“What do you mean, you didn’t have a choice.”

Justin started rubbing his right shoulder even harder, as if trying to get rid of something, Justin opened his mouth, and closed a couple of times, as if deciding what to say.

“Nevermind that we got a whole month left until we have to get into the village. Do you want to do some training in the meantime? I doubt we will be able to get much training when we are in the village.’ Justin stated.

“Sure but do you know where I can bathe? I haven’t gotten a chance to take a good bath since I left the other village.” Ray said.

“Oh yeah, there is a pond where you can clean yourself with, I made a bucket too, how about I show you after we are done training?”

“Sure, we should go further from the village, just in case.” Ray recommended.

“Sure, you could never be too careful, now then let's just walk until we find a good spot.”

Justin turned around and started walking, he put his hands on the back of his head, and started whistling.

Ray followed closely, making sure no one was following them, Ray still uneasy at how relaxed Justin was. They walk for about ten minutes before they reach a clearing, Ray could also see the pond Justin told him about.

“Alright, how do you want to train, want to do some light sparring?” Justin asked.

“Sure might as well try to match our fighting styles before we eventually fight Roberto, and the other knights.” Ray said.

“Hopefully it doesn’t have to come to that.” Justin added.

“Right.” Ray said sarcastically.

“So for right now we just do a normal sparring match, let's save our curses until another day, you never know if a knight spots us, and demands to show them our blood.” Justin said.

{Curses? Does he mean our marks? Even if a knight spot it will be clear we aren’t human.}

“If a knight does spot us we will have to get rid of him.” Ray stated.

“Not every problem can be solved with murder Ray.” Justin snapped.

Ray was confused, Ray looked at Justin who seemed embarrassed by what he said.

“Well isn’t that the only thing we are doing? Ever since I became a hybrid the only thing I have been doing is murder.” Ray stated.

“Enough, already!” Justin snapped.

Ray shut his mouth, he didn’t know what to do, Justin was just looking at the trees, while rubbing his right shoulder.

“Enough, please, let's just fight already.” Justin asked.

“Ok, but let's try to avoid collateral damage, in case a knight passes by, we won’t be able to use the trees alright?” Ray asked.

Justin nodded his head, getting into a stance, bending his knees, raising both of his hands into fist, a black aura surrounding his body.

Ray did the same getting his fist ready, his aura slowly covering his body, Ray looked towards Justin making sure not to miss any of his movements. Then Justin spoke out.

“One.”

Ray understood and did the next one.

“Two.”

“Three.” Both of them said it together.

They both rushed each other Justin aimed for Ray's stomach, while Ray aimed for his upper body, they both managed to block the other attack, Ray went for a forward punch, Justin managed to step back, and grab Ray hand pulling him forwards, making Ray lose his balance.

Justin used his knee to hit Ray in the stomach, Justin took a quick step back and kicked Ray in the cheek. Ray hit the ground once before he got back on his feet, he brushed off the dirt on his face, while quickly rubbing his cheek.

“It seems anything goes, huh Justin?”

Justin ignored the question, and got on his stance again putting up his fist, while taking deep breaths. Ray stood up, and dusted the dirt off himself, and put up his fist.

They once again jump at each other. Justin tries to aim at Ray's stomach, while Ray focuses on dodging. They both speed up. The ground around was cracking due to their clash. As Ray got on the offensive throwing more punches, he decided to trick Justin.

Ray went with a forward punch, Justin jump back, reaching for Ray hand, Ray quickly jump towards Justin, catching him off guard, and let loose a couple of punches, before Justin managed to block them, Justin threw a kick, but Ray sidestep just in time, Ray quickly got behind Justin and kick him in the back of the head as hard as he could.

Justin didn’t stop hitting the ground until he hit a tree, he hit the tree face first, Ray got close to him when a burst of energy came out of Justin, but it quickly went out, Justin pulled himself up, and started laughing.

Ray stopped in his tracks, unsure on what to do, Ray waited until Justin was done laughing, Justin started rubbing the back of his head. “Man, that kick was really something huh.”

Ray fel a little embarrassed kicking Justin like that when they were just supposed to be sparring. “My bad, I guess that kick of yours earlier just put everything in motion.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Justin laughed again, Ray didn’t know what to do, and just stood there, waiting until Justin was finished. “Alright man, how about we go take a bath, I got mud all over me.”

Justin turned around showing the dirt he had on his backside, Ray looked at himself, he was covered in dirt, his shirt was a little torn up. His pants already had small holes in them. He desperately needed a good bath, and a set of new clothes.

“When do you want to start training for real?”

Justin took a moment before answering. “In two days, who knows our fight could have been heard, better safe than sorry.”

Ray nodded his head agreeing with what he said, Ray started stretching his muscles, his legs were especially aching.

“Alright, let's get our things first before we head to the pond.”

Justin started walking back, Ray finished stretching, and caught up to Justin, Ray took a closer look at Justin's right shoulder where he always sees him rubbing it.

“Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, where in your body were you turned?”

Ray, and Justin walked a couple of feets in silence, Ray wanted to ask the question again but louder, but he figured it would be rude.

“I got injected on my right shoulder, thankfully I didn’t turn into one of those berserkers that killed my-.”

