章節 10: Final Test
Master Chen stood at the edge of the dojo, watching Liam as he sparred with a fellow student. The sounds of feet hitting the mat, the slap of strikes, and breathing filled the air. Several months had passed since Liam first entered the dojo. The transformation was immense, he had even killed a few days ago.
Liam moved with agility that came from hard-earned understanding of his body. His strikes were sharp but controlled, and his awareness had become better. Master Chen observed how Liam had developed a heightened awareness, reading his sparring partner's movements, anticipating a punch or kick before it was close to him.
However, Master Chen's eyes narrowed. While Liam's improvement was exceptional, the environment of the dojo was just that—controlled. The chaos of real conflict was a far different thing.
After the sparring match, Master Chen called Liam over.
"Come here, Liam," he said. "There's something you need to work on." He gestured to the training mat, demonstrating a movement. "Watch closely. This is a form of the sweep kick I showed you before, but with a focus on redirecting the opponent's weight."
Master Chen smoothly transitioned into a swift sweep, knocking the practice dummy off its balance. "It's not just about strength. It's about using your opponent's momentum against them. In real battle, you need to be soft like water, able to adjust in any situation."
Liam watched and then mimicked the movement, focusing on precision. Chen nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, 50 push-ups with weights on your back. After that, do the horse stance for 15 minutes."
Master Chen grabbed several weights, putting them carefully on Liam's back as he moved into position. "These exercises aren't just for strength, they teach resilience. This way you will be able to go on no matter how hard it is in a real battle."
With a grunt of effort, Liam began the exercise.
After the physical training was done, Liam approached Master Chen. "How did I do today, Master?" he asked.
"You've improved greatly, Liam," Chen replied, his gaze thoughtful. "But remember, what you've learned here is only the foundation. The real test comes when you are out in the real world, in battles where your opponents won't follow the rules from a dojo."
Liam nodded. "I want to be ready for anything. I'll keep pushing myself."
Master Chen gave him a serious look. "The outside world is getting more dangerous everyday. There's been more talk of gang activity, I'm not telling you what to do but remember, the lessons here are a preparation, true instinct is forged through real danger."
The mention of gang activity caused a flicker of concern in Liam's eyes. "I won't let you down, Master," he replied with conviction.
Chen's gaze softened slightly. "You'll need every bit of training when the time comes. Keep your awareness sharp. Real battles don't give you time to think, it wants an instant reaction."
Months flowed by, as the city buzzed with rumors of growing unrest and increasing gang violence, the intensity of Liam's training followed suit. Master Chen's lessons shifted from foundational to strategic, each session designed to push Liam's limits.
During each session Liam was trained with more challenging drills, where distractions were added to simulate the confusion of real battle. His body had become strong and his mind had become clearer. The routine now included hours of sparring, endurance training, and reflex drills.
One afternoon, Master Chen called Liam aside. "It's time for your final dojo test, Liam," he said.
"What do you have planned, Master?" Liam asked.
"You will face multiple opponents," Chen explained. "This will test your ability to read movements, react instinctively, and adapt to real pressure."
Liam raised an eyebrow, "how many?"
Chen said, "Trust your other senses. This is where your awareness will be tested. You must rely on your instincts, I will have eight students fighting you"
The other students gathered, each taking their position. Liam stood at the center of the dojo. His breaths came slow and steady as he focused. The shuffling of feet became louder. He could hear his opponents moving closer.
Then, the first attack came.
Liam ducked. He rotated, delivering a swift counter-attack. Another opponent attacked from the left, and Liam sidestepped, sending them sprawling with the sweep kick Master Chen had taught him.
One by one, the attacks came, and each time, Liam's body moved without hesitation, dodging, blocking, countering. His awareness improved, going as far as no longer relying solely on sight. For the first time, he truly felt like he was reacting purely on instinct.
As the final blow was deflected, Master Chen called for a stop. Liam stopped, his chest rose and fell rapidly due to exhaustion. Chen looked at him for a moment before speaking. "Your awareness has improved a lot. You've proven yourself today, but remember—this is only the dojo. Real life is far and far more chaotic."
"I understand," Liam replied, still catching his breath. "But I'm ready. Whatever comes my way, I'll face them," he said with an innocent smile.
Master Chen's eyes softened with pride. "Good. Keep training. Soon, the world outside will ask for more from you than you've ever had here."
As Liam left the dojo, the sky had begun to darken. As he remembered Master Chen's words he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had finally become an expert at hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting, his body had become lean but muscular and because of that he had become more handsome as well.
But he knew that now was the time to keep going, in order to beat the calamities coming his way he would still have to improve quite a bit.
創作者的想法 
Donnuuu
Donnuuu We will get to the more exciting parts now :)
章節 11: Gang Activity
Walking along the familiar streets in which I had been raised towards my grandfather's apartment. 'It's been almost three years since I started training,' I thought. 'It's December 28th, and a new year is about to begin. In two months, everything will start—Tony's kidnapping will be the first, then chaos follows. Like Vision said, our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe.'
