Law of the Jungle (Book 1): A Wuxia Progression Fantasy Adventure Series by Vasily Mahanenko

Author:Vasily Mahanenko [Mahanenko, Vasily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Magic Dome Books
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Pain was the sensation I woke up to, filled my days with, fell asleep to, and even experienced while asleep, as it seemed. Pain had become my alter ego. It enveloped me constantly, its intensity fluctuating periodically. Dull, sharp, stabbing, and cutting. Mentor Guerlon knew the art of pain and introduced me to its various facets with monstrous consistency.

“Hold on! Twenty more seconds! Hold, damn you! Hands up!”

I was standing on one leg, with the other one bent, holding sandbags in my hands — and those sandbags were pretty damn heavy. Sweat clouded my eyes, I was gasping for air, my face was burning, and there was an overwhelming desire to collapse, curl up, and forget about this nightmare for just a moment, but no one had granted me that right. Twenty more seconds. I had to endure.

“Alright, we’re done with the warm-up!” The voice of my tormentor cut through the buzzing in my ears. “Proceed to meditation. There’s a spirit stone in front of you. Feel its energy.”

I was desperately thirsty, but I knew that the chance to quench my thirst would only come after meditation — another torture devised by Mentor Guerlon. He didn’t limit me in meditation, allowing me to sit for as long as my soul desired, but he forbade drinking. After the ordeal he called a warm-up, I would have given anything for a sip of water. And yet I felt as though there were two beings battling within me — one craved water; the other, rest. I knew that as soon as the meditation ended and I had my drink, the main training session would begin. That dreaded part of the day I never could see through to the very end. I always passed out.

As I was sitting in the lotus position, I closed my eyes and began to regulate my breathing, which was the first step necessary to initiate the recovery process. Gradually, my heartbeat normalized, my lungs no longer felt like bursting out, and I even slipped into a state of half-sleep. Over the time Mentor Guerlon had been tormenting me, my body had adapted, seizing even the slightest opportunity for rest, for it was always in short supply.

However, today I couldn’t fall asleep — the voice of Mentor Guerlon reached me through the haze.

“As far as I know, today is a special day for you, apprentice. You’ve turned thirteen. I suppose it’s worth celebrating. What do you say?”

Sleep vanished instantly. A shiver ran down my spine, and I felt a sudden urge to play dead. The last time the mentor decided to have a ‘celebration,’ it turned into such a nightmare that the Taoist had to treat my injuries the next morning because I couldn’t get up on my own. A prospect someone else might find enjoyable meant only one thing for me — there would be extra pain. I had to respond, hopelessly hoping for the best,

“It’s just another day, Mentor. Just like all the others.”

“One should never refuse a celebration, apprentice,” the Taoist smirked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.