"Can you teach me how to use a sword?"
A question that leads to a month of hardship.
"If I did will you see me as your teacher?" Drew asked he took the tablet away from Allen's hand.
'Huh? it happened on the test but-
"I thought you're already my teacher?" Allen blurted out he didn't try to take his words back and silently waited for Drew's response.
The guy smiled and the mood around him suddenly turned sunny.
"You're right!, then will start at night but you need to follow three rules," He said pointing out three fingers.
"One, don't question anything that I ask you to do, I'm your teacher after all"
"Second don't be lazy or else I'll stop teaching you"
He moves towards the exit and spoken out the last condition "Lastly, enjoy it"
On the first night of training, he met me in my room and asked me to tag along as we walk towards the empty large space of the great outdoors.
"Let's start with running"
He said with a pair of black shoes at hand.
"Run towards that tree over there and come back easy right?" Drew said handing me the pair of shoes
He pointed at a large oak tree three meters away from us, so I was assured it will be manageable.
"With this?" I asked putting the shoes on.
"No question," He said pulling me up and lightly tapping my back to make me start running.
I move my legs and almost broke my knee cause of how heavy the shoes were.
It was light when I was holding it earlier.
"What is this?" I asked putting my all into a single step.
Drew casually walk beside me "No question"
I try to take another step but couldn't, my whole body was dragged towards the ground.
First day of training: 1 step.
2nd day came and I succeeded in taking another step.
3rd night of training came and I didn't make any improvement it made me think 'how am I supposed to enjoy this?'
"Come on you can do it" Drew cheered for me.
I was crouching on the ground, the shoes felt heavier than yesterday, did Drew add weight to this
I felt something boiling within me when I heard Drew's encouragement.
"Shut up!"
"I will if you just take another step"
"This!" I did my best to stand up but halfway through doing so, I fainted.
4th day I ditch my morning training and headed outside wearing the heavy shoes, it was humiliating being encouraged and mocked by Drew.
5th day I couldn't help but grin when I saw Drew's surprised expression when I took five steps! I bought ice cream for my roommates to celebrate.
6th day drew met me at the cafeteria with a whole roasted pig in hand
"Eat this" Drew offered the food on the table.
"But I'm full" I try to reason, I can't eat that whole pig, I could imagine myself exploding if I took a bite.
"Weak" Drew's provocation worked and when I realise it did, I woke up in the cafeteria with pig meat stuffed inside my mouth, halfway through finishing the roasted pig.
Days passed by and my training become harder and harder before I could reach the tree Drew would add more weight to the shoe and make me do something stupid.
On day 30 I finally reach the tree, weight on my arm and legs, and the shoe sinking on the grass.
"I did it!"
Or so I thought, I made the tree my goal forgetting the training mechanic is to reach the tree and come back.
I look back seeing Drew holding back his laughter signaling me to come close.
I begin to walk towards him but I fainted as soon as I let go of the tree.
When I woke up I'm in bed cuddling with the worn-out training sword
"Grandpa said someone wanted to spare with me" I look at myself in the small mirror.
I grew a little, my Scrawny self could no longer be recognized but it doesn't mean I look strong.
"Why would someone challenge this guy, don't they feel bad?" I spoke in the mirror.
I head towards the training room I was introduced to yesterday and the first thing I notice is a buff dwarf with red fire hair standing next to the door.
He looked at me and approach looking so stiff that a poke of a finger might make his body fall.
"let's fight," He said handing me a wooden sword.
It took me a moment to realize what was happening,
This is the guy that wanted to spar!?,
he's so buff so why in the world would he want to spar with me!?, I didn't even learn any swordsmanship, future memory doesn't count.
I grabbed the sword out of his hand, a few things happened and in the blink of an eye, I was standing inside a circle.
We both have a wooden sword in hand
All the people inside the training room were watching us, his brother tried to reason him to stop, and if I could I do the same.
It's not that I don't want to spar, no I would love to! I wanted to check if the training I did make me stronger, or if Drew just made me suffer,
but now is not the time for that, cause it will happen soon I can feel it.
His brother was behind the buff dwarf whispering words that I couldn't even hear, but I have a feeling it was words pleading him to back out of this spar.
The Buff dwarf pointed his wooden sword at me before running for a stab.
I couldn't have dodged this if It was a month ago, but now my body has gotten used to exercises like this
And I can move just like I wanted to.
Fuzzy future memory of practicing the art of the sword, I can finally use it.
