They were at the highest point of Gildartz City. The setting sun blazed across the orange sky. Kai had been to many exotic locations, but this one seemed to take his breath away.
Steve smiled at Kai and said, “This place has always been able to calm me down. I can sort out all my troubles when I’m here. I can’t explain why, but this place has a strange vibe to it.”
Kai looked around and said, “I know what you mean.”
“So, tell me what’s bothering you about Sora?”
Kai didn’t answer. Steve went on, “You know, Sora is a lot like how you were when you turned up at my doorstep and begged me to take you in as a student and train you. How long has it been… fifteen years since then? You never told me why, but you were obsessed with wanting to become stronger. You would do reckless, even highly dangerous stuff for that goal.”
Kai smirked and said, “And what’s the point of reminiscing about the past?”
“The point is that, just like how you are Sora’s master, I was yours. I worried about you as well. I started wondering if it was right to train a kid so hard and make him step into greater danger. But I knew you had your reasons, so I kept training you without holding back. But you didn’t do the same for your student, did you?”
Kai clenched his fist tightly. He shook slightly when he said, “What was I supposed to do, Steve? He had already been through enough emotional torture after the Vento massacre. I knew that if he did get stronger, he would have to face greater dangers as well. I just didn’t want him to get hurt anymore. I hoped that he could enjoy his life after such trauma, but I was ordered by the old man to train him.”
Steve said coldly, “So you think that not training him to his full potential wouldn’t hurt him? You should know that doing anything half-heartedly would lead to severe consequences.”
Kai replied back, “Say all you want. I was doing what I thought was the best for him. Is it wrong to want to protect him?”
Steve said, “Rather than protecting him, he seems to be like a bird in a cage of thorns. The more he tries to break through it, the more he gets hurt. You’re being so overprotective for some reason that you fail to see his true potential.”
Kai bit his lip and said, “So, what do you suggest?”
Steve smiled and said, “I’ll make him realize that he can break free from his cage and soar through the sky as a free bird without any limits. I’m going to train him, just like how I trained you.”
Kai stared at Steve for a moment and then said, “Guess there’s no helping it. Do what you must. I reckon I’m in no position to tell you to go easy on him.”
Steve smiled and said, “Yup. You need a monster to make a monster, don’t you?”
A week later, when Sora was finally discharged from infirmary, he immediately packed his things in his rucksack and met up with Steve, who said, “You ready? You’re going to be staying in my place for a month. So, there’s no turning back from this.”
Sora said with full enthusiasm, “Wouldn’t dream of it. Let’s get going already.”
Sora and Steve left for the outskirts of the city. Sora looked at the countryside fields and said, “You live around here?”
Steve said, “Yeah. I prefer open spaces to the congested city. It’s just me and my wife in our cozy cottage.”
“You’re married!” Sora squealed, a little over dramatically.
Steve said annoyed, “Of course I am. No need to be so surprised about it. Oh, we’ve arrived.” He pointed at a fairly big cottage on top of the hill.
“We own the whole hill, so we can train without bothering anyone.”
A kind faced lady, probably Steve’s wife, greeted them. Sora said, “I hope I’m not intruding.” She waved and said, “Of course not, dear. We’re more than pleased to have you over. But my, you do look a lot like Kai did when he first came here.”
Steve said, “Hana, why don’t you make some lunch for us. I warn you, he’s a bigger hog than me.”
Mrs. Hancock smiled widely and said, “At least there won’t be any leftovers.”
The house was well furnished. It had a very homely feeling to it. Sora was given a room for himself on the second floor. He opened the window there to look at the view behind the house.
There was a vegetable patch, which was being tended to by a robot. It covered only a small portion of the land owned by the Hancocks.
The dining room on the first floor had a fireplace. It was, of course, an electric heater, but Steve pressed a switch inside the fireplace and the fireplace sunk in to reveal a door. Steve said, “This is my control room with my computers and stuff. I can access the guild’s database from here and choose my jobs too. But I’m not too good with these things. In your time here, you are welcome to choose jobs from here when you can.”
The room was similar to the one in Kai’s hideout in Denso forest. It had multiple screens and keyboards as well as a mini fridge.
Mrs. Hancock called them to lunch. The table was stacked with food made from homegrown ingredients. Sora took one bite of the food and his mind exploded. He exclaimed, “This food is amazing! You’re a genius, Mrs. Hancock!”
Mrs. Hancock smiled widely and said, “Eat all that you want. You’ll need the strength to keep up with Steve’s training. He won’t hold back for anyone.”
After the food was wiped clean from the plates, Steve took Sora to the open grounds at the back of the house. He said, “Okay. Now that you’re ready, let me tell you what I’m going to train you in. But first, have you gotten over your loss already?”
Sora stared at Steve. He then said with a weak smile, “Guess I couldn’t hide it. Yeah. It did affect me. It wasn’t because they were stronger. I know that there are tons of guys stronger than me. But I was really confident about my speed. But I couldn’t even… get close to Vikram Arikath.”
Steve said, “I did my research on them. It seems that Vikram Arikath is one of the fastest contractors in the south continent. It’s no wonder that you lost to him in speed.”
