“All forms of Combat require Discipline.”

 

“Whether it be Physical or Magical, nothing will ever be done without Discipline.”

 

“Yet, few know that Discipline of Body also translates to the Discipline to the Mind. Yes, neither receives the same benefits of the either. Even so, then why leave such an obvious weakness around.”

 

“My dear readers, an Individual who has Disciplined both parts of himself will be the winner in most conditions of Life.”

 

“Therefore, a Hero’s is only as strong as his strongest weakness.”

 

“That weakness is also known as the Hero's Companion.”

#7 Quote - Book of Life and Death - Chapter - Heroes and Villains

 

*

 

Central Continent - Southern Forest - Survival Tribe - Alexander

“What, He, Doing?” A whisper echoed from one H.H.B as he looked at the others like him watching a small spectacle.

 

“Not, Know.” Another H.H.B whispered back and then added. “Since, Morning, He, Doing, Strange, Stuff.”

 

“Does, Chief, Know?” A third H.H.B meddled into the conversation of whispers.

 

Hearing the question, the second one nodded and replied. “Yes, Chief, Said, Not, Interfere… He, Said, Maker of Tribal Spirit, Visit, His, Son.”

 

“Maker?” “Maker?” 

 

Once more, the second one nodded. “Chief, Order, To, Ignore, Him, Unless, He, Do, Something, To Threaten, Tribe.”

 

“Oh.” Murmured the first H.H.B.

 

“Hmm, If, Chief, Order, Is, Fine, Then.” The third one commented. 

 

After that, the three Humanoid Honey Badgers observed Alexander laying on the ground with only his hands and feet holding him above the earth. But the strange thing was that he kept constantly pushing and lowering himself off and to the ground.

 

At the same time, they observed the gasping for air and the trembling in the arms, as if he was carrying something very heavy. 

 

Moments later, Alexander could not take it anymore, and all strength left him. His arms and shoulders felt extremely sore, while his lungs burned for the air they lacked. 

 

“Huf, Huf, Huf”

 

Alexander never before would have imagined that he would tire so quickly just by doing something called Push-Up for a brief time. Only after a few moments passed and the aches lessened did Alexander stand up, if wobbly, and change his position. 

 

This time, his back faced the ground with his whole body straightened out. His paws were behind his head, and with their help and a lot of strain in his stomach, he would lift his upper body straight up, all while paying attention to not producing any movement in his legs.

 

Once everything was in position, Alexander executed a Sit-Up. 

 

He did not count, as he could not yet count, but neither did he have to, as every time he executed one correctly, a tiny change appeared in Alexander’s head. 

 

Specifically said a change appeared in the Interface that counted for him. With it, all Alexander had to know was that as long as he did not reach the requirement on it, he could not stop, ever. 

 

His instructions were very clear on that part.

---

Personal Dream Established

 

Description;

 

The First Step of the Many Steps to Come

 

You have professed the desire to improve yourself at the behest of your Friend. 

 

Your Friend has given you advice on how to do it.

 

Milestone;

 

Morning Routine

 

Period - Month

 

Cardio - 10km []

 

Push-Up - 100 - Completed []

 

Pull-Up - 100 Completed []

 

Sit-Up - 100 Completed []

 

Squat - 100 Completed []

 

Plank - 1 min Completed []

 

Reward;

 

Award - Physical Statistical Improvement

 

Perk - Six Pack [For the Ladies]

 

Accolade - Discipline [Morning Routine]

 

Failure;

 

Friends Disappointment

 

Mothers Punishment

---

That being the case, Alexander did his best to avoid the last part of the words that came to his mind two nights ago. 

Two nights ago, Alexander, on behalf of his Friend and Maker of Tribal Spirit, put his hand into the White Flame inside the Dream he could now visit any time he wanted, provided he actually fell asleep.

 

When he touched that Flame, it felt the same as the one out here in the Waking world, but when he professed the words his Friend told him that had appeared in his mind. 

 

At first, he had no idea what some things were or how to do them in the first place. However, after a thorough demonstration and explanation of everything, Alexander understood everything he needed to do. Regardless, because the demonstration occurred in the Dream, Alexander now knew, without a doubt, how to perform everything correctly. 

 

It was as if everything got burned into his mind.

 

Still, Alexander being Alexander, he did not follow the instructions on the first day, and through that, he learned that the words in the Thing were not lies. Even though Alexander made no mention of it to his Mother, somehow she knew he had not listened, as he promised her he would do.

