The Eternal Family



Bamboo looked at Ace and waited for the kid to come, in his first form alone, he had rarely been beaten by other Body-type gifted. He smirked.

Ace moved, his figure a blur as a heavy kick headed straight for the old man's face, Bamboo immediately shifted and blocked with his hands. Khg, he couldn't help but groan.

"Good!" He exclaimed and tried to take the beating legs into his hands, but before he could, it was taken back and a punch came for his face.

Bamboo didn't hesitate and bumped his head straight against the hand, it recoiled back and revealed Ace's widened eyes and open chest. "Good!" Bamboo yelled with rubber-like flexible legs, yet as strong as steel, blasted Ace back, stumbling out of the stage and falling on the ground.

Staining his white clothes with mud.

"Hahaha, Kid, that's quite good," Bamboo exclaimed and asked, "Are you done?"

Ace cracked his knuckles and ran towards the man again, jumping above the stage and flashing his fist towards the man's face. "Take this to the face." Bamboo swiveled on his foot and slightly moved back, the hand missed him by some distance and again left Ace in the open.

He grimaced, oh shit!

A resounding white blank filled his mind as the bull-like knees slammed into his stomach, Grgh… he groaned and moved back, his gut distorting with nausea.

Cough! Cough! He coughed in pain for a while and then glared at the behemoth with impeccable fighting skills.

One that was bred through true sweat and tears.

Give it to me, Give me your experience. Make me grow.

"Come!" he yelled and ran at him again, his bare legs leaving harsh marks on the ground as he moved closer, his eyes swiveling around looking for an opening, 'Where was it? The Weakness? Where?!'

Bamboo silently looked at the focused eye, 'That's it, the raw feeling of flesh trying to destroy another flesh, come, try to find my weakness!'

"COME!" they both yelled out.

And for once, their fists clashed, Ace's fist shivered for a second before he took several steps back.

Ace looked at Bamboo's face, breathing heavily and sweating all over, his eyes still fierce.

"What was your name again, Kid?"

"Ace, Ace Isiah."

Bamboo chuckled, "So, Ace Brat, you do have good form and good instincts." He stopped his chuckle all of a sudden and his round eyes widened, "But your fighting style is shit, your breathing is shit and your eye for weaknesses is shit."

Ace frowned, he had beaten many using these same methods inside the ring.

"Unconvinced?" Bamboo chuckled, and said, "You are fighting as if you are trapped in a box, you have no vision for your surroundings nor do you have any vision for the opponent's state of mind. In a way, you are just dumb."

Ace squinted his eyes and asked, "What do I have to do to become better?"

Each chance at improvement must be taken.

"Nothing, you must first get rid of the habit of looking at an opponent's legs," Bamboo cursed, "Who the fuck looks at an enemy's leg when they fight? You must have been trained by shitheads."

Ace was silent, he fought too much as a kickboxer that he had forgotten one important thing. Kickboxing was one of the worst sports to get good at for self-defense, it had too many limitations. Other martial arts like Aikido were much better.

He breathed out, and then asked, "Other than that, what are my issues?"

This man was truly a great Body Gifted and he was speaking straight from experience. A chance that rarely came.

"There is not any other major issue, but you have some good flexibility to your muscles and you are not using it, and that, isn't that dumber than Rome?"

Rome looked from the side, what did I do? Be dumb yourself, why bring me into this…

His sister chuckled from the side.

"But Brother Ace is indeed strong," Rome said, "If I let him come close to me and I don't use my Gift, I would be easily killed. His body is stronger than I expected too."

"And even though Uncle Bamboo says all these bad things to him," Raina said, "He wouldn't guide people whom he saw as idiots, so he does approve of his strengths. Do you think he can reach the Academy and become one of the great Stage 5 gifted?"

"Maybe…" Rome said, "But Stage 5, it is no easy goal. How many gifted are there in the world? Billions. And how many Stage 5? I haven't seen one my whole life at least. So… to become one would be hard for him, even though it would be easier for him than us."

Body Gifted usually grew stronger quickly since what they needed to understand more about was their own body. But in the end, even if they reached Stage 5. They were never a match for Gifted with unique strengths like his [order].

But as a balance, it was much harder for them to go up stages.

"They are going at it again," Raina said.

Rome chuckled and just as he was about to say something, someone said from the side, "Rome, you should go bring the chief too, he will be happy to see this person."

Rome looked at the person who said that and couldn't help but be surprised, it was the Grandma who gave Ace the clothes. "Yes, Granny, I will go and bring the chief."

Even though everyone knew she was a traumatized person, everyone in the settlement respected her deeply. After all, she was the one who cared for the deceased, the doctor of the village.

So who would dare to be disrespectful?

Moreover, her Gift was very unique. It was not one of healing but a different sort. But he couldn't help but be curious, this grandma rarely ever left her hut other than going to wash clothes. What happened now?

But he didn't think deeply and went towards the chief's hut, Raina following behind him.