AutumnXd
patreon
CHAPTER 19 : Practical Training
🕑 Added 2025-06-08 14:34:40 +0000 UTC
In a quiet corner of a modern teahouse, Mr. Gordon, Ethan Atherton, Marcus Vance, and Seraphina Linley were sitting together. Mr. Gordon blew gently on the steaming tea in his cup, then drank the fragrant liquid all in one go, setting the cup down with a decisive click.
"So," he began, his gaze sharp as he looked at the three teenagers, "you're saying you want me to help you train your practical combat skills?"
Marcus, addressing him respectfully as "Uncle," quickly leaned forward. "Yes, Uncle Gordon. I feel that although we have some strong psionic abilities now, our actual combat experience, our tactical sense, is severely lacking. If we have to fight against skilled opponents in the future, I know we'll suffer a big loss. That's why I wanted to ask if you could help us train."
Mr. Gordon raised an eyebrow. "Fight people? Who exactly are you planning to fight that has you so concerned?"
Marcus stammered for a moment. "Um… well, not fighting anyone specific, of course! It's mainly to improve ourselves, you know? After all, our mission as psionicists in the future is to eliminate monstrous beasts and reclaim our lost territories for the Global Concord. So, we must do everything possible to enhance our own strength and skills, right?"
"These things, the practical applications," Mr. Gordon said calmly, "you'll naturally learn them in the curriculum after school starts."
"But that would be too late," Marcus pressed. "The summer vacation is the perfect time for improving our ranks and raw power, and then when school starts, we can immediately apply that power with newly honed practical combat skills. It’s a perfect plan. Or… were you thinking of having us do something else?" he added, a hint of a challenge in his voice.
Mr. Gordon nearly choked on his tea, hiding a laugh. "No, no, nothing of the sort! I was just… you know, thinking of showing off in front of my fellow teachers after school starts, bragging about my top students." He looked at Marcus's earnest, affirmative expression and couldn't help but smile internally. You brat, he thought, did you really think I wouldn't know what little schemes you three have been cooking up in your heads? Going out into the wilds, visiting The Gauntlet… news travels fast.
However, on the surface, he still said calmly, "Alright, I happen to be free for a portion of this summer vacation, so teaching you guys some practical combat isn't a problem."
Ethan, who had been listening quietly, interjected with a wry smile, "I feel like there's a 'but' coming."
Mr. Gordon grinned. "But…"
Sure enough, Ethan thought.
"But I am a teacher, after all," Mr. Gordon continued, his tone becoming more official. "A teacher for an entire class. If I only give special treatment to just the three of you, it wouldn't look very good if word got out. It could be seen as favoritism."
Marcus beamed. "No problem, Uncle, we already discussed this possibility and have a solution!"
And so, that afternoon, in the Class Four online group chat, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Gordon, suddenly sent out a message that shattered the tranquility of dozens of students' summer vacations:
"Fellow students, during this summer vacation, continuously channeling Aura at home can inevitably lead to boredom and stagnation. To combat this, starting tomorrow, I will be holding a free, half-month practical combat supplementary class at the Sunstone Martial Arts Gym. I will be teaching crucial combat aspects and tactical awareness ahead of the official curriculum schedule. Those who are interested can volunteer to come. Rest assured, I guarantee there will be absolutely no fees, and attendance will also be very flexible. You can come whenever you want and leave whenever you want."
The students who saw this message on their phones and datapads were all wailing in despair. To make matters worse, their parents were also in the group chat. When their parents saw the announcement, they were overjoyed and immediately ordered their respective children to attend this "wonderful, free opportunity." At that moment, the hearts of the students of Class Four were filled with utter, soul-crushing despair.
My vacation! My glorious, lazy vacation!
Back in the teahouse, Mr. Gordon rolled his eyes at his nephew. "You guys really know how to dig a pit for your poor teacher, don't you?"
Marcus just offered a cheeky, unrepentant smile. "Sigh, what can I say, Uncle? Teaching three is teaching, and teaching a whole group is also teaching; it's all the same, really. Besides, this is also incredibly beneficial for them, so just consider it as you helping others for the fun of it."
Mr. Gordon sighed, but a genuine smile touched his lips. "Then how do you plan to proceed? Shall we start our little 'special session' tomorrow, or are you eager enough to start right now?"
"Start right now!" the three of them chorused instantly.
......
That same afternoon, in a private training hall at the Sunstone Martial Arts Gym, Ethan, Marcus, Seraphina, and Mr. Gordon stood facing each other. Ethan immediately transformed into the imposing Four Arms, Marcus activated his muscle strengthening ability, his frame swelling with power, and Seraphina, her hands glowing with a faint golden light, applied defensive buffs to both of them.
"Let's go!" Marcus roared, and he and Four Arms charged towards Mr. Gordon together, a thunderous two-pronged assault.
Mr. Gordon simply limbered up his wrists a bit, twisted his neck until it popped satisfyingly, and assumed a relaxed, yet ready, attacking stance. Who would have thought, just as Ethan and Marcus were about to close in on him, Mr. Gordon didn't even intend to engage with the two powerhouses head-on. With a burst of surprising speed, he directly bypassed them, his movements fluid and efficient, and ran straight towards Seraphina, who was standing back to provide support. By the time the two young men reacted, their momentum carrying them forward, he had already reached Seraphina's side, a hand resting lightly on her shoulder.
"Battle over," Mr. Gordon announced calmly. "You've lost a teammate. And in a real fight, that means you've lost, period."
