บท 35: Stalker Tishya
Unlike the other children panting on the ground, collapsed from their training, Ashoka sat on the equipment for training the chest muscles after exhaling lightly.
'This isn't called a legendary cultivation technique for anything.'
When Sage Vyasa had taught Ashoka and Sudhatta the training method for mana circulation.
He had told them that it was a method that he had miraculously found in some ancient ruins and had further developed it.
In the current generation, <The Enhanced art of mana circulation> is considered to be one of the best mana training methods.
The mere fact that the mana circulation helped Ashoka to fight against the dragon's will proved its greatness.
Although his body was extremely tired, the mana circulation using this method while rotating mana around his chest recovered his stamina and willpower.
He had just exhausted his stamina from training, but he became capable of going all out once again. There was a good reason to br called one of the most valuable treasures of the continents.
"Huff…"
Setting the weight to 5kg heavier than the day before, Ashoka lifted the weight. He slowly moved in a way to maximize the range of motion of his pectoral muscles, to stimulate them as much as possible.
Tap.
When he got up after finishing six sets, he heard someone sitting down at the equipment next to him.
'Who is it?'
Ashoka thought it was strange and turned around.
'Tishya?'
The person sitting next to him was Tishya Raksha, with her long silver hair flowing down.
Tishya set her weight to be a lot heavier than Ashoka's and started to use the equipment.
"Hup!"
Her weightlifting posture was remarkably similar to Ashoka's. She didn't care about the lifting count nor the weight but focused on stimulating her muscles.
{What was that?}
'I don't know, either.'
After watching her for a bit, Ashoka left. In order to stimulate his muscles more thoroughly, he sat on other training equipment.
"Hup!"
After setting the load to exceed his maximum capacity, he lifted the weight while using mana circulation.
"Huff!"
He normally should've subtracted 10kg from that weight, but the <Enhanced art of mana circulation> allowed him to handle that much, and more often.
He could hear someone sitting next to him again. He put the weight down after training until his arms and chest trembled.
'Really?'
He turned his head without getting up. As expected, Tishya was there. She set a weight higher than him once again and started to lift.
'Why is she doing this?'
Ashoka narrowed his eyes.
Tishya didn't pay any attention to Alberad, let alone other trainees. He couldn't understand why she was copying him, by lifting weights the exact same way he did.
'I must be mistaken.'
When he thought about it, it was normal to train the smaller muscles after training the bigger muscles. Ashoka got up, thinking that it was just a matter of coincidence.
However, he headed to the equipment to train shoulder muscles just to be sure.
Creak!
After setting the weight, he lifted it while feeling the stimulation to his shoulders. When he finished a set, Tishya appeared in front of him.
After staring at him for a bit, she sat down next to him and set her weight. It was a heavier one, once again.
"Huff!"
She casually started lifting the equipment while looking in front of her.
{Are you really going to do nothing after being provoked like this by a woman? How long are you going to hide like a rat!}
'A provocation…'
Ashoka turned his head to look at her. Tishya just kept lifting, as if she wasn't interested in him.
'What is she thinking?'
The first and second times could've been coincidences. However, her copying his shoulder training couldn't have been one.
Yet, he couldn't understand what she was thinking. Her eyes were as cold as ice, yet they were also blurry, making it impossible to grasp her intentions.
{You don't understand, huh? She is clearly provoking you by acting as if she is better than you. Punch her in the face, right now!}
Whether it was a child, an adult, or a woman didn't matter to Draco. He was angry at everything.
'Please stop. For just a moment, just stop.'
Ashoka ignored Draco's anger and left the equipment to start squatting. As expected, Tishya followed him and bent her thighs with a heavier weight.
"Wh-what?"
"Why are those two together?"
"Why is Lady Tishya paying attention to that twin?"
The children in the gymnasium opened their mouths wide, watching Tishya training right next to Ashoka.
Screech.
