The mountains looked closer than they really were.
Ryuzen had been walking for hours, following the road the old man had described.
The sun was beginning to disappear behind the distant peaks.
His stomach growled.
Ryuzen sighed.
“Again?”
He looked inside his bag.
Nothing.
Not even a crumb.
He shook the bag anyway.
Maybe food would magically appear.
Nothing happened.
Ryuzen stared at the empty bag.
“I really should have brought more food.”
He continued walking.
His legs were tired from the journey, and the wounds from his battle with the armored beast still ached.
But he refused to stop.
He had been given a direction.
A village beyond the mountains.
That was enough.
As darkness approached, Ryuzen finally saw lights in the distance.
His eyes widened.
“Is that it?”
He quickened his pace.
The lights grew brighter.
Soon, he saw wooden houses scattered across a valley.
A small village.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
People walked through the streets carrying baskets and lanterns.
Ryuzen smiled.
“Finally.”
He entered the village.
Almost immediately, several people looked at him.
Ryuzen suddenly became aware of his appearance.
Dirty clothes.
Scratches across his arms.
Bandages around his shoulder.
Messy hair.
He probably looked like someone who had been chased through the wilderness.
A woman carrying vegetables approached him.
“Are you lost?”
Ryuzen shook his head.
“Not exactly.”
“Then where are you going?”
Ryuzen hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
The woman blinked.
“You don’t know?”
Ryuzen smiled awkwardly.
“I’m looking for somewhere to stay.”
The woman looked him over.
“You have money?”
Ryuzen checked his pocket.
He had a few coins.
“Some.”
The woman pointed toward a small building.
“Try the inn.”
“Thank you.”
Ryuzen walked toward it.
He reached the door.
Before he could enter—
“Hey!”
Ryuzen turned.
A young man was standing nearby.
He looked around seventeen or eighteen.
His arms were crossed.
“You just came from the forest?”
Ryuzen nodded.
“Yes.”
The young man’s eyes narrowed.
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“You fought something?”
Ryuzen looked at his torn clothes.
“Maybe.”
The young man laughed.
“Maybe?”
Ryuzen didn’t answer.
The young man walked closer.
“What Inner Beast do you have?”
Ryuzen immediately recognized the question.
It was the same question everyone asked.
He could already imagine the reaction.
“Electric Eel.”
The young man’s expression changed.
Then he laughed.
“Electric Eel?”
Several villagers nearby turned.
One of them chuckled.
Another whispered,
“Isn’t that considered useless?”
Ryuzen’s hands tightened.
He had heard those words his entire life.
But this time, something felt different.
He wasn’t standing in the royal palace.
He wasn’t surrounded by people who had known him since birth.
These people knew nothing about him.
They didn’t know he had been a prince.
They didn’t know his father was the king.
They didn’t know his brothers.
They only knew the name of his Inner Beast.
The young man smirked.
“Then how did you survive the forest?”
Ryuzen shrugged.
“By surviving.”
The young man laughed again.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It worked.”
Ryuzen walked past him.
The young man’s smile disappeared.
“Hey!”
Ryuzen stopped.
“You think you’re better than me?”
Ryuzen turned around.
“No.”
“Then why are you acting like that?”
Ryuzen looked at him calmly.
“Because I’m tired.”
The villagers laughed.
The young man’s face reddened.
He stepped forward.
“What’s your name?”
“Ryuzen.”
“I’m Garrick.”
Garrick pointed at him.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll see what that Electric Eel can really do.”
Ryuzen raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t believe you’re as strong as you’re pretending to be.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“I’m not pretending.”
He entered the inn.
Behind him, Garrick remained standing.
The innkeeper was an elderly woman with gray hair.
She looked at Ryuzen.
“Room?”
“Yes.”
“Food?”
Ryuzen’s eyes immediately brightened.
“Yes.”
The woman smiled.
“One night?”
Ryuzen counted his coins.
“How much?”
She told him the price.
Ryuzen’s expression fell.
He didn’t have enough for both food and a room.
