Tianyang followed Han Shu into an empty carriage. It was a strange carriage, so bare that it did not even have seats-practically an iron cage rolling along the tracks.
"It takes a day to get from the lighthouse to the rear base. Sometimes there are guys on the train with too much energy, and they need somewhere to let it out." Han Shu rested his hand on the carriage wall. Several rough scratches marked its surface, apparently gouged out by something sharp.
Tianyang noticed several dull gray stains. He narrowed his eyes slightly. They looked like dried blood.
"Is this some kind of fighting arena?" Tianyang looked to his captain for an answer.
Han Shu shrugged, dodging the question. "Anyway, we can stretch our muscles here."
Tianyang looked surprised. "Captain, is this the punishment you never finished back on the Transfer Platform?"
Han Shu grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "Fuck, do I look like some sick bastard who enjoys punishing his men? Relax, this isn't punishment. That bastard Ling Feng asked me to give you some pointers on fighting."
The image of the cold-faced man in glasses flashed through the boy's mind.
"No idea what he's thinking. A rookie like you ought to be sent to a training camp. Instead, he comes along and wastes my time. If I didn't owe him up to my eyeballs, I wouldn't give him the time of day!" The captain started raking his fingers through his hedgehog-like hair again.
Tianyang badly wanted to ask how much money he owed Ling Feng, but held his tongue in the end.
Han Shu beckoned. "Come on, come on. Let's see what you're made of. That's a blade on your back, right? Draw it."
Tianyang drew without hesitation. The cold gleam of the Particle Warblade as it left its sheath seemed to lower the temperature in the carriage.
Han Shu rubbed his chin and whistled. "A Particle Blade, huh? Ling Feng's really looking after you. Old Xu, Cang Du, and the others only got standard-issue swords forged from composite steel. All right, take a swing at me."
The corner of Tianyang's mouth twitched. "Captain, are you sure about this?"
Han Shu pulled open his uniform collar, exposing his thick neck with its bulging veins. An emblem marked it.
A shield bearing the image of a fortress, with a number beneath it: 4!
"See that? I'm a Fortress Class. My defense is through the damn roof. A rookie like you might not be able to kill me even with a Particle Blade, even if I stood here and let you hack away." Han Shu pointed at his chest. "Aim here. Come at me like you mean to kill me."
"All right. Be careful, Captain."
Tianyang steadied his breathing, carefully refrained from drawing on his star essence, then burst forward.
He fixed his sights on Han Shu's chest, raised his arm, and swung.
The Particle Blade swept toward Han Shu in a flash of cold light.
Han Shu simply turned slightly sideways and stuck out a foot, tripping Tianyang and throwing him off balance.
Just before he hit the floor, the boy nimbly rolled to reposition himself. But before he could get up, a foot caught him in the backside, sending him sprawling after all.
A heavy pressure bore down on his back. Tianyang pictured Han Shu planting a foot on him and struggled desperately, but it was no use.
Grinning, Han Shu bent down and flicked Tianyang's head. "Checkmate. You're dead."
Only then did he lift his big foot and let the boy climb up.
The captain leaned against the window and asked lazily, "Learn anything?"
Tianyang thought back over what had happened. "You deliberately told me to aim for your chest, so you knew what angle my strike would come from. When I attacked, you could dodge ahead of time. Then you threw me off balance and used the way the human body works to easily 'kill' me."
Han Shu nodded slightly. "Not bad. At least you're not too stupid. If you were an idiot, I'd have a real headache. How about you tell me what your relationship with Ling Feng is, and I'll teach you everything I know?"
Tianyang answered casually, "There isn't any relationship. Chief of Staff Ling discovered me. Maybe he thinks I have potential worth developing?"
Han Shu looked disappointed. "That's it? I thought you were his illegitimate son."
Tianyang nearly choked. The captain's imagination was far too active.
Han Shu turned serious. "What you just said was right, but there's one more thing you missed."
"I'm listening."
Han Shu gave a dry chuckle. "Did you ever wonder why I told you to attack a specific spot?"
Tianyang looked surprised. "Wasn't it so you could work out the angle of my attack and dodge ahead of time?"
"That's only one reason. More importantly, I used your trust in me to make an unpredictable attack predictable."
Tianyang paused, beginning to grasp what Han Shu meant.
Han Shu spoke in a low voice. "Listen carefully. I'm not going to teach you specific techniques. No matter how brilliant a technique is, it's nowhere near as effective as one you've worked out yourself. I'll only teach you my experience in fighting enemies. To sum it up: use every advantage you have to break down the enemy's defenses, then kill them in the easiest way possible."
"Fighting in the Inverse Realm isn't a competition or a duel. Sometimes you'll face more than one enemy. So never use up all your strength. Always keep something in reserve. And everything I've just told you depends on knowing as much about your enemies as possible, including their habits, abilities, and anatomy."
The hazy idea suddenly became clear, and Tianyang finally understood. What Han Shu was teaching him was strategy-strategy that would benefit him for the rest of his life!
After staying serious for three minutes, the captain grinned again. "Still, I'd better teach you a few actual moves, or that bastard Ling Feng will say I'm slacking off."
"Next, I'll teach you ways to break down an enemy's defenses."
"But remember, if the enemy's weaker than you, there's no need for all that trouble. Just crush them with overwhelming power. If they're stronger than you, trying to break down their moves is a joke. When you meet someone you can't beat, getting the hell out is your best bet."
"So my techniques for breaking down defenses only work against opponents who are evenly matched with you, or not too far above you. Remember that, kid. Don't go stupidly trying them on someone much stronger. Don't blame me if you die."
Tianyang nodded firmly. "Yes!"
"Good. Now attack my chest with everything you've got!"
"...Captain, again?"
"No shit. Get on with it!"
Four hours later.
Tianyang lay on the floor, too exhausted even to hold his blade. He could barely focus and was drifting toward sleep.
His body was covered in bruises and strains, with even a few cuts inflicted by his own warblade.
Han Shu's techniques for breaking down defenses even included ways to counterattack using an opponent's weapon. Tianyang had never expected such a rough man to possess such refined skills.
"Well? How much did you remember?" The captain's broad face came into view. Then he hauled Tianyang up and slung him over his shoulder.
He picked up the warblade as well.
"I managed to remember about eighty percent. A few moves were too complicated and too fast for me to remember." Tianyang hesitated, then said, "Captain, let me rest here for a while. I'll go back to the carriage myself later."
"Bullshit," Han Shu swore roughly. "I'm taking you to the Medical Team now so they can dress your wounds. We're in the Inverse Realm. Even the smallest wound can be deadly."
Tianyang stopped resisting.
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