Morning had arrived, and today Ryu felt lighter than usual.
The training had not exhausted him; instead, it had made him stronger.
He made his bed, washed his face, and went downstairs.
This time, the innkeeper was not there, but since he knew Ryu usually came early for breakfast, he had prepared it in advance and left it on the table.
Ryu sat down and noticed a letter placed there.
(Sorry, I had to go to the market. I prepared these quickly. Eat well, I'll be back soon and make food for your friend too.)
"Oh, so he went to the market."
Ryu began eating breakfast.
The bread was slightly cold, as if it had been sitting there for about ten minutes.
After finishing his tea and breakfast, he left the inn.
Just like yesterday, he took the same road leading to the temple.
On the way, this time he sensed not one energy, but two.
He recognized the energy of the previous person, but the new one was far stronger.
"I think it's that mage himself."
Without looking back, Ryu continued walking.
Fortunately, this time they did nothing to him, as if they were only observing.
"But I need to be careful," Ryu thought.
When he reached the temple, the energies disappeared.
This time, since the guards knew who he was, they let him in without asking questions.
Some of them even smiled and greeted him.
Ryu arrived earlier than yesterday and saw Bai Chen training with the others.
He went to a corner and watched their training.
Their movements were like flowing water, resembling a beautiful dance.
After watching for a while, he realized that martial arts were not just about fighting, but also a form of peace that came from performing them.
When the training ended, Bai Chen noticed Ryu and quickly came over.
"Oh, hi Kai. Why didn't you tell me you were coming? We could have trained together earlier."
Ryu replied,
"The way you were performing martial arts was so beautiful that I got completely absorbed and couldn't think of anything else."
Bai Chen remembered that this was the same feeling he had experienced the first time he saw martial arts.
"Yeah, it really is an amazing sight. Now let's go train. I feel like you can do it today."
"Heh heh, yeah."
Ryu and Bai Chen headed toward the training ground.
They began training, and Ryu channeled energy into his eyes and even connected the energy threads to Bai Chen's energy, but he still couldn't predict his movements.
"Why isn't it working? Think… think,"
he muttered to himself, when suddenly he remembered Bai Chen's training from earlier.
Coincidentally, Bai Chen was about to use the same technique.
The energy threads began to move, revealing all the points where Bai Chen intended to strike, as well as certain points for counterattacks.
Ryu finally understood that predicting movements wasn't just about activating energy threads; he had to fully observe his opponent's movements.
He was able to use the technique, but he still had a long way to go.
With training, he could make it stronger and more precise.
After several hours, the threads became thinner, but their accuracy improved.
This was the miracle of training and effort.
Suddenly, a strange thought crossed Ryu's mind.
"What would happen if I used both the prediction technique and the force circuit at the same time?"
Bai Chen charged at him, aiming a punch at his face.
Since he knew Ryu would use either prediction or force, he put all his energy into the attack to help him improve.
The moment Ryu activated both techniques simultaneously, his brain shut down for an instant.
Both techniques deactivated, and Bai Chen's punch landed directly on Ryu's face.
Ryu flew several meters away and collapsed unconscious.
"Kai!?"
Bai Chen rushed over and saw Ryu lying unconscious.
"What happened? Weren't you going to use your technique?"
Bai Chen quickly went to fetch some water to splash on Ryu's face to wake him up.
He brought the water and splashed it on Ryu's face, but Ryu didn't wake up at all.
At that moment, the Grand Master was passing by and saw Bai Chen splashing water on Ryu's face.
He hurried over.
"What did you do to the kid?"
Bai Chen panicked.
"M-Master!?
I-I don't know, we were t-training…"
"Speak properly so I can understand you."
the Grand Master said angrily.
Bai Chen calmed himself a little.
"H-He activated his energy, and since I knew he was going to use his technique, I punched him with all my strength. Then suddenly, he just dropped."
Shen Xuan pushed Bai Chen aside to examine Ryu himself.
He saw that Ryu was fine and only unconscious.
"Leave him alone. He'll wake up soon."
(15 minutes later)
Ryu finally woke up.
He felt a lot of pain in his face, but his head and heart hurt even more.
"W-What happened?"
Shen Xuan replied,
"We don't know either. You suddenly fainted.
Do you know why?"
Ryu said,
"I tried to use both the force circuit and the prediction technique at the same time, and suddenly I felt intense pain in my head. After that, I don't remember anything."
Shen Xuan was truly shocked.
"Are you an idiot or what?
How did you think you could use both techniques at once?"
Bai Chen was also stunned, as if this was something impossible.
Shen Xuan continued,
"Using multiple techniques at the same time is not something you can do at your current level.
It damages both your energy core and your brain. You're lucky you're fine."
Using two techniques simultaneously requires great understanding and experience.
If a beginner attempts it, they usually faint and may remain unconscious for days, because the brain cannot process two high-energy techniques at once and temporarily shuts down.
Ryu didn't know this.
"Damn it, I almost died,"
he muttered while holding his head.
After some time, he began to feel better.
When he touched his face, he noticed it was bruised and painful.
When he looked at Bai Chen, he saw that he looked frightened.
"Even after seeing me unconscious, you still punched my face?"
