Shackle

"Are each of the Apprentice level techniques as effective and as powerful as the techniques you showed me?" Rui asked.

"Just around, yeah." Kane replied.

"Alright then." Rui stood up, taking a position within the ring. "Can you show me the rest?"

"Sure thing." Kane grinned, taking up a stance.

They clashed with each other for a few hours after, round after round. Kane demonstrated the prowess of a Martial Apprentice, mopping the floor with Rui over and over. Not only did he overwhelmingly pummel Rui, but he also defeated Rui in many different ways.

('So, this what happens when he uses his Foundational and Apprentice level skill, huh? It's overwhelming.') Rui though as Kane floored him yet another time. Kane had beaten him many a time by now, but Rui only grew more and more ecstatic, much to Kane's confusion.

"Let's stop here for today." Kane told Rui, earning a nod of affirmation in response.

"Yeah, no need to push ourselves too far in a single session." They were both extraordinarily exhausted.

"You know, you seem like you enjoy losing." Kane told him.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I beat you a lot, yet if anybody were to look at us, they'd assume you were the winner given how much more satisfied you seem."

"That's because I am satisfied. I learnt and experienced a ton of new things. The losses are trivial in comparison." Rui explained.

"Hmmm... I felt this before, but your passion for Martial Art is... How do I say it? Pure?"

"Pure?" Rui echoed.

"Yeah, of all the Martial Artists I've known, all of them had one reason or the other to become a Martial Artist. Power, glory, prestige, status, money and stuff like that, you know? But your joy for Martial Art feels... clean."

"..." He seemed to have trouble articulating his impression, but Rui didn't press him despite that. Ultimately, he was merely a thirteen-year-old child, accurately and precisely enunciating his feelings was not something Rui expected of him.

"You really enjoy Martial Art, don't you?" Kane asked.

"Yes." Rui replied unhesitatingly.

"That sounds amazing. I've never enjoyed Martial Art. It's always been... How do I say it? A shackle...? But it's also my only tool to break through that shackle... I don't know if that makes sense." Kane explained uncomfortably, Rui could tell he was being candid.

"I think it does." He replied. From what little Rui had seen of Kane's life, it seemed as though Martial Art shackled Kane, but was indeed also his only hope breaking through those shackles. Being born as the son of a Martial Sage, as well gifted with prodigious talent for Martial Art probably put a huge burden on him. From what Rui had seen of Kane's mother, it was likely that the entirety of Kane's family had massive expectations of him.

These expectations seemed to be a shackle, his family probably put him through rigorous Martial Art training from a young age, so much so that he reached the Martial Apprentice Realm even before entering the Academy, they didn't allow him to even leave his damn house of his own free will. His life was basically a prison. Freedom must be something of his wildest dreams.

"Hm... But you know..." Kane turned to Rui with a mirthful grin. "When I'm with you, Martial Art doesn't seem all that bad."

Rui smirked. "Well, then why don't I come hang out more often if that's ok with you?"

"That sounds great! Maybe we can spar and train every day."

That sounded perfect to Rui. He desperately wanted some real combat practice and training, so far training with Kane was probably the most fruitful thing he had done in his second life.

"Sure, sounds great." Rui replied.

"Though some days it's best if you don't."

"Oh? Why so?" Rui enquired.

"Because my father will be around." Kane explained. "You saw how my mother was, my father is far more overbearing and unpleasant."

"I see... You sure have it rough man."

Kane sighed.

"You must be excited for the Martial Academy eh?"

"Oh man, you have no idea. I can't wait to live in a different place. How excited are you.?"

"Extremely, I've been waiting nearly twelve years for this."

Kane threw him an odd look.

"What?" Rui responded to his reaction.

"You're the same age as me right?"

"Yeah."

"Then how have you been waiting for twelve years?"

"Uhhh..." Rui scratched his head awkwardly. "I probably miscounted, haha."

"Hmm.."

"Anyways, I should probably head home. I'm fucking exhausted and bruised up." Rui changed the topic.

"Wait, have some potions before you go." Kane offered.

"Oh yeah, it makes sense you have them, but no thanks." Rui declined.

"Wait why not?" Kane furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Potions are valuable one-time products man, they're not cups of tea that you offer to guests." Rui laughed. "They're far too expensive for me to accept them."

"Don't worry about stuff like that. We have more potions than we know what to do with."

"Seriously I'm good."

"No you have to!" Kane insisted.

Rui threw him a helpless glance.

"...Fine."

Kane rattled off some instructions to a servant as they exited a facility.

"You wanna take a shower?" Kane offered.

('They have showers here?') Rui pondered.

"Nah, I'm good. If I leave any later, I'll worry the folks back home."

They bantered until a servant returned with four vials. Two of them were red, while the other two were blue.

"A healing potion for your bruises, and an energy potion for your stamina." Kane offered.

Rui grasped them, taking a closer look at them.

"it's always boggled me how amazing potions are. To think they can heal and rejuvenate you in such a short period of time, truly amazing."

"That's pretty average for potions, you know?" Kane told him.

"Average?" Rui asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, these potions aren't even the best of their types. These are just standard post-training potions around here. Though they are far better than what you had at the Academy."

"Damn, so there's even better stuff huh."

"Yeah, I don't know the details but I heard the highest -grade healing potions can heal extremely lethal injuries, even if the patient is on the verge of death."

"On the verge of death?? That's insane!"

"That's not all they can do though.. There are potions that can give permanent enhancements to your body significantly in many ways, albeit rare. There also potions that can significantly increase your lifespan!"

"What??"