Kala Piningit, seorang Anak yang bertekad menyatukan seluruh kerajaan diluar pulau jawa demi bertahan dari serangan besar-besaran yang berasal di seberang sana.

mampukah Kala menyatukan kekuatan dari seluruh kerajaan dan bertahan dari serangan negeri seberang?

___

15+ Kekerasan, makian kasar.

___

100% asli Nusantara

"Dengan sebilah keris, aku menantang takdir."

"Dengan hujan panah menyertai, aku menembus samudra iblis."

"Dengan genangan darah, aku membasahi jubahku."

**

15+ Kekerasan, makian kasar.

F*ck that man! How dare he drop me like a sack of rice?! Ouch!

"Young Miss! Young Miss! Are you alright?" Aaaawwww!! Really?! You're asking me that?

"Wu Qiao, help me carry young miss." Said by the maid, Wu Xing. They carry Mei Xiang back to her tent and let her rest. The maids give her massage with food and tea. Yeah, she is living her life to the fullest. Even though she taking her time for some 'chillax' her back and limbs are still hurting by her fall. She was fallen but no one catch her. That's why she was hurt. So don't easily trust people if you don't want to get hurt.

"Young Miss, are you alright now?" Wu Qiao said.

"Yes, thank you... *yawn!!*" Mei Xiang's eyes are slowly falling but surely getting asleep. The maids silently leave her tent so that she can peacefully take her sleep.

When the sun rise, Mei Xiang get up to her bed and starts to stretch. She then cleaned herself before she does her training.

Alright..... it's the start of my one of a hell training." She then do her taekwondo skills. She does it every morning and night as she slowly mastered it again. Then she do the karate. Then the aikido, next is the judo. And then the jujitsu, kung fu, hapkido and the mix martial arts. Then she started muay thai, iaido, wing chun, kajukenbo, ninjutsu, and many more. She doesn't realized that five years have come and now she is so powerful and strong yet so beautiful. Now she had the foundation to face the world.

Mei Xiang is now ready to get revenge for those people who mistreated her. Get ready bitches because Mei Xiang will come and make you regret that you are born in this cruel and unfairly world. Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

----

Chillax
Chill + Relax = Chillax

Taekwondo
Tae  Kwon  Do (also known as Taekwondo) is the art of self defense that originated in Korea. It is recognized as one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the world, reaching back over 2,000 years. The name was selected for its appropriate description of the art: Tae (foot), Kwon (hand), Do (art).

Karate
is a Japanese martial art whose physical aspects seek the development of defensive and counterattacking body movements. The themes of traditional karate training are fighting and self-defense, though its mental and moral aspects target the overall improvement of the individual. This is facilitated by the discipline and persistent effort required in training. If karate had to be described in only one sentence, then the most suitable one may arguably be "You never attack first in karate." This is a a maxim of Gichin Funakoshi(1868-1957), the Okinawan who brought karate to Japan in 1922, and who is accepted as the father of modern karate. Ka (empty), Ra (hand), Te (away).

Aikido
is a modern Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy and religious beliefs. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. Aikido is often translated as the art of peace or as the power of love.

Judo
is a tremendous and dynamic combat sport that demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline. From a standing position, it involves techniques that allow you to lift and throw your opponents onto their backs. On the ground, it includes techniques that allow you to pin your opponents down to the ground, control them, and apply various chokeholds or joint locks until submission. 

Jujitsu
is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an opponent in which one uses either a short weapon or none.

Kung Fu
refers to the Chinese martial art, also called wushu and quanfa. In China, it refers to any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete. In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice, not necessarily martial arts. The Chinese literal equivalent of "Chinese martial art" would be 中國武術 zhōngguó wǔshù.

Hapkido
is a highly eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, and throwing techniques similar to those of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. It also teaches the use of traditional weapons, including knife, sword, rope, ssang juhl bong (nunchaku), cane (ji pang ee), short stick (dan bong), and middle-length staff (joong bong, gun (analogous to the Japanese jo, and bō (Japanese), which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.

Mix Martial Art
an extreme combat sport in which contestants are permitted to use the fighting techniques of wrestling and boxing but also those of martial art such as kickboxing, judo, and karate.

Muay Thai
literally Thai boxing is a combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs" as it is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when westernized practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing, mixed rules matches, as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T) sanctioned by The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), and World Professional Muay Thai Federation(WMF) overseas.

Iaido
abbreviated with iai (居合), is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack.

Wing Chun
is a concept-based traditional Southern Chinese Kung Fu (wushu) style and a form of self-defense, also known as "beautiful springtime", that requires quick arm movements and strong legs to defeat opponents. Softness(via relaxation) and performance of techniques in a relaxed manner is fundamental to Wing Chun. According to legend, it was created by Ng Mui, an abbess who taught it to her student Yim Wing-chun as a means to defend herself against unwanted advances. The martial art is named after her. According to Ip Man,"Chi Sau in Wing Chun is to maintain one's flexibility and softness, all the while keeping in the strength to fight back, much like the flexible nature of bamboo". Notable practitioners of Wing Chun include Ip Man, Bruce lee, Brandon Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Robert Downy Jr. and Jason Statham.

Kajukenbo
is a hybrid martial art from Hawaii. The name Kajukenbo is a portmanteau of the various arts from which its style is derived: KA for Karate, JU for Judo and Jujutsu, KEN for Kenpo and BO for Boxing.

Ninjutsu
is very secret, with a very clouded history. The history isn't documented all that well, as most of what is known about the martial art is that which has been passed down from generation to generation. There are a lot of historical records that state families from the Koga region as being the creators to this very secret style.

Over 70 different Ninjutsu Ryu have been identified and discovered over the years, however most of them have died out. A majority of them were created around a set of specific techniques and skills, although when those skills of a specific Ryu were no longer needed or wanted, the Ryu seems to die out and fade away from existence.

The art of Ninjutsu is best associated with the ninja's from ancient Japan. The ninja's are well known all around the world, for their stealth and very secreted life. The ninja is known to have went through very tough and demanding training, which hardly anyone really knows about. Those that were actual ninja's are either dead, or not allowed to let anyone know their true identity.

Jie Da Qiu is one of a hell of woman who loves sex and fling with every handsome boy. She is a master of all martial arts, and a very cunning business woman.

One day Da Qiu was walking to her house when she was stab in the heart by her best friend. She slowly lost her consciousness while looking in her best friend with grievance in her soulful eyes. But she suddenly woke up so wet in a river while a very handsome man holding her.

