Ghaster sighed. “So everyone is talking about the beatings I received.”
“That’s safe to say. I mean, if I found out about it then it should be commonplace by now.”
Ghaster shook his head. “But she is refusing to fight me now. Viki has been promoted to the fighting proficiency stage recently. Maybe the notoriety of our fights is why she is refusing my challenge. She said that I am not a challenge to her now and I was never one. The only thing that has changed is that I’ll make her rusty by indulging in my interest in masochistic self-abuse. She said while it was fun to release her tension by beating me up, it must not come in the way of her martial pursuit.”
“Then she isn’t bad. She has a good grasp of her goals and what’s of importance to her. She isn’t hotheaded like you. I hope you learned that much from her.”
Soverick was impressed by her bearing. She might not be able to control her mouth and had called him a freak, but she held herself well when he ignored her. She had self-control and obviously cared more about power than social niceties.
Plus she has been tutoring his younger brother, which made him have a favorable opinion of her. Besides, she wasn’t wrong. He is a freak. She just might not know how much of a freak he is. But that might change in the future when he joins the third stage.
Ghaster laughed. “I’m glad that you are not angry that she beat up your brother.”
Soverick ignored the sarcasm. “You’re welcome.”
Ghaster shook his head. “It seems your training hasn’t changed you. You are still the same obnoxious person I know. That’s good. I heard that the second stage has a way of breaking people mentally and emotionally, more than the physical aspect.”
Soverick waved his hand dismissively. “It was a little frustrating at times but I overcame it.”
Ghaster blinked. “You have finished the second stage?”
“I just did.”
Ghaster blinked “You what? Are you joking? You began the second stage less than two months ago. I heard it takes years. Viki spent 11 years at the second stage.”
Soverick shrugged. “That’s Viki. I’m not Viki. Don’t compare me with others and don’t try to compare yourself to me. I am beyond compare at this level and I will be beyond compare beyond it too.”
“How is that even possible? You spent less time on it than the preparatory stage.” Ghaster was still in disbelief.
While Soverick was unconcerned. “That’s for you to figure out. Let’s talk about why you like getting beaten up so much. Do you like it?”
Ghaster had stopped walking forward. He was quiet and trembling a little.
Soverick called back to him when he noticed his odd behavior. “Hey, Ghaster, what’s happening to you?”
“I was getting beaten so that I could catch up to you. It turns out that I was wasting my time. Here I am, still fooling around in the preparatory stage while you’re about to start the fighting proficiency stage. I thought fighting Viki will give me an edge over you since I thought you were still grinding in the techniques stage. I was wrong. You will probably leave me behind here.”
“Really, are you jealous?”
“I am not jealous. I just cannot admit defeat. I must not admit defeat.”
Ghaster reminded soverick of the two battle sage monkeys that just fought in the arena. They were also bogged down by what Soverick considers irrelevant.
“Stop being so dramatic. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has different talents and abilities.”
Ghaster screamed, “But it’s not fair.”
Soverick snickered. “Of course, it’s not fair. Life isn’t fair. Stop thinking like a moron. You have the help of Hadrick don’t you? He supplies you with life force. That’s why you are full of vitality and I know what you intend to do with it. You want Viki to beat you up while you’re in this state so that your vitality can heal you up and strengthen you. Is it taking a shortcut or cheating? Who else has a reservoir of life force at their beck and call that they can use to strengthen themselves instead of exercising? Is it fair that you have that advantage?”
Soverick had tried to get a supply of life force from Hadrick but Hadrick had refused until he threatened him with Ghaster. Yet, Ghaster gets to simply ask and get as much life force as he wants. Just because his ancestor had a close relationship with Hadrick.
“It’s not cheating. I work hard for what I have. The life force is an advantage I got due to the hard work of my ancestor. It is my inheritance.” Ghaster maintained.
“Who says that I don’t work hard for what I have? Your bloodline is your inheritance. That life force is preferential treatment. Not everyone has a royal bloodline like yours that gives them an advantage in elemental affinity and everything. Did you work hard for your bloodline? No. When last did you train your vitality core? Those without a bloodline have to work hard to increase the conversion of their vitality core and they might still fail to become mana entities. You don’t need to train your vitality core and you make progress every day. Your bloodline is a cheat, an unfair advantage. Everyone with a bloodline is cheating. People aren’t born equal. Life isn’t fair.” Soverick’s voice had become mocking by the time he finished his tirade.
“Then what about you? What is your cheat? Why are you so great? I can’t catch up to you even with my ‘preferential treatment.’ Why am I lacking compared to you?”
Soverick spoke proudly. “I worked hard to reach where I am today. I am the first of my kind. I am without compare and I can not be compared to anyone. That is why I am so great.”
Ghaster glared at him and said, “One day, I’ll rise above you and I’ll trample you.”
Soverick retorted. “One day, I’ll rise above the world and I’ll trample the strongest beneath my feet. Everything that stands in my path will be crushed. Good luck in your endeavor and be careful not to be crushed.”
Ghaster watched as Soverick turned and left. He watched him with unyielding eyes. The same as the ones that the Ghastorix ancestor used as he watched the better warriors. Ghastorix was born weak and so couldn’t get access to Origin waters or good trees. And yet he didn’t accept defeat. He continued to work hard and fortune smiled on him when he met Hadrick. Things changed then. Ghastorix’s hard work when paired with Hadrick’s assistance bore a bountiful harvest. Ghastorix achieved greatness and strength.
Then Hadrick was about to die and Ghastorix didn’t concede to fate. He left for the ancient battlefield where he fought and nearly died several times. He was strong but there were stronger people from all races on the ancient battlefield. He was beaten, broken, and defeated. And yet he didn’t accept defeat.
He trained and became better. He went to the tower of heaven and fought with his life on the line. He returned triumphantly but it was too late. And yet he didn’t accept defeat.
Ghastorix sacrificed everything to save his friend, including the prize he won with his life in a gamble. Then he stood guard as the very heavens were determined to end his friend. Day in and day out he suffered under the barrage of lightning strikes. His body and mind were wreaked with pain and he was almost broken. And yet he didn’t accept defeat.
He stood back up every time he was sent to the ground and fought harder. He fought harder and became stronger for it. He comprehended the law of lightning and lightning could no longer harm him. But the heavens increased its punishment and aimed for total destruction. For years and years, he suffered as he was pummeled with destruction. This time, he was broken in body and soul. And yet he didn’t accept defeat. His willpower helped him to remain conscious and he finally comprehended the law of destruction.
The Ghastorix ancestor never accepted defeat. Some might say it doesn’t matter, that it doesn’t change the fact that he was defeated. That he is being stubborn and unreasonable. That his stubbornness does change the fact that he was defeated numerous times and trampled upon. But he doesn’t need to be reasonable because lightning and destruction are not reasonable.
If he were not stubborn and unyielding, he would have stayed down after being trampled. The numerous people who looked down on the defeated figure of Ghastorix and disdained to kill him wouldn’t have regretted that decision.
Lightning and destruction ignored his pleas, supplication, and suffering, they were stubborn and unreasonable. So he learned to ignore all else and be stubborn. That’s how he became the first in the line of Punishment Lightning and Destruction Royal Bloodline.