Chapter 16: The Road Before Dawn
The room was still wrapped in silence when Karikalan shook Richard awake. "Hey, Richard. It's time. Wake up, buddy."
Richard groaned, his eyes half-shut, and glanced at the alarm clock. "What? It's 3:00 a.m.! Why wake me so early? What are you even going to do at this time?"
Karikalan's voice was calm but firm. "I usually wake at 3:30 a.m. for exercises. But today I have a match against my opponent in the tournament. To prepare, I woke earlier. And I woke you too."
Richard blinked, suspicion dawning. "Wait… don't tell me… that I—"
Karikalan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Exactly. You'll give me company for roadwork."
Richard hesitated, his body heavy with fatigue. But Karikalan's tone sharpened, cutting through his doubt. "Listen, Richard. You came here after betrayal — your friends, your team staff, your sponsors. Do you think that doesn't affect you? If you want to become strong, you must sacrifice comfort. You came here because you want strength, right? Then think about your family in New York. They need your support.
If you don't become strong, you can't defend them against those who insult you. No one else will do it for you. Only you can. Remember that."
Richard's eyes widened. The words struck deep, piercing through his pride and exhaustion. He realized the truth — strength wasn't just about fists, it was about carrying the weight of those who depended on him.
He nodded silently. Together, they stepped out into the cold dawn. At 3:45 a.m., the two began their roadwork, their footsteps echoing against the sleeping streets.
The streets were silent at 3:45 a.m., the world still asleep as Richard and Karikalan began their roadwork.
Richard surged ahead, his voice cocky and playful. "Hey, buddy! Look at me, I'm moving faster than you. What's wrong, huh? Afraid of the match?"
Karikalan didn't answer. He simply smiled, his pace steady, his breath calm.
For the first kilometer, Richard felt invincible. By the third, his legs grew heavy. By the fifth, sweat poured down his face, his lungs burning. "I… I'm getting tired now…" he gasped.
But Karikalan's stride only grew stronger. His speed increased, his body unshaken, his face untouched by sweat. He ran past Richard with effortless grace.
Richard's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? He's running faster than before. This is contrary to human nature. I'm exhausted, but he… he's accelerating. How is this possible?"
Finally, Karikalan slowed, stopping near a small roadside shop stacked with newspaper bundles. He turned to Richard, his voice calm. "Hey, Richard. Let's relax for five minutes."
Richard collapsed onto a bench, panting. "What? Only five minutes? That's not fair! This is my first time running five kilometers at my best!"
Karikalan chuckled softly, his tone reassuring. "Yeah, I know. It's always a struggle at first. That's why I don't want you to risk complex exercises yet. Ride a cycle for now. Build your endurance step by step."
Richard looked at him, stunned. Karikalan's strength wasn't just in his fists — it was in his discipline, his patience, his ability to endure without faltering.
Richard sat on the bicycle, catching his breath, relieved to rest his legs after the grueling five kilometers. His mind wandered. "This is a good exercise… I never experienced anything like it. I thought only punches and strength made a man stronger. But now I see… endurance is just as important for my body."
Karikalan stepped out of the shop, his arms full of bundled newspapers. He dropped them beside the bicycle. "Richard, take these newspapers and load them onto the cycle."
Richard blinked, confused. "Wait… why are you bringing newspapers to the cycle?"
Then realization struck him like lightning. "Don't tell me… you want me to deliver the newsp—"
Karikalan grinned. "Richard! You're an absolute genius! That's exactly what I thought. How did you figure it out so early? Anyway, no time to waste. Let's continue our roadwork for another five kilometers."
Richard's jaw dropped, his face twisted in frustration. "Whose face did I see this morning? It keeps getting worse and worse…"
He sighed, loading the newspapers onto the bicycle. The road stretched ahead, endless and merciless. Karikalan's stride was steady, his spirit unshaken. Richard pedaled behind him, grumbling, yet deep inside, he knew — this was more than training. It was discipline, sacrifice, and the strange path to strength.
The morning road stretched endlessly as Richard and Karikalan continued their training. The newspaper bundles were gone, each house delivered with precision. Richard wiped his brow, smiling with relief.
"Okay! I've completed two tasks. Only 1.5 kilometers left to reach the destination. I'm exhausted… but this roadwork is exciting."
Suddenly, Karikalan surged forward, running faster than ever. His stride was lightning, leaving Richard struggling to keep up on the bicycle. "Hey! Why are you running so fast, man? What happened? Did the poop come out of your body? Hahaha!"