-I don't own the picture. I just edited it to use for this story.

eyonggiii✒
(Riolyn Dizon Raquino)

I warn you at the outset. This chapter is going to be long ..... Haha ... Mostly these will be extensions of the club members' training.
I really worked hard on this chapter. Finding curiosities was exhausting and very hard.
Additionally, the chapter has 2700 words, which is a lot.
So, give a lot of power stones and a lot of interesting comments. And fighting the bad guys in 1-A training. It will be contained in one long chapter. And if it's not enough, it will divide it in half.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!  ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ

So I invite you to read. ≧◠◡◠≦✌

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you know, a trip to emergency training is approaching inexorably. Like the UA tournament, to which the club's Apex students train. And the rest of the class, probably too.
At the club's first Apex meeting ... in a sense, the first following the announcement of upcoming events. Kazuki announced at the outset that today he will present a new range of training or new punches for each member. Which will diversify their arsenal.
Starting at the end of the member's list (chapter 36).
Izuku still has a lot of problems ... it's safe to say he is one of the worst in terms of Quirk development and fighting skills. All because of his power, which is too strong for him. And there is not enough time for him to develop it. Enough not to break your bones during the tournament.
So Kazuki decided to split his four-hour training at Apex club. Into two unequal parts. For three hours, Izuku practices the two fighting styles that were previously introduced to him. But now, he has added more items to him. These martial arts are Muay Thai and Judo. So martial arts that Jackson "Jax" Briggs uses.
Jax had two metal arms that focused on targeting the powerful robotic arms driven by him. Which, under the influence of the energy and strength of the blows, could heat up to redness. So in short, he focused on delivering strong blows, focused on strength. So it's a perfect match for Izuku, who has some kind of super-strength.
Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) is a traditional Thai martial art & sport, of which has grown into a popular style with a strong emphasis on knee and elbow strikes when applied with aggression. Muay Thai employs all of the punching that Western Boxing offers including the jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, & etc. It also employs the Thai round kick, the lead and rear leg front kick known as the "teip" along with straight and round knees as well as elbows. The ring tools of Muay Thai are also very practical, as well as, simple and brutally effective when applied to "street" self-defense applications.
Judo. A modern martial art, its most prominent characteristic is its competive nature, where the goal is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize, or subdue them with a grapple, or force them to submit by joint locking or strangle hold or choke.
Next on the list is Pony Tsunotori. Overall Kazuki had a hard time developing Pony fighting skills and her Quirk. And he had to take a little more time to think.
The thing about Quirk Pony is that she can fire her horns like a cannon ... or rather harpoons. Which can control ... how to explain it. Maybe it is as if telekinetically directed them in the air after being launched. The horns grow back immediately after they are fired. And for the curious ... three-quarters of the garbage at Apex Club. These are Pony horns. Which do not magically disappear. At first, they made an ornament, but the number of them was increasing. Because Pony practices his Quirk every day. So Kazuki and Shoto exercise their fire powers on these horns instead. Trying to melt them. What only Kazuki succeeds. But Shoto tries too.
The initial limit of horns fired was six. But it's practically the beginning of the year. But after training, the amount has increased to ten and continues to grow. Kazuki figured out several ways to use them. Though Pony already knew about some. Among other things, using them as a means of transport because of their large size. What is hard, but she succeeded. Even so, keeping the balance is very difficult for her. I'm not surprised.
There has been a lot of training in the manipulation of horns. But let's focus on the physical skills.
Since the horns can be used to attack, this is definitely not convenient. And while trying to attack, she is exposed to many attacks. So Kazuki chose two martial arts for her that will give her strength, even without the horns.
These martial arts are Kenpo and Tae Kwon Do. Two martial arts that Sonya Blade uses.
Tae Kwon Do (태권도, 跆拳道, Taegwondo) is a Korean martial art, characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
This martial art harmonizes perfectly with her athletic build with strong (sexy) legs.
Even though she was having trouble performing fast high kicks. She struggled with it because of her horns, which are quite heavy, and it certainly took more effort from her. But her legs ... Heh ... were so strong and stable that she managed to do it after two days of training.
Kempo Tai Jutsu uses atem punches and kicks (attacks on vital points), levers, throws, takedowns, and choking. Additionally, Kobudo techniques (using sticks and sticks of various lengths).
Much emphasis is placed on the practitioner's own inventiveness and adapting the fighting strategy to his physical abilities, such as height, weight, speed, strength, stronger and weaker sides.
The program takes into account the perfect knowledge of several defense and attack techniques and their application in practice.

The student, with the help of an instructor, creates an optimal style of self-defense.
Much emphasis is placed on the psyche of the practitioner - getting rid of fear during a fight, motivation for training, and self-improvement.

They also practice combat tactics, the ability to predict and prevent threats.
He will then introduce the club's two Apex girls who received nearly identical martial arts. However, with a few references to their Quirk. Well, these members are Ibra Shiozaki and Kyoka Jiro. Both of these girls have been taught the two martial arts that Sindel uses.
These martial arts were Zha Chuan and Fu Jow Pai.
Chāquán(Zha Chuan) (Chinese: 查拳; pinyin: Zhāquán) is a Chinese martial art that features graceful movements and some acrobatic aerial maneuvers. Chāquán also includes a large range of weapons.
Fu Jow Pai (Chinese: 虎爪派, literally "Tiger Claw System"), is a fighting style which it's striking movements are lightning fast, agile, and powerful. Techniques unique to Fu-Jow Pai are ripping, tearing, clawing, and grasping applications.


