In the Dragonsoar Palace.
Countless screams and explosions coming from the inner ward were heard by the guards stationed in the perimeter. However, these guards didn't have any shred of worry or panic whatsoever. It was just like a normal day for them to hear such loud sounds.
It all started years ago for them. At first, their Young Noble, Zeke, invited one of them to spar with him. In continued up till Zeke had a 1v5 situation against 5 guards. They were only told by their Young Noble to fight him like it was a real battle and nevermind injuring him. At first, they were worried that they might accidentally fatally hurt their Young Noble, but since he insisted, they had no choice but to comply. At the first match, they were surprised that the person they should be protecting easily defeated one of them. Instead of frowning, fighting spirit swelled inside of them. They felt a sense of duty and objective to get stronger when they saw Zeke having a much higher combat prowess than them. They were supposed to be the stronger ones so they couldn't accept losing to the person they were supposed to protect. Then it became a normal occurrence for them to spar inside the inner ward while on break while Zeke also watched their combat techniques. Even though Zeke could overwhelm one of them, he still felt that he could learn a lot of things from the guards since they have more combat experience than them.
After a few months, the other 14 children that were going inside the palace suddenly joined. Zeke tasked the other guards to train his friends, which puzzled a lot of the guards since they were all very young. Just why would their Young Noble issue this order?
However, after a few trials, they quickly found out the children's aptitudes. The guards were very surprised initially to see all of them have mana core, but what surprised them most is the two variant ones. It would be an honor for them to be the first ones to teach this bunch of prospect geniuses so they committed to it.
Right now, they knew that a battle between the 14 children and Zeke started. It became a common occurrence for them since the 14 children didn't have anything to learn from the soldiers anymore. They also had different weapons than the guards who use spears, so the guards could only give insights and tactics but not weapon styles. That was where Zeke came in. After the guards taught them combat insights, he would be the one to teach them different techniques from his Formless Style. This also served as an experiment for Zeke if they could really learn part of the Formless Style.
Marcus wielded his sword in front of him as he charged towards Zeke who was being currently held down by the three shield bearers. He slashed down with an overwhelming force towards Zeke, who still looked as calm as usual. Inwardly, he was satisfied with Marcus' level of training on his Clearheart Sword Style mixed with Metal element - something Zeke derived from the Formless Style. Zeke made it so Marcus could use the Clearheart Sword Style, which focuses on frontal attacks and strength, with his Metal Element, completely mixing sharpness with his attacks. This made Marcus' attacks very lethal and powerful and if it even grazed the tip of the skin of a person, it will nevertheless cause a wound. Marcus' sword was literally an untouchable one once he imbued his Element on it as it could cut things as if it was butter. Of course, it was still a bit weak right now but as Marcus expanded and improved his mana core, his combat strength will soon rise again.
Zeke hurriedly pushed the shield bearers in front of him and activated [Deflect], which completely nullified Marcus' attack. He then lunged with his sword towards him in a swift manner, grazing Marcus' chest. It was so fast that Marcus couldn't keep up with his sword and received the attack on his chest. Thankfully, it was a very dull blade and only caused his chest to redden, or else he'd have a wound right now.
Zeke utilized his [Cloud Soaring Technique] there mixed in with a little bit of [Dance of Death], making his attacks very fast and unexpected. It caught Marcus off guard as he received the hit on his chest and got sent tumbling backward.
Zeke then focused on the shield bearers who were charging at him. He just used [Deflect] so he had to think of other ways to dodge their shield bash.
'[Feline Walk]! [Grease]!' Zeke simultaneously cast both spells. Feline Walk made him move faster while Grease made the surface slippery. Zeke immediately jumped backward and applied Grease on the area in front of his previous position. The three shield-bearers couldn't stop their momentum so they slipped and fell on top of each other.
Zeke then rushed to the archers behind and readied his sword. The two archers looked at Zeke, as if they were expecting it, and ran in opposite directions. This was something they realized after sparring with the guards these past years. It made it so their opponent would have to run after one of them, leaving the other safe and ready to attack again.
Unfortunately, Zeke knew what they wanted to do, and he immediately used [Spatial King's Domain], teleporting just by the side of one of the running archers. He swung his sword towards the archer, hoping to end it quickly so he could run towards the other archer before the remaining four could come to the rescue. Unfortunately for him, the archer blocked the brunt of the damage using his wooden bow. Although it cracked, it gave the archer enough window of time to run again.
