Hidden Cave Pt2, Training Begins

Chapter 4: Hidden Cave Pt2, Training Begins Pt1

 (Previously...)

Man, I missed the whole tree in general, that was totally pitiful. I think the tree might be affecting my aim, yeah that's it. The tree moved, not wanting to get hit by foreign objects not from its own bark. I refused to give up, so I kept shooting rock after rock, none managing to hit the fucken tree or the squirrel, it didn't even make any of its leaves fall. 

Some managed to hit a fruit that was hanging from the tree but only the bottom of said fruit didn't even make it shake. It simply stayed unaffected by my attacks and stood strong as if laughing at my expense. After a time of constant shooting, I called it a day and retreat to think of a better plan of attack, like let's climb that damn thing next, I said internally...

I will come back another time and defeat you thy enemy, 'my conquest on thy shall prevail, nothing shall stop me.' I thought to myself as I damned the tree that was at this point hard to climb. "I will get my vengeance tree; you have not seen the last of me and then whatever's in that cave shall be mine. AHAHAHAAA!!" My evil monologue was pretty loud, but I didn't care as I walked back home in defeat. 

That's the way the next few weeks were spent, practice shooting at different thing from a distance to get a better handle on my slingshot and trying to rise my shooting and aiming skills. Then I would work hard on climbing various different trees as I worked up at the thickness of that damn large tree. I was going to conquer that tree one way or another, that's a fact, Jack. 

That wasn't the only thing I trained, I had even created two powerful techniques, a multi-form martial arts, and a multi-sword style art. Just in case I needed something for close combat, all the training I was doing was getting very strenuous. I only practiced when I was alone or in secret, so as to not get caught by anyone in my household. 

I will always be in tip top shape when not doing anything else, while training my strength or speed. I tried various times on climbing that tree, but the stem of that damn tree was simply too strong and wide, as if was telling me that it was not yet time for me to have whatever is in the cave, yet. So, I concluded that it was just simply impossible to personally climb the tree until it let me. 

Conquering the climb will be based on the progress I show the tree, through physical means time is an impossibility. I hit an impasse at the moment and there are a few days left before summer will coming to an end, and I'd have to go back to school. So far, my young school life was boring to say the least, in the past 2 years, I hadn't bothered to socialize with other kids as they simply didn't have the same amount of maturity as I did. 

So, I would usually keep to myself most of the time, while I was at school. Now don't get me wrong, I did socialize with others, but not to a point that I made any familial friends to stay in touch with. I did play sports with the other kids at school, I'm not that grown up, I like to run around as well, builds my stamina and kids have a lot of stamina to get rid of. 

Sometimes I just wanted to act my age, okay I always acted my age when at school, builds character. I also wanted to avoid my mom yelling my ear off for not playing with the other kids, remember what I said before, NEVER, and I mean NEVER angry mother. Other than that, I always would keep the interactions to a bare minimum. 

After turning 12 during the Christmas holidays and having New Years pass by, it was a great that in a few days the mayhem that was school would soon begin. And of course, the presents that I had asked for from my parents were given as well, and they were a bonus in and on itself. I had begged my parents this time around for a set of tree climbing gear. 

They had asked why, and my response was, "I wanted to start tree climbing early, that way when I grew up, I already had experience, just in case I wished to go mountain climbing, as a hobby of course. I'm the adventurous type, remember." And my request for the climbing gear was approved. Yep, they looked at me as if I was crazy or just plain bonkers.

"What kid asks for a tree climbing kit? What happened to toys? Even a bike. And you want climbing gear, dear? What... are you going to become, a lumber jack or something? Hhhmm... Chris?" Asked my mom. "No mom, but I would like to practice with it so I could learn to survive in the wilderness, if I ever had the need to go camping out in a big forest. Climbing a tree is a start and I'll always stay safe." 

I replied to her questions. And since no trouble had come from my slingshot – gun incidents, they once again trusted me and bought me the adult sized climbing gear set for not only tree climbing, but rock climbing as well. Well, with my new climbing gear kit, I started regularly practicing each day by climbing small thin trees to taller thicker trees as the days and weeks went by. 

After getting more experience in climbing bigger and wider trees, I attempted to climb the one in the forest one time to see where I was at and where I needed to adjust my practice more into. And yes, I failed on my first attempt, but I got valuable information on what I needed to focus on, and that would be more on my fingers and wrist than any other part of my body. 

