The next day an old man walked into the city, his presence earning more than a few turned heads. His clothes were tattered, hanging loosely over his wiry frame, and his disheveled beard gave him the appearance of someone who hadn’t bathed in weeks. His gait was slow but steady, his sharp eyes taking in the sights around him.

Pedestrians instinctively moved away from him, wrinkling their noses at his haggard state. Some whispered among themselves, wondering if he was a beggar, while others merely ignored him altogether.

The old man didn’t seem to care.

He had come here for a reason, to find information about his enemy.

And as he roamed the city of Brightwater, he passed by a boy and a strange sensation washed over him. He stopped in his tracks, his sharp eyes narrowing as he turned his head slightly.

…

Arthur walked through the busy streets of Brightwater, his eyes scanning the storefronts as he searched for more attributeless spells. He had already obtained quite a few from Rhys, spells for cleaning, spells that could create light, minor repair spells, even one that could slightly increase the surrounding temperature. 

None of them were useful in combat, but they were practical, everyday spells, and Arthur liked the idea of having a wide range of utility magic at his disposal.

As he wandered between the shops, he felt a faint sensation prickling at the back of his neck.

Someone was following him.

Arthur’s expression didn’t change, but his senses sharpened. He subtly glanced at the reflections in the shop windows as he walked. At first, he thought it might be one of Elaric’s lackeys, finally trying something again after a month of inactivity.

Throughout the month Elaric hadn’t taken any action against him or the orphanage, so Arthur thought he had given up so he simply ignored him uptill now.

‘Guess he hasn’t given up after all.’

Arthur sighed. ‘Enough is enough. If he’s still trying to come after me or the orphanage, it’s time I deal with him permanently.’

Turning into a quieter alleyway, Arthur stopped and waited. His pursuer entered the alley shortly after.

Arthur turned, ready for a confrontation, but what he saw made him pause.

The man following him wasn’t an assassin or some hired thug.

He was an old man, with a haggard, worn-out appearance. His clothes were tattered, his hair was streaked with gray, and despite his ragged look, there was something sharp in his eyes.

Arthur frowned. “Why are you following me?”

The old man ignored the question, staring at Arthur with an intense gaze, murmuring something under his breath. Then, suddenly, he asked, “Are you a martial artist?”

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the sudden, random question. “What?” Arthur was confused at the old man asking a stranger out of nowhere if he was a martial artist or not.

The old man took a step closer, examining him as if he were looking at something unseen. “Your body… It’s strange.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

The old man finally looked at him properly. “I am just a travelling martial artist.”

Arthur studied him carefully. The man didn’t seem hostile, but there was something… odd about him.

Still, he decided to answer. “I don’t practice martial arts.”

The old man’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Impossible.”

Arthur crossed his arms. “Well, I did try, but I wasn’t able to cultivate Chi techniques.”

The old man’s expression shifted from shock to understanding. A small knowing smile appeared on his lips. “I see.”

Arthur frowned. “You know something?”

The old man chuckled. “Oh, I know exactly what’s wrong. You have an absurdly strong body. The level of refinement in your muscles and bones is identical to someone who has reached the Peak-Grade Martial Artist realm.”

Arthur’s eyes widened slightly. “You can tell that just by looking at me?”

The old man nodded. “Experience.” He stroked his beard, looking at Arthur with deep interest. “Tell me, when you tried practicing martial arts, did you find it impossible to circulate your Chi properly?”

Arthur hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. No matter how much I tried, the energy wouldn’t move the way the technique described.”

The old man grinned. “That’s because you have too much Chi.”

Arthur blinked. “…Too much?”

The old man nodded. “Your body contains an overwhelming amount of Chi, but it’s completely static. Normally, when someone starts practicing martial arts, they cultivate a small amount of Chi and learn to circulate it gradually. But your body is already overflowing with it. A normal technique isn’t enough to move it, not without someone strong enough to help you through the initial process.”

Arthur’s mind raced.

‘That explains why I couldn’t practice the Chi cultivation technique I bought from Rhys…’

After his encounter with the assassin in the forest, he had gotten his hands on a Chi cultivation technique. But when he tried it, nothing worked, so he eventually gave up.

But now, hearing this…

Arthur suddenly felt there was hope for him to practice martial arts after all. ‘So there’s still a way.’ He thought if he were able to practice martial arts his strength would skyrocket in a single leap as his body was already strong enough.

The old man watched his expression, then suddenly grinned. “Boy, would you like to become my disciple?”

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts. “What?”

The old man crossed his arms, still grinning. “I can help you cultivate martial arts, but only if you become my disciple.”

Arthur frowned, studying the man again. He didn’t even know who he was, and now he was suddenly asking to take him as a student? That was too sudden.

Suspicious, Arthur activated ‘Analyze’ on the old man.

The results shocked him.

//——————–//

[STATUS]

Name: ???

Designation: ???

Rank: Grandmaster Martial Artist

Age: 1373

Height: 6’4″

Chi: 7.89 Million Units

Strength: 1.578 Million Tons 

Speed: Mach 221 (75,803 m/s) [A/N: While utilizing Chi to fly.]