Zeke continued to chase only to feel chilly in his back. He sensed that the Dark Element Dagger user among them had closed in behind him and is planning on backstabbing him while he targets the archer. He smiled at these guys' ingenuity as he quickly turned around and threw a weakened [Fireball] towards the assassin. Seeing this, the assassin blocked it with his dagger only to realize that Zeke's sword was already coming towards his side. He realized it too late as he got pushed by the brunt force. He, along with the three shield-bearers as well as Marcus, are all 'out' of the battle. The only ones left were the two archers, two swordsmen, and another assassin.
On Zeke's view, he could see the two archers reuniting and are already preparing an arrow for him while the two swordsmen stood guard in front of both. They were also approaching slowly while the remaining assassin circled behind Zeke, waiting for the right opportunity to lunge.
Zeke was inwardly praising their coordination skills. The only glaring problem the group faces right now is their individual strengths, and it wasn't something that could be rushed. Zeke knew that as time passed by, this group will only grow more powerful and will only sharpen their coordination and trust with each other more and more. It made Zeke kind of proud, seeing as these children could already be considered his and his guards' 'disciples'.
Lightning sparks suddenly showed up around Zeke's legs, the premonition of him using [Breath of Lightning]. The children knew it, and they all tightened their grip and watched him closely. Zeke suddenly charged towards the swordsmen and the archers, but what puzzled them was that Zeke didn't go straight towards them, but instead ran towards their sides. Albeit weird, The four people tightened their guards and readied their weapons to attack him. Suddenly, when the swordsmen were hacking down their swords towards him, a wall of earth appeared between the Swordsmen and Zeke. They were surprised, and as soon as they realized it, Zeke was long gone. He already rushed towards the two archers just behind them as he hacked at the leather armor of the first one while shooting a wind blade towards the other archer. The assassin ran and immediately tried to slice Zeke's back but Zeke instantly turned around blocked it with his sword through [Deflect].
He then countered with a swipe towards the assassin's hand, 'outing' him. There were only two swordsmen left, and even though they knew victory was impossible, they still charged at Zeke and tried swipe him. It was futile, however, as both got grazed on their armors.
The game ended with Zeke's full victory. It was a game he assigned to them to practice their coordination. The condition for them to win was only to 'out' Zeke by swiping or hitting him with any of their weapons. Unfortunately, their individual strengths dwarfed their slightly increasing cooperation and trust with each other as a group.
"It was a good and close one." Zeke praised.
"Yeah, close my ass." Marcus replied. The others laughed and seemed to agree with him.
"You do know it's not because you guys are weak, right? It's just I'm too strong for the current group. If it were the guards, maybe you'd have a chance at defeating them." Zeke smiled and wanted to laugh at Marcus' reply but he managed to hold it in. Indeed, what he said earlier was only to prevent them from being discouraged.
"Yeah, we figured it after all this time. So it's 45-0 now, I assume?" Marcus said.
"Yep, something like that." Zeke shrugged.
They battled Zeke for 45 times now and they still haven't touched him. They didn't get depressed over that, however, as they even praised their Young Noble's fighting prowess. They clearly recognized Zeke's power even from the start since he dared to kill the slavers. They also knew that their cooperation was slowly increasing, and the only thing they need is improving their individual combat abilities and power.
"Marcus, use your Clearheart Sword Technique a bit more but make it faster and overbearing. Remember, your sword technique might not be well versed for speed, but it's very strong in giving pressure towards the enemy. Use your advantage and always try to think ahead of your opponent. Your sword technique is straightforward, so if you managed to study your opponent's pattern, you can quickly adjust your attack patterns. Since it's a straightforward and frontal technique, I believe you could adapt to it fast enough in the middle of battle. Also, try to make efficient use of your metal mana. Since you don't have much to supply your sword with, try to minimize the consumption while you're not attacking." Zeke advised. Marcus nodded while seemingly in thought.
"Mark, the Firebreath Sword Technique I taught you fits your primary element. Unlike Marcus who needed to adapt his sword style, yours should be fluid and compatible. Just like Marcus, play on your strengths. I noticed your attacks are a bit fast but lacking with power. You should know that your technique emphasizes strength over speed. Along with your Fire element, your sword should be very destructive and high in force. Try to completely practice Firebreath Sword first in its normal speed, and if you want to speed up your attacks more, I'll try to teach you some adjustments. Alright?" Zeke gazed on the other swordsman named Mark. This guy preferred hard-hitting than quick attacks so Zeke taught him the complete Firebreath Sword Style. It also matched his innate element which is Fire.
"I-I'm sorry, Young Noble. I got excited in the heat of the moment." Mark scratched his head, excitement still lingering in his face.
"What are you, a berserker?" Zeke lightly laughed.
"It's good to be excited when in a battle, but make sure it won't affect your mindset and decision-making! You would just be like a beast who relies on instincts to fight. Although it had its advantages, it also had glaring flaws, such as uncoordinated attacks."
