Training Pt. 2

Ira, with the aid of multiple maids, reached the King's chamber. Seeing Aria Arendale, she couldn't help but smile.

"Ira, what are you doing up so late."

The smile disappeared as she became serious reporting the matters concerning the Young Prince to Aria. After hearing Ira's accounts, Aria couldn't help doubt her.

"Are you sure he's already reached Practitioner Mastery on the [Immaterial Palm]? Even the celestial genius from your school couldn't do so. The complexity of a Sea Level Martial art is nothing to scoff at. Besides, from the 2nd move on requires the use of Qi, he hasn't even started cultivation yet," Aria Arendale asked in doubt.

The ranking of martial arts went from Human, Mortal, Fire, Earth, Sea, then Air. Anything that is ranked

"I didn't mean it like that, my lady, I meant that I believe he had reached such mastery solely on the first move, [Shaking the Foundations.] He wasn't even able to see the other moves since he had passed out from exhaustion."

Aria became worried, "Exhaustion? He isn't hurt or anything right?"

"No, my lady, he didn't suffer any injuries; internal, external, or otherwise. He merely fainted from exhaustion."

A look of relief appeared in Aria's face.

"I'm surprised there aren't any, the first move is something even normal adult humans have a bit of trouble doing, much less a six-year-old. Not to mention being able to have a mastery in a single move without even knowing the rest of the martial art. You should know by now, he really isn't normal in a sense."

Aria though for a while, "To be able to mimic the first move after a single look isn't something ordinary people could do," she looked and smiled wittily at Ira, "Could the Everlasting Genius from that school do so?"

The title "Everlasting Genius" naturally refers to Ira Ignus. The top of her class, though the Celestial Genius had more talent than her, her effort was second to none. However, even she has to admit, she wouldn't be able to immediately mimic a Fire-level martial art minutes upon looking at it, much less a Sea-level Martial Art.

Aria chuckled seeing the hesitant look on her face, Ira blushed in embarrassment. She had known Ira ever since she was born, how could she not know her pride?

Aria Arendale trusted Ira Ignus and vice versa. After all, Ira is Aria's nephew and in this world, blood is thicker than any mystical metal. If a family member betrayed another, especially for malicious reasons, they would be shunned by the world. Family is an unbreakable bond, stronger than the heavens!

"We'll find out today, if what you say is true, then our family's future may be a bloody one. Also, put some recovery incense by his bed."

"Yes, madam," Ira Ignus said with respect. After all, Aria Arendale too came from that school as its Everlasting Celestial Genius, second to none in her class! She had always tried to catch up to her achievements from back then. Ira Ignus saw Aria Arendale as her hero.

Meanwhile, Aria Arendale thought for a while, ever since that incident regarding her pregnancy, her husband had been greatly injured and attention to their Kingdom had been drawn away since then.

However, with a genius child born into their family, it could become the family's greatest boon or its demise. If their son is too talented, others might be seeing their small kingdom as a threat.

——

'Twist the waist a second slower, don't extend the legs too much...' these thoughts went through Regalus's mind as he reflected on yesterday night's experience and tried to lower the stamina usage as low as possible.

Regalus woke up refreshed, yet still laid down on his bed. Though he drained his energy just last night practicing a move, he suspected that there had been something that replenished him fully. Otherwise, a single sleep would have been far from adequate.

The 1st move simply took too much energy for him to use regularly at his current state. Much less learn and use the other 9 moves.

However, there is a way to reduce stamina consumption and that is to make mistakes purposely. Though the resulting power would be multiple times lower, at least the stamina used wouldn't be as much. The problem is lowering the requirements without taking away the essence of the move.

For Regalus, it was only slightly troublesome. After all, he had worked with magic spells, runes, and arrays that were thousands of times more complicated. Besides, he has a surprising background regarding martial arts, though that from his world.

----

Regalus looked over his body and saw that it had some black substance lightly splotched over him. It was similar to the substance he saw in his bath, the so-called impurities. He stood up and removed his dirty clothes, leaving them in a bin nearby. Besides his bed, he found some used incense and a stack of wet, hot towels. Regalus smiled a bit at the thoughtfulness of the one who left these.

He looked closely at the incense and the leftover smoke, he reached out with his fingers and felt the pores in that finger open up. It felt extremely good.

He cleaned his body with the towels, dried himself off and dressed lightly. He looked outside from the window, the first sun was just peaking out of the horizon, ready to show darkness who's boss. It was time for the morning walk.

As expected, soon came a knock from the door. Regalus immediately opened it, unconsciously smiling.

"Mothe-!" Regalus frowned as he opened the doors fully, revealing the knocker. Instead of his mother that had usually been the one to knock on his door, he was instead greeted with a cold faced, red-headed maid.

Regalus squinted his eyes as he played the role of a spoiled, rich brat.

"You're a bit proud for a maid aren't you," Regalus said mockingly.

The maid didn't show any changes yet she seemed to get even colder. Regalus involuntarily felt a chill in his spine, one thousand of years of experience couldn't seem to stop.

*

Though Aria Arendale was her hero, Ira Ignus couldn't help but not like her son. He had done nothing but read books, write ambiguous writings, and observe the sky like some kind of old man. He didn't act like a kid yet there were times where he did, it was like a piece in a nearly completed puzzle was just slightly off, causing a slight disturbance in the picture. He made her extremely uncomfortable.

However, today would be her little 'payback.'

*

Regalus and the red-headed maid walked their way from the castle walls to the mountain path. Regalus was in a rather foul mood that it was this cold maid instead of his mother that was taking him up. As he and his mother went up, they would often talk about food, weather, and pretty much about anything; the subject was never important, but it was just the act of talking that Regalus was most fond of.

Every time Regalus would solve a problem of hers or tell her a small fact she didn't know about, she would flash a small, prideful smile and say, "Ay. Ay. My little son already knows everything," and he would get this light feeling from the bottom of his heart.

Yet now it was quiet as they trudged along the mountain path. The weights seem heavier than the usual... well, they are heavier, but not in that way. His stomach growled, he had yet to have his breakfast, and his breathing became faster and deeper as the raised in altitude.

*

Two hours had passed and they had finally reached the top of the mountain. He had reached this place just yesterday. The top of the mountain was flat and rocky. Surprisingly, it was lush with plants, hardy ones that could survive the cold weather, strong winds, and lack of water. However, now that he had come here, there were boxes, platforms, and shelves that weren't here yesterday. The shelves were filled with all kinds of weapons, from moonglaives to crossbows. The boxes filled with medicine, bandages, food, and other supplies. And there were many platforms sticking up from the ground of varying heights and sizes. Some of them didn't even have the support and floated freely.

"So the real training begins..." Regalus was speechless, even the elite forces from his world didn't have such training facilities.

The maid in front of him suddenly looks back with a slight, chilling smile. The type of smile that you'd see on someone about to stab you.

"Under the instruction of Her Majesty, I am to... spar with you!" the red-headed maid said joyfully.

"And I'll be watching!" a joyfully, a motherly voice came from one of the highest platforms.

A beautiful figure landed down on the ground from a height of no less than 50 meters, the ground cracked a bit from the force.

"Mom?"

"Go choose your weapon, son." A smile that could save a thousand souls from damnation said.