I felt like I was the only one who was going to take the invitation! We all looked at each other for a second, until I took initiative. My hand was the first to go up, and after Hayashi gave us a few more seconds to decide, Felix’s hand went up, too.

“Just two rookies?” Master Hayashi huffed.

“Sorry to disappoint, sensei, but, Reina made a big mess in the kitchen this morning and wasted all of our grocery money!”

Reina gasped. “How dare you!”

“No lie there,” I said behind a chuckle.

“I know you said I need discipline and all, but discipline requires the subject to be alive, so I very much need this money to survive the rest of the week!”

“Oh, would you quit being dramatic?” Reina huffed. “I barely used much of anything in that ordeal!”

“And the rest of you?” he asked.

“Gotta go with Ash here,” Gun said. “Nothing is free in this world.”

“I need the funds too,” Reina added. “No point in additional suffering if it can be helped.”

“And you?” he asked, turning his head to Naomi.

“I’ll save it,” she said, surprising everyone.

“All right. The rest of you can take up converting your points for currency on your system board. The funds will be applied to your credit cards immediately. You’ve been dismissed. Go clean up the mess you made in my kitchen. By the time I’m done with training, it better be spotless,” he said, then turned back to Felix and me. “As for you two, what attributes did you want to boost?”

“I want a boost in agility, sensei. I could really use the extra speed. From the first trial, I noticed that my movement could use some improvement.”

“Decent deduction.” He then turned to me, “And you?”

I hesitated for a moment, my mind shuffling through the options available for boosting. Strength was something I didn’t have to worry about for now. It was my highest attribute. I could use a boost in agility, but more than that, I wanted to work on my, “Endurance,” I said confidently. “I want to last longer during contracts. A monster’s stamina is usually high, and I don’t want to run into a situation where I’m tapping out too early.”

“Endurance, huh?” He raised an eyebrow contemplatively, considering the request. “Interesting choice. Most rookies make the mistake of going all out for power or speed, forgetting that a battle isn’t always won by who hits the hardest or fastest.”

I smiled. “I don’t want to learn that lesson the hard way.”

“We’ll start with you first, wind bender. This training is most suitable for outdoors. Our session shouldn’t take more than an hour. During that time, I want you to wait right here, Nero.”

“Understood.”

Master Hayashi and Felix went off, leaving me behind. Patiently, I waited, the hour going on two. I was beginning to fall asleep as I waited for them on the grass, with my legs folded and my chin perched on the ball of my palm . I then wondered why he didn’t want me going back inside—maybe he thought if I talked with the others then I’d change my mind or something. Or maybe this waiting was a form of discipline in of itself. Whatever the case, I was losing my patience, until I noticed a figure out in the background, coming from the forest line.

I got up on my feet, realizing the figure was Hayashi with no Felix. That smile on my face went south as I waited for him, until our sensei stopped in front of me and said, “Your turn.”

“Where is Felix?”

“Still scrambling himself up a few meters off,” he admitted flatly. “The test was taxing to say the least.”

“Shit, is he going to be alright?”

“After a round of cardio, I’d imagine so. But enough worrying about your peers, you need to be focusing on yourself. Training speed and endurance do overlap in a few areas. So I hope you can keep up with the lesson.”

“Hey, speaking of keeping up, is there a possibility of wasting those points? You know, if I don’t pass the lesson?”

“If you fail the lesson, we will continue until you pass. The time it takes is entirely up to you. Felix went over the allotted time because he was persistent, but I told him not to make a habit of it. I have to keep my time blocks stringent to accommodate all of my students.”

“Sounds pretty fair to me. Let’s get started.”

“I’m glad you’re enthusiastic about this. Keep that same energy.”

Where Felix took a path down the right, I took a path down the left. Once Master Hayashi found a nice empty field, he stopped in the middle of it and requested his due. To build my endurance from 4 to 5, I needed to cough up 50 Fame Points. The requirement increased from there, meaning if I wanted to bring my endurance from 5 to 6, it would cost 60 FP.