My legs and arms were doing great, but my fingers and wrist were tiring out too fast and couldn't hold the notch of the tree as I climbed up. So, I went back to reenforcing my wrist and fingers more which were my deficiencies in the last climb. Now every time I would reach a certain height on a tall tree, I would scratch a line into the tree with a small dagger that I had made for this occasion. 

And as I did the climbing over and over made my body more adaptable to me holding my weight with my ankles, wrist, and fingers as they held me at a side angle when I climbed a thick tree. Once I was too tired to continue, I would climb down safely and try again the next day. As my body adapted to each climb as I slept, it didn't take long for me to become ready again and attempt to get to the cave. 

In the past few weeks, I was trying to get as much stamina from all the weights I was carrying, so I never took off the weights even when I attempted to climb smaller to larger trees. It took me three weeks after the first attempt to be able to climb that holy tree free hand, without gear and that was what I was pushing for, and I believe so was the attempt. 

I believe I failed the first time because I had the climbing gear as help, now I am waiting for my 12th birthday to arrive, it's just a few weeks anyway. And that will be when my next attempt will be. The days went by, and it turned into weeks, my 12th birthday arrived and passed. The next day, which was Saturday, and I made my way to the tree. 

Here I am a mere 5 meters away from the magical cave entrance and my final destination. My palms were sweaty and arms heavy due to the constant weight I had added to them, and all my muscles were trembling from the strain and my pure determination and will are the only things that held me from falling and keeping myself hanging on the tree for so long. 

It also didn't help any that I always trained with my weights and sword skills daily and today was no different because I forgot to remove the wrist, body, and leg weights. It didn't matter at the moment anyways, taking a deep breath, I took my right leg that had the climbing spike that were inserted into my boots and took a last leap of faith. 

I dove for the thick branch that the cave was attached too, and since this tree only had a few thick branches at the top, half an hour later, I finally managed to reach the entrance to the cave and whatever was in it would be mine. Fortunately for me the goal I put on myself all those years ago was not my victory, which was, whatever is in this cave. 

As I walked into the mysterious cave, I expected something glamorous, you know something gold like or grand like a hidden castle or something. But there was nothing, the cave was dark, damp, smelled like aged moss, and the only thing in the cave was a small chest at the center of it on the floor. As I approached the chest, I grabbed the top of the chest and pushed it open. 

And what I saw was not what I expected, there was the smallest looking apricot fruit I have ever seen. "Have I been pushing myself in pursuing this? For the last two and a half years, I did nothing but train my body... for this!!" I yelled out in anger as I looked at the fruit in the chest. It looked as big as a walnut; it almost made me cry. 

As I picked up the fruit from its stem, holding said fruit in palm of my left-hand, a flood of emotion ran through me, excitement, joy, elation, disappointment, there were simply too many to count, all in all I felt relief and content that I had finally reached my goal. When I died previously, I was mediocre in all but feeling, everything felt mundane at times, even after I finally became a doctor. 

But now I feel, I don't know... joy maybe, I can't even come close to what I am feeling at this very moment. After storing the fruit in my small backpack and checking the cave twice over just in case I missed something. After not finding anything else, I quickly made my way out the cave and slowly descended the tree to the safety of the ground. 

Took me about an hour to get down, when I finally reached the ground, I looked back up to the cave and what did I see... NO CAVE!!! Matter of fact, NO TREE!!! Both tree and cave were gone, disappeared after I set foot on the ground. Man, call it what you want, that was ROB no doubt about it. So back to my fruit, I took the fruit out of my backpack and kept looking at it with wonder. 

"I wonder if it would taste bad or good? Will it grant me more magic or a specific magic? Will it affect my magic in a negative way?" I started to question myself if I should eat it or not. Then I thought, 'What if it's like the One-Piece fruit. What if I can't swim again, like those in anime.' Not paying attention to the missing tree and cave anymore, I waited no longer. 

I immediately put the acorn like fruit into my mouth and bite down on it, followed by another and then another in a matter of seconds, I devoured the whole thing. "Well, it wasn't a devil fruit that's for sure, "Thank ROB" for that, the fruit truly tasted Godly (never tasted God like fruit...). I never knew fruit could taste that good. 

5 minutes after I ate the fruit, I started to feel large amounts of energy from my stomach area and it was heading straight to my magical core and brain areas, my core felt full and started to expand slowly. While my brain started to feel like it has awoken for the first time, everything around me felt... I don't know how to describe it. 

