Chapter 4: Forest of the Vanished

A week has passed since Mr. William visited the bar and ever since then, life has never been the same.

"Cosmo! when did i say you can stop running? You still have 10 laps to complete, get to it trainee."

Soaked in the puddle of my own sweat and fatigued by constant running, I plopped down in the middle of the army training grounds while i ponder what i experienced this week. I hurriedly stand up and follow Mr. William's command, though I'm told im supposed to be calling him Commander William here.

Where am I exactly? Well, I'm currently at the empire's training base and where is it located is a mystery to me. Even though i have been training here for about a week now, i still have no idea where this place is. Reason being is that when someone told me where i was going, i didn't get to ask where till i teleported here.

At first i thought Mr. William was going to teach me how to wield a sword or a spear, and even teach me how to ride a horse, i was mistaken. Because instead of all those fun things which i was very expectant of, i was told to just run laps until A. I pass out or B. I die.

I never quite understood that last part since i was only supposed to be running but didn't take me long to know why. For some odd reason, they ordered me to run while i was being chased by a flying tiger, yes a tiger that is very much enough to kill me but also a flying one to make it worse, i don't know where they got she came from but for the love of god i almost died a few times.

ROAR!!!*

And that's my cue to run. What i learned when i was being chased by a beast that could kill me in one swipe, is that no matter how much i begged and pleaded with her to rest for a few minutes, she ignored my pleas and continued to chase me as if i was a fun toy.

No I'm not referring to Mr. William, definitely not, I tried that when i was at the bar with Mr. Samuel and Mr. Frank when they were discussing what they were about to do to me and failed. For good measure i also tried it before i got teleported but still he ignored my cries.

Who i am referring to is the tiger, because i found out while i was being chased is that she can also talk, yes the tiger who also knows how to fly also also knows how to talk. Now i had my fair share of talking animals and beasts but this, this is widely different, as she can also cast spells to the level that she almost burned me to a crisp.

She almost burned my very existence a few times and, wow, it was not fun.

She never did introduce herself while she was making training me, hunted is the more apt term in my opinion but whatever. It doesn't matter what its called really, because either way they won't go easy on me.

"Cosmo, stop daydreaming and start running as if your life depended on it, well it kind of does but you get the point"

A {Hellsphere} slightly grazed me but it was enough to burn the shirt i was wearing, and so like a good trainee that doesn't want to die, i kept running and running until i eventually passed out. What happened after that is simple: Ms. Tiger healed me and waited for me to wake up and continue training. Unbeknownst to her, i am very much awake as i awoke the moment she healed me, but Ms. tiger doesn't need to know that.

While i pretend to pass out in of Mr. tiger, i thought about what the next thing i have to do in my schedule. Though i would love to edit it at my own discretion, im not the one who made it and I'm simply following it to the letter. What's in it exactly? Well its simple but not easy.

After that night of discussion led by Mr. Samuel, he explained his offer to Mr. William and that is to train me to become a part-time soldier to the empire while also keeping watch of my movements, though in my opinion its unnecessary since i dont even know how to leave this place. Nonetheless, they continued.

I don't know how Mr. Samuel convinced Mr. William of training me since while they were talking; he was pretty adamant about bringing me in and interrogating me. I didn't hear much about what Mr. Samuel said but I only heard a few tidbits, like fighting off the [Enemy Empire] and something that had to do with the eastern continent, i wish i could've heard more but Mr. frank encouraged me to drink with him while Mr. Samuel and Mr. William was talking about boring things he said.

After a round of drinking and some provocations to the soldiers, they finally stopped their discussion and informed me of what's to come.

"From what i have been told, your name is Cosmo le Strange and is from the eastern continent, though which specific country it is i do not know, but over time i will eventually find out."

"Uh yes sir."

"Good, so i will leave you to it, i still have a lot of things to do, but before i leave, i will say this, don't do anything stupid, Cosmo le Strange."

