Damn... we've reached chapter 50.
[Current Balance: £3,046,439 5s. 11d.]
---Morning---
"So if we beat you, you give us £10,000 each?"
"Yep, I'll even double that. £20,000 for each of you, if you defeat me," Alaric smirked. "If you can beat me up badly, I'll give you all £100,000.
A few days had passed since Alaric was with Jonathan in his office.
Inside the cave that served as a training ground within the Kenway Estate, the sounds of voices filled the air.
"You better not go back on your word," Jonathan said nervously, excited about the deal. 'I know he killed two-hundred men... but I'll take my chances.'
"Sure, I swear on my name... anyways, why don't you guys stretch your muscles? I can wait," Alaric said, folding his arms. He wore his usual long-sleeved polo with ruffles, black pants, and black boots.
Thulani, Reuben, and Jonathan stood before him in their combat outfits, each checking their weapons and gear.
They were going to have a sparring session today.
"Go easy on us, will ya?" Jonathan sighed as he adjusted his belt. "I still have to carry some crates by noon."
"Nah... don't go easy," Reuben cracked his neck, while his eyes were fixed on Alaric. "I won't learn that way."
"I agree," Thulani nodded, lifting his greatsword onto his shoulder. "I don't ever want to live my life without understanding the full extent of your strength."
Alaric chuckled, turning to the side where Bernard and Leonard stood watching with arms crossed.
"You sure you want to see this?" Alaric asked them with a grin.
"Absolutely," Leonard smirked. "I want to see you get humbled."
Bernard scoffed, pulling a coin from his pocket. "You guys start the moment this coin lands on the ground."
Flick...
"..."
"..."
"..."
Cling. Cling. Cling...
The moment the coin struck the ground, Reuben bolted forward, daggers flashing at Alaric's side. Jonathan sprinted alongside him, whipping a short blade from his sleeve with a sharp flick.
Thulani, slower but powerful, circled to the right, his greatsword raised high for a crushing strike.
Alaric, still standing with his arms crossed, twisted his body just enough to let Reuben's blade slide past his ribs. With a smooth pivot, he sidestepped Jonathan's strike and brought his arm up just in time to redirect Thulani's massive greatsword downward, forcing the blade deep into the stone floor.
"C'mon," Alaric scoffed. "That all you got?"
Reuben twisted his body mid-step, switching to his left dagger and slashing horizontally.
Alaric ducked low.
Seizing the opportunity, Jonathan leaped high, attempting to land a strike on Alaric's back. Without looking, Alaric grabbed Jonathan's wrist and flung him over his shoulder, sending him rolling across the ground.
"Too predictable," Alaric muttered.
Panting hard, Jonathan slammed his fist into the ground. "Damn it!"
"Don't get frustrated," Alaric warned, sidestepping another slash from Reuben. "Focus."
Thulani roared and swung his greatsword in a brutal arc. Alaric spun away from the blow, then casually redirected Thulani's wrist, forcing the greatsword to narrowly miss Reuben's incoming strike. The two men stumbled back, glaring at one another.
"You gonna keep hitting each other or are you gonna hit me?" Alaric teased.
Reuben snarled, sweeping at Alaric's legs. Alaric simply hopped over him, twisting mid-air to avoid Thulani's next strike. Jonathan shot from behind with his short blade.
Alaric turned at the last second, grabbing Jonathan's wrist and twisting it just enough to make him lose grip of his blade.
"For an Assassin, you're easy to read," Alaric muttered, tossing Jonathan aside like a ragdoll.
"How are you not even sweating?" Reuben growled.
"I don't need to when you're this slow," Alaric grinned.
Reuben dashed forward again, feinting left before spinning on his heel to thrust both daggers forward.
Alaric caught both of Reuben's wrists mid-strike and twisted. With a yelp, Reuben's daggers clattered to the floor. Alaric then used Reuben's momentum to shove him into Thulani, sending both men sprawling.
Jonathan activated his hidden blade and aimed at Alaric's knee.
'Go for the joints,' he told himself, recalling the lessons drilled into him as an Assassin.
He knew Alaric's strength and speed were leagues beyond their own, but targeting his mobility could slow him down... maybe even create an opening. Yet, the moment he lunged forward, Alaric sidestepped as if he'd read Jonathan's mind.
Before Jonathan could react, a sharp pain flared in his wrist as Alaric stomped it to the floor without looking, forcing the hidden blade to retract with a metallic click.
"Still easy to read," Alaric muttered as Jonathan groaned.
"Are you even trying?!" Thulani barked, chest heaving.
"I'm just giving you a lesson," Alaric replied with a smile. "Learn to watch your opponent's body language. Stop being so reckless."
"You-!" Thulani swung once more. Alaric bent backward, letting the sword pass mere inches above his face. In the same motion, he reached up, grabbed Thulani's wrist, and twisted it sharply enough to make him drop his weapon. Thulani staggered back, clutching his wrist.
"Damn it!" Thulani cursed.
"Language," Alaric scolded mockingly. "Your name means 'to be quiet', yet you're so loud."
"Anways... I guess I'm not giving away money this time."
"..."
---
From the side, Bernard and Leonard stood slack-jawed.
"That's... that's insane," Bernard muttered.
Leonard shook his head in disbelief. "Reuben and Thulani can mop the floor with us, and yet Alaric's treating them like children..."
"He's not even trying," Bernard whispered, his voice barely louder than a breath. His fingers curled tightly into a fist as he tried to comprehend what he'd just seen.
'How was this possible? Reuben's speed was like a blur, Thulani's strikes could crush stone, and Jonathan's was also fast. Yet Alaric danced around them like it was nothing.' Bernard swallowed hard, feeling both awe and a tinge of frustration. "This... doesn't make sense."
Jonathan and Leonard approached, their eyes wide as they stared at their exhausted comrades sprawled on the floor, panting heavily.
"That... was incredible," Leonard muttered. "I don't know what to say."
"You made that look like child's play," Bernard added. "Reuben and Thulani can destroy us in a fight, yet here you are... barely moving and still beating them."
"That's why they still need more training," Alaric smirked, "What if we made a lot of enemies and someone as strong as me were to attack us?"
Bernard let out a shaky breath. "I better train some more..."
"Agreed," Leonard nodded firmly.
'I don't think there'd be someone as strong as me here... but it's good motivation...' Alaric chuckled internally.
---
As Alaric and the others walked out of the cave, Jonathan couldn't help but get curious.
"Master... how did you get so strong?"
The assassin-butler asked as the blonde that was walking in front of him didn't even turn his head.
"How, you asked?" Alaric hummed as he kept walking towards the path outside the cave. "Training... that's all, really..."
'I won't and will never tell anyone of the system,' He thought, 'Never ever ever ever ever... ever.'
'Ever...'
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