Iranueel was angry with himself for screwing up, even more so because he had no way of using his new power. And for the next 4 weeks at least he had to be some kind of mana slave for the vampire and a punching ball for Razell.

He activated his meditation skill and sat dow, trying to keep a connection to the circle and meditate simultaneous. And failed.

Now he cursed and sent frustrated looks at the others who just went inside the cozy buildings enjoying their day.

Iranueel tried again and this time had success with keeping both actions active. Mana flowed down his arm into the circle and meditation increased his mana and also his health regeneration. At least he would be able to level his skill up and as an immortal time was not really an issue for him anymore.

Just when he felt his health full again, he got a slight kick into the ribs, breaking his concentration.

“I see, that you have charged the training court enough for one sparring round. This time I will send you against some youngsters trained in hand to hand combat. You will not stand a chance but perhaps I can train you enough that you get the skill without having to buy it from the system. You only have to train it long enough and with your interesting regeneration of mana and health we can put really some heavy training sessions into you. Take him for some rounds and stop, when you have knocked him badly enough that he would need a hospital. Then set him next to the circle and let him heal back again, after that repeat.”

Turning back to Iranueel after he gave his commands to the 3 young men standing behind him, he grinned malicious at the young avatar.

“I wish you a pleasant day and as soon as you have gotten the skill, please contact me and I will reaarange your training schedule.”

Razell then went to enjoy a good bath with a whistle on his lips.

Looking back to the 3 men waiting for him, Iranueel sighed and stood up.

“Would you at least so kind to show me the proper stance before you knock the air out of me?”

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The one in the middle looked at him irritated.

“Sir, I think you misunderstand something here. We will train you properly. Master only added, that we don’t have to withhold our strikes with you. Maximum possible training without killing, were his words. So I think, that you won’t enjoy this but as hell is my witness, this will train you in the fastest way to become a martial artist.”

And then they showed him his first proper stance. Iranueel knew after the first few tries that his muscles would hate him at the end of the day and his pain tolerance would level as crazy too.

After the stance they showed him easy attack and defence moves, knocking him down in every way, often breaking ribs, fingers or his arms. After being disabled to fight, they sat him down at the circle and let him heal his wounds with magic, concentration and time.

This repeated itself for the whole rest of the day. Iranueel had never before known that his bones could break in so many ways. On time his left ell and radius stood out of his flesh and they kept on hammering him from all sides, until he collapsed to the ground. After taking care of his wounds, they just went their way and came back for more.

Iranueel began to hate them for every bone broken.

When the sun sat down Razell came back and ordered them to rest and eat something, even Iranueel. But barely having ended his meal the older man sent him back to recharging the circle until midnight. Only then would he have ended his daily task.

And 6 am morning the day would start with a short meal, followed by training and charging. A short meal at noon interrupting his hellish duty, Iranueel went back to it with a sense of endless pain and suffering.

It was at 4 pm in a very heated fight again when Iranueel saw the knee of one of his opponents coming straight for his face when he suddenly wanted to just shield himself from all pain and felt a heavy storm inside pressing outwards.

An almost invisible shield of cracking lightning formed for a moment around him and the knee hammered right onto it. Iranueel could see the knee bending inwards, breaking bones and kneecap.

You have learned arcane shield.

His opponents jumped back with the young man crying out loud about his destroyed knee.

“This is really impressive, young one. Without any training of a master mage you learned a new technique of the arcane skill tree. Most intriguing.”

Iranueel saw Levat standing only 10 meters away under a tree, enjoying the view.

“Razell will be excited about it, but it has nothing to do with the martial arts you should learn. Please heal the young  man and then continue with your training.”

The young avatar only nodded and went to the injured guy on the ground using his elemental healing to set his bones back into place and knot the destroyed tissue back where it belonged.

When he was finished, his patient thanked him and stood up testing his knee with marvel in the eyes. He reach out to Iranueel and shook his hand earnestly.

“You still try to follow every strike with your eyes. I think I have an idea to get this habit out of you, but it will hurt. Are you up for it?”

“It will hurt more than what you’re doing now?”

Grinning the guy answered.

“Just an other way of hurting. We will attack your senses like eyes, smell, hearing and your sense of touch. You are an avatar and can heal all the damage quite easily but it will strengthen your senses and perhaps help you to develop a new sense called uncanny dodge. You will dodge incoming attacks unconsciously without having to think about it anymore. But just as I said, this will hurt you badly.”

Iranueel heard from behind him the old vampire say.

“Do it! I’m interested if he surprises me again with a skill outside of the norm.”

And so began another training schedule for Iranueel where they blindfolded and deafened him him, and of course hurt him.