Compared to Jiro. These fighting styles bore fruit when she received several expansions to her costume.
Although she also got a portable gadget. In the form of a necklace with a small emitter of sound waves.
All she needs to do is plug her ... ear tips ... I don't know what to call it. And it can attack with sound or sonic waves.
Kazuki and Mei were working on the "kids." For several hours, they modified Jiro's costume, or rather completely modernized it. Now it was a lightweight suit with many sonic emitters in a few specific places. Well, she had the largest emitter in the center of her chest. The glove had two emitters attached that were modeled after Jacqui Briggs gloves. Only instead of guns, she has sonic emitters. Which look ... or have been disguised as speakers.
Kazuki also designed a special sole for the shoe for her. Which had an emitter on the bottom, focused on it. To give her something in type the double jump.
And from the fact that Sindel used sonic attacks. Although with her it's just a scream. However, both martial arts are perfect for Jiro.
In Ibra's case, it was mostly about using her hair. Like Sindel. So that she does not focus on delaying them or on a ranged attack. But she would not forget about them either. It's about using your hair as Sindel did. So, despite everything, Ibra fit perfectly into Sindel's martial arts.
Although, apart from the fact, there is no sonic scream.
However, she diversified them with her Quirk and ranged attacks and general hair attacks. After disconnecting them.
Bakugo is next. He is one of the most interesting members of Apex. Because not counting more advanced people, such as Kazuki, Mina, Ochaco, and Shoto.
Bakugo is making the most progress. Mainly thanks to his determination and strong character.
Bakugo still wants to be No. 1 in the ranking. Which irritated Kazuki a little, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. And he paid no attention to it.
Kazuki added two new martial arts to his arsenal. Tae Kwon Do and Zi Ran Men.
Tae Kwon Do is a perfect match for Bakugo. Because this martial art is characterized by an emphasis on the head kicking, jumping, and spinning kicks. Which, with the use of his Quirk, give him, more attack power.
Ziranmen or Zi Ran Men are also known as Natural Boxing is a Northern internal style of kung fu that is taught in conjunction with Qigong breathing techniques.
This is Rain's main fighting style, although it had slightly different powers. However, a martial art that is a development of the basic boxing Kazuki taught him at the beginning. She gave him more daring at vital points and more powerful punches at faster intervals.
Fumikage Tokoyami. He was one of the most difficult cases. However, after a few training sessions and a forced (by Kazuki) modification to use "Dark Shadow".
Maybe she can explain it. "Dark Shadow" takes over Tokoyas in very dark places. Wrap his body and turn it into some shadow essence. However, the mind uses DS (Dark Shadow), for example, covering Tokoy's body with shadow armor. And making blades like Baraka's blades, Kazuki's idea.
For Tokoyami, the fighting styles are Silat. The main martial art of Baraka, which is based on light kicks to the head as in Tae Kwon Do, but also strong blows with the hands. (See the MKX  fight with the participation of Baraka.)
As for Shoto, he continues to develop his skills in the two Hapkido martial arts.
Hapkido is a highly eclectic Korean martial art that employs hand and leg strikes at long distance and joint locks and throws at close range, emphasizing circular motion.
And Dragon Kung Fu.The second style of fighting that both Shoto and Kazuki have mastered. However, Kazuki at a much higher level.
Dragon Kung Fu. The movements of the Dragon style of Shaolin Boxing are based on the mythical Chinese dragon. The Dragon style is an imitative-style that was developed based on the imagined characteristics of the mythical Chinese dragon. There are five Animals of Shaolin Boxing; the other four styles are Tiger, Crane, Leopard, and Snake.
Another member of the club is Tsuyu Asui. Whose Quirk "frog" fits perfectly into the two martial arts selected for her. Tae Kwon Do and Yuan Yang. Yuan Yang is a martial art used by Frost. Like Tae Kwon Do, she focuses on kicks, but with the addition of short but fast attacks with some acrobatics, which gives Tsuyu a lot of room to show off.
Denki Kaminari, known as "Human Pikachu". He had a rather peculiar Qurik. Which gave him a lot of possibilities, but now his focus is on speed, so it would be perfect to give him the Monkey Fist martial art.
Monkey Fist (猴拳 Houquan) is a Chinese martial art which utilizes ape or monkey-like movements as part of its technique.
Which fits perfectly in his fight with the speed boost. With the use of acrobatics. It is one of the martial arts used by both Noob Saibot and Liu Kang.
It is a fairly opaque martial art and multifunctional enough to be left to him alone. And that he would lead her to the highest possible level. And not to give him any more, so as not to work against him.
Momo is next. Who previously practiced some martial arts. However, Kazuki gave her two more suitable for her. Which helps her make better use of her athletic body and Quirk.
So Kazuki ... asked her ... forced her to modify his outfit. That it would not cover her breasts, or at least that her belly would be exposed. For a while, Kazuki promised her that he was working on a special fabric that would allow her to use Quirk. Without unnecessary exploring the body.
Even though Kazuki loved to watch her in her old hero costume. Somehow ... I don't want others to admire this view too.
The first martial art is Bojutsu, i.e. fighting with the Boo stick. One of Jade's techniques.
Bojutsu in the main is measured on the spigot using the Boo stick. Performing kicks while breaking out with a chopper. Hitting the stick or using it completely in combat. In many ways.
The second fighting style is Fan Zi, one of Jade's martial arts. Which Momo and Mina both use now.
Fan Zi. The style emphasizes around offense and defense in the hands, and movements are described as: Two fists are fast like the falling rain drops, and fast like a snapping whip.
Overall, Momo was trained by Kazuki with her fighting style. It was almost the same as Jade. Of course, with the addition of a few gadgets. Like grenades or other items created by it. However, everything requires special circumstances.
Both of these fighting styles suit her and harmonize perfectly with her height and build. But for melee, for Ochaco, Judo is the best. Because its most prominent characteristic is its competive nature, where the goal is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize, or subdue them with a grapple, or force them to submit by joint locking or strangle hold or choke.
And finally Mina Ashido-Hasashi. She is the second strongest member of the Apex Club. It has in its arsenal, in addition to the highly advanced Quirk. Which now not only can control the degree of acid strength. From insanely strong to very weak and harmless. But he can also create it and create constructs with it. Such as weapons, frying pan, and more.
Mina's arsenal is quite opaque in martial arts.
Fan Zi The style emphasizes around offense and defense in the hands.(Jade)
Tae Kwon Do characterize by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.(Sonya Blade)
Eagle Claw is a Chinese martial art known for its gripping techniques system of joint locks, takedowns and pressure point strikes.(Kitana)
Chou Jaio The style features strong yet comfortable moves, and its blows are quick and accurate. Hands and feet cooperate well in order to create an advantage and longer reach, and its strikes are short yet lethal. ( Ashrah with  Mortal Kombat: Deception )
Mina started less than a year ago, learning a different fighting style. To surprise your opponent if necessary. This fighting style is a mixture of kickboxing and karate. Which makes for a pretty killer combination.
Then there is acrobatics, which weaves almost all martial arts and is useful in combat.
Mina is undoubtedly one of the strongest, if not the strongest. A student of AU, because only with her Kazuki has the best and in various ways. If Quirks are not used.
As for Kazuki. It would take a long time to talk about him. Kazuki has a great knowledge of martial arts. After all, to teach someone, he had to know these martial arts himself. At least on a high theoretical and basic physical level. Kazuki currently has twelve martial arts that are of a high standard. And they are divided into six groups of two. By giving him kits for various situations, depending on the opponent. Basically Kazuki trains like crazy martial arts. And it doesn't stop.
And the training of these skills for each member of the club lasted almost the entire week. And they will continue even after the UA tournament. Because learning these martial arts and how to use Quirks effectively takes time.

There is not much to say. One day a novel author dies. And the rest you can guess.

------------------------
Please keep your distance. And not approaching certain issues from a distance. And refraining from mean comments.

