Finally, I returned to my body. Fresh and full of energy. All the pain and fatigue vanished just like that. The only feeling that remained was hunger.
I looked around. Isn't that beef??? I murmured to myself while enthusiastically starting a fire.
Meanwhile, Tono was still looking for help for me.
"Seniooorrr!!!!! Ka-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?!!!"
"Y-yes!!!"
"Don't panic. I'll head there immediately," said Bagong, gesturing for others to join him.
Please... hold on, Karman... Tono pleaded.
While I 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 scattered everywhere, the ground red with blood. It looked like a bomb had exploded there.
"This... what really happened here?" Bagong said, wide-eyed.
"WHAAAAATTT" Tono said.
"Tono, over here," I said while placing meat over the fire.
"Karman! What are you..."
"Come here, the meat is almost done."
"That's beast meat! It's poisonous, Karman! And how are you still alive?"
"Hey! You were 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, Senior."
"Impossible...."
"I mean, there's no one else here but me, right?"
"Hm... true enough. Be more careful next time," he said suspiciously while looking at the very large beast paw prints.
---
Days turned into days. Almost two weeks had passed with us continuously harvesting beast cores in Kidang Alas.
"It seems we can't keep going like this," I said.
"What do you mean?" Tono replied.
"Our daily income is too little, only enough for food."
"You're crazy! Our income is already among the highest for beginners in a two-person party."
"But..."
"But what? You're the one who eats too much!"
"That's a necessity, bro, not a big deal!"
"Ahh whatever, what's your idea?"
"We need to go deeper inside. And 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."
"Ahh whatever."
The most enjoyable moment has arrived after our day of hunting in Kidang Alas - exchanging our beast cores at the headquarters.
BRUKKK!
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?" said the student managing the point exchange.
"I want my points, count everything."
It's always the same. We always bring back such abundant results, and it always elicits 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. The place where happiness and life continue. I can't wait any longer.
"Oho... my loyal customer," said Bi Ijah greeting my arrival. "Choose what you want."
"I want.... everything! One by one."
"Heee!... Karman, you're not serious, are you? You're spending all our points on food? This many points?"
"Remember what the elders used to say. You shouldn't be stingy with yourself."
I carried my food while staggering. A week's worth of food for several people, carried in both my hands. In the corner of the canteen, I saw a familiar face.
"Putri!"
Putri only glanced without responding. I brought all my food to Putri's table along with Tono. In an instant, I devoured all my food.
"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!" said Tono.
"We're going into the inner part of Kidang Alas."
"Trying to commit suicide? Even surviving in the outer area is already a miracle," Putri replied.
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. So Elder Bejo Bejan had already seen Karman's potential. Perhaps he would bring Azure Cloud Sect back to its glory days.
"Let's say you really are strong. But to enter the deeper areas, you need to form a party of five people with one senior disciple."
"That's easy! We already have three people. And I've got one more person."
Sreeeeekk
"Hey, don't pull me."
"Just go with it."
"Karman! You country bumpkin, let me go!" said Bonar.
"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 even agreed to go with you."
"You don't agree? Well, I agree. So we're even. Come on.... just once, at least help me register."
Putri was silent for a moment. Perhaps this was an opportunity for her to see the development and strength of the person valued by Elder Bejo.
"Alright, but only this time."
"Deal! We'll start tomorrow."
That brief conversation left a lingering silence before we began planning our journey to the innermost part of Kidang Alas.
---
Meanwhile, news about Azure Cloud Sect had reached a narrow corner of the city. A quiet and eerie place where even rats wouldn't dare make nests. No lamp light, only lightning provided illumination.
A man wearing a black robe and face covering stood there, moving without sound.
Someone wearing an Azure Cloud uniform approached him.
"So, why did you contact me?" said the robed man.
"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 will surprise you," he said while taking out hunting records.
"What is this?"
"There's a disciple who can defeat hundreds of surrounding beasts alone."
"What! Isn't your job to ensure no genius disciples enter Azure Cloud Sect? Or have you not been working?"
Bruk!
A suppressing qi was released by the man in Azure Cloud uniform. 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 that surrounded him, but in the middle of where he was surrounded, there were footprints of a very large beast."
"White Tiger?" the robed man said, wide-eyed.
"Not sure, but I'll make sure that disciple won't obstruct our goals."
---
This dream..... the same dream again since I met the White Tiger.
A vast expanse of grassland, river, air, rocks. So beautiful. A small white tiger. A feeling of peace but loneliness. What does it really mean...
Aacccckkk!
"Karman, wake up!" Tono said while splashing water on my face.
"Heyyyyy! What's going on?"
"Putri! Putri is outside waiting for you."