Maximus

Set in 450 B.C.

The Great Nation of Malta, River City.

Teenagers between the ages of ten to fifteen showed up early in the morning at the Alexei family's training square to practice their skills. When they arrived, it was already a common sight for them to see a thirteen-year-old boy with a somewhat pleasant appearance doing various movements in the middle of the field.

"As expected, Maximus came earlier than usual. He's always been the first one among us to be here for three consecutive years."

"Yeah, it's a real pity. He clearly has a fourth-level Aptitude that is superior to ours. Unfortunately, after so many years of hard work, he has no such luck in attaining his Internal Strength because of his body's illness. I learned that the Family Head and others are extremely disappointed in him."

Several teens could be heard whispering to each other, but the one who spoke aloud clearly felt sorry for Maximus's situation.

The people of this country believe that by training in their unique combat techniques a man can achieve not only the physical strength to defeat the enemy but also attain the Internal Strength to battle all their spiritual demons. This Strength is attained in several stages, with each stage the man gains more of nature's energy and eventually becomes unbeatable.

However, someone also commented with an edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Maximus's father is a piece of trash. He did shameful things that made our Alexei family feel hurt and suffer a great loss. I suspect this is the punishment for the wrongdoings committed by his father. And Maximus suffered all the bad karma."

The young man who spoke was Maximus's cousin, Kane. He was a little over fourteen years old and had already attained stage three. Among those aged under fifteen in the Alexei family, he was often identified as the leader. While he was stronger than Maximus in all aspects, he was inferior to him in terms of Aptitude. Maximus's Aptitude was already at the fourth level, and Kane was one level below him. After Maximus's Aptitude was put to the test, the outcome frustrated Kane. However, for some strange reason, Maximus's body couldn't produce Internal Strength, thus his fourth-level Aptitude was totally worthless. This thrilled Kane, and he always ridiculed Maximus for it whenever he got the chance.

In reality, he was jealous of Maximus. If Kane also had a fourth-level Aptitude, he might have

already broken through fourth or even fifth level.

Despite the young men's highly audible exchange, Maximus didn't seem to hear them. He stayed focused on his training and familiarized himself with the Basic Long Fists and Basic Leg Techniques taught by his family. Soon after the arrival of the other teenagers, they all started their Basic Long Fists and Basic Leg Techniques training.

Both techniques were divided into nine styles. Maximus practiced them alternately several times before stopping for a break. He drew a deep breath and said, "I'm very proficient now with these two techniques. If it didn't require the use of Internal Strength, then nobody here would deserve to be my opponent, but..."

Maximus only shook his head as his voice drifted off, but there wasn't a single hint of bitterness on his face. It was as if he wasn't disappointed by his failure to produce Internal Strength after three years of hard work. His firm mouth twisted as if he were about to laugh. But he only smiled mysteriously after hearing the other boys talk and felt sorry for him.

He unwittingly touched his chest to placate himself, and soon, his eyes lit up. "Three years have passed since I started training. I have an inkling that I can finally solve this mystery in a few days, or maybe even today. And when that happens..."

Afterward, Maximus resumed his training and worked tirelessly to improve his dexterity on both techniques.

Not long after, a middle-aged man entered the training field. When everyone saw him coming, they straightened up their backs and grew silent to avoid being scolded.

Although he had a surname different from the Alexei family, he was their teacher. Everyone referred to him as Instructor Lester. His Internal Strength base already reached the four-star Human rank, in the entire Alexei family, his strength was powerful. He was quite strict in teaching young people. The oldest ones in the training field were only fifteen years old, and they had no practical experience. Thus, they showed a lot of reverence for Instructor Lester.

When Instructor Lester saw that everyone had gathered, he declared, "To the boys of the Alexei family, listen. It's been three years since I first taught you Basic Fist Techniques and Basic Leg Techniques. Originally, I had no intention of giving you any new skills before you reach fifteen. However, your batch is a level stronger than the previous one, and the strongest disciple, Kane, isn't far from breaking through his fourth level. So, after the Family Head granted me permission yesterday, I'll be training you in advance the Claw Condensation Technique!"