It's like I could see everything so clearly now, the trees near me, I could see a slight thin glow around them, same with the grass, rocks on the ground, and I could see lines of what looks like magic in the air. The energy in both core and brain started expanding more as it leaked into the rest of my body, arms, legs, feet, torso. 

I felt overwhelmed, so, I sat down right then and there as I started meditating, I directed the energy from the fruit through my magical pathways listed in a book I had read in my memory. That book must have been part of the fruit because I have never heard of anything like that. I felt my mind, body, and soul getting lighter but stronger at the same time. 

I kept meditating for what felt like hours, and finally when the energy ran dry, my magical pathways felt full, starched for some reason, they felt bloated. I felt so hungry, I could probably eat a full horse also felt sleepy at the same time. So, I did what I could only do, I got up and ran to my house, made it just in time into my room because a minute later, I pass out. 

I was unconscious for three hours before I awoke, I dragged myself to the one of the maids and asked for some food to be brought to my room. As they were getting my food, I quickly showered because I stank for some reason, while I was showering, I could see black gunk coming off me. After my shower as I was changing, I saw a different me in the mirror. 

I was taller, my skin looked clearer, my hair felt smoother and darker. Now it really looked like the midnight skies, pitch black and sparkling. The maids where surprised in my new look and stared at me for a good while as they placed my food on the table. After I finished eating, which by the way was three full course meals, I went back to sleep, which lasted to mid-day the next morning. 

Then again the next morning I ate 7 sandwiches, almost 2 gallons of water, and 7 cookies, within 10 minutes after entering my room, and again minutes later after eating, I fell unconscious at the table. My mother was worried I had contracted something in the forest, so she had the doctor come to the house to check on me. 

After finding nothing, she was relieved, thinking that I was just overworked at school or something, but would ask me when I awoke. When next I awoke, I looked at the wall clock, and I have been sleeping for almost 9 hours. I felt great, well rested, and strong, like I could lift a car at that moment. That was how strong I felt, and my body felt full of energy, and it was coursing through my magical pathways, like current. 

I had remembered the second day after awakening that I had left my climbing gear in the forest. I had to really sneaky, so, I planned to sneak away that night without my parents knowing so I could recover my things from the forest. Didn't take long to pick up my climbing gear from the floor, after that I made my way home. 

After entering through one of my bedroom windows, I stored my stuff away, before my parents could hound me on them being missing. I had taken too long when I was out, due to someone came into my room while I was out. I knew I was in trouble for sure, my parents don't like it when I don't spend dinner time with them, it's family time and they would always hound me, when I miss these times. 

Hey, what can I say, I get busy sometimes when working out, I lose track of time. As soon as I stepped out of my room, I was called out, "Young master Christiano, your parents are in the study waiting for you, they wish to talk with you." The Chief maid named Laura said to me as I tried to pass her unnoticed. 

"Damn... I mean, how long have you been there Laura? You know as long as you have been working for this family Laura, you can call me Chris. You have known me since I was two. You do have the right to call me by my first name. Why bother with my full name?" I said to the maid as she wasn't fazed at what I said to her. 

"I have been working for this family for almost ten years, young sir. I know master Christiano that you would like me to call you that, but it would not be formal of me to do that. Now, off you go and talk to your parents before they send another of the maids to fetch you." She responded as she rushed me away to see my parents. 

I knew I was in trouble since they never call me to my father's study. I resigned myself to my dismay and headed to the study to face the inevitable. As I entered the study, I was met with an angry glare clearly from my upset mother and a disappointed look from my father. She had a wooden spoon full of sauce in her hand awaiting an explanation as to why I ditched them last night for dinner. 

That spoon was full of volcano hot sauce that they usually threaten me with when I do wrong. I am scared of her hot sauce, believe me when I say the sauce is good going in, but not so well going out. The last time I ate some of that was because I was being punished for missing a movie night with my mother and that time, she didn't seem upset; it was all a lie. 

I stayed in the toilet foe a whole day sweating my ass off literally on how I was suffering as the hot sauce came out. I learned since then not to miss any family nights, ever. And here I am, facing the sauce again, my could be very vindictive sometimes... okay all the time, but she's my mother and I shall endure and take whatever she gives as punishment. 

