Yasha burst into laughter as he dodged a barrage of staff strikes, retaliating with a quick punch to the stomach at the first opportunity which split the dummy in half.
With only two opponents remaining, he dominated them with powerful kicks, breaking one of their staffs in the process and taking the other one as his own.
The wave of pressure washed over him as he glanced at the four dummies that were wielding knuckle dusters.
"I see why you were having a tough time, boss, but it's nothing I can't handle!" Yasha exclaimed, twirling the bo staff around before dashing towards the group to exchange blows swiftly.
"Nice, having auto-scrolling, instant translation, and voice commands available; they simplify things during combat," Cyrus murmured, as five screens floated before him.
The one that has his attention is the main quest screen.
[Path of the Mighty]
Become strong enough to conquer whatever challenges the world presents to you! The path you choose is yours alone; just ensure it's one you won't regret walking down.
"What a vague mission description but one that allows a lot of freedom at least for now," Cyrus thought to himself as the sound of battle rang out around him.
One of the dummies charged at Cyrus and sprang towards him, only to be halted as a tail swiftly coiled around its neck.
"Gotcha!" Yasha bellowed, yanking the dummy closer before demolishing its head with a powerful elbow strike.
"Hey Yasha, it turns out I can use any experience points I get to level up your stats as well," Cyrus called out, staring at the screen displaying Yasha and his three generals' stats, which were similar, with high agility and strength.
"Awesome, I knew joining you was the right decision!" Yasha smirked, taking down the last dummy as more pressure weighed upon him.
After blinking once five dummies appeared each wielding wooden swords and shields.
As they quickly surrounded Yasha, he noticed an additional one materialize, bearing his name etched onto its torso standing further back.
"Step aside, small fry!" he roared, swiftly defeating the dummies with powerful counterstrikes that broke their bodies, weapons, and shields into pieces.
He discarded the bo staff and clenched his fists. before sprinting towards that strange dummy. As they came within range, both he and the dummy struck with their fists simultaneously.
The dummy's fist struck a second quicker, slamming into Yasha's cheek.
Yasha's punch missed its mark, which allowed the dummy to retaliate with a swift knee strike, powerful enough to lift Yasha off the ground.
"Okay, that's a good start. Let's see if you can keep up," Yasha said with a grin, gripping the dummy's head tightly and delivering a knee strike to the center of its blank face.
As the dummy reeled backward, Yasha's head jerked back from sudden impact to his nose, which erupted in blood.
"That's strange, but I can handle it!" Yasha exclaimed. As soon as he touched down, he dashed toward the dazed dummy and delivered a punch to its stomach. At the same time, he felt a similar blow to his abdomen.
"So, for every hit I land, I receive the same in return," Yasha mused, eyeing the dummy with slight cracks in its head and torso. "Let's see who has the tougher body!"
With a toothy grin, Yasha charged forward and delivered a powerful right hook that whipped the dummy's head to the side.
As he rotated his body, the familiar sting of the punch shook his vision but didn't stop him from executing a forceful leg sweep that sent the dummy off the ground.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Leaping into the air, he felt a surge of pain in his legs, yet he persevered, twisting mid-air to deliver a heel kick directly to the chest. The force of the impact shattered the chest and a small section of the ground beneath.
"That was disappointing," Yasha sighed, feeling his chest begin to bruise. Suddenly, seven dummies materialized, each bearing his name and armed with real swords and knives. "Looks like I spoke too soon," he remarked with a smirk.
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(In the hospital)
Merric is currently a sweating mess as he slowly leads Scott, Nina, and Jasmine.
"So, who's going to tell him that he missed visiting our folks?" Scott asked, a hint of nervousness on his face.
"I think he already knows if they told him how long he was out for," Nina said with a sigh.
"Which is why it was a great idea to record it," Jasmine remarked, a small smile playing on her lips.
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(Back in the punishment zone)
"Damn, this punishment is getting a bit tough," Yasha grunted, wincing slightly as he settled atop the pile of dummies. His body was adorned with an array of bruises and a few superficial cuts.
