Chapter 20: Training (2)

After pointing out the flaws in Jekyll's deceptive magic skills, Dinah didn't launch further attacks. Instead, she stood there with hands on hips, eagerly waiting for Jekyll to get up.

"Continue. If you don't completely acknowledge it, the effectiveness of the training will be greatly reduced. By the way, the condition for clearing is to 'touch' that door. It counts as your win, regardless of the method or object you use—do you understand what I mean?"

Jekyll's expression became serious; he knew the meaning behind Dinah's words. She intended to reveal the weaknesses in his current abilities.

With a slight flick of Jekyll's right hand, a sharp dagger instantly appeared in his grasp.

"Be careful, Dinah—if I accidentally hurt you, it won't be good."

Taking aim at the side of Dinah's cheek, Jekyll forcefully threw the dagger. According to his plan, the dagger should graze past Dinah and then hit the door behind her.

Thud

However, as soon as the dagger was thrown, Dinah swiftly kicked it away with lightning speed. At the same time, her agile figure leaped to Jekyll's side, grabbing his right arm, which was still in the throwing posture.

Creak~

Jekyll felt his joints make a cracking sound. In a brief moment, Dinah fluidly locked his arm behind his back and then pressed him to the ground. In this position, he couldn't exert any force.

"Ah, it hurts! It hurts! Let go, my hand is going to break!"

"Don't worry, as long as you don't struggle recklessly, it won't break. At most, it will dislocate, and I can fix it for you in an instant."

Dinah leaned down and whispered in Jekyll's ear. Her silky hair brushed against Jekyll's ear, causing an incredibly itchy sensation.

"Your knife accuracy is decent, but your throwing posture is ugly, and the strength is insufficient. It's not only easy for others to trace the trajectory but also a prominent flaw if you can't retract your move quickly after throwing."

Although Jekyll was in pain, he silently absorbed Dinah's advice, understanding the value of such guidance.

However, Jekyll didn't plan to surrender so easily.

Snap!

A slight burst sounded, and a brightly colored small box suddenly appeared on the ground next to them.

"As expected, here it comes. I knew you had this trick up your sleeve."

Feeling Dinah release the joint lock, Jekyll quickly seized the opportunity to flip his body. Just as sparks flew, Dinah executed a graceful somersault, leaping into the air.

Hehehe—

The Fright Box activated, and a creepy laughter emanated from the popping Joker doll. However, Dinah, who had jumped in advance, seemed unaffected by the fear-inducing effect. In the moment of landing, she instantly flattened the box with the sturdy sole of her leather boots.

Boink!

The destroyed Fright Box turned into a wisp of white smoke and vanished. Jekyll, who had just managed to flip over, hadn't had a chance to get up before Dinah pressed him down around the waist, rendering him immobile.

"It seems like this is your last resort, right? This time, I won't say it. Consider it a little test from Teacher Dinah. Summarize it yourself."

Dinah sat atop Jekyll, wearing an arrogant expression of victory, looking down at him with great satisfaction.

Jekyll struggled for a moment, realizing it was futile, so he reluctantly gave up. Curiously, despite Dinah's petite and graceful appearance, being pressed by her felt like being under an immense weight.

"When my Fright Box appears, there's a brief action of opening the box and popping out a doll. As long as you're alert in advance, you can avoid it before the fear effect takes place. This skill needs to catch the opponent off guard to be effective."

Dinah nodded in satisfaction, wearing an expression as if she were a pleased mentor, crossing her arms.

"It seems your brain isn't beyond repair. Now you understand how lucky you were just to lose a kidney that day!"

At this point, Dinah's expression turned serious, and her voice became particularly earnest.

"At that time, the Black Mask was first injured in the foot by Bud, and due to your ambush, he suffered a shoulder injury. The lackeys around him were not loyal subordinates. More importantly, you were in an area where you could enhance yourself with poison gas. With all these advantages on your side, you barely won."

Jekyll's expression turned serious. He knew Dinah was right. If the Black Mask's shoulder hadn't been injured and the gunshot had been slightly higher, it wouldn't have been his waist hit but his heart.

Strictly speaking, he didn't really win. He was already at the end of his strength, with all his skills on cooldown. If the Black Mask had been more daring, picking up the gun to finish him off, it would've been all over.

"Thank you, Dinah. I understand what you've told me. Indeed, I relied too much on my abilities. I'll accept your training. Please guide me, Teacher Dinah."

Seeing Jekyll suddenly adopting a gentle and sincere tone, Dinah seemed a bit embarrassed. A small blush appeared on her snow-white cheeks.

"Well, well, as long as you know. It's not in vain that I tried to help. Cough, cough, speaking of which, I think the basic training is a bit too harsh. Strengthening physical fitness isn't an overnight process. I'll adjust it accordingly."

Suddenly, Jekyll, with a surprised expression, looked behind Dinah and nervously patted her legs pressing him down.

"Dinah! When did that bearded guy in green clothes with a bow and arrows get here, and why does he look so unfriendly? Do you know him? He seems to misunderstand our situation and looks angry—"

Dinah seemed to just notice their somewhat ambiguous posture, and her face turned red again, quickly shifting to pale within a very short time.

"Green clothes, bearded, bow and arrows. No, no way! Is it Daddy?! Why would he be here? Don't misunderstand; we're just—"

Jekyll saw Dinah so flustered for the first time. She sprang up like being electrocuted, urgently turning around.

However, there was no one behind her, only Bud, the hyena lying in the corner, dozing off while recovering from injuries.

"Didn't expect that, Dinah. My true killer move is this—lying!"

Already using his deceptive magic to blink to the side of the door, Jekyll patted the target they had set for their bet with a triumphant look.

"Even with exquisite combat skills, in the end, you're just a little girl. A slight trick, and I could—huh? You said 'Daddy' was referring to—"

Crack.

Hearing the crisp sound of joint cracking, Jekyll suddenly shivered. A chill rose up his spine, and an ominous premonition filled his heart.

"Uh, Miss Dinah, I was just joking, wait, you still remember our bet, right?"

"Of course, don't worry. Just as we agreed before, you won't have to follow the training plan I set earlier. But since you rejected plan A, let's switch to plan B."

Seeing Dinah approaching with a frosty face, wearing a chilling smile, Jekyll felt something was terribly wrong.

"Plan B is, um, it refers to—"

"Plan A was basic training, so naturally, plan B is the thrilling combat training. Oh, Dinah Teacher will share another piece of knowledge with you. Always be prepared for plan B. It's an essential lesson my dad's friend in black clothes taught me. Remember this knowledge with your body, you damn bastard!"

Dinah forcefully slammed her hand on the door behind Jekyll, using a wall-bang pose to get extremely close to him.

°°°

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 10 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.