In life, nothing was given for free; everyone, without exception, had to crawl to the top of a mountain to get the things they wanted. When Dash realized that one was born with a story that unfolded as decisions were made, he believed it was all due to his burning desire to prove himself.
"While I focus on my kicks and punches, I might at least make it to the finals..." Dash murmured while looking at the training dummy.
At the age of twelve, he was a year older than Devon, and the age Dre participated in that tournament in China was exactly the same as his. What bothered him a little was whether he had the talent to improve and make something of himself in that place. It's worth mentioning that he was very aware that even in that tournament, Dre didn't have the talent to defeat Cheng, who only lost due to distraction.
In this new life, he might know certain things about the future, but that knowledge is only paths he could take in this life, and if he wants to be part of them, he must at least be strong. He was not Dre; he couldn't participate in a Kung Fu tournament without the talent or skills to win. If he hesitated a bit, he would lose; if he made a mistake, he would also lose. At this point, Dash only has one path, and it is absolute concentration that he would win. If he doesn't have a winning mindset, then everything he had done until today wouldn't make much sense.
"I can't deny that I'd like to face the brutal Cheng in that tournament, but I still think I'm not ready..."
Even if he trained for another year, Dash knew he wouldn't stand a chance. Perhaps these were his thoughts because he wasn't aware of where his current Kung Fu skills were provisionally, and that's why he strived every day to follow the routine and improve.
While imagining his performance in the Kung Fu tournament, he was clear that his decisive battle would be against Cheng, Dre, or Wu Ping, who, in theory, would be the stars of the tournament. Even someone like Zhuang could pose a problem if he's not careful, as Dre did and got injured.
After finishing his punching practice, Dash let out a long sigh.
"I guess it's time to stop; I don't want to overstrain my body either."
The painful fatigue in his body was the torture that still reminded him every day that he had trained properly day by day. After finishing his training day, what he needed most was a shower, followed by a good meal, and a deep sleep after finishing his duties.
Now that he was about to enter high school, things would change a bit, so after adapting to this new stage of his life, he would need to adjust his training to studies. This, beyond being necessary, was something Dash wanted to experience; his school life, at least until he lived long enough, would be something he needed. He had always yearned to train, study, and have an exciting life, something he could never do until now.
"See you tomorrow." Devon bid farewell to Dash and got into the car with her mom, who greeted before leaving.
"Another day is over... Should I consider eating more meat today?" Dash muttered as he walked towards the car that had picked him up today.
"I'm growing very fast; I think soon I won't have to worry about many things like a child..." Dash murmured as he entered the car.
On the way home, there was nothing interesting to think about other than training and whether any of the students who had come today would show up tomorrow for registration. After training for a while, Dash had gained an understanding of what the pain of good training was, and he knew that not everyone was prepared for this.
"Is any of my parents at home?" Dash asked a woman working in the house after getting out of the car.
"Your parents just arrived; they are waiting for you to eat." The woman kindly responded, looking at Dash with a smile.
"Something new..." Dash murmured as he hurried into the house.
His parents were indeed good parents; much could not be demanded of them due to their work and the quality of life they were providing. Even before they died, they paid for all his needs in the hospital, something he would never forget even though he felt somewhat distant from them.
"Dash, come here as soon as you put your things in the cleaning room." Frederick's voice came from the living room, to which Dash responded affirmatively.
After leaving his dirty things to be cleaned, all he did was organize his dirty clothes and take off his shoes to wear something more comfortable.
"What's happening, father?" Dash asked, a bit confused by the pressure in the surroundings.
Elena smiled and said, "Since you are very mature, there is something we want to tell you now that we have confirmed it."
Dash looked at his parents and nodded slightly, awaiting their news.
"It's nothing to worry about; in fact, you're going to have a brother," Frederick said with a somewhat broad smile on his face.
"Oh... Congratulations? I mean, that's incredible." Dash's response was flatter than expected in this situation, but upon hearing the tone of his voice, the overflowing emotions changed.
"That's good news; do you know the gender?"
"A boy..." Elena smiled slightly, and after this news, of which Dash was aware, everyone went to eat.
For Dash, this was even better because only then could he leave the role of caretaker to his younger brother.