Ahmed who came back to the gymnasium after swordsmanship training with the collaterals, grit his teeth.
"Uhhh…!"
"Why is Tishya there…?"
The collaterals saw Tishya training next to Ashoka and glared at them.
Sudhatta who also saw the things happening gave a meaningful smile to his twin brother.
'This brat!'
Ashoka glared at Sudhtta and looked at Tishya, who attracted everyone's attention.
With silver hair shining like moonlight, fair skin as white as snow, and thin and sharp facial features, she was an ethereal beauty. Except for her eyes, which looked senseless, like she had a piece missing.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
When Tishya finished a set, he approached her.
"…"
Upon hearing his question, she stared at him for a while, as if he was a curious creature.
"No."
After responding, she started to lift her equipment once again, with more weight this time.
'I don't know, either.'
Ashoka shrugged and got up from his equipment. Since she was going to lose interest soon anyway, he decided to just ignore her.
As he was thinking about what to do since his routine was suddenly changed, he heard small stepping sounds behind him.
When he turned around, he could see Tishya scanning different parts of his body with her purple eyes.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"…"
Without responding, Tishya met his eyes. Her eyes looked like a cat that had just finished its nap.
"Haa."
Ashoka sighed quietly and walked over to another piece of training equipment. Tishya followed right after him and used the same equipment.
***
One week had passed since Tishya Raksha began observing Ashoka Maurya.
"Hmm."
She looked for Ashoka as soon as she entered the indoor gymnasium. Like always, he was lifting weights before anyone else.
'It's heavier than yesterday.'
Ashoka's weight was 5kg heavier than the day before, which wasn't actually that strange.
It wasn't strange to increase weight if you worked out hard enough.
However, what if that weight increased every day? That wouldn't be normal.
'How is he doing that?'
Most people didn't realize it, but Ashoka had increased the weight of his equipment by over 10kg last week. Even considering that growth was faster for a child, the number was ridiculous.
'He was supposed to be a genius…'
Tishya always pictured geniuses as arrogant beings.
Those who wouldn't train and learn everything just after seeing it once.
But Ashoka was different, he was constantly working hard without slacking.
'He is strong because he worked hard and push himself to the limit every time!'
With that conclusion in mind, Tishya sat on the equipment next to Ashoka, who was training his chest. She started to lift weights the same way Ashoka did.
'Hmm.'
It didn't feel much different from usual. Only her muscles felt slightly more stimulated.
'It's not a big deal.'
Thinking that it was meaningless, she was about to go back to her usual posture.
'Huh?'
When she inhaled a cool and mysterious fragrance coming from Ashoka, her weight became as light as a feather.
'What happened?'
She felt like her strength and agility had suddenly increased. The weight that should've been difficult to raise had become so light.
However, once Ashoka—who was watching her for a while—left, that strange sensation immediately disappeared as well.
"Ah…"
Missing the sensation, Tishya stared at Ashoka's back as he headed to the next piece of equipment.
'Perhaps…'
She followed Ashoka and moved next to him. She set her weights to be heavier than usual and lifted.
"Ugh…"
It looked like it was too much since it was too difficult to lift it. However, once Ashoka started to exercise, the cool air coming from him made her weight become lighter once again.
'That was it.'
It wasn't her imagination. She was capable of lifting a weight 10kg heavier than usual, as if her abilities really were enhanced.
"Huff!"
Despite lifting more than she could handle, it didn't seem to overload her shoulders or arms at all.
Once she cheerfully finished her exercise, Ashoka was standing in front of her.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
Pitch-black hair and pitch-black eyes, the boy whose appearance was different than that of the Royals.
"No."
Tishya shook her head, and Ashoka moved on to the next piece of equipment after staring at her for a moment.
'I should try following him around.'
Eyes shining like a cat's, she followed Ashoka.
She liked that she could train with heavier weights, but she was even more attracted to the cool fragrance coming from him.
---***---
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