A Bizarre Adventure (2)
Have you ever heard of the medical term PTSD? Most people probably have.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—in short, the agonizing psychological trauma that lingers after enduring a horrific ordeal. When the human body is wounded, it usually heals given enough time. The human mind, however, is far more fragile. A seemingly minor incident can leave someone with devastating psychological scars, and worse still, wounds of the soul have neither a guaranteed remedy nor a set recovery period. Sometimes they never even form a scar, remaining raw, open wounds forever.
"Ugh..."
I was no exception. I dragged both hands down my face, letting out a weary groan.
The ambush of the sabre-toothed tiger in the dead of night—it had resurfaced in my dreams. Even though it was only a nightmare, the sensation had been terrifyingly vivid. The ferocious glare of the beast's eyes, those dagger-like fangs... The moment its jaws clamped down onto my right shoulder, I jerked awake in sheer panic. The first thing I felt upon opening my eyes was a clammy dampness; cold sweat had drenched me like a downpour. I had immediately scanned my surroundings, and though the sight of Wonmo and Fast Tree Sloth sleeping peacefully brought some relief, drifting back to sleep proved impossible. Terror gnawed at me that another predator like that tiger might strike at any second, making a restless night inevitable.
"Haaah..."
Even with morning light filtering in, my head felt wrapped in thick fog. I rubbed my face again. While running an Internal Cultivation Art reduced the amount of sleep I required, it didn't mean I could go entirely without it. Failing to meet even the bare minimum threshold meant physical exhaustion was bound to catch up with me.
I suppose I could just circulate the cultivation art again, but...
Could meditating flush out mental exhaustion the way it did physical fatigue? I honestly had no idea. I stared blankly into space for a while before glancing around the cavern. Wonmo and Fast Tree Sloth were still lost in dreamland.
Must be nice living like that.
Fast Tree Sloth aside, I genuinely envied Wonmo. To be able to sleep without a single care in the world was a blessing. Still, moping around like this accomplished nothing, and once Wonmo grew up, he would be helping me with hunts anyway. Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, I quietly logged into the Gallery. Having woken up so early, I hadn't even checked the time yet.
It's only six in the morning?
I usually woke up around eight, meaning I was up two full hours earlier than usual. Thanks to that wretched nightmare ruining my sleep, I had time to kill. It seemed far better to spend that leftover time circulating my Internal Cultivation Art. That way, I might at least greet the day feeling somewhat refreshed.
Just like she taught me... slowly...
Closing my eyes, I initiated the technique, guiding the mana within my body along its familiar pathways. Under normal circumstances, this would have washed away my physical weariness, but an intrusive memory kept clawing its way to the surface.
[ROAAAR!]
That desperate struggle against the sabre-toothed tiger in the pitch-black night. A towering frame dwarfing my own line of sight, massive forepaws, and razor-sharp fangs—the vivid images kept flashing in my mind's eye, scattering my concentration completely. I couldn't focus at all. My chest heaved with violent thumps, and fresh beads of cold sweat trickled down my neck.
"..."
In the end, I had no choice but to open my eyes and abort the circulation.
How on earth was I supposed to fix this? I wrestled with the thought before letting out a helpless sigh.
My only choice is to ask Cheonma.
I needed guidance from either the Heavenly Demon or Sword Master. Glancing back at the Gallery interface, I saw the time had ticked past six-thirty.
Six-thirty... Would she even be awake yet?
Elderly folks were known for needing less sleep, but sending a direct message this early felt a bit rude. Then I caught myself and chuckled. It was just the Gallery forum, after all. It wasn't like a real-time phone call that would jolt someone awake; leaving a message would do no harm.
To my astonishment, a reply came through the instant I hit send.
Had she been browsing the Gallery all night? A sudden suspicion crossed my mind. Or perhaps the timing was simply coincidental, and she had just logged on after waking early. Shaking off my mild bewilderment, I broached the issue weighing on my chest.
I gave the Heavenly Demon a detailed breakdown of the situation: how a nightmare about the sabre-toothed tiger ambush had ruined my sleep, how the memory resurfaced every time I tried to circulate the cultivation art, and how, no matter how hard I tried to brush it aside, my nerves refused to settle. Laying it all bare brought an immediate sense of emotional relief. Of course, feeling lighter was one thing, and solving the problem was another. I waited quietly for her response.
I hadn't even mentioned those physical symptoms, yet she had pinpointed them immediately. A master truly was a master. My trust in the Heavenly Demon shot through the roof.
Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps through sheeeeer effort, huh? I let out a wry, hollow chuckle. I had anticipated an answer along those lines, but hearing even an expert resort to such advice felt somewhat deflating. Then again, it wasn't a matter of incompetence on her part; it simply proved how difficult healing psychological trauma truly was.
Rather than telling me to passively wait for healing, she had given me a concrete method to conquer it. Now that was genuine guidance. I conveyed my sincere gratitude and immediately put her instructions into practice.
Even if the ambush startled me, overwrite it with the memory of crushing that bastard.
The sabre-toothed tiger had indeed been terrifyingly formidable. Without Fast Tree Sloth's intervention, I would have died several times over. Yet, I had triumphed. Through countless hardships and razor-thin margins, I had brought down the Mountain Lord. Though we had collapsed together in the end, I was the one still standing, breathing, alive. That sabre-toothed beast had surrendered its hide and flesh to become exceptional provisions for my camp.
The wild was not a domain where the strong survived; the ones who survived were the strong.
Now, to recite the Mnemonic Oral Formula she taught me...