She looked really upset that she had stopped whatever she was cooking in the kitchen, as they both waited for me to explain what was more important that dinner with them. I don't know why she just didn't go to my room and check on me, seeing that I was asleep should have told them that I was tired and overslept. 

I Just didn't think my sleep would last until dinner. "I'm really sorry MOOOM... and Dad, I didn't notice the time pass when I overslept in my room. I thought to just take a small nap after lunch and wake up before we had dinner, I guess I was too tired to notice." I said with a dejected look to both of them as I looked at the floor in my embarrassment. 

She let out an exasperated sigh before her features softened once again. "'Sigh' Huug... just like your father, always forgetting about little old me. Go take a shower, breakfast will be ready soon. Go on." She said with a warm smile pointing at my room. I was relieved I didn't need to eat the sauce as well, as sweat drops were falling from my forehead. After entering my room and took another quick shower. 

I dressed up nicely for mom of course, then I rushed out of my room locking the door behind me, waving my hand at the door while I used my magic on the door. 'Hmm... never did that before, should it be because of the fruit? It seems that the fruit upgraded my magic, and I can use it more skillfully. But I need to see how refined eating that fruit made my magic work, if it upgraded it, I need to how much. 

I still need to practice and keep getting better at it, it's a must to have better control. I stretched out my hand and placed a redirection charm on the ground in front of my door. No one will find my door if I don't want them too, they will find a reason or excuse to not be there and turn away. After I was done putting the charm down, I went downstairs to join my parents for breakfast and stayed with them for the rest of the day, my mother enjoyed every minute of it and so did I.

May 12, 1969... Los Angeles California...

Already 2 years have passed since I started working out at the park. Five months ago, I turned 13, back then I would simply do a 1km run, 25 push-ups, 25 sit-ups, 15 pull-ups and finish with 25 squats every single day with weights on each arm, leg, and waist. I started with 5kg of weight on each arm, leg, and waist. 

And now I've reached with great difficulty, 110kg for each arm and leg, and upped the weight with 150kg vest for my waist area. I have been working out three times a week, of course in secret from the family. As well a whole new ability I created to help in my recovery, a minor healing ability that I created several months back, which will grow as I do into the future. 

The ability will later in life make it impossible for me to die, think about it like this, where small cuts and bruises will heal in a day, later in life, I will regenerate from a drop of blood if I ever was disintegrated. I can now manage my exercise regime better and probably do more but if I really wanted to push it, I am not trying to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Slow and steady is good for me, I try to give my body time to get used to the new exercise regime and time to recuperate, so I don't overexert myself. The strength progression has gone up massively, due to the weight increase over the years. I am still a kid after all, and my body never did have over excessive fat as other kids did (baby fat...), mine has always had defined muscles like what weightlifters have in the beginning. 

For some reason my muscles after my workouts compress themselves down, I can't explain it... like they swell like a normal workout do, but after a cool down, I could feel them tighten and compress themselves. I mean that's what I want, a swimmer body type, the lean muscular and toned body type with an eight pack, and I mean that. 

But I don't know how it's happening... well anyways, I'll kept at it util I get well-defined. I'm just waiting for my puberty to finally hit, so I could start adjusting my body with my body modification ability I had already planned to do on myself. After my puberty hits, my endorphin levels would be 100 times higher for that small growth to happen, hence the modifications will work better while it uses all that energy after my puberty hits. 

With all this training I could barely tap into less than 5% of my body's potential, my stamina seemed to have improved in a major way after all that exercise and weight. Since my skills creation ability activated, I have created 3 skills; minor body healing; Greater Understanding; read and understand at a greater level(academically); Martial Mastery to include Weapon Style Mastery (sword, spears, shields, guns). 

The skill Body healing is self-explanatory, I get hurt, wounded, or damaged in any way, I heal faster. Think more like 2 degrees lower than Wolverine type of healing. The next ability I created: Greater Understanding, I read a subject like science, math, physics, biology, or any other subject to include magical subjects. 

I understand them to a greater degree than just reading over and over and over again. Edict memory comes with this ability as a side ability. I didn't notice this until after one day I was trying to remember an answer to a question at school and I seemed to remember the whole book that answer was in. I didn't want instant understanding because that wouldn't be a challenge and hinder me from understanding anything in depth. 

