Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 533: The Heart That Believes Is Your True Technique
"Huh? You want to be my disciple? What exactly are you planning to learn from me?"
Steven stopped in his tracks, completely baffled. He had thought the little tiger had something important to ask, yet it turned out she wanted to take him as her master?
But what could he possibly teach? Steven genuinely had no idea. Surely she didn't mean his earlier… abstract behavior?
Could it be this little tiger was actually a spiritual tiger, wanting to learn the art of absurdity from him and become a legendary internet celebrity together? But this was Terra—there wasn't even livestreaming here.
He turned back to look at the girl, confusion written all over his face. Being on the receiving end of that sort of stare for once, Steven finally understood how other people sometimes felt.
"Of course I wish to learn martial arts as impressive as yours, Hero—so I may uphold justice and serve my country with loyalty."
Waai Fu puffed out her chest as she declared her goal. She knew such words sounded childish coming from someone her age, but the books had said that sincerity was the best way to move martial arts masters. If she couldn't even state her ambitions clearly, why would anyone accept her as a disciple?
"…Whew. That's quite the grand reason."
Steven sucked in a breath. If he had said something like that, it could've been brushed off as a brain glitch. But coming from this girl, it might actually be her genuine belief—and the more genuine it was, the harder it became for him to deal with.
"But… I really don't have anything I can teach you…"
He muttered quietly. It wasn't that he was being stingy, it's just that his strength came from his Minecraftian physiology. There was nothing he could realistically pass on.
He didn't know martial arts or internal cultivation techniques. He couldn't exactly teach a college-age girl to pop buffs and chug potions like him, could he?
As for everything else… he had long forgotten even basic calisthenics. The only "technique" he remembered was the right hand exercises.
"…."
After hearing his muttered words, the girl lowered her head without speaking. But the droop of her tail said everything—she was clearly disappointed.
"But I can teach you something more useful than any technique," Steven suddenly continued. "Whether it's practicing martial arts or throwing punches, it all comes down to a single breath. If your heart is filled with righteous energy, your punches will carry momentum. Your training will have a reason to persist."
"Master your own inner self, and one day you'll become a grandmaster."
"Remember, the heart that believes is your best technique."
When it came to martial arts, Steven was an amateur. But in other areas—like handing out empty promises and motivational soup—he was completely at home. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was more than enough to encourage a girl who hadn't yet stepped into society.
After offering this simple comfort, Steven glanced toward the factory entrance. True enough, the police always arrived fastest after everything was over. The wail of sirens outside reminded him it was time to leave.
"I understand, Hero of Justice. I'll continue to work hard, master my own inner self, and one day you'll see my efforts… and acknowledge me."
Clenching her small fists, Waai Fu silently made her resolve. In her eyes, Steven's words were more of a tactful refusal—something she had expected. Masters of his caliber didn't accept disciples easily. Rather than comforting her, it felt like he was explaining the standards for becoming his student.
She didn't know how to achieve that, but if she worked hard, perhaps one day she could move him. Maybe he was even testing her—waiting to see her actions before granting her this chance.
Steven, of course, had no idea that the girl had already imagined him as some mysterious recluse with labyrinthine depths. If he knew what she was thinking, he would definitely pat her on the shoulder and tell her she was overthinking things.
Unfortunately, seeing that she seemed to have given up, Steven simply smiled in satisfaction, waved at her, and slipped out of the factory in a flash.
He didn't bother with what would happen afterward. He trusted that the Lungmen Guard Department was more than capable of handling cleanup. Once outside, he immediately saw the pink-haired girl who appeared to have been waiting for him for quite some time.
"Miss Remy, why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of monster? Didn't my heroic rescue performance just now deserve at least a little applause?"
After finishing up, Steven casually clapped his hands together, brushing off imaginary dust, then turned to Lin Yuxia with a teasing look. She was staring at him with an indescribable expression—borderline fearful.
"How… did you do that?"
Lin Yuxia ignored him calling her "Remy." She simply pointed toward the factory, disbelief filling her eyes.
The commotion Steven had caused had drawn more than just the Umbrella members. As the person responsible for his safety, she had watched the entire scene unfold—and she had seen him effortlessly fight one against a hundred.
No—that wasn't even a fight. It was one-sided mowing. A spectacle more outrageous than anything in a musou game had just played out before her eyes.
Before Santiago went in, Lin Yuxia had imagined all sorts of ways he might dismantle the Umbrella group.
Maybe he'd use his firearms to quietly assassinate them one by one. Maybe he'd simply blow the entire factory sky-high with explosives. He might even strap on his bomb pack and attempt a suicidal decapitation strike.
But she never expected the situation to be resolved in such a… simple, straightforward manner.
In fact, the method itself was completely normal. Yet the more normal it was, the more unnatural it felt when performed by someone as abnormal as him.
How could a normal person do something like that?
"Huh? What do you mean how? When I went in, everyone was already lying on the ground. Some tiger-like heroine avenged me. There are still people inside who can testify."
Tilting his head as if genuinely confused, Steven looked back at her with innocent eyes.
"I watched everything that happened in there. I even heard clearly when you almost accepted her as your disciple. Can you stop treating me like an idiot?"
Lin Yuxia rubbed her forehead helplessly. More than anything, she genuinely wanted to know how a supposedly ordinary person had accomplished all that.
"…Sigh. Well, since you've seen through it, I won't pretend anymore. I'll be honest, I was born with superhuman strength, okay?"
With his lie exposed, Steven shrugged and tossed out an explanation that barely counted as one.
"..."
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I really was born with super strength. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. The human body is amazing. If you don't believe in your fists, they won't respond to you."
Spouting nonsense even he didn't fully believe, Steven walked past Lin Yuxia—who was still glaring at him resentfully—and headed off while humming a cheerful tune.
"Where are you going now?"
"Obviously to the Guard Department to break someone out of jail, miss. I've got a job and a commission. My protection target is still locked up, so I'd better figure out how to fish her out."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628