 

His Father held him down, and a painful reminder reminded Alexander of the stakes. 

 

On behalf of his own desire to not feel the pain, today he began the routine, and already, Alexander could tell it would be exhausting when he barely completed parts of the requirements.

Time passed, and as Alexander did his Sit-Ups, yet barely halfway there, he could feel the cramps in his stomach. At first, they were small, but as he kept pushing with sheer Will, all that remained was another kind of pain. 

 

When he recovered from that one, Alexander followed his Friends advice and switched the exercise lineup. Still, his Friend told him the lineup mattered not as long as he completed everything in the morning.

 

With pain in his upper body, Alexander stood up slowly and positioned himself correctly for a Squat. 

 

Then he began to squat up and down until his legs burned as well. 

 

After he could no longer go on, he switched to the Plank, as it looked to be the easiest to do out of all of them. It appeared the easiest for a simple reason. Alexander did not know exactly how long a minute was, but he was pretty sure it was not long at all.

 

As such, following the crystal clear template he gained from the Dream, Alexander executed a perfect Plank and immediately regretted it. The Sit-Ups he'd done prior still burned in his stomach muscles, and now he added even more coal to the fire. 

 

It didn't even take fifteen seconds, and Alexander’s body trembled like a newborn baby reacting to its first breath in life. Fifteen seconds more proved too much, and Alexander kissed the ground beneath him once more. 

 

“Gah, puff, huff, puff.”

 

Luckily for him, he was far too distracted by the pain and too far away from the three H.H.B to overhear their snickering comments about not being able to do something so simple.

 

They totally ignored the fact that something similar could happen to them. 

 

With that being the case, they snickered once and left Alexander to his own devices.

With pain spreading from his body, an epiphany reached Alexander. 

 

The pain, similar to the punishments he often felt as a youngling, was somehow different from the one he felt right now. The one his Mother administered felt more personal. As if the punishment had been laced with other emotions. 

 

This muscle pain, on the other hand, he currently understood. This pain felt less intimate. As if it mattered far less to him.

 

Whatever the post-training-mid-pain-clarity was, and no matter how long Alexander wished it lasted, it was bound to end very soon, as physical recovery always worked fast. 

 

In Alexander’s case, it worked even faster as the warmth he had siphoned from the earth before this morning's exercise only helped him recover much quicker.

Unsure of what was happening in his body as of yet. All Alexander knew was he had recovered slightly, yet a constant reminder in his mind told him he still had not completed most of the stuff set for him.

 

Alexander considered everything for a moment and came to a simple conclusion. He needed a better way of doing this, but that got delegated for the future him to figure out. 

 

Now all he needed to do was try the last exercise on the menu, Cardio.

 

“Hngh.” Alexander snickered at the thought of doing a bit of running and messing with him. 

 

In his past life, he traversed vast grounds for Lands and Females. There was no way he could not do it this time as well.

 

As such, Alexander left the Tribal Clearing to distance himself from the center in hope of discovering a place to run around freely. Yet, that became the first obstacle for him. Stuck inside the Forest there were no even grounds around him, much less any kind of straight way to ease his running. 

 

When he realized that fact, the only thing to reach Alexander's mind was the advice his Friend gave him. As such, Alexander distanced himself as much as possible from the center of the Tribal Territory. 

 

He traveled from it, meter by meter until he felt something in the distance. 

 

Never before had Alexander felt something like it. 

 

His caution spiked as he slowed down and approached the origin of the sensation just ahead of him.

 

Step by step, he stepped closer and closer. When it felt like being almost on top of it, Alexander glanced around. The only things that came to his attention were trees and bushes.

 

Not quite understanding what he was feeling, Alexander wondered what would happen if he stepped away from whatever he was feeling. As such, Alexander took a few cautious steps forward when nothing happened. 

 

Then a few more, and a few more, and a few…

 

Pop

 

A popping feeling reached Alexander. For a moment, it startled him. 

 

He just stood there. When nothing else occurred, he relaxed.

 

Once more, not quite understanding what happened, Alexander turned around and faced the way he came. The moment he did, for the first time ever, he could both see and feel a thin and slightly shimmering wall of some kind existing and going up into the sky.

 

It defied his knowledge of the world. Still, it was there for him to see and feel. 

 

With probing attempts of his arms, Alexander failed to touch it, yet it was there. 

 

A step back the way he came, a small Pop appeared again. 

 

Only now, it no longer startled him. 