Like sword fighting, Arithmancy calculations, stuff that needs deeper thoughts for. Then just understand directly that subject right then and there and not have me understand how to integrate to and create better ways to upgrade those same subjects to have better results. So far, I have reread and understood to a greater degree every spell from 1st to 6th years curriculum from the Harry Potter world of magics. 

And without trouble, I have upgraded a few spells, rune enchantments, wards, and potions. Such as now, I have created ways to better create potions for use with mundane vegetation and animals, though they might be at a lower affect than the magical ones, but they would still work better than the mundane medicines of the modern time period. 

And as for the last ability: Greater mastery for weapons and martial arts, I understand and learn martial arts skills faster and more in-depth, carpentry, swordsmen ship, firing guns of all types, using spears, and so on with all other type of weapons. I understand in depth their uses and forms to a greater degree than normal people would, I've also combines spear and sword techniques together.

Using this skill, I gain deeper understanding of the weapon skill set by 10 to 15 times more than without it. I have also upgraded my body once again using the body modification powers at small instances, so as to not affect my overall body growth as it nears its puberty. I only added an inch or two to my height and also compressed all my muscles as much as they could go without damaging them. 

So, I could stay at a swimmer's status, not to mention that I still have to eat 4 times my normal body weight in food, need the energy. All in all it's worth it for me wanting to have the best results for my body as it's still growing. Well, the days went into weeks and weeks have gone into months, they go by so quickly and since then 4 months have passed since my 13th birthday. 

I have worked out every other day and spend the rest with my parents, not gonna disappoint my mother ever again. I have just finished with my last series of squats for the day, then let my body drop to the floor as I was tired and feeling a little heavy in exhaustion both in mind and body. After a few minutes on the ground, I struggled to catch my breath due to the extreme rhythm from my workout. 

It was already 5 in the afternoon, and I needed to get ready for the day out with the folks. I was not going to be late again to the family time. My mother had insisted I get back home before 6 P.M. today for some unknown reason and I needed to hurry back. So, with the little strength left in my body, I walked tiredly in the direction of my home, soon after I recuperated slowly as I walked back. 

As soon as I stepped inside the house, I noticed how abnormally clean the house was and thought and how busy the maids were, 'Are we going somewhere? Are we moving?'. I thought as I made my way to my room, walking deeper into the house, I found my parents in the study dressed in spiffy clothes, it was going out on a date type of clothes. 

My mother was wearing a pretty designer dark blue ruffled edge dress, spaghetti straps on the shoulders with long sleeves. Her hair was fully done as it was managed by a hairdresser and make up as if posing as a model again. She was fully decked out, wonder why? And my father had bought a new designer dark blue and black suit to match my mother's dress, I'm guessing. 

I bet my mother had ordered it for him because just like me we need a lot of help with what to wear. As I walked into the study a little sweaty, my mother was sitting in front of a large round body mirror, which she was added her finishing touches to her makeup. "Hello, my beautiful mother and well-dressed father. How are you to today? Are we going out somewhere important today? Hence the well-dressed parental figures in front of me." 

I asked cluelessly with a smile and kissing my mother on the cheek, which my mother loves. "No, my love, we having an important guest coming to our home. And she will be here at 7 PM this evening. Now go on, get to your room, and take a shower my adorable son, you smell of sweat and get dressed into your best suit for the occasion okay, honey?" 

She replied, while her eyes never left her vanity mirror, as she was concentrating on her facial makeup. "Ok, mom. Please excuse me as I get ready myself." I said as I quickly rushed to my room to take a shower. This is the first time my mother has put so much effort into a guest's arrival, is he/she that important. 

I assumed he/she must be someone important from father's work for him to get dressed into his best suit. And 20 minutes later, I thoroughly cleansed myself and wore my best suit. The dark bluish black colored suit, and like my father, it was picked by my mother with my hair combed slick (of course mother bought these too). 

Walking into the study my father helped me straighten out my tie and my mother proceeded to do my hair... again, very stylish for the time I might add. And at exactly 7 PM on the dot, someone knocked at our front door, and it was answered by our head maid Laura. Mother quickly rushed to the door as it was opened and she welcome the guests, as the maid led them through the doorway into the waiting room. 

Meantime my father and I stood side by side a couple of feet behind my mother in a welcoming manner. As soon as I saw the guess enter, to my surprise it was an old lady that was welcomed into our home. She had a bright smile on her face as she saw my mother waiting for her at the entrance of the waiting room. "Angela, welcome to our home!" 

(To be Continued...)