The Last Test

"Hey old man, what do I have to do now?" I asked the old man who was sitting in his rocking chair.

"Try focusing all your energy into one part of your body." He said, "It won't be easy. It took me almost a year to do the 2nd step."

"A year you say?"

"Mhm."

A year? I don't like the sound of that. Hell, I don't want to take a year to do this shit.

"What's the minimum time to master this technique?"

"A week, if you can manage to do it that is."

A week, that's still long but it's better than a year.

***

I am focusing my energy on my palms since that was where the old man used spirit force with.

[Mp: 396,873,582/396,878,758]

[Mp: 396,852,951/396,878,758]

My hands began to dim red and I thought I was able to do it until the old man threw a pebble at my head.

"What the hell old man?" I asked as I rubbed my head.

"Wrong! You did it wrong." He shouted and sipped his cup of tea.

"How am I supposed to do it then?"

The old man got up and walked towards me.

"You need to draw power from your core, not the energy already circulating from your own body."

"How do I do that?"

"Dig deep. Deep into your spirit, then draw it out from there. Ignore the energy circulating through your body and focus on drawing your energy from the core."

This guy, everything he says is so confusing to me.

[I believe I can help.]

Pharaoh spoke and suddenly the atmosphere was red.

"Pharaoh?"

[I can help you draw power from me.]

"You can? How?"

[Like Samuel said, discard the energy circulating through your body. Focus on drawing power from the core.]

"You know I've been asking, how the hell do I draw power from the core? Your core to be specific."

[It's the same method as trying to find an opening in your core. Deeply imagine the appearance of the core and then draw energy from that opening. That opening being this place.]

Pharaoh looked up and the dark crimson sky and crossed his arms.

"I see, I think I get it now. The old man could've said that but all he's doing is sounding like some wise old man."

[Fufu, well then, I wish you luck.]

He'd snap his finger and the air returned to normal. I looked around and I was back where I was before.

"So, do you know what to do now?" The old man said.

"Yeah, I think so."

Visualize the core, then draw it from the opening.

A picture of the red core that I absorbed popped up in front of me. I would search around and see if I could find an opening. The opening, the crimson sky.

Suddenly, I felt a powerful sensation throughout my body. This must be the energy from the core, it feels way different.

[Mp: —/396,878,758]

What the?! Did the system break? Well, this is why the Mp rate should've been nerfed! Can't handle the numbers, can ya?

I think since I'm drawing energy from the core, it also contributes to my Mp. Well, looks like I've broken the system now.

Anyway, I would try to envision the energy going into my palm but I didn't feel anything in my hand. Damn it, why isn't it working? The old man was able to do it, so why can't I?

"Damn it, I can't do it." I stomped the ground, making a small crater.

"Relax. I told you, it's not that easy. Not all parts of your body are able to utilize the technique. Try to focus on another part of your body. My ancestors didn't do it from their palms first. It could be from their fist or their knees."

"From the fist or knees… what about the feet?"

"Hmm? Well… there have been no records of anyone utilizing spirit force from the knee down but you can try."

"Alright then, let's try this."

I would envision all the energy from Pharaoh's core into my feet. And that's when I suddenly felt a burning sensation in my right foot.

It was getting hotter and heavier. I kept pouring energy into that foot until I couldn't take it anymore and faced my foot towards the field.

DOOM!

A sudden force shot out from my foot and the tall wheat field was bent back from the force.

I stumbled onto the floor. My right foot was numb and I couldn't move it. Crap, that hurt.

"Impressive." The old man said as he walked towards me. Shikkoku pranced towards me with a worried expression.

"I'm alright Shikkoku, you don't need to worry about me."

"It seems you have done it." The old man suddenly blurted out as he helped me out.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You already finished the second and third step within a day. And I didn't even tell you what the third step was."

"What was the third step?"

"How to release the force from your concentrated point. You already did it, but you still need work. That is what we will be focusing on. But since I just witnessed you perform spirit force, you will probably finish it today. That means I'll have to teach you the next step."

"So how do I do it? The next step."

"Instead of focusing it on one part of your body, you have to focus it directly on one point. If you don't, the force you emit will be wide and uncontrolled, like that."

He pointed towards the wheat field, which was entirely blown away.

"Oh… umm."

"Don't fret, you will plant new seeds tomorrow. Anyway, I'm guessing the feeling in your right foot has returned."

