21 Tempering

The boys struggled to get up one by one. Hyosang, who had taken the hit in the stomach, straight into the ground, took the longest time to get up and recover. Namjoon was the first to recover, but that was because he never even got hit. He stared embarrassingly at the broken Synergy Weapon in his hand. That was a disaster of a battle. Couldn't even call it a battle as Sung-Deuk barely fought.

Hoseok had his face in his hands, trying to not look at the embarrassing scene before him. Sung-Deuk let out a sigh.

"This is going to be rough. Line up."

Hoseok came over and joined the group as they slowly got into a line. Sung-Deuk walked up and down observing everyone individually.

"We are going to start with the basics and then continue to push you all. Everyday you will come here and learn to handle your weapons. You will train your body rigorously. Only through fire and pressure are blades born. That is what you shall all become. Powerful blades that can cut down your opponents."

He stopped in front of Donghyuk.

"You moved fast, but you had no synergy. Not only were you unable to properly fight in sync with your team, but your movements weren't riding the Energy Flux. How can you draw out your power when you have yourself off from the source?"

Donghyuk looked down embarrassed. Sung-Deuk turned to Hun-Cheol.

"Like I said, sloppy. Your approach was reckless and full of holes. I was able to see multiple weak points in your charge that I could have taken advantage of, I simply used the most basic counter against you and you were finished. You charged and attacked as if I was a target that was just waiting for you to hit me. Do you expect your opponent to just stand there while you hit them?"

Hun-cheol wanted to refute but he knew he was right as he sighed, disappointed in himself. Sung-Deuk moved over to Yoongi, he made a gesture and pointed at Donghyuk while lookong at Yoongi.

"You were the opposite to that one. You channelled the Energy Flux through your weapon, which I will commend you for. You have a strong understanding of the Energy Flux."

Yoongi looked up surprised at the compliment. He hadn't even done anything and was taken out before he even attacked. Sung-Deuk seemed to read Yoongi's mind.

"But you weren't able to do anything. Although you have a thorough understanding of the Energy Flux and can channel it into your blade, that is all completely useless if your blade doesn't make contact with your opponent. You need move more. Battle Mages utilize their bodies, it is time to learn how to use yours."

Yoongi nodded as he looked at the floor. Sung-Deuk walked over to Hyosang.

"You have good battle instincts. You naturally dodged my attack, which was good. However, dodging a punch to then get hit by a kick is still useless. You are defeated either way. You will need to hone your instincts more while analyzing all possibilities in regards to how your opponent can react and retaliate against you. That is how you will improve."

Hyosang wasn't as disheartened as the rest. He heard some good news and also how he needed to improve. He bowed in thanks for the advice. Sung-Deuk then came and stood in front of Namjoon. Namjoon's face went red in embarrassment as he held the broken blade in his hand. Sung-Deuk sighed as he scratched his head.

"Ai, I don't even know where to begin with you. You must Namjoon, correct?"

Namjoon nodded. Sung-Deuk stared at him intensely.

"Bang Pdnim told me about you. Said I would probably have a tough time getting you into shape as a Battle Mage. He wasn't kidding."

Sung-Deuk walked away without even commenting further on his performance. There really wasn't much to comment on. And Namjoon knew it. This was a disaster. He tightly gripped the broken blade. He swore silently that he would practice harder than anyone. He knew that he wasn't cut out for being a Battle Mage, but if he wanted to stay and debut as a member, he needed to overcome this obstacle.

Sung-Deuk stood in front of them all.

"Today we will learn basic moves. We will drill those moves until the end of the day. Then you will come back everyday and drill these moves until they are as natural as breathing. In your own time, you will learn to focus the Energy Flux into your blades and train in moving while focusing your Energy until you can make it flow naturally without effort."

Sung-Deuk nodded at Hoseok who came over and stood beside Sung-Deuk.

"I will show you basic strike patterns and attacks with Hoseok. Carefully observe. Then you will all practice in pairs."

Sung-Deuk took up a basic fighting stance, holding his blade in his right hand, legs a part. Hoseok did the same. Sung-Deuk performed a simple downwards slash, which Hoseok blocked by raising his blade. Sung-Deuk then followed with a side slash, which Hoseok blocked. Sung-Deuk sent another side slash before thrusting his blade forward. Hoseok moved to the side slightly, guiding and deflecting the sword so it went past him.

Hoseok then performed the same downwards slash that Sung-Deuk had done, Sung-Deuk blocked in the same way. Hoseok attacked with the same pattern as Sung-Deuk blocked all the strikes. And then Sung-Deuk attacked and the cycle continued a few times before they stopped.

The others all way watched intensely, as the clashes resounded, the Magic-Channellers all noticed that the clashes were rhythmic and made a beat. They also felt the Energy Flux within them stir as they watched. Sung-Deuk turned to them.

"Into pairs. Copy."

Hyosang and Donghyuk paired up. Hun-cheol and Yoongi paired up. And Hoseok joined Namjoon. As Hoseok walked over to Namjoon, he handed him another blade and chuckled a little.

"Try not to break this one."

Namjoon chuckled softly. Hoseok knew that Namjoon was down after his performance, so he approached Namjoon with a smile.

"Cheer up. You just need to put in the time and effort. Let me help. I'll help to show you the ropes and get you into fighting form. Trust me."

Namjoon looked at the smiling Hoseok and couldn't help but feel encouraged and filled with a bit of hope. With his friend's help and some hard work, Namjoon believed that he could learn to be a Battle Mage. He had a strong will, so he wouldn't give up on his dream this easily. Namjoon took the blade and nodded resolutely.

Hoseok grinned widely and got into a stance.

"OK, we'll take it slow, just follow my movements."

Hoseok stood beside Namjoon and walked him through the three slashes and the thrust. They repeatedly went over it again and again and again. They trained up until lunch, which they took a quick break before resuming with the training.

Hun-cheol and Yoongi were the first to start attacking and defending continuously like how Sung-Deuk and Hoseok did. Although they were sloppy and weren't as refined as Sung-Deuk and Hoseok, they were able to create a rhythm with their clashes which caught the attention of Sung-Deuk.

He came over and watched them exchange blows for a couple of minutes. He nodded his head.

"Not bad. But still sloppy. And Yoongi, you're slightly behind. Get your motions to be in tune with the other person's"

Training continued this way everyday. They would practice Battle Magic for most of the day before going to the Craft Workshop and sharpening their skills as Magic-Channellers and Power Designers before heading home for a quick sleep and then continuing again the next day. Each of them worked their fingers to the bone to reach a higher level and become more powerful Adepts.

Hitman Bang was pleased with their training. Although it was harsh and brutal, they were all being sharpened in the fire, tempered to perfection. The young Adept's continued to push themselves to their limits day after day, slowly improving. Hitman Bang knew it was time to see the fruits of their efforts as Big Hit Academy made preparations for their next test.