What is the thing most humans fundamentally possess? What is the feeling we are searching for?
Even though there may be some exceptions, most of the time, humans tend to feel like they are above others.
Pride and Ego.
We humans. No, rather, we sentient beings generally like to feel like we are better than most people.
The stupid person before me was an example of that.
I didn’t know much about him aside from his name and his ranking inside the school since he was not a named character, but the way he was acting and his small little gestures indicated that he was trying to prove himself and improve his standing inside the classroom by showing off.
It was certainly a cliched tactic or way.
Since if you want to make something taller, either you will increase its length or you will decrease the comparison’s length.
It is a small instinctual act that comes from one’s subconscious. If you devalue others before the person you want to impress, you will think your value will increase.
A basic psychology of those mothers who roast their son/daughter before their friends.
And people like that were everywhere around; thus, when it came to dealing with such people, a simple way was most efficient.
‘Showing that you are not an easy prey.’
Nature’s most basic rule. If you are weak, you are going to get eaten.
‘Liam Wayne. Ranked 1025. Specializes in swords.’
He was such a guy, but there was something I had observed in the dungeon exploration while watching my group fight.
Even though everyone was ranked high and talented, none of them were proficient in unarmed close combat. At least not enough.
Of course, it was something that was expected since, aside from Martial Artist, no one fights with their bare hands, but as a Hunter, one always needs to make sure that they are prepared.
It was the same for the guy before me.
When I ignored him, my senses picked up a flying fist coming towards me. I was already expecting such a reaction, so my body moved fast.
Thanks to my practicing martial arts on Earth, and the combat senses that were carved on the original Astron’s body by Aaron, I moved quite swiftly and dodged his punch.
Then, when he tackled and lost his balance, the feeling he was going to get was humiliation. Even though falling down to the ground was rather an act that required aid, most of the time, people’s reaction would be laughing at such a thing.
Thus, the belief that people laughing at them would make them feel humiliated, resulting in their emotions slipping over and making a hasty decision.
Like the one before me.
As a fist that was overflowing with force entered my senses, it was not hard for me to dodge the attack and tackle him to the ground with his arms locked down.
A simple technique of disarming your opponent.
Then as he was lying on the ground, I dealt the finishing blow. It was nothing that required disciplinary action but, at the same time, an action that gave a message.
“I warned you, don’t talk to me.”
With that, I left the classroom. To be honest, I was also slightly annoyed by the fact that he was blocking me since it disturbed my training, so I also satisfied myself by doing that.
Then, after leaving the classroom, my destination was once again the training grounds, as I had nothing else to do…..
*******
Tomorrow morning at the field of the academy grounds, a group of students gathered for the upcoming anti-human close combat lessons.
The sun had already risen, casting a soft golden light over the training area. However, not everyone seemed thrilled about the early start.
A small cluster of students stood together, their arms crossed and their expressions less than enthusiastic. They muttered complaints about the early hour, their voices filled with groans and yawns.
“Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to have these lessons at the crack of dawn?” one student grumbled.
“I can barely function this early in the morning,” another chimed in, stifling a yawn.
“Just five more minutes of sleep would’ve been so nice,” a third student added with a sigh.
Even though it was not that early in the morning, those students seemed they hadn’t slept well enough.
And that was to be expected since they were playing a new VR game in their rooms for the whole night.
Their gripes continued until the sound of footsteps approached. Instructor White had arrived, her presence immediately commanding their attention. The students fell silent, their complaints fading as they shifted their focus to her.
“Good morning,” Instructor White greeted, her tone firm yet composed. As she entered, no complaints were made any further as the students knew how picky this woman was.
“As I have talked about this before, close combat skills are mostly neglected since we hunters mostly rely on weapons. However, in the dungeon, sometimes an unforeseen scene might occur where you lose your weapon. Thus, as a hunter, one always needs to be prepared for such cases.”
As Eleanor White continued her lecture about close combat lessons, she signaled the students with her hands.
“Thus, today, you will be paired up with your partners, and you will practice together. Note that your performance today will be graded.”
As she spoke, the students exchanged knowing glances. They might have complained about the early hours, but they understood the importance of the training.
“Now, let’s get started with your pairings.”
As she said those words, she started matching the people according to their rankings and the assessments of their strengths she had made.
In a way, it was natural since the students must not have a huge difference between their strengths for this training to be efficient.
The matching was pretty simple, as they were mostly matched according to their ranks.
However, as the list went down and down, naturally, Eleanor stood before two people that was left alone.
One was a girl with a slightly down expression as if she was slightly scared, and the other one was an annoying student that always managed to get on her nerves.
Sylvie Gracewind.
Since she was a healer, her combat prowess was rather low; therefore, pairing her with even Ethan would make the training inefficient.
However, with this annoying student before her, everything was solved. Since he was ranked last inside the academy and her experienced eyes were saying that the boy’s body was weak, he was basically the best partner for Sylvie.
“Sylvie Gracewind and Astron Natusalune. You can take your position.”
As she gestured for the two to take their positions, she finished pairing everyone together and turned her attention to the classroom once again.
“Now, remember that the goal of these exercises is not to overpower your partner but to learn from each other. Pay attention to your techniques and be open to constructive feedback,” Instructor White advised, her gaze sweeping over the students.
Sylvie stood before Astron, slightly feeling nervous as she remembered how he tackled that boy at that time.
