Chapter-3:A little Hope left(2)

After bidding farewells,Alex went home.When he entered their house,his mom and sister were already asleep.

"Well its pretty late now,i better go to bed too."

Feeling tired he went straight to bed.He was thinking back of all the things he learnt tonight,he was pretty happy to be able to keep up with his friends,but also a little worried that about his mana.

With all those thoughts bugging him,he made up his mind and just hoped for the best.He soon fell asleep.

The next morning Alex was feeling really tired,but he still decided to get up and head out to take excercise and practice martial arts with Hanji.

He soon arrived where he used to practice martial arts with Hanji.

Hanji was already there picking his teeth,looking energetic as always.

"Whats wrong boy, you're pretty late this morning.Slacking off already?"

"No I'm just a little tired.We were practicing how to use mana last night.It went pretty well, except you know.....my mana is a little too small"

"Hoho you've only train one night and you're feeling down already.Come on thats not like you boy"

He pat his back trying to lighten up his mood.

"Come on now lets make all those worries flow away with our sweat,if you wanna go to the academy you're gonna need alot more training.If something like that is gonna hold you back, you'll never be a great hunter or a knight."

Alex was still feeling a little disheartened,but he doesn't want to give up either.So he starts training again following every instructions Hanji told him.

After a long harsh training Alex couldn't continue anymore,he just lay down on the ground breathing heavily and barely opening his eyes.

"Boy how about we end this early,you don't look very well."

"Yeah...and i still have training in the afternoon too"

"Oh are you gonna continue training how to use mana?"

"Yeah... Mr.Tobias said we're allowed to join Stephen in his training"

"Thats good,but boy don't overdo yourself.You should be aware that you aren't gifted like your friends,so take it slow and steady and never quit."

"Thanks.. I'll keep that in mind"

Alex pack his sword and tidy himself up.They bid their farewell and both head back to their house.

**********

It was now afternoon and the three friends reached the training location.

"I fell asleep straight away last night,but I'm still feeling tired"

Luke said stretching himself.

"Well it's our first time practicing how to use mana so...its expected"

Stephen replied looking tired too.

As the three friends were stretching and getting ready,a strong wind suddenly blew.

"I see you're all very excited for today's lesson"

A voice from above,they all look up and it was Tobias floating down using the wind.

"Whoa.....flashy entrance Mister"

Luke exclaimed covering his face from the debris being blown.

"Last night i taught you all how to release your aura.Aura is good if your opponents have a low mentality or have low sense enhancement,but keep in mind it is not all that great.The best thing it can do is to intimidate your opponent."

"So whats best is to let out a small aura to reserve your mana,making them think you're weak and gave them a little surprise....But only when you're strong enough to do those."

Tobias then gather them and he stands in front.

"Today we'll begin the real mana training,Mana control first,then whenever you all learn it, I'll teach you body enhancement next."

They were all pretty excited to learn body enhancement.

"Now Mana control is technically the same as Aura release,but harder.....and you're gonna need lots of patience on your first day or maybe even for a week."

"To control your mana you do it just like how you release your aura, compress your mana inside your manapool.But when it goes out try making it go around your body."

"Do not let it out of your body like how you release aura,it has to stay inside your body.And once you've learn how to freely move it, I'll teach you enhancement."

"Mana control is absolutely necessary in every aspect.Whether it be creating magic circles or enhancing your body,sense and everything mana related.So if you learn how to freely control your mana the rest will be very easy."

After Tobias told them how to move their mana.

They were finding it extremely hard to control it,most of the time they would just release aura instead of holding it inside their body.

After about two hours of training....none of them was able to control their mana.Stephen could almost control it,but because he released too much mana while trying to control it,he always fail.

Luke was nowhere near being able to control,he was always either distracted or he just wasn't concentrating.

Alex was also very close to controlling it,but because as he has such low mana it was harder for him.

"How about we end it for today.We'll stop training at night so you can pay more attention during day.So i want you kids fully energetic tomorrow.Now go home and meditate,try increasing your aura,but rest at night."

Tobias then again starts floating in the air,the wind around them began circling around Tobias,and then he flew back towards where he came from.

