Ascending to Immortality

Chapter 6: Mirage Bamboo Forest

His eyes were blood shot, his breathing was heavy, his hands were bleeding, his nails while cracked and some of them even broken as fresh blood ousted out of them, it was painful very painful, he was close to losing conscious a couple of times but his determination is what gave him strength to move forward, he lost sense of his hands from this overbearing pain, his clothes were in tattered state after being grinded by the face of the cliff for hours.

Li Ena hardly opened his eyes and looked up, his vision was a blurry but he can see it, he finally can see the top after four hours of climbing, he finally saw it, his heart beat from excitement and his breathing accelerated, he felt that he can do it. He still can't forget what horrifying things happened in these hours, first they were attacked by savage eagles, and then someone poked a scorpions nest by mistake and the scorpions fell on them like rain and after that rocks started falling and hitting them if it wasn't for his agility he wouldn't have survived with only some bruises.

Looking around him, he found to his surprise that there was around seventy people still climbing and he is almost in the last place, sighing in his heart he looked carefully at those in the front to find that most of them are those from cities or those burly kids with will developed bodies, he bit his lower lip and tried to increase his speed but to no avail so he helplessly kept going at the pace of turtle slowly but steadily to the top.

... ..

All the children were sitting on the ground, some were drinking water to relieve their thirst while others were eating to fill their stomachs after all climbing for all this time was a torture which burned all their energies. It has already been an hour since they finished ascending so they recovered some energy and colors returned to their pale little faces.
As they looked at the edge of the cliff their bodies couldn't stop trembling, it was really a horrifying experience. As they were in their daze, suddenly a bloody arm reached the edge while trembling.

Everyone exclaimed from shock, as their gazes fell in the arm which a few seconds later disappeared. Some curious fellows extended their necks to see who was it and to their surprise , they saw a black clothed young man, who's clothes were tattered, his arms, head, legs were bleeding and his muscles were bulging from exhaustion. He was barely holding onto a thick vein in the edge with all his might, he tried to lift himself a couple of times but to no avail, his body seemed out of energy.

This bloody young man was Ena, he tried his best and finally reached the top but even so he still couldn't lift himself up, his gaze fell at those looking at him, and from it you can see his plea for help, he had done his best and he is reluctant to give up, he wants to succeed but his body doesn't follow his will anymore, his heart was beating like crazy, trying to fill his body with oxygen to keep his little life and give him some strength to make the last step but even so he still couldn't move a muscle. However no one came forth, no one wanted to gamble, what if by helping him they will got disqualified, even those from the same village as him didn't come to give a hand, who doesn't want to qualify and by having one less person competing with them, their chances will rise by quit a bit.

Ena looked at those people with a furious gaze and cursed in his heart ' those selfish bastards, can't they even lift a hand'. He was disappointed in these people specially his friends because he was good to them and he was even more disappointed with his strength, it turned out his body was pretty weak compared to his peers.
While he was feeling depressed and hopeless, a brownish hand scorched by the sun was hung in front of him. Without thinking he grabbed this hand and his heart got a glimmer of hope. A sudden force lifted him up. When he opened his eyes he saw a good looking kid with short hair and scorched skin smiling at him.

"Thanks, I will never forget this favor, i'm Ena" said Ena with a smile while panting heavily.

"No need for thanks, you should rest first we still have a final test, I'm Due Ze"said the handsome guy with a faint smile then he walked and sat on a corner by himself.

From his clothing and skin Ena deduced that this guy came from a blacksmith family which explains his strength.

He himself went and sat on a corner to recuperate, right now he knew that with his injuries proceeding will be hard but he didn't give up, he put some medical powder on his injuries to stop the bleeding, then he closed his eyes and fell asleep as the sages say " sleep is the best medicine".

From exhaustion he slept for fourteen hours so when he woke up the next day he found no one, he cursed his luck and hurried to stand up. After washing and eating some dried meat, he looked at the huge bamboo forest in front of him, there was a wooden plaque written on it ' if you want to pass, you need to be brave and have a firm heart, no matter what you hear keep walking forward if you look back you will get lost ', he swallowed a mouthful of saliva and entered.

Walking slowly and steadily, he kept looking forward. After an hour or so fog started to cover the woods and faint roars can be heard.

Everything got engulfed by fog, the vision became unclear. He lost his sense of time as he drifted in the woods, cold sweat covered his back as he felt danger from the core of his soul. Suddenly from behind he heard the roar of a mad tiger, it was close and strong, he even felt its breathing from behind, every single hair strand in his body stood up, he was afraid but didn't look back, he clenched his fists and ran forward as fast as he can.

The sound of the tiger's paws hitting the ground while running after him made him more nervous. He bit his tongue to calm himself and kept running.

The voices from behind kept changing between ferocious animals and even imaginary creatures from his imagination, he even heard the sound of a bandit unleashing his sword and attacking him, however he ignored it and moved forward.

"Big brother is that you" suddenly an anxious voice called from behind.

Li Ena halted in his footsteps, it was his little sisters voice which made him start to hesitate.

"Big brother, I'm afraid, please help, I can't see anything come and save me" called the voice again.

"Sob... Sob.. Waah big brother why are you leaving me behind am I not your sister please help me, it's dark and suffocating in here.

Worry appeared in his face and his hesitation grew stronger and he started questioning himself, what if she followed me, what if I'm wrong, I'll end up being disqualified after all this effort but what if she was real, I'll end up abandoning my little sister, what kind of a brother will do such thing.

He clenched his fists and made the decision in his heart.