"Say Again." Derek spoke as mana shot out from his body covering the entirety of the training ground.
'Fuck.' Was all Karl could think before he... fainted.
As Karl opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was some light coming from Derek's hand which was on his forehead.
'Did I faint?' Karl thought his mind calm for some reason.
"I lost my cool. Will you repeat what you were saying?" Derek asked as he saw Karl looking around.
Karl stood up and ran to a distance.
'I do not want to stand near him even though I know he can still hurt me. It still feels mentally safer. Benefits of a kid are acting like a kid.'
"To teach my method, I will have to remove mana from Luna's body." Karl shouted from a distance.
The next second his vision changed as he found himself in front of Derek again.
'What the-' Karl thought as he saw his father holding him from the back of his neck.
"Do you know what it means to remove mana?" Derek asked coldly.
'Shit here comes the problematic part. I have to act my best.' Karl thought.
"I-It will be pain-painful, but if she learns my method it will be very worth it!"
As Karl finished speaking he felt Kevin's grip on his neck get tighter.
'Fuck I think I will be beaten a lot more than I had thought.' Karl thought.
"Explain the method." Derek said after a long pause which felt even longer to Karl.
'Fuck fuck why is the worst case scenario playing out!'
"I-It is a se-secret." Karl spoke as he was feeling the grip on his neck get even tighter, this time enough to cause pain.
'Fuck! I have already crossed the bridge now.
I do not want to tell about ether body. If I tell them, then they can find out about the side effects and they will know that is not something a three year old can think of and implement.
I just need to pass this hurdle.'
Karl thought as he closed his eyes shut trying to look scared to them which he actually was even if only a little.
Derek and Kevin stood silent for a while after which Kevin broke the silence.
"I apologize Derek. I have not taught my son well." Kevin spoke.
'Please not the emotional blackmail.' Karl thought with his expression still the same.
Derek sighed at Kevin's words.
"Karl you can leave, we will act as if this never happened." Derek spoke.
"Bu-But I bet my life!" Karl shouted as he opened his eyes wide.
'Oh fuck! I forgot about the worst part! If I fail here all my efforts will be a waste and I will just be a selfish, stupid and mannerless guy!' Karl screamed in his mind.
At Karl's words Derek and Kevin grimaced as they looked at Karl.
"You did. But this is not something that cuts it out." Kevin answered.
"This is not fair!" Karl made the most heartbroken face he could.
"The bet was not fair in the first place as you knew we would not harm you but here you are trying to harm Luna!" Kevin shouted in an annoyed tone.
Karl was startled by Kevin's shout.
'Fuck so it came to this huh. Plan B then.'
"I can not tell but I can prove it to you guys!" Karl shouted back.
"If I defeat a peak tier one arhat, will that clarify the importance of my method!" Karl spoke without giving others time to retort.
"And it is just the start. According to my method, the growth will keep increasing along with the tier." Karl said it all as he looked at both Kevin and Derek.
'Please work out. Please work out.' Karl started praying frantically to... no one specific.
"Karl! It is not about strength-" Kevin shouted but suddenly stopped as Karl's words kicked in.
"You what?" Kevin asked, his voice loud due to shock.
"Are you saying that you a non awakened can defeat a peak tier one arhat?" Derek asked, he too in shock.
"Yes. And the method keeps increasing with each tier up." Karl stated in a calm tone.
Both Derek and Kevin looked at each other and after staring at each other for a few seconds nodded to each other.
"Ok let's do it." Kevin said as he disappeared from the spot.
Karl just felt a huge gust of wind as Kevin disappeared.
"If not the method, at least give some hints so that we can feel secure." Derek asked trying to get more out of Karl.
"Method will be safe. I can guarantee that." Karl averted his eyes as if making a sorry face.
'Fuck it is so difficult to act both intelligent and as a kid. I am doing them good but I can not simply speak it. If only was I a commoner, I could have said anything and say that I learned it on the road but here it is just manners without freedom.'
A few minutes passed as Kevin appeared with a boy who looked to be around 15 years.
The pose in which they appeared was quite... peculiar.
Kevin was holding the boy in a princess carry.
As soon as Kevin let the boy stand on his feet, he quickly put his hand on his mouth trying to keep in the puke.
Derek did not waste any time as he put his hand on boy's back doing the magic.
The boy quickly stood straight and then bowed as he... gulped.
'Did he drink his vomit to act refined. Heh.' Karl mused inwardly.
"Fight." Kevin said as he started walking away from the two along with Derek.
The boy, still bowed, looked around and as he saw everyone around him he frowned.
'Fight who? This kid?' The boy thought as he could not understand the situation.
"Are you ready?" Karl asked the boy which made the boy flinch.
'For real!? I have to fight this kid!?' The boy straightened up as he made a shocked expression looking at Karl.
"If you lose, know that you will be punished." Kevin spoke which made the boy flinch again.