"Qin Fen had once been abandoned and broken until, one day, he picked up a liquid metal ball that turned his life upside down.
This is the interplanetary era where Classical and Modern Wushu are competing. Classical Wushu enables followers to grow as powerful as dragons and elephants, whereas Modern Wushu enables followers to freeze monsters or even extinguish erupting volcanoes.
Qin Fen steps onto the stage of both Classical and Modern Wushu while belonging to neither. With the exquisite combination of both Classical Wushu and modern technology, he will pave a way to become a legend.
He is one of a kind, a favored son of heaven." -KyleChow_
"He is a youth, a gentleman, and a scholar cultivating in the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art. He has the strength of ten dragons and ten elephants, producing clouds with a turn of a hand and rain with the other. This is a story about the clash of passions between neo martial arts and paleo martial arts. This is a story about transcending the apex, about forcefully slaughtering one's way into the legends. This is a story about fading into nirvana, about the prideful of heaven!
In this world, cultivating the paleo martial art known as the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art to the pinnacle allows one to possess the enormous strength of ten dragons and ten elephants! In this world, the Nitrogen Freezing Magic can freeze even a volcano on the verge of eruption! In this world, the Magma Art can instantly melt and vaporize a glacier!
This is a heavy undertaking by Skyscrapper back in 2009! This is a story of affection, of love. This is a story never lacking in friendship. This story, overflowing with heated blood, is certain to cause your own passion to surge!
This is a radiant era where hot-blood, friendship, love, and heroes converge, shine, and interweave upon each other.
Click and fall in love with this legend." -Strivon (Translation of original synopsis)


Lu Sheng touched the wound on his hand. He felt slight pain from the burn.
He took a look at his palm. Much of it was slightly charred now.
He looked in the direction from where the voice came. The current him did not have the ability to give chase unless the other person was willing to show up and fight it out with him.
'I should head back. The time has not yet come…'
In the end, he spread his spirit out and probed his surroundings. Lu Sheng made sure that no one would appear again before he hurried toward his house.
"Click."
His room's door opened. When Lu Sheng went in, he saw that Du Xia planted herself right in front of the door. Her eyes were glued to her phone. She was neither going in or going out.
She seemed to have known that he would open the door. Hence, she waited here for him.
"Brother, it's not too safe outside these days. You should be careful and not take isolated shortcuts." Du Xia suddenly looked up and advised Lu Sheng.
"Mm-hm. I know." Lu Sheng nodded. "Where's Mum and Dad?"
"Mum is making dinner. Dad… is still at the crematorium…" Du Xia's voice softened.
"Alright…" Lu Sheng ruffled Du Xia's hair. "Don't just stand here. Go and have some rest."
"…Mm-hm." Du Xia nodded. "By the way, Brother, did you encounter anything when you were on your way back?"
"No, I didn't. What's the matter?" Lu Sheng appeared lost. "Why do you ask?"
Du Xia lowered her head and softly explained, "It's nothing… I've been listening to the news lately, it seems that our neighborhood isn't too safe recently…" 
A strange look flashed across her eyes.
"It's alright. Don't worry. Your brother is a professional." Lu Sheng flexed his biceps.
"Come and help serve dinner!" Li Can called out to the siblings from the kitchen.
"Coming."
"Okay."
Lu Sheng and Du Xia hastily went over to help.
They said nothing for the entire night. The next day, Lu Sheng's hand wound was almost healed. He prepared to rank up again.
Coincidentally, it was the weekend. He would have time to take part in the underground professional boxing competition and actually face this world's elites.
Lu Sheng hurried over with anticipation in his heart. Along the way, he raised his Mixed Martial Art by several ranks until it was at rank-18.
His strength increased by 600 kilograms again. Correspondingly, his Inner Chain Qi was more obvious now. The dark green mark on his shoulder grew more obvious as well.
...
...
"Bam!"
Lu Sheng raised an arm to block his opponent's punch. He moved his other hand with a movement as swift as a flicker and landed it softly on his opponent's abdomen.
"Bam!"
The chest and abdominal muscles of his opponent rippled as if huge waves were undulating underneath his skin and they were compressed until they spread out in all directions. His opponent spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and reeled for more than two meters in the air before landing on the ground and never standing up again.
"Uohh!"
The underground stadium erupted in excited cheers.
Lu Sheng's right arm was lifted high by the coach. With a fierce black ghost mask over his face, his expression was indiscernible.
"The winner, Silmann!" Even the coach's loud voice could not overcome the audience's excited cheers.
Contrary to what the others were feeling, Lu Sheng did not feel an ounce of joy.
'They're too weak. There isn't even a single person who can make me feel like I want to be serious…'
The flashes of lights and the roar of cheers were starting to irritate him.
After they went backstage, the leader of the mixed combat boxing gym who brought him here was shaking all over. When he saw Lu Sheng getting down from the stage, he immediately went forward and struck up a conversation with him. He gave Lu Sheng a report of the revenue and popularity they received after joining the competition lately.
"Is there anyone more powerful?" Lu Sheng interrupted him.
The gym leader, Nick, had switched his profession to become Lu Sheng's manager. When he heard this, he was stunned.
"All you have to do is beat up some amateurs and we can earn money! Isn't this good enough? Is there really a need to take a risk and challenge more powerful opponents?"
With Lu Sheng's experience of competitions, he could easily challenge a professional boxing king already. He won 13 matches in a row, and every round ended with just a single punch from him. Nick did not doubt Lu Sheng's strength, but the professional boxing kings were no weaklings. What if he faced a powerful opponent and ended up injured or crippled?
"My objective in taking part in this competition is to challenge more powerful individuals. Fighting these weak chickens is a waste of my time. Do you understand?" Lu Sheng scanned the face of his manager with a fierce gaze. Even though Nick was the leader of a boxing gym and was fairly strong himself, his expression turned sour after being stared down in such a way.
