"Ding, ding, ding!"
The intrusive sound of an instrument resonates in the center of the dormitory area.
"Li Wei, Li Wei, Li Wei." Casio was awakened by the constant chants in his ear. He looked perplexedly as he opened his eyes.
A chubby face was multiplied in front of his eyes.
"Gathering time, the afternoon exercise is about to start."
"Who are you?" Casio got up with a bewildered expression. He had only slept in the dormitory for one night and had not even remembered the names of his roommates yet.
"Giovanni Joestar, you can also call me Jojo."
The rotund face grinned.
Casio halted the motion of sliding into his shoes and looked up. It's a great name, it has an inexplicable aura of a strong individual.
"I will remember, Jojo."
*****************
The sunlight scattered over the sports field, the pitch-black shadows from the trees swayed with the wind, and the dome-shaped building was covered in a layer of golden light.
"Never underestimate the simple straight punch, once you master the straight punch, you have mastered half of the basics of the boxing method! It is the most simple and brutal attack, well-practiced straight punches are exceptionally quick, and they pose a danger reminiscent of a needle!" Lixia made a quick fist as she spoke.
The knuckles suddenly stopped an inch in front of Casio's eyes.
"It feels like being pricked by a needle." Casio squinted his eyes.
"In fact, straight punches can be divided into various types." Lixia retracted her fist and slowly began, "The most classic straight punch is a basic throwing action, like this!"
She suddenly punched forward, the front foot advancing rapidly. The forearm retraced, and the back foot moved forward to recover its position.
"This is the basic one, apart from this, there are moves like the heavy and light straight punch, distant straight punch, counterattack straight punch, and so on."
"You will naturally master these once you are proficient in them."
Lixia returned to her original position and continued to discuss the essentials of different fist forms and swing punches. Combat movements were not only restricted to the upper body but often had to be coordinated with the lower body footwork.
Therefore, perfecting the movements was more difficult than imagined.
"Alright, today we will be training on the wooden stakes." Lixia clapped her hands, then ordered the teaching assistants to fetch props with a group of people.
A moment later, twenty wooden stakes were neatly arranged on one side.
The wooden stakes were roughly 1.6 meters in height and had the diameter of half an adult. Their surfaces were covered with a layer of pale yellow unknown animal leather.
It seemed like there were some straws and sponge filled inside beneath the leather.
"Get familiar with it first." After Lixia finished her statement, she walked over to a tree and began chatting with a middle-aged man dressed in a Wind Elephant Gate uniform. Occasionally, she would gesture towards several areas of the field.
"Thump, thump, bang, bang...."
Students dressed in gray-white clothing each selected a wooden stake, putting up a show by punching it. Their movements were a bit juvenile and stiff, they were eager, but not very proficient.
At this time, the teaching assistant would demonstrate the standard movements for them, and sometimes, they would personally punch the wooden stakes a few times.
On the edge of the wooden stakes, Casio, like everyone else, was punching the pale yellow wooden stakes one after another. Unlike the students next to him, he would subconsciously look up every once in a while. Until a certain moment, he finally heaved a sigh of relief.
'Combat Movements (Beginner): 0.1%'
It's finally shown up, the progress bar oddly brings a sense of relief.
"The Li Wei in my memory had average core bone, but Li Chu was slightly worse, his core bone was slightly below average. Both siblings had talent for martial arts, once their bodies develop, the quick progress period should start when they catch up with their foundation. The progress bar should rise quickly by then..."
Casio sent out a straight punch, causing the wooden stake to shake. "Eat more, train more, this is my goal for some time to come."
"Raise your hand a little bit higher! Are you aiming for your enemy's chest or their kidney?" Lixia strolled through the crowd.
"So soft, a big man with only this much strength?"
"Footwork! Footwork! I'm not asking you to be perfect, but you should at least have the right attitude. Coordinate your fists and footwork!"
Lixia, dressed in beige clothing, walked step by step amongst the students.
Casio remained silent, just swinging his fists faster and harder. He always felt that Lixia was coming at him.
The facts proved that Casio's premonition was not wrong.
Teaching assistant Lixia stayed at his side for a full ten minutes. Whenever Casio's movements changed slightly, he would quickly be met with a scolding and then a correction. The other students looked on gloatingly.
Some even felt embarrassed for Casio.
However, the person involved did not feel this way.
Casio understood that Lixia was helping him. Although her reprimands did not sound too pleasant, they could let beginners quickly learn their lessons. Leaving a deep impression, ensuring they won't make the same mistake next time.
Experiencing teaching assistant Lixia's "enthusiasm", Casio felt that she was not teaching twenty people at the same time, but rather a master.
It seemed that she was treating him as a disciple.
So, he listened very earnestly. Every time Lixia pointed out the errors in his movements, he made his utmost effort to correct them.
Bang! A straight punch hammered on the leather surface of the wooden stake.
The text at the corner of his eye jumped.
'Combat Movements (Beginner): 0.2%'
In less than ten minutes, it had increased by 0.1%. Casio had spent nearly an hour to achieve the initial 0.1%. Hence, standard movements and the experience of the performer can make the training effect better.
Seeing observable progress, Casio felt even more motivated. Each punch made the top of the wooden stake tremble slightly.
Standing nearby, Lixia gave a barely noticeable nod. What she valued about Casio was his calm temperament. Of course, the Youth Training Camp had just begun, it would require some effort to truly see through a person.
The Sun slowly approached the horizon inch by inch.
The evening sky was full of golden wave-like clouds, an orange-red fiery line spread at the bottom of the clouds. The sky in the distance was glaringly red, the mountains under the evening glow became blurry, and the sunlight also turned into bars of light that slowly spread out from the mountains towards the Youth Training Camp.
"Dissolve, everyone go eat."
Lixia snapped her pocket watch shut. The surrounding students immediately dispersed, each striding and sprinting towards the cafeteria.
On the sports field, only a lonely silhouette persisted in hammering the wooden stake. He hurried and yet was still a quarter short.
"Keep practicing, monitor yourself." Lixia glanced at the panting Casio. She didn't stay like she did at noon.
"Yes," Casio gathered his breath and replied.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The once bustling sports field was now filled with the echo of pounding. Accompanying Casio was the cool breeze from the dusk, the rustling of green trees, and the progress bar in the corner of his eyes.
The red and yellow sky transformed into black, and it was no longer the sun that was surrounded by clouds, but a bright and clear moon. A few scattered stars, coupled with the moon, scattered a white, jade-like radiance.
Soft, serene, silent…
Casio threw his final punch, his heart was clear and translucent.
He seemed to have a slight understanding of the meaning of the word "pure".
'Combat Movements (Beginner): 1.0%'
"End of practice!"