After all, to be the leader, he had to be the strongest.
Although he believed there was a high chance that Stone wouldn't betray him, after seeing how harsh the real world could be, Icarus wasn't completely confident about how people might change over time.
So he didn't hand over the full training manual to Stone right away. Instead, he only taught him the parts that could be used immediately.
As for why he taught Stone body training techniques, it was simple—this kind of method was practically worthless to anyone with real strength or status.
And from a single glance, Stone's physique was perfectly suited for it. He might even be a natural-born martial arts prodigy.
Teaching him this would also improve his chances of survival in the wild. After all, Icarus did have some genuine concern for him.
And even if Stone turned out to be extremely talented, Icarus still had his advantage—the potion. No matter how gifted Stone was, he couldn't surpass someone enhanced by it.
---
"Ooo~ Okay, Brother Icarus! I'll practice with you!"
Of course, Stone had no idea about any of this. He had already decided to devote himself completely to Icarus, so he wouldn't object to anything he said.
"Alright, let's start now."
Seeing Stone nod, Icarus smiled and began immediately.
---
Soon, a rather amusing scene unfolded in the backyard.
Icarus gave instructions → Stone repeated them → and then Stone commanded Geodude.
It looked clumsy, but it was necessary.
After all, Geodude's trainer was Stone—not Icarus.
Even if Geodude understood Icarus, the commands had to come from Stone. This was how they built coordination and trust, and helped Stone adapt to being a trainer as quickly as possible.
---
Ten Days Later
In the backyard, Stone demonstrated the results of his training.
"Geodude, rolling combo! Hit the front stump first, then the left one, then the right, and return quickly!"
"Hey Cha~!"
Geodude's body glowed as it completed Rock Polish.
Bang! It smashed straight into the first wooden stake, shattering it instantly.
Then—
Rumble! Rumble!
Despite its speed, Geodude quickly controlled its momentum, turned, and charged toward the left stake.
Soon, both the left and right stakes were destroyed, and Geodude returned smoothly to its original position.
"Hey Chacha~!"
It floated in front of Stone again, perfectly steady, without any dizziness.
---
"Good job, Geodude."
Stone took out a piece of iron ore from his backpack as a reward.
"Hey Cha~ ω"
---
"Well done, Stone. You can go hunting with Airi tomorrow."
Icarus, who had been watching quietly, stepped forward and patted Stone on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I'll talk to Airi tonight."
Stone nodded happily. He had been eating and living off Icarus these past few days, and it made him feel a bit guilty. Now, he could finally start contributing.
---
"Alright. Let Geodude keep training with Victreebel and Pidgeotto. We'll continue our physical training."
"Okay!"
Stone nodded.
Over the past few days, he had grown to enjoy this training. His physical strength had improved rapidly—though his appetite had grown just as quickly.
---
After letting Geodude train on its own, Icarus and Stone began practicing together.
But unlike Stone—
After completing one set, Icarus sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began circulating energy.
---
He was no longer an ordinary person.
On the second day of training Stone, he had taken the burning potion, successfully sensing qi within his body.
After several days of cultivation, he had finally formed a strand of true energy as thin as a hair.
Because it felt like martial arts training, he called it true qi, fulfilling a dream he once had.
---
"Move… keep moving…"
He guided the strand of qi through his meridians.
After one full cycle, it grew slightly before returning to his dantian.
---
"Damn… this is hard."
After three cycles, his meridians began to ache, forcing him to stop.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Stone already on his fourth round.
---
"Stone really is a martial arts genius… I can only do three rounds a day!"
---
"Brother Icarus, you're already able to use qi! You're amazing! I don't even know when I'll reach that level…"
Stone looked at him with admiration.
---
"Cough… it's nothing. You're progressing very quickly too. You'll get there soon."
Icarus replied calmly, without mentioning the potion.
After all, he had earned that potion himself—so it still counted as his strength.
---
In truth—
Both of his teammates had better natural talent than him.
Airi was born extraordinary.
And Stone, while not gifted in that way, was a natural martial artist.
---
"But it's fine…"
"According to the manual, even geniuses need time to sense qi—unless they're monsters."
"Right now, I'm still ahead."
"I'm already an extraordinary apprentice, while he's still an ordinary person."
"Yeah… I'm still better."
---
After reassuring himself, Icarus stood up and went to cook.
Mainly because—
Stone ate way too much.
---
(End of Chapter)
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