Sora looked at his feet and said, “I dream of that fight, you know. I can never get it out of my mind. I always thought that I was really fast. But every punch I threw missed him. Every time I got near him, he seemed to disappear. It was… agonizing.”
He looked straight at Steve and said, “Both of us used the split step. But why is he so much faster than me?”
Steve thought about it for a second and said, “This is just my hypothesis, and I’ve never seen Arikath use split step, so I’m not so sure. But I can probably figure out what’s wrong with yours.”
“What?”
Steve went on, “From what I’ve seen, your split step works by focusing your ki in your feet and using it to speed up. But I think that your split step is incomplete. Look.”
He took a stick and said, “Your split step is like this.” He drew a sharp line with the stick on the ground and drew another in the opposite side.
“Your split step is like sudden bursts of energy. You generally take one step to propel yourself in one direction. But due to this, your speed is inconsistent and changing direction takes too long. But from my experience, a real split step is like this.”
He drew continuous curves with the stick. “They don’t just use bursts of ki but a consistent and continuous ki infusion with every step they take, making it easier and faster to move.”
Sora gaped at the drawing. He slapped his forehead and said, “Man, I’m a total retard. Why didn’t I realize this?”
Steve said, “I think it’s because you’ve never learnt it properly. Kai doesn’t use the split step but instead uses another foot technique. Plus, you never realized what a true split step is like as you’ve never faced an opponent who can use it.”
Sora then asked, “So, how do I train to complete my split step?”
Steve said, “I can’t use the split step either. But I know the concept. I think your greatest weakness must be controlling your ki. It must be harder because you have two contracts.”
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br /> “Yeah well…” Sora stared at Steve.
Steve smiled and said, “Kai trusts me. All S ranks in the guild know anyway. Now, I’ll teach you how to properly control your ki. After that, I’ll make you dodge my iron poles from the ground to make you get faster. Soon, you’ll realize that ki control can also increase the power of your attacks and you’ll learn to use your contract in ways that you would have never imagined.”
Sora started breathing deeply. He then said, “Alright. I’m ready. I’m in your care now.”
Steve grinned and said, “Yup. I’ll make sure that you can soar into the sky of endless boundaries.
The May heat soon engulfed Gildartz City. Traffic in major parts of the city decreased with a majority of the people preferring their air-conditioned abodes to stepping out into the burning streets. There was a rise in the number of ice cream stalls as well.
But one boy was forced to hide amongst the hot steel containers in Gildartz City’s riverine port docks.
Gallons of sweat trickled down Jake’s forehead and splashed on the floor as he watched the activities of his hooded target, which pranced around impatiently in front of a small black van.
Jake was beginning to feel as impatient as his target. The heat was becoming quite unbearable and was making him lose focus. All he could think of was the cold juice he would have Mac make for him after the mission.
But a sudden jerk from the man he was shadowing raised his attentiveness. Jake noticed a man in a white suit surrounded by armed grunts.
The man in the white suit, Jake recognized, was Damon Connie. He was a well-known drug lord and his gang had been involved in various cases of heists, assaults, gunfights, and etcetera.
“A bigger catch than I figured it to be,” Jake thought.
Connie asked, “Did you bring it?” The man nodded grimly and turned to open the van’s back door. One look inside and Damon Connie smiled widely and said, “Good. Just what we had asked for…”
He then turned to his men and nodded. They nodded back and drew their rifles. The man’s eyes went wide with fear and he said in a quivering voice, “B…But they sa…said that–”
“Work ethics. I hope you understand,” Damon Connie said with a smile.
A trigger was pulled and the bang echoed all around the desolate dock. The man cowered in fear and gritted his teeth, waiting for his foretold death.
But the next second, he realized that he was not hurt at all. Instead, a .30 caliber bullet was quivering in front of his forehead. Then, it dropped to the floor with a small clang and rolled to his feet.
Before the men there could exclaim in astonishment, a small steel container fell from above and knocked out three of the grunts. Damon Connie shouted, “We’re being ambushed! Kill the man first and then search for the scumbags who attacked– ”
Before he could finish, the man’s rifle was jerked out of his hand and smashed into Connie’s temple. Seeing their boss fall, the grunts lost all sense and started firing at everything around them. But as they pulled the trigger, the rifles were jerked out of their hands and aimed at their feet.
The grunts howled as the bullets pierced their feet. Boxes and containers started flying at them. One man was picked up and hurled at the others.
Within a few seconds, the scene was littered with unconscious men. The hooded man was shaking on the floor, terrified by what he had seen. It didn’t help when a rope flew out and tied all of them up. He staggered to his feet and tried to flee. Jake stepped out and waved his hand. Instantly, the man’s feet were yanked up and he fell on his face. He was then levitated and flew to Jake’s outstretched hand.
The man was dazed by the sudden fall. Jake placed him beside the van and peeked into the back, expecting to find packs of drugs.
Instead, it was stacked with weapons; guns and the like.
Jake bent down to the man and slapped his face a little till he came around. He then asked, “What are these weapons for? How did you get hold of these things?”