‘He looked like he was proficient in close combat.’ She thought to herself as she looked at the boy before her.
Her art was activated as he could see his emotions.
It was simply grey as he indifferently looked at her.
“All right, begin!” Instructor White called out, and the field buzzed with activity as pairs started practicing their techniques.
However, Sylvie felt nervous as she had never been in a situation where she needed to fight. Though she knew she could not escape.
“Have you ever fought?” Astron’s voice broke the silence between them. His gaze was direct, and his tone was not unkind, but it was not kind either.
SHAKE
She shook her head in response as she felt timid.
“I see. That was to be expected from a healer.” Astron nodded to himself, hearing her.
‘That is something that won’t change until she learns how dangerous the dungeon is.’ He thought as he looked into the girl. He remembered that she was the one that helped him heal his wounds at that time. ‘I guess repaying her like this is not that bad.’
With that thought, Astron spoke once again.
“Let’s start with the basics.” He looked serious as his purple gaze penetrated Sylvie.
Sylvie didn’t refuse. No, rather, she couldn’t as, at that moment, Astron looked overbearing. Though it was mostly thanks to her always watching him from afar, at least in her eyes, she felt like she couldn’t refuse him.
As Astron began to instruct her on basic stances and movements, Sylvie listened intently, determined to grasp what he was teaching. He showed her how to position her body for defense and how to pivot for a quick response. His instructions were clear, and he demonstrated each move with precision.
“Your stance needs to be wider for stability,” Astron pointed out as he corrected her positioning. “And keep your arms closer to your body to protect your chest.”
Sylvie followed his directions, feeling awkward and self-conscious as she tried to mimic his movements.
‘This is so hard.’ She thought as she felt her body aching.
However, Astron’s gaze was focused on her, and while his demeanor was serious, she sensed a genuine intention to help. So, she felt like it would be unfair to him if she gave up right now.
“Let’s try a basic block,” Astron said, his voice calm. He demonstrated the movement, raising his forearm to shield his face and chest. “You want to use your forearm and the outer edge of your hand to absorb the impact.”
Sylvie imitated the move, feeling a bit more confident now that she had clear instructions to follow. Astron watched her closely, his eyes assessing her form.
However, Astron’s response was not what she expected. “No. This is not how you do it,” he stated firmly, his tone showing his dissatisfaction with her execution.
Sylvie’s heart sank at his words. She had been trying her best to follow his instructions, and yet she was falling short. She bit her lip, the frustration building up inside her.
Astron seemed to sense her emotions as he spoke again. “Now, let me show you why it is done this way.” He adjusted his stance, his fists clenched, and Sylvie felt her anxiety spike.
“Hick!” A small, involuntary sound escaped Sylvie’s lips as her nerves got the better of her. The tension in the air was palpable.
“Don’t worry, I will limit my strength. I only want you to focus on how you feel,” Astron reassured her. He raised his fists once again, his movements deliberate. 𝑂𝚟xt.𝒞𝓞𝐦
FLINCH
But despite his reassurance, Sylvie flinched, her anxiety intensifying. She closed her eyes; her mind flooded with fear and anticipation.
‘It is going to hurt. It is going to hurt. It is going to hurt.’
She repeated the mantra in her mind, unable to shake off her apprehension.
Observing her reaction, Astron knew he had to approach this differently.
THUD
Astron’s fists made contact, but it wasn’t the pain Sylvie anticipated. Instead, she felt a slight discomfort on her elbow. Confusion swirled within her as she opened her eyes to see Astron’s face mere inches away.
“Huh?” She stammered, her surprise evident in her voice. She remembered their previous encounter, and being this close to him brought a flood of memories and emotions.
“Calm down,” Astron’s voice was steady, his gaze unwavering. “Sylvie.”
FLINCH
But even the sound of her name made her flinch. The proximity and the intensity in his voice were overwhelming her, bringing to the surface her deeply rooted fear of combat.
As Astron observed Sylvie’s reaction, he knew he needed to be cruel right now.
“You need to get a grip on yourself,” he stated firmly, his voice carrying an edge of strictness. “This level of fear will make you a liability, not just to yourself, but to your future party members. If you can’t control your emotions in a combat situation, you’ll be a burden, and that’s dangerous.”
His words were sharp, the truth behind them cutting through the air. Sylvie’s anxiety and fear were obstacles that needed to be addressed, and Astron had no intention of sugarcoating it.
“You’re acting pathetic,” Astron continued, his tone unyielding. “If you continue like this, you’re setting yourself up for failure. In a real combat scenario, there’s no room for hesitation or panic. If you can’t handle that, then you’re in the wrong place.”
He paused, his gaze steady on her. “If you’re not willing to confront your weaknesses head-on, then perhaps you should reconsider being a part of the academy,” he added, his words carrying a finality to them.
Sylvie felt the weight of his words and the truth behind them.
However, that didn’t mean she welcomed the feeling without getting affected. No, rather, she felt frustrated.
Her eyes welled up with tears, a mix of frustration and disappointment.
Without another word, she turned and left the training grounds, her emotions overwhelming her. The reality of her fears and the harshness of her self-doubt was difficult to confront, but Astron’s words had struck a chord within her.
“Student Sylvie! Where are you going?” She even ignored Instructor Eleanor’s voice as she left instantly.
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You can check my discord if you want. You can see the illustrations of characters there.
The link to the discord server is in the description of the book.