Interlude 2: Say Hello to Master Lyle, Your Trainer from Hell Pt. 1

Brea Town's Adventurer Guild, Year XXX B.C:

"…Say what sensei? Care to repeat that once again?" I asked Gwen-sensei to repeat her words again, since I'm still in disbelieve due to my current situation. Today we are at the Brea Town's Adventurer Guild in order to meet with her old friend where she suddenly dropped a bomb during our meeting.

"So apart from being dumb, you're also a deaf person? I feel sad for your parents, must be hard for them to raise you up. Sigh, no matter. I'll just repeat this again slowly, my stupid disciple, so hear this properly okay? *Kuhum* Starting from today, you will undergo martial arts training with this Lyle-boy over here, since your battle senses are crap so we need to rectify that. Be a good boy and follow Lyle-boy will you? Capiche?"

Gwen-sensei explained while pointing towards a fully buffed old man who's going to be my martial arts instructor. Her method of explaining to me just like someone who's explaining things to a slow or mentally-challenged person kinda ticks me off.

"Oi ta' hell ya still callin' me Lyle-boy, grandma Gwen? Imma old fart already, lay it off will ya? Ta' young'uns won't show me respect if ya do dat."

Apparently even her old friend didn't get away from her insults. Right, the old man with weird accents is Lyle Vermont or better known by the townspeople as Master Lyle, the current Guildmaster for Brea's Town Adventurer Guild. He was Gwen-sensei's old friend who formed a party together a long while back, they managed to get a high fame in Brittania Empire due to their adventures before they split up and doing their own things later on. Since he was apparently famous for his martial arts skill, Gwen-sensei decided to send me towards him in order for me to learn his expertise.

"Huhh~ Who are you calling a grandma?! You wanna me to shove my staff into your ass again, Lyle-boy?! I'll fucking do it, just dare me." Gwen-sensei got ticked off from Master Lyle's remark as she prepares her staff in stabbing maneuver.

"Hah! I like ta' see ya tryin' ta do dat again, see what happens!" Master Lyle receives her taunt by butting their heads together, daring her to continue on her plan. Geez, why are these old people suddenly starting to fight with each other? Act like your age will you?

"Hey now, how about you guys calm down first, okay? This discussion is not going anywhere at all." I tried to pacify them down.

""FUCK OFF!!!""

"OOF!"

They however retaliate by blasting me away out of the room using their respective techniques, which destroys the room's door as I flew through from the impact and then fell unconscious.

A few minutes later:

"…Right, so I'll leave it to you, Lyle. Give him hell will you?" I managed to hear Gwen-sensei's voice as I wake up from my unconsciousness. So what happened? Did I miss something?

"Ou! Leave him to me! I'll shape ta' lad 'til he becomes a good enuff warrior for ya." Master Lyle agreed to her request. W-wait a minute guys, what about my consent?! The situation move way too fast.

"Oh, yer woken up lad! Yer teacher had already handed ya 'ta me so now into da trainin' area ya go!" Managing to detect that I had woken up, Master Lyle proceeds to grab me before bringing me forcefully towards the training area while picking me up like a rug sack.

"Chotto mattekudastop!" I tried to stop him but he ignored my plea, with us reaching the destination a moment later.

"OOF!" He then proceed to threw me off to the ground before saying,

"Now show me what ya got! Begin!" He immediately begin a spar without waiting for me to prepare first.

"Whoa! Can't you wait for a fucking minute you old fart?! I need to prepare first you know?!" I shouted angrily while I barely evade his attacks. Damn, this old man is way too fast!

"Ya think yer enemies will wait for ya to prepare first? Just improvise fer now!" He however denied my request.

"Damnit! If it's like this then ***<<Water Cannon>>!" I retaliate back by using a water magic attack. Using fire or earth cannon might injure him, so I had to use either water or wind to push him away to buy me some time for me to formulate another plan. How about direct brawling, clashing fists with fists? Are you crazy? He's the pro martial artist here you know? So I can only use magic while running away to lengthen the distance between us.

"Hah! Slow!" My attacks however didn't hit him at all, he evades them while leaving afterimages, showing me his high speed. Damn, are you some kind of shounen protagonist's MC? Your speed is unreal, my eyes can't catch up with his movements at all.