"Yeah, it has. Ok, let me try."

I would do the exact same thing I did last time, but this time, I'd focus it on one point. One point, how about the sole?

I felt the same feeling I had with my foot. That same burning feeling.

"Calm down, don't concentrate too much energy or you'll hurt yourself."

Taking his advice, I limited how much can be focused on that point. Eventually, that burning feeling faded away. Now it was replaced with a warm tingle.

Now, release!

I kicked my foot towards the wheat field and the results were much more different this time.

DOOM!

There was a noticeable straight line in the middle of the field. All the wheat in that line were blown away and it looks like this wheat field was run over by a road roller.

"I… I did it right?"

"Yes, yes, you did."

"Alright!"

I pumped my fist and cheered. I finally did it, I did it!

[New Skill(s): Esprit]

Alright, I finally did it. Whew, it was totally worth it.

"Now, your final test." The old man said.

"Final test?"

"Yes."

Final test? But I already achieved the skill. What more is there to it?

The old man dropped his cane and got into a stance. Wait, he couldn't be-?

"You will have to beat me in a duel. If you manage to hit me once, you pass."

"And how will you win?"

"If you don't manage to hit me before night falls."

"Nightfall? But that's-!"

I looked up at the sky and it was already starting to darken. Crap! I don't have enough time!

I got into a regular boxer stance. This guy, he just had to make me panic.

"Damn it old man, you just had to pick the perfect time to make me panic."

I just have to hit him once. That's all.

The old man made the first move. He punched forward and the wind suddenly felt sharper. I manage to weave away but I received a small cut on my arm.

[Hp: 1,307,323/1,310,463]

I must've seen that wrong. Did he just take 3 thousand points off my Hp?

Shikkoku hissed at the old man but I managed to stop her.

"Shikkoku, stay back, this is my fight. Don't interfere."

Shikkoku managed to get the idea and moved back.

I jumped and used spirit force. Waves of concentrated air from my feet headed straight for the old man. However, he managed to dodge every single one of my attacks. He didn't show a single sign of trying to defend himself, he just dodged.

The old man faced his palms toward me and I received two blows to the stomach.

"Augh!"

I focused my energy on my heel and launched another round of esprit kicks. The old man dodged them one more.

I landed on the ground and charged towards the old man. I performed a back kick and launched another esprit attack from my heel but the old man elbowed my ankle and the attack went down towards the ground, making a small crater.

I tried grappling the old man by the leg but he jumped and launched a wave of esprit attacks. I rolled to the side, managing to dodge.

I got up on my feet and ran towards the old man once more. I'd send a barrage of esprit attacks from my feet. The old man was unable to dodge but he used his arms to somehow deflect my attacks.

"Are you kidding me?"

"You still have a long away if you are gonna beat me."

"No need, I already know how to beat you." I bluffed. I actually don't know how to. The old man just knows when and where I'm going to attack. Looks like I'm going to have to feint attacks.

I ran towards him and feint a roundhouse kick. Then I dropped onto the ground and launched an espirt attack from my other foot. The old man noticed and blocked my attack with his arms. He stumbled back and looked like he was gonna tip.

There! An opening!

I got up and spun around in the air, then launched a single esprit attack towards his stomach.

Whoosh!

He was blown back by my attack and rolled across the ground. I walked towards him cautiously.

"Impressive, you pass." The old man said as he struggled to stand up. I dropped my guard and ran to help him up.

"So I passed huh?"

"Yes, you did."

I helped the old man back onto his rocking chair and looked at the sky. Night had just fallen and that was a good thing. If I hadn't did that feint attack, I would've been screwed.

"Looks like there is nothing for me to teach you anymore."

"Well, you can say that."

I poured myself a cup of tea and sipped it. Hmm, this tastes like green tea.

"We've had haven't we?" The old man said.

"Agreed. It's been really fun. Though I still get sores after farming.

We chuckled as we drank some tea.

"It's like having a son." The old man said as he wiped a tear.

So the old man saw me as a son? Well, I can't say I didn't see him as a fatherly figure as well. Like fishing, I still wish I got a bigger fish than him though. That still pisses me off.

"Now, since it's dark, shall we eat some dinner?"

"Indeed, all that fighting got me hungry," I said as my stomach growled.

We headed inside and ate some dinner. I kind of tired myself out after doing some flashy moves.

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