[Tomorrow]
Marco and Alice were in the Great Forest of Noah, once they were out of the forest they reached Gold Region. Marco was smoking a cigarette while holding the backpack while Alice asked.
Alice: Hey, Marco… Could you make pizza again soon?
Marco: Well, when we get to Grangold I will buy the items that I need.
Alice: Alright, I will wait for it. Anyway, there is a monster.
Marco nodded and Alice vanished like every time a monster comes. This time it was a Mantis Girl, but unlike many monsters, she didn't really have any human part except the face, her chest, boobs, etc were made from an insect's part.
She had insect wings at her back, instead of arms she had mantis scythes, her exoskeleton is green while the rest was pale white.
Mantis Girl: A human male… How rare. I'll capture you… And mate…
Marco sighed and picked the cigarette from his mouth before exhaling smoke.
Marco: I have the balls full of this shit about mating… Seriously, couldn't you ask for something else? Money, food, even company for drinking tea was alright! No! We WaNt To MaTe, We WaNt YoUr SpErM, I wAnT tO sUcK yOu DrY. Christ! Do something else!
Mantis Girl: You think that I am like the other monsters? Dream on!
Then she rushed towards Marco, who put back the cigarette in his mouth and sighed.
Marco: From a cliché to another…
Marco's body was full of Gnome's powers and grabbed both the Mantis Girl's scythes barehanded, he decided to not use the Chakra Gate this time and try to fight using only spirits, he needs experience about their uses.
The ground under Marco's feet was full of cracks due to the weight of the attack he blocked, but he still managed to stand on his feet, then he let go the scythes and charged his fist with the power of Sylph, before throwing a punch at the Mantis Girl's chest with the wind rotating around his arm.
The Mantis staggered back of some meters before Marco jumped and kicked her face before she could react, making her fall in the ground, since he wasn't using the Chakra Gate, his body didn't had any Magic Dispersion enchantment.
But if he could make her surrender then it's alright.
Before the Mantis Girl could get up, Marco walked over her and stepped on her neck.
Marco: Give up.
Mantis Girl: N-No-Arrgh!
He put a bit of pressure on her neck, forcing her to surrender, until she gave up and Marco walked away, the Mantis Girl didn't had the determination to make a surprise attack and left.
Then Alice came near Marco and asked curiously.
Alice: Why you didn't used the Nine Tailed Gates?
Marco: I need to train more with the spirits, especially Undine, unless I am nearby a water source I can't really use her, and I doubt I can do something with sweat, maybe in future I will be able to summon water from nothing.
Alice: You are right… Then I'll train you at using Undine.
Marco let out a smile and said.
Marco: Thank you.
Alice nodded and followed Marco, who exhaled a cloud of smoke and continued to smoke.
[Later]
The duo finally came out from the forest, and Marco stretched his body and said while looking at the sun.
Marco: Whew… Finally out of the Great Forest of Noah. Let's see… We should ca-... *Sigh*
Another monster jumped in, this time it was a Scylla, she had the lower body of an octopus and the upper body of a woman, she had blonde medium-length hair, her skin was pink, and instead of ears she had fins, still pink colored. How a Scylla was in the land, Marco will never find out…
Scylla: Hehe… It's dangerous for cute little boys like you to be out here at this time. Scaaary girls will come up to you and wrap you in their tentacles, you know?
Marco: My dark humor is more scarier than 100 of you, now how should we do this? You leave from here or I use your tails as an ingredient for dinner?
Scylla: W-What!?
She was hugging her tails with a terrified face.
Scylla: Y-You wouldn't!
Marco opened his backpack and took out a big fork, before menacingly smiling and moving it on his hand.
The Scylla was freaked out and runned away from Marco, thinking that he would really eat her…
And probably Marco would do it for real if he didn't had food in his backpack… Meanwhile Alice came back and said.
Alice: ...I'm starving. Let's make camp now.
Marco: It's alright, I planned to do it now.
Then Marco took out the things for camping, while Alice waited for him somewhere else, lazy as always...
[Night]
After eating, Alice started Marco's training…
Alice: So that you can master the power of water, we're going to forge that heart of yours. Now hurry up and get into a meditation pose, you remember how it was, right?
Marco nodded, he crossed his legs and his eyes.
