I finally returned to my body. I felt fresh and full of energy. All the pain and fatigue vanished instantly. The only feeling that remained was hunger.
I looked around. "Isn't that beef?" I murmured to myself, enthusiastically starting a fire.
Meanwhile, Tono was still looking for help.
"Seniorrrrr!!! Karman, help!"
"Calm down, Tono. Take a breath," said Senior Bagong.
"Karman... Karman is dead... almost!"
"What happened? Explain properly."
"Karman...beasts...surrounded..."
"You mean Karman was surrounded by beasts?!"
"Yes!"
"Don't panic. I'll head there immediately," said Bagong, gesturing for the others to join him.
"Please, hold on, Karman. Tono pleaded.
While he was busy lighting the fire, hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance. Tono and the seniors finally arrived.
I saw them looking bewildered. The scene was terrifying: beast flesh was scattered everywhere, and the ground was red with blood. It looked like a bomb had exploded there.
"What really happened here?" Bagong said, wide-eyed.
"What the hell?" Tono said.
"Tono, over here," I said, placing meat over the fire.
"Karman! What are you doing?"
Come here; the meat is almost done."
"That's beast meat! It's poisonous! How are you still alive?"
"Hey! Were you hoping I'd die?"
"No, I mean, how is this possible?"
"Oh, greetings, Senior," I said reflexively.
"So, you're the one who took care of all of them?"
"T-that's right, sir."
"Impossible..."
"I mean, there's no one else here but me, right?"
"Hm, true enough. Be more careful next time," he said suspiciously, looking at the large beast's paw prints.
---
Days turned into weeks. Almost two weeks had passed, and we had been continuously harvesting beast cores in Kidang Alas the whole time.
"We can't keep going like this," I said.
"What do you mean?" Tono replied.
"Our daily income is too little. It's only enough for food."
"You're crazy! Our income is already among the highest for a two-person party of beginners."
"But..."
"But what? You're the one who eats too much!"
"It's a necessity, bro. Not a big deal!"
"Ah, whatever. What's your idea?"
"We need to go deeper inside. We need to collect more expensive beast cores."
"Karman! I know you're strong. But this isn't about points! This is about our lives!"
"I understand, but if we just stay in the safe zone, we won't improve. At least we should try."
"Ah, whatever."
After our day of hunting in Kidang Alas, the most enjoyable moment arrived: exchanging our beast cores at the headquarters.
Brukk!
I piled a mountain of beast cores on the table.
"As usual, quickly give me my points."
"Hey, crazy person! Do you have a beast core factory or something?" the student managing the point exchange said.
"I want my points. Count everything."
It's always the same. We always bring back such abundant results, eliciting shocked reactions from people, which is starting to get boring. But I don't care — what matters is that I'm still alive and breathing. And... I can eat well.
—
We have arrived at the most sacred place in the Azure Cloud Sect—the canteen. It's a place where happiness and life continue. I can't wait any longer!
"Oho, my loyal customer," Bi Ijah said, greeting my arrival. "Choose what you want."
"I want...everything! One by one."
"Heeee... Karman, you're not serious, are you? Are you spending all our points on food? This many points?"
"Remember what the elders used to say: You shouldn't be stingy with yourself."
I staggered while carrying my food. It was a week's worth of food for several people, and I was carrying it in both hands. In the corner of the cafeteria, I saw a familiar face.
"Putri!"
Putri only glanced at me without responding. I brought all my food to her table with Tono. I devoured all my food in an instant.
"Long time no see! Where have you been?"
"None of your business."
"Come on, why are you so cold? But I forgot to thank you. Thank you, Putri."
"No big deal."
"Are you busy? Would you like to join us?"
"Karman! Don't be presumptuous!" Tono said.
"We're going into the inner part of Kidang Alas."
"Are you trying to commit suicide? Surviving in the outer area is already a miracle," replied Putri.
I reflexively showed her our harvest record.
"T-this.... Which senior helped you?"
"Senior? No, slaughtering these ants is easy for just the two of us."
Putri fell silent. She recalled our first meeting. Elder Bejo Bejan had already seen Karman's potential. Perhaps he would restore the Azure Cloud Sect to its former glory.
"Let's say you really are strong. But to enter the deeper areas, you need to form a party of five with one senior disciple."
"That's easy! We already have three people. I've got one more person."
Sreeeeek!
"Hey, don't pull me in!
"Just go with it."
"Karman! You country bumpkin! Let me go!" Bonar said.
"Shut up! I'm giving you a great opportunity. Look! The sect leader's daughter is inviting you to hunt in Kidang Alas."
"Oh, greetings. Sorry for my impudence."
Putri pulled me aside.
"Karman, I haven't agreed to go with you yet."
"You don't agree? Well, I agree. So we're even. Come on, just help me register, at least."
Putri was silent for a moment. Maybe this was her chance to see the growth and strength of the person Elder Bejo valued.
"All right, but only this time."
"Deal! We'll start tomorrow."
After that brief conversation, a lingering silence ensued before we began planning our journey to the innermost part of Kidang Alas.
—
Meanwhile, news about the Azure Cloud Sect had reached a corner of the city. It was a quiet and eerie place where not even rats dared to make nests. There was no lamplight; only lightning provided illumination.
A man wearing a black robe and a face covering stood there, moving silently.
Someone wearing an Azure Cloud uniform approached him.
"Why did you contact me?" the robed man asked.
"There are two things to report."
"Make it quick."
"First, Azure Cloud has started reopening Kidang Alas."
"Just this? And you dared to call me?!"
"I'm not finished. The second one will surprise you," he said, taking out hunting records.
"What are these?"
There's a disciple who can defeat hundreds of beasts alone."
"What?! Isn't your job to make sure that no genius disciples enter the Azure Cloud Sect? Have you not been working?"
Bruk!
The man in the Azure Cloud uniform released a suppressing qi. They confronted each other.
"You say I'm not working? You don't know what really happened. That kid is strange."
"What do you mean?"
"He slaughtered all the beasts around him. But in the middle of where he was, there were footprints of a large beast."
"White Tiger?" the robed man said, wide-eyed.
"I'm not sure, but I'll make sure that disciple won't obstruct our goals."
---
I've had this same dream since I met the White Tiger.
A vast expanse of grassland, a river, the air, and rocks. So beautiful. A small white tiger. I feel peace, but also loneliness. What does it really mean?
Aacccckkk!
"Karman, wake up!" Tono said, splashing water on my face.
"Heyyyyy! What's going on?"
"Putri! Putri is outside waiting for you."