After I exchanged the points through our H-Tec units, he placed himself by backing a few feet from me, and crossed his hands behind his back. “During this segment, I want you to try and land a direct hit on me. I will not strike you during this time.”

I snickered, curling up my fists. “And if I hit you?”

“Then I will strike back,” he admitted nonchalantly, my immediate reaction to check his stats with my unit:

Career Level: Mentor

Name: Kenji Hayashi

Hunter Attributes:

Gender: M

HG-Vitality: –

Age: 38

Endurance: 80

Rank: Diamond

Strength: 10

Fame: 3%

Agility: 30

Infamy: 0%

Dexterity: 20

HG-HP: –

Stamina: 800/800

Specialties:

Astral Portal

Speed Amplifier

Realm Transfusion

Squadron: –

Sponsor Count:--

Mentor Grade: A

Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan

Fame Points: 0

(FPs Accumulated): 155,000

Items:--

HG-Respawn Token: –

Currency: wouldn’t you like to know?

I gulped—his stats didn’t disappoint! Strength was the only thing I was beating him at. Not only that, the guy had a speed amplifier for a meta….

“Enjoying the view?” he taunted. “You made the same mistake Felix made, checking my stats before battle. What you’ve managed to create are expectations from me and limitations from you.”

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“I don’t get it—isn’t it a good idea to check what category the monster is in before striking?”

“Why is that a good idea?”

“So you know what you’re up against.”

“What does it matter the category? It’s not like you can read their specials. Checking only hurts yourself. It works the same way in this case.”

I guess he’s right…

“Focus on collecting data, formulating a plan to defend and attack, and adapting to the circumstances as they change,” he continued calmly, his gaze unyielding. “Your fear and doubts only serve to handicap you right from the start. Learn to consider understanding your surroundings—use everything you’ve got as an edge to a fight. Don’t limit your strategy to stats alone,” he continued. “Your intuition, your reflexes, your experience—all of these are more important than the rank of a flesh-eater.”

I absorbed his words, locking eyes with him. “Okay then,” I said with a nod, trying to keep my voice steady.

“It’s your move.”

There wasn’t much to read off of someone who wasn’t being very offensive. I was stuck on trying to figure out if he had a pattern to his movement. So I swung without intent of hitting him, a test to observe how he’d avoid me. He easily sidestepped my swing, but I had expected as much. My back foot grounded my body for another punch, his movement fluid and unpredictable.

He kept me guessing—side step, low duck, back step—everything was so anti-telegraphed. So I started mixing up my attacks too, throwing in high kicks and low sweeps, sharp jabs and powerful hooks. With every dodge, I watched his movements closely. He was as fast as a whisper and just as elusive.

Dude’s movement was a blur in the wind. If there was anything to study in his pattern, he was making it extremely hard. It was like he was doing disappearing acts around me. My eyes just couldn’t catch up, not at the pace he was moving.

Then I noticed that he was watching me too, studying my movements just as ardently as I was studying his.

“What are you trying to accomplish?” he finally asked me.

“I’m—trying—to—study—your movement pattern,” I replied between melee attacks. This time he parried my punch with the back of his hand, the impact not hurting him.

“Don’t just swing aimlessly,” he corrected. “A fight isn’t about flailing your arms and hoping to hit something. It’s about anticipation—anticipating their moves and countering them with your own. Observe. Look for patterns, analyze and predict the next move. That’s called strategy.”

“You know, you’re not exactly making strategy easy for me.”

“And you’re not taking this training seriously, either. So, we are both in the wrong, aren’t we?”

I froze. “What?”

“I told you to land an attack on me. You have two offensive skills in your system. Not only are you holding back your punches, but you’re also limiting your range. Why are you only tapping into one meta ability and not the other?”

Crap he knew…

“Particularly the one that has no range.”

I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. He was bound to find out sooner or later.

“I read your file. You only recently acquired a talent. Not only that, so far, you’ve developed four.”

“Eheh, you know about that too, huh?”

“It’s nothing to be repressive about. There are many aspects of talent that we still don’t understand or comprehend. I stand as an example. I am well beyond my prime, and yet, here I am, still able to train young metas like you.”