The man trembled but did not answer. Jake said, “I know you’re a small time drug dealer. Why are you smuggling arms now?”
The man refused to answer again. Jake sighed and said, “I need some answers. If you don’t speak up, you’re going to be in a worse state than those guys who tried to kill you.”
The man looked behind Jake and shuddered. Jake grew impatient and levitated a huge container beside them. The man screamed and said, “I’m sorry! I’ll tell you everything!”
Jake dropped the container back in place. He said, “Alright. So how did you get this arsenal?”
The man replied, “I was walking in an alley near my house. I had to meet a new client so I was heading there. Then, I was struck from behind. When I came around, I was blindfolded and tied up. The guys who had brought me there said that I was to deliver these guns in the van to some big shot in the docks or else they would kill my family.”
Jake asked, “Who were those men?”
The man sobbed a little and replied, “I don’t know. I never got to see their face. They took me to the van and removed the rope around me. By the time I had taken the blind fold off, they were gone.”
He then started crying as he said, “Please… protect my family. Everything I said is true.”
Jake raised his head and looked into his eyes and began reading his mind. He was not lying.
“I believe you. I’ll call the cops and ask them to check on your family.”
Within a few minutes, Inspector Ram and his team were at the scene. He was shocked to find the small arsenal instead of the drugs. The team sent to protect the man’s family found that they were unharmed and brought them into police custody.
Inspector Ram turned to Jake and said, “I think Sora’s habit of running into dangerous situations rubbed off on you.”
Jake grinned and said, “Maybe it did. Though I haven’t seen him for about a month or so, ever since Steve Hancock said that he would train him.”
Inspector Ram said, “Well, I hope he comes back soon. He always seems to lighten the mood. And it seems that I’ll be very busy trying to track the people who supplied the arms. I’ll contact the guild once we find out and need your assistance.”
Jake nodded and said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me Inspector, the heat is really getting to me. I need to cool off soon or you could fry an egg on my head.”
Back in the guild headquarters, Jake was gulping down his fifth glass of juice. Mac stepped next to him and asked, “Need another one?”
Jake leaned back with a sigh of relief and answered, “Nah, I’m good. But my head is still burning. Guess a cool shower might just make my day.”
Mac nodded and said, “You know, you should take a break from work. I noticed that you haven’t taken even one day off for two months.”
Jake replied, “I can’t. Right now, Sora is training with Steve and also doing his jobs every day. And Zack is doing great as an A ranker. I don’t want to be left behind.”
Mac shrugged and said, “If that’s what you feel. But you guys sure have become close, haven’t you? I remember that you initially avoided Zack after you joined the guild. But Sora brought you two together, I guess.”
He then scratched his head and said, “Now why did you initially ignore Zack?”
Jake got to his feet. He turned to leave when he stopped and said, “You’re just thinking too deep into it. I thought that Zack was too stuck up at first, but later realized that he was not. That’s all.”
As he left the cafeteria, Mac said, “If you say so.”
There was a knock on the door. Jake, who had just got out of the shower, put on his clothes and rushed to the door, which slid open to reveal a red headed young man with rectangular spectacles and wearing a white lab coat. He said, “Ah Jake, Nice to see you again.”
Jake said, “Professor Gopi, what can I do for you?”
Gopi Krishna was a young scientific genius, or as most would call him, a mad scientist. He was responsible for all technology
related matter in the guild, from elevators to battleships.
Jake let him in. As always, Gopi had a bag with all his tools and latest inventions with him. Just as the door slid close, Gopi’s hand found the television remote. He immediately started dismantling it.
Jake asked in an awkward tone, “Professor Gopi, I thought you wanted something from me.”
Gopi suddenly realized what he was doing and placed the remote back on the table with an apology. He got up and said, “Jake, if I recall, you are close friends with Sora, right?”
Jake nodded. Noticing Gopi pause and sniff the air, Jake swiftly opened the windows and levitated his socks, which were on the floor, into the bathroom.
Oblivious to it, Gopi continued, “I have something I should’ve returned to him weeks ago but just forgot.” He started rummaging his bag and took out all kinds of tools and bizarre objects from it. Then finally, he brought out a G watch.
Jake asked, “Is that Sora’s? I remember that he had given it for repair after a bullet struck it.”
Gopi replied, “Yes. I had repaired it soon enough but it just slipped my mind to return it to him. So, I took the liberty of adding some modifications to it.”
The G watch did seem a little different. Jake noticed an extra button in the lower part of the watch.
“Some of its features include a radar with a range of 10 kilometer radius, an instant S.O.S signal when the wearer’s pulse decreases, and a laser activated by pressing the newly installed button at the bottom.”
Jake examined the watch and said, “That’s pretty cool. When can I get mine?”
Gopi replied, “This one was a prototype. Mass production has just begun. I guess it should be available by next month.”
Jake said, “Nice! Well, I’ll hand this over to Sora once he gets back then.”
Gopi said, “Okay. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
He turned to put his things back into the bag. But then, his hand slipped and a small metal sphere fell through his fingers and rolled to the wall. It suddenly started beeping and a red light flashed on it.
Contractor: The Legendary Contract of Vento Page 15
