Amid their conversation, the hover bus arrived at their destination.
"We've arrived." Xue Yiran announced, and the two got down from the bus.
"This is the place where your master lives?" Ian looked up at the tall building in front of him. Although he knew that the realism of the virtual net is likely the same as the actual world. But he had never expected that a kind of rundown places like this would actually exist in the virtual space.
Glancing around, all he could see were dilapidated houses that looks unlivable for a human being. Yet, there were people residing in those houses. Several shabby stalls were set up at the road side. However, none of the goods on their shelves looks appealing enough. They all lack luster in compare to the dazzling goods sold in the city area.
Still, what stood conspicuous among this area was the tall building in front of him. Not that there was anything glamorous about it, but the fact that the building itself appears more rundown than the other houses nearby.
On the wall of the building were black sticky substance glued to it. Ian didn't know what the substance was, but it kind of looks pretty disgusting to look at.
'How come an area like this exists in the virtual net? What are the people from the development team doing.'
"You said your master live here, right?" Ian couldn't help but ask again. There was no way someone who could have trained a genius like Xue Yiran would live here. With such expertise on teaching, he should have held a prominent position in whatever planet he lives.
Xue Yiran could guess what Ian was thinking. "My master is poor man."
Yes, that annoying man was dirt poor. Xue Yiran reaction when she first saw the place Logan lived was even more outrageous that Ian. When the other party said he had a house of his own, Xue Yiran had never thought it would be this kind of rundown building. Just how poor is he to have actually rent a house in a place like this.
The two walked into the building and boarded the elevator up to the 8th floor. The movement of the elevator was quite unsteady. Thankfully, they got to their destination without any mishap.
Unlike the outside, the inside of the 8th floor was very neat. Clean painted white wall came into view as soon as they stepped out from the elevator. The entire eight floor had been rented by Logan, meaning that the apartment on the floor was completely his.
With Ian following behind her, Xue Yiran head towards one of the apartment rooms that had been converted into a training room. But just as she was about to opened the door, she noticed a dim light coming from the slight gap of another apartment door. Ian saw her sudden pause.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Yiran didn't answer and traced her step towards the door where the lights was coming. And sure enough, the moment she opened the door, she saw her long-lost master who had been absent enough causally sitting on the sofa while munching on some snacks as he watches a TV show.
"Oh, you're here." Logan lifted his head and greeted his newly arrived student. He had long noticed Xue Yiran arrival the moment she entered the floor.
"Where the hell did run off to for the past few months. Your whereabout was unknown. Do you know how worried I became?" Xue Yiran began her outpour.
"I just went on a short vacation. Did you miss me that much?" Logan said without any sense of shame.
"Short vacation you say." Xue Yiran felt like laughing out loud at Logan sentence seeing how thick-skinned he was.
"Oh! A young handsome guy." Logan sighted the striking features of Ian as soon as he stepped in. Without further ado, he abandoned the snacks in his hand and strode towards Ian, analyzing him all over.
Ian on the other hand was also scrutinizing him.
'Is this Xue Yiran master? How come he doesn't have the bearing of a master. Why does he look so much like a con artist to me'. The more Ian looks, the lesser the impression he had about this mysterious master.
Sure enough, the moment Logan opened his mouth, Ian knew he was right about his conjecture.
"You're indeed a very good-looking man." Logan clicked his tongue in admiration. "Do you want to join my entertainment company, young man. I can make you soar as high as the sky in the entertainment circle. In my eyes, you're bound to be a greater celebrity that will be well known in the entire universe." Logan continues to use his sweet words to entice Ian. "I'm pretty sure you know Layla. If you agree to sign with my company, I can let you meet her. Perhaps, you two might get more familiar with each other as time goes by." The last sentence was said with hint of playfulness.
Xue Yiran who saw Logan using the same trick he had used against her on Ian sneered. "Stop daydreaming. He's not interested in joining your sham entertainment company. Who could say if it truly exists."
How can someone who claims to know Layla be living such a meagre life. This was the biggest joke ever.
"It's time you change your old trick. No one would ever believe you if you said you have a relationship with Layla."
"Who says my company doesn't exist. Of course it does!" A business card appeared in Logan's palm. "Here, young man. If you've any intention of joining my company, just make a call to me on this line. I'm someone who abide by his promise."
"Yes." Ian could only collect the business card pointed to him.
"Don't try to trick him. This is Ian. He is my friend. Ian, meet my master, Logan." Xue Yiran introduced.
"Hello." Ian greeted after Xue Yiran introduction.
"Oh, so you're my student Axel friend. You should have explained to me sooner. I thought it was someone whom he finds to join my company." Logan laughed and didn't show any sense shame. Gosh. How shameless can he be.
"Ah, it's no problem." Ian gave an awkward laugh.
"I brought Ian here for a reason." Xue Yiran went straight to the point. "He already has a lot of experience in combat moves. However, I brought him here to see if you can give him one or two pointers on his moves."
Logan also knew that Xue Yiran wouldn't have brought a stranger here without a reason.
"Oh, I see. Why don't we head to the training room and show me what moves you got, young man."
"Okay." Ian nodded.
Xue Yiran walked at the front, leading Ian to the direction training room. The training room was just a wide space that span across several meters. There were no simulation devices in the room. Meaning that it was just an empty apartment.
"Why don't we begin." Logan announced.
Ian looked in Xue Yiran's direction. Receiving the other party nod, he moved towards the center of the room and began to execute the moves he had learned from all the battle training he had watched.
He displayed each moves efficiently. Since Logan was Xue Yiran master, Ian knew he would be able to detect the powerful force behind those moves, and might likely give him some pointers to ensure their smoothness.
The moment he finished those moves, there were already beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Nice moves." Logan clapped in admiration. He could see that Ian moves weren't just ordinary move. They were filled with fierceness and dominant. It seems like this young friend my student brought over isn't ordinary either. From onset, Logan had detected a noble aura around Ian the moment he entered the room. If he should guess, Ian might likely be from a royal family. Or rather, he is.
"Thank you." Ian wipes off his sweat.
"Undeniably, the moves you executed were all great. However, I don't think they are well suited for you. If I should guess, the moves you just displayed were the skills from famous battle fighters across the universe. I'm pretty sure you must have been taken aback by the charm and ruthlessness behind their moves which prompt you in imitating them. But have you ever thought that those moves might not be suited for you in the first place." Logan words pierce right through Ian's heart.
However, before he could rest to ponder about it, Logan continues on. "Haven't you noticed one thing about each warrior battle style. They are all different. None of them uses the same battle style. Why is that so? Well, that's because each of their moves were tailor made for them. In this case, if someone were to imitate their moves, they wouldn't be able to grasp the essence behind it. Although you may think those moves are already powerful enough, but they are just like an ant behind the real deal. So instead of you imitating these powerful fighters, why don't you use a battle style that's perfectly made for you."
A battle style that's perfectly made for him. Ian was eager to try it. But where could he find a battle style that currently fits him.
"I think you are more suited for long combat range than a close one. And I've a perfect training manual that suits you. Why don't you come here every day with Axel so that you two can train together."
"Really. Thanks so much, Mr.…" Ian paused since he didn't know the other party name.
"Logan. That's my name."