Chapter 4 - Training and Molting (1/2)

'Before you start training with this weapon, you need to understand how it is made. The spear is a weapon composed of a long handle and a sharp-pointed head. If we want to make a comparison, you can consider it as one of my legs.' Bao Bei said as she lifted one of her legs and simulated a lunge with it in the air.

The mighty spider leg suddenly snapped, creating a rumble that made Hei flinch at her side. The power of this blow could be seen just by this effect. If she had struck an ordinary person, that force would have been enough to kill them instantly.

'Spears can be made of various materials, the simplest are those made of wood and are also the lightest to handle, but they are at the same the most fragile. However, since you're still small, a wooden one is just fine, without considering that I'm not able to shape the metal, so it's the only choice at the moment. The spear is mainly used for direct combat from a mid-range distance, and the longer it is, the less are the chances of being reached by the enemy, given the range advantage. But a long spear has less maneuverability, so you will have to do a lot of practice, and in the future, you will choose the length of your spear depending on how you prefer. In some cases, you can also throw the spear and hit the enemy from a distance, but you have to think about it before doing it because you would find yourself without a weapon.' Bao Bei continued to explain.

Despite being difficult for a 3-year-old child, Hei was able to understand this explanation. It wasn't only because Hei was a very bright child for his age, but, above all, it was thanks to the education method his mother used on him.

As she was able to communicate mentally, since the day she decided to adopt him, Bao Bei had sent to him mental images combined with sound to make him learn as soon as possible how to talk and understand. Furthermore, whenever she explained something to Hei, she would always use such mental images in addition to her explanation to make him understand, even though he had no direct experience with such concepts or words.

Meanwhile, Hei, who was fervently listening as he watched the various images that were being projected into his mind, was becoming more and more attracted to the spear. The mere fact that it looked like a spider's leg made it the perfect weapon in his eyes.

It must be said that Hei, ever since he had begun to be aware of himself and his surroundings, had always wondered why he was so different from the creatures in the forest. Although there were beasts of various types, there were still at least several specimens of the same breed.

But he had never met anyone like him, and this had started to worry him. Even though his mother still gave him all the love she could give him, and she never mentioned his different appearance, this wasn't enough to completely dispel his anxiety that, with the birth of Xing and Ye, had increased even more.

However, today, this concern had finally disappeared. Hei trusted his mother and knowing from her that one day he would be able to become like them, gave him new vigor and hope. And hearing the description of the spear, he couldn't help wishing to start using it as soon as possible.

Bao Bei, who had concluded the descriptive part of the spear, turned to look at Hei to see his reaction.

'So what do you say, do you like it as a weapon?'

'Yes, I love it! I want to start right away, can we?'

'Sure, but first I have to get you a spear. Since it's your first spear and it's made of wood, then you can choose which tree you want your spear to come from.'

Hei, hearing that he could choose the tree from which his weapon would come out, smiled, and immediately rushed to look around to see the most majestic and robust tree in the area.

The heart of the forest where they were at since it was the entire forest's core had much thicker vegetation than the outside area, and the trees were older and more resistant. Choosing which one was the most robust was a difficult task.

'Where do I start? Mother said I could pick anyone, but the trees look so much the same, though. I don't know what to choose...' Hei thought to himself as he struggled to find the right tree.

Unable to see the difference in hardness between the trees, he decided to go according to their leaves color. Although they were similar in the trunk, the trees had leaves of different colors from one another.

The tree that Hei chose was one with dark purple, dark green, and dark blue leaves. He liked it because it had colors that weren't bright and reminded him of the night.

Ever since he had received his name and known those of his two little sisters, he had begun to appreciate the night more than the day, despite Bao Bei still not allowing him to stay awake late into the night.

'Mother, I want that one.' Hei said as he pointed at the chosen tree.

Bao Bei, seeing the tree indicated by Hei, couldn't help but be happy inside her, immediately understanding the reason behind this choice, and approached the tree. Then, using a thread of spiderweb that she quickly produced, she broke off a large branch from that tree.

The branch that was about to fall to the ground was immediately taken by Bao Bei, who started quickly working on it, by cutting it at various points. It didn't take long before the thick branch took the form of a spear, although slightly different from a standard spear, since the head, usually made of metal, was also made of wood.

When the spear was finished, Bao Bei placed it on the ground near Hei's feet to make him look closely.

'Here, this is your spear. For now, you can use this; in the future, we'll see if we can find you a metal one when you grow up, okay?'

'Yes, thank you, mother. I'm really happy. Thank you very much.'

Full of happiness, Hei ran to hug his mother and stayed in that position for a while. He was overwhelmed by emotions of joy and gratitude, and he wanted to show his thanks in that way. Bao Bei, who had guessed what was on his mind, let him do it and patiently waited for him to calm down.

Once he calmed down, Hei set his eyes on the spear resting on the ground. Meanwhile, Xing and Ye, intrigued by what was happening, had come closer to observe the strange object on the ground.

Spurred on by his mother, Hei took the spear in his own hands and raised it from the ground. Although it was made of wood, for a 3-year-old, it had considerable weight. Furthermore, since it had a length of 1 meter, it was somewhat tricky for Hei to maneuver it, considering he had just a meter and few centimeters of height.

Seeing him take the spear, Bao Bei was overwhelmed by a flurry of emotions and memories, but she suppressed them for the moment.

From the day she decided to take him with her and started giving him her blood from time to time, Hei's future had been shaped toward becoming a martial artist. So it was too late to regret this choice. Moreover, the spear wasn't in itself evil, but it could become so depending on the purpose for which the user used it.

Bao Bei wanted Hei to learn to use the spear to be able to protect himself and his two little sisters. She also trusted him fully - a human being raised by a spiritual beast that wanted to be like them.

For Bao Bei, Hei represented the opportunity to realize the old dream of his deceased companion. But her mother's instincts held her back because she didn't want to impose such a cruel fate on her child. She wanted him to choose his destiny, and she would accept whatever he decided.

Leaving aside this storm of thoughts, Bao Bei hastened herself to explain how to hold the spear and the various basic attacks that could be used.

Because she was a spirit beast, she didn't know precisely the various techniques that could be used with the spear, but, having fought against humans and demons for a long time, Bao Bei knew how this weapon was generally used, and she planned to pass her knowledge to Hei. However, she knew that for Hei to learn to use the spear properly, he had to learn the technique from other humans and fight real battles. But for the moment, it was still too early.

Hei, while he was waving his spear as indicated by his mother, was finding it difficult to move it as he wanted. But he didn't give up - he knew it would be difficult, but the thought of looking like his mother spurred him on.

'Keep it up Hei, train with it every day, and in future, you will see that you will be familiar with it. Xing, Ye, come with me. Meanwhile, let us resume your workouts, you have to put the same commitment as your big brother into training, alright?'