Day 5. The day Hunter learned that "harder" was an understatement.
Hunter woke up sore. Not just tired. Actually sore. Foundation Realm cultivation should have healed him overnight. But four days of constant training, constant damage, constant pushing past limits had accumulated.
His meridians felt raw. His dantian felt strained. His body was running on fumes and stubbornness.
"I don't know if I can do this," he told Han before the morning run.
"Good."
"Good?"
"You're finally being honest. That means you're ready for the real training." Han's expression was grim. "Everything so far has been preparation. Today you learn what breaks you."
"What have I been learning if not fighting?"
"Control. Foundation. Basics. Today you learn to actually use it against something that wants you dead."
Han led him to a new clearing. This one had cages. Three of them. Each containing a Red-Maple Shadow Squirrel.
The squirrels looked at Hunter. Hunter looked at the squirrels.
"Hi," Hunter said. "We're going to fight now. But like, gently. No hard feelings?"
The squirrels chittered what sounded like "fudge you" in squirrel language.
"Yeah, that's fair."
"Where did you get those?" Hunter asked.
"Caught them yesterday. Scouting party. They're not the smart ones, but they're real. You're going to fight them. One at a time. With perfect qi control. Without killing them."
"Without killing them?!"
"If you kill them, you're using too much force. The goal is to incapacitate. Subdue. Prove you can control your power against a real enemy." Han opened the first cage. "Begin."
The squirrel launched at Hunter's face immediately.
Hunter's instinct screamed KILL IT. His training said CONTROL.
He dodged. Shadow Step carried him left. The squirrel adjusted mid-air. Clever. Fast.
Hunter struck with his sword. Pulled back at the last second. The flat of the blade hit the squirrel. Not hard enough to kill. Hard enough to stun.
The squirrel hit the ground, dazed but alive.
"Good!" Han called. "Next one!"
The second squirrel was faster. It came from three angles simultaneously. Using shadow techniques. The clearing darkened as it manipulated ambient shadows.
Hunter's own Shadow Step activated. He moved through darkness like it was water. Met the squirrel mid-teleport. Caught it.
Gently.
The squirrel thrashed in his grip. He held firm. Not crushing. Just containing.
"You're learning!" Han actually sounded impressed. "Last one!"
The third squirrel was smart. It didn't attack directly. It waited. Studied. Looked for weaknesses.
Then it went for the little girl.
Every instinct Hunter had—the insurance adjuster instincts, the reluctant hero instincts, the dead-inside-but-functional instincts, all of them screamed the same thing:
NOT THE KID.
She'd been watching from her usual spot. The squirrel must have identified her as Hunter's weakness. Because it launched directly at her with killing intent.
Hunter moved faster than thought. Shadow Step plus Foundation Realm speed plus pure panic. He appeared between the squirrel and the girl in a blink.
Caught the squirrel mid-air. One hand. Gentle grip despite every instinct screaming to crush.
"Got you," he said quietly.
The squirrel struggled. Realized it was caught. Went limp with defeat.
Hunter set it down carefully. It scurried back to its cage without being forced.
The little girl looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're fast."
"Had motivation." Hunter's heart was still hammering. "You okay?"
She nodded. Then hugged his leg. "Thank you."
"Always."
[LUNA] OKAY NOW I'M REALLY CRYING (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ [LUNA] PROTECTIVE DAD MOMENT [LUNA] PERFECT CONTROL UNDER PRESSURE [LUNA] CHARACTER GROWTH [LUNA] THIS IS IT [LUNA] THIS IS THE MOMENT ♥
Han walked over. "You passed. The real test wasn't the squirrels. It was controlling your power when something you care about is threatened. You did it. Perfectly."
"I don't feel perfect. I feel like I almost let her get hurt."
"But you didn't. That's what matters." Han looked at the three caged squirrels. "Release them. They'll report back to the swarm. Let them know what's waiting."
"You want them to warn the others?"
"I want them to know we're ready. That we're not easy prey. It might make them hesitate. Every second of hesitation is an advantage."
Hunter opened the cages. The three squirrels bolted into the forest. Gone in seconds.
"They'll be back," Han said. "Tomorrow. Maybe the day after. The whole swarm. Hundreds of them."
"I know."
"Are you ready?"
Hunter looked at the camp. At the refugees building defenses. At his disciples actually competent now. At the little girl holding his hand.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready."
Day six. The final training day. The day before the squirrels came.
It wasn't about training anymore. It was about preparation. Han had them go through everything one more time. Not pushing limits. Just reinforcing what they'd learned.
The morning run was different. Quiet. Everyone knew what was coming. The cadence felt like a funeral march.
But they ran anyway.
The obstacle course felt easier now. Hunter moved through it like water. Controlled. Precise. Perfect.
Tao, Xuan, and Lex had improved dramatically. Not good. But competent. Barely competent. But it counted.
The refugees had armed themselves. Sharpened sticks. Rocks. Whatever they could find. Not effective against spirit beasts. But better than nothing.
Qiu Hengdao was taking final bets. Odds on survival. Odds on casualties. Odds on Hunter vs the swarm.
"Three to one in favor of the squirrels," he announced.
"Wait," Hunter said. "The squirrels are the "favorites?"
"You've fought three squirrels, Senior. Tomorrow there's two hundred. The math is not in your favor."
"That's incredibly depressing."
"That's why the odds are so good! Bet on yourself! Make money!"
"If I lose I'll be dead."
"Then you won't need the money anyway! It's a perfect system!"
"Four to one against zero casualties. Even odds on Senior surviving but losing disciples."
"That's depressing," Hunter said.
"That's realistic. But for what it's worth, I'm betting on you. Everything I have left. Which admittedly isn't much, but it's the principle."
