Vincent felt he had gone through a car wash and put on supreme mode. Simon leaned on his staff and watched Vincent throw up on the floor. "In the future, don't eat breakfast if you can't keep it down. Now get up."
Vincent struggled, but he stood up with the help of his weapon. He could feel his strength being sucked away by the staff.
'Damn it. If only I could summon my halberd.' Simon scoffed. "So what if you could summon that weapon? It is wasted on you." Vincent wasn't surprised he could bypass the earrings.
Vincent stopped thinking and got into the same stance he saw Simon start from. "Now you are catching on. Watch me closely, remember this beating, and most importantly, never forget who taught you how to kill."
"I will repeat myself once more. Do not jump in the air. I am teaching you this staff martial art, Strangle the Heavens. It was created by a Demi-God, who raged against the heavens when they took his wife and children from him. He created this to strangle and pull the heavens down to the ground. The moment you jump in the air is the moment you die."
Vincent's instinct was flaring and telling him to run. He couldn't escape, and he would die if he did nothing. Simon felt the changes and did not stop his attack. 'Either swing or die, kid.' He swung his staff at his legs. Vincent wanted to jump but stopped himself. 'MOVE DAMN IT.' He crushed down the feeling of death and rolled to the side.
*BANG*
Simon's weapon hit the barrier and caused it to break. He looked at Vincent, and his eyes showed a tiny look of approval. 'You knew you could not block it or jump to dodge, so you rolled on the ground.' "Tyre, the kid is yours now!" He left the room.
Tyre walked over and took the patches off. "That was very good, Vincent. Way to hang in there, buddy." Tyre inputted the results on his tablet. Vincent was too busy trying to breathe on the ground.
"W-w-what was that feeling?" "That was the pressure of that martial art; Simon didn't even release a full one percent. You will gain the same thing the more you train in the martial art. Time for your physical training."
Tyre picked up Vincent and went to a room with punching bags, a boxing ring, mats, and dummies. Vera was already there waiting for them. "Vera, heal the kid. Simon went and threw him into the deep end." He took Vincent from him and laid him on the floor.
"That damn lazy fool. Your muscles have been torn in three different places." She mumbled some incoherent words, and Vincent was healed just like that.
Vincent sat up and moved around a little bit. "WoW! Did you perform magic?" Vera chuckled at his reaction. "Yes, I used magic to heal you. Do not get too excited. Not many people can use magic. It is something that must be awakened." Vincent's thoughts of firing fireballs were snuffed out. He sighed and stretched. "Thanks for the help, and I am sure I will be needing your services again."
Tyre was in the boxing ring waiting for Vincent. "No hand wraps?" "Haha, no. Hand wraps won't make your fist strong. Besides today, you will be working on footwork and dodging."
Tyre immediately rushed Vincent. Vincent's skills, instinct, and veteran vision are in high gear. He was able to dodge Tyre's punches. 'His instincts are top-notch, and so are his eyes.' Tyre threw a feint jab at Vincent and caught him with a right hook to the gut.
Vincent keeled over, holding his stomach. "First lesson of close quarters combat(CQC), never relax."
Vincent nodded his head and got back up while holding his stomach. "Yes, master." Tyre rushed him again and threw in feints and kicks. "Vincent, you have good instincts, so don't be afraid to close the distance with your opponents."
Vincent nodded while dodging a kick to his side. He took a step forward, but his instincts warned him of danger. Tyre frowned a little. "Vincent, are you afraid of pain? I know it may seem like a dumb question, but the life you live now will only throw pain at you. Think about the pain your siblings are going through."
Vincent yelled and attacked Tyre. Tyre dodged his attacks. "Don't you mention them," Vincent told Tyre as he continued to attack him. Tyre caught him and flipped on the ground hard. He put him in a submission hold.
"Ugh! That hurts!" Vincent gritted his teeth. "Good. It's supposed to hurt. Do not shy away from pain Vincent; accept it and use it. What if you meet an enemy and can't defeat them unscathed? Will you abandon your sibling in order not to feel any pain?" Vincent stopped trying to get away and lay there. Tyre let him go. "Think about your answer and be ready tomorrow."
Vera healed him and left him alone to think. He took a deep breath and let it out. 'He is right; pain will be an intimate part of my life from now on. I can't be afraid to get hurt. I have to save them.'
"Very good, you realized your fear and plan on conquering it." Jekel was standing outside of the ring by the door. "You will have your first lecture tomorrow. Eat lunch and go home if you want. You could also stay and practice some more. These books are the basic footwork we all learned, and these are notes on the staff martial art Simon is teaching you."
Jekel left the books by the door and left Vincent alone. Vincent yelled out for him. Jekel heard him and turned around. "What is it?" Vincent wasn't sure how to approach the conversation, so he just came clean.
"I acquired these earrings, and I don't know how to explain them to my new family." Jekel walked over and examined them. He gave them back to Vincent. "A broken ascendant artifact that protects its wearer's thoughts and intentions. Why did you ask me about this?"
"My instincts tell me you are my best option." Jekel nodded in response. He was quiet for a few moments. "Your instincts are still underdeveloped and can still be tricked. I advise you to remember to use wisdom and logic in the future."
He waved his hand, and the earrings flew to his hands. A bright red light emitted from his hands. He gave them back to Vincent again.
"There, they are at the peak of the ascendent realm. Richard is only at tier three and can't read your thoughts. I also added some defensive measures as well. Tell them they are a gift from Jekel the Enslaver if they ask."
Vincent could feel the power rolling off of them. He put them on and felt like a veil came over his mind. He relaxed and left to eat in the cafeteria. He picked up the books and placed them in his inventory.