"Ha!"
Sol yelled as he threw out a fist towards his father.
Han Min easily shifted his feet a little and dodged his son's fist.
"What's with that posture?!"
Han Min yelled as the stick in his hand flew out like a curved snake and hit Sol's foot.
The hit was accurate enough to target the weakness in Sol's posture causing him to almost fall over; but with amazing reflexes he was able to remain upright.
"Again!"
Sol gritted his teeth and dashed forward; kicking up leaves as he made his move.
Swoosh.
Swoosh.
Swoosh.
Each strike from Sol caused a violent rush of wind in the air. His hands and legs created shadows as he attacked his father.
But Han Min was relatively calm as he easily dodged his son's attacks. Soon a frown appeared on his face as he comment.
"Are you taking this seriously? Faster!"
Sol's attacks became faster as he went all out, his hands and legs shadows increased exponentially.
"Don't give your opponent any time to think! You make your opponent react to your movements, not the other way around. If you can keep that up in a fight only making them react to your attacks, you can read their movements and end the fight quickly!"
As Han Min spoke, his and Sol's figures left blurs as they moved around the forest.
Sol focused and studied his father's movements and posture. After each initial attack, Sol would follow up with a leg or fist strike that seemed to predict where his father would be.
"Good! Analyze everything about your opponents mid-battle, his habits, the minute movements of the muscles in his shoulders and legs, and even the direction of his eyes. Anything to predict his next move!"
Swoosh!
The stick in Han Min's hand shot out towards Sol, but even before his hand moved, Sol saw that his father's shoulder had twitched slightly. So he was able to see the attack coming, and by observing his father's gaze that was aimed at his right shoulder and his striking posture, Sol fully predicted this act in a split second.
The stick dangerously whipped past Sol's face as he successfully dodged the attack. He was then about to go on the offensive, but his father suddenly said.
"However, never underestimate you're opponent and rely too much on those observations."
Sol suddenly saw his father pull back his arm to strike out with the stick before he could go on the offensive.
He once again analyzed his father's posture and predicted where he would attack, but as Sol dodged to the side, his father's other hand was there waiting for him.
Sol was barely able to pull his face back a little to have his father's hand, which was shaped like a beast's claw, tear the air in front of him.
"As you are reading your opponent's movements, so will he be reading yours. If he's more skilled than you then he'll be able to deceive you by letting you read the movements he wants you to. Take that factor into account!"
After dodging his father's attack, Sol tried to go on the offensive.
However, several times would he read his father's movements of him attacking one way, but be wrong as it would be the opposite instead. Even his father's glances to attack his arms would result in him getting smacked on his legs, and vice versa.
However, Sol soon took into account that his predictions could be wrong and began thinking even deeper. If his opponent faked his movements to fool his senses, then he would place himself in his opponent's shoes and predict what he would do after making those fake moves.
With this, the hits Sol was getting from his father's stick decreased.
Han Min smiled when he saw this.
What he was teaching Sol was how true masters fought. As if they were playing a game of Chess, each of their moves had multiple meanings. Although it was impossible to counter all those possible moves, it was easy to counter the deadliest ones.
Like a strike to the heart, throat, or face.
"Good!"
Han Min couldn't help but yell when he saw Sol dodging three consecutive strikes, all aiming for his vital points.
"However, know that you can go even further than that and force your opponent to react in your favor based on the moves you make."
Swoosh!
Han Min's stick moved like a steel sword slashing towards Sol's chest. Sol crossed his arms to block the attack, but his father's hand suddenly shifted faster than he could react and the attack turned into a stab.
The stick then effortlessly bypassed his crossed arms to slam against his right shoulder.
Sol jerked back and winched because of the stinging pain shooting through his arm.
"Again!"
Han Min yelled as he place the stick in front of him like a sword.
Sol shook his shoulder before he took a deep breath with closed eyes and then released it.
After, Sol's eyes flew open and his body left a blur as he approached his father. With a leap that took some of the forest leaves on the ground with him, Sol come back down while aiming his heel towards his father.
Han Min easily block Sol's leg and then went to grab it, but Sol was quick to use the rebounding momentum to backflip and landed on the ground in a crouched position. But as he landed he suddenly paused.
During this pause, the leaves that were kicked up from his leap fell back down between him and his father.
But while Sol had a clear view of his father, Han Min suddenly had several leaves fall at just the right angle to block his view of Sol.
It was only for a split second, but as Han Min's view returned, Sol was already gone. A moment later Ha Min heard a violent swooshing sound from his side.
Sol had appeared next to his father; his leg lashing out at his face like a steel whip.
BANG!!!
Han Min blocked the kick with his forearm, but the forest ground beneath his feet suddenly crack, and snake-like fissures spread for several meters.
Sol was about to follow up with another attack, but his body was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. He had condensed all his strength into that one kick, that was why it was so strong.
But now he was like a dead battery, he lacked any energy to continue fighting.
With a loud thud, Sol fell onto his back. His chest heaved up and down as several clouds of fog escaped his lips.
Han Min glanced down at his son and comment.
"Not bad, that was a good attack."
Han Min was proud of his son. Each lesson he taught him he would slowly master in real time, his talent for combat was outstanding.
"B-But, you were still able to block it."
Hearing this, Han Min blinked. He then released a loud laugh before saying.
"So you were aiming to beat me in an exchange, huh? It's good you have that determination but your several years too early to land a solid hit on your old man."
"…When will I be able to?"
"Hm?"
"When will I be as strong as you?"
Han Min paused before he looked down at his son to see he had on a downcast expression.
Han Min released a sigh to the side before he said.
"There's no need to rush your progress son, nothing good will come from doing so. Developing your foundation should be slow and meticulous. But know this…"
Han Min bent down and rubbed Sol's messy hair before saying with a warm smile.
"...when I went through the same training when I was your age, I was nowhere near your level. I can't express how greater your talent is than mine. So don't fret, I have no doubt you will obtain strength that far surpasses my own someday, but you need to get to that stage slowly and steadily. If you rush things and obtain strength too fast, that strength could become a hindrance that hurt those you love around you. Do you understand Solovin?"
"I… I understand dad."
"Hm, good, let's take a break for now. It looks like your friend came to see you."
Hearing his father's words, Sol turned to where he was looking in the forest shrubbery.
If Sol wasn't looking at it directly he would have completely missed the small creature that perfectly blended with the green leaves.
"Haha, little Zeel come here."
The creature hesitated and glance at Han Min, but it eventually rushed out from the bushes towards Sol. Despite its chubby body and legs, it moved swiftly to reach Sol's side.
Sol happily welcome the small creature's cuddles and licks to his face as he smiled and said.
"I missed you too Zeel, haha."
As this was happening, Han Min moved to the side to sit cross-legged to meditate.
Sol glance at him a few times, wanting to ask about the meeting and what he heard, but he eventually decided not to.
As much as he was worried about the death of those village children since some of them who left were childhood friends he knew, he was sure his father would handle it.
That's right, he was too weak now so he had to really on his father. But that was only for now.
Sol was determined to get stronger not only to make his father proud but to follow in his father's footsteps and become the village Guardian to protect everyone.