"Yes! I apologize for my poor performance." Mark bowed and went to an empty spot where he practiced his sword style again.
"Martha, I'm impressed by how you handle your sword today. Although you didn't exhibit flashy moves in this fight, you stuck with your technique and maintained a composed demeanor. I really think Dance of Death perfectly suits you. After all, you need to have fewer emotions and thoughts in battle to fully exhibit this sword style's complete potential. Try to practice and familiarize yourself with the techniques more then try to quicken and diversify your attack patterns. That way..." Zeke guided Martha, the sole girl swordsman out of the 5 girls.
Zeke then continued giving guidance on the other seven. As for the five magicians, they abstained from the fight as they still need to learn and ponder new skills as well as improve their mana core before they join in. They knew they wouldn't last against Zeke if they joined while being a fledgling magician so they decided to increase their mana pool before trying their game.
'Young Master's getting stronger and stronger these days... I wonder what'll be his parent's reactions when they see their son's frightening combat insight.' Esteban, who was calmly drinking his tea while sitting on a bench not far from the children's game. He witnessed how Zeke improved ever since and he became numb to all of Zeke's feats. Just by watching today, Esteban could faintly feel that his Young Master's strength is slowly catching up to his and his parent's. It was a frightening realization that a 9-year-old could have the combat prowess of an adult genius at his prime. He wondered how surprised his parents would be when their son came back like this.
"Mr. Esteban, can you get me something to drink, please?" Zeke approached the sitting butler and asked.
"Sure thing, Young Master. Do watch for my tea here for a bit. I'll be back in a jiffy."
Esteban went back after not even a minute as he sat beside Zeke. The butler and master were now watching a bunch of children swaying weapons that should've been illegal for their age to use.
"Mr. Esteban, do you know of any places near this city that have a lot of low to mid-level monsters?"
Esteban was surprised about his Master's sudden question, but he immediately realized why Zeke asked for it.
"Y-Young Master, are you planning on going there?"
"Yes, Mr. Esteban. I can't improve my strength here anymore. I need to fight more powerful people and experience a thrilling fight."
"But Young Master, you could just spar with me then? Why the need for monsters?"
"Because sparring is different from a real fight. I can't exert the full extent of my power by just pulling back, so I need enemies that I can fully indulge with." Zeke smiled. He knew Esteban would understand his daredevil requests.
"T-that's true, but you're still young, Young Master. Besides, Sir Charles wanted to have you back at the Imperial Capital by the age of 10. He said it'd be time then for you to awaken your dragon bloodline. There's just a year left. Why the need to go out now?"
"Oh? Awakening? Then I'm looking forward to it. That is, if I haven't awakened after fighting first." Zeke laughed.
Esteban knew what Zeke's words meant. It signified that Zeke is actually going to a monster-infested place to awaken. He knew that his Young Master didn't want half-assed things, so he might've thought of using the third and brutal way of awakening his dragon bloodline, and that is by battling, especially in a life or death battle. If his Young Master will awaken through the event a year later, it wouldn't fully excavate his potential, so Young Master clearly didn't want to half-ass his awakening.
"Can I go with you, Young Master? Don't worry, I won't interfere unless it's absolutely necessary." Esteban proposed.
"No need, Mr. Esteban. It would only create a feeling of safety in my mind. Don't worry, I prepared for today." Zeke smiled and pointed towards his part of the palace. Esteban looked at where Zeke was pointing and he couldn't help but drop his jaws. He thought he was dreaming because he was clearly looking at a Zeke from afar. He then looked to his side and saw Zeke still there, while gazing back to the Zeke afar. He suddenly became confused and he even thought he was being crazy.
'Must've been from the endless shock Young Master gives. Damn, I might die from heart attack these days.'
No matter how many times he looked at both Zekes, he clearly could distinguish that both had the same physical features. How was this possible?!
"Mr. Esteban, I'd like you to meet my clone. He's me but a lot weaker, maybe 10% of my current power. If, by any chance, I die in the wilderness, this will become my main body. I just need to train again and I'll be good to go!" Zeke proudly introduced his clone.
"W-What?! How's that possible?"
"This clone is a pet of my soul, Mr. Esteban. Basically, if I die, this part of my soul would be the main one."
"I-I don't understand.."
"No need, Mr. Esteban. You'll know in time. So, can I get a rough layout or map of the surrounding places?" Zeke's smile never left his face as he was asking Esteban.
If anyone would see this, they'd probably think the boy was requesting some kind of toy from his father. They wouldn't expect even a tiny bit that this boy was actually begging his butler to leave him alone and let him experience a life and death situation. Such a situation would never be ruled as possibility when onlookers who don't know of Zeke's behavior see this.