What a beautiful day outside. The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and look carnivorous predators doing mother natures work. What a time to be alive. “Help! For the love of Saint Alona help, please!” Nothing like a mid-afternoon nap to waste the day away. “They're going to kill me!” Well, it would be if it wasn't for Henry complaining every other second over his potential death.

Picking myself up I locate the walking talking experiment and his entourage of fifteen wolves. Honestly, he can't even take care of a few wolves. Back in my day we acolytes were stripped, teleported, and forced to survive in the wilderness. He's also lucky to have some wolves to play with and not genetically bred goblins and orcs to fight against.

Kids these days are just too privileged.

Summoning some lightning formation I sent them to the various wolves surrounding Henry and once they fire, the wolfs decide that lightning prone prey is not the best to chase after. Thus they scurry off back to the forest that we had just exited.

Speaking of prey, our ward-escort seemed to still be dozing off at the seat of the carriage. Honestly, you'd think he'd be a bit more perceptive. Even though there's just open plain ahead of us now you never know what we'll encounter.

But I digress. The fully armed and armored soldier may be more powerful than I imagine, especially since the only physical thing we've seen of him is his glowing blue eyes, even his speak is distorted. Couldn't ask for a more mysterious escort if I asked for one.

“Why? Why?” Oh, Henry's back. A bit more smokey than usual. Pretty sure I directed the formations away from him unless he ran towards one thinking he'll be safer there than with the puppies.

“Well, how else are you going to master that attack our employers gave us. Practice all day in some weird montage. I. Think. Not.”

“What!” I should really stop using language, not in the boy's dictionary, I might over-fry his brain one of these days. “How can you expect me to face a pack of wolves after I just learned the damn thing. I can only use it once or twice before my energy is depleted. And that's at the lowest level. How can you be so irresponsible.”

Nag nag nag. These are tried and tested techniques, why's this country bumpkin lecturing me. “Look Henry. This training method is one of the best for developing your internal energy and helping to improve your physique. It's not my fault you can't deal with the creatures we meet.”

“Oh. Even the so called easy to take care of Honeybadger.” Oh boy, here we go. “As I recall, only a day after I learned the technique you spotted the creature and told me to kill it. What happens? My attack doesn't even hit its skin, it's fur stopped it in its track. You tell me was it easy?”

“Calm down Henry.”

“No, I will not. These past few days it's been attack this, attack that and every time I refuse you just throw me towards them. It's like your trying to get me killed.” Finished? “I mean at this point I'd rather be a captive than your apprentice.”

“Look, Henry. Being in battles that are out of your league are one of the necessities for improving oneself. If not then you'll grow complacent and be killed by someone who had to actually fight for their might. Besides, I'm always making sure you're completely safe from harm. Well other than when you run into the things protecting you.”

But instead of appreciating my advice he decides that this argument needs to go on longer than it needs to be. “You don't understand!”

But suddenly a distant distort voice begins to voice its own opinions. “By the Gods you two are annoying. Especially you old man, aren't you from a time long ago, how can you defend yourself when you've put your pupil under this amount of direct danger, and don't tell me it's okay because your watching because that's the last thing any of us here needs. A stupid arrogant and egotistical teacher.”

“Look here Ramaze. Mock me all you want." Since I can't get rid of you without getting lost or worse. “But these training methods have been tried and tested while I was still alive, so I see no reason for me not to use them when we're in a situation right now with weak enemies being found daily. And besides, I am more than capable of protecting the boy from harm.”

“Says the guy who just cooked me.” Henry unhelpfully mumbled.

“And there you go old man. Times change, methods change. We're no longer in an era of total war were recruits are sent out daily to fight and learn on the battlefield. These days we take the time to teach the youngsters the fundamentals and basics of their techniques and then pit them against foes that are suitable for their level.”

What an annoying guy. However, he does have a point, these past few days have indicated a certain flaw in regards to the trainee. Since it seems that energy output from my and their attack methods are completely different. Their normal attacks have multiple layers which becoming increasingly devastating as the user grows in power and understanding.

Whereas my spells and formation only become more damaging by increasing the output of the spell, and unlike what the scroll said for Henry's technique, my spell's don't have the chance of undergoing some sort of mutation at the higher levels gaining new forms, abilities or elemental changes.

Remember the scroll with Henry's techniques on it, I get the vague memory it was called 'Talons though the void' or something. But other than the name what caught my attention was the structure of its leveling system. Since it seemed to indicate once the user gained a certain level of 'Qi' then the technique would naturally grow stronger.

Well as long as the user understood the core value of the technique itself. And this is where I think the Ramaze has me cornered since spells and formation; other than learning the incantations or imprinted structure are much easier to learn and generally causes more damage at the lower level.

Which makes me wonder how I'll face off against some of the most powerful things in this world.

'Ahem' “Old man. Would you kindly rejoin the discussion we were just in and temporarily suspend whatever paradise your old mind had created to escape from this mortal world.” Annnnnd concentration broken. Thanks distorted voice really helped me this time. But I digress, I'll need Ramaze's help if I'm going to get a better understanding of this world's human body. And since my techniques aren't working what better way is there than by going native.

“Well then what would you suggest Ramaze. Since if my training methods are now obsolete, I won't have the time to create an entirely new training method since most of my time's taken up by my tinkering in the boy's body.”

“Well if you stop trying to kill your disciple.” Heh, one time was one time. “Then I think I can arrange something where I give him some pointers on my down time and help in part to oversee some of his more, downright awful technique.”

