~ Ayano's Pov ~
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'It should be around here somewhere...' I was practically retracing my steps at this point. Trying my best to remember the like last place where I first met that kid. I knew he came out of an alley way a few blocks down from where Kotonoha lived... But, that was it.
I sighed, 'So much for wanting to help. I can't even find the darned place.'
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"Hello, excuse me young man."
Hmm? I heard an old voice call out to me. I turned around slowly, seeing a hunched elderly man in his late 60's, or 70's? It's bad to the point where he needed a walking stick to even stand up straight... I was a little confused here; Especially since I didn't really know him, but, he was an elder, so...
Of course, I responded as respectfully as I could, "Yes sir? How may I help you?"
He smiled gently, nearly laughed even "I'm not the one that's going to receive the help. It's you."
Now I'm even more confused here, 'What's this old man even talking about?'
"Uhmm... What do you mean."
And when I asked that question, I felt the atmosphere around him get much colder, a complete 180 from what it was before. The smile he had, was completely none existent, and his eyes were sharper too...
"You have a beast inside of you..."
I tensed unconsciously, but the old man didn't move an inch, he was dead serious... He wasn't even hostile either...
"What...?"
He huffed, "Like I said young man... You, have a beast, inside of your body..." he said again, slower this time, like he wanted the words to sink in properly. But, before I could open my mouth, he shook his head, and continued his rambling.
"Don't misunderstand me. Every man walking this earth has a beast inside them." he said. " Most encompass a strong emotion... Rage. Pride. Fear. Desire... It's all part of being a, human."
I don't know why, but the way he talked... it wasn't meant to scare me. It was more like he was reminding me of something I'd always known but never had the words for. At least, I thought so...
"But..." The elder's voice dropped lower, more serious, "Few ever get close to touching that kind of power. Fewer still know how to refine it — sharpen it into something they can utilize. In fact, most people live, and die without ever realizing what they really carry inside of themselves."
He tapped his cane lightly against the ground, as if he was punctuating the thought.
"You..." He looked at me then, really looked at me — like he was trying to see through my skin, straight into whatever it was he sensed. His face darkened slightly, not with fear, but with a kind of heavy awe.
"You don't just have a beast..." he muttered, almost to himself. "It's something, else. Like... an amalgamation. Almost too much for one body to even hold. Something almost ancient. Something, primal."
He trailed off, frowning thoughtfully. Finally, he straightened up as much as his old back would allow, and said;
"I don't know where you got it from. Maybe you don't know it either. But if you don't learn how to mold it — wield it — it'll tear both you, and the people you care about apart, from the inside out."
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He then took a step closer... "I'm offering to teach you, boy." he said. "Not to make you into a killer. Not to make you a weapon. But to help you shape that thing you possess, into a force for something better. Something good."
I instantly got the impression that he wasn't trying to flatter me. Nor was he trying to scare me either. It's more along the line of him just stating facts, offering a hand to someone he deemed standing too close to an edge.
'The heck?' I didn't answer him right away. For all I knew, the old coot was essentially crazy...
PING!
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{HIDDEN TRAINING QUEST: The old man is offering to teach you the ways of using your inner beast...
REWARD: ??????}
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Just when I was about to think he was bat shit crazy... He might have been unto something then... If the system created a quest line just for him, then it must be somewhat important, right? Not only that, it's a training type too...
'Sheesh... I might as well accept it then, right?'
I scratched the back of my head, looking down at the elder... "Alright, I accept... But, what's your name?"
Just like earlier, he smiled... "Hahaha... Well, I go by many aliases.. The leader of Hostel... The white Mamba... But, you can just call this old man, Eli... Eli Jang."
I didn't recognize the name exactly, but there was a certain weight behind it.
"Good..." He said, tapping his cane once more on the cracked pavement... "You won't regret it, boy. But I should tell you from now... you willsuffer. Growth always demands sacrifice. Always."
I understood that... "Well, I'm glad and all, but... When exactly do we even, well... Start?" I asked.
He looked at me, confused, "Why, today of course! The earlier the better, no?"
Oh no; 'I feared he was gonna say something like that...' I looked at him, "I, can't start today. I've got something else to do Mr. Jang. It's pretty important too."
He looked at me again, and sighed, "Don't tell me you're going to put off my training to go see some rundown backwater casino."
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'How the!? How the hell does he know about the casino? Scratch that, how the hell does he know I'm even looking for it?'
"You might be wondering how I know about that, right? It isn't hard boy, especially if you pay enough attention, and listen closely enough. You hear things and see things that most don't, or choose to willingly ignore... Furthermore, they aren't even open today either, but they'll be open tomorrow."
This just made my situation awkward. "Okay... I guess, there's no reason for me to really refuse you. So, do I just follow you now...?"
He nodded, "Where we are going isn't too far from here. I live just a few blocks ahead of here."