"Thanks, Qiu."
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me after you win."
The final training session was just Hunter and Han. Everyone else had been sent to rest. To prepare. To spend what might be their last peaceful evening.
Han and Hunter stood in the clearing where they'd trained for six days.
"You're ready," Han said. "I've taught you everything I can in the time we had. The rest is up to you."
"What if it's not enough?"
"Then you die fighting. And we die with you. But at least we die standing." Han's expression softened slightly. "But I don't think you'll die. I think you're going to surprise yourself tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because six days ago, you couldn't control your power. You destroyed everything you touched. Today, you caught three spirit beasts without hurting them while protecting a child." Han smiled. A real smile. Rare from him. "That's not just growth. That's transformation. You're not the same person who stumbled into our disaster."
"I'm still scared."
"Good. Fear keeps you alive. It's confidence that gets you killed."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment.
Then Han held out his hand. "It's been an honor training you. Whatever happens tomorrow."
Hunter shook his hand. "The honor was mine. Thanks for not giving up on me when I was terrible."
"You're still terrible. Just less terrible than before."
"I'll take it."
That evening, the camp gathered for a final meal. Simple food but warm. Everyone quiet. Nervous. Preparing for tomorrow.
The little girl sat in Hunter's lap, eating rice. She'd started talking more. Still quiet. Still careful. But words came easier now.
"You're going to win tomorrow," she said. Not a question. A statement.
"Yeah. I'm going to win."
"Promise?"
Hunter looked at her. At the absolute trust in her eyes. The faith that he couldn't fail because failing meant losing everything.
"I promise."
She nodded. Satisfied. Then pulled something from her pocket. The doll she'd been carrying. She handed it to him.
The doll was missing an eye. Had seen better days. Probably seen better years. We match, Hunter thought. Both of us broken but still here.
"For luck."
Hunter took the doll carefully. It was worn. Loved. Probably the only thing she had left from before.
"I can't take this."
"You need it. For luck. To remember." She climbed down from his lap. "I'll take it back after you win. When you don't need it anymore."
She walked away to sleep in the cave before Hunter could argue.
[LUNA] SHE GAVE YOU HER DOLL (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ [LUNA] HER MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSION [LUNA] THAT'S IT [LUNA] THAT'S THE SUPREME GESTURE OF FAITH [LUNA] IF YOU DIE TOMORROW I'M GOING TO BE SO MAD ♥
"Not planning to die," Hunter whispered.
He sat by the fire long after everyone else went to sleep. Holding a child's doll. Preparing for battle. Wondering how his life had become this.
Han sat down beside him. "Can't sleep?"
"Too many thoughts."
"Tomorrow, all the thoughts go away. There's just you, the enemy, and survival. Everything else is noise."
"That's almost zen."
"That's warfare." Han paused. "You know, six days ago, I thought we were all dead. Then you showed up. Incompetent, confused, but willing to try. That changed things."
"I'm still incompetent and confused."
"But you're trying. That matters more than you think." Han stood. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow, you're going to make history."
"As what?"
"Either the Foundation Realm cultivator who saved a camp from a spirit beast swarm single-handedly, or the idiot who got eaten by squirrels. Personally, I'm hoping for the first one."
"Me too."
Han walked away to take first watch. Hunter sat alone by the dying fire. Holding a doll. Thinking about tomorrow.
About two hundred angry squirrels with revenge on their minds.
About twenty-three people depending on him not to die.
About a little girl who believed he could win.
About the fact that six days ago, he couldn't even hit a tree properly.
"No pressure," he muttered.
[LUNA] ACTUALLY TONS OF PRESSURE (◕‿◕✿) [LUNA] LIKE, ALL THE PRESSURE [LUNA] MAXIMUM PRESSURE [LUNA] BUT YOU'VE GOT THIS ♥
"Your confidence is terrifying."
[LUNA] THAT'S BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T [LUNA] I'M YOUR SYSTEM [LUNA] I CAN SEE YOUR STATS [LUNA] AND HUNTER? [LUNA] YOU'RE READY [LUNA] YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
You said that before the village raid. I cried over body parts.
[LUNA] YES BUT YOU SURVIVED (◕‿◕✿)
[LUNA] AND DIDN'T DIE
[LUNA] THAT'S LIKE
[LUNA] TWO ACHIEVEMENTS
[LUNA] BE PROUD
My bar for success has gotten so low.
[LUNA] SAME TBH ♥
Hunter looked at the doll in his hands. At the camp sleeping peacefully. At the forest that would deliver death tomorrow.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's do this."
He tucked the doll carefully into his shirt. Lay down by the fire. Closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, the squirrels would come.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
Tomorrow, Hunter would find out if six days of training montage was enough to survive a boss battle designed to kill him.
Sleep came eventually. Fitful. Full of dreams about red fur and small children and his mother's voice saying "You can do this, honey."
When he woke, it would be to dawn.
And war.
In the trees, Liu Mei closed her ice crystal notebook.
Day 6, Final Entry Before Battle:
Subject completed training arc. Transformation observed: from incompetent to barely competent. From destructive to controlled. From coward to protector.
Odds of survival: Still not great. But better than before.
Subject acquired emotional anchor (child dependent). This creates both strength and vulnerability. Tactical disadvantage. But psychological advantage.
Squirrel swarm estimated arrival: Dawn.
Will observe final battle. This will either be legendary or pathetic. Possibly both simultaneously.
Personal note: Hope he survives. This has been entertaining. Would like to continue observation.
P.S. Subject's disciples remain catastrophically incompetent. One threw a bucket at a merchant's face. This somehow counts as progress. Standards in Northern Wilderness are very low.
She settled into her concealment formation one last time.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
Very interesting indeed.