The next day, Alexis groggily went downstairs straight towards the dining hall, his brows furrowed and his hand caress his forehead.

“Its bad for your body to drink too much, do you know that?” Kyrille scolded him after seeing his state.

He first took a seat in the same table before giving her a puzzled look.

“What's with that face?” Kyrille furrowed her beautiful eyebrows.

“I am not drunk, I did not even drink last night.”

“Then why are you holding your head like you had a hang over?”

“Well...” Alexis lowered his hand that covers his forehead showing small red bruises all over it.

“What did you do last night?”

“This has nothing to do with we did last night, its just that as we were heading back in the inn I asked Sir Lance for some guidance about mana control and he told me that throwing pebble over your head and controlling it before you got hurt, is effective.”

Kyrille brows eased as she asked the obvious, “So was it effective?”

“...”

“You should just continue practicing on to the handkerchief.”

She stretched her right hand towards his bruised forehead, a white magic circle appeared in the back of her hand. When she took it back the wound on his forehead was gone like a bubble.

Alexis touched his forehead in surprise before looking at Kyrille gratefully, “Thank you for treating me, but I'll continue using the pebble I at least manage to stop it just a little last night, and I felt losing to it if I give up.”

“What's with that reason?” she chuckled at his silliness but she did not force him to reconsider it.

After all of that long morning greeting the two started eating their breakfast. Just as Alexis finished his meal and was about to stand up from his seat his shoulder was stopped by a big rugged hand.

He snapped his head to the side and spotted the familiar goliath that towers over him.

“What is it, Sir Tron?”

“The day of your training.”

Alexis gulped and tried to find an excuse but before he could even do Tron's deep voice hurried him.

“You need to warm-up first, then we start.”

The young man tried to gave a pleading look towards Kyrille but she just smiled to him like its all right.

“Its for your own good.”

She saw Alexis off as the vanished towards the back of the inn. When they reached its open field, Tron first showed him the set of exercises that he will have everyday before his lesson starts.

Alexis imitated it and with the man's guidance he was able to do it more properly after a couple of sets.

When he finished the warm-ups he turned towards the towering Tron and asked, “What's next?”

The man nodded before he opened his gigantic right fist into a palm and said, “Punch this will all your might.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Alexis was confused but he did what he was told, putting strength to his right foot as it step forward then he released his drawn right fist straight towards the target.

Pa!

“Ouch!”

The young man caress his probably broken fist, as the tears almost threaten to fall from the corner of his eyes. Meanwhile Tron closed his, feeling the impact to his palm, before nodding like he understood something.

“Left hand next.” He once again showed the target towards the boy.

Alexis wanted to weakly punched it but when he saw Tron's stern gaze he snuffed that idea out of his mind and just brace himself for another pain.

Pah!

The sound was little weaker than what his right hand made, maybe he unconsciously held back or because he's not a left handed? Tron did not said anything about it and ordered for another hit.

“Kick.”

Alexis nodded and readied his feet, he first made a kick with his right then the left, both did not made any desirable impact.

Finally Tron lowered his hand and looked straight at him, “Most people thinks when they heard close quarter combat is punching or kicking, but its not, in a weaponless fight one can use their body however they liked as long you can land a lethal strike to your enemy.”

It was the first time Alexis heard him talked this much that's why he noticed that his voice was heavy but its not scary one instead a deep yet gentle magnetic voice.

Tron didn't care for his realization as he bent down and grabbed some soil on the ground before showing it to him, “They could also use anything near them, like this.”

Swosh!

The gravels flew in the air at a breakneck speed cutting through the wind before they hit a protruding stone near the fences, the force that the goliath has added to its throw almost pulverized it.

“Remember, in a battle of life and death there's no honor or rules, the one who survives is the winner.”

Alexis nodded seriously as he ingrained it to his brain.

“First I'll teach how to utilize the muscles in your body properly, this will pack your punches and kicks with more power, then after that is a practice match.”

Tron then started their lesson, he guided him from his movement to his breathing and pace, only once Alexis started to remember it did he stood at the side and will only throw some reminders to the young man if he saw him made some mistakes.

When he saw the young man is focus in absorbing all the knowledge like sponge, he left the backyard towards the inn and when he came back he's not alone.

“That's enough.”

The goliath called snapping Alexis out of his zone. Sweat flows out of the skin of the young man, he first wiped his forehead before turning to look at the side and saw Tron with a man he did not know yet a familiar one.

“This will be your partner for the match as it will be hard for you to fight me.” Tron introduces as he pats the shoulder of the man with a murky gaze, the man reacted late by also patting the air next to him.

Alexis felt weird with the awkward sight but then he finally able to pinpoint on what the familiarity is.

“Isn't this one of the servants of Miss Ellena?”

“Yes but this one is a little different, look.”

Tron curled his fingers and made a taunt towards Alexis, the servant then imitated the same action surprising him.

“The only problem is that there's a delay of a split second unlike when Ellena is in control, but treat it as a handicap.”

“So I will fight a 'you' without your strong defense and only have techniques?” Alexis asked feeling a little bit more confident.

“Mhm.”

Tron walked towards the side while the puppet faced Alexis then he pointed at his chest and the puppet followed after.

“If you could touch—no, land a hit in any part of this servant's body then consider your practice over, for the day.”

Alexis nodded, he have the confidence that he could at least punch this puppet once.

“Then, start.”

Like when fighting a strong monster Alexis didn't hastily attack but raised his hands in front of him like Tron taught him while he slowly inched forward towards Puppet who had yet to move and had his arms crossed.

Seeing him not willing to initiate the first attack Alexis started it instead, he suddenly entered Puppet's range and then he threw a jab straight to its face to see how he would react.

But before Alexis could notice it he was already watching his body fly over the puppet, before he could even hear the sound of his body landing on the ground he already heard the confidence he just build started to crumble.

“Aw!”

The sky is blue with white clouds that has various shapes passing by, Alexis enjoyed the view of the heaven before he was shadowed by Tron who offered him his hands, Alexis winced in pain as he sat up.

“Remember what I told you, in close combat not only your fist and legs are weapons but all parts of your body and the things around you.”

“So the enemy's power also counts.” he asked while dusting his body off.

“Hmm. Looks like you understand it. Now continue.”

Alexis turned around and look at the puppet that now was standing where he previously was.

'This will be hard.' his brows furrowed at the thought of his body being beaten to black and blue.

He shook that thought immediately and took a deep breath to calm himself, 'Not just in magic but in a combat, one needs to be cool-headed.'

That's what Alexis understood before charging towards Puppet once again.