Stephen approach Alex and as soon as he reached him.

"How's the training Alex,you think you'll be able to enter the Academy with this?"

"I don't know?...if we continue at this pace...maybe...?"

"Lets hope there isn't too much royal kids enrolling,its gonna be too damn hard if there are"

"Hey we're not always given an advantage, sometimes its a burden being expected too much."

"Come on guys lets head home!"

Luke was calling them after he packed his stuff.He then sees Alex picking up his sword.

"By the way Alex why'd you always carry around your sword?"

"Well I'm gonna train with Uncle Patrick so..i thought I would went straight to him after our mana training."

"Dude your overdoing it.....Mr.Tobias said we need to rest!"

"I won't train long so i don't think its gonna be a problem"

As they were heading home,they decided to stop by the graveyard.They were slowly walking around chatting with each other.

But then on the west side of the graveyard,they saw something glowing from a distance.They quickly ran towards it,but it was outside the graveyard.

Now that it caught their attention,they wanna know what exactly it was.

After running for awhile they finally reached where that light was glowing.

All of them were shocked to see what's infront of them.It was a gate,and judging by the size of it,they were sure it was a very low rank gate.

The gate was emitting green light and it wasn't releasing much aura,so it would be hard to notice it.

Luke was really excited to see a gate and looked at his friends.

"Hey hey they say a green coloured gate means its a low rank gate,and look at the size of it,seems like there'll be two or three goblins"

Stephen looking worried.

"I know what you're thinking Luke,and we're not gonna do it"

"Oh come on lets just check whats inside and we'll call the hunters."

"No,anything can happen,and since its aura's hardly noticeable,i don't think anyone will come here to save us"

"Come on nothing will happen we're just gonna se..."

Before he could finish his words,they saw it.A goblin coming out of the gate.With it's pointy ears and fierce appearance.

"Whoa he..."

Stephen and Alex quickly cover Luke's mouth,but it was a little too late.

The goblin saw them and started approaching their direction.

He slowly walk towards them,the three came out from the bush making their fighting pose.

"Come on guys,its only one.We can handle this much"

The goblin then stops walking,he stood there looking at them.

Then all of a sudden he screamed on top of his lungs and run towards them.He was raising his spikey club and tried to hit them.

They all dodge and run,but the goblin was much faster then them.

He soon catch up to them and then begin swinging his club.They then seperate themselves and while one was being chased,the others were trying attacking it with whatever stuff they found.

Alex now unscathed his sword.A normal goblin isn't much of a threat even to normal humans so he was sure he could beat it.

He then swung his sword and hit the goblin's back.The goblin screamed in pain and Alex was now the only one he was going for.

The goblin then raising his club ran towards Alex and strike down at him.Alex dodge the Club to the left positioning himself and making a horizontal slash.

The goblin was now bleeding from both his back and his stomach.Alex now feeling a lot more confident went for another strike.This time he tried to end it,he went straight to him and tried to thrust his sword in his chest.

"Arghhhhh ahhhhh!!!!!"

The goblin was wailing in pain,Alex hit him straight in his chest but the goblin's skin was too thick.Alex then pulled out his sword and tried to slash his neck,but the goblin dodge and move back.

"Where do you think you're going"

Luke was behind him with a log,he hit the goblin as hard as he can and the goblin fell on the ground.

Alex ran as fast as he can and stab the goblin in his head.The goblin was now dripped in blood and motionless.

They were feeling pretty proud,not only did they kill a monster but also with no enhancement or any magic.

They were feeling proud but shocked at the same time,the thing that shocked them the most was how Alex,with no hesitation stab the goblin.Of course its a monster and they need to kill it.But Alex was hitting and slashing it like he's done this before.

"Are you guys okay?"

Alex looking at them breathing heavily.

The two were still in shock looking at him and his bloody sword,but they try to act normal.

"Yea..yeah we're fine right Stephen?"

Stephen was feeling really helpless not helping them in any of that.All he could do was watched them fight the goblin any way possible.

'Maybe talent isn't really anything if you don't have the courage to use it'..he thought to himself.

