My Watch System

The next morning, Kitsune and Mike were preparing to continue his training. Kitsune was deep in thought, trying to come up with a way to help the boy. Finally, she spoke.

"Well, today I have a new challenge for you, Mike."

Mike, still tired, yawned and lazily replied, "Let's go."

Kitsune, noticing his lack of enthusiasm, became irritated. She stepped forward, glaring at him with intensity.

"If you don't take this seriously, you'll end up dead, Mike."

The boy nodded quickly, apologizing, finally understanding the weight of her words. Kitsune then crossed her arms and declared firmly, "We're going to duel until you defeat me."

Mike froze in shock. He stared at her, unsure if he had heard correctly, and nervously asked, "Did you really say that?"

She nodded without a hint of hesitation. "Yes, that's right. And it starts NOW."

Kitsune grabbed Mike and teleported them both to a large combat field—a beautiful open area with no trees, a vast river behind them, perfect for battle. As soon as they arrived, Kitsune immediately prepared for combat, summoning a lance and a shield, charging at the boy.

Mike, startled, quickly formed a one-handed shield to defend against her attack while forming a small water dagger to counterattack. But before he could react, Kitsune tripped him with a swift leg sweep, knocking him to the ground and securing her victory.

Looking disappointed, she stood over him and said, "Again."

Mike groaned, exhausted from the constant barrage of attacks, but Kitsune's voice cut through the silence, saying only "Again." The whole day passed like this, with only the sound of Kitsune's relentless "Again" echoing in the air. After hours of being beaten, Mike finally stopped and sighed, almost ready to give up.

"This is impossible," Mike muttered, his body sore and worn out.

Kitsune walked up to him and extended a hand to help him up. "You have to succeed. You will. It's all a matter of training."

Still feeling pessimistic, Mike got back into position, and the two of them trained through the night.

As they trained, Mike began to notice something strange. He stopped mid-combat and turned to Kitsune. "Kit, why don't I get tired?"

Kitsune smiled faintly. "So, you finally noticed?"

The area where they were training was sacred, a place where no living being could feel fatigue or hunger. Mike, now confused and a bit frustrated, asked, "Why didn't we train here from the start?"

Kitsune's expression grew serious. "I needed to see how far you'd go, Mike. How badly you wanted to grow stronger. Now, no more questions. Get into position."

They spent thirty days and nights in that sacred place, continuing their intense training. Then, on the final day, they engaged in one more battle.

Kitsune raised her water barrier. Mike watched it with familiarity, having seen it more times than he could count. But as he studied it, he noticed a small flaw, a gap where he could break through.

"Noticed the weakness, huh? You're smarter than I thought," Kitsune said.

Mike quickly formed a water bow and shot an arrow directly into the flaw in the barrier.

Thud!

The barrier shattered. Kitsune, stunned, stood frozen for a moment as Mike surged forward with his dagger. But before he could strike, a repulsion force sent him flying backward, away from her.

Kitsune, her eyes wide with fear, thought to herself, If it weren't for this, I would have definitely been dead. How did he break my barrier? He's ready.

Mike, concerned, called out, "Are you okay?"

Kitsune, shaking off the momentary panic, replied with a slight smirk, "Of course, you fool. But you're impressive. If it weren't for my water repulsion, I'd probably be dead right now."

Mike, happy with the progress, approached her and asked, "What's the next step?"

Kitsune nodded. "Tonight, you'll head back into the forest. We're going to test your new abilities." She grabbed his hand and teleported them back to the forest, where it was already starting to get dark. After a few hours, Mike set off on his nighttime journey.

Alone in the forest, Mike now moved with a calm, focused demeanor. He felt more prepared, his senses sharper. He kept his eyes open, alert for any dangers. Hearing rustling in the bushes, he immediately summoned his water dagger and shield, sneaking up carefully.

Slash!

He sliced through a magical snake in the bushes. Mike then defeated several weak creatures with ease until he came across a cave. Curious, he decided to explore it. Inside, he found a mysterious chest containing a magical item. As he cautiously approached the chest, two fire skeletons suddenly sprang to life and attacked him.

With practiced skill, Mike used his shield to block their blows, counterattacking with his water dagger. One swift strike later, both skeletons were defeated. He opened the chest and found a pair of enchanted glasses that allowed him to see in the dark—a perfect tool for his nighttime adventures.

