Chapter 229 V/S Markus
We were currently in a training room, standing on a white platform that seemed to be designed for fighting and training. I could see a few more people wearing white training dresses as they observed us from a distance. As for mom and Erza, they were carefully looking at me.
\'It seems mom wants to tell me something but is hesitating to say it,\' I pondered a little before observing that kid in front of me.
Still… how did it come to it, this fast? Wasn\'t it going to be a happy meeting with my mom after so many millennia? How come I am here proving myself in a bunch of weaklings? Well… Whatever, I will enjoy the process while simultaneously understanding what is going on.
\'If I can find someone pathetic enough, maybe I can kill him to get some Exp and level up?\' I thought as I stretched a little before speaking,
"Please go easy on me. I am not really the fighting type."
My smile was pretty genuine as I simply wasn\'t interested in fighting right now as much as I wanted to finish the quest, but since we are already here, might as well have some fun.
Though that guy Markus was really cautious of me, as he observed each and every step of mine while trying to analyze me.
"Begin!" Spoke Spencer and both of us just kept standing while observing each other\'s faces.
For a few moments, none of us made a move, as I felt awkward about this whole situation. Shouldn\'t he be coming at me? Should I go? Though before I could speak anything, Markus started running at me with an insane speed… though it didn\'t seem like he was used to that kind of speed or power.
Reaching closer to me, he jumped and, using his right hand; he went for a direct punch on my face….which I… swiftly dodged as I jumped to the right side.
\'What was that Arte said? \'If you can use all your power in a specific direction, you can do things that normally would seem impossible for you\'... something like that,\' I thought as I pulled the right muscles, rotated the spear in my hands, and brought it from his front to his back. Using the back of the spear…
-Thud!
I almost hit his back, but he turned around from the other side. Using the momentum of that right punch, he stopped my spear with pretty much ease.
"Wow! You really are strong!" I spoke with a brightened look as I observed his moves. While he lacked proper skills, he was also pretty much dumb. I can already see 100s of openings right now, not only vulnerable enough to defeat him but enough to kill him through and through.
Sad that we aren\'t doing that right now.
"You can use 10% energy…. Or you can use a weapon," that purple haired guy, Spencer, spoke as he observed the fight. His eyes were real serious right now as he looked at me. Even mom was looking at me with all seriousness.
Markus nodded as he looked at me and his eyes turned a little red. Energy it is, huh?
-Whoosh!
In a moment, he reached me. This time he tried punching me from the front using the same right hand.
\'He can\'t use his left or something? Hmmm… doesn\'t seem like he is faking it either,\' I thought as I rotated my spear real hard as I parried his fist and turned my body around properly as I caught his fist, I used all my force in throwing him to the other side and…
-BOOM!!!
He was thrown at a high speed on the other side of the arena, hitting the wall as he fell down without leaving a dent on the wall.
"Cough… cough… monster…" he muttered, silent enough for only me to hear as he coughed some blood before standing up again. His eyes were still serious as his injuries healed. He looked at me with a certain smile as his eyes turned even more deadly.
"I am going to use 50% energy, sir," he said as he turned to Spencer and, looking at Spencer, he didn\'t seem to reject that.
"Hey what are-"
-BOOM!!!
I saw that guy reaching me immediately as I jumped back, dodging his attack while using most of my energy. Hmmm.. Not that I get tired anymore, must it be because of my infinite energy?
Well, the guy got real fast as he jumped at the wall in front and using the wall as a footing, he jumped back at me at the same speed. His eyes were darker than before as he prepared for another punch. It was amazing, as he did it all within a single second.
\'Sad that he neither has any proper technique nor any proper control over his own power… too predictable,\' I sighed on the inside as I dodged his attacks again. It wasn\'t that I was fast enough to do that… just that I could move from his line of attack before it even took place and since that guy couldn\'t change the trajectory, I don\'t think I will need to worry about getting hit another million years or so. Though long before that time could pass, I saw Markus, huffing and puffing as he fell on the ground, barely able to stand on his own.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Spencer was observing things from outside as he looked at the whole thing taking place. He was smiling madly as he observed me before turning at Markus, whose head was ashen as he looked down,
"Do you want to continue, Markus?"
Though Markus just raised his hand as he spoke,"Anymore and I will end up killing myself."
\'Hmmm?\' I pondered a little as I looked at him before asking,
"What about 100%? Or using a weapon? I am not saying I am looking down on you, but if you use that, maybe you can give me a hard time?"
Though at that question, he looked at me a bit dumbfounded before his sister walked towards him and helped him stand up as she answered,
"I don\'t know why you are being so dumb, but if you don\'t know, even the most elite ones could use their power at max at 70% only. Markus is a prodigy for being able to use 50% of his energy… though it does put a toll on him."
\'There is something like that? But William, Caroline and the others could use it pretty easily, can\'t they?\' I thought a little before asking,
"What about a weapon? Won\'t that give you an edge?"
Though he just chuckled in defeat as he answered,"It\'s a spear. I am proficient in spear usage."
And that kind of answered my question there… he must have felt the difference in the skill when he attacked me… poor kid.
\'So, what next?\' I thought as I looked around at the others.
[Side Quest Complete: Defeat Markus in a fight!]
[Reward: Inspect(Skill)]