Zack’s Perspective

Left alone in the room, I lay back down. Closing my eyes, I took some time to reflect on both today’s events and yesterday’s fight with that direwolf.

I shouldn’t try getting up. But… How will I defeat Samuel then? Defeat Samuel…. Defeat… How and why?

Time flew by as I lay there, silently twisting and turning in my bed while wracking my brains. Unknowingly, my thoughts wandered from one place to another, all but about how to defeat Samuel.. In the end, I kept trying to recall my lost memories forcibly. However, as usual, a searing headache made me halt in my tracks,

At that instant, inspiration struck me. My eye widened as all the bits and pieces began weaving together.

A smile spread across my face. However, it disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Calm down. Calm down. It’s all a guess. A big guess. There’s still a big chance that I can be wrong.

I nodded to myself in satisfaction.

Hours later, Samuel also woke up, albeit with a mild headache. To both our surprises, his arm was like new, as if the direwolf did not hurt him in the first place.

Thus, the next day, the family returned, leaving behind me and Samuel, both having eaten our lunch and preparing to fight.

“Where do you want to make the ring?” I asked.

“How about we mix things up today? Isn’t it boring to have a plain place every day?”

My brows jumped.

I nodded, gesturing him to continue.

Pointing to somewhere in the surrounding forest, Samuel said, “Say, that part of the forest between those trees? You fine with it?”

I scratched my cheek while replying, “I… kind of didn’t understand where. Can you draw a circle or something to indicate the boundaries?”

Samuel looked at me blankly for a second before nodding.

He walked forward, picking up a stick midway, drawing a circle in the area he mentioned. My brows knitted as I watched him.

Getting up from the ground after a while, he said, “That, that and that trees, say that they’re on boundaries. I can’t draw anything on or under them.”

He pointed at three trees who came in the middle of the line marking the boundary.

Besides those three trees, the boundary also encompassed a few more trees, some open space and a big boulder.

I opened my mouth to ask something, but as if reading my thoughts, Samuel replied, “Yeah, we’re going to have obstacles in the ring today. It’ll add a bit of a spice. As for those trees, say they’re like walls and you won’t be considered knocked out if you touch them or something. Similar rules to how northern duels work, if you know about that.”

I tilted my head inquisitively, looking at him to get an answer.

Samuel shook his head as he briefly explained, “More or less, like a tamed gladiator duel. There are very few rules and use of stuff like weapons or armour or even Ki arts or Magic is allowed. The main rules are to stay in the ring and don’t get knocked out. Same with the field. We can make it with anything and contain anything. Even weird shapes aren’t out of the question.”

I blinked before nodding in understanding.

Patting his hands with each other to wipe off dirt, he said, “Ready?”

I tilted my head before charging forward.

Samuel turned to the side, heading straight towards one of the smaller trees within the boundaries. Like a stray cat, he jumped at least four-fifths of his height, using his hands to grab onto a branch. Then, like a monkey, he curled his body up, taking a stand atop the branch.

My brows jumped.

What do I do now? Climb? …fine.

Nearing the tree, I grabbed the trunk, climbing up one step at a time. Samuel, on the other hand, stretched lazily before jumping down and running off to another area with two trees next to each other, one of the two being on the boundary, acting like a wall. Next, he climbed the tree.

I heaved a breath before returning to the ground. Running over, I began climbing the tree Samuel was on. The tree was almost thrice my height, making it require some time and effort to climb.

To Samuel, that time was more than enough. He hopped over to the tree to the side, his laughter echoing over the wind.

My eye narrowed. I kept climbing, not giving into the urge to switch trees. Reaching to the top, I saw Samuel sitting on one branch of the tree over, having a leisurely time.

Pushing against the tree I was on, I jumped, aiming for the branch of the other tree.

With a *Tak* my foot landed on the branch. Relief washed over me as I waited for the rest of my body to follow.

However, in the next instant, I discovered that jumping between trees wasn’t as easy. My foot that had just landed slipped, throwing me off balance, about to fall off the tree.

Through my peripheral, I saw Samuel rotating along the branch, his hand grabbing onto my leg.

Opening my eye, I looked around to find myself swinging back and forth in midair. Tilting my head upwards, the ground was a respectful distance away from my face, filled with dirt and freshly trampled grass. Using my hand, I tried to reach out towards it, all to no avail.

“You alright?” Samuel asked from above.

Snapping out of my reverie, I curled my body to look up.

In response, Samuel groaned, “Nngh! Don’t move too much! Give me your other leg as well.”

Realising the situation I was in, I complied with him the best I could.

A moment later, I felt Samuel grabbing onto both my legs, holding me off the ground like a human chain. For some reason, however, I felt dizzy.

“Samuel, let me down.”

“Hmm, alright. Before that, Zack. Answer this. Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.” I replied matter-of-factly. Next, I queried, “Why ask?”

With a playful tone, Samuel replied, “Because of what’s about to happen.”

As soon as his words landed in my ear, the world around me swung back and forth erratically. Next, I felt the hands grabbing my legs disappear as I tumbled through the air. Subconsciously, I closed my eye and held my breath, waiting for the impact to come.