Second week. Combat training.
This time, Mark went further.
He cast enchanted protection over Alex's entire body—a glowing sheen of protective magic shimmered over his skin.
Mark stepped back. "Ben. Athina. You're up. Attack him. Full force. Don't hold back."
Ben and Athina didn't hesitate. In a flash, they were in front of Alex, their speed unreal.
Alex shifted sideways, trying to escape, but they flanked him instantly. Their bodies glowed too—enchanted like his. But faster. Sharper. More controlled.
Alex tried to summon his Qi... but it sputtered. Incomplete.
Ben and Athina weren't giving him a second to focus.
Until—
Golden fire flared around Alex's hands. The flames curled and flickered like flowling ocean, wrapping his fists in power.
With a roar, he deflected a barrage of punches—insane speed, ridiculous force. The air cracked around them with every impact.
Mark watched carefully.
"Use everything you've got, Alex!" he shouted.
"Damn it, old man, stop talking—I can't concentrate!" Alex barked back, flames swirling.
Everyone held their breath.
Alex scanned for an opening. Then he saw it—Ben and Athina, mid-air, both about to land a dual punch.
He took a deep breath.
Dove between them.
Shifted his stance.
And struck.
A precise punch to their lower ribs, flame-infused, exploding on contact.
Both were blasted backward, crashing into the mat.
"AAAGH—damn it, Alex!" Athina cried out, holding her side. "No mercy at all?!"
Ben, wincing, laughed through the pain. "You monster. You're getting dangerous, buddy."
Alex stared at his own hands, shocked. Did I really do that...?
A slow clap echoed from the back.
Sam and Xander entered the room.
"Well done, Alex," Xander said, grinning.
"You rocked it," Sam added. "Glad to see you didn't hold back."
Sam turned to the others. "But remember, kids—restrain your strength. Use full power only when it's life or death. That's the real lesson here."
Sam and Xander healed Ben and Athina as Mark watched silently.
"That jump to the side was clever," Xander said to Alex. "Most would've retreated. You flanked."
Alex nodded. "If I jumped back, they'd hit me before I could counter. No space to react."
"Did I... really do that? I didn't mean to hit that hard. Or did I?"
Alex looked around and said, "Sorry guys! I went overboard!"
Ben and Athina burst into laughter. "We know you can't hold back!" they teased.
Alex rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling. "Heh heh… sorry guys!"
Mark looked at Alex and said, "From today onwards, I'm going to teach you advanced martial arts."
Alex looked at Mark with a blank expression. Just then, Mark jumped into the air, launching a series of powerful kicks. Each movement carried intense torque—so intense that when he landed, the ground cracked beneath him.
Alex's face darkened.
Ben noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
Alex replied, "Those techniques… they're insanely hard for me."
Ben laughed. "Hey! We'll work on it together sometime!"
Mark turned to Xander and Sam. "The task I called you for is done. You can head home now. Bye!"
Xander and Sam waved goodbye to Alex and walked off.
Mark took the rest of the group to the training grounds. He looked at Alex. "Start stretching."
While Alex began warming up, Mark set up dozens of training dummies randomly around the track. Ben, Athina, and Gwen were meditating.
"Guys!" Mark shouted. "Look over here!"
They turned to watch as Mark grabbed a dummy sword and began running. As he moved, random dummies lit up red. He struck each one instantly with no hesitation. When a dummy turned green, he struck it with more power and precision, slicing cleanly through it. After clearing the entire field, he returned to the group.
"Now this is your assignment!" Mark said. "There are 100 dummies in this field. Random ones will light up green. When they do, you must strike them—no matter what. If you miss, that's one push-up. Miss ten, and you'll run a lap."
He turned to Gwen. "Gwen, you're up first. Be fast and responsive."
Gwen grabbed her cane and dashed onto the track. She used magic in tandem with hand-to-hand combat, hitting every green dummy in a fluid, perfect rhythm. Her movements were spontaneous and fierce—like a seasoned war maze.
"Guys… what kind of maze is she?!" Ben exclaimed. "She's going all out!"
"Better make sure you never piss off Gwen," he added.
Alex nodded. "I'm sure I'm safe. What about you?"
Ben looked at the sky. "The Lord will look after me."
Mark grinned. "Kids, look at her. That's a war maze in motion. She's using every skill she has. If someone ever turned her against us… she'd be a disaster waiting to happen."
After 15 minutes, Gwen stopped in the center of the field, drenched in sweat but composed. Alex gave her a thumbs up. "Well done, Princess War Maze."
She smirked. "Calm down, Mister Prince."
Alex laughed and turned to Ben. "Every time I hear that… I don't like it."
Mark pointed to Athina. "Your turn! Remember the rules: keep moving and throttle through!"
Athina vanished in a blur. She darted between the dummies, striking them with her rapier. Her agile force was like a cheetah—swift and deadly. Sword marks trailed behind her like signatures of precision.
Within 30 minutes, her rapier was a blur of strikes, her movements unpredictable and razor-sharp. She leaped across the field like a battle-trained veteran.
Everyone stood speechless as she walked back with swagger.
Ben whispered to Alex, "Man… are all the girls in this squad monsters?!"
Alex nodded. "Shhh! She's behind us. Can't you chill?"
Mark laughed. "Ben, your turn!"
Ben sprinted onto the track, gripping a dummy sword in both hands. The air around him changed. In a flash, he leapt into the sky and came crashing down with a swing that released a force wave, shattering dummies on impact. He continued his rampage with incredible power and unpredictability, slicing deep into each target.