I took a step back and let him stab the air,
"Head slice!" I yelled he try blocking his face and neck but my sword was aimed down hitting his crouch.
"ooof!"
The audience responds like they felt what the buff dwarf just experienced.
When he was still taken back by the hit he received, I started to beat the shit out of him.
As I swing my wooden sword blindly hitting him I felt something strike my gut.
"ouch!, what was that?"
I looked down to see what it was and saw the dwarf's wooden sword about to hit my side.
"Aaahhh!" He yelled announcing his attack.
I block it and hit him in the face, is he a human? he was hit in the cheek but he didn't even flinch
he grabbed my leg and tried to pull me down. but he couldn't maybe it was thanks to the training I did,
I kick him in the face and hit him in the head with that he was the one taken down.
I thought the spar ended but I was hit in the chest with a flying wooden sword.
'Did he just throw his weapon!, what will he use?'
He immediately get up and punch my gut, I felt suffocated the moment I was hit.
He didn't even let me rest, he swing his fist at my face, he tried to punch me the third time but I managed to block it.
I hit him with the wooden sword which didn't deal any more damage than I thought it would.
As the spar continues I lost track of time, I was angry about how he was not backing down, if I was using a real sword he would have been dead in our first exchange, which piss me off.
I was beaten to the point that my nose bleed, I could feel the adrenaline rushing all over my body, I smiled as blood run down my nose
This is getting fun
My sparring partner has his head bashed multiple times, and his leg was wobbling but he seems like he never took single damage as no blood or cut can be seen on his body, just sweat.
He readied his fist and I ready my sword knowing this blow would decide the winner.
"Eat this bastard!" I yelled while he scream, we forgot the crowd but they were all hype up wanting to know who would win
all except for the dwarf's brother who is walking left to right clearly worried about his brother's condition.
I couldn't wipe my smile off as I rush towards him I could see his slow fist and I was ready to block it, but just as I felt it earlier it happened.
One of the stupid tasks that Drew asked me to do as it was part of the training was to control my sleep.
Rest for an hour and wake up the next hour, he's telling me to sleep when the training is over and wake up to start back again, which means I have no time to properly rest.
He also said it might help me to control my ability as It activated when I was asleep, I was doubtful but his suggestion actually works and I could see one hour in the future.
But all things don't work as planned and I develop a disease of some kind that made my body shut down randomly.
It happened when I was eating lunch yesterday and it's happening right now.
I blinked and my eyes became heavy, it's stitched to my eyelid and I couldn't open it even if I try.
'this will hurt' My last thought as I lost consciousness.
Not knowing his opponent's condition, Kevin dashed forward.
His whole body was screaming especially his head which was hit multiple times.
Allen took a direct blow in the stomach and he was sent flying out of the circle.
One of the audience catch his body and immediately checked his condition.
Kevin sat down looking at his aching fist,
"I win"
"You are an idiot," His sister said to her before going toward Allen.
As people crowded toward Allen's body a clap can be heard at the door.
"That was a nice fight"
Drew spoke approaching Kevin.
"Hahaha, he got beat up so bad" He patted the young man's back.
"Ahem!, all of you get away from the kid" Drew said and everybody cleared out of the way and there it was Allen snoring loudly.
"Wake up, I know you can see everything"
Allen opened his eyes.
"This is your fault," He groaned trying to stand up but the hit take a toll on his body.
"And who's that guy, is he your kid?, I won't be surprised if you say so" Allen joked.
"He uses his fist! he's already down, I won that spar!"
"Who's out of the ring?" Drew asked and Allen fall back to sleep muttering the word "Old prick"
"Oh, he blackout again"
He grabbed Allen by the leg and exit the room.
"Ouch" Kevin tried to stand up but couldn't
"Brother, a little help"
"Stand up yourself," Dev said with a medical kit in hand putting alcohol in Kevin's bruises.
"Dude you wrecked that guy" A bulky man approaches him, "I thought he was a legend but I guess it was all bluff to make as train harder"
Kevin awkwardly smiled at him still trying to stand up but his muscles were crying.
A girl approaches them she has a cute kid behind her.
"He's the one your with on the test," The girl asked dev
"You mean Allen?" Dev asked and the girl nodded.
"Yeah but we're not that close"
"We are close, we're friends," Kevin said his voice sounding broken.
Dev pour alcohol all over his brother's body and Kevin yelped
"Let me do the talking" dev said.
Allen was in bed Drew by his side talking about the new training he will do
"And with that you're going on a deadly mission next weekend"
Allen's mouth opened
"excuse me?"