Cracking Eggs

The fist-sized stone was adorned with a lush covering of green moss, and at its center rested a basic symbol that looked like an angular hook. Intrigued, Al leaned in, his curiosity piqued by this peculiar item.Eager to engage her customer, the saleswoman explained, "This is the Ever-Life stone. Our little shop's proprietor acquires dozens from her annual expedition to the Seeds of the Evergreen Leaf. In fact, this happens to be our last one."After dealing with three sly salesmen, Al opted for an earnest approach. He replied, "Please tell me what makes this stone so valuable."The saleswoman smiled as she described the Ever-Life stone: "When you place this stone in the water you drink, it imbues the water with the Will of the Goddess from the Evergreen Leaf. It accelerates the body's recovery and aids with mental exhaustion. With its assistance, one can train to superhuman degrees."Al's eyes widened with realization. Sensing his interest, the saleswoman wasted no time adding, "These Ever-life stones typically go for 300 merits in the regular market. However, thanks to Del-Santos Collective, I can offer it to you for a price of 115 merits."Al quietly deliberated. If he purchased the stone, he would be down to 10 merits. Thoughts of Cesar and his Ghillie suit flickered through his mind, motivating him to take a chance.Decisively, he retrieved his C-stone and handed it to the saleswoman, allowing her to scan and extract the required 115 merits. In return, she handed him the Ever-Life stone and gifted him three complimentary canteens to fill with Ever-Life water.Thanking the saleswoman, Al gathered his purchase and donned his helmet. In his armor, he had a leather pouch in which he placed his C-stone and Ever-life stone.Every second that passed in Del Santos Collective carried the risk of losing his remaining 10 merits. With his heart echoing within his armor, Al raced towards the exit.To his surprise, stepping through the portal back to the earlier room triggered no pressure.He quickly entered the room where he had purchased his armor and sword. Thankfully, Mario was occupied attending to his customers, allowing Al to quicken his pace and make his way towards the exit.Al returned to the first room where he had expected to find Cesar. However, there was no sign of him. However, the hooded figure that had attempted to extort Al was still roaming the area, attempting to swindle whoever crossed his path. Al moved closer to the exit. The hooded figure was oblivious to Al's presence within the suit of armor."Cesar must have stepped outside to wait for me. I took too long." Al speculated as he exited the Del Santos Collective. His eyes immediately fell upon Cesar, who stood near the entrance and conversed with the cultivator "Li."Cesar saw a figure donned in dark and red metal armor and a scratched sword approaching him and Li. With a worn and scratched sword, he figured he was walking towards Li. "Do you know that guy?" Cesar said, pointing at the armored Al.To Cesar's surprise, Li shook his head. Before he could address the armored figure, a familiar voice called out, "Come on, Cesar, let's go!" it beckoned.Caught off guard, Cesar shouted in disbelief, "Al, is that you? What happened to speaking with each other before buying anything?"Al removed his helmet to reveal a tired smile and said. "Well, come on, we can discuss it on the way back to our Housing Unit. We have less than 11 hours left, and I haven't slept!"The two made their way back to their respective Housing Units. On their way back, Al explained to Cesar everything that had occurred when he walked through the portal, including his buying the Ever-Life stone.After hearing Al speak, Cesar decided not to return to his Housing Unit.Meanwhile, Al contemplated his upcoming training session with Romann, standing alone in front of the water trough in the brightly lit room of his Housing Unit. The water reflected the armor suit he had purchased. The dark grayish steel and blood-red Chest plate spoke of its resilience against the ravages of time and battles fought.The sword he had purchased bore a visible scratch, evidence of a decisive encounter in the past.The sight of his reflection comforted him, and he felt secure in the armor.Al retrieved the Ever-life stone from his belongings and carefully placed it at the bottom of the water trough. Recalling the instructions given to him. He rested his hand upon the stone, envisioning the rune on it.The stone ignited with a vibrant green glow, confirming its activation. Al's smile grew soft, satisfaction evident on his face. With a yawn escaping his lips, he turned away from the trough and made his way to the farthest corner of the room.Al settled into a comfortable position, ready to rest his body and mind while embracing his armor's protection. The room enveloped him in tranquility as he drifted into a deep slumber, his mind filled with anticipation for the training ahead.***Al found himself repeatedly waking up, ascending the stairs, and opening the door, only to wake up again and repeat the cycle. He was in the grip of a dream loop. Recognizing the futility of his actions, Al decided to surrender to the nightmare and rest.A peaceful, dark silence enveloped him before a shrill scream pierced his mind. Al jolted upright, his senses heightened, instinctively reaching for his sword. Yet, to his alarm, it was nowhere to be found.The room was permeated with an intense cold despite the crystal lights adorning the ceiling, providing warmth. Al rose to his feet with caution and a racing mind, scanning the room for any sign of his missing weapon.Every step he took was accompanied by the sense of being watched. His thoughts spun as he glanced towards the stairs, realizing, "What the hell could be lurking here? It doesn't matter! I need to gain the element of surprise if I'm going to be able to escape."Acting swiftly, Al discarded his armor, arranging it as a decoy and dashing forward with the makeshift dummy leading the way. He sprinted towards the stairs, wearing only his medical robe. He neared the dark room adjacent to the bright room. The same bone-chilling scream resonated through the air once more. This time, however, it seemed to be closing in on him, racing towards him from within the dark room.Al hurled the dummy into the darkened room. Using the dummy as a distraction, he continued his mad dash towards the exit. With each stride, he could feel the presence of the approaching terror growing closer.Just five steps away from the door's safety, a sudden force grabbed his right foot, yanking him downwards. Al kicked and desperately clung to anything within reach, his nails scraping against the stone walls with such force that some ripped off.Despite his efforts, he was dragged step by step, getting closer to the threshold of the dark room with each passing moment.Turning around to face his unseen assailant, Al discovered nothing. He was alone on the stairs, his mind racing and his body shivering.