For about 15 minutes, Johan had fought versions of himself again and again. The first he won though barely, second was a tie, third was a loss, fourth was a win, fifth a win, and everything up to 8 was a loss.
"I'm going to die out here."
"No, you feel like that, you can't actually die here."
Lucius said, rebuking Johan with a chuckle.
He continued as he looked at the boy:
"Take a rest, then we will continue. Remember form and technique are number one, second is physique stats, and third is battle IQ. Focus on number one right now."
He said with a wave of his hand.
Johan sheathed the copy of his blade in the world before going to land next to a tree on the cliff.
"I'm pretty sure it's not normal for a person to get used to being cut up?"
"No, but you're going to learn, every fighter is forced too."
Lucius replied as brought a book and started to read.
Johan looked away from Lucius and looked down towards the kingdom beneath them.
Houses in the style of 15 century europe laid around, a fully functioning shipyard, and a large castle made were all the eye could see.
'This must be the rest of his divine kingdom.'
Johan thought before looking back to Lucius who then closed his novel.
"Alright get up, next round."
Lucius said as a shadowy figure of Johan appeared next to him, raising its blade to a fighting stance.
Johan unsheathed his sword and got into his own fighting stance.
After a second thought, Johan decided to go one handed instead of two like the shadow was.
After the two got into distance, Johan slashed downward diagonal across his opponent's chest, going from to left to right. The shadow voided before striking with a downward slash. But midway through, Johan slashed upwards slashed in a crescent motion while shifting his weight backwards and cut off the back hand of the shadow.
The shadow tried to repose and use his left hand to block but was too slow as Johan cut off their head. The shadow soon disappeared as the sound of clapping could be heard.
"Bravo, I would say you're about master level or at least near it. You're getting better at killing, beforehand you couldn't go for the killing shot now you are."
"It's not like these guys are real, it's easier because of that." Johan replied.
"True, which is why this is needed, for you to learn to kill. But remember, if you can win without it, then do so. It's better for them, their loved ones, and you."
"Yeah I know, you've been drilling that into my head since this started."
Johan shot back as he went to lay back against a tree.
"Well enjoy the rest, you're done with swordsmanship for the moment. Now you're going to run a mile."
"I'm a child."
Johan replied as he looked back at Lucius.
"Im guessing life isn't important to you if you're thinking that way."
Johan stood up, looked in a random direction and started jogging.
"Faster, you got to be faster than that. Use enhancement!" Lucius yelled from his spot before going back to read his book.
"Man, 'The Brothers Karamazov' is peak."
He said as returned to reading.
Johan, carrying his blade at his side, was now running. In a speed to where he was running, but just barely.
'If I keep this pace, I should be able to make it without being that tired.'
Upon finishing his thought, he saw a spear going to stab him right in the stomach which he had to dodge.
Right as he unsheathed his blade to attack, Lucius's voice rang out in his head:
"Don't fight, it's not worth it, defend when it's in range, focus on running. When you can't outrun, fight, if you can."
"Fine."
Johan replied as blocked a stab while stepping to the right and started running in that direction.
Johan increased his speed to as fast as he could to outrun the lancer that tried to kill him.
After a few seconds, he stopped to catch his breath.
"I think I'm going to hate running."
Johan said to himself as he held his side. Suddenly, he heard Lucius's voice sound off in his head:
"Ok now do the exact same on your back."
Johan let a shaky sigh as he clenched his fist before starting to run all the way back.
This time when he saw the lancer, he didn't try to attack, he just dodged and blocked an attack before moving on.
As he made it back to the starting, he looked up to see Lucius playing chess with a clone of himself.
Upon seeing the tired child, Luicus waved his hand to him before returning to the game.
Johan, now out of breath, simply went back to lay against a tree, gripping the handle of his sword as he did.
'He better not send me to run again.'
He thought to himself as he stared at Lucius.
After about 15 minutes, Lucius ended his game before looking towards Johan:
"Get up, you're fighting again."
He said as a shadowy figure of Johan appeared a few meters away from the real one.
Johan, upon hearing his words and shadow in front of him, unsheathed his blade and held it two handed. This time, Johan struck first, going for a snapping diagonal downward slash going from left to right to the upper part of its torso before stepping out of line, and doing a diagonal upward cut going to right to left at the shadow's head.
