"Let's head inside."
Without further discussion, Fred concluded the topic.
What was so interesting about Electric Donkey? Better to go fight.
Hearing this, no one objected. They quickly agreed and followed him into the gymnasium.
The layout inside the gym remained unchanged from before.
Fred looked at the group now lined up before him with satisfaction, a rare smile appearing on his face.
"You've all made significant progress recently. For today's session, I'll only instruct two of you individually. The rest can spar among yourselves."
Although Fred still held an advantage over them, as these world-class fighters continued to grow, facing them in a prolonged battle would put pressure on him too.
Moreover, more training wasn't always better. Once past a certain threshold, progress would slow down.
In Fred's view, their current abilities were gradually catching up to Alec's.
If all three attacked him at once, he could still handle it, but it would be more exhausting and entirely unnecessary.
Not to mention, he still had to meet Lacus later to discuss matters concerning Durandal. Being too tired would affect his focus and reading efficiency.
"Understood."
Hearing Fred's words, they exchanged glances. Far from objecting, a shared excitement welled up within them.
After all, if Fred continued with the prolonged battles, even a victory would feel somewhat hollow.
Previously, when the three of them took turns, they couldn't even touch Fred. Fighting him together then felt like taking on a boss, which was fine.
But now, Fred's statement was an acknowledgment of their growth.
That was precisely why it felt even more exhilarating.
Unconsciously, Fred had gained immense prestige among them, making his recognition all the more thrilling.
"Then let's begin."
As Fred's words fell, both Athrun and Yzak raised their hands simultaneously.
"Alright, come at me."
Fred shrugged, unsurprised. The moment he finished speaking, both charged at him, their movements almost perfectly synchronized.
Fred, in turn, raised both hands to parry their attacks.
...
[Combat +0.05]
[Combat (Mastery) 30.72/100]
"Hah~"
Looking at the progress displayed before him, Fred gazed at the two figures sprawled on the ground. Though quite fatigued himself, his smile grew even brighter.
In one year, his abilities had unknowingly progressed by nearly a third.
He had a feeling that Mastery was likely the final barrier. Once he broke through it, he would probably stand at the pinnacle of the world.
Just the thought was exhilarating.
With this in mind, Fred's tone became noticeably lighter.
"You've both become much stronger. I believe you'll surpass your master soon. Keep it up!"
Hearing Fred's words, Nicol couldn't help but feel a wave of exasperation.
Was he really not just being sarcastic?
What did 'soon' even mean?
It was true they were improving, but wasn't Fred also making progress?
At this rate, catching up wasn't a certainty.
While their current rate of improvement was faster than Fred's, their progress had its limits.
Perhaps Fred would soon reach his limit waiting for them there, or perhaps they would hit their own ceilings before surpassing Fred.
But Nicol's intuition leaned toward the latter—after all, how old was Fred now? Yet he was still progressing steadily, as if without any limit.
Although Fred's current progress was slower than theirs, ever since they had met him, his improvement had never seemed to stop.
And now, while they were at their peak rate of progress, once this phase passed, they would have reached their zenith. If Fred continued growing stronger...
They would still be unable to surpass him in the future.
This was a contest of individual potential, and for Nicol, they had already lost.
At the very least, Nicol doubted he could maintain steady progress if he reached Fred's age.
While Nicol calmly analyzed the situation, Yzak was rather excited.
In his view, his own rate of improvement was faster than Fred's, so surpassing him was merely a matter of time.
Thinking this, Yzak felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, Fred was still his teacher.
However, even after he eventually won against him in the future, he would still respect him as a student.
As for Athrun, he was the calmest of the three upon hearing this.
For him, defeating Fred was not the top priority; simply being by this older brother's side already made him quite happy.
Whether he surpassed him in the future or not, that would remain true.
"Alright, the sparring is over. Let's continue practicing."
Fred's voice interrupted their varied thoughts as he smiled lightly.
"Yes!"
After Fred spoke, everyone tacitly spread out in a line with three paces between them and began practicing Wing Chun forms.
And Fred, just like in the movies, stood with his hands behind his back, skillfully guiding their movements.
The group occasionally joked and bickered, creating a scene that appeared serene and warm.
...
"Fred, are you still going to see that Durandal?"
On the Special Train heading to the port, Alec asked Fred, who was reading a book, with perplexity.
He didn't understand Fred's actions. In his view, Durandal was just an ordinary researcher.
At most, even in the most extreme case, he was merely a talented genetic researcher.
Even if he was Creuset's friend, even if Creuset's medicine came from him...
He shouldn't be able to stir up much trouble. After all, a researcher with no physical strength—Alec could easily handle him in a fight.
At least compared to Creuset, that was the case.
Although Alec trusted Fred deeply, he couldn't grasp Fred's intentions.
"Durandal is important."
"Is that so..."
Seeing that Fred didn't elaborate, Alec opened his mouth but held back the questions he wanted to ask.
After all, Fred's foresight was terrifyingly outrageous.
While it didn't make Alec treat Fred's words as gospel, it was enough for Alec to fully trust Fred's judgment.
Watching Fred lower his head to read documents again, Alec blinked.
In his view, Fred was so diligent and serious—he surely wouldn't joke about such matters or waste his own study or improvement time on them.
I wonder what kind of person that Durandal is, but with Fred around, there shouldn't be any issues.
Amid Alec's curiosity and Fred's composure, the journey proceeded smoothly, and soon Fred and Alec arrived together at an upscale restaurant located in the Plantation.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!