***Gasping for air, Al woke up in the same place where he had fallen asleep. His armor was still on, and to his relief, his sword was no longer missing—it was right beside him.It gradually dawned on him that what he had experienced was just a nightmare. He gazed solemnly towards the dark room, the memory of the dream still sending chills down his spine.Gathering his thoughts, Al realized that sleep was no longer an option. He stood up, walking towards the water trough where he had placed the Ever-Life stone.Al looked around, realizing there was no adequate training equipment like the gyms he used to. "I guess I'll have to make do," he thought.Al began disassembling his armor, placing each piece neatly on the chest plate, with the sword resting on top. He lifted the equipment and performed leg lunges around the room, continuously glancing warily toward the dark room.The physical exertion distracted him from the unsettling thoughts that had begun resurfacing. Al engaged in various exercises for about an hour, pushing his body to its limits. Sweat poured down his face and body, a testament to his effort.Finally, after completing a final set of push-ups with the weight of around 50 pounds of metal resting upon him, Al rose to his feet. He walked towards the water trough, curious to see if the Ever-Life stone would live up to its claim.As Al approached the water trough, he was greeted by a pleasant leafy aroma emanating from it, filling the air with a soothing scent.Cupping his hands together, he took the first sip, and a surge of vitality washed over him, permeating every cell in his body. The fatigue from his workout immediately vanished, and he felt a renewed energy coursing through him. It was as if he hadn't exerted himself to begin with yet still had grown stronger from the workout.Al became cautious not to consume too much of the precious water. An idea struck him.He retrieved his C-stone to check the time. With around 7 hours remaining until their training with Romann, he became determined to show up absolutely prepared.Over the course of a few hours, Al repeatedly pushed himself to the limit, engaging in intense workouts with a violent intensity. "This stuff is incredible! By the time I reunite with Cesar, I'll have made progress equivalent to several months of training!" He mused.For approximately five hours, Al pushed his body to its limits, testing both his and the Ever-life Stones' boundaries. One had to give way first.Occasionally, he would take short breaks to use the restroom, which was a small opening in the center of the housing unit.However, Al soon realized that no matter how vigorously he pushed himself, he couldn't exhaust his body like he had initially. The Ever-Life water's rejuvenating effects seemed to prevent him from reaching a state of true fatigue.Understanding this, Al decided to split the remaining 3 hours of training. During the first hour, he focused on performing push-ups relentlessly, repeating the exercise until he could no longer count the repetitions, continuing until his face hit the ground despite his attempt to rise.Following a recovery session with Ever-Life water, he shifted his attention to squats, jumps, and lunges to thoroughly fatigue his lower body.After each strenuous session, Al was immediately restored and recovered. The stone's remarkable effects fueled his determination to make the most of the remaining time before meeting Romann.With the clock ticking down and less than an hour remaining until they met with Romann, Al knew it was time to wrap up his training session.He decided to give his muscles one final challenge before preparing to leave. Al began curling the weighty load of his metal armor and sword, pushing his biceps to their limits until they felt like they were tearing.Afterward, Al transitioned to practicing swordplay, mirroring the movements with his experienced boxing techniques.Each punch was transformed into a precise sword thrust, the hook transformed into a slashing motion, and the uppercut became a powerful horizontal swing.Before leaving, Al took one final drink from the Ever-Life water, replenishing his energy reserves. He also filled one of the canteens he had obtained earlier with the precious water, ensuring he had a portable supply.As he handled the Ever-Life stone, Al noticed its glow had diminished since placing it in the water. It seemed to have a limit to its potency, but on the positive side, the armor felt noticeably lighter now.He picked up his long sword and easily swung it around, feeling a newfound ease in wielding it, which brought a satisfied smile to his face. Ensuring he had all his necessary equipment, Al ascended the steps, briefly pausing to glance at the dark room that had given him such unease.Quickly turning away, Al sprinted outside, relieved that nothing had grabbed him this time.As he stood outside, gazing back at his housing unit, he couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of insecurity. However, he decided to put that matter on hold for now, acknowledging that he would need to address it soon.As Al left the Housing Units into the outer road, he couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anticipation. His steps quickened, propelled by a surge of determination as he mentally prepared himself.