Marcus skidded to a halt, looking bewildered. "Wait… you can even do that? Just ignore us and go for the support?"
Mr. Gordon's tone suddenly became stern, all trace of the friendly uncle gone, replaced by the sharp-edged teacher. "If this were a real battle against a competent enemy, engaging your heavily armored tanks head-on is the single stupidest approach imaginable. When the opponent has a dedicated support unit – a healer, a buffer, a controller – the absolute first priority is always to eliminate that support unit to resolve the battle more easily. Any experienced enemy, any predator in the wild, would do the same. You two were so focused on fighting me, on the glory of a direct confrontation, that you completely forgot to protect your most valuable asset, your support. In a real scenario, this mistake would lead to her being severely injured, or even losing her life!"
Now that Mr. Gordon had put it in such stark terms, the two of them finally understood the seriousness of their tactical blunder. Instantly, they both said contritely, their heads bowed, "I'm sorry."
Mr. Gordon shook his head. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me. You should be apologizing to your own carelessness, your own tunnel vision. And," he added, his gaze pointed, "to Seraphina, who has already 'died' in this simulation because of your mistake!"
Marcus turned to her, his face filled with genuine remorse. "Seraphina, I'm so sorry. I didn't protect you well."
Ethan added, equally ashamed, "This time it's completely my fault, I'm sorry. My abilities are so diverse; logically speaking, I should be the most suitable person on the team to protect you during a battle. I got too focused on just attacking."
Seraphina offered them a small, reassuring smile. "There's no need to apologize. We invited Uncle Gordon to help us with our practical training precisely for this reason – to discover our shortcomings so we can improve upon them. This time, he has pointed out a critical mistake. Next time, we just need to make sure we don't repeat it."
Marcus, his spirit reignited, clenched his fists. "Okay! Then let's go again!"
Ethan nodded, his eyes determined. "This time, we definitely can't make the same mistake as last time!"
Seeing this, seeing their quick understanding and renewed fighting spirit, Mr. Gordon's heart was filled with a quiet gratification. Youth is truly a wonderful, resilient thing. Although he felt gratified inwardly, his outward expression remained stern and demanding. "Looks like your mindsets have finally adjusted. Then let's continue. No one is allowed to slack off! Again!"
"Yes, sir!" the three of them chorused.
......
Second round.
Ethan pressed the Omnitrix symbol. "Diamondhead!" In his new crystalline form, he immediately controlled the floor, causing thick, translucent Taydenite crystal walls to grow up and surround Seraphina, creating a protective bunker.
Mr. Gordon thought to himself with a flicker of approval, This kid has quite a few clever tricks up his sleeve. Much more adaptable than his friend. Although his mind momentarily assessed Ethan's strategy, his eyes were still fixed on Marcus, who was once again rushing towards him, fists ready. Marcus raised his fist, his "Shattering Fist" skill activating with its tell-tale glow. But Mr. Gordon, once again, didn't meet him head-on. Instead, with a dancer’s grace, he sidestepped half a circle, and Marcus's Shattering Fist narrowly missed him, smashing into the floor with a loud crack. Marcus continued to attack with a flurry of powerful blows, but Mr. Gordon, with minimal, efficient movements, always managed to dodge by a hair's breadth.
After several more clashes, Marcus's wrist was suddenly, expertly, grabbed by Mr. Gordon mid-swing. With a quick pivot and a grunt of effort, he was sent flying over Mr. Gordon’s shoulder, crashing heavily to the ground with a textbook shoulder throw. At that exact moment, the sound of something sharp cutting through the air came from beside Mr. Gordon's ear. He subconsciously ducked his body. Countless, razor-sharp diamond spikes flew past where his head had just been, shattering against the far wall. It was Ethan, providing ranged support from a distance.
Mr. Gordon, with a powerful kick, sent the prone Marcus skidding across the floor, directly towards Ethan. Ethan reacted quickly, controlling the crystals to form a large, open hand to safely catch his friend. But in that brief moment of distraction, Mr. Gordon suddenly rushed over with bullet-like speed, his own fist glowing with psionic energy. He smashed Ethan's hastily-formed diamond shield, the force of his blow continuing through to strike him directly in the chest. The Taydenite crystals on Diamondhead’s chest shattered from this single, powerful blow. His entire body was slammed heavily against the training hall wall behind him, and the impact was so severe that he was forcibly de-transformed, reverting to a winded, human Ethan. Finally, to end the exercise, Mr. Gordon walked over and, with a single, contemptuous punch, smashed the crystal bunker protecting Seraphina into glittering dust.
"Alright," he said, dusting off his hands, "that's about it for today's session. I'm clear on your individual problems now. Next, I will develop a targeted training plan for each of you to address your specific shortcomings. You guys come back tomorrow morning, ready to work."
"Yes, sir!" the three of them replied, tired but motivated.
Leaving the Sunstone Martial Arts Gym, the three of them walked together on the quiet evening road.
Marcus, despite his bruises, was buzzing with energy. "Man, once this training regimen ends, our strength and skill will definitely be greatly enhanced! When we go back to the wilds or The Gauntlet then, we'll definitely have a blast and clean up!"
Ethan chuckled, rubbing his sore chest. "Just make sure you don't get completely worn out by then, Marcus."
Marcus scoffed. "How is that even possible? I've been training my body since I was a little kid. You, on the other hand, you'd better not be the one to collapse first, Ethan."
Seraphina sighed, a fond smile on her face as she listened to their banter. "Alright, you two. Just go back and adjust your states properly. Rest up. I have a feeling tomorrow's training probably won't be easy at all."