Justin's voice trails off, though Ray could figure out what he wanted to say.

{A berserker huh, I remembered master Senya telling us, they were people out there who rejected the blood of a hybrid, but went mad, as well they had extreme power only a powerful knight can take them down.}

“Well I got an injection in my left hand, for some reason it gets kinda, I really to explain it tingling, or burning.”

Ray tried to give off more explaining, when Justin interrupted him.

“I know the feeling, that burning sensation comes when I am uncomfortable, or when I am angry. I tried to ignore it. Though it hasn’t been really working out so far.”

“Right, it is hard to ignore that, alright we are here.”

Ray, and Justin started jumping through the trees, and as they reached their packs they took out another set of clothes.

“Alright one of us should stay here, just in case someone comes by, if you want since I am not that dirty, I’ll clean myself quick and then come back.”

Ray took another look at his body, and compared it to Justin. “Sure but I don’t know where the pond is exactly. I wasn't paying much attention on our way here, where would I look, in case someone does come?”

“Oh, I was going to tell you, the both of us will head to the pond, and then you will walk back here, after that I will come here and we will switch.”

Justin started heading back down, Ray soon followed after him, and they both started walking down the ame path that led them to the clearing. As they reached the clearing they could see the aftermath of their fight. The both of them continued on forward, Ray made sure to keep track of where to go.

Soon Ray could see the pond beyond the trees, as they got closer Ray could see it had a circular shape about thirteen square meters, the pond was a clear blue, you could see the bottom of it.

“Alright I’ll get the bucket, but this is it. What do you think of it?”

Justin extended both of his arms to show off the pond, Ray took a quick look around and could see small wildlife around the pond.

“It’s nice, alright I’ll head back to the resting place,”

Ray pointed behind his back, Justin started undressing. Ray turned around and headed back. Soon Ray reached the backpacks, and sat on the tree branch, Ray looked towards Justin bag.

{I wonder what else he brought with him? Should I? He won’t be back in a while.}

Ray thought it over, and finally decided to take a quick look inside Justin's bag. Ray opened it and saw clothes on top, Ray took them out and placed them at his side, after taking out some clothes he saw what seemed to be a letter, Ray grabbed it and turned it around, he read it.

Justin, it seems the three of you managed to survive, this time all three of you will head out for seperate mission, you will head to the village of Temes. There you will meet another hybrid, he has already made news, his name is Ray, but he will be under an alias until you find him. He will go by Sam, and you will go by John, but this time try to not to get busy with lowly knights, I need you to fight the target this time. The target is a knight who has awakened his blessing to the next stage. Also be sure to start the mission in the last week of the next month. Depending on how you do, this can be a good opportunity for you.

{A good opportunity? So there is a specific reason they want us to wait until the last week of the month? I’ll think about it later, what else is there.}

Ray set aside the letter, and kept looking, he found another paper, it seems to be an illustration, he got a closer look, it seemed to be a painting of a family, the mom, dad, a little boy, and someone older who seems to be Justin.

{That has to be the sibling he was talking about, since he is a hybrid his parents must have passed, still if his brother isn’t a hybrid, does he have someone to take care of him. Also how does he keep in contact with him? Does he send letters?}

Before Ray put everything back he noticed something at the bottom of the bag, Ray moved the clothes on top of it, it was a mask. Ray decided to leave it alone, carefully putting everything back the way it was, and went back to his backpack. He took out his letter reading it again, he folded it into a square, and put it underneath his bag. He waited until finally Justin came back, Ray went down the tree to meet him. Justin was just drying his hair.

“Alright, I’ll go next, when I come back to you want to go hunt something?” Ray said, as he was adjusting his clothes.

“If you want I’ll go hunt in the meantime, I feel like eating rabbit today, how about you?”

“Sure that is fine, when I come back I can do the cooking since you are doing the hunting.” Ray suggested.

“Sounds good, I will dry off a little more before I go, the bucket is in the same place as I showed you.” Justin said, as he climbed the tree.

Ray turned around and started heading towards the pond. As he reached the pond he undressed and started pouring the water on him, when he was done he went back towards the trees, he couldn’t see any sign of Justin.

{He must still be hunting. I’ll put away my clothes in the meantime.}

As he reached for his bag Ray noticed his letter was slightly moved from where he left it.

{I guess he did the same, I wonder if he knows I also went through his stuff, I’ll try to talk to him about it when we eat.} “Should I even bother?” Ray contemplated his words, thinking what he should say. “Maybe not. But we should discuss the mission, if it makes the job easier I will destroy as many people as I need to, to make sure we complete our mission.” Ray carefully said.

“The only thing that matters is completing the mission, I am not looking to cause any unnecessary trouble Ray.” Justin shouted, startling Ray, he didn’t even notice Justin had come back.

“Yes, you already told me Justin, but I am not going to promise anything, because we don’t know what is going to happen when we attack. The only thing that matters is completing the mission, and I will do what I have to to make sure we complete it.”

“Yes, you already told me Ray…” Justin turned around and started walking, he took a few steps when he stopped. “I’m glad we have this talk.” Justin soon left.

Ray layed on the hammock, looking at the sky, stars were already filling up the sky the darker it got.

“I’m not.” Ray whispered to himself.