"Hmm? What do you mean you want me to help you cultivate?" A series of strange, alluring images inexplicably appeared in his mind, and the old man quickly shook his head to clear away those inappropriate thoughts. What kind of strange way of speaking is this!
Though the old man was puzzled, his body skillfully adopted the posture of a Master. He slowly drank a cup of hot tea before speaking, "If you wish to learn martial arts, according to the dojo's rules, you must first pay tuition."
"Martial arts? Who said I wanted to cultivate martial arts?"
Bang: …
Seeing the old man about to glare, Kaito quickly said, "I recently mastered a new Superpower, so I specifically took a day off. I wanted to ask Master to train with me."
Bang sighed after hearing this. From today onwards, this old man hates Superpower.
But what can he do? He already accepted the gift!
Sizing up the sunny-faced Kaito , Bang recalled the scene of this guy destroying the testing machine with one-punch, and quickly gave a warning: "Let's be clear, I won't train with that electric Superpower of yours!"
"Ah, this?" Spreading his hand, Kaito unleashed a burst of lightning, then casually extinguished it, "Don't worry, this time it's a brand-new ability!"
Bang: …
What does this brat mean? Is he showing off his power?! The old man sighed inwardly, feeling that the possibility of taking him as a disciple was becoming even more remote. Indeed, with so many strange Superpowers, and given this kid's shrewdness, it would be a miracle if he were interested in martial arts!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Astonishing muffled thuds came from the back mountain, shaking even the ground of the dojo. Feeling the occasional tremors beneath their feet, the disciples of the Water Stream Dojo were already numb.
Can humans really produce such terrifying sounds when cultivating? Master's realm is truly beyond what mere mortals like us can aspire to!
Among the crowd, Garou snorted softly. That annoying guy, one day…
The camera pans to the back mountain of the dojo.
Bang—
Without the mountain peaks to obstruct it, the muffled thuds reverted to terrifying explosions! Two extremely fast figures chased each other continuously on the ground and in the sky, occasionally crossing paths and intertwining. The loud noises heard in the dojo were precisely the sounds of their combat.
Kaito flew backward, stabilizing himself in the sky. His bare upper body was covered in sweat, and the AT Field in front of him shattered and dissipated like a mirage. Even he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat: "Hey, hey, hey, punches of this magnitude would be fatal if they landed on someone, wouldn't they? Old man, you're serious!"
"When you need help, it's 'Master,' but when you don't, it's 'old man,' right?!"
On the ground, Bang stretched his neck, removing his shirt and tossing it aside, revealing his inhumanly strong and lean physique, complaining, "That damn field Superpower of yours also hurts a lot when it hits me!"
Kaito's mouth twitched: "Didn't you tell me to hit harder? We agreed this was training, not a fight to the death!"
"Heh…" Bang smiled sinisterly, as if a corner of some seal within him had been uncovered. "If it's not treated like a fight to the death, how can it be considered cultivation? Take this! Fang Piercing Finger!"
The old man directly crossed thirty meters to strike in mid-air, a dangerously sharp intent emanating from his pointed finger strike!
"Holy crap!"
The flow of time suddenly slowed. His Absolute Terror unfolded, blocking the incoming strike. The barrier formed from Soul matter violently fluctuated, almost reaching its breaking point.
Before he could even catch his breath, a continuous, water-like offensive assailed him, endless like a tide, occasionally hiding a devastating, earth-shattering blow.
Bang, bang, bang!
The barrier formed by his Absolute Terror almost collapsed under the relentless, mercury-like assault. Kaito, barely able to maintain it, was also secretly tormented to no end by the old man's sneaky tricks.
However, pain and pleasure are equivalent. The more he was beaten, the faster his AT Field proficiency increased. As his control improved, he could endure longer under the full-power attacks of a certain fiery old man.
Holding a hot cup of tea, Bang chuckled and sighed, "When you get old, you really should exercise vigorously." A straight plume of white steam exhaled from his mouth, and his entire state was like someone who had just emerged from a bathhouse, his expression indescribably content.
"Heh heh…"
Kaito, who had voluntarily spent a day as a punching bag, let out the sound of a great victim. That rotten old man, he got carried away and didn't hold back.
However, there were still gains.
[Fantasy Card: Instant Movement Skill]
[Card Type: Ability Card]
[Rarity: SR]
[Description: The footwork essentials of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.]
[Effect 1: Instant Step]
[Uses special footwork to move as fluidly and swiftly as flowing water.]
Kaito quietly learned the purple card in his hand.
Ding! Wool +1
"Hmm?"
Bang's smile suddenly froze. In the blink of an eye, that familiar scent came from Kaito again, and his heart sank. Could that brat have secretly learned something again? You haven't even become my disciple yet!
After spending a day at the Water Stream Dojo, Kaito felt he had gained a lot. Although Bang was a reluctant sparring partner, when it came to actual training, he truly entered the state of a renowned Master imparting knowledge.
Having always followed an unconventional path, his established combat habits were difficult to correct, but Kaito still drew inferences from one instance to another, discovering many overlooked shortcomings. For example, his Spider Sense.
He had always used his Spider Sense's passive warning for combat, never thinking of developing it further. When facing an opponent of Bang's level, even his Spider Sense, which worked well against Demon-level Monsters, became somewhat ineffective.
Their strength and speed were still comparable, but the gap in experience and technique was simply too vast. Even if he could observe the opponent's attack trajectory beforehand, he couldn't distinguish between real and fake, let alone anticipate subsequent changes in moves.
The result was getting beaten.
Fortunately, the defensive power of his Absolute Terror was strong enough. Although the old man hit hard, he didn't actually intend to cause serious harm. After a day, besides severe mental exhaustion and a slightly pale face, he was otherwise unharmed.
Getting a good beating was nothing; what was important was discovering the loopholes and deficiencies in his own ability system. After all, only this way would it help…
No, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got!
The development of abilities cannot be achieved overnight. Now that he had a general direction, the important thing was that he would get his revenge for today's beating, sooner or later!
"Would you like to stay for a simple meal? One of my disciples is quite skilled at cooking."
Bang was quite comfortable today. At first, he was a bit annoyed when he realized his techniques were being copied, but now he wished he could keep Kaito for three days and three nights. With his strength, finding a durable punching bag wasn't easy.
Thinking this, signing up for the hero recruitment was indeed the correct choice.
"No thanks, I can't eat, goodbye!"
The old man smiled as he tried to persuade him to stay, but Kaito rubbed his temples with narrowed eyes, refusing three times.
"Come again next time~"
"Next time is uncertain!"