Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 249: The Cave [1]

A dull ache shot through my skull.

I groaned again and rolled over, attempting to pull my pillow over my head to muffle the constant metal clashing sound.

But instead of my pillow, I came away with a handful of damp leaves.

Frowning, I tried to sit up straight, but that simple act triggered an agonising pain in my ribs.

Moving my body also caused the insides of my head to slosh, making it harder for me to focus or even open my eyes.

After a long struggle, I did manage to open my bleary eyes and used them to scan my surroundings through a bottle-glass blur.

I recognised my surroundings after a little drowsy confusion. I remember now.

I wasn't in my room but on the western mountain range with that bastard of a master– Yato

"Oh, you're awake?" He said, causing a nerve to bulge on my forehead. "Welcome back."

"Welcome back, my ass!" I snapped. "I could've died!"

"But you didn't, At the last moment I saved you eaten alive by those bears, you should thank me instead" Yato smugly explained. "I was also kind enough to make you a bed and use some healing potions on you."

His words caused a frown to appear on my face as I glanced around.

Sure enough, I was lying on a bed constructed from an arrangement of tree leaves.

Although they were moist, they provided insulation against the cold emanating from the snowy ground.

"Anyway where are we?" I said as I looked at my surroundings, we were inside of the cave.

There was a wide hole in the ceiling, and the glow of the sunset poured in.

"Wow…"

My mouth was wide open with shock. My eyes glistened over the frosted spectacles.

"I-It's a hot spring, isn't it?"

There was an open-air bath in the cave.

A deep pond had settled on the bottom of the cave. Water vapour rose from the surface of the pond. The natural hot spring was supposed to overcome the cold and warm the surroundings with the consolation of sunset. With the hot spring flowing down, I thought it was a beautiful sight.

"The great me had found it a long time ago," Yato said cockely "I came here whenever I want to rest."

I winced as I tried to sit up a bit more, feeling the soreness in my ribs. "So, you decided to bring me to your secret hot spring cave after letting me get mauled by Frostclaw Bears?"

Yato raised an eyebrow, "I didn't let you get mauled. It was all part of your training. And yes, I brought you here to recover. You were in bad shape."

I grumbled, still a bit annoyed, but couldn't deny that the warmth from the hot spring was doing wonders for my aching body.

"The hot spring has healing properties," Yato continued, "and it'll speed up your recovery. You're lucky I found you when I did. Another minute, and you would have been bear chow."

I sighed, realizing that perhaps there was some truth to his words. I glanced around at the cave, appreciating the unexpected serenity of the place. The soothing sound of water and the warmth of the hot spring created a stark contrast to the frigid outdoors.

"I suppose thanks are in order then," I conceded reluctantly.

Yato smirked, clearly enjoying my acknowledgement. "Just remember, survival in this world is about adapting quickly. You can't afford to stay down for too long."

He then tossed me a small vial of healing potion. "Drink that. It'll help with the rest of your recovery."

I caught the vial and eyed it sceptically, but the lingering pain in my body convinced me to take Yato's advice. I downed the potion, feeling a gradual relief wash over me.

"Now after a few minutes of rest we are going to train," Yato declared, his tone serious.

What do you mean?/Aren't you going to give me something to eat first?" I retorted, a hint of hunger evident in my voice.

Yato raised an eyebrow in response.

"Did you manage to hunt anything?" he inquired.

"...I could have if you had given me enough time to prepare!" I argued defensively.

Yato sighed, "In this world, time is a luxury you can't always afford. Hunting and survival are part of your training. The sooner you grasp that, the better."

"B-But if I don't eat anything then I don't have any strength left for training!" I said as I felt my hunger was returned.

Yato looked at me and then let out a small sigh again, "Fine, here you go." Saying that Yato took out a cup of noodles from his dimensional space storage ring.

"Only cup noodles?"

"What? You don't want? That's fine-"

"NO, I'LL TAKE IT"

I eagerly grabbed the cup noodles from Yato, my hunger momentarily overpowering any complaint about the simplicity of the meal. As he handed me the noodles, I realized that complaining wouldn't change the circumstances, and survival often meant making do with what you had.

Yato watched with an amused smirk as I devoured the noodles with a gusto that surprised even me. The warmth of the hot spring, combined with the satisfying meal, gradually eased the tension in my body.

After finishing the noodles, I leaned back against the cave wall, feeling a mix of contentment and weariness. Yato observed me for a moment as if assessing my recovery.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks for the noodles," I replied, still munching on the last few strands.

He gestured towards the hot spring. "Now Finish recovering, and then we'll start training again."

With a reluctant nod, I settled back against the improvised leaf bed, watching Yato as he walked away. My thoughts oscillated between annoyance and acknowledgement of the harsh reality of this world.

The healing properties of the hot spring gradually worked their magic, soothing my aching body. The warmth enveloped me, and the sound of water trickling in the cave became a lullaby, luring me into a momentary state of tranquility.

As I rested, contemplating the lessons learned from the Frostclaw Bear encounter, I couldn't deny that Yato's unorthodox training methods were pushing me to adapt. The world was unforgiving, and survival demanded resilience.

Once my body felt rejuvenated, I got up and stretched. Yato was already back, waiting expectantly.

"Ready for the next lesson?" he asked, his expression challenging.

I grunted in affirmation, determined to prove that I could handle whatever he threw my way.

Yato led me out of the cave into the snowy wilderness. The fading light of the sunset cast long shadows on the snowy ground. I shivered, feeling the bite of the cold air.