"Our first step is to get you to sense movements and life force," Thalos said as he crossed his stone hands, his unblinking eyes locked on Grey, who stood in front of the gargoyle with his sword strapped to his waist.
"Sense movement and life force? Thought I already knew that," Grey said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Are you confident you can pull it off ninety percent of the time?" Thalos asked, a deep frown settling on his face.
"Well... not really." Grey chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, his gaze flicking toward Thalos, who only sighed in return.
"These direct descendants you speak of—how strong are they?" Thalos asked. Grey’s jaw tightened instantly as the memory of his humiliation at their hands resurfaced, vivid and bitter.
"So strong that I could barely keep up with their movements. They’re too fast... well, not as fast as you, though," Grey admitted.
"Do you know you could beat them, even at your current strength level?" Thalos said, his voice calm but laced with certainty.
"I’m a Stage Two warrior, and two of them are Stage Four. How can I beat people twice as strong and fast as me?" Grey asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Simple." Thalos uncrossed his arms with a faint smile. "By being able to predict where they will move, how they will attack, and how strong their attacks will be."
"When I’m not a psychic," Grey muttered under his breath.
Thalos sighed again, then turned around to where his sword stood planted deep in the ground a few meters away.
With a single wave of his hand, the weapon rattled slightly before ripping free from the earth and flying into his grasp. As he swung it forward, it cut the air sharply, producing a quick gust of wind that tugged at Grey’s clothes.
"I’m going to teach you two lessons at once," Thalos said, pointing his blade at Grey, whose expression was a mix of confusion and wariness. "The first is how to sense movement and Ki attacks by focusing sharply—using your Ki in any way necessary to detect them."
He gave Grey a moment to process before adding, "The second lesson is the gargoyle style of fighting."
"The gargoyle style of fighting?" Grey repeated, his eyebrow rising as he stared at Thalos, unsure if he had heard correctly.
"Yes. And you will be learning it while sparring with me." Thalos’ grin spread wide, revealing a hint of anticipation in his stone-carved features. Grey’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth falling open.
Before Grey could even blink, Thalos exploded from his position, closing the distance in a heartbeat with a deadly swing of his sword.
"Shit!" Grey exclaimed, instantly leaping back with every ounce of speed and strength he could muster.
The massive blade crashed into the ground where Grey had been standing only moments ago. The strike split the earth with a clean, deafening crack, throwing chunks of rock and dirt high into the air.
Seeing the raw power behind the blow, Grey’s throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, trickling down the sides of his face.
’I almost forgot how strong and fast Thalos really is. If I hadn’t moved in time... my head would be rolling on the ground right now,’ Grey thought, his hands trembling despite his efforts to keep calm.
"Pick up your sword. Pick up the sword my master gave to you. Use it. Feel its power, feel its strength, feel the life force around you, feel the Ki around you!" Thalos ordered as he glared at Grey, who immediately pulled the sword hanging around his waist and held it with a determined look on his face.
"You know, as your new master, hearing you speak about your ex really stings a bit." Grey smiled faintly as he took a stance, eyes locked on Thalos.
"You got relationship issues? Deal with it! And just a little warning," Thalos said as he leaned forward, eyes narrowing and locking on Grey, who focused intensely on the gargoyle.
"I’m not going to hold back at all!" the gargoyle roared before pushing off the ground with immense force. The impact was so great that a gunshot-like crack echoed in the air as he bolted toward Grey.
’Come on, come on, come on. My sixth sense should kick in right about now!’ Grey screamed inwardly as he spotted the greasy sword swinging toward him.
Acting purely on instinct, he leapt back just in time. The blade sliced through the air where he had been standing, releasing another sharp, echoing bang.
He barely had a moment to regain his footing before Thalos appeared directly behind him. The flat side of the gargoyle’s sword slammed into Grey’s back with bone-rattling force, sending a jolt of sharp pain prickling through his body and throwing him forward.
"Shit!" Grey cursed as he stumbled, falling face-first to the ground hard enough for his nose to scrape against the dirt.
’I couldn’t even see him. I’ve been relying on pure instinct to predict his moves, but it’s almost impossible to guess where he’ll strike from next. His speed is on a whole different level right now.’ Grey thought as he spat out dust and wiped a speck of saliva from his cheek.
"You need to be on high alert at all times. Let all your senses—hearing, sight, and touch be sharp. Channel your Ki to every sense, concentrate hard, and know where the next attack will come from," Thalos barked, sounding every bit like a drill sergeant as Grey slowly pushed himself off the ground.
"Bring it on." Grey smirked, his grip on his sword tightening. His stance was solid, and his gaze never wavered from Thalos, who smirked in return.
Without another word, Thalos launched forward with such speed that the ground he had stood on cracked under the pressure. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Grey, his greatsword slicing horizontally toward the human’s neck.
Pouring all his Ki into his hands, Grey swung his blade to meet Thalos’s strike, a confident smirk tugging at his lips.
"Too slow," Thalos grinned as he suddenly twisted his sword in a fluid motion, completely avoiding Grey’s blade. In the same instant, he thrust straight toward Grey’s stomach.
"Attack," Grey muttered, eyes snapping wide. With an explosive burst of speed, he brought his sword down in front of his abdomen, the flat side intercepting Thalos’s thrust.
The collision rang out like a thunderclap, and the sheer force sent Grey skidding backward, his boots carving shallow lines in the dirt. Blood splattered from his mouth as his hands throbbed painfully from the impact.
"Oh wow... he’s actually grasped the concept of sensing an incoming attack," Thalos chuckled, eyeing the kneeling Grey with clear approval.