As Zan'Iza promise, Ty'Maign joined him on his next hunt. His instructor Kun'Mei, who so happened to have been the head of the party that brought in Ty'Maign, was hesitant. But Zan'Iza reassured him.
"Don't fret master. He can keep his own. Besides, he does not have a sponsor yet. We may be able to recruit him. I know how you have been struggling to get worthy recruits."
Kun'Mei grumbled, but allowed it. The party of four should be enough to keep him out of trouble, and Kun'Mei has a very high physical stat around 1750. Also they are hunting minor void-spawn near the outskirts of the forest today.
Kun'Mei handed out each party member standard steel armour. But Ty'Maign stubbornly refused saying: "It will restrict my movement."
After a couple of minutes of trying to get Ty'Maign to wear the armour, Kun'Mei gave up.
Kun'Mei then handed each a weapon. He himself would be using a sword, as would two other members. Zan'Iza choose the bow and arrow. Ty'Maign went with a twin set of daggers. Kun'Mei snorted. Ty'Maign would be dead before he can even get a chance to strike with those meger daggers.
Once they had all settled themselves they got onto their horses and rode off. Ty'Maign rode with Zan'Iza.
After and hours travel they managed to reach the forest which lay a couple kilometers away from Pitalcian's walls.
They rode along a pre determined path near the forest's edge. After half an hour they stopped. The sound of rustling leaves caught their attention. They dismounted their horses and slowly approached the sound with weapons drawn. Only Zan'Iza stayed on his horse, with an arrow notched in his bow. However Ty'Maign did not approach. He stayed back, his daggers still sheathed.
A scaled cat came charging out from the bushes, causing to knock the three men down. It pounced at Kun'Mei who managed to keep it back with his sword, although he could not pierce the scaly skin.
Zan'Iza let an arrow fly. It hit the scaled cat, but snapped in two without penetrating the scaled cat.
As the men stumbled back, trying to regain themselves, Ty'Maign approached. His daggers had not been drawn and his eyes were closed. They all screamed to him to stop, but Ty'Maign continued to approach.
He stopped a couple of meters away from the scaled cat in a ready position.
The scaled cat pounced. Ty'Maign managed to dodge. He brought his leg up in a ferocious kick, driving the scaled cat into the dirt. His spirit being drawn to his leg.
Ty'Maign took out one of his daggers and drove it into a weak spot among the scaled cats scales. The scaled cat no longer squirmed as its life force was being drawn back to the void for reincarnation. But before it could, Ty'Maign digested its life force, feeling his stats go up slightly.
"I slay this void-spawn in the name of Nikareo, Titan of Heroes."
Everyone looked at Ty'Maign in awe. The kid had managed to pin the enemy with a single kick and at such a low physical stat too! Not only that but he had killed it in the name of a Titan, not a God. Even Zan'Iza was in awe.
"How did you manage to defeat the scaled cat child? Surely your foot must hurt after such an action."
Ty'Maign looked at the group, sighing at their awe.
'People these days. They have little respect for technique. It's all about power. Hmph.'
"It is a style of combat specifically designed to take down void-spawn, called Waratee. It is how men used to fight void-spawn before the CPS allowed men's power to match, even surpass that of void-spawn."
They all looked at him baffled, except for Zan'Iza who had heard this all before. However he is still in awe of just how good Waratee is.
"My child, how have you learnt such a technique? Even I a master of the palace guard have not heard of such a thing. More so, are you able to teach it to others?"
Ty'Maign shook his head.
"Your culture is too embedded with your reliance on brute power that it may be near impossible. This takes discipline, patience, precision and agility. It does work very little stats, however mental and spiritual are more important than physical. Most of your men have focused most their energy into improving their physical stat. The gap between their physical and other stats is just too big. There is no balance."
Kun'Mei scratched his head, trying to wrap his head around what he had heard.
"Well then if I gather a group of say a dozen who have balanced stats, then could you teach them?"
Ty'Maign grinned and nodded.
"I may, however each student will have to pay one silver coin per month."
Ty'Maign held out his hand and Kun'Mei shook it without a moment's hesitation. Waratee could be the answer he has been looking for.
"You have a deal child."
Ty'Maign hid his anger when Kun'Mei called him child. He had grown used to it by now.
"Now that that is settled, let us loot the scaled cat of anything valuable before continuing the hunt."
They took time to take off each scale of the scaled cat, each one being a three bronze coins. However they left the flesh, it causing people more hunger instead of filling their stomachs.
By the end of the hunt Ty'Maign's new stats were:
Spirit: 309
Mental: 291
Physical: 296