บท 8: Encounter...

~Omniscient Pov~

"Alright, class is dismissed; also, students, read chapters 4-12, we will have a discussion based on them." the professor said, his voice carrying over the soft murmur of students already packing up their things. Yohan quickly jotted down the reading assignment in the corner of his notebook, trying to hide his growing sense of dread...

'Chapters 4 through 12? That's… a lot.' He thought, mentally calculating how much time he'd need to get through all that material. Not to mention, there was the sparring he had just finished, his personal training, and… well, everything else.

He slung his bag over his shoulder, watching as his classmates exited the room. Yohan lingered momentarily, staring blankly at the board where the professor had written a few key points from today's lesson.

He sighed, 'I really need some good perks, my memory is alright, but more memory perks wouldn't hurt... It would cut down on the time to endlessly go through the material.' Thinking less of it, he began leaving the classroom...

As Yohan stepped into the hallway, he could hear the chatter of students around him, the usual post-class conversations about assignments, dates, and even their weekend plans. But as he passed by a small group near the lockers, he caught wind of something else—his name...

"I Heard Yohan's getting private training sessions from Johnathon," one of the guys muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. It was Hunter, one of the more vocal students who always seemed to have an opinion about everyone. "Can you believe that? Some nobody getting pointers from one of the academy's best? What a joke."

Another student chimed in, laughing under his breath. "Right? Like, just 'cause Johnathon pities him doesn't mean Yohan's gonna magically get good. Dude was a complete mess in class last term."

"I guess sucking up to the right people can get you places," Hunter added with a sneer. "Bet he thinks he's special now, huh? Training with Johnathon of all people. It's kinda pathetic if you ask me."

Yohan's steps slowed as their words reached him... His jaw clenched, and for a brief moment, he considered turning around and confronting them. But he forced himself to keep walking, eyes fixed ahead, 'Let them talk,' he thought. He didn't have time to waste on people who didn't understand what he was going through, or how far he'd already come.

"Yeah, his excuse of a mom must be sorry she had him too."

Yohan's steps came to an abrupt halt... He stopped dead in his tracks, soon the laughter and words were still ringing in his ears. His blood literally boiled, his fists trembling at his sides. He couldn't just let that go. No, he wouldn't.

"How about you put your money where your mouth is? And challenge me to a sword duel." Yohan said coldly.

The hall grew quiet. Even the students who had stopped to watch could sense the tension rising. Hunter blinked, caught off guard by the sudden challenge. His smirk wavered, and for a moment, uncertainty flickered across his face.

"A-A duel?" Hunter scoffed, though there was a nervous edge to his tone. "You really think you can take me? After what, a few lessons with Johnathon? Don't make me laugh."

Yohan didn't flinch, his gaze unwavering. "I'm not the same as I was. But if you're so sure I'm wasting Johnathon's time, prove it... Or are you scared you'll lose to someone like me, pussy?"

Those had words hit Hunter hard, and his face reddened as a few students snickered from the sidelines. He clenched his jaw, clearly weighing his options. Backing down now would make him look like a weakling, but accepting Yohan's challenge meant he couldn't hide behind his usual talk.

"Fine!" Hunter finally snapped, stepping forward with a sneer. "You want a duel? You've got it. But when I wipe the floor with you, don't cry about it."

Yohan's heart raced in anger, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he nodded, his expression cool. "Let's make it interesting. Tomorrow, after class. No holding back."

Hunter grinned, but the cockiness couldn't hide his unease. "You're on." He turned to his friends, motioning them to follow. "Better rest up, Yohan. You're gonna need it."

As Hunter walked away, Yohan stood there, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He knew tomorrow was going to be a real test, but he wasn't afraid anymore. Whatever happened, he wasn't backing down.

'This time, I'll prove it to them.'

Yohan's eyes narrowed as he watched Hunter and his crew walking away, the challenge still fresh in his mind. There was no point in waiting until tomorrow. Why give Hunter time to weasel out or get some excuse ready?

However, he changed his mind, "Actually," Yohan called out, his voice steady, "why wait? Let's do it now. The training grounds are empty."

Hunter stopped, turning slowly to face Yohan, his expression one of surprise mixed with annoyance. "Now?" he repeated, glancing around at the growing crowd of students, all of them eager to see how this would go down... "You really want to get embarrassed in front of everyone today?"

