The Age of Horrors

The old man explained to Basil, who was sitting cross-legged. "That's right, and when the origin points open, the person only needs a push to activate their magical energy. It must come from someone with decent control over magic, or else the process could destroy the recipient's body."

Basil, speaking in a low, strained voice, replied while panting, "Pant, pant... Hooh, so that's how it is, and... what... is... this... push, teacher?" Pant, pant The sweat was soaking Basil's body.

The old man responded, "Now, focus on your current training. It seems you still have a long way to go before reaching that stage, hohoho."

The old man was, in fact, sitting on Basil's back, who was suspended in the air over a deep valley. Basil had two horizontal wooden supports—one near his hands and another near his feet. If he lost balance even slightly, he'd become food for the terrifying creatures below.

After some time, the old man said, "Alright, that's enough for today, boy."

Basil asked his teacher, "Teacher, it's been ten days now, and you still haven't started teaching me practical magic. How long will I have to keep doing these grueling exercises without learning magic?"

The old man replied, "Until you're ready."

"And when will I be ready, teacher?" Basil asked the same question every day and always received the same answer.

"When I say you're ready. Now, enough questions. Go home and come back early tomorrow."

The teacher sent Basil home, and once the boy's shadow disappeared, the old man leaped into the valley, saying, "Now, let's get today's dinner."

(At Basil's home)

Basil's mother, Latifa, was cooking dinner while Basil lay on his bed, deep in thought.

(Why doesn't the teacher start teaching practical magic? Every day, all I do is chop wood while carrying weights in my hands, run for hours with weights on my legs, and do push-ups. Then, in the end, he makes me lie over that terrifying valley while sitting on me, talking about magic. Every day has become hell because of this. Well, I did promise him I'd do whatever he asked. Yes, and my teacher is a great person. Surely there must be a deep reason behind all of this.)

While Basil was thinking, he heard his mother calling him for dinner.

"Where have you been all day for the past ten days? And why do you always come back so exhausted? What's been going on with you lately? Don't tell me you're going to the forbidden areas?" His mother asked, a mix of annoyance and concern in her eyes.

"Ah, I..." When Basil was about to explain to his mother, he remembered his promise to the teacher and said, "No, I... I've made a friend, and we’ve been training together all day. It seems he wants to become a magician too."

His mother was surprised, knowing that her son, who disliked friendships and cared only for books, now had a friend.

Seeing her expression, Basil, slightly irritated, said, "What? Even I can make at least one friend." He then finished his plate and went to sleep.

The next morning at dawn, Basil woke up to find his mother already awake. After eating the breakfast she had prepared, he said goodbye and headed to the forest.

Basil met his teacher and began chopping wood. After a while, he removed the weights from his hands and put on the leg weights, then started running the obstacle-filled path his teacher had set for him. Once finished, he did push-ups. Afterward, he threw the wooden supports over the valley and assumed his previous position. The teacher once again sat on him, giving him lessons about magic.

This routine continued for another month.

"Alright, it seems the time has come."

Upon hearing this from his teacher, Basil's bored expression transformed into one of excitement, and he said, "Oh, finally, I’ll start learning magic!"

The teacher looked at him and sighed, "Sorry to disappoint you, but you're still not ready. What I meant by 'time' is that it’s time to move on to the second phase."

Upon hearing this, Basil's excited expression reverted to one of boredom, and he said, "Alright, teacher, but..."

The old man noticed Basil’s expression and sighed again, thinking to himself, "It seems he needs motivation. Alright."

"Young Basil, don't worry. Everything you’re doing has a valid reason and a clear goal. The rewards for your efforts will be great." Though the old man tried to console him, Basil's expression didn’t change, so he added, "If you can keep up with the training I'll give you and complete it, I’ll begin teaching you magic."

Hearing this, Basil's excited face returned, "Oh, how long will this training last?"

The teacher answered, "One year."

"Huh? A whole year? Are you saying I have to endure this suffering without learning magic for an entire year?" Basil was shocked by the duration. The past few weeks had been mentally and physically torturous, and now his teacher was saying it would continue for another year. Moreover, the phrase "if you can keep up with this training" suggested that his suffering would only increase.

"Don't be so surprised. If you continued with regular training, it would take you at least two years. But since you're so eager, I’ve decided to speed things up and intensify your training. If you're not interested, forget about me teaching you magic. One of our conditions was that you'd agree to all my commands."

Basil thought deeply about the matter.

(Hmm, I’ve finally met a magician to teach me. I can't throw away this opportunity. If I want to enter the magic academy in the Empire's capital, I need to have already reached the first level. That way, I can get a scholarship. I have about three years left until I reach the minimum age for admission. I live in a village in the Empire's southern region, far from any cities, so meeting another magician in this time frame is nearly impossible.)

After thinking for a few minutes, Basil finally decided and said to his teacher, "Sorry for the delay, teacher. Let’s start this training you mentioned."

The teacher immediately responded, as if he had already anticipated the answer, "It seems you’ve made your decision. Alright, follow me."

The two ventured deep into the forest, approaching a place that brought back strong memories for Basil. When they arrived, the old man stepped inside an invisible barrier, but Basil, his face filled with fear, said, "Teacher, isn’t this the forbidden area of the giant blue apes? Why are we here?"

The old man answered, "‘Why,’ you ask? Isn’t it obvious? For training, of course."

Basil asked again, "Huh? Why would we enter the forbidden area just for training?"

The old man gave a slight smile and said, "You'll find out when we reach our destination."

(Inside the forbidden area)

The two walked, with Basil behind his teacher, nervously glancing around and checking if any monsters were coming. Just three minutes after entering, they encountered a beast, which immediately roared fiercely and charged at them.

It was a giant blue ape, but not just any ape. As its name implied, it was massive, standing about three meters tall, with a huge body and enormous fangs that could tear someone apart in a single bite.

Seeing this, Basil exclaimed in terror, "Teacher, what do we do? It's coming straight at us!"

His teacher replied calmly, "Ah, don't worry. Remember, I saved you from one of these before."

Basil recalled how his teacher had killed that ape and saved him, which eased his mind a little, though he remained on guard.

The giant blue ape was rushing towards them, but suddenly it stopped mid-air, unable to move a finger.

Basil was stunned. That massive ape couldn't do anything, but what amazed him more were the winds surrounding it. This was the first time Basil had seen magic—the very magic he had only read about in books. Overwhelmed with joy, Basil asked his teacher many times to use magic, but he always received a refusal, with his teacher urging him to focus on training.

While Basil was in awe, the winds carried the ape, restraining its movements, and brought it towards them. When the ape reached them, the old man lowered it to the ground without breaking the wind restraints on its hands and feet.

The old man approached the ape, placing his hand on its head, and said, "Now, you should understand me. I have only one thing to ask of you. If you do it, I’ll spare your life. If you don’t, I’ll kill you and find another. Agreed or not?"

"Ki ki... Chuckle" (The sound of the ape)

"Alright, we understand each other. If you try to escape, you know what will happen, so don't do anything foolish."

"Ki ki"

The old man then turned to Basil and said, "Well, it seems we’ve found you a suitable training partner."