"And~ Done." Directly appearing in front of me, Master Lyle then proceeds to punch my gut, making me flew out from the arena before rolling on the ground painfully.

"GAH!" I spit out some saliva mixed with stomach juices while in pain.

"Jeez~ I know yer never had a fight before but 'tis is embarrassing. Yer spellcasting is good enuff, but if ya kept on standing still during casting yer just askin' fer a beatin' ya know? Ya need ta' learn how to cast while on the run, and yer running speed is way too slow, even a goblin can run better than ya…Looks like I hafta train ya from da basic up." Master Lyle began to babble on things where I can improve myself. But due to the pain, I lashed to him instead.

"Oh fuck off you old fart! You didn't even give me some time to prepare, how the fuck I can fight properly?!" I still felt bitter due to the sudden spar and beatings.

"Oh, I like yer spirit lad! Aight, then gimme 500 sit-ups and 500 push-ups before ya runnin' 10 laps around da town. Yer better move fast if ya don't wanna me beat yer ass again!" He just shrugged my taunt before asking me to do some exercises.

"You kidding me? I'm still hurt and you want me to do some exercises next?! Fuck you!"

"Quit yer yappin' and do it! Or ya wanna have a taste of 'tis old fists again?" He threatened me by cracking his knuckles, promising me another pain if I fail to meet his expectations.

"…Okay okay! I'll do it! You satisfied?!" I then begin my exercises since I don't want to get punched again.

"Good lad!" He praises me while showing me his shining teeth.

After barely finishing the push-ups and sit-ups repetition, I then begin to run 10 laps around the Brea Town, finishing it just after midnight. On that night, I can't sleep peacefully due to various muscle pains throughout my body. However, the training had just started, and I'll face more pain in the future.

A month later:

"…998…999…1000! Phew~"

*BOOM!*

I release my breath after finishing my routine push-ups before dropping down the approximately 1 ton worth of rock from behind my body into the ground. In the first few weeks, the training was hard for me. But probably due to the regenerative factor of the fountain of youth's elixir that I drank earlier, all my muscles strain healed at a fast rate than a normal person.

Seeing my improvements, Master Lyle began to increase the training difficulty by several notches, such as by increasing my exercises regiment's repetition or adding more weights on me during the training etc. However, up until now he still hasn't taught me a damn thing about martial arts, saying things like I'm still unfit for learning it yet. I dunno when I'm going to be eligible for the training since I already can lift tons of rock without much difficulty.

"Ou, nicely done. Aight, now it's time fer yer Imperial Arts trainin'! C'mere, lemme show ya da basics first!" Master Lyle called me in order to teach me his self-made martial arts technique, the Imperial Arts. Apparently it is the most famous arts in Brittania Empire, being a requirement for anybody who wants to enlist into the Empire's elite army. So, today's finally the time huh?

"Roger, Master Lyle!" I hurriedly went towards him in order to hear his lecture. During this time, all my resentments towards him had faded away. I mean, when you look at him joining me together during the exercise sessions even though he's more than 70 years old already had made a good impression on me. I kinda wish I'm as fit as him when I'm at his age.

"Aight, lemme explain 'tis martial arts first. 'Tis arts were formed after I had travelled all across Valvria during my youth and look at all da races and tribe's martial arts techniques, be it hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, lances, axes etc. Takin' all da good things from their techniques, I formed new arts dat are robust and flexible at the same time, so ya can use anything on ya hand to fight or even barehanded if ya need to. Ya kinda lucky ya know, usually only da army elites in da capital can learn directly from me." He explained to me a little bit about the Imperial Arts history.

"Heee~ that's kinda cool." So it's like MMA but the fantasy version?

"Aight, lemme show ya da first form. Imperial Art's First Form, <Orge Punch>!"

*BOOM!*

He then directly stands in front of a big boulder nearby, making a kata before punching the boulder, smashing it to smithereens.

"Second Form, <Flow>!"

A wind suddenly blew around the rubble as he makes some sort of flowing hand movement, and the boulder began to form back towards its pristine shape. So does this technique uses mana? Since I can detect some mana during his movements. But what is the point of him doing this?

"Third Form, <Sonic Kick>!"

*BOOM!*

He then launched a fast moving kick towards the boulder, this time turning it into dust instead. So you destroy your opponent first and then collects back his flesh and limbs before kicking them into dusts? Ain't that way too cruel?

