Chapter 12: Training in the Forest (1)

Her hair was wild and disorderly, sticking out in all directions. Her skin was pale and damp with perspiration, and she looked less like a person and more like a starving animal. She was covered in wounds, some new, while others were old scars left behind by the Nishizumi clan's second-in-command. Blood stained her clothes and her skin.

But despite all the blood, Ayame was still smiling.

"I did it!" She shouted from the exhilarating adrenaline rush that overtook her as she reached the Half-Terminal stage in just a single day.

It was a process that would've taken a talented cultivator two weeks or a month for the average cultivator.

She let out an excited shout as she jumped to her feet. "Yes, I have done it."

She smiled broadly, then took a deep breath as she exhaled.

That was when she noticed how much her voice shook.

She was shaking as if she was cold.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was pale.

Her clothes were torn and tattered, and her hair was a mess. She looked nearly dead.

But she was feeling famished, so she exited the dorm and went to the cafeteria.

She limped while walking over to the cafeteria. Her legs felt like they weren't responding correctly. Regardless, she kept going until she eventually entered the cafeteria. It wasn't filled, so she must have arrived quite early.

Along the way, the other students she passed by looked at her with a strange gazes.

Well, that's pretty normal, considering how many wounds she had on her body.

She ordered two servings of rice mixed with assorted vegetables, two chicken wings, one chicken leg, and eight sticks of roasted meat skewers. Then she had the food wrapped for takeout as she ignored everyone watching her.

The air was thick with tension and hatred.

Their nose twitched with annoyance as the scent of sweat, blood, and grime mixed with the aroma of the food that filled the air.

She could feel their look of disgust at her, but she didn't mind it. She had gotten used to it in her old world.

Finally, she took the bag of food and returned to her dorm.

She unwrapped the food in the kitchen and began eating.

As she chewed, she thought about what to do next? She wanted to at least reach the Initial Stage of Spirit Transformation Realm before the weekends. But there was no guarantee she could accomplish such a feat given her current state.

After eating, Ayame washed her hands and face before going to sleep.

Ayame had another one of her past-life dreams.

This time, they were in a woody area of the town.

Most of the trees were tall, and their bark was textured and rough. The leaves were softer than cotton, fluttered in the wind, and pressed against her when she walked through the forest. They gave off a sweet aroma that soothed the nose and made you feel at ease.

The leaves were a mix of green and orange, like a summer morning. It was crisp, with a hint of shadow overhead. The sunlight was glowing upon the trees, casting long shadows that seemed to go on forever. The birds were chirping happily, circling above. A few squirrels ran across the dirt trail, playing tag with each other.

The leaves of the trees were bright, glossy green. Small, harmless birds flew from tree to tree while they chirped a pleasant, harmonious tune.

The sun shining above her was warming. The forest wind was warm, and the leaves crunched underfoot as she walked. They were gentle but steady.

A rope was attached to the large branch in one of the smaller trees. The other end of the rope was attached to a sack containing rocks and fine sand.

"So, what are we going to do here, Yuuto?" Ayame sat on a nearby log after putting down her bag that contained food and water.

Yuuto shrugged his shoulders. He sat beside her, wearing a plain white shirt and black shorts. His back leaned against the tree trunk, and he had a book open in front of him.

He gave her a blank expression. "You said you wanted to learn Muay Thai, right?"

Ayame nodded.

"Then this is where we train," Yuuto stated matter-of-factly.

Ayame tilted her head in confusion.

"Watch, this is the Muay Thai stance." Yuuto got into position, facing away from her.

Yuuto's upper body faced the tree, his right foot forward and both feet shoulder-width apart. With his elbows tucked in, chin tucked, and arms raised upwards at the same height as his chin. He raises the heel of his foot alternately.

His entire posture looked relaxed yet poised.

Ayame watched closely, taking note of every movement.