Nick gritted his teeth and thought about it.
"With your results, I'll arrange Libis as your next opponent. He's a local boxing king from Flower Tree City."
"Alright."
A few days later, the boxing king Libis suffered internal hemorrhage from the competition. He only managed to hold onto his life after a whole day of emergency procedures in the hospital.
Over the course of the next few days, Lu Sheng took on the other boxing kings as his opponents. However, the results were the same as before. The boxing kings merely took a punch from him and everything ended.
Then, he continued to use the alias Silmann and joined boxing competitions in other regions.
In terms of strength, he was impeccable. However, in terms of technique, there were two professional boxing kings who gave him much inspiration.
Lu Sheng noticed with slight shock that his martial path tier which had been stagnant for a long time was starting to loosen.
It was progressing toward the flawless grandmaster tier.
Gradually, over two weeks, Lu Sheng won every single underground professional boxing competition in the federation and succeeded in obtaining the gold belt of the federal boxing king.
At the same time, he took on new aliases and challenged the dojos he could find.
He even went up to the great dojos where real martial path experts were said to reside. He got much inspiration from their techniques as well.
As Lu Sheng continued to challenge different professionals, his martial path's tier was also slowly experiencing a transformation with the tempering from his matches.
***************
Border of the federation. Garrison of the Seventh Ward. South Road Desert.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion sound erupted. A white blast of air which had a diameter of dozens of meters formed a ring and quickly spread in all directions.
A sand dune was flattened by the explosion in the blink of an eye, and sand rained down on the surroundings.
The ground was littered with bloodstains and severed limbs. Scraps of military vehicles and tanks were also scattered all around.
The frames of several heavy-duty helicopters were burning intensely, sending into the air thick black plumes of smoke, which was quickly bent and scattered by the strong wind.
"It was only a normal Thousand-man Armor Master. Was there a need for me to do this personally?" Beside the sand dune, a girl with long red hair and a lollipop in her mouth cocked her head. She held a cellphone with her head and shoulder and was chatting casually.
"Mm-hm… I know. I didn't leave any survivors. Don't worry…
"I know what to do.
"What about Little Bai? Is he back yet?"
Xu Zhenzhen worked away at her laptop with familiar movements as she listened to the other person on the phone.
"What? He's dead?!" She moved her head suddenly and her phone dropped onto the sand.
The person on the other end of the phone was still speaking.
"Bai Chaoan has been out for quite some time. His target is still alive and about. I've tried contacting Little Bai, but I couldn't get a response. The higher-ups are guessing that he might have been noticed by that person…"
"So, he's done?" Xu Zhenzhen pouted. She picked her phone up and blew the sand on it away.
"Little Yu wanted to make a move as well, but I stopped him. If that person noticed us, we won't be able to get near him with the powers of Star Chasers alone." The female voice in the phone was also troubled.
Xu Zhenzhen spat out the lollipop in her mouth and casually said, "Forget it. Let me handle this. She killed one of my men. This is a perfect opportunity to try and see just how powerful that legendary person is. How could she be mentioned in the same breath as the Yellow Springs Witch?"
"Alright then. If it's you, you'd still be able to escape with your life even if you can't defeat the target," the other voice agreed.
Xu Zhenzhen ended the call and sighed. Although Bai Chaoan was a recently converted Star Chaser, she didn't have any doubts about his loyalty to her.
"What… a pain!"
"Boom!"
A pillar of fire suddenly erupted nearby. A red flame pillar a dozen meters tall shot toward the skies and blew another huge crater on the face of the desert.
************
Late at night. Flower Tree City.
Lu Sheng sat cross-legged in his bedroom. He slowly made peculiar hand signs as he sat. This was a simple way to regulate his vigor.
He had completed adapting to his rank-18 Mixed Martial Art, and planned to have another breakthrough tonight.
The foundation of his body was already laid. This time, he should be able to rank up by a great margin.
'Since the assassins have come for me, it's even more likely that they'll go after Du Xuning and Li Can. I must hurry and take care of this problem.'
His current strength might not be enough to fight against a Gesha.
Lu Sheng sat upright and adjusted his breathing.
"Deep Blue."
"Swish."
The light blue modifier surfaced.
Lu Sheng pushed the modify button. Then, he looked at the content of the last frame directly.
"Mixed Martial Art. 18th limit dan. (Special traits. Silent Fist. Limit-break Body, level-nine. Inner Chain Qi, level-nine. Earth Mother's Favor.)"
"Rank up. Let me see what exactly is this Earth Mother's Favor." Lu Sheng pushed the derive button behind the frame.
Six units of Mental Energy instantly vanished.
His martial art was raised to the 19th limit dan. The others were merely improved stepwise. He could feel pulses of warmth spreading across his body. His muscles were stronger and more tenacious now, while his skin, internal organs, and bones were becoming harder as well.
"Continue." Lu Sheng's expression remained unchanged. He closed his eyes and pushed the derive button again.
The frame blurred and sharpened, sharpened and blurred.
Time passed slowly.
An hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
Lu Sheng's body size did not increase much. It was maintained at an extremely balanced and special state. The mark on his shoulder seemed to allow him to maintain his body size while experiencing enhancements in his strength.
As his dan rose from his derivation, the mark on Lu Sheng's shoulder glowed brighter as well.
His room was quickly filled with a hazy layer of green light.
A silhouette of a beautiful lady appeared behind Lu Sheng from the green light. She extended her arms and leaned softly on Lu Sheng's shoulders.
The lady opened her mouth slowly. Small red snakes slithered out of her mouth and quickly surged into the mark on Lu Sheng's shoulder.
"Pcchht!"
Lu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed at the lady's neck.
"Bam!"
The silhouette erupted and the lady disappeared. Only a faint scream was left lingering in the air.


