34 Chapter 31: 'Useless'
Making a small distance from Scarlett, both of them stood facing each other.
"Ash~ Ash~ You can do it!" Aurora squealed, her voice full of pure encouragement. "Go on, and show Mamma how strong you are!"
"Mamma~ Don't hurt Ash or I would be angry~" she declared, her voice trembling slightly, but her eyes sparkling with determination. Puffing out her cheeks, she crossed her tiny arms in a mock-serious frown.
"Yes yes my silly daughter." Scarlett couldn't help but smile at her daughter's antics.
"Go go go Ash!" While Aurora was constantly cheering for Asher, he was in deep thought about how to face her. He looked at his status.
×××××
[Name]: Asher Agenis
[Gender]: Male
[Age]: 10
[Race]: Half-Human / Half-Demon
[Class]: Monster
[Level] : 0
Tier: 0 <Novus >
[ExP Re.]: 00 / 250
××××××
Soul Power: 700
Strength: 23
Agility: 24
Vitality: 24
Stamina: 21
Dexterity: 18
Intelligence: 35
Constitution: 22
Will: ???
Charm: 77+
Luck: ???
SP(Stat Points): 00
××××
The Extra stats he had were already allotted to his Agility and Constitution during his full week workout, all of them in his and for better utilisation.
Scarlett stood opposite him, a playful smile on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Sweetie, you can come at me any time," she said softly, "I wouldn't want to hurt you, darling. That's why Mommy will go easy this time." Her voice was warm, but Asher felt a prickle of a weird crawl down his spine.
Yet, his lips stretched into a little grin, nodding at her.
Scarlett watched him closely, a thrill coursing through her. She wants to know how much of the innate talent of fighting within him.
But a part of her worried. He was growing too strong, too independent. This little test would reveal how much work she still had to do.
Asher glances at Scarlett, the unknown gloves are now already covering his hands. The shiny obsidian claw shined under the warm sunlight.
'Let's go wild for a while,' He thought.
He didn't need a plan.
Plans were for the weak. And Victories against Scarlett are meaningless illusions. Also, Asher wasn't here for empty victories.
Taking a deep breath.
He didn't move for a moment, his eyes gleaming with a manic glint.
With a sudden twitch, He took a slow and deliberate step forward.
He didn't lunge. He didn't attack.
He simply walked towards her, slow and steady, step by step, with each breath with the distance closing by, and the Asher speed increased.
"What are you doing, sweetie?" Scarlett asked, amusement lacing her voice. Secretly, a thrill of anticipation surged through her.
Testing Asher's limits was a joy, but also a way to gauge his potential, his raw talent.
Asher ignored her question, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that sent another tremor through her.
Then, in a heartbeat he moved.
One moment Asher was across the grassland, the next he was a blur of claws and teeth, lunging for her throat.
The attack lacked any strategy, just relying solely on raw speed and the element of surprise.
His body stats can now go for full potential, along with the increase in agility stats.
His steps were lighter, faster than Scarlett anticipated.
In a blink, he was upon her, claws flashing dangerously close to her face.
The world seemed to slow down as Asher's clawed hand slashed towards her face.
The distance between the shiny nails and face keep decreasing at frightening speed.
The glint of obsidian shone under the bright light.
"Not bad, Ash," Scarlett said, a hint of pride in her voice.
With a smile, Scarlett flick her wrist, she met Asher's attack head-on, her open palm smacking against the back of his gloved hand.
The force sent him staggering back, a flicker of pain crossing his face for a fleeting second.
But the expression was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a small grin.
Reacting quickly, Scarlett launched a counterpunch, aiming for his cheek.
Asher didn't dodge with any urgency, just a lazy twist of his head at the last possible moment.
The blow grazed his cheekbone with a sickening thud, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent training ground.
He didn't flinch, didn't even grunt.
This simple jab and throw made him realise.
"Hehehe~" A low chuckle escaped his throat, devoid of humor and laced with a hint of something darker.
Scarlett could see the flicker of disappointment in Asher's eyes, a fleeting spark of something resembling frustration.
Before she could understand what it was.