He watched the latest dummy attempt to rise, its shaky right leg struggling to support it before suddenly snapping under the pressure, sending it tumbling back down.
"Yeah, being me is a tough job; I don't judge you for taking a rest," Yasha chuckled as he picked up a broken sword and hurled it with enough force to crack the clone dummy's head, causing an identical wound to suddenly appear on his head as the dummy stopped moving.
[PUNISHMENT OVER!!]
[You have survived the punishment and will be returned to your previous location. Congratulations don't let it happen again or suffer greater consequences!]
That screen suddenly appeared in front of Cyrus, startling him and interrupting his reading.
"Oh, that was quick; I'm glad I could count on you, Yasha," he said with a smile, glancing at the large pile that the former realm boss was using as a throne.
"It was great training, boss. You should get punished more often," Yasha laughed "So what now?"
"Well, I've learned that the reason you can exist in the real world is because we've soul-bonded," Cyrus spoke, a look of curiosity etched on his face. "Also summoning you requires fifty points from mana or in this case health, whereas calling upon Kirk, Theo, or Bufkin only takes ten points. So please understand if I reserve your presence for more critical moments.
"Don't worry, boss. Those guys are skilled in combat, which leaves me fresh and ready for my opponent. Now, dismiss me, and I'll talk it over with the guys to see if they can exist in the real world as well." Yasha said, his eager smile lingering as he faded away.
[REWARDS!!]
[You survived the full punishment time limit and have been given rewards!]
[Choose one!]
[Reward #1 Physical Recovery]
[Reward #2 + 3 Points]
[Reward #3 Random Box]
[Accept] OR [Reject]
"Physical recovery must be linked to healing, but that's not necessary since I'm heading back to the hospital anyway," Cyrus mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Considering how I managed at the start of this punishment, my stats seem fine. So, that leaves the random box, and you know what? I'm feeling lucky. Let's go for the random box."
The world around him began to shine brightly as he found himself floating in a tranquil, weightless grey void. An item materialized in his hands, eliciting a chuckle from him.
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(Cyrus's hospital room)
"J-Just one second," Merric said as he stared at Cyrus's door and gently knocked "Cyrus you got visitors" He tried to hide the nervous stutter in his voice while slowly opening the door to hold onto his job as long as he could before letting out a reluctant sigh and holding the door wide open.
"What the hell happened, man? Did you fall out of the window while sneaking out for pizza?" Scott's question came as a stunning shock to Merric, who stared wide-eyed at Cyrus, who was currently sitting on his bed, covered in fresh injuries, with a box of freshly made pepperoni pizza beside him.
"Yeah, the hospital food is nearly as terrible as Nina's cooking, so can you blame me?" Cyrus joked with a laugh and a grin, which abruptly ended as his lip split open from a cut.
"Fine, I'll give your meals to Reggie; at least he appreciates them and asks for seconds!" Nina shouted angrily as she stormed over, followed by her snakes sulking and stuffing get-well cookies into his face.
"I'm glad you're up and back to your usual self, bro," Jasmine said with a warm and sincere smile that quickly shifted to a sly smirk. "It was getting a bit boring not having anyone to laugh at my funny jokes or to save from low-level monsters."
"Funny, sis, I could say the same thing. All this quiet is irritating without your relentless bad jokes and the sound of gun blasts invading my ears and personal space," Cyrus said, extending a fist that she bumped with a solid punch, dispelling her lingering doubts and fears, reassuring her that he was alive and well after all they had endured.
"Mr. Ashford, we will address your abrupt departure for fast food later. For now, sit still and don't move," Merric commanded in a stern voice, the shock dissipating instantly as he assessed his patient's condition and shifted into caregiver mode.
Kirk, Theo, and Bufkin observed with smiles from the window, but soon their attention shifted to the odd world outside—a place their new leader calls home and their old leader turned new vice-captain had described to them.
Yasha perched atop a wardrobe, grinning, as the formidable man he had chosen to accompany was now squirming at the sight of a few tiny needles in the hands of a shorter man.