Chapter 14: The meet ups

In the bustling marketplace filled with vendors and horse-drawn carriages, the cacophony of merchants, travelers, and adventurers' voices blend into one indistinct murmur. Amidst the chaos, a young man with dark brown hair and piercing green eyes strolls down the street, unremarkable in appearance. However, if someone were to observe his movements, they would be perplexed as every move he does, each steps he takes everything about him would change. As if a hundreds of people are walking at the same time, at the same place and at one single body.

'This is the best time to train my self so why would I use the carriage to tour the city??' he thought as his eyes would land on every person that walks. Then he would try to imitate their walks. Then he would switch a target without completely copying them, and switching once again, and again. He seems to be only mimicking a small movement of many different people. And then once he got 5 to 6 movement copy he would re-do does 6 moves he just copied and memorize them. And at this moment this would also be the time for him to sightseeing and look around the place in wonder, but he will do his best not to get distracted completely. Once memorize the step he would start copying other people once again. And by the time he reach the deepest and the most prosperous and popular area of the shopping district he have already memorize most than 200 different steps of 200 different people. Oh also its not just the feet movement Lukeas was mimicking but the entire body, from the head to the sole of his feet. He will copy someone from how they move their head while walking, to how they move their feet, or arm.

'Hmm... Should i call this [step of one hundred] ? Hehe it sounds like the one in cultivation novels hahah' he laughs in his mind while merely smiling from the outwards. When suddenly he spots someone in the crowd.. The way he walks... It looked completely different.. But at the same time indistinguishable from the rest. The man himself was also unique. He was wearing a green vest and a violet suit. He look very fashionable yet no one seems to pay attention to him. The way he walks was as if he wasn't there at all. And without any hesitations, Lukeas abandoned the move he was currently trying to practice and focused on that one man. While copying the man Lukeas would occasionally loose the man on his vision but after a while of concentration he would find the man again.. Thats why he went closer and put his entire focused on the man. Not caring for the people that he was hitting on the way.

Lukeas struggled repeatedly, but to no avail. Frustrated, he changed his vantage point and approached the man from the opposite side. Previously, he had been following the man on the right, but now he moved to the left for a fresh perspective. It was then that he noticed something peculiar: the man's gait was alternating between two distinct foot techniques with every step. Luke was about to give it a try when the man suddenly stopped.

And suddenly, Lukeas couldn't breath.. Its like someone have grab him by the neck. "Who are you? Why are you following me? Who sent you? Did the pope send you? Answer me or I'll break your fucking neck!" turns out, Lukeas was right, the man was actually choking him to death. Making Lukeas struggle and desperately tap on the mans arm. Looking down the man loosened the grip on his neck, but only enough for Lukeas to talk.. "Now speak..." the man said with his eye narrowing dangerously.

Lukeas cough violently for a few times before saying. "Your shoe.... Looks fancy... *cough* *cough! *" he said with a strained voice.. But in his mind he was screaming and punching him self. 'His shoooeeee??!!! What the fuuck brain!!! I'm doomed.. Fuck... My second chance!!! Noooo!!!'

It was a little silent but Luke's ass cheeks was clenched so tight he felt like hes having ass cramps. When suddenly Lukeas felt the gravity shift and he hit the floor. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!! You thief! So you were only after my belongings??!! *sighh* but.. I'm curious.. How can you see me? And if your a thief why are you wearing such nice clothing and doesn't look like a thief...?"

After coughing for a bit. Lukeas looked up at the man with a pained look.." I.. Never... Said... I'm.... Planning... On... Stealing it..... I... Was... Trying... To.... Decided if.. I should ask you... Where.. You got it... " he explain sorely.

" As for how i saw you?.... I dont know.. But I'm quite known... For being a very observant child when i was young..maybe it's my talent? " Lukeas said.. And the man merely looked at him..

" Your telling the truth... Hmm.. Ill spare you kid... Next time.. Dont go tailing people for a very long time... It's fucking creepy." the man said before turning around.. And then he turn back again.. "Ah right.. The shoe... You'll get it in the 3rd block on in the Gold street the moment you turn from there you'll see it. "

Then the man walks into the cloud and quickly dissappear.

When the man finally vanished Lukeas screamed "ARRGHHH!! I FORGOOOTT!-" then he covered him mouth realizing he said it out loud. And almost all the passerby was glancing at him.

'I forgot!! Dum idiot mee!!' he curse his self and quickly stands up and started walking.. Not taking into mind the looks the people are giving him.

While walking he would take a step and stop.. Then take another and stop... He looked like a complete robot, making other passersby look at him curiously. The thought that the man have choked him and none of the people around saw it didn't even crossed his mind. He was so focused in trying to remember the man special way of walking. Its just that the thing he forgot is the most important part.

And Lukeas who was looking at both of his feet as he make each step suddenly bump into someone. "Hey! Do you know who i am? Hey! Im talking to you!" the voice said but Lukeas didn't care. He kept walking and practicing.

"Young lady! We must go now! Your father requested of your presence immediately!" a man behind them said and what comes after that was already out of Lukeas range, specially somewhere so noisy. And he was focused on a different thing as well.

*****

'In the end i couldn't remember it' Lukeas sulk, right now he was only copying random peoples steps and combining it... His self proclaimed skill [Step of one hundred] doesn't fit any more. It would be now appropriate to call it [A step of a Thousands] and right now if he execute this move whoever was watching him intently would get sensory overload and would temporarily lose focus and zone out completely.. But its as quick as a blink of an eye. Making it quite useless, at least for now. Ah right.. The enemy would keep zoning out as long as they keep watching Lukeas... At least as long as they put focus on him or they have a powerful and sharp mind..

And in the street besides the road Lukeas walked back home slowly.. Still practicing his self made skill. The once crowded street was now... Not crowded.. But there's still people around tho... The different thing is it's almost night.

'Hmm.. Whos this? Which family this guy belongs to..' a boy who was standing besides a carriage thought. He wore a white tuxedo and he has a deep blue hair. 'I should ask him' he thought. But when he was about to ask the man something strange happened. "He-..... Huh?" he seems to have zone out... So he turned his head still intending to ask him. But the same thing happened.

"Are you ok master Damien?" an old man said as he stand up. He seems to have finished fixing the wheel.. "Uhm.. Nothing.. I... Just a bit chilly" he replied. Before going inside the carriage as his butler opened the door for him.

Hmm.. Perhaps Lukeas self proclaimed skill is useful after all.. Because after all those encounter Lukeas seems to have managed to avoid all of those 'meet ups' by just walking. One was by literally just walking away, while the other is confusing the shit out of some young man. We'll he did almost died.. But the keyword is 'Almost' and he's alive.. So all is good..

With that Lukeas returned back to the Ewens Residence with a dissatisfied expression and a bad mood.. But he noticed. Earlier there were only one carriage in the front yard but now there's two! 'Looks like they have returned!'