"Combat technique"
The two words stood out in the middle of a random sentence. He stared at them for a long moment, the weight of the realization sinking in. It was like a switch had been flipped inside him—everything he thought he knew about the ledger had just changed.
He hadn't expected a combat technique, let alone one hidden in a ledger. His hands trembled as he closed the book, a wave of unease sweeping over him. The chill of the discovery lingered, a reminder of the potential danger this knowledge held. Who would hide a technique like this in such a manner?
If this was what it appeared to be, then its previous owner would stop at nothing to reclaim it. Victor's mind raced, the implications of this discovery unraveling in his thoughts. A technique, secret and valuable, could change everything for him. But there was no going back now. Curiosity had taken root, and it was too late to walk away.
Victor looked at the ledger again, the weight of it heavier in his hands. He had stumbled upon something far bigger than himself—and no matter the cost, he couldn't just let it slip away. Whatever this was, he was going to uncover it, even if it meant stepping into a world far more dangerous than he'd ever imagined.
Victor's thoughts raced as he glanced down at the ledger, the weight of its potential sinking in. This combat technique—it could be the key to everything he wanted. His days of struggling, barely scraping by, were numbered. If this technique was as powerful as it seemed, it could give him an edge, the kind that could allow him to stand toe-to-toe with the rich kids who ran around the city with their fancy evolutions and gear.
They flaunted their abilities, looking down on anyone weaker than them as if they were some kind of disease. But Victor didn't care about their prideful airs. If this technique gave him the power to match them—then maybe, just maybe, he could show them that it wasn't just money or status that made someone powerful. It was will, determination, and the ability to push past one's limits.
He imagined it: stepping into the Academy, not as a mere participant, but as someone to be respected. The thought of facing off with those rich kids, showing them that hard work and resourcefulness could outshine their privileges, made his heart race with excitement.
Victor knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy. There would be risks, and he'd have to master this technique. But if it could make him stronger, faster, and more capable than anyone, then it was worth every moment of effort.
This was his chance to level the playing field. No more hiding in the shadows. He would rise, and when he did, he'd make sure the world remembered his name—not as a forgotten orphan, but as someone who earned his strength through sheer will and determination.
Victor sat on the edge of his bed, the ledger now spread out before him. His fingers hovered over the page as his mind raced. The words "Combat technique" had sent a jolt through him, and as he flipped through the pages, something inside him clicked. The diagrams were difficult to follow at first glance—abstract patterns and symbols that seemed almost too complex to decipher. Yet, as he studied them, a pattern began to form, and he realized that these weren't just random notes. They were instructions, a training method designed to build strength and vitality in ways he'd never imagined.
The technique was called Titan's Conditioning. From what Victor could gather, it wasn't just about increasing muscle mass or physical power—no, it was deeper than that. It was about pushing the body past its limits, training it to recover faster, endure longer, and fight harder. The method promised that anyone who practised it would grow stronger than they ever thought possible. His muscles would become like iron, his endurance like that of a beast, and his body would learn to instinctively push itself beyond exhaustion even in bed.
His heart raced with excitement. This was what he needed
Victor stared down at the book, his breath shallow as his eyes traced the unfamiliar symbols and diagrams. There, nestled among the complex illustrations, were the words Titan Steps.
The technique was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It wasn't about lifting weights or performing basic drills. Titan Steps was a form of movement, a sequence of motions that, when executed properly, strengthened the body while in combat. The idea was simple yet brilliant: each step, each shift in posture, was designed not only to enhance his mobility but to push his muscles and bones to their limits, building strength with every movement.
The Titan Steps weren't just for training; they were a fighting style, a method that allowed the user to grow stronger the more they fought. The more he used the steps in combat, the more his body would adapt, reinforcing his muscles, improving his endurance, and sharpening his reflexes. It wasn't an immediate transformation, but with each sparring session, each skirmish, he would grow more powerful. His speed would increase, his strikes would become harder, and his body would learn to recover faster, giving him a continuous edge in battle. Every fight would be an opportunity to grow stronger, faster, more resilient.
As he read on, the text spoke of the Fighting Titans, a race of sacred, nearly mythical creatures that had once roamed the world. These titans were not like the evolvers or even the more dangerous beasts that inhabited the forsaken worlds land.
No, the Fighting Titans were something entirely different. They were born for combat, their enormous, muscular bodies honed through an endless cycle of battle. Their sheer presence struck fear into anyone who encountered them. Every fight they fought, every step they took, left a trail of destruction in its wake—entire ecosystems razed to the ground, entire armies swept aside. They had no fear, no hesitation, only an unstoppable desire to fight, to prove their dominance over the world around them.
Victor paused, absorbing the weight of what he was reading. The Titan Steps were based on this creature's brutal, unrelenting combat style—an art of movement so perfect that it could enhance a fighter's physical power and endurance, all while keeping them fluid and agile in battle. The technique allowed the practitioner to channel the strength and ferocity of the Fighting Titans, tapping into their brutal power without the need for a titan's enormous size.
The truly terrifying thing, though, was the technique's true potential. While Titan Steps could be practiced without fighting, it was when Victor was actually in combat that the technique would truly come alive. The movements, refined through constant repetition, would synchronize with his body in a way that magnified his natural abilities. Every step, every twist, every motion would be enhanced twice-fold, his body's strength would explode, his agility would become unparalleled, and his reflexes would become razor-sharp. The intensity of his training would pale in comparison to the effect when the technique was used in a real fight.