“So the whole having four abilities doesn’t throw you off?”

“No.”

“How often do you come across a student who has so many?”

“Not frequently. But whether it’s three or four, it makes little difference. Application is important, and particularly important in your case, where you can combine the ones you have.”

“I don’t get why that’s not freaking you out.”

“Should it? I am still very much stronger than you, and I only have three.”

I deadpanned him with my fists still positioned to attack. “Didn’t have to rub it in.”

“Forget about trying to understand why you’re different and focus on applying what you have. Talent without control is like a loaded gun with no safety. It’s dangerous. That’s the only reason you’re having a problem with the concept. But once you hone your skills, you’ll see it for what it’s really worth.”

“I appreciate your understanding, but that doesn’t make it any less infuriating that I can’t seem to keep up with you,” I teased, shaking out my arms and trying to catch my breath.

“How about being less telegraphed and allow your flame, and your true strength, to run its course?”

Okay, so he wanted me to land a serious hit on him….

I squared my shoulders and focused on my meta.

“The use of superhuman skill is universal among talent. Everyone shares the same capability. The only requirement is channeling your core, or life force. The difference between us and normal individuals is our substantially larger amount of life source that can be manipulated as energy. We call it an extension. Energy is a general term, and it comes in many forms. But one thing that is shared among all life force extensions is that it is expressive through superhuman feats. This extension has boundaries that are governed by the body. Stamina plays a large role in how effective and how sustainable the exertion of this power can be. That’s why even though I have fewer sources, I can still outfight you.”

“All right, I’m following so far.”

“Let’s say your stamina sits at 40 units or points. You will have access to all of your abilities, but the output will be limited, and you may experience meta exhaustion.”

Hmm, that would explain why I passed out when I used my flames for the first time…

“If you overexert yourself, you’ll find your body empty on meta until it has the opportunity to build back up again. The rate at which you refuel your extension also depends on your stamina. The higher your endurance, the quicker you may recover. Now, if you build your stamina, you can not only last longer in fights, but your extension bank expands. This is why top talents are able to last longer out in the field. They have more life energy to consume. The physical exhaustion and life force exhaustion work hand in hand, which is what makes endurance one of the more vital attributes to build.”

His words were making all of the sense in the world, making me more determined. I looked down at my hands, now glowing with a soft red light. This was the manifestation of my own life energy. My extension. It felt warm and pliable, as if it were alive….

“Okay then,” I muttered to myself before taking a deep breath, allowing the fire within me to branch out.

“Keep focusing on your extension. Own it, embrace it, and let it flow through you naturally.”

I raised my fists again and took a fighting stance, feeling the raw power coursing through my veins. For the first time, I didn’t feel afraid of what I was capable of. Sensei was right—I should be owning up to my powers. Only then would I know how to control them.

“Good,” Sensei said, his voice as calm and steady as the aura around me grew. “Now, concentrate on your breathing. Let it anchor you in the moment.”

I did as he instructed, my senses acutely aware of the slow rhythmic cadence of my breath, the way each inhale fueled my energy, and each exhale expelled any lingering doubt or anxiety. The fire within me flared, responding to my emotions, flickering and itching to break free.

“Now channel that fire into your fists but remain controlled. Remember you are not just a vessel for your powers; you orchestrate them.”

I drew a deep breath, focusing on transferring the warm fiery energy that simmered within me to my fists. The air around them began to shimmer, heatwaves distorting the view like a desert mirage. I could feel the power around them pulsating, and with confidence, I tightened my fist, leaned in, and threw a hook shot at Hayashi.

Before it connected with his chin, his hand caught my fist. The impact of the punch sent waves of flaming energy rippling through the air, creating almost a sonic boom in the forest. Everything around him was instantly torn down, from the grass on the whipped terrain to the burning top of trees tousling in the air. My flame punch didn’t hold back, and I was surprised that it didn’t send Hayashi flying. But one thing I noticed was that the ground underneath his feet sank a few inches down, Hayashi probably locking himself in place to resist my power.