Karikalan snapped, embarrassed. "Hey! What are you talking about? Don't make me embarrassed like this. Turn your back — then you'll realize why I'm running fast."
Richard turned, and his jaw dropped. A pack of dogs was charging toward them, barking ferociously. "What?! I have to move fast!" He pedaled furiously, panic in his voice.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier about this? Are you mad?" Richard shouted.
Karikalan, still running, replied calmly, "Stop blaming me. This is part of training."
Richard's face twisted in disbelief. "You idiot! You stupid! You've put me in trouble. The dogs are coming very fast!"
Karikalan's eyes widened. "What? They're faster than usual? I didn't expect them to adapt like this!"
Richard gasped. "What? They do this daily at this hour?"
Karikalan nodded, almost proudly. "Yeah! I usually make a sound to irritate them. They bark and chase me — it helps my roadwork. But I guess they've improved their speed too."
Richard's jaw dropped. "I can't believe this. Oh my god, save me from this idiot… and from these dogs!"
Karikalan shouted back, his voice sharp with urgency. "There's no time to pray to God! Ride fast, or else you'll reach Him before your request is complete!"
Both of them sprinted and pedaled with all their strength, fear echoing in their voices. "Ahhhhhhh… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…!"
The temple steps loomed before them, ancient stone glowing faintly in the dawn light. Richard collapsed onto the ground, panting, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Now I finally reached my destination… I did it!" he said, smiling with exhausted joy.
Karikalan stood tall, his expression calm but firm. "Yeah, you did a very good job in the beginning of the roadwork. But… we haven't completed our training yet."
Richard's smile faded. "What do you mean? You told me roadwork was enough for today. Why are you changing the topic now?"
Karikalan's eyes sharpened. "Endurance alone isn't enough. If you rely only on stamina, you'll be defeated easily by a knockdown."
Richard groaned inwardly. "Now he's puzzling me again… ahh, what do I do now?"
Karikalan walked to a nearby villager and asked for two buckets of water. Each was filled to the brim, heavy with 2 liters. He lifted them effortlessly, the handles biting into his palms.
Richard's eyes widened in horror. "What? Again with the buckets of water? What are you going to do now?"
Karikalan turned to him, voice steady. "Don't fear. I'll carry these buckets of water and run from the bottom of the temple to the top."
Richard sprang up, panic in his voice. "What? Are you crazy? You've already done so much today. This workout is dangerous! Stop it! You're enduring too much — it'll kill you! You won't even be able to fight in the tournament. I won't allow you to do this!"
Karikalan's gaze didn't waver. His calm smile carried both defiance and conviction. "This is not about killing myself. It's about proving that strength is more than fists. It's about carrying burdens, climbing against gravity, and never letting weight break your spirit."
Richard froze, torn between fear and awe. The temple steps stretched upward, endless and merciless. Karikalan tightened his grip on the buckets, ready to ascend.
The temple stairs rose like a mountain, each step steeper than the last. Karikalan gripped the buckets of water tightly, refusing to let them go. His body trembled, sweat dripping, but his eyes burned with determination.
Richard followed, his legs heavy, his breath ragged. The slope grew merciless, and soon he faltered, unable to climb further. Ahead of him, Karikalan slowed, his pace breaking. He stopped midway, his chest heaving.
Richard rushed forward, panic in his voice. "Karikalan! Let me help you. Give me the buckets — you'll collapse!"
Karikalan shook his head, his voice strained but resolute. "Don't intervene in my exercise. I know you're trying to help me… but this is important. My day would be incomplete without it."
Richard's eyes widened. "You're doing too much. This will cause serious problems for you!"
Karikalan's gaze sharpened, his words cutting through the air like steel. "I know. This exercise could kill me. But I don't care. I haven't surrendered yet. I'm doing this to become stronger. If I don't do it today, I'll never be able to face something more complex tomorrow."
He tightened his grip on the buckets, his arms trembling but unyielding.
"I already told you — if you want to win, or achieve your goal, don't focus only on the goal. That will only delay your victory. Trust the process. Embrace it without recognizing the goal. One day, you'll achieve something greater than winning."
Richard froze, stunned. The words echoed in his mind, heavier than the buckets themselves. Karikalan's philosophy wasn't about triumph in the ring — it was about transcending limits, about carrying burdens until the spirit itself became unbreakable.
The temple loomed above them, endless and merciless. Yet Karikalan lifted his foot, ready to climb again.