BOOM!!
"You done already?"
"Yo what the freak is your problem?! We just said we were gonna take it easy today!"
"It's not my fault you still can't keep up despite me holding back."
It's been six long months of being smacked around by the vice captains and Uncle T. I would rather be at the castle being whipped again. Today I'm with Rinata and her heavy handed ass is not holding back at all. Shin injured me yesterday but apparently, that just doesn't matter to her.
"Alright alright. Break it up. We'll take a breather and then start again later. Logan, you need to learn the silent step faster. We've been at it for two months and you've barely grasped the basics."
"Well, it's harder 'cause dad always taught me the berserk step. They're the complete opposite!"
"THEN DO THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE!"
There he goes again, saying sh*t like it's so f*cking easy and he only showed it to me once. If I could just see another demonstration instead of getting beat on every day then I'd already be a pro.
"AND RINATA!"
"SIR!"
"I told you to take it easy on him because of the accident yesterday."
"But capt-"
"THAT'S AN ORDER!"
"YES SIR"
At least he seems to be worried about me. I just need to get the hang of his dumbass technique and then we can move on
"I know everyone is on edge with the tournament being around the corner, but there's no need to rush things. That being said, Logan, I want you to learn this technique before we leave, otherwise, you'll be staying behind to work on it. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
The three days to the tournament passed by quickly and uneventfully. I failed to learn the technique and Uncle T, true to his word, demanded that I stayed behind without letting anyone but the vice captains know. It's pretty disappointing but I guess it's less embarrassing since only they know. Everyone except Nessa grabbed their weapons and took off. Rinata gave me a big hug before heading out.
I sat in the star room, gazing up toward the faux sky, trying to understand where I went wrong. Suddenly, Nessa plopped down next to me with a sigh.
"Why haven't you gotten it yet?"
"I don't know! It's the complete opposite of the berserk step but I got the foot pattern down and it still isn't right. Maybe I just remember the placement wrong."
"Your uncle said he expected you to get it by now since it's the complete opposite. He said he wouldn't give you the full answer but to tell you that it is the complete opposite."
"YEAH I F*CKIN KNOW!! I'VE BEEN TELLING THAT FROM THE VERY BEG-"
Wait… the complete opposite? With berserk steps, the key is to emit as much ki as possible to create a forceful stomp and then suck in ki to ground yourself. I've been reducing the amount and trying to round it but… maybe it's just the complete opposite.
Just then I decided to try sucking in the ki on every step. IT WORKED!... Kind of. My foot got stuck to the floor and when I tried to move, I fell on my face. Oh right! I forgot the second step. First I suck in the ki to stick to the ground silently and then I forcefully expel the ki to boost off. I flew up to the ceiling. I've never moved so fast in my life.
I practiced this motion for an hour before I could finally control it. I learned a few things in the meantime. First, I can stand on the wall or the ceiling for a short amount of time with this technique. Second, if I do the same thing with any other body part I can stick to the wall or the ceiling with that too. I also realized why Uncle T told me no one else can use the technique. It has to be cultivated along with Uncle T's cultivation method.
"Since you're done with this sh*t, then does that mean we can go watch the tournament now?"
"Yeah, but I'll have to be disguised. I'm not supposed to be seen otherwise they'll know I was faking being brain dead."
"Why don't you try on the fit that Shin made for you?"
I had completely forgotten about that. A few months ago, Shin had made an all black outfit. He had to make one special because I've got the bulk of a knight instead of the slimness of an assassin.
"It fits!"
"And it looks pretty good on you too."
Was- is Nessa flirting with me?! Whatever we don't have time for this.
"Hop on my back. We're gonna make it there as soon as possible."
With that, wI took off using Uncle T's silent steps. It took about an hour to get there despite running at full speed. As we approached the arena, the hustle and bustle of the city seemed a bit over the top. Everyone was excited for the battles of course but…. There was something else.
After a while of not being able to get inside, I decided to go to the top and see what was going on. What I saw was… strange to say the least. There seemed to be a lot of people attacking Uncle T and the Vice Captains. As far as I could remember, the tournament revolved around one on battles.
"I NEVER THOUGHT YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD…"
I could hear Uncle T saying something but I couldn't make it out over the crowd and commotion. What I could tell was that he was in trouble and I needed to help but how? There was no way in hell I was getting involved in that fight.
Finally, I came up with an idea. Was it guaranteed to work? Hell no but it was the best I had. I took off as fast as possible to the castle and just like I thought, the majority of the guards are at the coliseum. A few were still guarding the treasury and some were guarding the wall but no one was around the alarm so I made my way there.
The alarm can be heard all around the kingdom. It was built generations ago in order to signal an invasion from another country or an overflow of monsters from the ravenous forest. The alarm rang so loud in my ears that I thought I'd go deaf for a moment.
After I rang it, I got out of the castle as quickly as possible and as I expected everyone went into a frenzy. As I made my way back to the arena, I noticed the king being brought back by a group of guards. I hid wiith haste. The last thing I need is to run into him now.
"F*CK F*CK F*CK!!!"
"My apologies your highness. I thought for sure we'd be able to take him out but they've been poisoned so it isn't like it's a total loss."
"HE KNOWS YOU AREN'T TO BE TRUSTED ANY LONGER! WE'VE WASTED OUR GOLDEN OPPURTUNITY!"
"There's nothing that can be done your highness. We need to get you somewhere safe immediately."
Hold on… I know those voices. They were the squad captains. I'm so confused… THEY'RE WITH THE KING?! Sh*t! I don't have time for this. I need to make sure Uncle T is okay. As I finally arrived at the arena, I realized they were long gone. I found Nessa, put her on my back, and headed to the base.
After getting halfway there, I abruptly stopped. If they betrayed Uncle T then that means the base isn't safe anymore. Where else would he go though… The forest. I know he's gotta be in there somewhere. How do I get in though? I can't leave Nessa but she can't handle the pressure of the forest.
"You can just leave me here."
"What?"
"You've just been standing there for a while so I assume you know where your uncle is and just don't want to take me along… either that or you just can't."
"No… I think I have an idea."
I took off and made it to the entrance of the forest as quickly as possible. I sat and meditated in order to restore my ki. After a while, I picked Nessa back up and put her on my back.
"You ready?"
"For what?"
"I'll take that as a yes."
I cloaked Ness in my ki and proceeded into the forest with only my pphysical strength. It was easier than the first time I came. I guess I've gotten quite a bit stronger in this year since then. However, soon enough, the pressure began to feel like it was crushing my organs and bones.
"I SEE THEM!"
What? I had lost consciousness while walking. It seems I never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. As I looked up I saw Uncle T and the Vice-Captains laid out on the ground. All of them seemed to be breathin and feeling no pressure. Finally, I made it to the center and the pressure disappeared completely. Finally, I'm safe.
I fainted