"Speech"
'Thoughts'
["Speech Through Technology"]
||
…
I waited for around an hour. Christian, the psychopath in the making, was sitting in a chair close by with my hoodie still over his head.
His legs got tired, but to make sure he didn't blow my cover, I made sure to keep the hoodie on him.
My head turned to look at the door Damon went through, and I saw that same man walking toward me with four thin books in hand.
He took a seat in the same chair he had left an hour earlier and set the books on the table on top of each other.
"These are the four martial arts you asked for." He said as he slid the books over to me. They had the name of the martial art on the cover. "You should find everything in order."
Taking the one that said "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist" on the cover, I opened the book.
My eyes widened a bit as I looked it over; it had not only text describing what to do but also drawings of a person in the correct stances that needed to be taken.
"Everything seems to be in order," I said as I took the four books. "I'll forgive your cousin's misdeeds, but make sure he remembers to not attack just anyone. One wrong step will lead to his end."
I watched Damon nod as I stood up with the grace of an arrogant, cultivation young master and took my hoodie from the head of Christian.
Quickly putting the hood over my head before Christian could turn around, I began walking away.
"Be sure to train your body once you get your first ability. Abilities may be power, but physical strength can still trump all in certain situations." The words I spoke were made to sound deep but were bullshit, as anyone with strong enough abilities would trump anyone built with equivalent strength.
I paid them no mind as I ascended the stairs quicker than a horror movie villain. I was ready to escape with my loot like the goblin I was!
'That was like taking candy from a baby! It's too easy!' I thought as my face grew a smile so vile that I would be seen as a criminal if anyone saw it.
…
"Damon, who was that?" Christian turned back to look at the man, who was already gone as he spoke.
"You have no idea how much trouble you put yourself in, Christian." I felt a headache forming as I spoke. "Even though we aren't biologically related, I still treat you as my brother. That man that you just ran into was Vergil."
I saw Christian's eyes go wide as he repeatedly looked at the stairs and back toward me.
"That was Vergil?" Christian said with confusion. I only nodded to his question. "He looked nothing like the photos, though."
That caught my attention. Christian was in a hoodie the entire time he was down here, and it was blocking his vision. If he was truly in that hoodie for as long as he was with Vergil, then how would he know what he looked like?
"What do you mean? He looked like he did in the photos. He just didn't have his signature clothes." I said with a massive amount of confusion as Christian looked at me weirdly.
"No, he didn't; his hair wasn't even like the one you showed me in the pictures." I could tell Christian was getting angry that I didn't believe him.
"We'll agree to disagree," I said as my mood changed to seriousness. "How strong was he? Could you gauge his strength?"
"Yeah," Christian said as he coughed. "He had me off my feet before I could react; it was so fast I didn't even put together the pieces until I was on the floor."
"That's all that matters, then." I sighed. "His strength seems to be the real deal if you couldn't detect his attack. Good thing we didn't anger him any more than you did the first time."
That being said, Vergil only goes after the biggest targets. Why was he even here, considering we aren't even big names?
It might have just been due to Christian giving out my ability. I felt myself sigh once again.
"Christian Afton." Upon saying his full name, Christian flinched. "You're grounded; no more video games for you in the foreseeable future. Never give out my abilities or your future ones ever again."
"That's not fair!" As soon as Christian started rebutting me, I gave him a glare, which shut him up and caused him to sulk.
Hopefully, a situation like the one we just had won't happen again. If it did, I don't think I'd be able to get out of it.
…
By the time I made it home, I felt absolutely amazing. It felt like I just completed the greatest heist, and the police had no idea who I was or what I looked like.
You could say I hit the "Jackpot!" I said aloud in my room as I began reading the manual on Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
"Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist is a martial art that heavily mixes defense and offense to create a powerful and effective fighting style.
Through moving like water, the user can not only redirect attacks but also use their opponents' attacks to power up their own.
The user's movements must be like those of flowing water, and when hit, the user must counterattack, not by going against the wave coming toward them, but instead by moving along the wave to deliver devastating blows." As I read aloud to myself, I looked at the drawings, teaching me what stances to take.
It was a combination of defensive postures, ways of movement, and how to correctly counterattack so that you are with the wave of motion and not against it.
There were actually a few techniques that were super defensive and super offensive. Water Stream Encampment, Instant Movement, and Piercing Fang, just to name a few.
However, there was one problem. All of these techniques required superhuman speeds! I literally could do none of these things!
Even though my speed was borderline superhuman and I could outspeed the average person, it wasn't to the point where I could run as fast as a cheetah.
It wouldn't stop me from practicing the martial arts for the day I reached those speeds. I know of my body's supernatural "ability," but I'm sure that I have a maximum capacity somewhere.
I have a limiter, and I can't just work out to try and reach it. I have no idea where the limit is or if I've already hit it, but hopefully, I find a way to get past this limit.
As I began practicing the stances for Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, I noticed something in the corner of my eye.
"Hm?" I hummed in confusion. There was nothing around me, and I made sure of that.
The creature I was afraid of—the one sending me those photos—never showed up. Even as I had the Christian dude blindfolded and sat down as easy prey, it never came out.
Considering how many creatures had already attacked me at first sight, I knew it was stupid of me to get so worried about a creature that hadn't shown up.
He did say the creatures that walk around were the most dangerous, but I would have felt something if this creature showed up around me. I trust in my gut.
'Is it time for another 15-hour grind? I think it is!' I thought in excitement as my favorite part of the day—night? Whatever it was, it was coming.