Five Teachers

The massive body crashed to the ground. It happened so suddenly that the two people closest to the big man both tripped over him.

I gave them no time to react. I charged straight through and ended both their lives. Though I took two slashes myself, the exchange was worth it.

When the blood splattered across me, I suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. It was completely different from the battlefield. There was no glory, no humanity—only the most primitive desire to survive and kill.

With three people dead in a row, their formation fell into chaos, and I took advantage of it to start slaughtering them!

I could no longer afford to hold back. They could take my life at any moment, so I had to strike first!

"Zhao Xin! Zhao Xin..."

The people in the stands began cheering for me, and I found myself enjoying the exhilaration of this free-for-all duel and the wild release within my heart...

After I killed them all, I collapsed onto the ground as well. I had been badly injured in the battle, especially my two legs, which were a bloody mess. Still, I had survived. I had Fiora's techniques to thank for saving my life!

The guards carried me away. Instead of returning me to the stone prison, they took me to the training ground Tam had mentioned.

He personally found a doctor for me, and it took quite some time to stop the bleeding. The doctor told me not to expect to get out of bed within a month, and that I might never be able to stand again.

Tam did not abandon me when I lost the ability to fight. He instructed the doctor and the people at the training ground to take good care of me and restore me if there was even the slightest chance. His actions moved me deeply.

The next day, Tam came to see me again, bringing a large pile of bottles and jars.

"These are all the finest medicinal ingredients. They're sure to help you recover."

"Sorry for the trouble, boss. It's quite a waste to spend so much treating someone who might be paralyzed for life."

"It's nothing. I said I'd turn your fortunes around, and I won't go back on my word. Besides, this little bit of money is nothing. Apart from the two hundred gold coins we won from Uzi yesterday, we made a fortune from the bets at the arena. I had someone bet one hundred gold coins on you, and it paid out sixty-six times over."

That amount would have been a considerable fortune anywhere, yet he brushed it off so casually that he showed no sign of joy.

Sometimes I really wondered whether Tam actually liked money. I always felt that he had some other purpose.

"Then congratulations, boss. I have a small request. I don't know if you'll agree."

"Let's hear it."

"I'd like to ask you to release Jeram, the big man who fought me."

"He's a Berserker. If I release him, I'll invite the vengeance of the Berserker Clan. That's extremely dangerous. But then, so what? I agree."

Tam paused dramatically. I had nearly thought he would refuse, but I had no idea where his confidence came from. There seemed to be no one he feared. He was truly impossible to see through.

"Thank you, boss."

"I admire you more and more, Zhao Xin. Everyone here is barely able to look after themselves, yet you still have the heart to care about others. Why didn't you ask me to release you? If you had made that request before this one, I think I would have agreed."

Damn you, stinking catfish!

Why didn't you say that earlier? You only said I'd have freedom inside the arena. You never said you could release me!

After Jeram was released, he came to visit me. When he saw that I was seriously injured yet had pleaded on his behalf, the iron-towered man began shedding tears like rain.

"Wait for me, brother. I'll definitely come back to save you!" Jeram whispered into my ear before leaving.

Although the doctor said I shouldn't expect to get out of bed within a month and might never walk again, I had almost fully recovered after only half a month. After a few more days of rest, I would even be able to fight!

It seemed this body was quite remarkable. Of course, Tam's medicine was also top-notch.

During my time in the arena, I had grown to love the feeling of battle. Whenever I was idle, my whole body felt uncomfortable. I felt that I was no longer fighting merely for freedom—I had already fallen in love with the scent of blood here.

→

Habit was the most frightening kind of change. I had to control these thoughts, or once killing became instinctive, I would truly become a monster.

Two more days passed, and I was able to participate in training. Apart from me, there were five people at the training ground, all powerful fighters who had survived countless battles in the arena.

Each of them had their own specialty. Some possessed incredible strength, some were extraordinarily agile, some excelled at assassination, some specialized in defense, and some had incredibly precise techniques.

They had even abandoned their original names, taking their specialties as names instead: Strength, Speed, Shadow, Defense, and Accuracy.

Every one of them possessed astonishing combat ability. I was the sixth—capable of everything, but outstanding at nothing.

After defeating the "Ten-Man Squad," I had thought I was already extremely strong. But when I compared myself with these people, I finally realized the true gap between us. A desire to learn began surging in my heart.

"Strength" was a woman. Her light-brown skin and head of red hair gave her an incredibly wild appearance. She was not particularly tall, but her figure was extremely voluptuous, and even her loose clothes looked tight on her. Two vertical markings ran through her bright eyes. I heard that Dragon blood flowed through her veins, and those eyes were the best proof.

Strength represented power and was ferocious beyond measure in battle. Outside of combat, however, she was completely different, treating everyone like a gentle big sister. The contrast made me suspect that she had a split personality.

"Speed" was a beastman who looked like an ape. His movements were as fast as lightning, and he was also incredibly talkative. Even in battle, he never stopped talking. I greatly admired that talent of his. Distracting an enemy while fighting would surely be extremely effective.

"Shadow" was an assassin skilled in the Way of Assassination. He was thin and taciturn, speaking less in an entire year than Speed did in a single day. His ability in direct combat was not strong, but he possessed abundant battle experience.

Shadow did not teach me any techniques. Instead, he passed on practical combat experience: when to strike, how an enemy would attack under various circumstances, how to conceal myself, how to find hidden enemies, and so on.

"Defense" was rather interesting. He was of average build and plain-looking, like an ordinary middle-aged man. Yet this unremarkable man possessed astonishing defensive ability. He did not rely on his body to endure attacks, but on various techniques for breaking attacks. One of his moves for deflecting weapons greatly resembled Laurent's Mind Blade.

I sparred with him several times, but I was never able to break through his defense. Only once did I use my strength to force him back a few steps, and even that achieved nothing substantial. These techniques were extremely difficult to learn and required deep comprehension. He constantly advised me not to become arrogant or impatient and not to bite off more than I could chew.

"Accuracy" was the youngest of them. He looked like a boy with a small bald head. Unlike Defense, his techniques were precise and steady, and he could always find openings in seemingly flawless defenses. I greatly looked forward to seeing him fight Defense, but unfortunately, I never got the chance.

Using his unique understanding, Accuracy strengthened the techniques I had already learned. While looking for an enemy's openings, I also had to make my own openings less obvious. Of course, eliminating openings completely was impossible. All things counter one another, and martial arts were no exception.

After training with these five people for more than a month, I had improved far more than I had during the six months I spent honing myself in the Dauntless Vanguard. Without reservation, they were my second teachers after Fiora, and that was what I called them.

Under this specialized training, all my abilities improved by a great deal. When I had first arrived, I had been restricted at every turn. Now, in terms of one-on-one combat, I was no weaker than any of them.

I was deeply grateful that they had unreservedly taught me the skills they each excelled at, allowing me to make the progress I had today.

People still came to challenge me during this time, but few challengers were stronger than the Ten-Man Squad. Even those who were somewhat stronger were no match for me. They threw away their lives one after another simply because my bounty had risen to one thousand gold coins.

That day, we were training when Tam arrived. "Your growth is very gratifying, Zhao Xin. What do you think of the teachers I found for you?"

"Thank you for nurturing me, and thank you all for sharing your knowledge so generously."

"No need to thank me. I came to find you today because there's a special mission I need you to carry out. Come with me."