"What you did was good son," Master Ye's eyes crinkled at the corners and his face glowed. "I am proud of you." Jon's mother chimed in, "You are the talk of the town now son. Everyone is praising your bravery and power."Jon hesitated for a moment before replying. "I have something to ask you…" he narrowed his eyes. "It is about our family's ancestry."The smile on Master Ye's face turned upside down, "What do you want to ask about it?""Who is my grandfather?" Jon's voice shook. Master Ye eluded the question, "Why are you asking this out of the blue?"Jon slumped his shoulders and exhaled deeply. He then plucked up his courage, "I have met your servant."Master Ye raised his eyebrows but did not say anything."He had told me everything about your arranged marriage," Jon continued. Master Ye 's eyes darted as he looked down. Jon then whipped out his crystal, "He told me that my grandfather gave me this family heirloom to save your life and mother's.""This crystal helped me defea
Knowing their families' relationship, Jon was unsure of how he should react to Raphael. He wondered how everything would play out if his father had obeyed Grandmaster Ye. While Jon was deep in thought, Melissa ignored Raphael. They continued tucking in their meal."I read the newspaper this week," Raphael tried to start another round of verbal abuse. "Have you?"His interlocutors remained silent. "I wonder how a dishonorable expelled student like you can gain the town's recognition," he rubbed his chin. "You do not have the money to bribe journalists so you must have used a ruse." He leaned in, "If you get caught for scamming the public, you and your family will face dire consequences."As Jon held his anger in, his face turned hot. "What do you want Raphael?" Jon irritably spoke. Raphael chortled, "Since when did you ever care about what I want?""If you get that we do not care, then you should know your place and leave," Melissa immediately retorted."Woah," Raphael raised both
Jon was tired after a long training session. After resting and eating a hearty dinner, he took out the herbs he had found in the forest.They came in many colors, shapes, and sizes. They also possessed different properties. Some of the plants he had found could act as sedatives, anesthetics, and even stimulants, for instance. He meticulously examined the plants one by one and neatly jotted down their qualities using his laptopInformation such as the shape of their leaves or petals, the location that they were found, and so on, were detailed.Some of them could be made into pills while the others had to be consumed as potions for maximum effect. "Interesting," Jon carefully looked at a plant under a magnifying glass. "Its movement is similar to an insect." He had found a new plant species that could move on its own. The six leaves at its base carried the rest of the plant around. Jon mused as he tried to replicate the plant using energy. After a period of time, he managed to cre
Melissa hesitated, "I am not sure if I can make it…""Why not?" Jon squinted his eyes. She stayed silent and looked down, her long and curly golden hair fell over her face."You are one of the best students in school!" Jon was astonished. "Why do you have so little confidence in yourself?"She shook her head, "I am not sure…""Going to university is your only chance to make headway beyond this town…" he persisted. "Do you have other plans to do that?" Melissa stayed silent.Jon raised his eyebrows, "Do you want to stay in this town forever?" She shook her head."But it seems like you do not have any plans to leave…" Jon was confused. "Can I really do it?" Melissa questioned herself. "What should I do if I fail?"Not knowing what Melissa was thinking, Jon sighed in desperation. "The scholarship entrance exam is open to everyone," Melissa finally started. "That does not only include students from our school."Jon started to understand Melissa's perspective. "Competition for the sch
Melissa stopped to blindfold Jon just as they were approaching the place. They had walked to the rural part of their town. "Are we there yet?" Jon was getting impatient as he had followed Melissa for a while. "We will be there soon!" she slowly guided him by the hand.---Jon exclaimed after he took off his blindfold, "Wow! This place is amazing!"Melissa had led Jon to a creek next to a plain filled with trees. The place was teeming with wildlife and varied plant species."I figured it would be nice to have a change in environment," Melissa grinned. "The water in this place is crystal clear and would be conducive for training." "The water would more likely be an advantage for you," Jon smirked as he narrowed his eyes.Melissa giggled, "That is only fair."Jon conceded, "Fine, but we must stay within the boundaries of the plain.""Deal!" Melissa nodded. "We will end the spar once the timer rings. If I do not strike you before five minutes is up, you most likely have a shot at earn
"You are holding out well," Jon encouraged. Melissa kicked her right limb out while she replied, "I am just getting started." "That is the spirit!" Jon answered as he stepped sideways. He bent backward when Melissa did another kick using her left leg. Jon backflipped several times to put some distance between himself and his opponent. Melissa ran toward him with her whip in her hands.Crack!Jon blocked the attack using his sword in the nick of time. Shing!As he swung his weapon, a streak of energy appeared in the air."Electric Field!"A dome of energy surrounded Melissa and absorbed the attack.However, it disappeared immediately after. Melissa was pushed backward while her feet were planted on the ground. Jon took the opportunity to charge toward his opponent. Thud!Melissa fell backward due to a rock. Crack!Still laying on the ground, she swung her whip and rolled over. She stood up while Jon prepared to swing his sword. Crack!She blocked his follow-up attack just in
Boom, boom, boom…Jon shot balls of fire while Melissa fired lightning bolts.Explosions after explosions occurred while both of them agilely maneuvered about. Drops of perspiration appeared all over Melissa's face but she was unwilling to give up."Time is almost up!" Jon chirped. "You have put up a good fight."Melissa smirked, "Do not go easy on me now!"Boom, boom, boom…As balls of fire exploded, Melissa generated a force field to protect herself."I do not think I did," Jon replied. He then quickly launched another energy attack, "Meteor Rain!"Melissa maintained her force field as she floated in the air. While doing so, she drew energy from the crystal clear creek nearby.Boom!Her force field exploded, destroying the fireballs surrounding it. "Hurricane Harrow!"Melissa made use of her environment's advantage to help her with the attack. Multiple water droplets rose from the creek and swirled in the air. Ding, ding, ding…The timer rang the fifth time just as a small twis
At Grandmaster Ye's mansion…"Jon is determined to participate in his town's tournament…" Grandmaster Ye frowned and stroked his green beard. "The risks for that are high…""Shall I persuade him not to sign up for it?" General Hui proposed.After a moment of silence, Grandmaster Ye replied, "Help him in whatever way you can. You have the Ye family's entire armament at your disposal.""Yes, Grandmaster Ye," General Hui bowed then took his leave.Grandmaster Ye squinted his eyes, "This will be a good test to determine if he really is fit to inherit the Ye family's wealth…"He then walked to his study room to compile the details of his business. ---"Are you really taking part in the tournament?" Melissa asked with wide eyes and a shaky voice.Jon nodded, "I must do it for the sake of my parents."Melissa was hesitant, "What about yourself? What about your…""I will take care of myself," Jon interrupted. He then took hold of her hand, "I hope you will support me in my decision."Melissa
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