Hup, hup, hup. Orien was currently hanging from a tree branch upside down, doing crunches for his core. He had eaten and started the regimen that Wisp had prepared for him.

  He was used to training, and he already knew how to throw punches and kicks because of martial arts lessons at school, but Wisp's lessons felt much more advanced and tailored to help his weak points.

  Wisp advised, "You can throw a punch, but your defense is wide open when you do. Also, you couldn't kick a barn door! What's it matter if your kick is strong when it doesn't connect?"

  'He can see right through me...’ Orien thought.

  He would throw a kick, then look over at Wisp, seeking his approval. Once the form was mostly corrected, he would practice high, mid, and low kicks.

  Orien felt exuberant while thinking, ‘Who knew training could be this fun?’

  The Qi would slowly be absorbed by his body, according to Wisp. The process would take about two weeks, leaving him much leeway for the evaluation.

  "It will only take that long this time because your foundation is basically non-existent. I think it's already a pretty good time. I can’t stress enough though; it will not be this easy in the future. I hope you’ve come to terms with that,” Wisp said before adding, “Although once you’ve actually stepped onto the Mortal Path, you’ll be much livelier and have less of a need for whining like a baby about simple training.”

  Orien looked at Wisp with a stink eye and adjusted his focus on the training once more. He had hoped he would have exploded in power immediately, but alas, reality is often disappointing. He wasn't too disappointed though, for two weeks was not a very long time for him.

  Just then, Wisp spoke up, “Lad, it seems like there’s trouble coming your way. A lanky youth your age is nearing the top of the peak, and I sense it’s for malicious reasons. Will you hide or... face him head on?”

  Orien was suddenly taken aback by this information, as he was in the middle of training and his thoughts raced, ‘That sounds like Lars actually, he didn’t pass the evaluation now that I think about it... I'm still sore and fatigued, honestly. I sense in Wisp’s words a trap, however. I’ll have to hold my own, no more running or hiding.’

  Orien stopped training his kicks and stood up straight, “I’ll meet him, I am not afraid.”

  In a mere three minutes or so, Lars appeared at the peak, clearly winded and looked around for Orien. He hadn’t truly expected to see him, but he wanted to sabotage Orien’s training, so he made the effort.

  Tap, tap, tap! Orien’s feet made large strides on the ground as he rushed out from a behind of a nearby tree, sending a flying kick into Lars’s back.

  Lars was sent tumbling onto the ground with a groan, but he managed to get up shortly after with an expression of rage.

  “What do you want, Lars?” Orien, shirtless and skin glistening with sweat, asking straight away.

  Lars let out an angry chuckle, looking down at Orien. He was a good head over Orien, and Hubert wasn’t here to bail him out of trouble.

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  Lars eyebrow twitched as he recalled the pain he felt when Orien kicked him between the legs.

  He stepped forward, cracking his stiff neck and saying, “Yo, it’s you. I didn’t come here for anything special, it’s merely that Geno told me he didn’t feel like seeing you again. It’s not that he thinks you’d miraculously pass the next evaluation, but you know how he is. He’s a careful man with a bit of money, and I’m a greedy man that has no issues bullying the weak.”

  At this point, he was right in front of Orien when he said, “Remember that rat carcass on your seat?”

  Swoosh

  He struck out his fist into Orien’s chest just as he had finished talking, delivering a sucker punch.

  Orien stumbled back but quickly regained his footing and put his hands up, charging towards Lars.

  “Oh?” Lars hadn’t expected a pushover like Orien to take action, but as of late, Orien had indeed begun to fight back. Lars figured he would need to remind Orien of his place.

  Although he was winded and fatigued from the trek up to the peak as well as Orien’s surprise kick, he wouldn’t have any trouble with Orien.

  Or so he thought.

  Orien suddenly dropped his hands and came in with another flying kick to the abdomen, and he couldn’t dodge it in time, so he blocked it.

  Thud. Lars knit his eyebrows as pain coursed through his forearm, “That hurt, you fuck!” He quickly made a snatching motion.

  Unfortunately for Orien, his legs were quite tired after the training, and he also was not operating at full strength. His leg was grabbed by Lars, and he was then punched straight in the nose by his free hand.

  Splat. Drip, drip, drip.

  Orien’s nose was not broken, but it did start to bleed and drip onto the ground. He fell onto his behind and then raised his hand to his nose in surprise.

  ‘I’m bleeding? This asshole came out of his way to come up here and make me bleed?’ Orien was finally deeply angered.

  Orien’s vision got slightly red, and he lunged forward to Lars, who had also paused upon seeing the blood.

  “I’LL KILL YOU!” Orien shouted, swinging his fist as hard as he could. Lars blocked it, but it landed on his hurt forearm. He groaned and fell back with Orien on top of him, raining wild blows down towards his head, one landing on his cheek.

  ‘Screw this, I’m not risking an injury when I still need to pass my next evaluation. This guy better count his lucky stars that I'm winded and tired,’ Lars thought.

  He quickly sent his knee up into Orien's stomach as hard as he could.

  “Oomph,” Orien groaned this time. He then got up and sped off, down the peak pathway.

  Orien lay there for a moment, curled up like a shrimp. He didn’t feel ashamed or weak this time, though. He felt like he had scared Lars away.

  “Kid, are you okay? Are you injured?” Wisp felt a bit helpless, unable to do anything but watch. He felt this was Orien’s fight, and he had no right to interfere, but it was still a painfully passive feeling.

  “I-I’m good, that last blow knocked the air outta me, that’s all,” Orien turned over and laid on his back.

  “That bastard really got me good... he came looking for me,” Orien wasn’t handling it as poorly as Wisp thought he would.

  “Don’t tell me you’re used to this shit, lad? Still, you did a great job. I’m sorry you had to experience that while training but... maybe we can consider that part of the training. So... how do you feel?” Wisp inquired.

  Haa... Haa... Haa... Orien exhaled a few times between his breaths and responded, “I’m pissed. I guess training will resume tomorrow, huh?”

  Orien looked towards the setting sun; a beautiful orange and purple mixture filled the sky.

  “Mmmm, physical training, yes. We’ll still dump some ice-cold water on you, though. You need to perceive the cold as well as you can this month to make a change. We won’t waste a single night. Get yourself cleaned up and we’ll continue shortly,” Wisp said.

  “Hahaha...” Orien let out a hollow chuckle while thinking, ‘This guy is a devil...’