"Aight, dats a few of da basics. Master them and you can destroy yer enemies just like dat. Now, time fer ya having a go." Master Lyle asked me to do it next.

"Okay, here goes nothing then."

And thus I began the 6 months crash course on Imperial Arts techniques.

6 Months Later:

"…Say what now?"

I asked Master Lyle regarding on my next task. During the last 6 months I had learned all of his Imperial Arts technique and now can do it decently. So today he suddenly brings me to the forest known the Forbidden Forest by the locals in order for me to do the next task, survive here for a month without a help or supply.

"Yer heard me, stay here fer a month, and do anything yer can do to survive as long as ya don't go out from da forest. I've got me boys lookin' at da perimeter so I'll know if ya went to da village or town nearby." He mentioned the task again before warning me if I ever decided to cheat during my stay here.

"…Can I not do this? I mean, there's tons of dangerous beasts here you know? That's where the 'Forbidden' word came from. What if I die, Master Lyle?" I tried to persuade him to cancel this task.

"Quit yer yappin' and just do it! Remember yer trainin' and ya'll be fine, now go!" He dissuades me before kicking me from the cliff where we're currently at.

"FUCK YOOUUU~!!!" That was all I can manage to shout as I fall from the cliff.

"GAHAHAHAHA! I'll see ya in a month! Stay alive till then lad!" He shouted those words as he walks away from the cliff, disappearing from my view.

"SHITSHITSHITSHIT!!! **<<Air Cushion>>!" I cursed as I casted some wind magic to slow down my fall. A few seconds later, I managed to land safely on the ground.

"Phew~ that was close…Damn Master Lyle, he always do things so suddenly without any warnings first. Okay, now what?" I said as I looked the surroundings, where there's only dense foliage of vegetation around me, restricting my view.

*GROWL~*GROWL~*GROWL~*

Several seconds later, there are multiple growling noises coming from all direction, indicating the incoming beasts, probably lured by my shouting noises and scent.

"Ah fuck! Time to get the hell outta dodge!" I began to run away due to panic, trying to find some safe place for my shelter. If I was calm I probably just stay there and kill the beasts for my meal instead. But hey, can you blame me? My adrenalines are still pumping high due to the fall earlier.

And thus began my survival phase in the Forbidden Forest. During the month period, there are multiple times where I had to fend the constant beast's attacks thus I had to learn to conserve my mana and energy properly instead of just going all out from the beginning. I even had to make my own shelter, moving to a new place each time the beasts began to come en masse so I won't be overwhelmed.

As for food and drinks, luckily I had read several encyclopedias on the forest's habitat during my learning phase with Gwen-sensei, so I didn't have much trouble on that part. Water can be obtained from the stream nearby or by just casting a water spell, so that's convenient. The constant rain downpour however saps some of my strength due to the cold. Dead leaves and branches are sopping wet and I had to spend more mana on fire spells to dry them up each time the rain comes by.

That was all I did while I'm in the forest, waiting the month period to end just like Bear Gryllis.

A little bit more than a month later:

"…I need to do what now?"

I questioned Master Lyle's sanity. It's been a few days of rest since I had completed Master Lyle's previous task, and today he brings me to this volcanic area via short teleportation arrays.

"Yep, survive here fer a month, dat's yer next task. Same rules as before. Be grateful to me since using teleportation array is costly ya know?" He affirms my query.

"…Whatever, off I go then." I give up, might as well do it obediently or he might kick my ass again.

"Good lad! See ya in a month." He waves his hands as I entered the volcanic area.

I'll spare you guys from the explanation of what I did during the period of time. Survive, adapt, overcome I guess.

Fast forward more than a month later:

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Right, a new adventure awaits!" I shouted loudly as I tread the snow-filled area. Just need to survive for another month, that's super easy right?

"See ya in a month!" Master Lyle shouted happily. Fuck him, fuck this all, fuck my life.

Whoopsie doodle next month lessgo!:

"…A raft?" I asked Master Lyle while looking at the bamboo-made flimsy raft.

"Yep, just stay on da raft fer a month while ya at sea." He affirms me.

"Yay~" I cheered without much enthusiasm.

"Off yer go then, lad!" He cheered on me happily. One of these day I'll fucking stab ya, believe it!