Ryu said in a nearly serious tone.
"I swear I didn't know you fainted! I thought you were going to use a technique, so I went all out."
Bai Chen said with a nervous laugh.
"Well, forget that. It seems your next opponent has been decided.
And it looks like your opponent is from the Dark Knight family. His name is Vespere."
Ryu had never heard of Dark Knights before, so this was new to him.
"Dark Knights?"
Bai Chen said,
"Bro, did you come from a village or something? How do you know nothing?"
Ryu smirked and said nothing.
Bai Chen continued,
"They're a family of swordsmen who, unlike ordinary swordsmen, use dark energy."
Ryu asked,
"Dark energy? What's that?"
"Well, when monsters first invaded, some people managed to absorb the energy of high-ranked monsters after killing them, and over time their energy became dark.
Because their energy is monstrous, they have no hesitation in killing and are extremely ruthless."
Ryu realized that this opponent would be tougher than before—possibly even more dangerous.
An opponent who has no fear of killing would use lethal techniques, unlike Bai Chen, whose attacks weren't meant to kill.
Bai Chen continued,
"They use swords and are very powerful.
Their techniques are usually meant to kill and have massive destructive power, so you need to be careful."
Ryu said,
"Oh, a sword… this just became really dangerous."
Bai Chen went on,
"At first, focus only on dodging and memorizing their movements.
After that, you can use prediction to counterattack.
There's a technique—I can't remember its name—where countless swords appear and rain down on you, all engulfed in black flames.
Unlike normal swords, if they hit you, they drain a lot of energy and are very hard to heal from.
Over time in battle, they'll wear you down, so be careful."
A technique like poison—once it hits you, it gradually exhausts you, and the deeper the wound, the stronger the effect.
"And there are several other techniques too, but I can't remember them."
"Sounds like a really tough opponent. I need to prepare."
Ryu stood up and began training, strengthening his techniques.
(Several hours later)
Sweat was dripping from Ryu due to the intense training, but he wasn't tired.
Instead, he felt powerful.
His body had grown firmer, and his muscles were more defined.
When training ended, Ryu went to say goodbye to Bai Chen and head back to the inn.
"Well, I should go now. See you."
Bai Chen replied,
"Good luck in tomorrow's match. I'll come watch. You have to win."
Ryu laughed.
"Haha, I definitely will."
Ryu headed toward the inn.
Along the way, he felt a chilling sensation.
A cold wind was blowing, but it wasn't really cold.
It felt more like being watched.
This time, he sensed only one energy.
He decided to end the matter and stopped in place.
The person watching him was completely dressed in black, their face hidden.
"Why did he suddenly stop? Did he notice my presence?
No, that's impossible. I'm the best at stealth,"
the person thought.
Ryu spread out his energy threads.
Even if he was hiding, he must have left behind traces of energy.
"There!"
Ryu pinpointed his location.
He was behind a broken carriage that had been abandoned there.
Ryu did nothing and walked into another street.
The person quickly followed, not wanting to lose him.
When he entered the street, he saw no one.
"Huh? Where did he go?"
Suddenly, a dagger was pressed against his throat.
It was Ryu.
After entering the street, he had hidden and waited for him.
"I have a few questions for you.
Tell me who sent you."
The spy had no choice.
He pulled something from his pocket.
A smoke bomb.
When he threw it to the ground, smoke filled the area.
Ryu disappeared from sight, and the spy managed to escape.
Cough… cough…
"Damn it, what was that?"
The person escaped, and Ryu realized something.
This person had come only to spy.
His martial techniques weren't strong enough to fight Ryu.
"I'll think about it when I get back to the inn."
Ryu returned to the inn.
After taking a shower, he went to his room.
The master hadn't returned yet, so he went to the corner with the desk and chair.
He sat down and began thinking.
"It really seems like the Stone family wants my life.
I need to do something about it."
But for now, that wasn't the priority.
He had a tough match tomorrow and needed to think about his strategy.
"From what Bai Chen told me, Dark Knights use swords.
It's better to dodge their attacks and then strike back.
But fists alone won't be enough…"
As he was thinking, he remembered that he had a dagger he could use.
He took out the dagger his master had given him and unsheathed it.
It was so clean that he could see his own reflection in it.
"If my opponent wants to kill me, then I'll have no choice but to act."
He sheathed the dagger and left it there.
Then he went downstairs and saw his master sitting there.
"Oh, hello. You're sitting here?"
The master replied,
"Well, food was served, so I stayed here."
Ryu went and sat at the same table.
"Master, my next opponent has been decided.
He's a Dark Knight."
The master didn't show much reaction and said,
"If you use the technique I taught you properly, you can succeed.
Also, make sure you do not get hit by that dark aura under any circumstances."
Ryu knew exactly why his master said that, so he nodded in agreement.
"Mm."
The food arrived, and Ryu and his master began eating.
(One hour later)
Ryu lay on his bed.
This time, he didn't think much about anything.
He just wanted to sleep and recover his energy.
Morning came, and Ryu headed to the tournament arena.
The announcer shouted loudly,
"Welcome everyone to the third round of the Martial Tournament!"
End of Chapter 36