Whispering the rhythmic verses, I reigned in my body and spirit, conjuring a vivid mental image of myself standing proud and tall atop the sabre-toothed tiger's massive carcass.
Thump. Thump—thump—
The wild hammering in my chest gradually settled into a steady, calm cadence. The mana circulating through my channels found its harmony once more, until both flesh and mind dissolved into pristine stillness.
"..."
A short while later, my eyes slowly drifted open.
The stinging grittiness that had plagued my eyes after tossing and turning all night was completely gone. In fact, every trace of exhaustion across my entire body had vanished without a trace, replaced by the crisp, invigorating revitalization that came after a perfect night's rest. A radiant grin spread across my lips at the indescribable lightness spreading through my limbs.
As expected of the Heavenly Demon. She truly never disappoints.
A swell of deep respect bloomed in my chest. Eager to express my thanks, I promptly brought up the Gallery interface again.
Wait, what? Two hours have already passed?!
What had felt like a fleeting moment had consumed a full two hours of real time. Startled by the sensation of losing all track of time, I quickly opened my chat with the Heavenly Demon.
Naturally, sheer effort alone wouldn't be enough to reach her level. The Heavenly Demon stood leagues beyond my wildest comprehension, and matching her monstrous might remained little more than a distant daydream. Still, becoming stronger never hurt anyone. In an unforgiving wilderness teeming with lethal threats, power was the ultimate currency.
Feeling far more invigorated than before, I stepped outside the cave entrance. A crisp breeze, even cooler and more refreshing than yesterday's, brushed against my cheeks.
The weather is great today.
It was prime conditions for an expedition. I brought up the public board and drafted a quick post.
Having shot the breeze with the fixed nicks and fluid nicks, I turned my attention to breakfast. Today's meal consisted of the smoked meat I had prepared yesterday. It was on the salty side, but the flavor was superb.
"Here you go, Wonmo. Eat up."
"Kyuu!"
For Wonmo, I purchased a suitable cut of raw meat from the auction house. After feeding Fast Tree Sloth an Inedia Pill as well, only one task remained on my morning agenda: harvesting an Adult Mandrake Root.
Better make it quick.
After throwing together my basic gear, I set off. I decided against bringing Fast Tree Sloth along this time; since I wasn't heading out to hunt a Golden Poison Frog, his presence wasn't strictly necessary.
"Keep a close eye on the cave while I'm away, alright?"
"..."
Fast Tree Sloth gave a slow, deliberate nod as if fully comprehending my instructions. When it came to guarding the camp, he was someone I could trust implicitly.
Wonmo will probably just nap, right?
Casting a brief glance back at the cave entrance, I turned on my heel and ventured deeper into the wild.
Whether human or beast, tender infants demanded an immense amount of care. Child-rearing was an ordeal universally dreaded across all living species. So what was the single most critical rule when tending to an infant? Healthy sustenance? Fierce protection? Or unconditional love?
While all of those held truth, the single absolute rule reigned supreme: never take your eyes off the baby.
This was the alpha and omega of parenting, precisely because no one could ever predict what a baby might decide to do next. To learn about the world, infants were driven by pure, unbridled curiosity. And curiosity, inevitably, walked hand-in-hand with mortal danger. That instinctual curiosity, while an essential milestone in any creature's growth, was often an invitation to disaster.
"Kyuu."
A round bundle of downy fluff, Wonmo blinked his round, gleaming eyes wide open. By all rights, this was his designated naptime, yet his gaze was as bright and alert as could be. Those sparkling eyes were fixed squarely on the sunlit mouth of the cave.
Gazing out at the world beyond, bathed in light far more brilliant than the dim cavern interior, an insatiable curiosity stirred within him. Why was it so bright out there? What wonders lay hidden outside? What if he went out to see for himself? Dad wasn't here anyway.
Though his big brother Fast Tree Sloth remained, Wonmo didn't think the sloth would bother stopping him.
"Kyu."
With determined little wiggles, Wonmo began crawling toward the entrance, poised to breach the cave mouth at any second.
Fast Tree Sloth observed the entire spectacle in real time.
At first, his expression remained placid and unbothered, but soon an ominous chill crept up his spine. Where does that little brat think he's going? The meal ticket isn't even here. Fast Tree Sloth's movements were agonizingly sluggish, but his cognitive faculties were anything but. After all, his reflexes and thought processes were swift enough to snatch speeding arrows out of thin air.
Swish—
Just as Wonmo was about to waddle across the threshold, Fast Tree Sloth extended a leisurely arm. It was a clear sign commanding the cub to stay put. Wonmo stopped and stared blankly at Fast Tree Sloth.
However, Wonmo was a mere cub—and one overflowing with boundless juvenile curiosity at that.
"Kyuuuu."
"..."
Wonmo flawlessly ignored the warning gesture and waddled right past him. Watching the brazen defiance unfold, Fast Tree Sloth reacted at his own deliberate pace.
Snag!
A vicious, wickedly hooked claw caught firmly on the sports uniform adorning Wonmo's back. Naturally, Fast Tree Sloth ended up being hauled across the stone floor along with him. To prevent himself from getting scraped on the rough ground, the sloth squirmed and shifted his massive bulk.
"Kyu?"
"..."
Somehow or another, Fast Tree Sloth had managed to mount Wonmo's back like a rider. Wonmo glanced over his shoulder, tilting his head at the sudden passenger in mild confusion, before turning back and eagerly pumping his stubby legs.
In Grylls's brief absence, an utterly absurd, impossibly adorable sequence of events had unfolded.
"Kyuu!"
"..."
Thus, the bizarre adventure of Wonmo and Fast Tree Sloth began.