The Trial of Mastery - Truce Lee

"I will instruct you in the most formidable and powerful martial arts known to man." Truce spoke out the seal of the deal as Arthur was someone he was willing to win over.

Even though in Truce's eyes, Arthur looked like a teenager, while everyone in this room, especially him were all famous, globally famous for more than one reason, but he wasn't taking Arthur lightly.

"I am grateful but I can't accept your offer." Arthur lowered his head and the time he took to respond was less than three seconds.

It was simple.

"A martial artist in Gaia. I will be like a fly for them." Arthur mumbled to himself after declining Truce's offer.

To him, the strongest of the Agrazeel Continent were the wizards of the magician class, irrelevant to the other main-classes.

While Martial class existed in Gaia too. But, it was just a sub-class, that is, one of the lower weaker classes.

Many lower ranked magicians, knights and so on, who were stuck in the novice circle, they would take on the martial class.

Cause, only the martial-class combined with the magic prowess of a novice circle of a main-class, could create explosive force.

In the end, it was only for those who were interested in fighting and increasing their bodily strength, but to a certain limit. A limit that was on the lower side of the strength spectrum.

'I can't end up like one of them.' Arthur wondered while remembering about what he had read of the martial class.

'One of the sub-class that those who were never able to advance through the novice circle of their main class would go for to increase their strength. But, it's just a measure to increase your strength by a little.'

'No matter how greatly one is advanced in the sub-class, the martial class, their overall power could never overcome the difference between a sub-class and the main-class.' Arthur already believed his knowledge of the classes that he had acquired back in Gaia.

In his mind, the hierarchy of the main-classes and the hierarchy of the sub-classes were already set in stones. And, he wasn't even going to think about something as impossible as a sub-class, being better than a main-class.

But, these were all the shallow reasons behind him rejecting the offer of Truce Lee.

The real reason was that, Earth wasn't a place he was thinking of staying at. It was a medium where he was sent to, to prove his worth.

He had to return to Gaia, no matter what, for more than just one reason.

Arthur couldn't die either, as he already had a goal that he wanted to meet, no matter how.

But, all of this was inside his mind, though as these thoughts passed through his mind, the minute changes in his facial expression didn't go unnoticed by Truce.

The momentary unimpressed look on his face was seen as disdain by the martial master of Earth.

"So, that's it Arthur. Be honest like water. Do you think martial arts are weak?" Truce Lee asked Arthur but there was not a hint of anger in his voice, neither was there any curiosity because the martial master already knew what Arthur thought of martial arts.

Arthur nodded as there was no reason for him to lie, as this was a trial and one wrong move could ruin his ongoing fun.

"I see. Well, what do you think if i flicked you with my finger?" Truce Lee asked Arthur while stopping his hand just half an inch away from Arthur's chest.

"A flick?" Arthur questioned in return while looking at the hand that was ready to flick at him.

The bronze contour of the hand of Truce Lee, with the middle finger held tightly under his thumb, Arthur was nervous.

But, looking at the distance of half an inch, he wasn't sure of something.

"Will I even feel it, if you are going to flick me from this distance?" the smiling Arthur asked Truce Lee.

Arthur didn't know which second it was after he had asked this question, but a mysterious grin crept up on the face of Truce.

"Brace yourself." Truce advised Arthur before inhaling the air.

"Brace myself for a flick to the chest from half an inch away!?" Arthur didn't take the words of Truce Lee seriously but there was something in him that was telling him to follow Truce's advice.

Arthur lost in looking at Truce who was done inhaling, did brace himself a little as he watched the flick's motion started.

"Boom~" An instant, hundredth of a second later, Arthur found himself in air.

The sound was just from the impact between the middle finger of Truce and Arthur's chest.

A moment in air later, Arthur couldn't control his own motion, as he fell back at least twenty feet from where he was standing previously.

His back was on the ground, and his eyes were staring at the ceiling with a blank look.

Arthur had a bewildered expression on his face.

"What just happened?" Arthur mumbled while touching his chest lightly.

"This..." Arthur lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the evident indentation in his chest that was slowly returning to its usual state.

"That power. That was just a flick. What the hell are these people!?" Arthur was baffled, confused and lost for words as he slowly got up and looked around.

He was spinning as his eyes went on to everyone in the Building.

Everyone on this floor had a surprise for him. They all were special people, from the future sovereign to the cleaner.

But, what Truce Lee had done, and what Arthur had felt in that millisecond was something out of this world even for Arthur who had been transmigrated to Earth.

Arthur was finally looking at Truce Lee and remembered the time when his eyes had first fell on the martial master.

The overwhelming aura of Truce that Arthur had felt was now engraved in his mind thanks to the half inch flick.

Arthur walked back to Truce, and instantly fell to his knees.