Chapter_81 Familiar

'So tell me, how did you do that' Zane said internally.

<<Do what?>> Alex asked.

'How did you know all those things you told me during training' Zane asked.

Just like the first time, Alex also helped Zane with the second round of training. Although he was still beaten until he passed out. 

Of course, Zane didn't want to depend on Alex so he limited the support he got from him. Zane made a deal with Alex that he would only help when Zane got hit two times, that way Zane could also get a chance to learn.

Even though it was by a little bit, Zane could tell that he improved. Most of the time he would even blank out and think about all the moves Bella did and how he could best counter them.

<<To tell the truth, I don't know, it was just like felt what you needed to do>> Alex said.

'Okay, maybe you will understand more the more we train, but what do you think about this whole thing of the body fighting for itself?' Zane asked.

<<It could be real, i mean there are a lot of techniques and mysteries in the Cultivation world. Actually scratch, that we know it works, because have experienced before>>

'Really? when was that' Zane asked as he thought back.

<<This thing is obviously the reason Kieth wiped floor with you>> Alex said, clearly mocking Zane.

'You might be right, remember how Kieth was able to match my strength that time?' Zane said. He remembered how his full power punch didn't obliterate Kieth's hand.

Zane spoke with his AI companion for a few hours before he went to sleep.

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The next morning

"Where are you going?" 

Zane was about to head to Old man's place for training when Chris stopped him.

"I'm going out" Zane answered.

"Ohh yeah, like the last three days" Chris sneered, not convinced.

"Where are you going Zane!?" Chris slightly raised his voice.

"You do know that i don't have to explain myself to you right?" Zane retorted, annoyed.

"You do know that my life is in your hands right?, if you die, my life is over" Chris said.

"I'm not going to die, but thanks for looking out for me"

"Fuck you!, how am i supposed to know that if you don't tell me were you're going!?" Chris seemed adamant this time to know of Zane's activities. He was actually planning on following Zane that day.

"Fine Chris, I met someone" Zane said. That wasn't exactly a lie since he actually did want to see Charlotte again.

Chris' eyes opened wide in surprise, along with his mouth. Then he suddenly hugged Zane, who was quick in pushing him away.

"What the fuck dude!?" Zane yelled.

"You know for a second there i thought you liked sausages" Chris said with relief visible on his face.

Zane was about to say he did actually like sausages, until he remembered who he was talking to. Chris wouldn't just talk about sausages out of the blue. Then it dawned on him....

"What! hell no" He defended.

"It's good to know you are a bun kinda guy, now get out of here and get your bun" Chris smiled.

Zane was as confused as that time his million line code failed to execute because of a missing semicolon. However he didn't stay longer and immediately left, he didn't want to hear more about buns and sausages.

"Too late, I'm thinking about it" Zane mumbled in frustration.

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For the next two weeks, Zane would go to Old man's house for training on all the days David didn't call them. From the fourteen days, Zane only trained for 5 days, which would have been too little if he couldn't heal himself.

Zane now had a surplus of mana after the missions so he told Bella he could handle four sessions per day. Bella obviously didn't refuse, she wanted Zane to become as strong as possible.

Surprisingly, of all the five days Zane trained, he never once met the other students, this annoyed him greatly, he really wanted to see Charlotte... Ahem, I mean Kieth. Zane wanted to talk to Kieth about some things he didn't want to ask Bella and Old man.

Over the five days of training, Zane had gotten really good at not being beaten to a pulp, he didn't even use Alex's help anymore. He could confidently survive against Bella for at least five hours.

However, Zane hadn't been able to hit Bella yet, but that didn't discourage him. It actually motivated him to try harder. At first, Zane was always trying his best to survive, now he was trying his best to hit Bella, which showed his improvement.

One week later and three days of training later, Zane finally landed a hit on Bella. Although it wasn't a good hit, it was a hit nonetheless. That night, Zane dragged Chris to celebrate, and Chris obviously wouldn't refuse that.

Zane might have managed to hit Bella, however time was not on his side, he was only left with one week before the tournament and the chances of him beating Kieth were abysmal, much less John. That night after training, Zane walked to the tavern to clear his head before going home.

Bella also told him that he was done in his opening exploitation and blocking or evading training, what was left was attack power training, which he had to finish in less than a week. 

Zane walked to their reserved table and sat down before ordering a pitcher of rum. Not even ten minutes later, a man suddenly sat in front of him.

Zane was surprised because he didn't recognize the man's stature 'Please don't tell me I'm getting recruited again' he thought.

Zane then focused his mana on the man's face, and he didn't recognize him at all "Hello?" Zane called, but the man didn't respond, he just sat there with his head hung and shoulders slumped.

"Yo buddy!!" he lightly banged the table this time. The man was slightly startled as he looked up and saw Zane for the first time.

"Hello" he said in a low voice.

"You're new here aren't ya?" Zane said. Everyone knew that this table was off limits for those not in David's team.

"Yeah I am actually returning to my village tomorrow morning" The man said dejectedly. Zane could easily see that the man was very stressed, and Zane considered himself to be a good person.....

"Maybe I can help, what's the problem?" he asked. He wanted something to get his mind off training for a while.

The man looked at Zane and sighed. "A very respectable man in my village was injured when they went to hunt mountain lions which had been killing our livestock"

Zane furrowed his brows "Why didn't you guys hire us?" he now felt himself to be a fully fledged hunter. The man heard this and thought that Zane was actually a powerful Mage.

"We tried but we couldn't afford you" The man said.

"Ohh, continue"

"The man was badly injured as two of his limbs were ripped off him. I managed to stop the wounds from bleeding and also fed him a pill to restore his blood. However he hasn't woken up up to now and I don't know what to do."

"His wife hasn't eaten anything since the accident and I'm sure she will also end up like him if she continues starving herself. In order to make her eat, I said I will travel to Willow city and look for medicine that will wake up her husband"

"Is there medicine like that?" Zane asked. He really felt bad for this man's family, if he wasn't too busy he would go and help them, but unfortunately he couldn't afford to lose time.

"No there apparently isn't, only Mage healers can heal him now and we obviously can't afford those." The man said.

"You should have seen the hope on the wife's eyes, she believed her husband would be woken up and now I have to go back and destroy that hope" 

"I'm sorry" Zane said.

"Yeah, I am too" The man stood up "Thanks for listening, could I maybe get your name?"

Zane smiled "I'm Zane"

"Carter" the man said "Goodbye Zane" he then exited the building.

'Carter?, where have I heard that name before, his voice was also familiar' Zane thought.

'Zane?, where have i heard that name before, he also looked familiar' Carter thought.