Yohan shrugged, unbothered. "What's the matter? Scared you can't back up all that talk?"

Hunter's eyes flashed with irritation. The group around him started whispering, waiting for his answer. Backing down now would make him look weak, something his ego couldn't handle.

"Fine," Hunter snapped, "right now, in the training grounds. Let's see if you're as good as you think you are."

Without wasting any more time, the crowd of students followed them toward the academy's training grounds. It wasn't unusual for duels to happen here, but there was an undeniable buzz in the air. Everyone knew Hunter was no slouch with a blade, and Yohan had never really stood out—until now.

As they reached the grounds, Hunter tossed a wooden practice sword to Yohan with a smug grin. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Yohan caught the sword with one hand, gripping the familiar weight. He had sparred twice with Johnathon, and even though Hunter had a slight reputation, Yohan felt different now. His understanding of swordsmanship and his experience with Johnathon's training had prepared him for something like this.

'This asshole is gonna be the first to get a taste.' Yohan walked to the side, heading towards the training ground.

Both walked toward their respective ends...

Hunter took his stance, flashy and overconfident, but practiced. Yohan mirrored him, his posture calm but focused. The two stood across from each other, the tension thick in the air as students gathered around, eager to see who would come out on top.

"Ready?" one of the bystanders called out.

Hunter gave a cocky nod, his eyes never leaving Yohan. "Try not to get hurt, rookie."

Yohan said nothing. His grip tightened around the hilt of the practice sword as the signal was given, and in an instant, Hunter lunged forward, swinging for a quick strike.

Clang!

Yohan parried, his body moving faster than even he expected. The clash of their swords echoed through the training grounds. Hunter immediately pulled back, his smirk faltering, but he quickly went on the offensive again, swinging a series of aggressive strikes aimed to overwhelm his opponent.

But Yohan kept up, his body responding to Hunter's attacks with an ease that surprised even him. Each parry felt natural, both the lessons from the videos and his sparring with Johnathon coming together in real-time. Hunter's style was just that, flashy; but Yohan could see the gaps, the overextensions in his movements...

It was almost embarrassing to him to lay eyes on.

Hunter growled, frustrated that Yohan was actually keeping up. "Stop playing defense, you damn coward! Fight me!"

Yohan's eyes flashed, and this time, he decided to take up the offer and took the offensive. He lunged forward, his strike aimed clean and precise, catching Hunter off guard. Their swords clashed again, but now Yohan was easily dictating the pace, forcing Hunter to backpedal...

'Too easy...' Yohan thought offhandedly. He could see everything, the moves that Hunter made were so telegraphed that he felt as if a toddler could respond to them with absolute ease.

Hunter's friends looked on, shock slowly replacing their smug expressions as Yohan's attacks became more fluid and more calculated. He wasn't winning yet, at least to the crowd. But he was holding his own—far more than anyone had expected...

"You! Arrghh!!!" Hunter yelled in frustration.

He gritted his teeth, swinging wildly now, but Yohan dodged it easily. Then, in one swift motion, Yohan twisted his body, disarming Hunter with a clean strike that knocked the practice sword from his hand, sending it clattering to the ground.

The crowd of students both gasped and cheered...

Hunter froze, staring at his empty hand in disbelief. Yohan stood there, almost unfazed, the practice sword still in his grip...

"I thought you were going to embarrass me?" Yohan said, his voice low but firm.

Hunter's face flushed with anger and humiliation. Without a word, he bent down to pick up his sword, his eyes glaring daggers at Yohan. But it was clear to everyone who had won.

"Enough," one of the bystanders called out, stepping forward. "Yohan won! Fair and square."

Hunter's jaw tightened, his knuckles white as he gripped the sword. He wanted to say something, to lash out, but the truth was there for everyone to see. He had lost, and miserably at that, "FUCK!" He yelled.

Without another word, Hunter stormed off, shoving past the onlookers, leaving Yohan standing in the center of the training grounds, the crowd filled with whispers.

Yohan exhaled, letting the anger leave his body... However, just as he was about to catch his breath, he saw the panel of Hunter in his face, and surprisingly, his eyes lit up at the sight of them all.

