20 Training

Dudley's POV

It has been a few weeks since the training beginning and the drawbacks has not been easy. I mean it has abated a little but, feeling like you are living in a different timezone from the planet is not easy. I will take jet lag over this if I could because doing this stresses the body and the mind to absurdity. It's like I use a time turner every time I begin training. One good news is that I can produce a few after images when I walk.

Ever since that day, I've been thinking about the ways one can attack their opponent using this technique. I have also recognized that the technique was similar to Killua's rhythm echo and silent step but that was only a portion of it. Somehow, my teacher created a technique that is related to time. I realized it when I enhanced my body with magic while I was performing the technique in my room.

Using the technique with magic, I felt like I had all the time in the world to decide where to move. To observer's eyes, I seem to teleport around the room. I almost fainted the third time I did the technique because I did not keep track of my magic reserves. My body felt like goo and it was only through will that I crawled to the bed.

I fell asleep instantly and I did not wake up for about 14 hours. I completely missed morning warm up practice and almost missed noon training. When I woke up, I checked the time and saw that it was 12:00. "Blimey" I shouted in alarm as I struggled to get out of bed.

I stumbled when I got me feet on the ground because my body still felt weak. Quickly, I turned around and checked the window to see whether it was noon or midnight. I saw the sun in all it's glory and I knew I was...

I run outside in haste determined to not miss the start of the noon training. I made it outside barely in time to see teacher swing his sword down in a vertical line that shows that the training had began. When he saw me, all he said was, "I see someone has decided to join me in my afternoon training."

All I could do was nod and begin doing the stances of the warm up exercise. After warm up, I approach teacher and stand by his side while he is doing the katas of his sword style. After a while, he stops and deeply breaths out as he puts the sword in its scabbard.

He turns to face me. "Why were you late?" He said

With an embarrassed face I say, "I was practicing my energy control and I overdid it. I forgot to check my reserves while I was doing and it ran out."

"Hmm" he hummed. Nodding, he said "Don't play around with your energy without asking me first. It can lead to you being crippled if nor death if you are not careful with what you are doing. For the next two days, your training will be intensified because you did not take precaution. I will allow to heal your body once during this two days."

"Yes teacher" I answer. Before we began training again, I asked teacher another question "Teacher" I started, " Why did you not wake me up?"

"Same reason I'm having you figure out out the final portions of the technique. Now stop asking questions and let's begin." Teacher stated. The next two days was brutal. I shiver every time I think about it and as for what we did, I seem to have forgotten most of them. I remember screaming and ucchhhg, I shiver again.

I did not tell him the whole truth because I realized that since he knows about magic then he must know what the full potential of such a technique. With the attacking portion of the technique, I invented a new one once I thought about what teacher said.

I took inspiration from how Killua rhythm echo that worked by utilizing the varying the cadence of steps while moving silently. What I did was the opposite, by making the sound of walking louder, I theorized that I could make my opponent think I'm more than one person and attack him or her at any time.

Also, during my past life, I remember a user by the name of Granpa_Wang posted a link on a comment section somewhere to Aoshi's fight with the Battousai. I remember Aoshi used a similar technique called Ruysui no Ugoki. Though that technique had a weakness, I could utilize the fluidity of that technique to my advantage.

Anyway, I put the idea together after I presented teacher with what I think he thought was the only attacking portion of the technique during first week of training. I went to him when I initiallyrealized the what the attacking portion was. It was a Friday night when I approached him. He was taking care of his sword when I said in a proud tone,

"Teacher, I've discovered what the attacking portion is"

"Hoh, what is it" He said

"I thought about when you said that an advanced user of the technique could look like they are moving backwards but would be miles in front of the observer. I went back and thought about that quote then I realized that if an advanced user can move backward while making it look like he is moving forward, then why can't he or she look like they are standing still when or after they attack their opponent."

Instructor smiles and says "I will give you that but that is not the complete answer. Since you are three-fourth of the way there I will finish it for you. To create the illusion of the attack, you must impose your will on the world around you so much so that your opponent can and will think there are endless version of you that are attacking him. But then again not everything is an illusion." Teacher said cryptically

"How did you tackle the final portion of the technique?" Teacher asks me unexpectedly

"Before I answer that, can you control how many after-image illusions you produce?" I asked teacher

"Yes?" Teacher answered not knowing where I'm going with this

"So, you can decide not to produce any after-images at all?" I said while shaking my head

"Yes?" Teacher answers with what would be a question on his head if this was an anime.

I sigh relived in my head. Then I respond with a happy tone. "I can conclude that the final portion of the technique is stealth."

"Good job, how did you figure it out?" Marimo said with a proud voice

"With the stealth portion of the technique, I thought about how you said when you are walking, there's no sound. When I asked you about if you can control the amount of illusions created, the idea was further cemented in my mind. I believe that with stealth, if one can erase his or her presence or stand beside someone without then noticing, then they are hidden." I finished with my explanation

"Good. Your genius qualification is maybe not wrong after all. Now go to sleep, there's much to be done tomorrow." Teacher told me. As I head up to my room, I hear, "Just so you know, there's no such thing as a finished technique."

This statement is what set me on the course to discovermaybe more than one attacking style of the technique.

"Boy, why are you staring in the air? Continue moving!!" Teacher shouts at me. I continue moving while I wonder what I was doing, staring into the sky. Eh,it's probably not that important if I forgot about it.

Marimo's POV

'The boy is a monster. It took me almost three months to produce the number of after-images he is producing, and they did not last as long as his does. I was proclaimed a genius not seen in a hundred years back then.'

'Hhhaa, the way he is going, he will master the full technique in some years and probably earn the name of the technique. Tradition states that only masters can be given the name hhhaa. Besides, what is with the amount of energy he has in him, it looks like as he is getting thinner, it increases along with the aura around him. But even geniuses can forget something.'

'When he was explaining the attacking and stealth portion of the technique, he did not factor that pacing and speed are also important. I hope he finds out soon otherwise it will be a weakness for him in the future. I had to discover the hard way that when your opponent discovers your pace, they can drag you down to theirs.'

'Pacing affects how you breath and how you move. Erratic breath equals messy pace that is easily destroyed, and the user killed.' I ponder while I rub the scar on my chest that almost cost me my life.

'Perhaps I should teach him the speed aspect of the training, I bet he forgot when I mentioned that an advanced user could walk miles without the observer noticing. He also likes using his energy and from what his parents told me cooking. Hhhaa, I better contact them to show the boy how to properly control his energy and cook non common ingredients. But not for a while.'

"Boy, what are you doing? Move! Only two hours left" I shouted at the boy

'Yes, two months him to master the basics. Then I will take him to the true forest. I was originally going to train him like master did me but. Hmm, I wonder if I should do a full month session of the two days since it helped him improve a lot. One month in difficult mode and another in HELL mode.' As Marimo was thinking this, if someone saw his face at this moment, they would have become bona fide 'Believers in the Lord' because, his face looks like how one would imagine the devil if they ever saw him face to face.