Chapter 24: Quick Training

I was looking at the ceiling. I can taste blood in my mouth. My left hand was numb. Blocking a punch from the wooden doll was fucking hurt. I cannot feel my left arm. My body was hurt all over but I felt accomplished. I managed to punch the wooden doll on the body once. It was enough. Sacrificing my left hand, I managed to counter attack. A right hook directly on it body.

I slowly raise my body to a crossed leg sitting position. This is my way of refilling my Vestia. It was slow but it was better than nothing. It had been three days since I started this training. I could feel that my skills was sharpening. It was not much but it was still good. I have three weeks since I started this training. That was the time I estimated the Mercenaries going to take before truly coming after me.

Mercenary are people who are meticulous in completing their job. Their safety are top priority for them. If a job seem disadvantages to them, they will completely abandoned the job. The don't like dangerous jobs and miscellaneous jobs. Mercenary are tricky and opportunistic people. They are hard to deal with.

Training with this wooden doll made me realize one thing. I am really bad with pure CQC. Especially range perception. I couldn't quite grasp my effective range in close combat.

"Hupp let's continue."

We both slowly stride into each other range. The wooden doll started with a barrage of fast punches. Some of the punches I dodge while the rest of them I tank with my body. It hurt a lot but I must endure it if I want to find a gap.

"There!"

The wooden doll made a very fast and heavy left cross. I dodged to the right gave it a right uppercut to it wooden chin. I tried to follow up with a left hook to it's body but it quickly jump back. I chase it by making wide stride. I managed to get a low kick on its left knee making it staggered and I tried to finish it with a right cross to it face.

Suddenly my vision started spinning. My chin suddenly hurt.

' He give an uppercut in that kind of stance'

My view changed from a wooden doll to the ceiling. Then it went dark.

Alex didn't understand. He couldn't wrap around his head the reasons why his boss has to do this kind of thing. His boss is just an ordinary man. He is not an Alchemist nor a Mercenary. He also is not chosen by any Artifact. He didn't has to face the Mercenaries by himself. He has a lot of strong friends. He could asked them for help.

Alex thought it was unfair. His friends always asked him for help but he never asked them for any help. Alex couldn't understand why his boss wanted to get stronger. He could just use all the Artifacts he kept in his vaults.

Alex was shocked when he saw his boss out cold on the floor. This was the first time he ever saw his boss fainted since the training with wooden doll started. He dragged his boss to the bed . He treated his boss bruises with medicines and bandaged it. He then stood up and left the basement while feeling perplexed.

The days repeated for two weeks straight.