After that, he stepped back and did a horizontal slash going from left to right to the other side of its head.
The shadow stepped back on the first strike while blocking. After blocking the third strike, it did a downward strike to Johan's head.
Johan went to block but was too slow to get proper structure which caused the blow to go straight past it and cut his face apart.
Or it should have. Johan the felt the blade cut but no wound appeared. At this point, he was used to it.
"The problem was that at your last strike you should have back foot only and then when you feel pressure, use the spring in your front foot to push back."
Lucius said before continuing to read his novel.
"You can go rest for the rest of the night, I've already had you for an hour."
Johan heard Lucius say before suddenly seeing the roof of the hotel room.
'Welp, time to go to sleep.' Johan thought to himself before laying on his side and closing his eyes for the second time tonight.
A few hours later, the sun rose. The light peered through the window like a bright lamp, casting shadows throughout the room.
A few moments later, Johan woke up to find both Sophia and Laureano missing.
Only Edward and Ha-Yoon remained, the former eating donuts, and the latter watching something on her phone.
"Where are Sofi and Laureano?"
Johan said but the two only looked at him, before Ed waved at him.
"Moring man, how'd you sleep?"
Johan remembered the language barrier at the moment but could make the gist of what Edward said.
He nodded his head before getting out of bed and going to the counter to find something to eat.
"Also here, if you were wondering where both Sofi and Larry left."
Ha-Yoon said as she waved a paper in her hand before throwing it to Johan.
Johan has expected it to guild through the air, only to have to dodge the paper.
The paper that she threw had embittered itself in the side of the counter going a few centimeters into it.
Edward looked angrily at Ha-Yoon before ripping the page out of the wooden cabinet and holding it to Johan.
Johan looked at the page, the first half was in English while the second hair was in Japanese.
"Johan, me and Sofi are out doing the assessments Lucius asked us last night, if you need something, ask Edward, he has my number. Your job is simple. Do whatever you want without getting into trouble. I left all three of y'all money to spend, So use it wisely."
Johan read the page, before looking away from the room to find the cash Laureano left behind.
At that moment Edward was to catch something that was thrown at Johan's head.
"Man, why are you so mad? Especially at Johan, he didn't even do anything."
"Yet, yet he didn't do anything yet."
"No one did anything, we just woke up fifteen minutes ago."
Edward said before handing Johan the thing Ha-Yoon had thrown. It was a wallet, containing a few bills from the look of how full it is.
Johan took it before counting the money inside. It shocked him and he needed to look back at the note and Edward to see if it was real.
Edward however didn't notice as he was too busy arguing with Ha-Yoon.
'Five hundred USD, what kind of a person gives five hundred dollars for a children's allowance?'
Johan thought to himself as he looked at the bag.
At that moment, a bright fireball hit in the head which caused Johan to stumble back.
"YOON, why you'd hit the kid?!" Edward looked at her before looking at Johan and checking if he had any wounds.
Johan looked back and rubbed his head and made a shrug to show he wasn't hurt, hoping for Ed to understand, which he did.
After letting a sign out, Edward waved his hand and pointed at the door.
Johan, guessing his intent, walked to the door. Placed on his shoes which were next to it, grabbed his sword and left.
"Alright, what happened?"
Edward questioned as he looked at Ha-Yoon, disappointment written all over his face.
"The kid just got here."
"Yeah, so why are you attacking him?"
"Because, haven't you realized that the captain treats him differently?"
"Because he is different. He is strong enough that at seven he can become a controller, far smarter and mature for his age, and most importantly is the same natures as captain. Of course he's going to be treated better than us, he might learn to lead, and even if he's not, then accept it.
We will grow and he will grow. We might be better than him or he might be. What matters is not power but who is alive and happy at the end. Not happy with the world but with God."
Edward yelled as he looked at Ha-Yoon.
"You're jealous because your talent seems to have disappeared. If you don't have talent then make it."
"That's easy for you to say."
Ha-Yoon shot back.
"You never had talent to begin with and your pathway literally gives you talent in its mid to high ranks."