He lunged again, this time aiming at her stomach. The second claw came like a viper's strike, faster than the first.
Asher has no elegant flow to his movements, just a mess of efficient brutality.
It was like watching a wild animal fight, all raw power and unpredictable instinct.
It was the erratic, unpredictable nature of the attack, not its speed, that almost… almost caught Scarlett off guard.
A playful smile tugged at her lips. This was child's play compared to her experience.
With a simple sidestep, she avoided the razor-sharp nails by a hair's breadth with ease.
Her leg whipped out in a roundhouse kick, aimed at the right side of his face.
Her speed was impressive, the kick a blur leaving a faint whoosh in its wake. Yet, Asher reacted with lightning reflexes, his gloved hand rising just in time to deflect the blow.
'Yeah, It's no fun at all!' The impact sent a jolt up his arm, but a bored sigh escaped his lips.
Ignoring the numbness in his arm, Asher lunged forward, grabbing Scarlett's leg in a vice-like grip.
His expression bored, the grin on his face was gone.
The expected thrill of the fight was absent, replaced by a gnawing boredom.
'What's the point of this? She is simply too strong. This wasn't a challenge; it was simply one sided beatdown.' Asher realised.
The difference between Scarlett and him was like a drop of water against an entire ocean.
Asher simply couldn't do anything.
Because of this, he was slowly getting tired of this.
'This bitch won't even let me leave.' Scarlett was an absolute unit in front of him. This fight was a meaningful struggle.
He couldn't win against her. This world isn't some bullshit fantasy where he would get power-up suddenly by sheer will, determination or any power of friendship.
Maybe this training worked for others, but for him? It was a waste of time.
He needs fight, blood and flesh. Not this useless training… or spars.
His leg lashed out in a kick towards her face.
A smile tugged at her lips, just like Asher, reacting quickly, she countered with her hands, blocking his kick with a solid block.
But Asher didn't follow through.
He seemed to lose interest in the kick halfway, his movements sluggish and lacking conviction.
It was as if he was testing the waters, gauging her reaction.
Seeing an opening, Scarlett took advantage of his momentary spacing out.
With a powerful thrust of her hips, she used Asher's momentum to her advantage.
In a spinning motion, she launched herself upwards, taking him along for a dizzying ride.
Asher, caught off guard, let out a small grunt.
His grip on her leg loosened as the unexpected maneuver sent him off balance.
The world became a blur of motion as Scarlett spun. He 'instinctively' released her leg to avoid being slammed into the ground.
The spin ended abruptly as both landed back on their feet, a few paces apart.
A wide smile naturally formed on Scarlett's lips. It wasn't just pride in Asher's performance; it was a deeper satisfaction, a sense of ownership over his potential.
'Mine,' Scarlett thought possessively, hugging herself tightly. 'My Ash, so amazing.' The intoxicating pride coursed through her, a twisted pleasure in seeing him develop into something far greater.
But a discordant note pricked at her satisfaction. The way he fought, with a mix of raw potential and clumsy movements, sent a jolt of unease.
'That's to be expected,' she reassured herself, pushing down the unease
Scarlett took her breath, standing tall, her eyes narrowed in concern. Asher, however, remained frozen in a crouch, his chest heaving with exertion.
The glint in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a flicker of something akin to annoyance. He looked at Scarlett, then at his own hands, as if surprised by his lack of control.
"This is pointless, you're too strong." he muttered, his voice lacking any emotion.
He didn't feel the same fun she was feeling during the fighting. Yeah, her love for him made her excited… him too but when he is also half as strong as her, that he wasn't.
Asher simply trying to fight a mountain, a fucking mountain which can fight. But he can't! The difference was too big to cross within just a few days.
But for now. He was simply annoyed.
***
A/N: Hey, now I can write again, though I will Start daily update from next Monday without stop, I need to re-read and check my older chapters and see any plot holes and anything I'm missing.
And I need to edit previous chapters.
I was thinking to dragging a little more chapters, with slow time skip intead of a complete years one.
I haven't checked any comments, so I will do that too, thanks for the patience those who were waiting for this novel, the [A/N] will probably be removed too, soon...