Demons, devils, ghosts and monsters
Plunge the mortals weak in horrors;
Arms of gods and blades of devils,
Shroud the world in untold evils.

Lu Sheng was an ordinary civil servant in the modern world. After waking from a drunken stupor one day, he found himself trapped in a dangerous world where demons, ghosts and supernatural monsters terrorize the land. 

In this world, ordinary mortals live in dark fear and helplessness, without any means to fight against the supernatural. 

As Lu Sheng struggles desperately for survival, he stumbles upon a game mod he had designed for a mobile phone app in his previous life. It unexpectedly becomes his special ability, which enables him to instantly level up any skill he learns, albeit at a cost.

Thus, Lu Sheng begins his journey, striving for power beyond the reach of a mortal as he treads the way of the Devil…  

[Half Step Crushing Fist], as its name suggests, was a move that released a powerful punch when the user was taking half a step.
Rumour has it that this boxing technique originated from a Xing Yi Quan (a type of Chinese martial art) Martial Artist that was trapped in prison. The Martial Artist was similar to Wang Yu's current predicament and had both his arms and legs chained together. However, to a Martial Artist, even if you are able to chain all of his limbs, you will never be able to chain his heart. Thus, that particular Martial Artist was able to create this boxing technique even when he was chained and locked in prison.
The Xing Yi Quan was a boxing technique that emphasized on one's ability to release his power and was a rather vicious boxing technique. The [Half Step Crushing Fist] was one of the pathways of this Martial Art that had the most explosive power. Thus, its explosive strength was exceptionally high.
The high explosive power of the [Half Step Crushing Fist] compensated for its flaw in the range of its attack and the damage dealt from this move could normally one-hit K.O. an opponent. Thus, it was often called the move which "did not require a second hit".
Wang Yu's decision to equip the Flaming Arm Armour was to achieve the oppressive power that was required in the [Half Step Crushing Fist]. After all, in the span of half a step, not much movement speed was required as the distance travelled was insignificant.
"Oh? Standing still and punching is also considered a boxing technique?" After hearing what Yang Nuo had said, Fearless mocked. Wasn't this similar to how primary school kids would fight?
Yang Nuo replied, "It seems like you don't understand it at all. A normal person would not be able to receive one hit from this boxing technique."
Ling Longmeng then asked curiously, "If a normal person would not be able to receive a hit from it, would a BOSS be able to?"
"That's why he did not stay on the spot. Rather, he took half a step to bring himself closer to execute the punch," Yang Nuo explained. Following which, she sighed in admiration and added, "He truly is a genius."
As a Xing Yi Quan practitioner herself, Yang Nuo was naturally familiar with the [Half Step Crushing Fist]. The reason why Yang Nuo could only recognise the technique after Wang Yu had executed it for the second time was because the feet movement that Wang Yu had used was different from the feet movement that was meant for the [Half Step Crushing Fist].
The [Half Step Crushing Fist] was a one-hit K.O. move. Even the Baji Quan that was renowned for its brutality could not be compared to it. Furthermore, the move itself involved taking half a step instead of one full step forward. Thus, it was clear that the [Half Step Crushing Fist] was a technique that pitted strength against strength and did not allow for the user to dodge any incoming attacks.
As Wang Yu knew that he was unable to kill the BOSS in one hit, he decided to be flexible with his footwork. On the surface, it seemed as if he released his punch when he was half a step in. However, he was able to precisely and swiftly tilt his landing foot at an angle which allowed him to dodge the enemy's attack.
Wang Yu's was currently still bound by the shackles. Thus, his movements were restricted to no more than half a step. Regardless of whatever footwork that he used, he would not be able to move a distance greater than half a step in one stride.
With such a restriction, being able to dodge the retaliation from the BOSS was something simply ridiculous and terrifying. In Yang Nuo's eyes, such a feat could only be pulled off by the Martial Artist who had created the boxing technique himself.
Wang Yu was currently less than 25/26 years old and yet he was able to perform such a level of Martial Art. Clearly, his talent for Martial Art was frighteningly high.
"Woah… That's true. The BOSS didn't even manage to touch Old Bull…" After hearing Yang Nuo's explanation, Fearless finally came to realise it himself.
"Heh, it's pretty good. We should all take some time to learn a thing or two from him." Ling Longmeng acknowledged.
"…" When Yang Nuo heard it, she was speechless.
Fearless' and Ling Longmeng's abilities were good. However, for someone that was not a Martial Artist, they had the impression that these moves could be picked up so long as they are willing to spend some time learning it. In that case, wouldn't there be Martial Arts geniuses everywhere? Yang Nuo was considered a Martial Arts talent and an expert amongst those her age as she had started training in Martial Arts since young. However, even she herself was far away from the level that Wang Yu was at.
While they were speaking, Wang Yu had already exchanged a few moves with the Flora Deity. However, regardless of whichever angle the Flora Deity attacked him, Wang Yu's actions were always the same and would always easily dodge her attacks. He would first grab hold of the Flora Deity's arm before throwing a punch towards her elbow.
As time went by, the movement of the elbow which Wang Yu kept on punching slowly started to become slower. After exchanging ten over moves, a "Crack" sound suddenly rang out. The green-jaded arm of the Flora Deity was fractured and the dagger in her hand was thrown onto the ground beneath them.
With a sweep of his hands, Wang Yu managed to scoop up the dagger, promptly analysing it.
<Poison Blade (Dagger) (Set equipment) (Left)>
Physical Attack: 200-240
Magical Attack: 120-160
+50 Agility
+50 Strength
Set Effect (Unactivated)
Item Description: Weapon used by the Flora Deity, Flower Whisperer to protect herself.
After seeing the attributes of the dagger, Wang Yu smiled. It seems like his speculations were right. The moment a BOSS dropped its equipment, the equipment will have its own attributes and can be equipped as well.
"Breaking Point Attack… He actually managed to execute a Breaking Point Attack on the BOSS…" When everyone saw Wang Yu snatching away the Flora Deity's dagger, they were stunned.
Breaking Point Attack was a type of effect resulting from an attack and was a recent discovery made by the players. In order to bring about this effect, a player has to focus his attacks on a particular position on the monster, causing the monster to drop any item held by that position on the body. Of course, with the current players' capabilities, they could only hope to pull off this effect on normal monsters. Being able to pull it off against a BOSS's weapon was something beyond what a human can achieve and something only Wang Yu could achieve.
After all, being able to defeat a BOSS was difficult enough, much less hoping to continuously focus one's attacks on the same spot.
After fracturing one of the arms of the Flora Deity, Wang Yu shifted to the other side and started focusing on the other hand.
When the Flora Deity was able to use both of her hands, she wasn't even able to fend off Wang Yu's attacks, much less now when she was only capable of using one hand. After over twenty exchanges, Wang Yu once again managed to pull off a Breaking Point Attack and the other dagger landed in the hands of Wang Yu.
<Poison Blade (Dagger) (Set equipment) (right)>
Physical Attack: 120-160
Magical Attack: 200-240
+50 Spirit
+50 Intelligence
Set Effect (Unactivated)
Item Description: Weapon used by the Flora Deity, Flower Whisperer to protect herself.
After losing both her hands, the Flora Deity was practically useless. Following Wang Yu's vicious beatings, the Flora Deity finally perished. Her jade body crumbled and fell to the ground shortly after.
After the Flora Deity was defeated, the bindings on Fearless and the rest were removed. Apart from Fearless, the rest of them still stood rooted to the spot. Clearly, they were baffled by what had unfolded in front of their eyes.
Peak Of Perfection, especially, was having mixed feelings over what had happened. He initially thought that when Wang Yu insisted on beating the BOSS to death, he was only shooting his mouth off and never took his own words seriously. Who would have known that he meant every word he said and was able to live up to it.
It was a LVL 55 Obsidian grade Ancient-class BOSS! Peak Of Perfection was starting to wonder if he was actually dreaming right now.
"She… Is she really dead this time?" Peak Of Perfection pointed at the scattered pieces of jade on the floor and asked, still refusing to believe the fact that it was all over.
After witnessing the Flora Deity resurrecting three times, everyone was traumatised and still had their doubts that she was truly dead despite the restrictions placed on them being removed. 
Fearless stepped forward and placed his hand underneath the Flora Deity's collar and said, "En, her chest is still warm. Do you want to take this opportunity and…"
"…"
"Finally she's dead!" Wang Yu heaved a huge sigh of relief and wiped off the sweat dripping from his forehead.
Soloing a BOSS was not an easy thing to do, especially dealing with a BOSS like the Flora Deity. Furthermore, Wang Yu's limbs were both shackled together and yet he was not beaten by the BOSS. Clearly, the amount of mental strength that he had used in that battle was unimaginable. Even though Wang Yu was not physically tired, he was tired mentally.
"Let's loot the equipment!" Wang Yu turned around to look at Peak Of Perfection and said.


Catching arrows, running up walls, crushing boulders and bending metal, these are but petty parlour tricks in the eyes of a true martial artist. But where can a martial artist stand in an era of material pursuit?

Join Wang Yu, the greatest martial genius the world has ever seen, as he takes on the gaming world of <<REBIRTH>>, where dragons, demons and immortals are more than just legends.

What is the purpose of martial arts?

Some say it's to help the weak defend themselves against the strong. Some say it's for the strong to fight similarly strong opponents. Whether it's to increase one's health or to help one subdue another person, martial arts has always been seen as a way to fight another individual.

What I've realised after reading a lot of Wuxia, Xianxia and martial art novels in general is that people don't seem to understand the difference between eastern and western fighting ideologies.

What makes the difference between the two martial arts ideologies are the underlying meaning beneath the surface of the styles of martial arts originating from those areas.

Those of the east have deep meaning behind every movement right down to the quivering of a person's toe. Every attack has its use, every style has its meaning, and every technique requires discipline and constant repetition to master.

It's not as if western martial arts doesn't have meaning behind their moves or repetitive training but there's a distinct difference between a martial art like Tai Chi and Western Boxing.

