8 The calm before the Storm

Empirical year 91

A pair of red-eyed horned rabbits was moving through the jungle at high speed. They weren't being chased, rather were chasing a baby boar. Vanishing at one reappearing at another, the baby was moving very fast through the jungle using shadow steps. But no matter how much it used the shadow steps the rabbits were still on its tail.

The baby boar was the offspring of shadow strip boar. If it was fully grown then there were very few predators in the jungle that could threaten it, alas it was a baby and even using innate talent needed mana. Just the moment the baby showed any weakness it was impaled by the one of the rabbit's horn. The vitality of a beast is something that couldn't be ignored. Both the rabbit was struggling to hold the baby boar down.

*Shhhp*.

Even before the rabbit could feel something was wrong an arrow went through its body.

*Shhhp*.*Shhhp*.

Soon two more arrows release to claim the lives of other two. The wild animals had a very keen sense towards the danger and these carnivorous animals were more so, but still, they were unable to sense the child sitting on the tree. There wasn't a single movement in his body.

'If I really would have been a mercenary then I would a ranger.' Thinking about past life… Kinoya started to feel disheartened. 'My emotion is really all over the places.'

He came down as the animals stopped moving. Though they were dead he was still moving with silence.

'For the first time in 6 months, I am going to eat a boar. Today really is my lucky day.' He moved towards the rabbit which was impelling the boar by its horn and removed it. 'I don't think I could get much of meat from it.'

As he was growing, his appetite was increasing at an exponential rate. Thanks to his sister, little Marchioness, he didn't have to worry about his food. The military scholarship was over after 2 years, but it didn't stop due to her, even the food quality improved. But somehow he was feeling that it wasn't helping it. So in the name of training, he came to the jungle about 5 km away from the city and with his previous experience it wasn't hard for him to hunt or trap some small one.

Kinoya was busy cleaning the prize he got. But the movement in the distance stopped him. The wild beast had a very keen sense towards blood. Without hesitation, Kinoya jumped back to create some distance between him and the dead animals, pulled his bow in full arc, ready to release any moment.

But what came out of the bush wasn't any beast, it was a human, an old one at that. Kinoya was little distance away from prize but he wasn't hiding or anything, but the old man was acting like he wasn't there.

Kinoya released the arrow that plunged into the ground just an inch away from the old man's foot. The old man was unconcerned about it. He continued to move towards the prize but the next arrow wasn't very forgiving. It was aimed at his thigh.

Kinoya wasn't that happy-go-lucky anymore. Though when in the society he might put up a front but in wild he won't hesitate. One thing that life had taught him through previous trials that Karma is a useless concept here.

But what happened in front of him was more surprising. The arrow shot straight through the old man's thigh and plunged into the ground behind him, but there was nothing, no blood at all.

'Did he really have superhuman speed?' Next arrow Kinoya shot was straight at the head of the old man. It passed in a blink and lunged into that tree behind him.

'He might be one of those hermits. I don't think I could do anything about it.' Kinoya sighed and went to the other way, life is more important than some pieces of meat. He couldn't win so it's better to concede. But how can the one who just had an arrow shot at his brain be so forgiving?

Kinoya was moving in a rapid speed through the forest. But all in vain.

"Thank you for the food." The old man was moving just beside Kinoya like he was walking in the park.

"Don't mention it," Kinoya said with a smile and increased his speed to the extreme. As expected all that was in vain. The old man was still beside him.

"Boy, you are too ruthless. Shooting for the head of an unarmed old man without hesitation wasn't something a child like you should do. Childlike you shou..."

"A senior like you shouldn't steal the food of a junior too. But what can I do? It's the world where the strong set the rule."

The Old man could help to take a second look at the child running beside him. He had never expected that a child would refuse to his words. He smiled again. "When you call me senior and give me such a delicious food how I can not teach you some art of fighting?"

'Art of fighting? You just need a reason to beat me.' Kinoya knew about it too but there was nothing he could do about it. "Senior please enlighten me."

"Follow me." The old man increased his speed while Kinoya tried his best to keep up with the old man. It was not that Kinoya didn't think about running in the other direction but seeing the ever-increasing speed of the old man he spared the thought.

The old man continued to increase his pace little by little, Kinoya tried his best to keep up. But that had a limit too. The moment he felt that he couldn't increase his speed anymore the old man stopped increasing it too. Soon enough something came into vision. It was a hut there with a big dome-like building.

The old man stopped after reaching the open space. "Come, boy. Let me show you how real man train".

"Senior can you even train at this age?" The old man smiled but didn't answer. Kinoya understood the meaning behind it the moment he entered the building. To be precise he couldn't enter it. With his first step, Kinoya slammed on the ground.

"What are you doing? Are you paying respect to the elder?"

Kinoya wasn't listening to the old man. What attracted him more the force in the room. This is the hi-tech technology to train the best of the best, even in his last world. How could be something like that exist in this world.

"Gravity." The words Kinoya unconsciously spoke raised the eyebrows of the old man before bursting out in laughter, "You know quite a lot but it won't help you to survive."

Kinoya tried to get himself up but didn't force to stand, he just sat there.

Eyes of the old man were shining. "Boy, I like you more and more." He moved to the centre of the room where a talwar was plunged in the ground.

"This is Varytita. The source of the gravity in the room. You have time till the sunset if you are able to touch the sword and come out of the room then…"

"Then let me train here as long as I want."

The Old man surprised from the sudden interruption of Kinoya but shook his head. "Do as you like." He left the dome without any other words.

"There is not even an hour left, are…" the old man was speechless. Kinoya was standing at the place where he was sitting when he had left. 'Another bluffer?'

"About time," Kinoya spoke and went on all four. He speed was neither too fast nor too slow. But looking at him the old man wondered, 'Did he adapted to it so quickly?'

It took him not more than five minutes to reach the talwar. Kinoya stood up and pulled out the talwar. When he pulled it out the gravity vanished. Kinoya took a big breath and gave it to the old man. Looking at the expression Kinoya couldn't control his laughter.

"Boy, you will stay here and train under me." with these words his four years of hellish training began. The training regime of infamous devil's minion started right here at the foot of Kounen Mountain range.