Chapter 93 Training Through Combat.
William led Fir into the dimly-lit barn.
"Welcome to your real training grounds," He chuckled as he shut the door, engulfing the place in darkness.
"I can't see anything " He muttered to himself; his eyes were useless in the pitch-black darkness of the barn. Without his supernatural powers to guide him, he was like a blind man stumbling around in the dark.
"Swoosh. "
He heard a sound and before he could react, he was hit by a fist that sent him crashing to the ground. Pain shot through his cheek like an electric current.
"Dammit!" he yelled in frustration as he realized what was happening. He scrambled to his feet, but before he could take a step, he was struck again. The darkness made it impossible to see the attack coming, and his body was still too slow. Despite his growing experience, he still lacked the speed and agility necessary to evade his unseen attacker.
"Calm yourself " The sound of William's voice reverberated in the dark and cramped barn, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact location. Fir tried to calm himself and steady his breathing, but the pain on his cheek was a constant reminder of his vulnerability in this new environment.
As he struggled to regain his composure, the sound of footsteps drew near. He could hear the faint shuffling of feet on the floor, but he couldn't tell where William was coming from.
Suddenly, a blur of movement caught his eye, and before he could react, he felt a sharp impact to his stomach. The air was knocked out of him, and he doubled over in pain, struggling to catch his breath.
He stumbled backward, trying to regain his footing, but another blow landed on his shoulder, throwing him off balance. Panic set in as he realized he was completely disoriented and vulnerable, unable to fight back or even defend himself.
But just as quickly as the attacks began, they stopped. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of his ragged breathing.
"What was that?" Fir gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That was the first lesson," William replied, his voice calm and steady. "To teach you that in the darkness, you are vulnerable. You need to learn to adapt and survive in any situation."
"But I can see in the dark if my powers weren't sealed," Fir protested.
"I know, but the point of this exercise is to rely solely on your physical abilities and instincts. What if someone pierce your eyes? or put a blinding curse on you? Will you just let them kill you?" William replied sternly.
Fir sighed and rubbed his sore cheek. He could feel his frustration building up inside him, but he knew better than to lose his temper. He took a deep breath and listened carefully to his surroundings, trying to sense any movement or sound.
But the darkness was absolute, engulfing his senses and leaving him in a state of complete blindness. He could barely distinguish the outline of his own hands, let alone see his opponent's movements. His heart raced in his chest as he tried to listen for any sound that would give away his attacker's position.
Suddenly, he heard a faint rustling behind him. He quickly turned around and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a punch that came at him from the darkness.
"Good, you're learning," William's voice came from somewhere in the shadows. "But you still have a long way to go."
Fir gritted his teeth and prepared himself for the next attack. He knew that if he wanted to become stronger, he had to endure this grueling training, no matter how difficult it may be.
"Thwack!"
"whoosh"
"thud."
"smack."
He could barely keep up with the attacks coming at him from all sides. He was hit repeatedly, and he could feel his body breaking down with each blow. His head was spinning, and he was finding it difficult to breathe.
He tried to fight back, but his movements were sluggish, and his punches lacked power. He was completely outmatched, and it was only a matter of time before he was beaten half dead.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, William called a halt to the sparring. Fir collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his body covered in bruises and cuts.
"Not enough, you need more determination ," William said, looking down at him. "But you're improving. Keep working hard, and you'll get there."
Fir could only nod weakly in response, too exhausted to say anything.
The next few weeks
William's training was brutal and unyielding. He pushed Fir to his limits, and beyond. Day after day, they would spar in the darkened barn, with William delivering blows that seemed to come from all angles. Fir struggled to keep up, his body battered and bruised from the relentless attacks.
Despite the pain, he refused to give up. He was determined to master his skills and prove himself to William. But as the days turned into weeks, the beatings began to take their toll. He would collapse to the ground, gasping for breath, only to be lifted up and pummeled again.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, William stopped the training. Fir was barely conscious, his body broken and battered. But even as he lay there, he knew that he had become stronger. He had learned to control his emotions and to push himself to the limit.
As William helped him up and led him back to the farmhouse, Fir knew that he had made a lot of progress.
But as hard as his training was, it paled in comparison to what was happening outside. The world had become a dangerous place for unregistered supernatural like him, as the government began capturing and imprisoning more and more of them.
William had no idea what was causing this sudden shift, but he knew that it wasn't good. He had heard rumors of government-sanctioned hunts, where teams of humans were sent out to capture or kill any supernatural, they came across.
"I need to train him much faster," he muttered to himself.