Eastern Arts have an underlying meaning that goes deep into one's philosophy and etc. That's not to say that eastern martial arts is all about having deep meaning behind every move but most martial arts of the east have distinct history to them throughout their development and have been perfected overtime through various masters.

Western martial arts on the other hand focus more on effectiveness than anything else. Hybrid styles that keep the underlying purpose of the martial style while changing movements through mix and matching are more common than enlightenment.

Some say that western martial arts sucks and that they don't have originality of their own which is a completely false statement in itself.

The Half-Sword technique and Fencing techniques of western martial arts are comparable to eastern sword styles. They aren't inferior, just less varied since they give a higher focus on what exactly is useful in fighting and throwing out what's not.

'Who cares? As long as it works.' Is what they think.

Not only that but martial arts in general didn't need to split up into 'styles' for westerners because they are more 'logical' in way. Think of westerners the kind of people who would spam out the same move in a fighting game if it was effective enough to defeat their opponent easily.

A great way to summarise western ideologies on martial arts is looking at Boxing of western origin. 

Each individual move is broken up into their effectiveness and not into what deep meaning they have behind them.

Hooks have more power but are slower.

Jabs are fast but have less power.

Each and every move is like another component which is put together to form a perfect machine for combat. I personally like western ideology better because I'm a westerner myself.

Eastern ideology isn't bad nor is their martial arts worse than western ones.

In fact, the reason western martial arts stagnated in the first place was due to this very same reason. If guns exist then what's the point of researching deeper into the intricacies of close-combat?

Regardless though, the two ideologies are very distinct in my opinion and are worth digging deep into when planning to write a story about these ideologies.

However, in the end. There are many factors that would take all day to write down when judging if a martial art is 'suitable' to practice for a battlefield or not since reality is just that cruel.
[IMG=Q6Q]
If a Knight and Samurai of equal skill were to fight, then I'd place my bets on the knight because he has a shield (plus westerners had better blacksmith techniques back in the old days).

To me, western martial arts is a Gun nicely put together while eastern martial arts is a Sword.

Even though a Sword is cool, I'd rather go for the more fast and effective Gun so then I could easily shoot my foe in the head (Though sometimes I'd choose the Sword if it was an enclosed space)!

😜 If there's anyone who disagrees then please comment and share this so that I can get a lot of hate from Iaido fans.

(Cover by Darkstar Dust)

This is a story I worked on ages ago that has been refined and edited by adding foreshadowing to events while also simplifying the power system better than before. This story can be considered a prequel to An Adventure Beyond Greatness as it takes place years prior to the events of that story.

Short Synopsis:
After retiring from the battlefield, my life became empty and lifeless. The regrets of my past haunt me in my sleep. Then a change occurred, a King from another world summoned me to fight for his kingdom, but I died even before I could give him my answer. Now, after a fake God allowed me to reincarnate (albeit imperfectly) with my memories intact, into a world filled with magic and swords.

Long Synopsis:
This is about a flawed protagonist who only knew to rely on others and not socialise who gets a second chance to change himself in order to live the life he aimed for in his past life. The narrator isn’t exactly trustworthy since it is purely in his bias perspective while other perspectives given by others fill in the blanks that he either leaves out or twists to suit the situation.

The story itself can be considered a parody of Isekai’s classic tropes which are given a sense of reality as time goes by. As there exists no ‘Demon Lord’, there is also no black and white, only characters opinions and counter-opinions throughout the story.

Pedro and Neil sat on the side of the ring in Slum Gym.

They had just finished training for the day and Johan had told Pedro the story of what happened to him in the alley.

Pedro frowned and said, "You know, boxing is great. But for situations like that, sometimes it isn't enough. So some of the guys here go to learn from this man that teaches a martial art called Muay Boran."

Johan searched the fragments of his memory for mention of Muay Boran but couldn't find them. From what he understood his previous self had focused mainly on boxing in the Looking Glass Realm and had only learn't other fighting styles in the higher realms once he finally got accepted into a sect.

"I've never heard of it," said Johan.

"Well," said Pedro, "it is like kickboxing, except they use elbows, headbutts, grappling techniques, swords, joint locks and pressure point attacks. The owner integrated eye gouging and hair pulling into his unique style. It was created for warfare rather than simply sports fighting. Think of Thailand the country it originated from as a country whose entire culture revolves around battle. Even to this day, their national sport is Muay Thai, a toned down version of Muay Boran created for sports purposes."

"So why are you telling me this?," asked Johan.

"Well," said Pedro, "while getting guns is near to impossible here. Swords are possible, especially if you are a licensed Muay Boran practitioner. The Muay Boran gym gives you a pair once you reach a certain level of training. But, because they teach you how to use weapons, if you are jumped by people with weapons, you'll be in a better position, if you strike preemptively. Even if it is a group of people."

"I see," said Johan, "can you show me this place?"

"Sure," said Pedro, "we can go now if you'd like."

"Yeah," said Johan, "I don't ever want to be in that position again."

"Let me introduce you to my friend Sun," said Pedro, "he has been doing it for a while."

-- Ø --

As they walked through the alleys to the Muay Boran gym, Sun told Johan stories of the martial art and its tightly intertwined history with the country of Thailand. Sun was a bald stumpy tall Thai man, who was a lot stronger than he looked.

"There was once a Thai prince," said Sun, "captured by the Burmese King. The king proposed that if the prince could defeat seven of his best warriors in a bare knuckle fight consecutively in a fight to the death, he'd let him go free. The Thai prince easily beat them  and the Burmese King was left in awe and let the prince go free."

"What makes this martial art so great compared to other martial arts?," asked Johan.

"Thailand," said Sun, "actively holds competitions that pit people against each other. Anyone, even foreigners can even walk on stage and compete using it. That is how confident they are in this martial art. People who use it in fight tournaments back on earth do very well with it against other martial arts, even though it is usually illegal to use all the Muay Thai techniques because it gets too dangerous. I am talking about Muay Thai alone, not Muay Boran which is much more deadly and powerful. Kung fu and Karate don't have as much existing proof of its efficiency as Muay Thai does."

"I see," said Johan curiously.

"Most people only associate Thailand with prostitution," said Pedro with a laugh, "but in reality the Thais are a strong, proud and conservative bunch."

"In ancient Thailand," said Sun, "they'd tie hemp rope around their hands, rather than wearing boxing gloves and fight with that in Muay Boran competitions. It protected their hands while allowing for them to deliver bone breaking blows."

Johan couldn't help but feel excited to have the opportunity to add this art to his repertoire. He knew it would be an invaluable asset in the upcoming fight tournament in eight months. 

They reached the Muay Boran gym. On top of the door was a sign that said,

Lanna Muay Boran

Lit up by neon lights.

 Sun guided them inside. They found themselves in a gym that looked much like Slum Gym boxing gym. Sun walked up to a skinny dark skinned Thai man with short black hair.

