Chapter 17: Shadow Dash + Lightning Punch

After dinner, the Urban family retired to their rooms. Reese sat in his room, waiting for the house to fall into the stillness of slumber so that he could sneak out to practice his two martial arts techniques. His mind wandered through a myriad of thoughts. He pondered the possibilities of the Amethyst Orb's abilities, an idea that sparked within Reese's mind. 'What if the sphere could transport other things like objects, animals, or even other people?' The thought intrigued him, igniting a curiosity that he couldn't ignore.

With a sense of excitement building within him, Reese summoned the Amethyst Orb, its surface shimmering faintly in the dim light of his room. Holding it in his hands, he focused his thoughts on the idea of transferring objects. Closing his eyes, Reese willed the Amethyst Orb to transfer his phone inside the Amethyst Orb, then his phone vanished.

Stunned, Reese immediately used his spiritual sense to determine if his phone was inside the Amethyst Orb. As expected, his phone was indeed inside the Amethyst Orb. Then Reese willed the Amethyst Orb to transfer all of the things in his room except for his bed. Half a second later, only Reese and the bed were left in his room.

'It actually works; now let's see if the purple sphere can transfer it back.' Reese thought in awe.

Again, Reese commands the Amethyst Orb to transfer the things from the way they were in his room. Half a second later, all of his things had actually returned to their original positions in his room. As time went by, Reese tried everything he could think of, like transferring objects inside the Amethyst Orb without summoning the Amethyst Orb inside his body, and it actually worked.

'This is so convenient, no hasle what so ever.' Reese thought with a satisfying smile.

Then Reese tried to push the limit of the Amethyst Orb to see how far it could reach to transfer objects inside, but to his disappointment, it could only reach about 15 meters. Then a terrifying thought came to Reese. 'Man, if I were a robber, I would only sit in the waiting room and spread my spiritual sense in the bank vault and just transfer all the money inside the Amethyst Orb.' Then Reese shook his head for thinking such a thought.

Reese glanced at the clock on his bedside table, which indicated 12:10 a.m. The hands indicated that it was well past midnight, the perfect time for his nocturnal escapade. With a silent determination, he rose from his bed and tiptoed towards the door, careful not to make a sound that might alert his sleeping family. 

But before he could turn the doorknob, a thought occurred to Reese. He then spread his spiritual sense to his parents room and his brother's room to make sure they were asleep. 'Good, they're asleep.' Then he stealthily made his way on their main door and walked outside his house.

As Reese pondered where to practice his martial arts techniques, his mind raced with possibilities. Suddenly, a memory sparked in his mind—a secluded area rumored to be haunted, located about 10 kilometers away from his home.

Despite the rumors, Reese saw potential in this desolate spot. Its isolation would provide the perfect environment for him to focus on his training without any distractions or interruptions. And if the rumors were true, the haunting might serve as an additional challenge, heightening his senses and testing his courage. Going to the haunted area, Reese saw it as the perfect opportunity to test how fast he could run now.

With a glint in his eye, Reese started to run. With each stride, he pushed himself to run faster, his feet pounding against the pavement as he raced towards his destination. The road stretched out before him, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon overhead.

"This is amazing!" Reese shouted as he ran faster and faster. The feeling was indescribable.

Reese's senses sharpened as he navigated the darkened streets, his focus unwavering as he pushed himself to go faster, his heart pounding with exhilaration. 

With each step, Reese pushed himself harder, his muscles burning with exertion as he neared the rumored haunted place. And as he finally arrived at the desolate clearing, a sense of triumph washed over him.

"That was.. huh.. incredible; I never.. huh..thought I could run..huh.. that fast," Reese said in the cold midnight air as he panted heavely, then he looked at his watch to see the time. To his surprise, it was only 12:30 a.m.; it only took him 20 minutes to get into the secluded area, where the advanced runner could at least take 43 to 50 minutes to reach. 

Then Reese took a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. He found a comfortable spot beneath a large tree, its gnarled branches offering shade from the moon's soft glow. Sitting down, he closed his eyes and focused on regulating his breathing, allowing his body to relax and his mind to clear. 

After a few minutes of resting, he rose to his feet, ready to begin his training. He moved to an open clearing, the cool night air energizing him as he prepared to put his skills to the test. Now that Reese's spirit was tempered by the Amethyst Aura, his comprehension of any high-level zelen techniques would be easy for him. Even if he were in the world his master came from, Reese would be considered a genius among his peers. With a deep breath, Reese assumed a ready stance, focusing his mind. He called upon the first martial arts technique gifted to him by his master, Shadow Dash. 

The Shadow Dash technique was a formidable martial arts skill that harnesses the power of shadow and agility to grant its practitioner unparalleled speed and stealth. At each level of mastery, the technique offers increased mobility and invisibility, making Reese a formidable force to be reckoned with. 

At the Beginner Level, Reese's movements are swift and precise, propelling him forward with each step he takes. With every stride covering a distance of three meters, as he moves, Reese's form seems to blur, blending seamlessly with the shadows that cling to his every movement. 

At the Expert Level, his agility and speed reach new heights. With each step now covering a distance of six meters, Reese moves with unparalleled grace and precision, darting effortlessly through the darkness like a phantom. At this level, Reese can also manipulate the shadows to conceal his presence, allowing him to move undetected by his enemies. 

