One year ago…Cough, cough, cough…"Husband, are you alright?" Jon's mother looked worried. "You have been coughing for weeks and it is getting worse each day.""I am fine," Jon's father replied. "It is just a cough. I will get better soon.""I think you should take a break from work to rest," Jon's mother advised. Jon's father shook his head, "My company needs me. I will be fine." The next day, however, he could not get out of bed."What is wrong husband?" Jon's mother was frightened. "You were still up and about yesterday."His entire face was pale and he could not speak. Jon's mother immediately requested for a doctor to visit their home. When the doctor arrived and examined Jon's father, he frowned. "I am sorry but I am not able to treat Master Ye," the doctor shook his head. "Please find another doctor.""But you are the best doctor in the town," Jon's mother cried. "If you cannot treat him, who can?"When Jon heard the news related to his father, he was determined to find a c
"The gang is here," a few students whispered as the school's most influential students walked into the classroom for Jon's first lesson of the day.Although Jon had been from a powerful family, he was never a part of that gang. He did not like the way they treated the students who were not part of their group. Members of the gang would get close to students they deemed useful and ditch them once they were no longer of value. He also heard rumors that the people in the group would manipulate and backstab each other to gain the upper hand.The group's dynamics was the epitome of survival of the fittest. "Hey pipsqueak," Raphael, the gang's leader, rudely called. "I want to sit here today."The student immediately packed her items and moved away. Jon sighed and rolled his eyes. He always wondered how those people managed to gain the respect of other students in school. However, he did not like to trouble himself with affairs related to them. He preferred to concentrate on what was i
"Who are you talking to Mel?" Raphael crossed his arms and sized up Jon. "I did not give you permission to call me that," she sharply replied.In a bid to alleviate the tension, Jon cleared his voice and said, "She is my best friend." Little did Jon know that he added fuel to the flames. "I am not talking to you," Raphael snapped at Jon. "Keep your mouth shut."Raphael then turned to Melissa and frowned, "Why are you friends with a nobody like him?"Melissa glared at him and defended Jon, "He is not a nobody. He is my best friend. Class is starting soon. Come on Jon, we need to go."Jon and Melissa walked to their next class. Raphael glared at Jon from behind. He was determined to gain Melissa on his side and was not going to give up on her that easily. ---Their next class is combat training. In this lesson, Master Li, their combat trainer, demonstrated basic Tai Chi attack techniques. "Tai Chi focuses on speed and balance," Master Li instructed. "Remember that when sparring."T
Jon met Melissa outside her classroom as planned. They then made their way to the cafeteria.After settling down, Jon walked to the counter to order their meals. Moments later, Raphael entered the canteen."Here you are Mel," spoke in a sweet and gentle tone as he walked towards her.Melissa groaned internally, "Not again! This guy is more annoying than a fly." "Who are you having lunch with?" Raphael looked around the place. Melissa wished she could slap Raphael in the face. She refused to answer his question. "Why are you so annoying?" she shouted. Raphael looked hurt, "I just want to be friends with you.""Why are you trying to get close to me?" Melissa confronted Raphael. "What do you want from me?" "Why do you not believe me?" Raphael quizzed. "I come from a respectable family."Melissa tried to wrap her head around what Raphael said, "He really thinks the world revolves around him because he is born in a powerful family."After a few moments, he spoke, "I know I am really h
After a short interval of silence, Jon cleared his throat and mumbled, "We were playing with each other."Jon good-naturedly covered Raphael.Raphael, however, chose not to speak. "Very well, I will accept your explanation. You may leave." Master Shi nodded at Jon then turned to Raphael. "Young man, I do not wish to see anyone holding their weapons on school grounds outside of the training room," Master Shi frowned then confiscated Raphael's boomerang."This will stay in my office until you submit a 10 000-word reflection explaining why you were holding your boomerang here," Master Shi sternly told Raphael. Unable to control his indignation, Raphael spewed a string of vulgarities at the principal. Master Shi was appalled at his imprudent behavior, "For your lack of repentance and rudeness, you will also serve a month of detention."Upon hearing that, Raphael realized what he had done and could only helplessly nod, "I apologize Master Shi." "You are dismissed," Master Shi coolly sa
"What is wrong father and mother?" Jon concernedly asked as he furrowed his brows and tried to make sense of what was happening. "Please speak to me."He did not receive a reply.He instinctively touched their faces and hands. They were icy cold.Jon was at a loss. He frantically diagnosed his parents using his basic set of medical tools. To his dismay, he could not detect any symptoms that indicated the cause of their sickness. It was as if their parents were in a deep sleep—hibernating. The memory of what had happened when his father had fallen ill suddenly flashed in Jon's mind. "These symptoms are exactly the same," Jon reflected. He then remembered the doctor's method of treating his father. After checking the family's inventory, Jon realized he needed to purchase more medicine but could not afford it. The little money they had left was reserved for buying daily necessities, which were quickly running out. "I need to make the power-focusing pill and sell it," Jon desperatel
