“Human, Hope is something that will push your body to move on its own.”

As soon as Hope’s words finished, the Hardship in the form of a wolf pounced forwards.

Arkhan flinched.

However, in the next moment, the Light of Hope shone brightly as Arkhan’s body shifted to the side, barely evading the Hardship’s attack.

The Light of Hope grew even brighter.

“Human, Hope is something which will help you draw out immense strength.”

As soon as Hope’s words ended, Arkhan’s muscles bulged as an illusory hammer floated above his head.

‘Is that Strength? Yes, but it’s still incomplete. Still, it is Strength, nonetheless.’

While thinking, Arkhan grabbed the illusory hammer before facing the Hardship.

The Hardship got back on its feet, ready to pounce again.

Hope’s voice rang out again, “Human, Hope is something that sprouts courage within your heart and helps you to face all Hardships without shying away.”

As soon as Hope’s words finished, within Arkhan’s heart, a plant grew, taking roots within him. The flower bud on top gradually grew bigger, as if about to bloom.

Arkhan’s eyes shone brightly as he thought, ‘Is that… Courage!’

Under the influence of Courage, he no longer felt weak and miniscule. His hands no longer shook from the pressure of the Hardship. His body relaxed, his grip on the illusory Strength tightening. Arkhan’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at the Hardship ahead with a renewed gaze.

The Hardship roared and Arkhan charged at it straight ahead.

The light of hope kept flickering, growing brighter at times, while at other times becoming duller, yet always shining on Arkhan. Under the influence of the shadow of Strength, Arkhan’s blows matched those of the Hardship. Courage kept Arkhan firm on his feet, allowing him to charge ahead bravely.

The battle continued for a while before Arkhan lifted the shadow of Strength, smacking the Hardship hard enough that it could no longer hold on.

‘I did it! I overcame Hardship!’

Arkhan’s eyes lit up as he ran forward to inspect the body of the beast he just killed.

While he moved, he found that his muscles stopped bulging, returning to the previous size as the illusory hammer in his hands disappeared. The bud of courage shrank to a smaller size, no longer filling up the whole of his heart. Lastly, Hope came back to rest atop his head, still shining as bright as ever.

With a beaming smile, Arkhan picked up the corpse of the beast he just slayed, dragging it back towards the hut he lived in.

However, when he reached his home, he found the hut covered under a sea of flames.

His pupils shrunk to pinpoints as the strength in his body vanished. He fell to his knees in a daze.

A bug in the shape of a bee appeared near the flower of Courage — it was Worry.

Worry grew bigger, growing to the size a fourth of Arkhan’s heart in an instant, barely contained by the walls of his heart as it contested against courage for more space.

Arkhan’s hand moved over his heart due to the sudden pain. Arkhan stood up before running forward, paying no heed to the dead beast next to him.

The closer he got, the bigger the Worry became. By the time he reached the hut, he was gasping for breath, his consciousness dangling between black and white. He felt as if his heart was about to burst open.

He looked around for his brother, all to no avail.

Arkhan screamed in agony as he looked around, the Hope sitting on his head becoming duller by the moment.

When it couldn’t watch anymore, Hope spoke, “Oh, Human! Believe in your brother and believe in the hope your mother left behind. Don’t become disheartened.”

Arkhan gripped his fists tight as he screamed inwardly, ‘You must be alright. No matter what!’

The fog clouding his eyes cleared up.

He ran over to the nearby well, drawing buckets of water before pouring them over the fire to extinguish it.

Before long, the fire had stopped, and the hut was in ruins. At the centre of the hut, Arkhan found a Spark floating around. As soon as the Spark noticed the approaching Arkhan, it flew away, towards one of the half-burnt walls.

Arkhan’s brows creased as he leapt forward, clasping the Spark in his arms.

With the voice of a newborn, the spark spoke, “Human, oh human. I, Spark, did not mean to destroy your house. I was just running for my life. My mother, Lightning, sent me and my brothers down. Some of my brothers coincidentally landed on this house, lighting it ablaze. To show my sincerity, I will accompany you and help you out once when you need it.”

Arkhan gritted his teeth before nodding.

Spark landed on Arkhan’s hand, becoming a small mark on the back of his palm.

After dealing with Spark, Arkhan held back his tears as he looked around the remains of the hut, trying to find his brother, or at least his remains.

However, even after having searched for hours on end, he found nothing to show for. His shoulders drooped as he looked at the sky blankly.

Zack shook his head as he thought about the story he had read earlier.

This Arkhan person didn’t seem to have a good start. But he had hope. He didn’t stop hoping, managing to overcome the hardship in the battle. However, back at his house, an even bigger disaster awaited him, with his brother having gone missing. Even then, he kept hoping.

However, the main point here seems to be the teachings of hope. So that means, if I also keep hoping that I will win, will I also be able to get through this like that Arkhan guy?

While Zack thought this, his head lifted up, sneaking a glance at Samuel.

After finishing his food, Zack and Samuel got up, going for a final round before calling it a day.

After finishing drawing up a ring, Zack got up before taking a stance.

Looking at Samuel yawning in front of him relaxedly, Zack’s brow twitched. He made a wry grin before beginning his attack.

In a matter of a few moments, he found himself lying outside the ring with Samuel holding a hand to lift him up, unaware of the events that led to his loss.

He grabbed the hand before pulling himself up, all while thinking, Seems like hoping isn’t the only thing that’s needed. I need to do something more. But… what?