It was night—the stars scattered across the sky like glitter on black velvet. In the dim light of a single lantern, Rayen was gearing up near the doorway of the house. Dattadri stood nearby, stuffing the last supplies into a rough old backpack.
Rayen knew full well that a cultivator like Dattadri possessed a magical cube inventory—capable of storing a small house's worth of items in something no bigger than a pebble. But of course, Dattadri didn't give it to him.
Obviously, Rayen thought bitterly. Why make it easy when you can make it hellish?
Instead, the old man handed over a real bag. A heavy one. Real straps. Real weight. No enchantments. No cheats. Just raw, backbreaking grind.
"There," Dattadri said, tying the final knot. "Inside: a sheet to sleep on, some bandages in case you get hurt, and a sword to defend yourself. Not a toy. A real blade. Sharp enough to split a log... or a wolf."
His voice was calm, but there was weight behind it. Then, like some wise old sage preparing to drop a life-altering quest, he stroked his beard.
"Since Divine Lilies hide during the day and only glow under moonlight, you must leave now. You have three nights to bring me back three of them. If you fail... I won't train you further."
Rayen grunted as he accepted the bag, nearly stumbling under its sheer weight.
Wow. So dramatic. Three nights, glowing flowers, mutated wolves, and a backpack that feels like it's filled with bricks. This old man definitely skipped the 'Easy Mode' setting.
Still, he straightened up, tightening his grip on the strap.
"Fine," Rayen muttered. "Challenge accepted."
Dattadri raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "Good. Now go."
Rayen stepped out into the night—but then stormed right back in and yelled, startling the old man:
"Why the hell didn't you give me food?! The damn food?!"
Dattadri flinched, turning slowly, hand on his chin, thinking deeply.
I don't remember ever speaking to him like that... where did he even learn to talk like this?
Then he shook his head. No, no, he's a modern-day kid. Could've learned it from anywhere. But then again... no one's around to say stuff like that except me... so how—
"Why are you ignoring me?!!" Rayen was now climbing onto Dattadri's shoulder, yelling directly into his ear.
Dattadri snapped out of his daze. "Wh-who said I was ignoring you?! I just wanted you to grind your own food. Take it as part of your training."
Rayen's jaw dropped. But without another word, he turned around and marched out the door, waving one hand behind him in bitter farewell.
His eyes stung with tears.
You bastard... I'll remember this. I'll remember you, you demon—sending a kid into damn wolf-infested mountains without a scrap of food.
---
The cold night air bit at Rayen's cheeks as he trudged down the rocky path, the oversized backpack bouncing with every step like it had a personal grudge against his spine. The stars above twinkled like they were watching a live comedy show.
"Three nights," he grumbled, mimicking Dattadri's voice. "'Bring me Divine Lilies.' Sure, why not just ask me to wrestle a dragon while I'm at it?"
A tiny rock rolled under his foot and he almost faceplanted into the dirt.
"Great start, adventurer," he muttered, brushing dust off his face. "At this rate I'll be dinner before I even see a wolf."
As he moved further into the wilderness, trees grew thicker and shadows stretched longer. Every rustle in the leaves sounded like a beast preparing to pounce. Rayen stopped dead at one point when a squirrel darted out of the bushes.
"D-Don't think I won't swing this sword at you!" he whispered, brandishing the blade like a terrified knight. The squirrel just stared at him, chomped on a nut, then darted off like it had more important things to do.
"…Tch. Even squirrels got attitude out here."
After some more walking, he reached a small clearing and dumped the backpack onto the ground with an exhausted grunt. He collapsed beside it, arms sprawled out, eyes glaring at the sky.
"And no food. Just why, old man? You think grinding food in real life is like in the game? You right-click the bush and meat just spawns in your inventory?!"
He sat up with a dramatic sigh, unrolling the sleeping sheet and throwing it out like he was setting up base camp in enemy territory. His stomach growled.
Rayen narrowed his eyes at a suspiciously plump mushroom growing beside a tree. "…You look edible. You also look like you could kill me in five minutes."
The mushroom said nothing. Probably plotting.
With nothing else to do and no wolves (yet) in sight, Rayen slumped back against his bag, sword propped beside him, staring up at the stars.
"Divine Lilies… mutated wolves… no food… I swear, if this turns into a musical quest where I gotta sing to the flowers, I'm out."
Just then, a wolf's distant howl echoed from the mountains. Rayen sat up straight.
"…I was kidding. Please let that be the wind."
After a moment, Rayen could feel something huge moving toward him. His instincts screamed. He grabbed his sword, grip tightening, eyes sharp and focused.
"Why does this shit always happen to me? Does God have a personal issue with me?"
Suddenly, the tall grass burst apart—charging straight at him was a creature the size of a lion.
A mutated wolf!
Its claws slashed forward, gleaming in the moonlight. Rayen jumped back just in time, barely dodging the strike. He knew—his small body couldn't take a direct hit.
The wolf growled, readying for another attack.
Rayen's eyes darted around. Think, think, think!
He pointed his hand at the ground. A few small rocks shook, lifted, and then—shoom!—shot forward like pebbles from a sling. They hit the wolf's snout and eyes, causing it to flinch for just a second.
That second was enough.
The wolf pounced again, faster this time. Rayen crossed his arms in front of him. A soft yellow shimmer lit up—fzzzzz!—a weak life force shield sparked into existence just as the claws slammed down.
CLANG!
The shield cracked but held.
Rayen gritted his teeth. "I said back off!" He kicked at the wolf's leg and rolled away, panting.
His shield flickered and vanished. His energy was almost gone.
The wolf snarled and backed up slightly, circling now. Watching.
Rayen held his sword out with shaky hands. "Okay… okay… you want round two? Let's go…"