CH 18

Tianyang followed Han Shu into an empty compartment, quite peculiar because it was extremely empty, even without seats. It was like an iron cage walking on the tracks.

"From the Lighthouse to the rear base takes a day. Sometimes, there are energetic fellows on the train who need a place to vent," Han Shu's hand rested on the wall of the compartment. There were several rough scratches on it, seemingly made by sharp objects.

Tianyang noticed a few grayish patches and squinted slightly. They appeared to be dried bloodstains.

"Is this some kind of arena?" Tianyang looked at the captain, seeking an answer.

Han Shu shrugged, answering with a non sequitur, 

"Anyway, we can stretch our muscles here."

Tianyang was somewhat surprised, 

"Captain, is this for the unfinished punishment?"

Han Shu grinned, "Damn it, do I look like a pervert who enjoys punishing subordinates? Don't worry, it's not punishment. It's just that Ling Feng asked me to guide your combat skills."

In the young man's mind, an image of a cold-faced man wearing glasses flashed by.

"I have no idea what he's thinking. A rookie like you should be sent to a training camp. It's a waste of my time. If it weren't for the fact that I owe him a big favor, I wouldn't give a damn!" The captain started messing with his hedgehog-like hair again.

An urge rose in Tianyang to ask to ask him how much money he owed Ling Feng, but decided otherwise

Han Shu waved his hand, "Come on, let me see what you got. Behind you there is a sword, take it out."

Tianyang unsheathed his blade without hesitation. The cold gleam emitted by the particle combat sword seemed to lower the temperature in the compartment.

Han Shu rubbed his chin and whistled, "A particle sword, huh? Ling Feng has taken quite a liking to you. Old Xu and Cangdu only got standard-issue weapons made of composite steel. Alright, give me a slash and show me your mettle."

Tianyang's mouth twitched slightly, "Captain, are you sure about this?"

Han Shu loosened the collar of his uniform, revealing his bulging neck with a tattoo.

A shield, with the fortress emblem on it and the number below: 4!

"See that? I'm a Fortress Level, my defense is off the charts. Even if you're holding a particle sword, even if I stand here and let you strike, you might not be able to kill me," Han Shu pointed at his chest, "Strike here with the determination to kill me."

"Alright, Captain, be careful."

Tianyang adjusted his breath and cautiously refrained from using star energy, then exerted his full force and dashed forward.

Locking onto Han Shu's chest, he raised his hand and struck with the blade.

The particle sword drew a trail of cold light as it cleaved towards Han Shu.

The latter simply turned about half of his body and tripped Tianyang with his foot, causing him to lose his balance immediately.

Just as he was about to fall, the young man swiftly executed a roll with agile movements, readjusting his posture. But before he could stand up, he received a kick to his backside and ended up falling to the ground again.

He felt a heavy pressure on his back, and in his mind, he envisioned Han Shu stomping down with his foot. Tianyang struggled desperately but to no avail.

Han Shu chuckled, bending over and flicking his finger against Tianyang's head [ED: Author, don't steal the Sas*ke flick], "General, you're dead."

Then he removed his foot, allowing the young man to climb back up.

The captain leaned against the window lazily and asked, "Did you learn anything?"

Tianyang recalled the previous sequence of events and said, "Captain, you wanted me to strike your chest, so you calculated the angle of my attack. While I was attacking, you were able to evade in advance. Then you disrupted my balance and took advantage of the human body's characteristics to easily 'kill' me."

Han Shu nodded slightly, "Not bad, at least you're not too dim-witted. If you were a fool, it would be a headache for me. How about this? If you tell me about your relationship with Ling Feng, I'll teach you everything I know."

Tianyang replied nonchalantly, "We don't have much of a relationship. General Ling discovered me, perhaps thinking that I had potential to develop."

Han Shu looked disappointed, "Is that all? I thought you were his illegitimate child."

Tianyang almost spurted out a mouthful of blood. The captain's imagination was truly too much.

Han Shu changed to a serious expression, 

"What you said earlier was correct, but there's one more thing you haven't considered."

"I'm all ears."

Han Shu chuckled, "Have you ever thought about why I wanted you to attack a specific area?"

Tianyang was surprised, "Wasn't it to calculate the angle of my attack and evade in advance?"

"That's just one reason. More importantly, it was to exploit your trust in me. It turned an unpredictable attack into something traceable."

Tianyang paused for a moment, vaguely grasping Han Shu's intention.

Han Shu said in a deep voice, "Listen carefully, I won't teach you specific techniques because no matter how brilliant the technique is, it's far weaker than discovering your own strengths. I will only impart to you the experience of dealing with enemies. In summary, it's about utilizing all advantageous conditions to dismantle the enemy's defense and then dispatching them using the most efficient method possible."

"In battles within the Inverse Universe, it's neither a competition nor a duel. Sometimes, you may have to face more than one enemy. So, you should never exhaust all your strength and always keep something in reserve. And the condition upon which all of this is built is that you must understand the enemy as much as possible, including their habits, abilities, and physical structure."

The vague thoughts suddenly became clear, and Tianyang finally understood. What Han Shu taught him was strategy -- a strategy that would benefit him for a lifetime!

The captain, who had been serious for three minutes, smiled again, "But let me teach you some real skills so that Ling Feng won't accuse me of being lazy."

"Next, I will teach you how to dismantle the enemy's defenses."

"However, you should note that if the enemy is weaker than you, there's no need to complicate things; overwhelming force is enough. If the enemy is stronger than you, attempting to dismantle their actions would be a joke. When faced with an opponent you can't defeat, running away quickly is the right path."

"Therefore, my dismantling techniques can only be used against opponents of similar strength or those with a slight difference. Remember, don't foolishly try to apply them to stronger opponents and blame me if you end up dead."

Tianyang nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

"Good, now attack my chest with all your strength!"

"...Captain, again?"

"No time for nonsense, hurry up!"

Four hours later.

Tianyang lay on the ground, lacking the strength to even hold a sword. His consciousness was fading, and he struggled to concentrate, feeling drowsy.

His body was covered in bruises and strains, with several wounds caused by his own combat sword.

In Han Shu's dismantling techniques, there were even techniques that involved counterattacking with the opponent's weapon. Tianyang never expected that this rugged man possessed such delicate skills.

"How much do you remember?" The captain's big face approached, and he lifted Tianyang, carrying him on his shoulder.

He also picked up the combat sword along the way.

"Roughly eighty percent of it, but a few movements were too intricate and fast for me to recall." Tianyang hesitated, "Captain, let me rest here. I'll make my way back to the carriage later."

"Nonsense!" Han Shu rudely exclaimed, "I'm taking you to the medical team now. Let them dress your wounds. This is the Inverse Universe, and even the smallest injury can be fatal."

Tianyang no longer resisted.