Chapter 37: The Bite of a Weakling
The night air was cold against Rei's bruised skin.
His body was exhausted.
His mind was racing.
He crouched near the academy walls, watching the stray dog move.
Its golden eyes glowed in the dim light, its muscles coiled tight like a spring.
Then—
💥 A rat scurried past.
⚡ The dog lunged.
It wasn't just speed.
It was timing.
It didn't chase the rat. It waited.It didn't waste energy. It struck at the perfect moment.
💥 One snap—instant kill.
Rei's eyes widened.
Rei (thinking): That's it.
The dog didn't fight like a human.It fought like a predator.
✔ Wait for the enemy's attack.✔ Read their movements.✔ Strike in the instant they expose themselves.
That was something he could do.
The First Attempt – Learning the Perfect Counter
The next night, Rei stood alone in the training hall.
He set up a moving dummy, programmed to attack at random.
✔ It would strike.✔ He would dodge.✔ Then, he would counter.
💥 The dummy lashed out.
Rei dodged left—too early.❌ His counterattack missed.
💥 Another attack.
Rei dodged too slow.❌ Hit in the ribs.
💥 Again.
Too soon.Too late.Too weak.
Every single time—he failed.
But he didn't stop.
Progress – A Glimpse of Perfection
By the fiftieth attempt—he started seeing it.
✔ The moment the attack began, he stayed still.✔ The enemy committed to the movement.✔ At the last second—he shifted.
💥 The dummy missed.
And then—
💥 Rei's hand shot forward, striking the dummy's exposed joint.
The force was weak.
But the placement was perfect.
For the first time—he had landed a counterattack.
Rei (panting, whispering): "It works…"
His body was too weak for brute force.But his timing was getting sharper.
He wasn't dodging anymore.
He was baiting.
And one day—he would make his attacks hurt.