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“And in return?”

“In return? Well, I was doing this out of the good of my heart.” And I'm the Duke of Espal. “But if you insist. Then I'll simply request to be allowed to spar with young Henry here. First, it'll help him understand his martial arts better. And secondly, it'll help me unwind slightly from this boring trip.”

“Obviously, you'll limit your power so you don't just flatten my poor exper-apprentice.” Really got to draw a line on how I view this boy. Otherwise, it might cause me some dilemma down the not so distant future ahead of me.

“Obviously.” Well, he at least seems genuine in his desire to not see Henry eaten by the local wildlife when he's playing about.

Speaking of the walking buffet, he seems awfully quite for someone who's entire training program is being decided for them. Though looking at his anger ridden face and his shaken fists, he seems to have taken some offense to this. “Do I not get a say in this!”

“No.”“No.” Unanimous call. But the boy only seems to be shaken, the wars not over yet for our dear Henry.

“I've got enough to deal with in the form of a sadist specter who almost always seems overjoyed whenever I'm in pain.” Oh come on, that being a bit dramatic. I only glee in delight when my experiments work, your inability to shrug off pain isn't my problem. “And you Ramaze I don't see wh...”

Though before my very eyes, the boy was silence from his unending moaning. On the other hand, fuck did Ramaze speed up. Henry and Ramaze were at least a good dozen yards apart. I didn't even see a shadow, that kind of speed takes some skill.

However, Henry probably doesn't appreciate the speed run as much as I do, since being choked by a fully armored man who; for the first time seeing him fully stood up, actually seems to be only around five foot six, I thought he'd be bigger. Though the fully black color does give him a slightly menacing presence.

“Now listen here, Henry.” I think he's choking. “Since your Master has agreed to let me handle the more hand's on training, you have to learn my rules.” He's defiantly turning blue. “And the first rule is if you've got time to complain you've got time to train.” 'Bam!' Ouch. He's a tad more brutal than I was. “Now then, since you're a bit fatigued I'm going to study your posture and movement of your technique and don't worry, I'll be sure to point out and help correct any mistakes I find.”

“Teacher help.” Man, he's making puppy eyes. But it what I have to do, sometimes it's hard being a teacher. Well good luck Henry I'll check on you in an hour or so. Hope your still in one piece.

Delving back inside his body, I'm hit by a sudden realization. I have nothing to do. Most of the stuff I want to check is either locked shut or simply doesn't exist.

So I'm left here pondering when I realize some of the boy's Qi moving out to his Meridians. And it hits me, I don't actually know how the energy navigates the Meridians. Science would dictate that it easily flows, though, but in this world, I'm prepared to be more wrong than I'm right on my scientific knowledge.

So following the flow of the Qi as I had initially thought, there is nothing out of the ordinary. Well other than some bumps in the tunnels, which might have formed from my forceful opening, so I've got to go back and straighten each of them out so as to allow an easy flow.

Other than inner-body highway maintenance no other anomalies occur. Until I reach the focal point, his fingers. Seems that when the energy is gathered to produce one of this world's techniques the energy is stored in the area where the attack is to take place; rather than simply forming the attack up outside.

Now I don't have to wait long before Henry initiates his attack and the execution startles me. Since from what I can perceive from in here, the energy is simply forced out into the attack. No waiting or forming required. The attack simple charges up and activates.

However, thinking logically this may be just what the low-level techniques use, brawn over precision. Especially since the attack Henry is using is called 'Talons though the void', which indicates a brutish method to it, especially if its is forcibly ripping through the fabric of space and time. Well at the extreme level at least, currently he's just borrowing his 'inner Qi' to most likely forcibly stimulate the surrounding pure mana into a more devastating attack.

Continuing my investigation I peak back out into the world to see the attack in full swing. However, to keep concentration up and distraction down, I shut off most of my senses so that I can only sense the mana that Henry is discharging and any mana distortion that may form from the ensuring practice currently underway.

So waiting a few minutes the only thing I notice is the faint outline from what I can assume is Ramaze 'teaching' Henry on how to use his technique.

After the outlines stop, I begin to feel another bout of Qi coming from the boy. As before the mana is stored up in Henry fingers, though I'm guessing from him holding his pose it's less about charging up and more Ramaze teaching the proper footwork and posture to effectively use the technique.

After a few seconds, Henry finally releases his attack. Now I will admit I never paid attention before to Henry's practice. But seeing the move now makes me feel kind of bad for now noticing early.

With Henry using a clawed hand, he uses the momentum from his own downward force to then activate the technique. As the technique begins the energy stored in his fingertips explodes out and initial it only speed up his hands decent, with it going from head height to lower head height in milliseconds.

After the initial explosion of energy happens the most exciting bit happens. The surrounding Qi begin to interact and combine with the surrounding mana around Henry finger's and hand. Then as the decent reacts the beginning of the neck, the surrounding mana is supercharged and alongside the hands decent it gives the fingertips quite the explosive power.

As the technique finishes the supercharged mana naturally calm down and shake off the oppressive feeling from either Henry Qi or the force of the other mana supercharging. And I will say that this world techniques do have a lot to other me in ways of experience.

But I'll hold my verdict on if this world's techniques are truly powerful until I meet the old master and lost genius this world has to offer me.

Speaking of offerings. I might as well offer the boy some assistance in clearing up his Meridians. It'll probably save him in the long run, and if we've both quick enough it'll probably save him from further torment.