Leaving the cave with his new glasses, Mike stumbled upon something completely unexpected. He saw another human, fully armored, searching the forest with a torch. Mike instinctively thought to approach him but then remembered Kitsune's advice: "Don't trust anyone, especially strangers." So, Mike decided to hide, watching the figure from the shadows.

But then…

Whoosh!

A piece of wood flew toward him, and he barely managed to block it with his water shield. When he turned, he saw the stranger floating in the air, glaring at him. The man had control over wind.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" Mike demanded.

The stranger sneered. "It doesn't matter. You're a dead man."

With that, the stranger shot toward Mike with incredible speed. Feeling cornered, Mike quickly raised a massive water barrier, just as they'd practiced. The stranger paused and, looking at Mike with an unsettling grin, said, "Hmm, seems you're not weak after all. All the more reason to kill you. I need to pass this test. That treasure is mine."

The sound of wind began to swirl, and Mike, panicked, braced himself.

"Tornado!"

A powerful tornado formed, tearing through the forest, knocking over trees, and shattering Mike's barrier. He was thrown far away, crashing to the ground. Struggling to get back on his feet, Mike finally managed to face the stranger once more, who now held a nearly invisible wind sword.

"Goodbye, boy," the stranger said, charging toward him with lethal intent.

But Mike wasn't the inexperienced boy he used to be. He quickly summoned a new shield to block the attack. Remembering his first fight, when Kitsune had tripped him, Mike saw his opening. Thinking quickly, he executed a leg sweep, knocking the stranger off balance.

With no hesitation, Mike rushed forward and attacked with his water dagger. The stranger, desperate, tried to use the wind to dodge, but Mike was faster, cutting through one of his arms.

"Inconceivable!" the stranger cried, looking shocked. "I am the strongest, the honored one. How dare you wound me?"

Mike didn't respond. He simply attacked again, more fiercely this time.

The stranger, seeing death before him, summoned one final wind attack. "Tornado!"

In his last efforts, the stranger hurled himself at Mike, but his strength was fading. Mike was thrown into a nearby creek, but he quickly rose, determined to continue the fight.

However, when he looked around, the stranger was gone.

"Damn it, he got away. He was too strong. This trick won't work again," Mike thought, his body aching from the fight. "I need to get back to camp."

As dawn broke, Mike returned to the camp, exhausted but victorious. He found Kitsune waiting for him, immediately rushing to his side.

"What happened? Did you find another human?"

Mike, barely able to stay conscious, mumbled, "How do you always know what's happening..." And then, he passed out.

Hours later, Mike woke up in his hammock, bandaged and with water at his side. He sat up and went to find Kitsune. He told her about the fight.

She smiled at him. "Your progress is truly remarkable, Mike. I'm impressed."

But Mike had a question. "How do you always know what's going on? And why ask if you already know?"

Kitsune gave a soft chuckle. "I just know, dear. Now, enough with the questions. What are these glasses you found?"

Mike, still a bit skeptical, explained that the glasses allowed him to see in the dark, which had been incredibly useful during his battle with the stranger. Kitsune nodded and let him rest a bit longer.

Later that day, she invited him to train.

When they arrived at the training area, Kitsune announced, "It's time for you to learn how to use that watch. It may not be ideal, but it's useless if you don't use the ability."

Mike was excited. "Then let's go!"

Kitsune walked over, took Mike's hand, and explained, "This watch, as I've told you, requires you to defeat enemies to unlock new abilities or make contracts, right? Do you remember the ability you gained when you defeated the Mimic?"

Mike thought for a moment and then remembered, "Mana boost, right?"

Kitsune nodded. "Exactly. Now, focus and connect with nature. Try to see the mana in everything."

Mike closed his eyes, concentrating hard, but after several attempts, he sighed in frustration. "Damn it, this is impossible!"

"Of course it is," Kitsune "You're way too impatient, boy. To reach this state, you need to be calm. Think of yourself as one with nature," Kitsune instructed.

Mike closed his eyes again, trying to calm himself, but after several attempts, he still couldn't make the connection. Kitsune observed his frustration, and with a sigh, she spoke.

"Well, it seems you'll have to learn from the master of calmness, the monk. He'll be able to help you better. Pack your things, we're leaving immediately."