"This is Kru Bu," said Sun, "A master Muay Boran practitioner."

Kru Bu smiled and said, "Come, join us if you'd like, our class is just starting."

-- Ø --

Johan finished the class exhausted.

It had started with a warm up of jogging and stretching exercises for 15 minutes. Next they punched, kneed, kicked and elbowed boxing bags for a half hour. After this, they did soft sparring with each other, while the trainers circulated students and did pad work, where they presented and taught different striking combinations to the students. Then, they did a half hour of clinching and throws. Finally, they finished the class with body weight exercises.

"Wow," said Johan, "that was more intense than any of the workouts I've done before."

"This was just a regular Muay Thai conditioning class," said Sun, "the Muay Boran classes happen twice a week."

"I prefer boxing," said Pedro, "I don't think I have the stamina to double up this and boxing."

"I heard you want to get noticed by a sect at the tournament later this year," said Sun, "Kru Bu will help you get there, but only if you are dedicated enough. He will not waste time on undedicated people. Many sects have offered to take him in, but he chose to stay and teach. This is not about money for him. Its about creating a community that carries on his legacy."

"I am interested," said Johan, "I can see the advantages of being able to spar every day, even if it is lightly."

"Kru Bu has more success stories than most other gyms," said Sun, "many of his students have gotten into good sects, he has many connections because of all the people he has helped. Studying under him will do you good."

-- Ø --

Johan continuously trained in MMA, boxing, and Muay Boran day after day diligently. Winning the fights that Guang Chong arranged were difficult, but he continuously managed to do it.  Time seemed to pass faster and faster the harder he trained and he rapidly improved. But even then, he didn't feel like it was enough. But, he had done everything he could. Eventually, the day of tournament sign ups arrived.

"Hey," said Johan to Pedro one day while training at Slum Gym, "The fight tournament is next month, right? Guang Chong hasn't mentioned anything about it to me."

Pedro raised an eyebrow thoughtfully and said, "You should try and enter it without his input. He makes too much money off gambling on your fights. He might not have entered you on purpose."

"You think he'd do that?," said Johan.

"When money is involved people pull stuff man," said Pedro, "I'm going to enter today myself. Lets go together? We gotta be extra careful walking around this month, because people are trying to eliminate the competition. So it is better to go in groups."

"Yeah," said Johan with a wink, "I got my swords with me, just in case."

-- Ø --

The lineup was long, emotions running high and fighters numerous. The lineup had at least a thousand people in front of Johan and Pedro. The army had deployed soldiers to keep the peace in case fighters started fighting while in line. The line moved slowly but they didn't want to leave it and come back later for fear of loosing their spot.

"This lineup is long," gasped Johan.

"This is how it is every year," said Pedro, "and this is actually pretty good. I've seen worse."

"What would you do if we had to fight each other," said Johan thougthfully, "that would be weird."

"They won't make us do that," said Pedro, "since we go to the same gym, they won't pit us against each other. One of the few rules I'm glad the government has."

"Johan, is that you!?," yelled a voice.

Johan noticed Pedro turn noticeably pale, glancing behind his shoulder. Turning around Johan saw a tall skinny brown haired soldier standing with a brown skinned solider. They looked familiar, but Johan couldn't place where he'd seen them before.

"I am sorry Sirs if we did anything to offend you," stammered Pedro.

Hesitantly, Johan said, "Theris? Ryan?"

They soliders looked at each other and walked up to Johan.

"Its him," Ryan exclaimed, "you were right Theris."

"You grown so much since I last saw you Theris," said Johan, "and you Ryan, you lost so much weight. Wow. You look great!"

"What happened to you and Neil?," asked Ryan, "we were worried sick, he went to show you and you both never come back."

"Is Neil okay?," asked Theris concerned, "we were asking around about you two, but no one had answers. No one knew. We thought you were dead."

"We got thrown in the pit by Armyka," said Johan darkly, "after we got out, we decided to split up and hide because we knew coming back would be an issue if Armyka eyed us again."

"Director Armyka?," gasped Theris.

"Do you know where Neil is now?," asked Ryan.

"Sadly no," said Johan, "I haven't seen or heard from him since we left the pit."

Ryan sighed, "He was like a brother to us, always there, always encouraging us for three years. He was a good guy, we were so worried. Its good to know he is alright at least."

"Neil was a capable guy," said Johan, "he is probably doing better than all of us now."

"What happened?," asked Theris, "Why did she throw you into the pit?"

"She was in a bad mood," said Johan.

Theris muttered, "We've heard stories about her moods. But she is so strong, no one questions her. She's crippled, killed and destroyed the careers of countless soldiers ... on a whim. You were right to stay away."

"We should catch up," said Ryan, "we can come by after the tournament. We were bunk mates after all and Neil said that made us family. So even if you were only there for less than a day, we'll take care of you."

"Definitely," said Johan, "lets meet at Mama Earth Pizzeria the day after the tournament ends."

"Sounds like a plan," said Ryan clasping Johan's shoulder, "its good to see you are alright, buddy. We thought you and Neil for dead."

Theris looked around nervously, and said, "Ryan, we should get back to our post. Don't want to get in trouble."

"Ya," said Ryan, "we will see you later, Johan."

"Bye," said Johan as they walked away.

Pedro stared at Johan in disbelief, and gasped, "You were a solider?"

"Not really," said Johan, "I was sent to the barracks but was there less than a day before being thrown into the pits."

"Man," said Pedro, "if you didn't get thrown in the pits you'd be living the good life now. If you work for the army for five years, admission into a sect becomes exponentially much easier. Makes you a much stronger candidate. No one wants to cultivate an inexperienced mediocre fighter that hasn't cultivated before. This is why so many fighters of all ages are still applying for this tournament to show off their skills."

"I didn't know that," said Johan, "sounds like the same thing Neil said about hiring managers back on earth."

"You got connections," said Pedro, "from the soliders and the Muay Boran gym, after all this is over  use them."

"Working for the army," said Johan with a sigh, "isn't as glorified as you think it is. Its abusive glorified slavery."

"Better than being poor and weak," said Pedro, "I used to go through garbage cans for food back in home on earth when I was young, that is how poor my family was. Boxing got me money, but then, I became an anomaly. Fighting gets me an apartment, but if you join a sect or army, these fights, one of which can end your career and make you homeless ... are over. You live good, only fight during war time, do civil easy jobs, and have superior training and healing resources. Better to be a privileged slave than what we are now. One average solider, with their mana techniques can easily defeat ten seasoned fighters from here because we don't have any techniques."

Johan's expression dimmed as the reality of life for the average person in the Looking Glass Kingdom became clear to him.

"I guess it is a matter of picking your poison," muttered Johan.

A mysterious beast in an alley and a strange letter from a mystical being propel Johan to the stage of gods and their matters. 

Violence, love, magic, time travel, hot girls and many mysteries to be solved ... 

Follow Johan as he is put in situations where he is forced to leave everyday responsibilities and stand against gods.

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