First Training

"To think that she has yet to answer my calls. I keep overexerting myself just to contact her and the Great Mother does not even respond." Adrian thought as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He needs the energy to train for tomorrow.

Adrian's physical body might be sleeping right now but his three egos are discussing about what they need to do next. If the Great Mother really did vanish from this world, then this universe will be in great peril. She is a line of defense against the old gods.

Adrian woke up the next morning and washed up. He then headed towards the training grounds where the floor is slightly padded so that no one gets their face kissing cold hard stone. He saw the other four and a teenage girl that he has never seen before.

Adrian called her a teenage girl because her hair is the definition of a teenager as it is dyed with three different colors. Adrian just casually entered the training grounds, but it seems that some people are already eyeing him like a hawk.

"I am an empath remember. If you cannot hide your emotions, then it's better that you do not think about it at all." Adrian stated casually as he sat down on the floor. Dustan and Esme suddenly got embarrassed as they are thinking of settling a grudge using the training excuse.

"I guess it is human nature to want to dominate someone who you do not like as much or someone who trampled your ego. I will not be that easy of an opponent anyways." Adrian thought as Joe proceeded to introduce Adrian to the teenage girl that joined them.

"This should be your first time meeting each other. She is usually away due to the missions that she is assigned but this is Patricia. She arrived six hours ago from her mission in Spain. Particia, that is Adrian who is our new recruit and an empath." Joe stated.

"Patricia, nice to meet you." Patricia stated as she held her hand out towards Adrian.

"Adrian, nice to meet you as well. I did not think that there is another teenager that is a part of this team apart from Whiz." Adrian stated but Esme suddenly interjected.

"Teenager, my crap. She is a shapeshifter. She is like 40 years old but still craves young men. Talk about a cougar personified. She could only get away with it because she can transform to her younger self." Esme stated as the two ladies suddenly glared at each other.

"You are just jealous because you cannot get any action. This cat has sharp claws. Rarng!" Patricia rebutted so that her honor will not get tarnished any further.

"I see. So that is why I cannot get a clear read at her aura. The shapeshifting ability is very rare amongst humans after all." Adrian thought to himself as he sensed the aura that everyone is releasing to gauge their strength.

Adrian noticed that Dustan and Jihan's aura has increased since the last time that he checked. It seems that the two are sparring against one another when they have free time or practicing. Esme's aura is a bit more difficult to get a proper grasp as Espers like her that has yet to fully control her powers is unstable.

Adrian is most surprised about Whiz' aura but he saw that his willpower also combined with his willpower. To actually have that large of a willpower, Adrian wondered what sort of hardship Whiz had to endure. As usual, he cannot detect Joe's aura that much since he is keeping undetectable.

"Stop the banter and start sparring. Since this will be Adrian's first time to spar with others, go easy on him. Everybody can do your own warmups." Joe stated as he clapped his hands to signal the team to get to it.

"Who will be the sparring partners?" Whiz asked.

"Since Patricia and Esme are already at it then they will spar with each other. Jihan and Whiz will be the other team and the last will be the two remaining. Go easy on Adrian, Dustan." Joe stated.

"Do you really think that I am a small fry? I have lived countless times and trained in every deadly art. Some of which were even created by me. Do you think that I will lose?" Adrian thought to himself as he propped himself up using his own words.

A couple of minutes later…

"Why does the slightly soft feeling of the floor become all too familiar?" Adrian thought as this has been the sixth time that his face is meeting the padded floor.

"Ready to give up?" Dustan asked.

"I am just getting warmed up. The first few knockdowns were me testing the waters. I am fully confident and serious now. I will not hold back." Adrian stated but his face is once again kissing the floor a couple of seconds later.

"If it was not for that stupid rule then I would have easily taken down this smug looking brat." Adrian thought to himself as he glared at Joe who seems to be enjoying the show.

The rule that Adrian is talking about is that they cannot use their abilities during the spar and have to rely on their physical bodies. Adrian is confident in his body since the body he possesses always get reformed to the best version of what a human bod could be every time that he fully awakens.

"To think that my body this time around is subpar. Mental note to oneself, always become athletic so that instincts will also be honed. To think that I am suffering such a disgrace. It is very unlike me." Adrian muttered to himself as he got up and went to a corner to lie down.

"He is stubborn. I give him that." Whiz stated as he handed a water bottle to Dustan.

"He is an amateur at best." Dustan stated as he felt good about pinning Adrian down a couple of times.

"That is not what I think." Jihan, who is the best close combat fighter, stated which made Dustan and Whiz silent and dumbfounded.