~ Kairo's Pov, a few hours later... ~
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[Strategic Mind has leveled up...]
'Not too bad for a few hours worth of progress... I know I've earned it.'
I had even gotten a new passive skill thanks to the lessons that old man taught us all earlier. Through that alone, I felt like I could actually make more rational decisions, whether in the midst of battle, or for my over all strategizing capabilities.
Thankfully, the lesson was finally over.
Of course, I didn't waste anytime, and I quickly left the classroom.
Heading to the entrance of the school... A few of the kids looked at me weirdly for rushing out so quickly... But, their young and don't know anything.
Regardless, that old man did tell me I should just wait for him here...
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"Hmm... You actually stuck to your word..." A voice said to me.
I turned around, seeing the old man...
"Now that I think about it. You never mentioned your name to the class." I told him.
He smiled faintly, saying: "I'm certainly aware of that little one. However, not anyone gets the right to know my name... Furthermore, none of your classmates had asked either."
"That's..." I had to stop myself there. He kind of had a point about that last part. But, what did he mean by not anyone has the right to know his name?
"...Then what should I call you then?" I asked him.
"Call me teacher, for the time being child." That's a he said before he turned and started walking off.
'I... guess I'll follow him then...?' I told myself.
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The old man's place sat farther out than I expected it to be. It was Nestled away from the rest of the districts, his home looked a bit larger than most I've seen on the way here and in my past memories.
It was fairly spacious, but secluded from everything else. No neighbors close by either. No noise to bother him. Just silence everywhere. To be honest, I found it fitting for him.
We eventually stepped inside the compound, and then I noticed how much training gear he had. Weighted logs, sparring dummies, racks of strange weapons, even heavy boulders that looked like they were meant to be lifted and tossed around.
Everything was arranged neatly, no clutter anywhere. Whoever this man was, he clearly lived for discipline.
He stopped walking, and said;
"Welcome to my humble abode..." He then turned towards me, his gaze steady as he spoke;
"From this day on, this is where you'll fight, train, and grow."
Hearing that, and the way he said it gave me a small surge of excitement... Honestly speaking, I was a bit skeptical about all this, but I'll take my chances...
That's what I thought at least. Until his tone changed;
"I've read your records... To my surprise... You're actually the weakest in your year. In fact… one of, if not the weakest Saiyan this planet has ever seen."
When he spoke...
I could feel my pathetic little Saiyan heart sinking.
Deep down, I already knew I wasn't strong, but hearing it put that bluntly… Trust me, it hit harder than I expected it to.
It might have been the old me that lived here prior to all this reacting so badly to this information...
But still... One of the weakest in history? No wonder everyone glared at me like I was worthless...
'Now it all made more sense to me... I was the practically the Kakarot of this reality. The irony is immense.' I told myself.
Still, he must've caught the look of disappointment on my face, because he shook his head;
"...Don't look so down little one. At the end of the day, you're still a Saiyan. Being born weak or not, your growth, is limitless... Of course, as long as you are willing to put in the amount of work needed to actually achieve it."
He wasn't wrong...
Though... It was a bit, strange... His words, it didn't come of as soft or inherently comforting either, but I could weirdly tell that he was trying to cheer me up, at least, in his own rough way...
He then folded his arms;
"For someone as weak as you, we should start with the fundamentals... Being, your staminafirst. Without it, you'll just collapse before a fight even begins. Your first task is simple. Run around my home. Keep running until I tell you to stop. And keep the weights on that you have. Always."
I stared at him for a second. My legs already felt heavy from walking here with these things on...
Running like this? It was torture just waiting to happen. But I bit down on my lip and nodded to myself;
'Fess it up Kairo... You're weak. Pathetically weak. If you want to change that, you'll need all the help you can get.' I told myself.
I gave him a nod, but he cut me off, he said;
"Don't shake your head at me boy. When you wish to respond. You either say yes teacher, or no teacher. Is that clear?"
"Yes teacher." I responded.
I didn't waste anytime and started my run at a decent pace...
[I quite like this new teacher of yours...]
'He seems... Alright.