I’d manage to fuse two specials into one. Even though Hayashi absorbed that blow with his hand, I was amazed by the kind of strength I had. The blow only landed on him, and yet, I managed to take a third of the forest down.

“Interesting…” he muttered to himself, and then suddenly, he struck back!

I wasn’t expecting it, getting hit with a low punch along the side of my rib. Hayashi followed that cheap shot with a tornado kick, and I went flying down the chaos path I created. Without a tree to stop my gliding, I was tumble-weeding for a while, until I found my footing and tried to stand myself up. Nothing good awaited me when I stood tall with another strike from Hayashi incoming. This time, I was ready, blocking his barrage of swift punches with my crossed arms over my face.

I hunched over to protect my mid-section, but his movement wasn’t meta-human! I didn’t give him an inch, but he took one anyway, using the gap I left just behind my tricep as his angle to get in. Again, I didn’t feel any pain when he stabbed me with his fingers there, just a whole lot of pressure. Even so, I was off my feet again, forced to catch myself from falling on the ground.

Shit, what the hell happened to the training terms? He’s working me all of a sudden, and that’s only because he allowed me to hit him!

I was left wondering why he didn’t dodge my attack. He’d dodged all the others. Relentless with his pursuit, I had no time to linger on it. I was being pinned against the ropes stuck on fucking defense. Under the assumption that we’d trade blows, I was caught off guard with his constant striking. Something told me that he wasn’t this hard on Felix, my heart and mind racing, trying to figure out what his next move would be.

Whatever the case, I had to sweat through it. So I leapt back to space us out before I revved up a flame ball around my fist. I aimed it and then cocked my arm back like a gun before unloading it at him, or at least, where I thought he’d be. I must have caught on without realizing it, subconsciously noticing a pattern with the heel of his foot. If it shifted more toward the right, away from a right-angle, he’d step dodge that direction. Sure enough, he dodged to the right, but my flame didn’t make contact. He swallowed that sucker up with an astral portal!

He enlightened me with a subtle smirk and said, “You’re learning.” And then, just like that, he disappeared.

“Damn it,” I grunted under my breath, putting up a dome of flames around me. With little reason to believe that’d stop him, I tried it anyway, but I got not a damn thing out of it when I felt his hand shove my back.

I landed face first on the ground and growled. This being tossed around like a rag doll was getting old quick, and I was itching to land a punch on him again. “Shit, just one,” I grumbled, and then I felt a grip at the back of my collar before I was flung up into the fucking sky! “Hoooollllyyyy crrraaappp!” I wailed, my body moving at the speed of light. Above me I saw a tear with bright white ridges, the same kind of tear I’d seen Kenji step out of when I first met him. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best, having nothing to counter it. By the time I opened my eyes again, I was hovering two feet off the ground, just before Hayashi slammed me down with his heel.

“F-fuck,” I grunted. “I think I’m going to hurl.”

“Your physical invulnerability is impressive, one of the best I’ve seen so far,” he complimented, and then took his foot off of me. “Was this the first time you stabilized your flames?”

I got off my ass and chuckled. “Yeah, it was, actually.”

“What happened last time?”

That smile on my face left. I hesitated for a second before I answered him, “Egh… the last time, huh…”

“What is it?”

“Well, when we were coming back after a food run last night, Naomi and I… we ran into a shadow walker that could… turn dead kids into her zombie puppets,” I shuddered. “That bitch killed them….”

“And you torched their undead bodies, I imagine? Out of rage?”

“Yeah….”

“Sometimes emotions can trigger our extensions to flow recklessly. In this case, you did those children a favor….”

I looked up to him stunned, my mentor then dropping his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t allow this misguided guilt to hold you back. You did the right thing.” He nodded. “Good job, today. In this session, you have earned an upgrade in your stats.”

“What?” I choked. “But I don’t feel like I really did anything today.”

“You didn’t?” He asked skeptically, withdrawing his hand from my shoulder. “Now, go wash up. You have a contract approaching.”