Just as Luke was heading towards him,two arrows suddenly flew from the side hitting Luke in his arm and almost hitting Alex on his shoulder.

They looked to the side.....and what they saw was five goblins looking at them.Two of them using a bow and the other three were using a sword.

Luke fell down looking at his arm wailing in pain, Stephen immediately ran by his side and hold him.

The goblins were approaching them, grinning,look at them as if they were some sort of food.

Alex immediately rushed towards them and stood infornt of them.Then one of the goblins with the a sword ran towards Alex slashing his sword down,Alex manage to dodge it and quickly strike back,using his same move he slash horizontally and the goblin fell back.

Just as he was about to stab him,an arrow hit him in the chest and he immediately fell down.He was shocked,in pain and his vision was blurry.He tried to get up,then the goblin that was slashed tried to hit him again,striking down again.

Alex block his attack with his sword,he was struggling to push back.The goblin was angry and he kept pushing his sword down.But then the goblin heard footsteps and when he looked up,he got hit by a log in his head.

Stephen was kinda scared ,after hitting the goblin the others immediately rushed towards him.He blocked one of the goblins attack but there was still one left.As soon as he pushed away the one in front he tried to block the other one,but he suddenly felt pain on his side.

It was an arrow,the goblin's archers were smiling and they were loading another arrow.The goblin on his side was still rushing towards him,but he didn't have time to block himself.He just watched the sword striking down.

"Aaaahhhhhh"

The goblin was screaming in pain,he looked at him and on his chest,a sword ran through it.It was Alex stabbing through his chest.

"Wha.....?"

Stephen was confused,just a moment ago he couldn't even stab through the goblin's stomach,but now his sword went through his chest.

The other goblin that was pushing down on Alex was already dead,his head was detached.

Alex quickly ran towards the last one with the sword and he strikes him,the goblin defend himself but Alex was able to cut through his sword and straight to his head.

His head was cut in half.

Alex covered in blood again quickly ran towards the two with a bow, dodging their arrows.But after nearly reaching one of them he was shot in his leg.

He fell down but tried to get up again.Another arrow again hit him on his shoulder,he was almost out of energy and his head began to hurt.

Alex then stood up for the last time,ran and jumped on one of the archer,killing him instantly.He then ran towards the second archer and swung his sword with all the strength he has left.

He hit the goblin in his arm,but not enough to cause fatal injury.His strength left his body and the goblin quickly hit Alex with his bow.

Alex fell and as soon as his head reach the ground,he was left unconscious.

Stephen and Luke were shocked seeing Alex kill four goblins almost all by himself.

Luke with an arrow stuck in his arm got up and quickly ran towards the archer.The archer noticed him and quickly load his bow,but before he could finish loading,Luke pushed him on the ground.

Luke then grab Alex's sword and stab the goblin in his chest eventually killing him.

All the goblins are now dead.Stephen quickly got up and ran towards where the gate was,but it was already gone.

'Is it finally over?.Did the first one scream to call for backup?'

A lot of questions run through Stephen's mind,but he quickly ran back towards Alex.

Luke was holding Alex up, trying to wake him.But Alex didn't have any response,his breathing wasn't normal and he was still bleeding from the arrows.

Stephen reach them and saw Luke with an arrow in his arm.Alex with an arrow in his chest,his leg and on his shoulder.Stephen already removed the arrow stuck in his side and cover it with a piece of clothing.

He reached Alex's side and tried to wake him up.

But he too failed.Both of them were really worried now.

"Stephen can you try removing the arrows, I'll tear my clothes so we can stop the bleeding."

Stephen immediately did what he said,he steadily pull out the arrow on his chest.It was really close to his heart so he was nervous.After Removing it,they quickly cover it with the cloth.Soon after they did the same to his leg and his shoulder.

Luke then carried Alex after removing the arrow on his arm.They ran as fast as possible while also looking for anyone who can help them.

When they finally reach one of the roads that lead to the village they met one of the villager.

"What happened!!Are you kids okay!?"

He ran towards them immediately and saw their injuries,blood dripping down from parts of their body.

"We need to get you the the Church"

He immediately help Luke and carried Alex on his back.