________________________

Entity: [Hunter] Age: [16] Height: [182 cm] Race: [Human]

Physique; None

Physical Stats:

Strength: 8.6

Agility: 9.1

Endurance: 7.5

Intelligence: 5

Control: 8

Perception: 8.3

Passive Skills;

Sword Mastery {B}: Increases effectiveness with swords by +30%, improving attack speed and energy circulation in blades.

Blade Precision {A-}: Enhances accuracy with sword strikes, granting a +25% chance to land critical hits and bypass enemy defenses.

Stamina Efficiency {B+}: Reduces stamina consumption by +100%, allowing for longer engagement in physical activities without fatigue.

Defensive Posture {C+}: Increases defense capabilities while in a sword stance by +15%, reducing incoming damage when actively guarding.

Talents;

Wide Back {C+}: Your Back Is broad, yet aesthetically pleasing... Allows for an increase in striking strength by +35% as well.

Sword Understanding {B+}: Improves All sword comprehension and learning capabilities by +200%.

Energy Manipulation {C+}: Allows the user to manipulate and control energy +45% easier than normal.

Blade Flow {B}: Grants a fluid movement style that increases mobility during combat, allowing for +20% faster repositioning and evasion whilst wielding a sword.

Sword Dance {B-}: Enhances coordination and rhythm during combat, improving combo execution and chaining attacks together more effectively, granting a +25% boost to combo damage.

Master Duelist {B}: Provides a +30% bonus to combat effectiveness when facing a single opponent, focusing all skill and strength on outmaneuvering and defeating that foe.

_________________________

'This guy didn't have bad skills at all... Hell, he even has a pretty powerful sword talent to boot.' Yohan didn't see any real skills to Hunter's Name unlike Johnathon, which made sense since Hunter was still learning, and one didn't learn sword applications until their second year of the academy...

'Everything looks good enough to take, that stamina passive will come in handy as well...' Now Yohan needed to get his bag and get the hell out of there. But as he looked around, he could see some of the students cheering for him, and as much as he didn't want to bathe in it, he smiled at some of the recognition he was now finally getting...

As he was about to leave, he could see a familiar figure approaching him from the distance, 'C-Ciest? She was still here?' He knew what this meant...

Yohan braced himself as Ciest closed the distance, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. He could already tell this wasn't going to be just a casual chat. She came to a stop in front of him, folding her arms and staring him down, her eyes narrowed.

"Yohan!" Ciest began, her voice low but firm. "What the hell was that?" She didn't give him a chance to respond before continuing. "You know who Hunter is, right? That fight wasn't just some show of skill—it was a challenge. You've just made things a whole lot messier."

Yohan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Look, I didn't have much of a choice. He was running his mouth, and I wasn't going to let him disrespect me, much less my mother like that." His tone was defensive, but inside, he knew she wasn't wrong.

Ciest exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated, "And now? You've got more eyes on you than ever. You're getting stronger; I get that, I'm proud of you even. But you have to be smarter about how you move." She glanced around, noticing the students still lingering, whispering to one another. "You've shown people what you can do, but do you really think they'll just leave it at that?"

She might not have been a swordsman, but the level of skill Yohan had displayed earlier was no joke, much less anything to scoff about. She didn't even know he had this much talent in the first place either... Yet, she was a bit glad that he was improving.

Yohan's eyes darkened a little. He knew what she was implying, and deep down, it bothered him more than he'd admit. However, he wasn't going to take an insult like that lying down, "I don't care," he muttered. "Let them come. I'll deal with whatever happens."

Ciest looked at him for a long moment... She wasn't used to this, him speaking to her in that tone much less about defending his own honor... But soon, her expression softened slightly. "Yohan… it's not just about being strong. People are watching, people who will use this to their advantage. You've already made enemies. Don't make it worse for yourself."

Yohan clenched his jaw, torn between his growing power and Ciest's words of caution. As much as he wanted to say no, he wasn't so dumb as to totally disagree, Ciest had a point, "I get it," he finally said, though part of him still felt the pull of the fight, the thrill of proving himself to them after years of being weak; at least, that's how it felt to the old him.

Without saying anything more, he simply walked away, leaving the stadium...