As I approached the small apartment, I saw a bright light through the windows and a figure on an old chair. 'grandpa always sits in the same spot,' I thought while looking at my grandpa.
Seconds after I knocked on the door, it opened, and I was greeted by my grandfather, who spread his arms and smiled.
"Liam, it's been a while since I've seen you," grandpa said with a smile while hugging me.
"How was training?"
"It's been good, Grandpa," I replied while sitting down and removing my coat. "I've gotten better. But... you were right. There's a lot more garbage out there than there is garbage cleaners.''
Hearing my words my grandfather nodded, looking thoughtful. "The world's tougher than any dojo, kiddo. You'll see it for yourself soon enough." We shared a quiet moment before shifting the conversation to lighter topics—family, memories of my childhood. After a while, we settled into comfortable silence, the sound of crackling fire filling the room.
The next morning, December 29th, I thought to myself,' It's time to look around.' My mind was on more than just memories and training now. 'The city's been changing,' I mused while wandering through the streets. 'Master Chen had mentioned more gang activity in Philadelphia. If it was like that in Philadelphia, I can only imagine what it would be like here in New York.'
Walking deeper into the neighborhood, I noticed a small commotion by a rundown grocery store. Two men stood near an elderly woman, their voices low but clearly threatening.
'What's going on here?' I wondered, squinting at the scene. As I got closer, I could make out the details.
"You better have that money ready by tomorrow, old lady," one of them said, showing her a knife he had on his waist. "We don't provide protection for free."
The old woman held a small purse tightly, her voice shaking. "I'm trying, I swear... Please, just a little more time—"
"We've given you enough time," the second thug cut in. "If you can't pay, you're not getting protection. And trust me, I'll make sure you need it."
My eyes narrowed, muscles tensing. 'They're extorting her—right here, in broad daylight.'
After they finished threatening her, I watched as the old lady slowly made her way back inside her shop. I kept my distance, following the two thugs down narrow alleyways and empty streets. 'I'll wait until they reach a deserted alley. Whatever happens, there will be no witnesses, no distractions.'
Finally, they reached a back alley—just what I had hoped for. Now, nothing could stop me.
"Let's split the cash," one of them said, pulling out a few crumpled bills from his jacket. He was smirking. "This old lady's gonna make us rich."
"That money's not yours," I said, stepping forward.
The thugs turned around, startled. One of them sneered, stepping forward. "Who the hell are you supposed to be, huh? A hero?"
Without a word, I struck. Before either thug could react, I had knocked the first one to the ground with a well-aimed punch to the throat. The second thug, now fumbling for a knife, lunged at me, but it was too slow. I managed to deflect the attack effortlessly, grabbing the thug's arm and kneed it which resulted in a sickening crack of bone. The man screamed in pain, collapsing to his knees as he held his broken arm.
'Not that I care of course, scum like this deserves to die.'
I swiftly finished the job, and in moments, both thugs lay dead in the alleyway. 'No mercy for those who prey on the weak. Even if they were forced to work for a gang they still made the choice to target the old, defenseless lady.' I searched their bodies trying to see if they had more stolen money with them or clues regarding gangs.
When I grabbed his arm, I found something that caught my interest—a small samurai symbol. It wasn't a proper tattoo, but it told me everything I needed to know.
I returned to the elderly woman's store, holding the money the thugs had taken from her. While entering her store her face paled, clearly worried more trouble had come her way.
But Liam only held out the money. "This is yours. They won't be bothering you again."
Her hands trembled as she took the money, relief washing over her face. "Thank you... Thank you so much," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"You can repay me by leaving the city," Liam said seriously. "Things are going to get worse before they get better. Find a safer place. Take this as a warning."
The woman hesitated but nodded slowly. "I'll go," she whispered. "I'll leave as soon as I can."
I gave her one last nod and left the store, disappearing into the night as I made my way to my grandfather's house.
December 31st arrived, and Liam spent the evening with his grandfather. The house was warm and comfortable, but his mind was somewhere else. As they shared a simple meal and watched the clock tick toward midnight, Liam's thoughts returned to the gang he had encountered. He hadn't forgotten the tattoo—the symbol that marked them as part of the Yakuza.
He had spent the days following the incident looking for clues, trying to trace their main hideout. It wasn't easy, but with each day, the pieces began to fall into place.
The clock struck midnight, and Liam raised a glass with his grandfather. "Happy New Year, Grandpa," he said, smiling warmly.
"Happy New Year, Liam," his grandfather replied, while raising his glass to toast the new year.
As the new year passed, Liam's search continued. He spent his mornings training in the early hours, while his afternoons and nights were devoted to gathering intel on the gang. Word of their activities spread through the streets—extortion, violence, a growing network that seemed to be spreading its influence across the city.
Liam had no doubt he would find their main base soon. And when he did, he knew exactly what he had to do.
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