Chapter 186: Mutual Training
No sooner had Kaiser left the headquarters of the Imperial Faction than tongues began wagging.
In the instant following his departure, murmurs started racing through the corridors. Words traveled quickly among the faction mbers, passing from mouth to mouth. By late morning, the rumor had already reached nearly the entire academy.
Yet no one had actually witnessed the scene. That didn’t stop the details from piling up, each person adding their own touch to the story.
The versions varied, but the central idea remained the sa: Kaiser and Princess Olivia were now a couple.
No confirmation ever ca. Not a word from Kaiser, nor a denial from Olivia. That silence, instead of quenching the speculation, only fueled it. The rumors spread throughout the entire institute grounds, reaching every corner.
anwhile, in the academy’s large training hall, Kaiser was training alone. In the center, several training dummies stood in a line. The air slled of sweat.
Kaiser held the dark blade with a steady hand. He closed his eyes for a mont, visualizing the movents Sulyvhan had taught him.
Suddenly, his eyelids snapped open.
The blade traced a perfect arc through the air.
< First Movent: Crescent Moon >
A dazzling white slash burst from the tip of his sword, cleaving the atmosphere. The cutting energy crossed the distance separating him from the first dummy.
He imdiately followed up.
< Second Movent: Quarter Moon >
As his sword continued its trajectory, trails of luminous aura lingered in its wake, remnants that did not rely float passively in the air but reacted to his slightest movents.
Kaiser perford a subtle wrist rotation. Instantly, one of the aura trails veered left, striking a second dummy positioned in his blind spot.
He continued the sequence. A third dummy on his right, a fourth directly in front. Rather than stopping to adjust his stance, Kaiser let his instinct guide his movents. He planted his foot firmly on the ground and spun on himself. The aura remnants around his blade ford a temporary shield, redirecting an imaginary attack, but if a real opponent had been there, their weapon would have slid off that fleeting barrier before Kaiser counterattacked in the sa motion.
His sword whirled, striking the central dummy in the throat while using the montum to sweep the remnant toward the side dummy. Both targets collapsed almost simultaneously.
Kaiser froze, his breath forming a faint cloud of condensation in the cool air of the hall. He surveyed the scattered debris around him, then stared at his blade.
"Block and counterattack in a single motion..." he breathed. "It can even redirect attacks if mastered well enough."
"I think I’ve got these two movents down pretty well... But..."
Kaiser raised the sword, closed his eyes again, desperately trying to visualize what Sulyvhan had described. But nothing ca.
"Damn it," he muttered through clenched teeth.
He struck the dummy out of frustration. Kaiser stood there motionless, breathing hard, staring at the useless gash he had just made.
He wiped the sweat away and resud his stance, sword firmly in hand. He attacked the training dummy once more...
When the side door opened silently.
Dressed in a similarly fitted training outfit, devoid of any unnecessary ornant. His bow rested in a sling across his back. His face remained perfectly neutral, and his eyes, hidden behind his blindfold, seed nonetheless fixed on Kaiser.
"You look like you’re struggling," he observed in a flat voice.
Kaiser lowered his weapon and turned toward him, still short of breath.
"I’m completely stuck. I can’t grasp it no matter what I try."
Jasper took two steps closer.
"When one domain blocks you, it’s usually rational to temporarily explore another. A different skill can sotis create useful connections in the mind."
Kaiser sighed, visibly frustrated, and drove the tip of his sword into the floor.
"Are you suggesting I give up the sword to learn sothing else?"
"Not give up... add... The bow, for example."
"You’re not entirely wrong."
Without waiting for a reply, Jasper walked to the wall rack where several bows hung. He took one down, briefly tested the string tension, then returned to Kaiser and held it out horizontally.
"Take it."
Kaiser hesitated for a fraction of a second before grasping the bow. Jasper then handed him an arrow.
"Position yourself. Feet shoulder-width apart. Left hand low on the grip, right hand high to draw the string. Your fingers should form a hook."
Kaiser complied, awkwardly imitating the stance he had seen archers use many tis.
"Now, look at the target, not the arrow. Take a deep breath. You only release the string when your lungs are half empty."
Kaiser followed the instructions exactly. His first shot flew far too high, the arrow embedding itself in the wall above the dummy. The second was even worse.
Jasper corrected each mistake without ever raising his voice or showing the slightest emotion, as was his habit. He adjusted the position of Kaiser’s fingers, made him lower his left shoulder, altered the angle of his supporting foot.
They continued like this for about twenty minutes. Kaiser still missed several tis, but his shots landed closer and closer to the target.
Unlike Jasper, who had beco an expert at handling the bow in re minutes, it was different for Kaiser, after all, comparing talent between Kaiser and Jasper made no sense.
Finally, Jasper positioned himself facing Kaiser, about fifteen ters away.
"Now shoot at ."
Kaiser frowned, thinking at first it was a joke.
"Seriously? You want
to aim at you?"
"Yeah, aim right at my chest. I’ll dodge it."
Without waiting for further confirmation, Jasper stepped back fifteen more paces, then stood perfectly straight, arms slightly spread.
Kaiser nocked an arrow, heart beating a little faster. He aid at the center of Jasper’s chest, applying every piece of advice he had just received. He breathed as instructed, exhaled slowly, then released the string.
The arrow flew straight toward its target, fast and precise. At the last instant, Jasper shifted his weight to the left in an almost imperceptible movent. The tip passed three centiters from his shoulder before embedding itself in the wall behind him with a sharp snap.
"Too much hesitation before the release," Jasper comnted without the slightest trace of breathlessness. "Your shoulders rise slightly when you’re about to let go. I read your intention a second before you executed."
Kaiser lowered the bow, both impressed and frustrated by the display.
"How do you move so little and still dodge the arrow? I an, you only had to move at the very last mont to show
you weren’t in any danger from those shots at all."
"Because you’re far too predictable. Just like that idiot Julian."
Kaiser nodded, perfectly understanding what he ant. He wasn’t an archer, so it was understandable he had no experience. For soone like Jasper, reading his intentions had to be simple.
"Thanks for the help, man. It’s always good to have other skills up your sleeve," Kaiser said, placing the bow back on the rack.
Jasper gave a faint smile. "Now you owe . Teach
your technique that uses aura to leap into the air."
"The Repulsive Aura? It took
months to learn, it’ll be tough."
Jasper shook his head. "I’m a genius, Paragon warrior. Don’t underestimate ."
And just like that, the training continued...
Reviews
All reviews (0)