The innkeeper noticed.
“First time traveling alone?”
Ryuzen nodded.
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“Give me what you have.”
Ryuzen looked surprised.
“I can’t pay the full price.”
“I can see that.”
She pointed toward the kitchen.
“Help me clean the dishes tonight. I’ll give you a meal and a place to sleep.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“Deal.”
For the next hour, Ryuzen washed dishes.
Lots of them.
Far more than he expected.
His arms began to ache.
The innkeeper watched him.
“You look like you’ve never worked before.”
“I haven’t.”
“Rich family?”
Ryuzen froze.
The woman laughed.
“I was only guessing.”
Ryuzen continued washing.
“You were right.”
The woman looked at him.
“Royal?”
Ryuzen didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
The woman smiled.
“I won’t ask.”
Ryuzen looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because whatever you were before you came here doesn’t matter.”
Ryuzen was silent.
The woman placed another plate beside him.
“Out here, you’re just a boy who needs a meal.”
Ryuzen smiled.
For some reason, those words felt comforting.
“Thank you.”
Later that night, Ryuzen sat alone outside the inn.
He looked at the stars.
The village was quiet.
For the first time in days, he wasn’t worried about being attacked.
He stretched his arm.
Blue sparks appeared.
Crack.
Ryuzen immediately stopped.
His arm hurt.
He frowned.
“The same problem.”
He looked at his hand.
Every time he used his thunder, his body suffered.
He remembered the battle with the wolves.
Then the armored beast.
He had been lucky.
If he continued fighting like that, eventually luck wouldn’t save him.
He needed training.
Real training.
But who could teach him?
The royal palace was gone.
His father wouldn’t help.
His brothers certainly wouldn’t.
Ryuzen lowered his head.
“I need someone who understands Inner Beasts.”
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Perhaps you do.”
Ryuzen spun around.
Nobody.
He stood.
“Who’s there?”
Silence.
He looked around the street.
Empty.
Then he noticed a shadow disappearing around the corner.
Ryuzen ran after it.
He reached the corner.
Nothing.
Only an old man walking away with a wooden staff.
Ryuzen stared at him.
The old man didn’t look back.
“Wait!”
The old man stopped.
Ryuzen approached.
“Did you say something?”
The old man slowly turned.
He had long silver-white hair and a thick beard.
His clothes were simple.
Dark blue.
Ancient symbols were stitched into the fabric.
His eyes looked tired.
But there was something strange about them.
Something Ryuzen couldn’t explain.
The old man smiled.
“I said nothing.”
Ryuzen frowned.
“I heard someone.”
“Perhaps you heard the wind.”
“That wasn’t the wind.”
The old man chuckled.
“You seem quite certain.”
Ryuzen studied him.
“Who are you?”
“An old traveler.”
“That’s not a name.”
“No.”
The old man smiled.
“But it is enough for tonight.”
He turned to leave.
Ryuzen called after him.
“Do you know anything about Inner Beasts?”
The old man stopped.
Slowly, he looked over his shoulder.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because mine hurts me.”
The old man’s expression changed slightly.
Ryuzen continued.
“Every time I use my power, my body starts breaking down.”
The old man stared at him.
Then he asked,
“What beast?”
Ryuzen hesitated.
“Electric Eel.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed.
Only for a second.
Then his normal expression returned.
“Interesting.”
Ryuzen stepped closer.
“Can you help me?”
The old man looked at him for a long moment.
“No.”
Ryuzen’s expression fell.
“But…”
The old man continued.
“I may know someone who can.”
Ryuzen’s eyes brightened.
“Who?”
The old man pointed toward the northern mountains.
“Beyond those mountains is an ancient forest.”
Ryuzen listened carefully.
“Deep within that forest lives an old man.”
“What’s his name?”
The stranger smiled.
“People call him many things.”
“Like?”
“The Mad Wizard.”
Ryuzen blinked.
“That doesn’t sound reassuring.”
“It isn’t.”
The old man laughed.
Ryuzen looked toward the mountains.
