Chapter 211 Can I watch?
She pointed to a row of five humanoid dummies made of a silvery metal with a golden shine. "They're specially crafted for blade practice. Even Keyara and Aunt Yelena struggled to leave a mark on them." As they approached, Kevin eyed the dummies with surprise.
"They're that tough... why not make armor out of it?" Kevin inquired.
Keith smiled as she positioned herself in front of the dummies next to Kevin's. "The material is incredibly heavy and difficult to inscribe, so it can't be crafted into armor. Plus, the cost to make one is astronomical... higher than the cost of this entire ship."
Kevin was once again taken aback, and his surprise only deepened as he witnessed her dash toward the dummy. In the blink of an eye, she went from being next to him to slashing the dummy's throat with her glowing knife.
The slash appeared menacing, and he was confident that no monster he'd ever encountered would survive such an attack. However, the dummy stood erect without a scratch, and only smoke emanated from the surface where Keith's knife had slashed.
"See," Keith remarked with a smile, continuing, "they are one tough bastard."
Kevin nodded with wide eyes and inquired, "But what was that slash... you went like 'wooshh' and then 'shuuhs'..."
Hearing this, her face bloomed into a smug smile as she explained, "That was the second move of the Soldier Blade—dash attack. Like its name, we dash and attack, putting everything into that one strike. It doesn't matter if it's a slash, stab, or throw; it's all about delivering a powerful surprise attack. This move is performed to shock your opponent, especially when you're not confident in using all your strength."
Kevin nodded and asked, "Should I learn it too?"
Keith shook her head and said, "I said you don't have time to learn new moves, so just practice the ones you know. Also, this move is not about getting learned; it will come to you naturally, once you're in a moment, which I hope never comes." Her voice lowered, and her eyes showed the same fear, but shaking her head, she looked at Kevin staring at her and said, "What are you looking at? Start practicing."
As Kevin began practicing the Armor Breaker move on the sturdy dummies, Keith observed his form. She noticed the raw power in his strikes, a testament to the newfound strength he gained. However, the precision and finesse that came with years of experience was lacking.
"Focus on the control, not just power," Keith advised. "You need to channel the energy efficiently. Imagine you're cutting through an opponent's defense, not just hitting a dummy."
Kevin adjusted his approach, attempting to balance strength with the technique. As the training session continued, Keith shared insights into refining the movements, emphasizing the importance of fluidity and timing.
As they practiced side by side, the ship's training room echoed with the rhythmic sound of blades striking the metallic dummies. Observing Kevin performing admirably without significant mistakes, Keith decided to engage in her own practice.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of cat-like eyes observed their movements with a predatory hunger. This desire was not for combat skills but directed at Kevin's glistening, muscular frame. The sweat highlighted his well-defined muscles, crafted meticulously to allure women. Each cut and bulge seemed perfectly placed, creating a balance that prevented him from appearing overly burly. Instead, he maintained an enticing balance between manhood and youthful charm, a testament to the fact that, despite his prowess, he was still a young man.
As they immersed themselves in their practice, a surprising voice disrupted their concentration. "Oh boi, oh boi, where did you get this hot stuff from, Keith?"
Glancing toward the voice, they spotted a man with white hair and a beard. His gaze made Kevin uneasy, and he sported a lollipop on one side of his cheek, creating a noticeable bulge. Keith, on the other hand, welcomed the man with a smile. "Uncle Rubious, this is Kevin, my friend. Kevin, meet Aunt Yelena's husband, Rubious Demtia."
Kevin bowed and offered a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rubious."
The man responded with a sly grin, "Oh ho, the pleasure is all mine. I got to see a really good thing because of you," his eyes lingering on Kevin's sweaty physique, making him shiver uncomfortably under the scrutiny of those rather inappropriate eyes, while he could hear his tongue sucking around the lollipop.
"Sorry, guys, I disturbed your practice session. Are you two gonna continue?" he asked, his slightly wrinkled eyes fixed on Kevin. Out of fear that he might catch a certain expression in them, Kevin avoided making eye contact.
"It's alright, Uncle. Kevin experienced a sudden increase in his strength, and we're just trying to get him acclimated to it," Keith explained with a smile.
"Is that so?" The man's golden eyes, a natural trait in their family, gleamed with curiosity. "Can I watch you two do it, then?" As he pulled out the shiny red lollipop from his mouth.
Surprising both of them, Keith looked at him with confusion. "Yeah? But why?"
Rubious shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nothing... just bored, nothing good to do... so why not see younglings practicing and awaken my youth, too?" As he uttered the last line, his eyes wandered over Kevin's body again.
'Ugh, is this old guy gay or something?' Kevin cursed him silently. He had encountered enough gay men in his life who tried to make advances, but none had succeeded. Nevertheless, he could sense that feeling from this man, and it sent shivers down his spine out of disgust.
Keith nodded, and not wanting to be rude, Kevin did too. The man smiled excitedly and putting the lollipop back into his mouth. He walked toward the gym bench and, sitting on it, he said, "don't mind me, continue."
He settled in and focused on Kevin, who was silently cursing him. Shaking off the discomfort, Kevin continued with his practice. However, the cat-like eyes observing them shifted from annoyance to shock as they met the man's yellow eyes, which were now staring into her eyes with a smile.
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