Cold Shower

After completing the rigorous combat exercise, Kai was returning to his room, utterly exhausted and worn out. His body was drenched in sweat, and he could hardly catch his breath as he walked.

His skin glistened with sweat from the light of the hallway and a tired breath escaped from his mouth:

"Damn that combat instructor!" he grumbled, still frustrated with the intense training. "Always staring at everyone like a hawk and spewing fire like a damn dragon!"

"Haha, you got that right," Set replied, finding amusement in Kai's description of the instructor. "But you did great out there! I saw you take down that target during the mock battle. Impressive moves!"

Set, the new acquaintance he had made that day, was walking beside him, smirking at Kai's complaint. Set had a lean and agile build, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that contrasted with Kai's fatigue.

Kai managed a tired smile but then shook his head. "Thanks, Set, but you don't have to compliment me as what I did was too rudimentary compared to your performance.

Kai had been struggling in the combat lessons since he wasn't accustomed to fighting techniques in this world. Unlike others who seemed trained from an early age, he found himself gasping for breath while Set appeared calm and collected.

He was also abysmally last in all of his combat lessons as he did not train to be combat effective from the get-go, as was the norm in this world, it did not mean that the people here were all combat masters rather they knew how to use their body to fight instead of flailing their hands like a moron.

Which was precisely what Kai was doing in the combat lessons.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Set encouraged him sincerely. "You won some battles, and that's what matters. Winning isn't always about brute force."

"That was only because I managed to fool the other person, but that's not gonna work on everyone," Kai said, defeated by the reality that he was not as prepared as everyone in this world, His chances of surviving the ordeal that was coming next were becoming painfully low.

He was not some webtoon or webnovel transmigrated character who instantly got acclimated to his new surroundings and discovered that he was some hidden prodigy who was just born into the wrong world.

And most of all his body was not adapted or ready for the combat lessons he was receiving.

Sure, he had a fortuitous encounter but he did not know how 'fortuitous' was that encounter. In fact, many other people also encountered great fortune in their life but he did not see a considerable number of them as only a few survived the harrowing nightmares that was everpresent in his new reality.

So the only thing Kai could do was hope that he could survive, but even that hope was faint, so he did his best to prepare himself for the grueling ordeal that awaited him.

As they approached his room, Kai bid farewell to Set and entered.

His first priority was to quench his thirst, and he poured himself a glass of water from an earthen clay pot. Sure he did have cold refrigerated water but it did not sate his thirst rather amplified it and only helped in filling his stomach with water.

While the cool, refreshing water from the earthen clay pot did wonders to soothe his parched throat, a habit he brought from his previous life.

"Hah, finally!" Kai let out a satisfied sigh.

After taking a moment to refresh himself with water, Kai slumped down on a chair in his room. He could feel the exhaustion settling into his bones, yet his mind was still racing with thoughts of his survival.

"I will think about this later"

His eyes wandered around the small room, noticing the few belongings he had brought with him to this unfamiliar world. His clothes, shoes, and his wallet.

Remembering something, he stood up from his chair and moved towards the table where his wallet was kept.

He opened a few drawers and finally found it. Kai looked at it for 2 seconds and then opened it to see a faded photograph of his family from his previous life.

It reminded him of the stark contrast between the worlds he now inhabited.

"I miss you all," he murmured, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Kai wished he could share his current struggles with his loved ones, but that was no longer possible. He was alone in this new reality, facing uncertainties that weighed heavily on his mind.

With a heavy sigh, Kai pushed those thoughts aside and decided to focus on the present.

"Right, I have to take a shower"

With that he moved towards the bathroom and removed his clothes one by one until only... nothing was left. He was naked.

Kai slowly opened the door to the bathroom and moved towards the shower and stood under it stark naked.

He pressed the power button on, and slowly moved the digital knob to make the water cold. He fiddled with it for a moment until he found the right setting.

The water hit him like a thousand tiny needles, jolting his senses awake. At first, the shock of the cold made him want to jump right back out, but he took a deep breath and calmed his tense nerves. With each passing second, he felt the discomfort subsiding, and an odd sense of calm began to wash over him... literally.

Kai closed his eyes and allowed himself to be fully present in the moment, embracing the coldness as a form of meditation. The water seemed to cleanse not just his body but also his mind. As his racing thoughts gradually slowed, he felt a newfound serenity emerging from the depths of his consciousness.

The cold water acted as a potent catalyst for introspection. It was as if the chill was drawing out all the worries and anxieties, leaving him with a blank slate upon which he could now inscribe a more composed outlook on life. The noise of the outside world faded away, replaced by a gentle rhythm of serenity enveloping him.

As he let his mind wander, he reflected on the events of the day—the intense combat exercise, his struggles to keep up with the others, and the stark realization that he was ill-prepared for the challenges that lay ahead in this new world.

Kai acknowledged that he couldn't change the past or the circumstances that brought him here, but he could control how he faced the future.

"This is my reality now," Kai whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water. "I can't keep comparing myself to others who've had different experiences and training. I have to work with what I have and find my own path to survive."

"I'll focus on improving myself first," Kai determined, a newfound determination rising within him. "It doesn't matter if I'm not the strongest or most skilled. I'll find my way, my strengths, and use them to my advantage."

After what seemed like an eternity, Kai finally turned off the shower. He stepped out, shivering slightly, but with a newfound sense of purpose. He reached for a clean towel and dried himself off, the cold air prickling against his damp skin.

Feeling refreshed both physically and mentally, Kai got dressed and sat back down on the chair in his room. He retrieved the faded photograph of his family and looked at it once more. This time, he smiled, cherishing the memories of the life he had left behind.

"I won't forget where I come from," Kai said softly, addressing the photograph as if his family could hear him. "But I have to focus on the here and now, on surviving in this new world. I'll make you all proud."