The alchemist eyed Jon several times."Judging by the looks of his clothes, he is a poor man's child," the alchemist thought to himself as he pondered about the amount he should quote to Jon. "A bag of coins should be more than sufficient for him." "1 000 coins," the alchemist finally said tranquilly. "1 000 coins?" Jon forlornly thought to himself. "That is less than half the price I was expecting."Jon's society held alchemists in high regard. He knew he was in a disadvantageous position but he needed to try to strike a better bargain. He kept a calm mien, "This pill is freshly made using precious ingredients. Please reconsider your offer.""1 000 coins—take it or leave it," the alchemist firmly replied. Jon knew that his family was in a dire situation and depended on selling the pill for survival. He refused to easily accept the initial price, especially when it was so low. He changed his tactic, "Could you offer me a bundle of ingredients and 1 000 coins in exchange for this
Ah…The people on the streets outside of the alchemist's store heard loud screams and stopped to see what was happening. They saw a young boy being thrown onto the ground by guards."Must be another thief," one passerby thought. "Young people these days are so brazen.""The boy is making such a ruckus," opined another person. "It is very late now. He should keep quiet so that others can rest for the night."Ironically, the passersby thought Jon was the cause of the trouble. Nobody cared about what Jon was actually saying."Help me!" Jon screamed at the top of his lungs. "Is there still such a thing as justice?"Everyone on the streets near Jon continued minding their own business. He realized no one would come to his aid, much less stand by his side. Left on the streets outside of the alchemist's store, Jon slowly picked himself up. While feeling resentful and sorry, he dusted himself and checked for wounds.Just then, a bent old man wearing a large hat and tattered coat steadily lim
Boom, boom, boom…Each of the energy beams targeted vital areas of the troupe leader's body. He counteracted them with sound beams but could not shake them off. Boom!The green energy beams collided and created a massive explosion. Since smoke filled the air, Jon could not see where his opponent went. Bang!Jon crashed onto the ground.The earbud in his ear dropped out. "That pitiful attack of yours is nothing to me," the troupe leader said while looking down at Jon and walking toward him. One… Two…Jon stirred and rolled to his side. The troupe leader placed a foot on Jon to ensure he could not get up."This is the end of the match," the troupe leader spoke harshly. "Admit it!" "Why did Master Hui pass me the earbuds?" Jon wondered to himself when he saw the earbud on the floor. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, "Could it be that the earbuds are not for me?"Boom!Recharged by a sliver of hope, Jon shot ninja stars at the troupe leader. Thud!The leader flew a distance in the air t
Clang!Jon generated a shield to protect himself from being hurt by the mace.Thud!The troupe leader appeared in front of him. Boom, boom, boom…Disco balls crashed into Jon's green shield and it vibrated. Jon struggled to upkeep his shield. "Astro Fury!" Green balls of fire crashed into the disco balls. Boom, boom, boom…One of them hit the troupe leader from behind. Thud!He fell flat on his face. Shing!Jon quickly unsheathed his sword. Just as his sword was about to hit the troupe leader, his opponent reached out his hand and grabbed Jon's ankle. Thud! Jon fell on his back. He quickly aimed a kick at the troupe leader's head.However, his opponent rolled away and stood up, dodging the blow. Clang!The troupe leader's mace collided with Jon's sword. Still on the ground, Jon aimed another a kick at his opponent's abdomen.Pfft!The troupe leader spat blood while he landed on his bottom. Jon rushed to get on his feet. Shing!His sword was directly next to the troupe le
Boom, boom, boom…Jon retaliated by sending balls of energy toward the troupe leader. He easily dodged them. Just before his opponent swung his mace, Jon launched another attack. "Seed explosion!"Boom!A supersonic sound wave collided with the seeds. "Deafening Silence!"Suddenly, Jon could not hear any sound."What is happening?" he felt afraid. "Have I turned deaf?"Jon saw the troupe leader holding his mace to his side and running toward him. "Sound or no sound the fight has to go on," Jon told himself. He opened his mouth to utter the name of his next attack but he could not hear anything. "Have I become mute too?" his heart palpitated. Moments after, he saw wooden stakes shoot up from the ground. The troupe leader's mouth moved. "What is he doing now?" Jon was disoriented. The next moment, Jon was thrust backward.He hit the ring's barrier and fell to the ground. When he saw the jury's mouth move, he scrambled to regain his footing. "I cannot rely on my hearing now,
