"Yes, you did."
Sebastian’s voice was a lot closer this ti.
Azel blinked several tis before the man’s face ca into view, he had crouched over him with that sa wolfish grin... It really made Azel want to punch him in the face but the problem would be whether he would actually feel it.
"How did dying feel?"
Azel stared up at him blankly. "...I don’t know."
"The ntal zone tries to emulate death as realistically as possible," Sebastian said casually, leaning back with a stretch. "Or so I was told. Anyway, how did it feel when I touched that pressure point?"
Azel sat up, the world still spinning slightly.
His hands trembled, but he managed to stay upright.
His eyes were empty, not because of fear but confusion.
He had died.
He knew it was training, but the sensation had been too real. The pain, the darkness, the silence... it all got on his nerves.
’I honestly haven’t fought the true monsters of this world yet,’ he thought grimly.
He knew this wasn’t a ga, but the realization hit harder than expected. ’If people can just touch a point on my body and I die instantly... what the fuck am I even doing? Why didn’t Steven ever teach about this?’
"You shouldn’t bla another person for your own weakness," Sebastian said, taking a few casual steps back. "If you didn’t know sothing, then learn it now. That’s what this place is for."
It was like Sebastian knew how he was feeling...
Azel’s expression hardened. "Fine."
"Good." Sebastian motioned for him to follow. "Now, tell what it felt like when I hit the point."
Azel thought for a mont. "There was pain... a lot of it. Then I couldn’t move my body. Like everything went blank."
Sebastian smiled. "Perfect. That’s a good description. Most of the people I’ve used it on didn’t live long enough to explain."
He laughed heartily and the sound bounced off the stone walls.
It didn’t help that he looked completely unhinged while doing it.
"But you’re right," Sebastian said, calming down. "When you touch a pressure point, it sends signals straight to the brain. If the pressure’s strong enough, your brain just... shuts down. A person can die without a single wound."
He cracked his knuckles. "Of course, I’m the one who discovered every single pressure point in the human body. So you’re lucky... most people out there can’t do what I can. But still..."
He tilted his head. "You should assu so might have figured it out too. Don’t underestimate anyone."
Azel clenched his fists. The thought of dying that easily made him uneasy, but he refused to show fear.
"Co on," Sebastian said, grinning again. "Quit moping. You want to get strong, don’t you?"
Azel nodded and stood up. "Let’s go."
Sebastian leapt back lightly, landing several ters away.
’Sigh... nothing bad should happen this ti,’ Azel thought, shaking his head. ’I can defend that point now. What’s the worst that could happen?’
He focused his energy inward.
The knot in his chest had sealed up again, but this ti he consciously loosened it, letting the rejuvenating warmth of aura spread through his limbs.
Then he studied Sebastian carefully and burned it into his mory... He adjusted his stance to the one that Sebastian was currently doing.
Sebastian noticed imdiately.
His grin softened into curiosity. "You’re a quick learner, aren’t you?"
Azel didn’t reply.
"Alright then," Sebastian said, dropping into a new stance altogether. "Don’t worry. We’ll have a good spar this ti. Try not to die again."
Azel’s eyes narrowed. "No promises."
He moved first.
The ground cracked under his feet as he burst forward like a bullet.
This stance gave him sharper montum and better balance... he could feel his body flowing smoother than before and his aura control made every step a lot easier to execute.
Sebastian’s eyes glead. "Good start."
Azel’s leg swung in a high arc... a spinning kick aid at Sebastian’s neck.
Sebastian caught it with one hand and laughed. "Predictable—"
But before he could finish, Azel twisted midair, using Sebastian’s grip as leverage.
He kicked off with his other foot, forcing Sebastian to release him as he backflipped to the ground.
The mont his feet touched rock, he swept forward in a low slide.
Sebastian leapt into the air to dodge, but Azel was ready this ti. He twisted his body, channeling aura into his arm.
"Got you," he whispered.
His fist shot forward... faster than before, hitting Sebastian square in the chest. The impact sent the older man spinning midair, crashing into the stone wall with a heavy thud.
Azel straightened while panting slightly. "About ti..."
He imdiately covered the pressure point near his neck with his hand anticipating a counterattack.
Sure enough, Sebastian appeared in front of him in an instant with a dusty smile.
"You’re improving," he said, brushing off his robe. "And smart, too. Covering your point like that..."
He paused, eyes glinting mischievously. "...but not smart enough."
Before Azel could react, Sebastian flicked his finger forward.
It was just a single movent.
The finger jabbed into a specific spot on Azel’s thigh.
Instantly, pain exploded across his body.
His vision went white.
His breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t as sharp as the chest one, but it was paralyzing in its own way.
’N-no way... he got another point?!’
The agony swallowed him whole, and then ca the darkness again.
...
When Azel opened his eyes, the ceiling was familiar.
He sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"Again?"
From sowhere behind him, Sebastian’s loud laughter filled the cavern.
"You’re getting better!" he called. "At least you’re dying slower!"
He stretched his arms lazily. "Now then, any questions before I break your nervous system again?"
Azel sat up, rubbing his leg... it still throbbed even though this was supposed to be a ntal zone. "Yeah... how many pressure points does my body have exactly?"
Sebastian grinned, genuinely proud of the question. "So glad you asked!"
He raised a finger. "For humans who use aura, there are about sixty pressure points in total. And around ten extra ones for... well, let’s say ’permanent paralysis.’"
Azel blinked. "You’re joking."
"Nope."
"So you’re telling there are seventy places on my body that can either shut down or kill instantly?"
"Sixty that’ll knock you out or kill you," Sebastian corrected. "Ten that’ll make sure you never walk again."
Azel dragged a hand down his face. "That’s insane."
Sebastian’s grin widened. "Crazy, right? We’ll have to go through all of them so that you will learn the proper way of defending against these attacks."
’Fuck ...’
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