The Fighting Titans hadn't always been the terrifying force they were known as today. In the beginning, they had been like any other titan—colossal creatures, born of the earth's primal energy, strong and resilient, but with no particular desire for battle. They lived in the wilderness, wandering the forsaken lands without any true purpose beyond survival. However, that all changed when a single titan, unlike the rest, appeared.
This titan was different. It was no longer content with the peaceful, solitary existence of its kind. Driven by an insatiable bloodlust, it began to challenge and destroy everything it encountered—other titans, creatures, even the environment itself. No one knew what triggered the transformation, but this titan's hunger for violence was unmatched, and soon, its ferocity spread. As the creature fought and ravaged everything around it, its power grew exponentially. Its movements became faster, its strikes more deadly, and its very presence could send the strongest of foes into retreat.
The bloodthirsty titan's rampage set off a chain reaction, and soon, the titans that encountered it started to change. Over time, the ordinary titans adapted, evolving into something more brutal, more dangerous. They became the Fighting Titans, a race of beings that thrived on destruction, their endless battles reshaping the world around them. These titans were no longer just creatures—they were warriors born for nothing but combat, and they fought without mercy or hesitation.
The Fighting Titans insatiable thirst for conflict became their identity. Their presence left a wake of devastation wherever they went, leaving cities and fortresses in ruins. They fought not only to survive but for the thrill of the fight itself. The titans who had once been peaceful, protective giants had been transformed into apex predators, driven by the instinct to battle, destroy, and prove their dominance.
But this insatiable nature came at a cost. The Fighting Titans ruthless tendencies made them enemies of not just other creatures, but of humans as well. Over time, the evolvers—humans who had awakened extraordinary powers—hunted the Fighting Titans to near extinction. Their battles with the titans were brutal, and only a few of these titans managed to survive. Most of their kind had been killed off by evolvers, leaving only legends of their savage, unstoppable might behind.
Victor felt a shiver of unease as he read about them. The Titan Steps were based on this very brutal legacy. The technique, it seemed, was born from the movements of those fierce titans—their relentless power and efficiency in combat had been distilled into a series of steps, a training method designed to make any fighter capable of matching their destructive might.
Victor could almost hear the echo of the Fighting Titans in the movements described in the ledger. Each step was designed to harness that savage energy, to move in ways that maximized strength and power without wasting a single motion. But, just as the titans had been consumed by their bloodlust, the technique itself carried a dangerous edge. Victor understood that mastering the Titan Steps wouldn't just make him stronger—it would change him. It would connect him to the same primal instincts that had driven the Fighting Titans, the same insatiable thirst for battle that had led to their eventual downfall.
Could he control it, or would it consume him the same way it had consumed them?
__________________________
Victor leaned against the wall, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The hours of training had blurred together, each movement and step drilled into his muscles, each action fueling the growing fire within him. But something gnawed at him, a feeling he couldn't shake, as if he was on the edge of something—something important.
He skimmed the pages of the ledger once more, his eyes scanning the notes that described the intricacies of the Titan Steps. The more he read, the more he began to understand. Each movement wasn't just about strength; it was about control. Precision. Intensity. But there was a catch, one that wasn't immediately apparent.
His eyes fell on the last line of the page, his heart racing as he read the final words:
"As the human body is many times smaller than the titan I have come to the conclusion that before reaching 70% mastery of the Titan Steps, your speed will decrease significantly. Your body must adjust to the overwhelming force, and until then, your daily movements will feel heavy and sluggish."
It had been about a week since Victor started practising the Titan steps he had made great progress.
Victor's body felt like it was made of lead. Every movement using the Titan Steps made his muscles burn with a searing intensity, as if his body was fighting against itself. His feet dragged across the ground with each step, heavy and deliberate, and it felt like something was pushing back against him from within.
He knew the technique wasn't supposed to feel this way. He had read about the power it could unleash, the unstoppable force of the Fighting Titan stepping into battle with unmatched speed and strength. But here, in his smaller, human frame, the results were far less impressive.
His body was simply too small, too weak to handle the massive force of the Titan's movement. The techniques felt awkward, slow—like he was trying to carry the weight of a giant within his own limbs. The power was there, but it was buried beneath layers of resistance and strain.
His gaze flicked to the ledger once again, the words he had memorized echoing in his mind:
"At 25%, a thirst for battle will begin to surface, making it harder to focus on training. At 50%, the hunger will intensify, clouding judgment and making it difficult to resist the urge to fight. At 75%, control will be nearly lost, and only after reaching 100% mastery will the bloodlust subside completely."
Victor clenched his fists, frustration rising. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was going backward. Every time he tried to push his speed, to reach the level of power the Titan Steps promised, he only felt more drained and clumsy.
But despite the weight in his limbs, the burn in his muscles, he refused to give up. This wasn't just a technique; it was his way forward. It was the key to surpassing the limits of his current state—becoming something more than human, something feared and respected.
Victor's breathing was ragged, but there was a spark of determination in his eyes. This wasn't the end.
As he prepared to take the next step, to test his limits once again, the ledger's warning echoed in his mind.
"The strength of the Titan Steps will be fully realized only after mastery. Before that, it is a struggle, a painful improvement. As the body evolves it will be extremely painful."
He exhaled sharply, his muscles trembling with exhaustion. The pain was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the power that awaited him.
If he could push through this… if he could master the Titan Steps… his body would evolve. The slow, sluggish movements would turn into something faster, more powerful, something even the rich kids and their evolutionary advantages would fear.
Victor took another step forward, his body stiff and his breath ragged. He knew the next 25% would be even harder. But there was no turning back now.
The power was within his reach. The question was: Could he control it, or would it control him?