At the Mastery Level, Reese truly becomes a master of stealth and speed. With every single step propelling him a staggering ten meters forward, Reese moves with incredible swiftness. In addition to his enhanced mobility, Reese becomes virtually invisible during the night, his form obscured by the darkness itself. As he moves, Reese becomes a shadowy blur, his movements impossible to track as he navigates the secluded woods unseen. 

After mastering the first martial arts technique, Reese rested for a bit to catch his breath, then sat cross-legged to absorb the Amethyst Aura inside the purple sphere. After 30 minutes of meditation, he only absorbs a very small amount of Amethyst Aura inside the purple sphere due to a lack of spiritual energy to transform it into Amethyst Aura. 

"Where exactly should I find abundant spiritual energy? Master said there are natural treasures in every world. I don't even know what that looks like, let alone look for it. "Yeah, easier said than done," Reese said as he sighed in frustration.

After Reese replenished his energy, he began to study the content of the second martial arts technique in his head. As Reese dove into the contents of the second martial arts technique, Lightning Punch, his frustration only grew. The realization that he would need to absorb lightning in order to practice the second technique left him feeling incredulous and exasperated.

"You have got to be kidding me," Reese muttered to himself, disbelief evident in his voice. The prospect of subjecting himself to the raw power of lightning seemed absurd and dangerous beyond measure. "And where the hell should I find lightning?" he muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration. Living in a country known for its perpetual heat, the idea of waiting for a lightning storm seemed impractical.

"And even if I do find abundant lightning, how am I supposed to know where it lands?" Reese questioned aloud, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. The prospect of harnessing such a volatile force seemed daunting, if not impossible. "Do I have to wait for a typhoon to practice this technique, or is electricity an acceptable substitute?" Reese pondered, searching for a solution to his dilemma. The idea of relying on electricity as a viable alternative sparked a glimmer of hope amid his frustration. 

With the realization that electricity might serve as a viable substitute for lightning, Reese's frustration began to subside. However, with uncertainty still lingering about how to harness this alternative energy source, he decided to set aside the Lightning Punch technique for the time being. 

With the second technique temporarily set aside, Reese focused his attention on refining his physical prowess. As he approached a sturdy tree, thick as his legs, he squared his shoulders and unleashed a powerful punch. To his surprise, the tree splintered under the force of his blow, cracking in half and crashing to the ground.

'Wow! and my fist isn't even painful.' Reese thought as he stared at his fist.

Encouraged by his initial success, Reese sought out a larger tree, twice the thickness of his legs. With determination in his eyes, he delivered another fierce punch, the impact sending shockwaves through the trunk. Though the tree remained standing, it trembled violently, leaving a hole about 5 inches deep, a testament to the strength of Reese's strikes.

Satisfied with his progress, Reese turned his focus to testing the power of his kicks. Spotting a boulder half his size and weighing over a ton, he wasted no time in unleashing a mighty kick. The boulder shuddered under the force of his blow, skidding across the ground for several meters before coming to a stop. Though the boulder remained intact, Reese couldn't suppress a grin of satisfaction.

"With my strength, even if I had to fight the most skilled and strongest fighters in the world, I'm positive I could beat them with ease," Reese said with confidence in his voice.

With the echoes of his powerful punches and kicks still ringing in the air, Reese turned his attention to testing the limits of his strength further. Eyeing the massive boulder before him, weighing over a ton, Reese braced himself for the challenge ahead. With a deep breath, he planted his feet firmly on the ground and summoned every ounce of his strength.

With a grunt of exertion, Reese heaved the boulder into the air, his muscles straining against the weight. The massive rock soared through the air before landing with a resounding thud, rolling several meters away. Though he couldn't launch it as far as he'd hoped, Reese couldn't deny the satisfaction of having moved such a colossal obstacle. 

Energized by his success, Reese turned his attention skyward, eager to see how high he could jump. With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air, soaring above the surrounding trees with ease. As he reached the peak of his jump, Reese couldn't contain his exhilaration, letting out a triumphant shout that echoed through the forest. 

Feeling a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, Reese landed gracefully back on the ground, a wide grin stretching across his face. But even in the midst of his excitement, Reese's mind churned with thoughts of further possibilities. 'If I use Shadow Dash, I bet I could jump over 10 meters,' Reese thought as his eyes gleamed with the possibility.

After his exhilarating tests of strength and agility, Reese found a quiet spot beneath the shade of a towering, large tree to catch his breath. The cool night air enveloped him, soothing his exerted muscles as he relished in the sense of accomplishment that washed over him. Though he hadn't been able to practice the Lightning Punch technique as planned, Reese couldn't deny the thrill of pushing his physical limits and exploring the extent of his newfound abilities. 

As he glanced at his watch and noted that it was already 4:30 a.m., Reese's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "It's time to head back," he murmured to himself. With a swift motion, he rose to his feet, the soft crunch of fallen leaves beneath his shoes punctuating the stillness of the night. 

Reese set off towards home at a brisk pace. Tempted to employ his Shadow Dash technique to hasten his journey, he resisted the urge, mindful of the energy it would consume unnecessarily.