I wearily smiled as i responded.

"Il try my best."

Mr. William turned and left the bar along with the soldiers, leaving me with a smirking Mr. Samuel and a drunk Mr. Frank, and also Amy.

"What happens next is simple Cosmo, there's going to be 3 people training you and why we're doing, it is due to various reasons that you don't need to know."

A feeling of helplessness but also determination washed over me as i listened to Mr. Samuel. My situation may not be ideal but ill make it work somehow. Being afraid might be bad but being lost and afraid is even worse. Now at least i have a direction i can walk towards.

"Me, Frank was supposed to be the only one training you but in a sudden turn of events William showed up just as we were about to talk, anyway what's done is done."

Though Mr. Samuel said it with a hint of distressed tone, he's still smiling away for some reason and i don't like it.

"So now your day is going to go like this: In the morning you will be with William being trained in the art of having no fun, meaning being trained like a soldier, why is that so i don't think i need to repeat myself."

"Because i don't need to know…"

"Exactly."

"The specifics on how our going to be trained i have no idea, what's up to William, and frankly i don't care, as long as your alive by the time your passed to me, he can throw you into demons pit for all i care."

Growing despondent of the situation, i try to think of the bright side: at least I'm not on the [Demon Realm], yes let's go with that.

"In the afternoon you'll be training with yours truly, as i said i will be training you in the art of actually having fun, Assassination, now my methods of teaching will be pretty hard but nothing that you can't handle, I'm kind of sure that by the end of every training session, you will still be alive and intact, aint that fun."

Cool! Assassination! even if i do love magic, i always wanted to try learning the skills of an assassin, running without making a sound, entering the shadows of people and even running across roofs. Maybe this will be fun as Mr. Samuel said..

But i still refuse to kill people without a good reason, though Mr. Samuel doesn't need to know that.

"And lastly in the evening, you will be with Frank."

"Huh? So does that mean ill also learn from mr frank?, what am i gonna learn from him anyway?."

"Yer gona be learnin how to not be a walkin target kid."

I turned to look at Mr. frank and saw that he was drunk with a face flushed red and was tispy as he walked to me, but there was still a hint of clarity in his eyes.

He slammed his glass into the table me and Mr. Samuel was on and it for some reason didn't break from the pressure, bewildered i look at Mr Frank and waited for him to continue.

"Yup at nighttime, you're going to work for me running this joint, and what you learn well, i do believe that holding your liquor can be considered a skill."

Honestly, it could've been worse, i don't think running bar could be that hard. Maybe there is hope for me.

"Trainee Cosmo, i know you're awake."

All of a sudden, i remembered I'm still in the training ground and a certain flying tiger was staring at me while i was reminiscing, that's not good. I stand up for fear of running extra laps, and noticed that Ms. flying tiger was still staring at me in silence, but for some reason theres a {Hellsphere} forming in the air. So she can also cast spells without chanting, who knew.

"It seems that you see me as a buffoon trainee Cosmo, your act of pretending to faint does not work on me, and so as punishment you are to run an extra 20 Laps before lunch or else you will not eat."

"Run along now trainee Cosmo, i don't want to burn you to ashes on our first week."

Though Ms. Flying tiger said that, i get the feeling that it's the complete opposite as she is grinning at the side of her face. Ignoring it i run as fast as possible so i don't become ashes and more importantly, I'm really hungry right now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Finishing my last lap, i crashed into the ground with a body full of sweat and as i was breathing heavily trying to inject more oxygen into my system. Laying in a puddle of my own sweat and the pain to go with it, i feel good even though i went through that much suffering, strange indeed.

"Trainee Cosmo, you're dismissed. See you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ms. Flying Tiger."

Ms. Flying Tiger nodded and my surroundings changed and i was at the front door of the bar. Realizing this i stand up and opened the door and saw that it was the same as usual, no people except Mr. Frank wiping tables with a cloth and Amy cleaning the counter.

