Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn! 111 Round One: Interlude

Over at the side, he could see Sai Kana lying on a stretcher. He still felt kind of resentful towards the boy for daring to target his weakness of fearing dirty things, but at the same time he knew that it was nothing too serious, actually...

Which was why he had refused Kizorik's urges to just kill the boy, or Velzash's suggestions to just eat him alive...

'Yuck... What do you think I am, a demon???'

Kizorik and Velzash fixed condescending gazes on Lars and gave him a flat answer: '...You're more demonic than either of us, you monster!!!'

'.....!!!!' Lars was miffed and offended, but didn't really know how to respond. He could only cough in embarrassment and blush slightly as he assured himself that he wasn't THAT bad, right...?

'Ahem... I... Don't think I'm THAT bad right...? After all, all I did was scam people of money, rob and trample on the weak... Kill a few people here and there... A few hundred people here and there... It's not like I'm some sort of criminal or something, right...? Right.....?'

The penguin and fairy could only fix a speechless stare on the boy as they marvelled at how incredibly thick his skin was and how shameless he could be...

So after thinking it over and letting his anger subside slightly, Lars regretted subjecting Sai Kana to a punishment that (to him) was worse than death itself!

He only hoped that the boy could recover from the trauma and septic poisoning of whatever animal's faeces he had used...

And his eyes slowly narrowed and blazed with killing intent as he swore that if he were ever to face something like swallowing a veritable river of sh*t water, he would rather shatter his soul and self-destruct!!! And bring down the whole world with him...!!!

Kizorik and Velzash began to shiver as they saw the megalomaniacal look in Lars' eyes... Someone they could sense that his thoughts had once more gone off the deep end with some insane idea that could result in the annihilation of entire races...

And so Lars was relieved when he saw Sai Kana cough a few times convulsively before he began to wake up, clutching his mouth and throat and wondering if what had just happened earlier were real or just a nightmare.

But when he saw the ceiling of the infirmary and the cheers of the crowds outside, he realised that it wasn't a dream - he had really been forced to drink a sh*itload of... Sh*t...

He choked and coughed, trying to clear his already empty stomach and ended up only regurgitating bile, stomach acids and saliva. After a few bouts of gagging, he finally calmed down and realised that there was nothing left inside him to puke out. But he was still not comforted as he could still remember the revolting sensation and taste of... No! He had to forget! Forget forget forget forget it all!

He was covered in cold sweat and panting on all fours when he felt someone approach, but could not find the strength to even look up to check who it was. Yet somehow he could tell it was the perpetrator of the act himself... Lars.

The footsteps drew nearer as the shadow moved around him to stop in front of him. This time, he tilted his neck slightly and raised his body to look up at the ever-handsome, ideal young man before him. He subconsciously touched his own smooth head and felt a pang of jealousy - why couldn't he be as beautiful and strong as this Lars fellow...?!? It was too unfair!

'If only I had more power... If only...!!! Then no one would be able to make fun of me for being a 16-year-old baldy ever again!!! Never again!!!' He scrunched his eyes up and pounded his fists on the dirt floor to give vent to his feeling of helpless.

And he couldn't even look up anymore. He looked away in shame, anger and self-resentment. He didn't know what to say when he looked into the crystal-clear blue eyes of the boy before him.

Eyes that looked like they knew not a single worry of this world... Eyes that were like those of a celestial deity overseeing the mortal world with pity...

Eyes of the powerful, the rich and the handsome that could look down on everyone as if though it were only natural for them to be high and mighty, always above!

Though he could have sworn there was a tint of crimson in those dreamy, gorgeous eyes...

But as Sai Kana was raging in his heart and began to feel warm beads of tears flow down his cheeks, he suddenly heard Lars speak to him again.

"Hey! Cheer up, buddy! It'll be alright! You're alright one of the top 16, you've done really well!" The blonde and heroic boy spoke light-heartedly, as if he had not a care in life... The voice of a privileged, golden-haired one who knew not the sufferings of the bald!

Upon hearing that, caped baldy could not help but explode with anger. He began to tremble where he kneeled and would have hopped to his feet to burst out in a scolding if his body were not so feeble right now.

"What do you know! How can it be alright?!? Do you even know what kind of hellish training I've gone through??? And no! It's not because of the training that I went bald! I was born bald, okay?? OKAY???! Just because I'm bald doesn't mean I'm any worse than you good-looking, perfectly normal people!!! Boo hoo!!!"

Lars looked on dumbfounded as he saw the stern looking but friendly Sai turn into a weeping mess right before him. Just a moment ago he saw flaring up in agitation and now he was crying?!? What was wrong with the guy...?

Lars could only clear his throat and decided to try to comfort and encourage him. An idea struck his mind. If what Sai Kana wanted was power, there was THAT way, right...?

"Ahem! Younger... Erm, I mean, big brother... There IS a way to get great strength, you know...? If... If you don't mind, I could, erm... Share it with you... In secret, that is..." Lars stumbled over his words as this was his first time trying to comfort someone else when it was he himself who had triggered the distress.

Sai Kana continued to sob, but slowly, his crying petered off. Lars watched awkwardly, not sure if the old-looking baldy had really heard him. But he got his response soon enough.

"...H-how... How might I g-gain great strength...? I've already been training like crazy..."

"Hmm... Well, maybe first off, could you tell me how you've been training? I see that you're already at the mid-Adept level at 16 years of age, that's not bad, right?"

Sai Kana nodded reluctantly and cheered up a little. It WAS true, he was actually pretty talented. It was just that... He sighed. It was too difficult for him, just too difficult.

"Yes... How I train is... I do 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats... And I run 10 kilometres a day..."

"Everyday...?"

"...K-kind of...? Y'know, except for days like--"

"That's the problem! You're skipping out! Don't you know? A sluggard shall not inherit the earth! A lazy man shall someday wake up to the end of the world! Only one who learns from the ant will be able to lay up great wealth for his future...! And..."

'...Kiddo, you DO know that you're the LAST person who should be lecturing others on being hardworking and diligent, right...? The last time I've EVER seen you training was... NEVER!!'

Lars completely ignored Kizorik's sharp jibe and continued his exhortation to a wide-eyed, astonished Sai Kana who looked like he had just received a lecture from Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha and Obama at the same time!

HIs pupils were literally glittering with stardust and a new round of tears had welled up within his eyes! It was a moment of nirvanic epiphany, one that would most assuredly set him up on the path to infinity and beyond!

"...Yup, that's about it. Remember! Every single day!!!"

"Yes, master!!! I shall do so until the day I die!!! Or die training!!!"

Lars coughed in embarrassment and was inwardly shocked and astonished at just what level of rubbish he had spouted in the spur of the moment. But as there was no one around to hear or see the crap that came from his mouth, he acted like everything was perfectly normal and gave some last encouragement to Sai Kana, along with a pat on the shoulder.

"Young... I mean, senior, errrrrr, disciple...? Persevere on this path and you will attain enlightenment...! But never neglect your discipline and diligence, for they shall bear great fruit in the days to come!"

"Yes! I shall engrave your words on my heart for all eternity! Master!!" A teary-eyed Sai Kana prostrated himself before Lars, knocking his shiny head on the hard ground repeatedly as he paid his respects to the boy.

As they said, a teacher for a day is a father for life!

...And as Lars returned to his seat in the waiting area (to the incredulous and ridiculing stares of the other competitors), he had no idea just how great of an impact his one moment of "brilliance" would leave on the story of a certain caped baldy's journey to becoming a hero!

Chapter end