Today, I woke up earlier than I usually do. After waking up I head to the bathroom to rinse my face. Feeling fresh, I immediately go to the backyard while picking some branch or stick that I can found. I pick up 3 branches and lined up like uncle did yesterday. What I want to do this morning is to learn power control while trying my hypothesis.
I tried to focus my power on the tip of my index and try hitting the branch.
*crack*
All branches are broken, but I when I checked the condition of the branch I found that my hypothesis is right that I should focus my impact like a bullet. If I look carefully at the backmost branch, I discover that the branch has more fracture than the frontmost branch. It's still not perfect but I finally manage to find my own method of power control.
Feeling motivated, I continued my practice until the is no intact branch left. There is no significant progress but I already satisfied with today's result. Soaked in sweat, I go to the bathroom to take a shower before the breakfast time.
When I arrived at the dining table all the food has been prepared by aunt Grace. There are salad, sandwich, and milk. After a while, uncle Boras also arrived and we start our breakfast. While we are eating uncle told me about today's schedule.
"Boy, I already discussed with Grace yesterday. You will sparring with me like it was on real battlefield. Therefore, we will use sharpened sword. I will not holding back and will strike you as if I want to kill you. Originally, I don't want to do this, but we don't have much time. I got some job that I must do and it will take around 2 years to finish it. We only have only one year before I go. Considering that life and death battle is the fastest way to improve, I reluctantly chose this way. I hope that you will bet your life on line during this training or you will die."
I flinched for a second but I instantly get my composure back.
"Uncle, I'm ready to bet my life on the line. I already know that someday I will do that, but it seems that it happened faster than I thought."
"Heh...you have some guts isn't it. It was something rare that someone as young as you determined to bet their life. I hope that you will not regret it."
"I will never and ever regret it." I said back to him with a fearless smile on my face.
"Finish your breakfast first!" aunt Grace suddenly shouted us.
"I'm sorry ma'am" I and uncle said at the same time
After we finish our breakfast. We headed to the backyard. Both of use carry a sharp sword in our hand while facing each other. I have seen uncle Boras's killing intent but this time he directed it to me. It was really frightening, I almost can't keep on standing. Suddenly, uncle slashed at me. My survival instinct moves to protect my live.
*clang*
The sound of the sword collision resounded accompanied by a fire spark.
His blow is really heavy. With just one slash my hand feeling numbs and my shoulder feel like it almost dislocated. Without giving me a second to regain my composure, he already attacked me again.
*clang*
*clang*
*clang*
I was really passive. I can only block him and I don't have any opportunity to strike back. I was crushed unilaterally, and my body already scratched by his slash. I can't no longer feeling my arms anymore and because of that my sword slips from my hands. Seeing an opportunity, uncle slashed at my neck. Seeing his sword approach my neck, I feel like I'm standing in front of the death. But, his sword stopped right before he cut off my neck.
I broke in cold sweat and I touch my neck. I feel some kind of slimy liquid in my neck. When I look at it, I saw blood in my hand. I already dead if he goes further a little more.My knees fall as I finally know what it feels like almost dead.
"Boy, I will give you 15 minutes to calm yourself" uncle said while wiping his blade.
After fifteen minutes I managed to calm my self. Now, I know that I can give him the first strike. Therefore, I will strike him before he slash me. When my sword approach his body, he blocked my sword. At first, I readied myself for the impact, but the strange thing is that when my sword touch his sword it feels like hitting a water. There is no any impact but my sword trajectory has changed. After he blocked my sword uncle counterattack me. He deliver a fast thrust which stopped before it touches my chest. I know that I almost died once again.
"Boy, when you block a slash you should guided the force to change it trajectory not fighting it with brute force. Another thing, when you attacking you should also readied your defense in case of your enemy counterattack you."
After that, I fight him over and over. I lost count how many times I almost died. One thing I certain that it was all thanks to uncle stopping before he really killed me. Now, I finally not as passive bas before and I managed to counterattack him.
"It looks like you started to get used. Now I will go a little more serious"
Suddenly, uncle vanished from my sight and he appears at my back. He trying to pierce my back. I don't have time to block or evade, I know that I lost to him again. When I think that he will stop his sword.
*Stab*
My stomach feels hurts like it was burning. When I look down to my stomach, I saw a cold sword grows from my stomach. Knowing what happened to me I feel confused. I never expected that uncle will really stab me. Bloods flows greatly from wounds and my body feel cold.
*plop*
My body lost it strength and fall to the ground. This is bad at this rate I will really died because of the blood loss. In hope, I look at uncle to beg him to help me, but he doesn't move at all. Each time the blood flows out from my body, I feel my death approach me little by little.
Just before I lost my consciousness, I feel somekind of water sprinkled on my wounds. At the same time the water touch my wound, I feel my wounds started to close. When I regain some strength, I immediately checking my wound. I found that there is not even scar left. I almost think that it was my hallucinations if not for my blood soaked cloth and blood pool under my body. I hear uncle's footstep approaching me, in fear I backed away from him.
"The liquid a sprinkled at your wound before is a high-grade healing potion. It can heal fatal wound and reattach severed limb. Before, I didn't pierce you to make you used to the feeling of almost getting stabbed. Because you already started to used to it, from this time onwards I will really stab and cut you."
"Ha...ha...hahahahahahahaha" I satrted laughing as hard as I can.
"Have you gone crazy boy?" uncle stracthed his cheek awkwardly.
"So what, bring it on!" I said with a fearless smile.
"Well, let's continue again." uncle readied his sword once again.
After that, we exchange countless blows. Of course, during this time I also getting stabbed and my limbs are severed countless times by uncle. Even though my wound healed my my limbs were reattached again with the help of the potions, what is hurts is always hurts. But, my progress is really fast because of my survival instinct and I also gain pain tolerance. This sound crazy, but I believe that if you have a certain ambition, you will do anything to fullfil it.
Finally, I managed to get the rythme of uncle's sword play. Right now, I can survive in front of him for around ten minutes.
*boom*
Suddenly, my chest feel a dull pain like it was hit by a hammer and my body launched like a cannonball for 100 meters before my back hit a tree causing me to stop.
My chest really hurt and I have difficulty of breathing. I feel like I broke some of my ribs and several ribs even pierces my lung. when I look at uncle, I finally realize that he kicked me hard. I never expected that he will suddenly kicked me in the middle of our exchange blows. Then, uncle ran to me and made me drink the potion. While waiting for my wound to heal he spoke to me.
"You must remember that you use every mean to defeat your opponent and you must also stay alert for every unexpected occasions that will happen in the battlefield. I remember my word, a single mistake can make you lose your life in battlefield." He told me with seriousness on his face.
"I got it."
When my wounds fully healed and I regain my stamina, we started our sparring again. Fighting with uncle getting more and more difficult, he always using everything he can think of to defeat me such as throwing to my eyes.
In the end of the day, I didn't even manage to scratch him. After finishing our training we headed to the bathroom to wash off the blood and sweat from our body. Feeling refreshed, we go to eat dinner.
After eating, I go back to my own room. I feel that today is the craziest day in my life. I still feel the phantom pain from the location where uncle stab and cut me. It was really hard, but I feel like my strength grows in leap. Finally, I rest my body to prepare for tomorrow's torture.