"A pure force of raw effort and training," Mark said. "Alex, watch him—he's implementing every technique he's perfected. Ben's got heart."
"I know," Alex replied with pride.
Twenty minutes later, Ben had destroyed the entire formation of magical dummies.
Alex smiled and stepped forward.
Ben nodded. "You know what to do."
Alex grinned. "Nope. I'm just here to have fun."
He pulled out a headset, started a song, and began stretching. Wrapping his fists and feet in old white cloth, he removed his shirt, revealing a lean, muscular physique—clearly trained to the core.
With a deep breath, divine fire flared around his arms.
His first punch blasted a dummy into splinters.
"I can't lie… I'm enjoying this."
He moved with rhythm and purpose, each kick and punch demolishing dummies. Unlike the others, he wasn't slicing—he was punching through them. Fire crackled from his fists, and the track looked like a battlefield.
"What is he doing?" Gwen asked. "We made cuts and marks, but he's straight-up destroying them—with kicks and fire—while listening to music!"
Mark chuckled. "Let him enjoy the fight. He's not testing his power, idiot. He's practicing the basic punches he's trained all week."
Ben watched Alex flip midair. "He's imagining an actual battle! That fool's wrecking the training setup!"
Mark sat down. Gwen asked, "Sir, please forgive him."
Mark laughed. "You should all be worried—except Ben. I think he's pushing for real progress."
Everyone else looked pale.
"That armor enchantment mimics monster skin. You guys barely nudged it. But Ben and Alex left deep cuts and burns."
"Don't worry about Alex. Worry for Alex. He sometimes gets obsessed with training," Mark said.
Ben realized it. "Damn… he's becoming hard to match."
"Kid," Mark said. "I'm not afraid of a man who knows a thousand kicks. I'm afraid of a man who's practiced one kick a thousand times. Bruce Lee."
Ben nodded. "Got it."
Alex shouted from the track, "Trust your hard work more than anything. Have faith in yourself!"
"Bastard! Stop playing and finish already!" Ben yelled, annoyed.
Alex took a deep breath, his body radiating smoke. Then—he vanished.
One by one, dummies exploded spontaneously across the field. A golden fire raced through, heading toward the last doll.
From within the flames, Alex emerged, golden fire swirling around him. He delivered a final punch that created a fire blast across the stadium.
"Hmph. What an idiot. Spoiled kid for sure," Mark muttered.
Alex appeared from the golden flames, pants half-burned. Ben looked at him and said, "They say Alex is weak… but he's…"
"He is weak," Mark cut in. "But that golden power doesn't hurt him. It only burns what's tainted with darkness. He's using it to train—while you guys are still worrying about targets and timing."
Alex pulled out a jacket from his infinite pocket and threw it on.
"Remember," Alex said, "If you're facing an enemy, land maximum impact—save stamina and energy."
Mark hit him on the head. "Idiot. You're copying my words!"
Alex grinned. "Nope, I made it better."
Alex grinned. "Nope. I made it better."
Mark raised an eyebrow. "Better? Looks like you got into a fight with a fireplace—and lost."
He looked around at the others. "Listen, you need to perfect your technique. I don't care if you're holding a stick, a spoon, or a soggy baguette. If you're skilled, it'll still hurt."
Then he casually kicked Alex's leg.
Alex jumped. "Hey! What was that for?!"
Mark pointed at his half-burned clothes. "What are you planning—training naked now?"
"Fashion crimes? Are you a pervert, kid?"
Ben snorted.
Athina covered her mouth, laughing. "It's a bold tactic."
Gwen giggled. "Might work on weak-willed opponents."
Mark smirked. "Go change your damn clothes before someone files a complaint with the style gods. Or the fire department."
Alex sighed, dragging his feet toward the locker room.
After Alex headed to the locker room to change, Mark glanced at Ben, Gwen, and Athina.
"Enjoy this peaceful moment," he said with a grin. "Because tonight's training will break your brains. Ask your masters how to actually perform a technique—flawless, like a sword through silk."
He turned to Gwen. "You—stop focusing on speed. You need power. I don't want a racehorse, I want a wrecking ball. Got it?"
Gwen nodded.
Then Mark's voice sharpened. "That idiot Alex? He's killing himself trying to catch up. You three have insane bodies—you heal fast, you've got better form, better control. Why're you afraid to bleed a little? Push your damn limits!"
Just then, Alex marched back in. "Alright, old man! What's my punishment now?"
Mark cracked his knuckles. "Every advanced martial art I know. You're getting the deluxe pain package."
Ben, Gwen, and Athina scattered to their stations.
Mark pointed to the center. "Alright kid, try a turning roundhouse!"
Alex jumped, spun—and smacked the ground with all the grace of a falling wardrobe.
Lying flat, eyes on the sky, Alex groaned. "Can we skip this move? It's impossible."
Mark burst into laughter. "Do some laps. I'll call you when I'm ready."
He pulled out his phone and started Googling: How to teach turning roundhouse kick to stubborn student.
After a few videos and some frowning, he called Alex back.
"Start jumping and turning. Hundred times."
Alex blinked. "Hundred—what?!"
Mark smirked. "Fine. Hundred push-ups. And two laps of frog jumps. Get hopping."
Head hung low, Alex dragged himself to the track. On the way, he asked Ben, "Hey, what even is a frog jump drill?"
Ben raised an eyebrow. "You seriously don't know? What did you do to earn this?"
Alex looked miserable. Ben sighed, then dropped into a deep squat. "You stay low, never stand up, and jump forward like a frog—over and over. Hurts like hell."
Alex watched. "That looks like punishment from ancient Greece."