Sweat falling from his face mixed with the soil as he danced with his colossal sword.
Minutes chased hours, hours chased days.
Growing beards fell away, hair grew shorter.
The weight of loneliness increased, his conversations with himself became more frequent, and it all became unbearable.
Waking up in the middle of the night, sleeplessness, neglecting training, drowning in his own thoughts.
Carving trees with a knife, drifting across water, throwing himself from trees.
Shattering rocks with his fists, splitting trees in half, hurting himself.
For the weeks that passed, Karon's life consisted of nothing more than that.
The calluses on his hands had split open and bled, while the wounds on his arms continued to grow.
He sat down and looked at the piece of wood in his hand.
Then he began carving the figure he imagined in his mind.
First a nose and a long mouth.
Sharp eyes, pointed ears, a fur-covered body.
Lastly, four legs and claws.
The creature that had killed his mother and ruined his life was now in his hands.
He placed the carving on the ground and picked up his colossal sword.
He channeled mana into his arms first, then into the sword.
As his arms strengthened, the sword's weight multiplied several times over, and with an explosive burst he struck the creature.
Unable to withstand the force, the wood was crushed, then cracked apart before finally shattering.
But Karon did not stop. He kept striking the broken pieces.
He increased his power and began attacking the ground, the air, the trees around him.
Every swing created pressure; the wind lifted dust into the air, the sound scattered birds, and the impacts brought trees crashing down.
"Hahh… hahh…"
He planted the sword into the ground and bent his knees while gripping its hilt.
He wiped his face, but there was more than sweat on his hand.
Following the source, he wiped his eyes.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he slowly began to float.
Then eight stones rose behind him and started orbiting in circles.
Their weight constantly shifted as they formed an unstable orbit.
Feeling the strength inside him fading, Karon allowed the stones to fall before returning home.
Instead of sitting at the table, he grabbed a wooden sword and opened the room with the massive door.
Inside the cage was a black, long-eared creature growling through sharp teeth.
It stared at Karon with crimson eyes and began gnawing at the cage.
The moment Karon opened the cage, the beast lunged at him in fury, only to meet the flat side of the sword.
Slamming against the wall, the creature staggered before muttering something under its breath as its muscles suddenly began to swell.
Karon stepped back and took a ready stance to receive the attack.
But unable to withstand the force, he stumbled. The instant he lost his balance, the creature sank its sharp fangs into his shoulder.
Blood sprayed into the air as Karon regained his footing and severed the creature's leg.
The beast licked the wound while watching its veins, flesh, and skin slowly reconnect.
After fighting for several minutes, both Karon and the creature had grown exhausted.
Karon raised his hand and clenched it.
The creature suddenly lifted into the air and began choking.
Then Karon swung his hand toward the cage, sending the beast crashing into the iron bars.
After bandaging his wounds, he threw himself onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
***
The lingering scent of burned flesh drifted through the air while memories of the past still haunted the mind.
Stiff feathers were scattered everywhere, teeth buried beneath the soil and fossilized.
The blood had become the shadow of a battle that would never be forgotten.
Standing in the place where three figures had fought and two had died, Karon touched the ground and smelled it.
The scent was both familiar and foreign.
He followed the fresh white feathers deeper into the forest.
Hearing nothing but his own footsteps, he walked among the towering trees.
Everywhere he looked was filled with trees, yet one stood out even within this paradise.
Its trunk was thick enough to fit six Karons side by side, and it towered several meters above the others.
The tree that carried the owl's nest had lost its majesty.
White feathers littered the ground, the soil had blackened, and infection spread everywhere.
On the thickest branch rested a nest and a weakened bird.
Karon stopped beneath the nest and looked upward.
The white wings once engulfed in flames had begun shedding feathers, leaving bald patches behind.
Its broken beak and visible weakness brought only one thought to mind.
A dying animal.
***
A several-meter-long snake slithered up the tree, creeping toward the nest.
The moment it sensed warmth, it knew it had found fresh prey.
The towering tree meant nothing to it.
It would climb countless meters just to devour that fresh meal.
Its mouth watered as it slowly approached the thickest branch.
But it was stopped by a sword that suddenly pierced the wood before it.
Noticing the snake, Karon had thrown Zelid to keep it away from the owl.
Startled awake by the sudden impact, the owl spread its wings and screeched.
That shaken yet noble figure still retained its majesty.
It looked first at Karon, then at the snake, before spreading its talons and attacking.
The snake was helpless. Its position was so poor that it had no chance to counterattack.
Grabbing the snake with its talons, the owl soared dozens of meters into the sky before dropping it.
Twisting desperately during its fall, the snake crashed into the ground and breathed its last.
The owl descended and stood before Karon...