Golden rays of the morning light came as invitations to the day.
There was an ethereal beauty to the sunlight, as if a layer of tinted filter had been added to the sky. Everything glowed in honeyed tones, beautiful and soothing. I moved my hand through the air, watching my fingers. It was almost as if the light were amber nectar, flowing in slow and graceful swirls.
I went to the bathroom to relieve myself, cleansing before changing into casual wear—not that I had many clothes anyway.
As soon as I left the house, I started jogging into the mountains behind it, my usual routine, but I decided to increase my distance for the next month. Normally, I jog for about 2 kilometers every morning, but from now on, let's make it 4 kilometers and slowly increase it as the days pass. I controlled my rhythm between running and walking, finding the perfect balance. It would exhaust me faster, but at the same time, it would help me build my stamina, which is vital in everything.
I continued to jog silently while enjoying the morning breeze, maintaining my rhythm for two kilometers before picking up the pace slightly.
One hour later, I finished. On my way back, I stopped in the forest at the foot of the mountain to gather some herbs I would use to strengthen myself. Having known in advance which herbs to pick, it didn't take long to collect them. One of the herbs I picked was horsetail, also known as Equisetum arvense. It is rich in silica, a mineral that plays a role in bone formation and strengthening. I often used it to make tea or as a supplement.
The second herb I gathered was comfrey (Symphytum officinale), which is used to reduce pain. I brewed it into tea or added it to a bathtub, like last night. The third herb was chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), which I also brewed into tea.
Chamomile tea may help prevent bone loss by balancing minerals in the body and halting the process that breaks down bones—perfect for someone who exercises recklessly. After harvesting those herbs to help strengthen my bones, I didn't forget the ones that would help toughen my skin: aloe vera, turmeric, ginseng, and gotu kola.
Aloe vera aims to increase collagen production, which is crucial for skin firmness and elasticity.
Meanwhile, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent collagen breakdown, promoting healthier skin.
Ginseng helps restore skin structure, strengthens blood vessels, and can stimulate collagen synthesis.
Gotu kola is known for its tightening and firming effects on the skin.
I gained this valuable knowledge through various medical books; the wisdom to be found in books cannot be underestimated.
Carrying a basket full of herbs, I returned and did as usual. I headed to the training area I had created for myself—a small open space with scarecrows I made, and trees with ropes coiled around them, which I used as punching bags. You could see how much they had been used by their worn states.
I drank some herb-infused tea before starting my push-ups.
In record time, I completed 100 of them, then it was time for squats—50 of those. I repeated this two more times and took a moment to rest before switching to my next exercise. It's important to rest between exercises; I believe it's the best way to let your muscles relax and the work you did sink in.
After a short rest, I walked toward one of the trees with ropes coiled around it. I removed my top and clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly. My tightening knuckles emitted a cracking sound. Inhaling deeply, I took my position and began punching the tree like a marionette following an order.
Tuak! Tuak! Tuak!
More damage began to accumulate on my specially made punching bag.
Tuak! Tuak! Tuak!
My hands began to bleed, but I showed no sign of stopping. The herbal tea I had drunk began to work as I continued to punch the tree.
This was an insane method I had come up with to make myself stronger and my bones tougher. Each time they broke, they would heal, becoming more robust. The same went for my skin. It was an extreme method that only a masochist would think of, but I wasn't a masochist. I simply saw this as the only shortcut to achieve my goal. Most children from the family were nurtured from a young age, consuming elixirs to strengthen themselves and having teachers to instruct them in various things, but I had none of that. So, I had to devise my own methods to strengthen myself. This small place was where I could experiment with various techniques. I had gone through countless trials and errors to finally create this method. I didn't have access to the training ground unless I was called; I couldn't go there, so there was no way I could sneakily observe them training to pick up any techniques.
Back to my training, I kept hitting the tree for about thirty minutes. Due to my strengthened body, I didn't bleed too much, nor were my hands that injured. I ground my teeth as I pasted some herbs over my wounds while drinking another herbal tea.
I breathed in and out, trying to ignore the pain. It's not that I couldn't feel pain; I had simply learned to ignore it. Having been through hell—well, from my perspective—what I suffered from the day I was born changed me. I didn't know if I was broken, but I became capable of not showing any emotions. I learned to suppress my emotions; otherwise, I was certain I would have died in this place, overwhelmed by feelings that could have led me to do something reckless and potentially end my life.
''Fuh! Time to train my legs.'' I mumbled as I began walking toward the same tree I previously left, the ropes were coiled almost reaching the base of the tree, I began striking the base of the tree with my legs.
Bang! Bang!
I did this for half of an hour before stopping to treat myself, not forgetting to drink my special tea.