There was also Mr Samuel sitting by the counter, drinking a beer and eating some noodles. It was only now i realize that this place serves noodles and i am indeed elated about it, I haven't eaten noodles since i was at home.

"Hello Everyone!."

"Hey kid, welcome back. Eat first before getting tortured by Samuel. Amy already made some food for you."

"Thanks Mr. frank and thanks Amy."

"Uhuh just eat Cosmo."

I smile despite Amy being, you know, Amy and sat beside Mr. Samuel to eat, and the food Amy cooked turned out to be noodles too. Lucky me.

"Eat fast kid, I canceled training today because we're going somewhere."

Surprised, i turn to look at Mr Samuel and ask why and where are we going to.

"Why? Well you don't need to know for now, and all you need to know is that we're going somewhere special, you and me, its gonna be fun, trust me."

"Uh okay then."

Skeptical about the last part he said, i ignored it and put my attention to my food and scarfed on it as fast as i could, you never know when Mr. Samuel will just suddenly interrupt my eating time, it already happened several times and i promised to myself it won't happen again.

"Alright, time to go, kid."

Damn it maybe next time.

Current Location: [Forest of the Vanished]

I always wondered what was outside the city, sometimes i thought that maybe there was expansive green forests that stretch all the way to the next kingdom or a mountain that was an impenetrable fortress filled with armored dwarves.

Now i don't dare wonder anymore.

The eerily quiet nature of the forest was enough to make me go back whence i came, and to make it worse, i used [Life Detection] to scout of if there were any creatures living in a 3km area.

There was none.

But what's not the strangest of all, no no. Its the fact that its appearance is very misleading. The sun was shining through the tree thick trees brimming with life, the wind whistling as if welcoming its visitors and its verdant landscapes would make the average person think a vacation here would be a treat.

They shall not fool me!

"Enough staring kid, were not even halfway and you're already staring out in space."

"But Mr Samuel, the forest is strange no matter how you look at it. We have been running for almost a kilometer now and yet we haven't met any monsters along the way, much less any living creatures."

"Don't worry to much kid, as long as you stick to me, there's a good chance you'll come out of here alive, so keep running and enjoy the scenery while you're at it."

That's not very reassuring. Nevertheless the best thing i can do is stick to Mr. Samuel, i still haven't finished my lunch i remember.

"Btw Mr. Samuel, you never said anything about where we were going specifically, so now I'm here, can you tell it to me now?"

I gazed to my side where supposedly Mr. Samuel was but he was gone. My whole body froze when i realized that Mr. Samuel disappeared but by the time i was about to react it was too late.

My surroundings suddenly shifted from bright colored greenery to pitch black. From front to back, to up nad down all i can see is black. My breathing quickened as my palms sweated and thought about my current situation.

Where am i? Where's Mr. Samuel? How did i get here? No wait more importantly Who am i? Who's Mr Samuel?

My mind turned to a blank and i couldn't think properly, my thoughts were all scattered like a drunk downing multiple drinks at on.

"Snap out of kid."

All of a sudden, the pitch black place i was on shattered like a broken mirror and saw that i was back to reality. I turn to look at Mr. Samuel and this time he didn't disappear.

"Mr. Samuel! Where were you? And what happened, and how did i get back?"

"Shut up kid and calm down. It suddenly pulled you into an {Illusion Realm} and almost died. Lucky for you i pulled you out of it before it sucked your soul out of you"

Beads of sweat rolled down in my face as i think about the possibility of dying in a place i barely know from a creature i didn't even see. What the hell did I sign up to?

"Now focus, kid, because as you can see, the monster was not to happy about his prey being set free."

Taken aback, my hairs stood on end as i thought of fighting that monster and came to the conclusion that i do not have a way to beat it. I heard rustling near us and spun to look where the sound was coming from, and boy did i regret it.