With each step, she saw something different. There was nothing flashy about it but relatively simple movements that seemed almost effortless. Yet together, they formed a beautiful dance. A fluid motion.

And Ayame found herself unable to stop staring.

"Try copying me. If you can keep up, I'll teach you some more moves later today." Yuuto turned around.

Ayame followed along, trying to copy everything exactly. It was simpler than she thought.

"Your chin isn't tucked down properly," Yuuto said before climbing the small tree and taking a leaf. Then, he walked over to Ayame and put the leaf under her chin.

"Don't let the leaf fall," Yuuto instructed and positioned himself in front of Ayame again.

Ayame shifted her weight from front to back alternately.

A few minutes passed, and Yuuto noticed another flaw.

"Eye contact, Ayame. Look at me, not on the ground!" Yuuto scolded her.

The moment she made eye contact with him, he lifted the rock and slammed it onto the palm of his hand.

"I'm sorry..." Ayame apologized softly.

Thirty minutes had passed, and Yuuto was satisfied with the stance.

"Good, let's begin the next move." He walked over to the hanging bag.

"Watch, this is the straight knee strike." Yuuto drove his knee into the bag of sand, causing it to fly over several centimeters.

"This is how you do it. From the stance, you take one small step forward with your front leg, lift your rear knee up, and as you send it through the target, raise your front leg's heel off the ground and slightly lean back for more reach. And make sure your foot is pointing to the ground to make your knee sharp." Yuuto said as he demonstrated the straight knee strike again.

Ayame tried following along carefully but felt she couldn't get all the details correct. Her body moved too fast.

"You didn't raise your front leg's heel. Try again!" Yuuto said with his voice raised.

Ayame took a step forward. As soon as her front foot touched the ground, she brought her rear leg up high and thrust it at the bag while raising her front leg's heel.

"Aah!" Ayame lost balance after she raised her heel and her knees hit the bag.

Yuuto quickly moved and caught her before she totally fell to the ground.

Her heartbeat flared as she stared wide-eyed at Yuuto. She hadn't even realized that her heart had raced so much until now.

"Sorry...it seems I still have quite a bit to work on," Ayame murmured apologetically as her heart beat furiously. She could feel every nervous twitch in her chest while her cheeks flushed.

"It's okay. Keep practicing." Yuuto said, smiling faintly.

Ayame nodded in embarrassment.

Ayame used another straight knee strike at the bag. It hit the middle bottom of the bag, and it hurt.

"You didn't hit the bag with your kneecap. You need to bend your knee and point your foot to the ground as you strike, Ayame." Yuuto corrected her.

Ayame bent her left knee and pointed her toes downward. The pain in her shin subsided.

She repeated the action three times and attempted to hit the bag again. This time, she connected solidly.

Suddenly, Yuuto touched her waist.

"Hyah!" Ayame jumped back. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry," Yuuto apologized for startling her.

"You're not leaning properly. Do another straight knee strike. I'll support you from the back to make you learn how to kneel and prevent you from losing balance and falling."

Ayame did as she was told and lowered her back as her knee strike made contact with the sandbag. As she lowered her back, Yuuto supported her by putting his hands behind her hips and shoulder.

He guided her as she leaned and knee strike struck the bag thrice.

Yuuto removed his hands and said, "Do it on your own. Don't worry about losing balance. I'll catch you if you fall."

"Alright!" Ayame replied and resumed striking the bag alone.

She performed the straight knee strike properly and connected solidly twelve times without any mistakes.

After several minutes, she began to feel hungry.

"We've practiced enough for now. Let's go eat lunch." Yuuto suggested.

They returned to the log and ate together. They shared a bowl of canned tuna and two bowls of rice topped with vegetables.

As they ate, a gust of wind. A small gray owl flew overhead and landed on Yuuto's shoulders. The gray owl was small and had dark streaks on its belly and face.

"Ah! You're here, Ruru!" Yuuto greeted warmly.

"Cooooo~!!" The bird hooted in response.