Chapter 25 Training Oscar

The sun was still low in the sky while Chen Jin was at the cafeteria, eating alone. It was a lot later than he usually ate, but since Shao Xin was away those that stayed had to cook for themselves.

He had to admit to himself than over the past year he had become a bit spoilt, the food made by food type spirit masters, even with normal ingredients (sometimes they were even below average in quality) was a lot better than what one could find in a normal restaurant.

Exasperatingly Chen Jin had come to realize that the only thing keeping shrek academy poor was and still is pride, mixed with a small amount of laziness. Any restaurant opened by Shao Xin was sure to make a killing when the word spread.

He'd just finished eating when he felt several people outside the building that served as a cafeteria, is perception around him of the world was now good enough that he could even tell who it was just from the feeling that he got.

His guess was proved right when the door opened.

"Little monster! How's the food?" It was Flenders who talked, with what was undoubtedly mirth in his voice. The bastard was making fun of him.

He ignored him.

"Oscar! How did your first hunt go?" he asked the youngest student of the academy.

The silver haired child looked from his white haired senior to Flender and back again after being adressed.

He had a perplexed look on his face at the blatant lack of care for their headmaster, Chen Jin found it amusing, the (smaller) kid would get used to it in time, it was an extremely good tactic to deal with people you'd rather not deal with.

Oscars expression shifted to a more pensive one while both teachers looked at him. He could already tell how it went from the looks they made at the question.

"It went well, I guess?" he looked at Shao Xin, the resident food type spirit master in question at the end, receiving a nod of assurance in return.

Chen Jin doubted the older male hadn't yet explained to him if is first ring was good or not and why, but Oscar probably just wanted the reassurance. A spirit master he might be but that was a recent development, so for now he was as mature as any other child.

"Great! I believe you've already eaten?" Chen Jin asked.

"We did" it was Shao Xin who answered "We got up extremely early" he shot a glare at Flender before continuing "and the day doesn't begin until you had a good breakfast".

Chen Jin had to give him that, he was always a bit lacking in energy before eating something.

"Do the two of you have anything planned for Oscar today?" they probably didn't, normally the teachers went with the flow but just because planning something didn't happen regularly doesn't mean it didn't happen at all.

Oscar turned to look at the two in question too, it seemed he also wanted to know.

Flender shook his head "No, Shao Xin already taught him the basics during the trip"

"You wanted to start trying to teach him today?"

"Yes, the sooner the better. He has a lot to learn before he can start trying to use even the easiest of my skills, the biggest constraint is time". It was true, control wasn't something that could be achieved in a day, especially fine control.

Oscar would have an advantage over him, since he wasn't grasping at staws like he was, but even then it wasn't exactly easy.

He would first have to be able to feel and move his soul power inside his body, something that from is talks with is own seniors wasnt something that came naturally, they could feel and move it easy enough, but if they were asked to move a fifth to a limb they couldn't do it either precisely or quickly. At least at first.

It was only after Oscar achieved the necessary internal control that he could start teaching him the exercises he'd made through the years.

And Chen Jin had no doubts, repeating the same thing over and over again was boring, it was made even worse since Oscar was only six. He didn't truly understand how much he had to gain if he succeeded, not yet.

Chen Jin was almost certain that Oscar would give up temporarily after a while.

He'd come back when he truly understood the difference between combat and support type spirit masters. As such, the sooner they started the sooner they could get this song and dance done with.

"We are going to start today?!" Oscar asked excitedly.

Chen Jin tried to hold in his amusement. He could let it show after he let the kid know what he would be doing for the foreseeable future.

"Yes, if you're feeling up to it?"

"Feeling up to it?! Of course I'm feeling up to it!"

Chen Jin let a laugh out "Well, you've heard the kid, see you at night Dean, teacher Xin" he said as he got up.

"Let's go Oscar, we're going to train we're I normally do it, it's a good spot for what you're going to do today".

Oscar turned to follow him out the door after a hurried goodbye to the amused adults. They already had an idea of what the training would be.

"What are you going to teach me today?" the smaller child asked Chen Jin as he caught up with him.

The taller child smiled "You'll know when we reach there"

"Why can't you tell me now?" Oscar whined.

"To let the excitement build of course" Chen Jin said as he continued to walk through the dirt roads. "It will be a lot more enjoyable that way. You can try to guess what it is while you walk though, if you get it right ill tell you" at least it was going to be more enjoyable for him. For Oscar not so much.

And it was like that that they walked to the forest by the dormitories. Oscar making increasingly nonsensical guesses and Chen Jin getting progressively more amused.

"Alright, were here" the taller child said as they reached his favored clearing. He got in the habit of training in one since small, it was almost ingrained in him now.

"Finally! What are you going to teach me!" Oscar asked nearly instantly.

"Are you certain you want to know? You can still quit now, it is something extremely hard to do..." Chen Jin tried to streatch it as much as possible.

"Come on!" Oscar was getting more articulate in his excitement.

Chen Jin smiled mischievously "Alright" he started.

"Firstly you have to sit down. And then you do exactly as you do cultivate, but you need to feel the energy" he could be more specific, but he figured the reaction would be better this way. He wasn't disappointed, Oscar's change from exited to dumbfounded was as great as he hoped.

"What".