"Alright then." I finally said, pushing the mild discomfort aside. "Lead the way."
Eli's smile returned, softer this time, but there was still something unnervingly sharp about his gaze. "Good." he muttered, as he began walking down the street, his cane tapping with each step. I followed behind him.
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Eventually, we reached a small, unassuming building that sat between a couple of taller, run-down apartment complexes... The exterior of it was weathered, showing how old it really was, with cracked windows and a faint smell of incense lingering in the air.
Eli led the way inside, and I hesitated for a moment before following him through the door...
Inside was dimly lit, the scent of herbs and old books thick in the air. The room was simple, furnished with mismatched chairs, and a few low tables scattered about. He led me further, this time, he opened a metallic door that led further down...
"Close the door behind you when you get in."
'I guess I should've expected that.' Plus, I was still a bit unsure about my decision here so far.
He flicked on a light switch, and and continued trailing behind him, going downstairs... After heading down the stairs, I glanced the walls that had something like sound-proofing pads all around it. Other than that, it was completely empty.
"Now." Eli said, his voice low and steady, "let's start with the basics."
I was still processing the fact that I had agreed to this, that I was standing here with an old man who seemed to know far more than he let on. My heart was racing in my chest, a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Was this really the right choice? Was I ready for what was to come?
"First thing's first," Eli continued, turning to face me fully. His eyes were sharp, even in the dim light. "You need to understand that the 'beast' I spoke of—it's not something you can simply ignore or keep locked away. You can try to suppress it, sure, but it'll only grow stronger until it breaks free. Trust me, I've seen it happen too many times."
He raised his cane, tapping it lightly on the floor as he spoke, his gaze never leaving mine. "I'm not here to teach you how to control it like some kind of tamed animal. That's not how any of how this works. Instead, I'm going to show you how to understand it, how to befriend it... You can use its power, but only if you learn to coexist with it, instead of trying to force it into submission."
I swallowed harder than I anticipated to. This wasn't going to be easy. In fact, nothing about this felt easy. But I had already come this far. I had already made my choice. Might as well man up and commit to them...
I then watched as the old man's gaze softened, but there was still an edge to it, something that suggested he knew how difficult this was going to be. "You ready, boy?"
I nodded slowly, my throat some what tight. "Yeah... I'm ready."
Eli smiled, a glint of something dark and knowing in his eyes. "Good. Because the real work begins now."
He stopped, and shook his head; "I can tell that you're still hesitant..." Eli observed, his tone measured, but cutting. "The power you need to tap into, isn't something that just obeys orders. It's instinct. It's primal. And instincts are born from one of two things."
I blinked at him, "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that, you're not just going to awaken it and expect it to listen to you." he continued, his voice like a low rumble. "Instinct alone is a beast in and of itself. And like all beasts, it needs a reason to wake up. To rise."
Eli's gaze then darkened, his next words were slow, like they were meant to strike deep... "There are two conditions under which this kind of power will truly awaken. Two ways you can fulfill the instinct inside you."
He paused, "The first," he began, his voice dropping lower, "is the will to survive. If you're backed into a corner, if you feel like your life is at stake, your instincts will awaken to fight for you. It's an animalistic drive that will push you beyond what you thought possible."
A will to survive...? It sounded more like desperation, like a cornered animal fighting for its life. Was that really the kind of power I wanted to rely on? I didn't want to get pushed to a state where I was near death. That wasn't me... But, what if.
"But..." Eli added, his voice hardening, "The second condition is a far darker one. It's when you're near death, when you're on the brink of being consumed, your body will surge out of pure survival instinct. In that state, you will be a force, but it will be a last-ditch effort to keep you alive."
He threw his staff away. "Don't get them confused, both conditions..." he continued, his eyes sharper than ever, "Willpush you to the absolute extremes. But they're not the same. One comes from your will, your strength of mind. The other, from your fear and desperation. You need to decide which one will guide you... Because, when you awaken this power, there's no going back."
I didn't know why, but I felt cold chills run down my spine when he said it...
"Now, tell me, boy..." he asked, his voice smooth, "Which will it be? The will to survive? Or the desperation of death?"
"I... I couldn't possibly know the answer to that, can I? Even if this supposed beast within me exists. What if I can't well... Steer it with my own will power, and what if it can't awaken with my will either, but with desperation like you've mentioned?"
"You're right..." he finally said, his voice smooth, yet carrying an undercurrent of something deeper. "You can't know the answer, not until you've been pushed to that very edge..."
"However... There is a way to find out." He added, now removing his shirt. And when he did, my eyes widened... His body was filled with scars, both from knifes and bullets... 'Just what the hell did I sign up for?'
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For the first time in my life, I could see it. A something you'd only find in some anime and manga; an actual aura... It was so, overpowering.
"Come, boy... Show me what you've got."
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END