The announcement caused a great deal of uproar. Among the basic techniques, the Claw Condensation Technique was an extremely powerful Upper-grade capability. Generally, only the disciples on the fifth or sixth stage were allowed to learn the technique, by the family. They didn't expect to learn it so soon.

In a flash, everyone's grateful gazes landed on Kane. He was the only one there who was on the verge of breaking through the fourth level of attaining Internal Strength. Kane felt proud to feel everybody's gratitude and attention.

Meanwhile, Maximus's eyes flashed with ferocity. "The Claw Condensation Technique is a Basic Upper-grade skill whereas the first two techniques are both Basic Lower-grade Skills. The reward is very lucrative because they actually skip the Medium-class Martial Skill."

Instructor Lester's expression changed abruptly as he ordered everyone to stand apart from each other. Instantly, he gave off an intense and dominant aura with a trace of Killing Intent!

None of these young men had previously experienced this kind of occurrence, and all their faces turned pale in the presence of such a fierce aura. Maximus's reaction wasn't good either, and his body shook slightly. Obviously, Instructor Lester wasn't aiming at them, otherwise...

"Wow! I can't believe the Human-rank can be this powerful. If a Four-star Human rank is already this strong, then what kind of strength will our Family Head have, who has probably reached the Ten-star Human Rank?" Maximus thought in shock.

For a while, Maximus and the other young men got caught up in their adoration for the powerful men.

Suddenly, Instructor Lester screamed loudly, and his fingers quickly turned into claws. He picked up a huge rock and shattered it to pieces without trouble. Afterward, he started shaking fast and unleashed different techniques. After some time, Instructor Lester withdrew his aggression, and the inundating atmosphere went back to normal. Everyone stared at him with burning intensity.

Instructor Lester's face relaxed into a smile, and he started showing every movement while highlighting some important key points.

"All right, everyone. Now that I've shown you the Claw Condensation Technique, it's your turn to train in your respective places."

Maximus stayed in his spot and closed his eyes as he visualized Instructor Lester's actions earlier. After a while, he opened his eyes and started moving slowly. At first, his body was stiff, but his movements soon became more fluid as he transitioned to the next move without pause. As his proficiency increased, his speed also improved. Although he was not as fast as Lester, at least he could execute the technique with ease.

Instructor Lester's eyes swept over the training field and landed on Maximus. "Sure enough, Maximus's the first one to pull it off perfectly. With such extraordinary comprehension and a fourth-level Aptitude, his future looks promising. It's just unfortunate that there's something wrong with his body." Instructor Lester shook his head, feeling sorry to have a talented disciple but with a physical condition.

While Maximus performed the Claw Condensation Technique, the other young men stopped their training to observe him more closely. By the time he finished, they started talking and resumed their training.

"It seems as if Maximus is always the first to showcase his skills fully. Before, I thought that the Basic Lower-grade Skills were too simple, but then I realized that the Claw Condensation Technique is much more complex and superior. I wasn't expecting him to be the first to perform it flawlessly again."

"Who gives a damn about it? What's the use of his skills if he can't even attain his Internal Strength?"

"You're right. Even if we learn it much slower than him, we still have our Internal Strength. And in just a few days, I'm about to break through my first stage."

"Really? Me too! Let's not waste time now and practice some more!"

Kane looked at Maximus resentfully and spat, "Trash will always be trash. I'll never believe something until I see it. By the time we practice the Human Rank Martial Skills, everyone must use their Internal Strength. Let's see how you'll do then!"

Time went on and before they knew it, two hours had elapsed. Instructor Lester waved his hand and said, "Everyone did well today. Only four people barely mastered the Claw Condensation Technique. Keep working hard, everyone! Only when you become familiar with it, nothing will go wrong when you activate your Internal Strength. If you do incorrect movements during battle, then your Internal Strength will become unstable that may lead to something terrible. Okay, everyone, that's it for today. Let's go back now."

Oh!

Most of the boys were quite young. While the thirteen and fourteen-year-olds understood his reminder, the energetic ten and eleven-year-old kids weren't paying attention at all. Once they were dismissed, they just ran off like crazy.

Meanwhile, Maximus maintained a relaxed expression. He slowly left the training field and walked toward his father's room.

When he opened the door, a handsome man got up at once and greeted him. "Son, you're here. Come over quickly. The food is getting cold."