his lips.
There was one man he could think of who came from that kind of world. A man who faced impossible odds again and again.
He liked him when he was a kid..
The legendary Bruce Wayne.
His idea was brutally simple: Master the skills, learn from the best in every field and prepare for every eventuality.
Survival wasn't chance—it was design.
That's the only way.
The more I prepare, the more I learn, the more justice I'll be able to bring.
Erik's eyes hardened, his thoughts sharpening into resolve.
I don't have his genius… Or his tibetan monks. He admitted to himself with a small grin. So I'll just have to maximize my chances the best I can.
"I want to find the ones, that are the best at what they do." Said Erik, his voice steady. "And learn everything they know."
The boy raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "So it's not just fighting for you, is it? You want to be the best... At everything? No. You're like me, aren't you?" The boy pressed on his tone sharper now, more focused. "Learning what you need in order to become... What, exactly?"
Erik's turned to face the boy fully. "The world's greatest crime fighter." He said, a slight edge of amusement in his voice. "Or... Crime perpetrator?"
"The world isn't black or white..." Erik began, his voice low and contemplative.
He glanced at the boy beside him, eyes narrowing slightly against the cold wind that swept past them both. "But between the two, I lean towards the former. And you?"
The boy stared into the distance for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
He seemed to weigh the question carefully, his gaze locked on the mountains that stretched before them like ancient, immovable sentinels.
Finally, he smirked slightly, his voice calm as he answered. "Well... let's go with..." He let the words hang in the air for a second longer. "Same."
Erik nodded, a subtle understanding passing between them, like two wolves recognizing the ambition in the other. "Good to meet you, Erik." The boy added, his tone more relaxed now. "I'm Death Dealer... But you can call me Li Ching-Lin."
Death Dealer? Erik thought to himself, brows raised in surprise. Man, this kid is the future high-ranking warrior of the Ten Rings? Shang-Chi's teacher?
He glanced at Li Ching-Lin, keeping his expression cool as they were standing side by side.
He now saw the boy in a whole new light. Guess you ain't just any brat then, huh? He thought nodding his head slightly. "Nice to meet you, Li."
With their buckets balanced and shoulders squared. The two continued their trek back to the headquarters, their breath visible in the cold air.
They traded stories and laughed, their voices mingling with the crisp wind that swept through the mountains.