It's been two days since our main character entered The Northern Territories…
Huh? I think I see a small hut in front of me.
Let's go check it out.
As Aerin got closer and closer, he saw more and more huts until there were around 300 huts total. Aerin had stumbled across Northpass, a small town with a population of 335 people total…
Wow, I wander if this town has a little market where I can get a jacket.
Then Aerin noticed a man standing in the snow, and something about him felt wrong. He wore no shirt, no shoes, no coat—only a thin layer of underwear, as if the cold simply didn't exist to him…
Huh, how is that man able to endure not only the snow but the extreme cold here?
Let me go and him.
When Aerin approached the man…
"What do you want kid?" The strange man said.
I'm just curious on how you are able to endure this extreme cold. So, how can you endure this cold?
"Hmm, you do seem to to be powerfull boy. However I won't know if you will be able to endure my training untill you last a day in the cold and snow. Are you willing to try?" The strange man said.
Yes.
"Alright then boy. Take a seat next to me close your eyes and focus on maintaining
control over your body." The man told Aerin.
Then Aerin sat by the old man and concentrated…
Minutes became hours, day became night, and before Aerin knew it, 24 hours had passed…
"Well done kid, my name is Micha. You passed and I will train you for 5 days so you can achieve what I have. It's going to be a difficult 5 days, are you up for it?" Micha asked.
Yes.
"Ok then, give me 100,000 push ups," Micha said as he got up from where he was sitting.
What!
"Do you want my training or not," Micha yelled.
Okay, okay…100,000 push ups it is.
As Aerin put his hands on the ice cold snowy ground, he immediately felt discomfort…
Shit, this stings.
Well here goes nothing.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Several hours later…
1,150, 1,151, 1,152, 1,153.
The next day…
99,552.
Then Aerin began to feel his body give up. It was as if his body weight had increased ten times, but it didn't, his body was gradually growing weaker do to the extreme strain of cold and push ups for so long…
Come on body, you've been through more than this!
As Aerin continued his push ups, he used every ounce of strength he had until…
Plop!
Finally, 100,000 push ups.
"Well done kid!" Micha said with a smile on his face.
"Now it's time for 500,000 sit ups," Micha said with a tinge of excitement on his face.
This is going to be hell but I asked for this.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
The next day…
300,000, 300,301, 300,302, 300,303…Ouch a cramp!
Damit! Stupid cramps, that's the fifth one!
I need some warm but all I have is this damn snow.
Then Arein tilted his head back t catch the snow falling from the sky…
Not much but it's better than none.
Anyway, where was I…oh ya. 300,304, 300,305, 300,306.
Several hours passed…
499,998, 499,999, 500,500! Done!
"Now for 150,000 burpee's," Micha said giving Aerin a glass of water.
Pfffft! What!
"You said you wanted my training and this is it," Micha said as he walked back towards his sitting spot.
If I knew it was going to be so difficult I wouldn't have agreed to it.
Two days passed and finally…
149,998, 149,999, 150,000.
All done!
"Awesome kid! You've officially mastered my training," Micha said in congratulation.
Now will you teach me how you endure the cold for so long?
"What do you mean kid? I've already taught you everything I know," Micha replied.
What? But you can stay out in the cold with no clothes for days. What do you mean you have nothing else to teach me?
"The reason I can stay out in the cold for days is because I've achieved mastery over not just my body but my mind as well. That's what you have achieved by going through my training. Remember the first few days when you had to pull every ounce of strength you had left to just complete the pushups. Then be sit ups there you had to endure cramps with only water from the snow. And the last few days when you had to do burpees so you pulled every single atomic piece of energy to complete the last burpee without passing out. All of that gave you mastery over your body and mind by forcing you to go to your absolute limit to complete each task," Micha explained.
But how does that help me in the cold?
"It helps you by giving you the strength to endure the discomfort of the cold, but not just the cold. The extreme heat, pain, discomfort, and cold you will have in life you can now endure for days if not longer," Micha replied.
Hmm?
As Aerin began to leave pondering what he had just learned, as he was just about to step outside of the village a familiar face appeared…
But what does this familiar face want, find out next time…
To be continued…