Bam!Jon punched his opponent's metal abdomen while his dagger cut her wrist. Thud!She stumbled backward and dropped her hammer. Jon swooped down to retrieve her weapon then slammed it in the middle of her body. Zap, zap, zap…Static noise filled the air.The cyborg's metal torso broke into half then dropped flat on the ground. One… two… She struggled to fix her body parts back together.Three!Ding, ding, ding…Jon made it to the final round!"No!" the cyborg's eyes brimmed with tears. Jon could not help but feel sorry for her.He tried to help her piece herself back together. "Leave me alone," she bitterly spat as Jon moved her lower body toward her upper body. "I do not need your pity.""I do not pity you," Jon replied. "I admire your skill and fighting spirit."He extended his hand and beamed, "It was a good fight."The cyborg was still suspicious, "Stop pretending to be kind. You must be gloating since you won.""I am happy that I won," Jon admitted. "But I hope that you…"
51: Mind and Might A green ball of energy was flung to the opposite end of the arena.Thud!Jon landed on the ground with his energy shield still around him. He slowly stood up.Thud, thud, thud…The cyborg's figure appeared in front of Jon. She lifted her arms without saying a word.A blue ball of energy appeared in her hand while a long metal chain replaced her robotic arm. Crack!She flung the metal chain at Jon's shield. The shield flickered as he stumbled to the side."Give up now!" the cyborg calmly said. "There is no use in continuing the fight."She shot a large blue energy orb at Jon. "Leave while you can," her eyes turned blue. She shot two concentrated beams of energy at Jon's shield. He refused to admit defeat. Boom, boom, boom…He flew in the air and launched an attack, "Orion Vine!"Crack, crack, crack…The cyborg brandished her metal chain at the vines surrounding her to keep them at bay. "I need to grab this chance," Jon ensured he aimed accurately at his oppo
Jon flew in the air to dodge the thick blue beam. His opponent continued aiming the beam at him. A few moments later, she switched tactics. Boom, boom, boom! Blue balls of energy flew directly toward Jon. He nimbly dodged them and deflected some with a shield. Boom! One of them hit his arm. "I need to counterattack!" he thought as he shot balls of energy. Boom, boom, boom… The cyborg rolled forward then stood up. Boom, boom, boom… She continued shooting blue balls of energy. This time, she used both arms. Jon flew forward to close the distance between himself and his opponent. Shing! He unsheathed his sword and slashed its blade across the cyborg's torso. Not a single scratch could be seen. The next moment, the end of her robotic arm turned into a flat pointed blade.Shing!She raised her arm then plunged it down. Clang!Jon blocked both his opponent's blade with his sword. Shing, shing, shing…The cyborg slashed her robotic arm at Jon. Next, she spun and kicked with
The emcee continued, "This participant has poisoned the common water cooler backstage!"Audience members were shocked, "Despicable!""Will the tournament continue?""Is the news really correct? How did they find out?"Everyone who had participated in the tournament was disturbed by what they had heard. "Was I poisoned?" "Does this mean I have a chance for a rematch?"A commotion rose as more questions popped up in everybody's minds. Finally, the emcee spoke, "We will settle all the issues related to this matter and give everyone a satisfactory answer."He needed to quickly calm the audience down and please them since the troupe's reputation and earnings were at stake right now."Please enjoy the rest of the round while my team and I handle the case!" the gestured toward the arena.A few of the audience members quietened while others sat back down on their seats. Jon's parents looked at each other."How could that child do such a thing?" Jon's mother was saddened. She did not want t
"Roar!"The stone figure lifted its arm and slammed it on the ground. Bam!Raphael rolled over and narrowly avoided the blow. Boom, boom, boom…He stood up then shot balls of red energy at the giant he had created. Thud!The giant's arm broke off. Raphael attempted to reassert control over his creation. "I am the one that made you," Raphael was enraged. "Listen to me and I will restore your arm!" However, the figure continued to attack Raphael. "Roar!"It stomped its feet on the ground, as though Raphael was a mere ant. Raphael cursed as he launched another attack, "Lava Mess!"A wave of lava rose from the ground and surged toward the human-like figure. "Roar!"However, the giant was immune to the lava attack since it was made of stone and was not a sentient being.Thud!The stone figure jumped and slammed its body on the ground. Raphael had been right under it."Is he dead?" Jon held his breath. He was a kind-hearted person and did not wish to see Raphael dead, even though
"Magma burst!"A beam of molten rock burst up from below Jon's feet. Thankfully, his armor protected him and he quickly generated an energy shield while flying upward."Astronomic Twist!"Tall beams of energy shot up around Raphael and aimed for his vital areas. "Tomb Tower!"Raphael learned from his mistake and ensured he shielded himself adequately. "Dandelion Burst!" Seeds floated toward Jon's opponent then landed on the floor. They soon turned into plants that towered over the dome-like shield of rock.Raphael held the plants surrounding him. Two red spots slowly spread from his hands to all other parts of the plants. Crackle, crackle, crackle…The red spots turned into fire, burning the plants.After a few moments, the plants turned charcoal black and lay flat on the ground. "I see Raphael's abilities have improved," he thought to himself. However, he was not surprised, "I need to be careful."Boom, boom, boom…Raphael shot red balls of fire while punching the air with alte