44: Mental Practice

As Silver performed a series of stretches under a sky that was illuminated by numerous stars, the forest subtly became more silent.

He picked up his spear and assumed the hoplite stance, a basic stance that common Spartan guards were taught. He planted his feet firmly in a slight crouch, his left foot slid forward, and he held his spear with both hands diagonally across his body.

He took in a deep breath, and a few seconds later, he released all of it. He closed his eyes and then remained in the same position without moving a single muscle.

In his mind, a formless figure began to materialize. The formless figure twisted, turned, and churned until the figure had the same physical characteristics as the third prince, Nathaniel!

Silver slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze instantly sharpened. In front of him was the faceless figure that had the physical characteristics of Nathaniel, the third prince.

Not only did the figure have Nathaniel's physical characteristics, the killing intent that Nathaniel unleashed on Silver in the royal palace could be felt from the faceless figure.

Silver's breath faltered slightly, and his palms and forehead became sweaty. His grip on his spear loosened slightly, but Silver quickly tightened it.

Silver exhaled, and the moment he did, he dashed forward.

The faceless figure exuded an air of disdain, indifference, and disgust as he approached it. It even crossed its arms.

Silver remained undeterred despite the disdain, indifference, and disgust he could clearly feel from the faceless figure. This was not the first time he was facing the faceless figure.

Silver started with a basic thrust, a simple yet fundamental move that Silver had practiced countless times. With a quick step forward, he extended his spear arm, driving the iron tip straight ahead. The thrust was precise, the motion extremely fluid, and the speed much faster than what an average twelve year old could produce.

But despite this precise and fluid thrust, the faceless figure moved sideways at a speed that was much faster than the speed of the spear. But Silver did not despair, nor did he give up.

He repeated it, each time aiming for the figure's vital points and also adjusted his grip each time to make sure the spear was an extension of his body.

Eventually, Silver's thrusts became a blur of calculated and precise attacks. But despite Silver's increase in speed, the figure calmly and indifferently dodged each of Silver's attacks with inhuman agility, but Silver's persistence and determination did not waver.

He adjusted his stance and focused on the rhythm of the figure's movements, trying to predict the next evasion. With every thrust, he adapted, learned, and grew more attuned to the figure's patterns.

Just when it seemed like all Silver planned on doing was thrusting his spear, he paused briefly. His stance changed and he held his spear horizontally, and then, he swung it in a broad arc at the figure's face.

This move was designed to knock an opponent off balance or disarm them. His muscles tightened, and his veins popped out as he executed the sweep, pivoting on his feet to maintain balance and control.

But, despite putting all his strength into the sweep, the figure merely took two steps backward, dodging the tip of the spear by a narrow margin.

Despite his above-average physical ability, Silver felt his stamina decrease, and he could also feel the burn in his arms and legs.

He paused and took in a deep breath, but the instant he did, his instincts screamed at him and he subconsciously shifted his stance to a defensive form.

Clang!

Silver gritted his teeth as he was forced to take several steps backward. His arms trembled, and he focused intensely on the faceless figure.

Just as he expected, the figure vanished from his gaze, but Silver was able to feel a disturbance in the wind to his right.

He shifted his spear to a different stance and swung it down. He imagined the force of the incoming attack and tried to counter it, his movements were swift and precise.

Clang!

A metallic clang resounded in the forest, and Silver's eyes widened when he saw his spear perfectly parrying the figure's fist.

'A perfect parry!'

Without wasting a single second, Silver swung his spear up, wanting to slice the figure's body in two.

But to Silver's disbelief, the figure moved backward despite his posture and stance. Before Silver could react, the figure swung his free arm, and…

Bam!

Silver staggered, and his vision briefly blurred. He placed his spear before him in a defensive stance, but just as he expected he was fucked.

A barrage of lightning quick and powerful punches rained on him from the figure.

His face, his chest, his abdomen, his neck, his head, his legs.

Every single part of his body was hit with immense power and force, and Silver could only protect his head behind his arms and spear.

Bam!

A few seconds later, the figure launched a powerful kick at him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

'This is my chance!'

Despite receiving a complete beating from the figure, Silver did not give up and found an opportunity in his current position.

He quickly rolled to the side and sprang to his feet. His eyes went to the figure who still exuded an air of indifference and disdain, and Silver's eyes gleamed.

When he was at a suitable distance, he performed a lunge, a more advanced technique that combined speed and power. With a sudden burst, he propelled himself forward with his spear aimed at the figure's vital points.

Just as Silver's spear was about to touch the figure, the figure moved to the side, dodging the lunge with ease.

Silver did not panic, and the instant his feet touched the ground, he performed a sweep at the figure. But before his sweep could be performed, the figure punched his face.

Seeing the incoming fist, Silver moved his head backward.

'I dodged it!.'

Silver exclaimed and shifted his stance slightly to continue his attack. But…

BAM!

'What?'

Silver felt an immense force hitting his face. His head spun to the side, and the pain he felt reminded him of the slap he received from Nathaniel in the royal palace.

Silver staggered briefly, and a few seconds later, he fell to the ground unconscious.

The figure glanced at Silver, and then it dispersed like a formless mist.