Alice: This time, you need to do like you used to do before I explained how meditation work, empty your heart to nothing.
Marco took a deep breath, and calmed his mi-
Alice: Ha!
Marco's arms shot out like lightning and blocked the attack of Alice's tail, he opened his eyes wide and looked at what happened, Alice's tail stopped some millimeters away from Marco's arms, if he really tried to block that attack in his normal state then he might as well die.
Alice: *Sigh* You shouldn't block the attack, try to dodge it. But still, your reflexes are good. If you had given your heart over to the flow, you should have been able to dodge that easily.
Marco sighed, knowing it would be a long night, and meditated again.
Marco: 'Alright… Serene Mind is similar to the Ultra Instinct, just without the boost in power, letting the body move without giving a command, basically it is moving without realizing it…
The sixth sense, called instinct, is just a mix of informations gained through the other 5 senses, so I will be able to react against things I see, hear, touch, taste and smell…
But to do that, I need to think about the command I need to give, however the Serene Mind is the opposite… Aaargh! This is so confu-'
Alice: Ha!
Alice's tail connected with Marco's cheek.
Marco: Oof!
Marco didn't opened his eyes and turned to his meditation pose while listening to Alice and gritting his teeth.
Alice: One with body and spirit! If you can't do that, you'll never be able to use the power of water!
Marco: Just continue to do it!
…
…
Alice: Ha!
*Piak*
Alice: Feel the flow in your heart! Project Undine's power into that flow!
…
Alice: Ha!
*Piak*
Alice: ...I think it's time to stop for this night. You will lose concentration the more we continue.
Marco opened again his eyes, and rubbed his cheek which was red, Alice held her power to avoid to break something.
Marco took out a cigarette and started to smoke again.
Marco: I need to remove the stress…
Alice: Alright, when you finished come to me again, I will teach you a new technique.
Marco nodded and relaxed himself, then he started thinking.
Marco: 'Alright… I need to pick Salamander, then I need to return to Sabasa Kingdom because the princess will be kidnapped for real, then I will pick the orbs… The fourth is on the Kraken's hands, the fifth is with Poseidoness, the sea queen of the north…
And the last one… Shiiiiit! It's with Beelzebub!'
Marco remembered about the game over scenes with Beelzebub, and in short… They were disturbing… It is around the level of the worst Dark Jokes he ever knew. Basically one of them would mount him for a vaginal intercourse while the others…
...Would lay eggs in his rear… Ugh!
Marco shook his head and took a deep breath, taking out half cigarette, and then exhaled, releasing a big cloud of smoke.
Later he finished calming down and stood up before walking towards Alice.
Marco: I am ready.
Alice: Ok, after all your fights, it looks you are surprisingly skilled at using Sylph. As you are now, you should be able to apply the power of wind to your techniques.
Marco nodded, and then he tried to practice with her help.
[Later]
Marco wasn't using the Chakra Gate because it would be a bit useless now, he used Gnome's powers to strengthen his body up to the necessary strength that he needs to not get hurt when punching a tree.
He took a deep breath and dashed against the tree, his body was propelled with the wind, he reared back his fist, which then took the form of a spearhand, and thrusted it forward while using the same wind to propel his arm forward.
The speed was so fast that it released an after-image, and made an hole in the tree.
Alice: ...Hmph, well done. Basically, you use Thunder Thrust while infused with the power of the wind. Therefore, it's called "Lightning Sword Flash", but in your case we can omit the "Sword" part.
Marco: ...Lightning Flash…
Alice: This skill is much better than Thunder Thrust. If you have Sylph summoned, the power is further amplified, even more so if you use the Nine Tailed Gates. The Death God Girl Thanatos used this skill to sever the lives of hundreds of humans…
Marco: *Sigh* Whatever… 'I wonder what expression Alice will do when she sees me using the Nine Tailed Chakra Gates…'
Since they were too tired now, they got to sleep, as usual, Marco picked a futon while Alice coiled herself around a tree.
[BONUS DARK HUMOR]
Where do horses go when they get sick?
…
The Horse-pital.
…
…
Lol, just joking, They get shot.
[SPECIAL QUESTS]
1st. Kick Gabriel's ass
2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans
3rd. Kill Illias
4th. Return to Lucifina's grave
5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo
6th. Turn back to Sabasa Kingdom