//——————–//

He was a Grandmaster Martial Artist.

Arthur’s mind reeled. Grandmasters were nearly the pinnacle of martial arts. Those who reached this stage were near unstoppable in hand-to-hand combat. But why did someone so powerful look like a wandering beggar?

Arthur didn’t ask the question, though. He thought that would be rude to ask. Instead, he folded his arms. “You’re offering to help me just like that?”

The old man smirked. “I won’t lie. I have my reasons. But before you decide, you should know who I am.”

Arthur waited as the old man took a deep breath, his expression growing serious. “I wasn’t always a martial artist. I was once just a simple farmer, living in a small village with my wife and daughter.”

Arthur listened in silence as the old man spoke.

“One day, a noble youth visited our village. He… took an interest in my wife. He demanded that she become his maid. I refused, of course knowing the fates of the women he laid his eyes on. We had a daughter, and my wife was not some prize to be taken. The noble left after we refused, but…” His fists clenched. “…That night, I returned home to find my wife and child dead.”

Arthur’s expression darkened hearing what happened.

“The villagers knew what had happened, but they were too afraid to say anything. I left the village, vowing to take revenge. I searched for strength anywhere I could find it. After years of wandering, I came across the inheritance of a martial artist. I studied it, trained for years, and eventually reached the rank of Master.” His voice was steady, but Arthur could hear the pain buried deep beneath the words.

“When I was finally strong enough, I tracked down the noble. But by then, he had already become an Archmage.” The old man chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “So I went back to training. For years, I pushed myself until I finally became a Grandmaster. And now… I’m searching for him again.”

The alley was silent for a moment.

Then, the old man looked at Arthur. “Knowing all this, do you still want to be my disciple?”

Arthur met his gaze, his mind turning over everything he had heard. Although Arthur does not know him and if it was fine to just accept the old man as his master, still he thought that such a chance might not appear again.

The old man was dangerous, there was no doubt about that. But at the same time, Arthur could tell he was genuine. His offer wasn’t some trick or deception.

And more importantly, Arthur had already made up his mind.

“…Yes.”

The old man raised an eyebrow. “Even though my enemies might come after you?”

Arthur smirked. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

For a moment, the old man was silent. Then, he threw his head back and laughed loudly. “HAHAHAHA…Hah! I like your attitude, boy!”

He clapped Arthur on the shoulder. “Alright, then! From today, you are my disciple!”

Arthur felt his shoulder would break if the old man patted his shoulder anymore, he sighed and shook his head. “I don’t even know your name yet.”

The old man grinned. “You can call me Master.”

Arthur rolled his eyes.

“…Kai Yeoh.” Arthur looked at the old man, “That’s my name.”

…

Arthur led the old man through the winding streets of Brightwater, heading toward the orphanage, as the crowds moved about, unaware that a Grandmaster was walking in their midst.

Kai was new here, so Arthur suggested that he stay at a place he knew.

Kai walked beside Arthur, his eyes roaming over the people and the structures. There was a keen awareness in his gaze, as if he was mapping out the city in his mind. Despite his ragged appearance, his presence was strangely commanding.

As they approached the eastern district, the orphanage came into view. Kai slowed his steps. His sharp eyes took in everything, from the clean, sturdy walls to the carefully tended garden patches. His brows furrowed slightly. “Where is this place?”

Arthur replied. “It’s an orphanage.”

Kai remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Arthur with an unreadable expression. “Are you an orphan?”

Arthur shook his head and replied, “I established this place.” 

Hearing that from Arthur, Kai was surprised, “You run this place?”

Arthur glanced at him, wondering what had him so surprised. “I fund it, mostly. Butler Hudson and the caretakers do the actual running of the place.”

Kai let out a low hum, still looking at the orphanage with interest. “So you are the charitable type.”

Arthur looked at Kai weirdly. “And what type did you take me for?”

Kai chuckled. “Brat with too much power for his own good.”

Arthur shrugged hearing that.

The two of them stepped inside. The moment Arthur entered, the children noticed and ran up to him, their small faces lighting up.

Kai raised an eyebrow at the scene. “Huh. They really like you.” 

Kai thought he really made the right choice by taking Arthur as his disciple, he was both strong for his age, he could even be considered extremely gifted to have such a strong body without practicing martial arts, and he was kind too. He knew he may not survive the confrontation against his enemy, so he was searching for someone to pass on his legacy to, and Arthur could be the perfect person.

Arthur smiled and nodded and turned toward Butler Hudson, who had just approached with a curious look. “Hudson, this is Master Kai. He’ll be staying here from now on.”

Hudson studied the old man, his sharp but polite gaze taking in his tattered appearance before giving Arthur a small nod. He didn’t ask any unnecessary questions. “Understood, sir. I’ll prepare a room immediately.”

Kai waved a hand. “Don’t bother with anything fancy. Just give me a room where I can sleep.”

Hudson inclined his head. “Please follow me.”

Arthur watched as Kai followed Butler Hudson toward the guest quarters. The children stared after the old man with curiosity, whispering among themselves. He was an odd addition to the orphanage, that was for sure.

***

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