Chapter 234: Training, III

The second form of the Vanishing Stance was more on explosiveness.

Combined with the first form, the second form's attack was powerful at the same speed. Meaning, whenever Ned had a blade in hand, he could use Stance to perform direct assaults with unpredictability in a pattern.

And this was where Ned took a lot of time to master. Like the Water Moon Stance that let out a burst of air, the second form's attack was exploding with furiousness and speed.  If Roy's movements were graceful and the blade whistle as he attacks, Ned's attack was rough. Although he could perform the first form with ease, the second form made his first form rough.

Ned realized that as he increases the difficulty of the stance, the more rigid he was becoming.

And there he thought it would be easy with his mastery of weapon types.

Ned could only sigh.

To master the second form of the Vanishing Stance, he must be faster than the first yet powerful in terms of attacks.

Ned asked Roy to perform the second form, but this time, he let ICE copy every graceful movement Roy was performing.

Roy unsheathed his blade. He stood firmly with his body at the right angles. His feet were two feet apart, with the left foot in front. With his positioning that way, he could easily bend, twist, his body to defend from attacks.

Roy started for the second time.

He trusted the sword mid-air. The blade was blurring, but not vanishing. It was at a perfect angle. Straight, from his shoulder up to the tip of the blade.

The blade steadied midair but was still humming after the thrust.

And Ned captured them.

Roy then pulled the blade and thrust it again. The same angle, the same path, the speed, and strength. Precisely the same. But this time, the sound was louder than before. It was like sharp wind left by an arrow from its bow.

Ned copied the attack. He did it the same as how Roy has done it.

Roy smiled. Sitting over a rock along the wall.

"Good to know that you're doing it exactly like I did." He nodded. "But are you sure about that?"

The blade on Ned's hands was gracefully moving to his own accord.

The thrust was the same angle as his shoulder. Yet Ned could feel the lack of explosiveness.

He frowned. What am I missing? And thought.

He performed another attack but was halted midair as Roy jumped off the rock with blade clanking against its scabbard.

"Okay, that's enough for today. "Go grab food. Rest. Make friends with the beast, I don't care. But come back here tomorrow, and hopefully, you've got the answer to perform the second form of the stance."

It was one of their agreement, Roy would train Ned. But If it's time to rest. Rest. Ned must stop whatever he was doing and proceed to take care of his body.

But for now, rest wasn't needed by Ned. Eating food and drinking liquid was enough for him to recover his strength. If he wanted to fully recover it to a hundred percent, then all he needed to do was to sleep. Which sleep he wasn't needed for now.

Ned was being spoiled with food every day. Sometimes if Ned trained very hard, the food he was eating was double than usual. Thanks to the Queen, he could focus more on training. She also stood by her words that he won't abduct humans for the time being.

For now, Ned thought.

After a couple of hours, which he presumed evening on the surface, Ned left his chamber. Apart from Silk Road that was able to change his clothing appearances, he was also wearing the Cloak Lady Darcey gave to him.

It was rather freezing inside the Hive. But for the inhabitants, they were accustomed to the temperature. So much, that Ned noticed, they were not wearing clothing—aside from goblins that wore loincloths to cover their lower region.

Arachneas on the other hand were having a thick exoskeleton, so they don't need to wear anything to ward off the freezing temperature.

Ned wandered hallways after hallways. Some parts were adorned with stones from the walls to the ground, but mostly just soft soil scattered around the hallways.

Ned traversed the hallways. For four days, Ned has been walking this same hallway that he already knew where to enter and exit. After a couple of minutes, Ned arrived at the center part of the Hive.

Just like the Queen's chamber, the center part, which resembles a plaza for humans, was rather large. The hollowness was too massive there was nothing but darkness from above when one would lookup.

Contrary to the looming darkness, the plaza of the beast we're ignited with shouts and cries. The blazing light of the mana stones that were fixed against the walls helped the beasts with their trade.

Ned squeezed himself between the gap of a wooden stand. At first, none had noticed Ned's arrival. But as he continues to examine the different items that were sold, one of the owners of the stall,  gnoll—but too tall for a gnoll, might be a hybrid—mentioned the word human.

Everyone that heard the gnoll looked at him, and then at Ned.

There were many different species inside the market. From goblins, gnolls, shoons, arachneas, and a massive mammal that looked like a dog walking on two, all looked at Ned.

Ned stopped. Their eyes were looking at Ned as though dinner was served. Some were murmuring with each other. Goblin whispered with the gnoll, and vice-versa.

"Uh." Ned coughed. "A, don't mind me?"

Ned said in their beastian language. His tongue was touching the tip of his teeth while drumming his throat to produce a guttural sound. His tone was native to them.

The prying eyes ignored Ned and they continue with what they were doing.

Ned smiled while thinking of Kon Sas Koron. To think that he could unite these beasts together with humans.

Ned wondered if this was because she was a Lord graded magical beasts.

On the surface, magical beasts graded Lord was too powerful even the kingdom left them with their territory. Some nobles even made dealings with these Lords.