'Punished!? Punishment by duke!? Wait before that, I seriously have to defeat this kid!'
Karl understanding the boy's inner turmoil, laughed in his mind.
'Kekek. I should strike while he is confused.' Karl thought as he quickly ran to the boy, appearing in front him as he gave him a strong punch on his abdomen.
'Oooh! Clean hit!' Karl mused as he did not stop and gave the boy a uppercut followed by a strong hit landing perpendicularly on the nose.
'Combo!' Karl smirked but to others it would have looked funny due to the size difference.
The boy, due to the sudden barrage, fell backwards as he fainted.
"I won." Karl shouted towards his father and Derek.
Kevin blurred for a moment as the boy suddenly appeared in his hands, this time held by the neck.
Derek again put a hand on the boy's head which made him open his eyes as light radiated from his hand.
"Did I-" The boy stopped his words as he remembered what had just happened, his face turning pale.
"Go back and fight, if you lose this time, then you will not receive any more support." Kevin spoke coldly.
'Even if I say I won, I don't think they will count it so it is better to act obedient.' Karl thought as he stayed still.
"Yes sir!" The boy replied fast as he quickly balanced himself and ran back in front of the boy.
'What the fuck happened! How could that boy be so fast!
Calm down. If I lose again, I will lose support which is the same as dying.
I need to defeat this kid anyhow.'
The boy quickly stood before Karl again as he continued thinking.
'He is faster and stronger than me. Is he a tier two arya!? Nah not possible.
Then a peak tier one focused on speed and strength? But that is also not-
Fuck stop thinking about what he is. He is faster and stronger than me but I can use magic. That is all I need to defeat him.'
As the boy formulated a plan to defeat Karl, Karl looked at his father and pointed at a sword stand near the wall.
The next moment, Kevin appeared in front of him with a wooden sword in his hand.
'Damn he is fast.' Karl admired as he took the sword.
"Begin." Kevin spoke as he disappeared again and appeared beside Derek.
As soon as Kevin's words fell the boy lunged backwards as his mouth started moving at a fast speed as if reciting a verse.
'I need to be quick else I will most likely lose.' Karl thought as he ran to the boy and extended his hands to punch the boy.
'Fuck! First I need to make some space!' The boy thought as he quickly unleashed his aura, red colored energy emanating from his body.
'FUCK! I wanted to keep this a secret if I could. But I will end it quickly with this.' Karl thought as aura also started radiating from his body but unlike the boy's red aura, his was... white.
"Wh-" The boy was about to exclaim in surprise at the color of Karl's aura when he suddenly felt... pain.
Karl had punched the boy in the nuts with his fist brimming with white energy.
"Gah-" The boy's shouts stopped in their tracks as he fainted.
'I can explain how I knew of vitals but the problem is... ether.
At this rate they will bombard me with more questions.
I need to calm their curiosity down.
Yes I can just make them worry to shift their focus!'
Karl thought as he manipulated the etherised blood in his body and stopped supply of the blood to the brain for some time.
Time enough to faint, after which the blood supply continued normally.
Derek and Kevin also stared wide eyed at the energy Karl was oozing but as soon as they saw Karl go limp and fall, Kevin appeared in front of Karl and held him in a princess carry and again appeared in front of Derek who casted some magic.
"What happened?" Kevin asked Derek worriedly.
"...Nothing... There is nothing wrong with his body. We need to take him to a-" Before Derek could complete his sentence Kevin along with Karl disappeared from the spot.
Meanwhile, still standing at the same spot, Derek was contemplating... on what to do next.
***
"What happened?" Karl asked as he opened his eyes just to see Kevin holding him in his arms.
Kevin ignored Karl and stared at the priest in front of him.
"Nothing much. He just overexerted himself." The priest said to Kevin with a smile.
Hearing the priest's words, Kevin gave a bow and again... disappeared.
Kevin again appeared in front of Derek who was standing at the same spot with a serious face.
'WH-' Karl felt his stomach suddenly churn as he appeared along with Kevin.
Derek casted the same magic he had done many times before by putting a hand on Karl's head and stared at Kevin.
'Ooh? What happened? Was that not just mind calming magic? I feel... normal.' As Karl was trying to understand the effects of the magic, Kevin spoke.
"Nothing." Kevin said with a heavy expression.
"No side effects?" Derek asked, his eyes widening as Kevin just shook his head.
"Karl how did you bring out white colored aura?" Kevin asked Karl with the same heavy expression.
'Fuck. Here we go.' Karl closed his eyes as he could not handle the emotional pressure Kevin and Derek were exerting.
"It is a part of the method. I can not-" Karl could not continue his words as he lost consciousness.
Kevin frowned and looked at Derek, who was reciting something, but did not stop him.
This continued for a minute after which Karl suddenly opened his eyes again but... his eyes had no focus.
"Explain the method." Derek asked Karl the same question he had before.
But this time the answer was different.
"I combined ether with my blood." Karl spoke with an emotionless voice.