“Why would he help me?”
“He probably won’t.”
Ryuzen frowned.
“Then why tell me about him?”
“Because if you truly want to understand your power…”
The old man’s eyes suddenly glowed faintly.
“…you will have to find someone willing to tell you the truth.”
Ryuzen stared at him.
“What truth?”
The old man smiled.
“That is something you must discover yourself.”
Before Ryuzen could ask another question, the old man walked away.
Ryuzen watched him disappear into the darkness.
Something about the encounter bothered him.
The old man had looked at his Inner Beast differently.
Not with pity.
Not with laughter.
Almost as if he knew something.
Ryuzen looked toward the mountains.
“The Mad Wizard…”
He smiled.
“Sounds dangerous.”
Then he clenched his fist.
“But maybe that’s exactly what I need.”
The next morning, Ryuzen woke before sunrise.
He left the inn and headed toward the village entrance.
But before he could leave, someone stepped in front of him.
Garrick.
The young man from yesterday.
“You said you wanted to see what my Electric Eel can do.”
Garrick smiled.
“Today.”
Several villagers gathered around them.
Ryuzen sighed.
“I have somewhere to go.”
“It won’t take long.”
Garrick raised his hand.
A powerful aura erupted around him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Ryuzen’s eyes widened.
Garrick’s Inner Beast was awakening.
A pair of enormous stone-like fists formed around his arms.
“Iron Bear.”
The villagers cheered.
“Go, Garrick!”
“Show him!”
Ryuzen stared at the massive fists.
So that’s his Inner Beast.
Garrick charged.
Ryuzen jumped aside.
BOOM!
The ground shattered where he had been standing.
Ryuzen rolled away.
“He’s strong.”
Garrick swung again.
Ryuzen ducked.
He moved around him.
Garrick was powerful.
But slow.
Ryuzen gathered thunder around his legs.
Blue sparks wrapped around his feet.
He dashed forward.
CRACK!
His fist struck Garrick’s side.
Garrick stumbled.
The villagers gasped.
Ryuzen stepped back.
Garrick looked shocked.
“You…”
Ryuzen raised his fists.
“I’m not finished.”
Thunder covered his arms.
Garrick roared and charged.
The two collided.
BOOM!
Ryuzen was pushed backward.
His feet dragged across the dirt.
His arms trembled.
But he stayed standing.
Garrick attacked again.
Ryuzen dodged.
Again.
Again.
Ryuzen began understanding something.
He didn’t need to overpower Garrick.
He needed to outlast him.
He waited.
Dodged.
Moved.
Attacked only when an opening appeared.
Eventually, Garrick’s breathing became heavy.
Ryuzen was exhausted too.
But he was still standing.
Garrick charged one final time.
Ryuzen stepped aside.
Garrick lost his balance.
Ryuzen placed his hand against Garrick’s back.
A small burst of thunder sent him stumbling forward.
Garrick fell to the ground.
Silence.
Ryuzen lowered his hand.
Garrick slowly stood.
He looked at Ryuzen.
Then he laughed.
“You’re not weak.”
Ryuzen blinked.
Garrick extended his hand.
“I was wrong.”
Ryuzen looked at the hand.
Then shook it.
“Thanks.”
The villagers began talking among themselves.
For the first time, nobody was laughing at his Inner Beast.
They were looking at what he could do with it.
Ryuzen looked toward the mountains.
He remembered the mysterious old man.
The Mad Wizard.
Perhaps that was his next destination.
He adjusted his bag.
“Thank you for the fight.”
Garrick nodded.
“Where are you going?”
Ryuzen looked toward the distant mountains.
“To find someone who can teach me how to control my power.”
Garrick smiled.
“Good luck.”
Ryuzen began walking.
The village slowly disappeared behind him.
The mountains stood ahead.
And deep beyond them waited an ancient forest.
A place where an old wizard had been watching the world from the shadows for many years.
Ryuzen didn’t know it yet…
But his search for strength was about to lead him to the person who would completely change his destiny.