Chapter 17: Training Resumed 2
Mass release [2/3]
Fey sprang forward like a bullet—at a speed Asher had not expected—and swung his sword at Asher's throat without hesitation.
It was fast, but luckily, Asher had read the technique before it came.
With precise direction, he raised his sword and parried the blow before it could reach his throat. However, the force of the attack sent him staggering back a few feet.
When Asher regained his footing, he glared at Fey with anger in his eyes. "You bastard! Were you trying to kill me?!"
Fey's smile widened. "Come on, young son, don't tell me that's your best. This is training."
Fey sprang forward again, moving even faster than before. Reaching Asher, he raised his sword high overhead and brought it down toward his skull with full speed.
Asher raised his blade to block the blow—and succeeded—but in doing so, he left himself open for Fey to plant a successful kick into his gut.
"Ahhhhh!" Asher cried out in pain as the strong kick sent him flying backward, tumbling to his side.
'Damn! This guy is trying to murder me! Get yourself into the game! This is an NPC beating you! I have to use my skills and try to kill him too!'
Asher rose to his feet, this time assuming the stance of an advanced Exorcist martial art. He kept his eyes locked on Fey.
'Don't blink in battle. Predict the enemy. Fight to kill. This isn't a game—I can't make mistakes!'
Asher reminded himself, and when Fey attacked again, Asher carefully studied his movements.
At first, Fey swung his sword at Asher's gut. Asher swiftly blocked the attack.
At the same time, Fey threw a fist at his face.
But Asher predicted this, reacting twice as fast.
He jerked his neck to the left, letting the fist pass by him.
It was a tight position, but Asher managed to raise his leg and thrust his heel into Fey's gut.
"Gahhh!" Fey, clearly not expecting this, staggered backward, grabbing his gut in pain.
'Don't give him time to rest.'
Asher grasped his hilt tightly with both hands, launched forward at Fey, and swung his blade upward to cut through his chest.
"Damn—" Fey leaped backward, letting the sword graze his shirt as he made a few steps away from Asher.
He repeated this a few times until he had put several meters between them.
"Why are you running away?" Asher tightened his grip, glaring at Fey in anger.
"Whoa, man, your tactics and learning speed are superb. You almost landed an attack. But too bad—you have no experience," Fey laughed from afar.
His outer appearance seemed unfazed, but the sweat all over his face told a different story.
"Wow, so that guy can do advanced art?"
"Even I can't do that."
"Didn't they say he was a defect?"
Asher's throat went dry as he turned to see a number of people watching him.
Damn! They must have seen his advanced soul arts and his speed in fighting Fey.
He had just exposed himself—because of Fey.
'Fuck!'
"Don't feel so bad, Asher." Fey waved from afar, but Asher, now aware of the younger Exorcists watching him, didn't want to hear anything from him.
"Leave me alone." Asher growled, walking away from the battlefield toward the exit. He had had enough training for today.
Leaving through the doors, he stepped into the outer court of the training ground. This was a place where one could study soul art books and practice sword techniques.
[You should probably sit here and cool off.]
'Man, I fucked up. This isn't how things should go. I need to train secretly and become stronger.'
[You lack experience, and that is what matters most. If that had been a true murderer aiming to kill you, you would be dead. Start making more allies instead of relying solely on your abilities.]
Asher growled, sitting on a wooden three-seater bench.
'Allies? From the Exorcist Kingdom, of all places?'
He pondered this for a while before—
"Hey, Young Lord!" Fey's voice called from the training ground. Asher turned his head, spotting Fey racing toward him.
Upon reaching him, Fey bowed. "I'm sorry for the discomfort I caused you."
Asher furrowed his brows. 'What has gotten into him? It was just a spar.'
"It's okay. Don't worry about me. I'm just scared of dying, that's all. And you gave me a scare," Asher admitted with a small smile.
Expecting Fey to leave after that, Asher was surprised when Fey did otherwise—sitting beside him. Close. Maybe too close.
"Can we be friends?"
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That was unexpected.
Asher turned to Fey, staring him dead in the eyes. Activating the [Eye of Insight], he immediately received a response:
[Fey is telling the truth. He does not possess ulterior motives.]
The [Eye of Insight] was like a lie detector, allowing Asher to discern truth from falsehood within a two-meter range.
"Why do you want to be friends with a weakling like me?" Asher questioned. "Why not approach Nimora? Are you aiming for power or something? Because that would be a lost cause with me."
Fey smiled. "No reason. We just have a lot in common, that's all. And I can teach you things they don't write in the books—things that an Exorcist should know."
Asher narrowed his eyes. He didn't see himself trusting a guy who came offering friendship without a motive.
With his experience in the game, he knew how realistic NPCs were. They had their own motives—so realistic, it was almost like they were human.
As Asher was about to reach a conclusion, a system notification appeared.
[Quest]
[Building Your Guild: A trustworthy soul has been found. Would you like to initiate him into your guild?]
[Rewards will be given accordingly.]