 

Pop, Pop, Pop

 

With that being the case, he stopped back and forth as he experienced everything. However, Alexander's main concern was the difference between inside this thin and slightly shimmering wall and outside it.

 

It took a few more Pops for Alexander to realize the feelings of safety he felt inside compared to the unknown on the outside. When he understood that fact, it was easy for him to connect the dots. 

 

The thin and slightly shimmering wall represented the marker for the Tribe’s territory.

 

The only reason it took him so long to notice was the fact that he'd known the sensation all his new life, so he became so accustomed to it that it might as well be not there. Only now, Alexander knew about it, and it would stay like that, as he was sure of it. 

 

Still, one part of him wondered how all this worked, and another part wondered about its size. With a moment of consideration, Alexander picked the left choice and began tracing the Territory Marker from the left. 

Step after step, he followed the Territory Marker until he came upon a point where it suddenly Popped without any warning. 

 

“Hngh”

 

Not quite understanding, Alexander turned around and observed the thin and slightly shimmering wall. 

 

He noticed that the wall stopped going in a straight line and actually sheared slightly to the left. Curious about it, Alexander tested it a few times, but it behaved the same as in the previous tests, so he just shrugged his shoulders and continued.

 

After many trees, bushes, and big roots another sheer to the left appeared. This time Alexander was more familiar enough to not accidentally leave the border. 

 

Being what it was, Alexander once more began traversing the Territory Marker, until all of a sudden, in front of him, a tree branch beckoned him.

 

Stupefied at what he was feeling, Alexander examined the branch in question. It was unusually straight as it grew from the side of the tree. It was also thick but not too thick. In fact, it was the perfect width for his paws to hold onto, and then it came to him.

 

This branch that beckoned him, was perfect for Pull-ups. As such, Alexander grabbed at it with both hands and began pulling himself up to the branch. Then above it, with his chin as the marker. 

 

Still, new to the exercise, it took but ten of them to tire him, but he'd recovered somewhat from before this trek, so he etched a few more before giving up.

 

“Grrr, Hate, This.”

 

With frustration, Alexander gave up on it and continued his trek upon the Territory Marker. Four more times, he'd seen the Territory Marker sheer to the left when he realized that he returned to the starting point where his trek began.

 

Alexander realized that he had circled the Tribal Territory at least once on this day. At the same time, he understood a simple thing. To actually complete his Morning Routine, he would actually have to use the Territory Marker as the guiding line if he wanted to finish his Cardio.

 

Then Alexander pondered about maybe leaving the Tribal Territory to find a better path. But when he thought of it, it wasn't hard to imagine some kind of predator popping up out of nowhere and attacking him at his weakest and most unalerted state.

 

With all that taken into consideration, Alexander’s decision was certain. 

 

Alexander carefully trod the Path of Territory Marker. However, with topography being challenging, he could not pick up much speed. At the same time, he had to pay a lot of attention to the right footing, or his feet could catch on something or slip on something. 

 

Regardless of his intention, Alexander passed the first shift in directions and then the second. When, once more, the perfect branch reached his mind. It beckoned him to use it. 

 

With that distraction, Alexander stopped for a moment and indulged it. 

 

He grabbed it, pulled himself up and down, and when his arms and shoulder could not take any longer, he stopped and moved on in his morning Cardio. 

Time passed. 

 

Alexander, once more, reached the starting point and consulted the thing in his head. Realizing that he still had more to go, he continued. Stopping by the perfect branch for more Pull-Ups, and soon enough, he moved on.

 

Ding 

 

One instant, after the Ding echoed in his mind, Alexander’s focused state broke. 

 

His right foot missed its proper place and slipped on the thick tree branch covered in greenery.

 

Once the foot slipped forward, the rest of the body followed.

 

It was in this moment that Alexander knew, He had Messed Up. 

Thud 

 

For the first time in both lives, he understood what it meant to be a humanoid male and slip on something with one's legs wide open.

 

“Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”

 

Pain like nothing before reaching his mind and body as he toppled to the ground and unconsciously grabbed his nether region, only to whimper in pain for the nth time of the day.

 

Only this one triumphed every single one of them, not just physically. Even the punishments Alexander received from his Mother could not compare with this event. 

 

Not with one's nuts stuck between two hard s surfaces.

 

As for the thing that caused it all to happen? He'd forgotten about it in this painful moment of being a man. 

 

However, when he recovers and actually checks out the Ding, he will find it was a simple Milestone Notification.

---

Daily Milestone Achieved;

 

Cardio - 10km [✅]

---