"I'm still rank three so that doesn't apply to me."
While the conversation went on, Johan sat at the door of the room before standing up and walking towards the stairs.
As he was about to step on the first step of stairs, a dagger made of pure light stabbed into his feet.
Johan hissed but because of the repeatedly feeling cut up he managed to keep his cool and stay quiet.
The dagger pulled back and appeared near his side. Johan blocked the attack and moved away from the stairs. As he looked around the hallway, another dagger came out of nowhere.
This time in the air. Johan dodged and hit the weapon. But it did nothing.
Another one stabbed into his back. Johan stumbled a bit before swinging wildly around the room before slashing at one of the lamps as the dagger spawned.
As he did, he heard a grunt of pain. The same dagger shot at him from across the room but this time, Johan aimed at the lamp producing light instead of the blade.
As he heard the shatter of grass, the dagger disappeared but a bloody glow appeared across the hallway.
After it disappeared, a boy no older than thirteen appeared.
He wore black coat with a red interior, dark pants, black boots, and had slick back black hair.
Honestly he kinda looked like a vampire.
His right arm has a large cut going from the fingers to the elbow.
Judging from how he had attacked there was only one option, the boy in front of him was a rogue.
The boy spoke after a bit of panting.
"Hey, how about this? I let you live and I don't cause any more trouble for you?"
Johan had no clue what the guy said but it seemed like a plea of some sorts so he simply nodded his head while keeping sword up in his left hand.
The kid stepped back before suddenly appearing a few feet away from Johan, rushing him with a dagger, no.
His fingers had come together to form the blade of a dagger.
Upon seeing this, Johan reacted quickly, stepping to the side while hitting the dagger, or rather hand as best he could before spinning the blade, and slashing slightly diagonally going from right to left.
The eyes of the vampiric flashed before a blade started to cut his flesh.
Johan felt his blade slash flesh, the blade cutting meat of the body felt like he was slowly peeling something uncomfortable with a dull knife.
After some time, he felt his blade begin to chop, the hard material felt cold, leaving the sensation of ringing like that of a bell, echoing back and forth in the arm.
He watched as the blade cut right through the neck of his attacker before seeing the head roll right off while the rest of the body laid on the ground.
Though it took only about one to two seconds in reality, to Johan it felt as if he lived his whole life repeatedly.
He looked with wide eyes at the corpse of the young boy he had just killed, feeling a ringing sensation in his left arm before it echoed throughout his whole body, nearly causing him to let go of his sword.
He felt like he was turning into a ghost, parts of his body disappearing to a moving mist as he simply stared at the empty eyes of his now dead attacker.
He looked and looked and looked, until sometime later, he suddenly felt something shack and a felt voice.
After a few moments of that he was suddenly slapped towards the face of Edward.
"Hey you listening?"
Johan faintly made out as his eyes wandered back to the person he had killed.
Edward stood there a while, not speaking before pulling Johan away from the dead body, and entered their rented room. Johan took one glance at the corpse before entering the room. He felt shaken, he didn't know what to think. He knew killing felt horrible but he didn't expect this. He didn't feel sad or mad, or even worried.
He was like a ghost, unable to even think clearly as his mind felt like fog had covered over it. His body felt shacky, not solid anymore but rather a still but moving gas had taken its place. It was only had Edward sat him down on the body, that he managed to produce a single thought:
'I am taking the life of a human being, a creation of the Most High, my own neighbor. And I feel–I feel wrong.'
He felt as if he was no longer solid but instead now a gas trying to keep the shape of a human. His legs felt shaky and his mind was buzzing.
He could barely even hear the words Edward was saying to him but even if he did, he wouldn't understand.
He felt like he had become a ghost himself. It was a horrible feeling but he could not make out what said feeling was other than weird.
It was a feeling that no person could get used to but something in his mind told him he was doing it again.
'I guess I understand why Lucius said it's a feeling no one sane can get used to.'
Johan finally managed to think as looked into the eyes of Edward before feeling something hard hit in the head. He was knocked and laid on the side of his head. He didn't see who it was that hit him nor what they hit him with.
In fact he didn't care about anything. All he felt was simply and utterly guilty.