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~ Third Person Pov... ~
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'15 laps... With his current power level, and the weights on both his arms and legs. 15 laps were all I thought he could muster within that small body of his. Yet, that I idea I had was being torn to shreds.'
The elder watched Kairo with horror, fascination and shock at once;
'He's on his 70th lap... How is this even possible? And, he's actually smiling...'
The old man knew that the boy in front of him had potential, but this was not what he had expected, at all... In all his years as a teacher and warrior who has seen many great men rise and fall. This was something he'd never seen before.
Kairo was running. His small physique drenched in sweat, as if he had just jumped in a river. The boy's pace had dropped considerably... However, he just kept on going without any sort of end, as if he was a perpetual motion machine.
'And, he's smiling...? Is... Is that really an expression a normal 8 year old should even be able make?' The elder thought. He watched as Kairo neared his 71st lap. Kairo's face resembled that of a madman's.
He watched as Kairo's eyes dart across the edge of his sockets vehemently. Trying to stay as focused as it could to stay centered...
'He's already past the 71st lap... Does the boy not plan to stop?' The man thought...
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[Willpower has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Pain Tolerance has leveled up...
Pain Tolerance has leveled up...
Pain Tolerance has leveled up...
Pain Tolerance has leveled up...
Willpower has leveled up...
Willpower has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...
Physical Fitness has leveled up...]
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Kairo's heart hammered inside his chest... 200... No, maybe even 300 beats per minute. Kairo could no longer tell anymore. Each pump sent literal fire racing through his veins, every muscle fiber of his screaming, yet refusing to give out.
His legs felt like lead multiplied countless times over, yet they still moved.
His arms practically trembled with each swing, the weighted cuffs biting into his skin. He could feel sweat pouring down his face in streams, stinging his eyes. His vision blurred at the edges, the world twisting with each step.
Yet, he didn't stop...
'More…! Just, one more lap…! Then another… Then another…!' Kairo thought continuously, his lips pulling back into a wild grin as he ran. Pain? It didn't matter. Death? He felt as f he couldn't care less.
'RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!!'
"Huff* Huff* Huff*"
His lungs burned, as if molten iron had replaced the air, but in some twisted way, it all felt incredibly good.
On the other hand, the old man's jaw tightened, as he continued to observe.
'He should have collapsed twenty laps ago. Hell... The boy's body should be begging for mercy. But instead, he looks like he's somehow thriving in this hell…'
However... Kairo was still mortal.
As he neared his 73rd lap...
Kairo's body jerked as if it had finally hit a wall that refused to move. His knees buckled. His breathing tore from his chest in ragged, broken gasps. The blurred outline of the house tilted sideways in his vision...
Before the ground could even claim him, a strong arm caught his torso...
Kairo's head rolled against a solid shoulder, his eyes now constantly opening, and shutting like the flipping of pages...
"Haha... Insane!" The old man laughed, muttering under his breath, staring at the sweat-soaked child cradled in his grasp.
His lips pulled into the faintest, crooked grin;
"…You're absolutely insane, boy."
Kairo blinked weakly up at him, his lips twitching as if to respond, but his throat could only force out a rasp of air...
"Hahhh!!*"
The old man continued, his voice carrying a low rumble of approval;
"Most children collapse after a dozen laps with those weights... You went beyond seventy. You smiled through agony most warriors can't stomach." His eyes narrowed, sharp as blades, yet gleaming with something rare;
"That will you have, is true strength. That's the seed of a man worth honing."
The old man paused, studying Kairo's face. His hand adjusted the boy in his grip so his head wouldn't hang. For the first time since meeting him, his tone softened...
"You've more than earned the right to know my name, Kairo…" He called his name, leaning in closer for Kairo to hear clearly through the ringing in his ears;
"Remember, Kairo... It's Modak."
Kairo's mouth parted slightly, his fading consciousness just barely holding onto the sound of it.
However, a small, broken smile touched his lips...
Then his eyelids slid shut, his body finally surrendering to exhaustion.
Modak stood there for a long moment, holding the boy steady: "Sleep, child. Tomorrow, you'll wake stronger."
He then lifted Kairo into his arms, and carried him inside, his steps steady, the weight of the boy no burden to him at all.