Chapter 156: A Champion's Guidance
After the chat group window vanished, March 7th couldn't resist landing a light punch on Stelle's arm, who was still smirking to herself.
"You! You never finish what you're saying!" March huffed, her cheeks puffed out. "You always say things that make people misunderstand and worry for nothing!"
Stelle rubbed her arm with a theatrical wince, her grin unapologetic. "Alright, alright, I know I messed up. Don't be so angry, little March! C'mon, let's get to 'work' and uncover Okhema's secrets!"
At the mention of their mission, March's energy instantly returned. Though a part of her still regretted not being able to chat more with everyone, her boundless curiosity was now fixed on the mysterious Golden City.
Dan Heng watched the two of them descend into their usual bickering, a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickering in his eyes before he shook his head with fond helplessness. He collected his thoughts and took the first step forward. "Let's go. We'll start with the Cloudstone Bazaar."
As the three members of the Astral Express crew immersed themselves once more in the exploration of Okhema, the other members of the chat group also began their new day.
Lumine and Paimon returned to Natlan via a Teleport Waypoint, ready to continue their adventure and investigation. Meanwhile, in the Belobog kitchen, Belle was enthusiastically attempting to replicate the otherworldly recipes Lumine had sent over, a cloud of flour already beginning to settle around her.
As for Wise, he began his morning by efficiently organizing Belobog's daily operations.
The reason he was so pressed for time was his clear-eyed assessment of his cultivation results from the previous night. With the insight bonus from the training room, he had eagerly absorbed the essence of the martial arts manuals shared by Mr. Zhongli. However, most of his gains were in theoretical understanding and the memorization of forms. The time he'd spent on actual sparring practice amounted to a mere three or four hours at the very end.
Wise did not choose to continue spending points to stay in the cultivation room. He had his own considerations: points were a precious resource and had to be used wisely. Instead of fumbling around alone, he reasoned it was better to first test what he had learned through real-world combat and expose any underlying problems. It was like hoarding precious skill-ascension materials in a game—they were best used only when a skill had reached a high enough level to maximize their effect.
Therefore, he had specifically arranged to spar with Lyte, the reigning champion of the Sons of Calydon, this morning.
Soon, it was the agreed-upon time. Wise arrived at their meeting spot, a relatively open, abandoned area on the outskirts of the Underworld. When he got there, however, he found that Lyte wasn't alone.
Caesar, Bernice, and Pie Pie from the Sons of Calydon had all come along.
If Wise remembered correctly, only Bernice had the morning off today. Caesar should have been buried under a mountain of official duties, and Pie Pie had mentioned she was going to help transport a batch of supplies.
Seeing Wise's puzzled expression, Caesar let out a hearty laugh and clapped him on the shoulder. "I always thought our Proxy was a pure civilian, with no combat ability to speak of," he explained, his voice booming. "So imagine my surprise when I heard you were directly challenging Lyte, the champion of our Sons of Calydon! How could I possibly miss a show like this? Don't worry, with me watching, I'll make sure Lyte doesn't hurt you!"
Pie Pie chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh my! This is way too interesting, of course I had to come watch! You have to do your best, Proxy!"
Seeing that the whole crew had assembled, Wise couldn't very well protest. He could only offer a helpless smile. "Then... I'll be in your care, everyone."
After a brief warm-up, Wise and Lyte stood facing each other. Wise adopted an ancient-looking opening stance, his posture steady and his energy condensed—a world away from the common boxing forms seen in the Underworld.
Lyte's eyes flashed with surprise as he studied Wise's form, but he quickly regained his composure. Operating under the assumption that he was protecting a non-combatant, he said, "Proxy, just attack with all you've got. I'll be careful to hold back."
Evidently, while the members of the Sons of Calydon acknowledged Wise's wisdom and leadership as a Proxy, they didn't have high expectations for his personal combat ability.
The battle that followed, however, shattered their assumptions.
Wise moved.
His movements were far more agile and fluid than any of them had imagined. His footwork was flexible, and the transitions between offense and defense were smooth, clearly the result of systematic training. Although his strength was obviously inferior to the battle-hardened Lyte, and the force behind his punches and kicks was still relatively light, his application of those unique moves was exceptionally skilled and smoothly connected.
At times, he would skillfully deflect Lyte's fierce attacks with a gentle redirection of force. At others, he would unexpectedly slice into a momentary opening in Lyte's defense.
For a time, the two were locked in a surprisingly even back-and-forth.
"Oh?" Caesar slowly lowered his folded arms, the playful smile on his face melting into genuine surprise.
"Wow! The Proxy is amazing!" Pie Pie couldn't help but exclaim in a hushed, awestruck voice.
The look of casual disregard in Lyte's eyes had long since vanished, replaced by a rising fighting spirit and a sharp, focused seriousness. He began to increase his intensity. His speed and strength climbed steadily, and the advantages of his superior combat experience and physicality slowly began to assert themselves.
Wise felt the pressure multiply. Lyte's attacks were like heavy waves, surging in one after another, relentless and powerful. While his techniques could just barely hold their own, the gap in absolute strength was a chasm that was difficult to bridge.
Finally, after taking a powerful, heavy straight punch from Lyte, an intense, numbing pain shot through Wise's arms. He stumbled backward several steps, his balance broken, retreating out of the makeshift fighting circle.
"Hah... hah..." Wise shook his aching arms, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
Lyte did not pursue. He stopped, his gaze now filled with admiration and a hint of inquiry. "Excellent technique and moves, Proxy. It's a style I've never seen before—exquisite and practical."
He then shifted his tone, his voice becoming like that of a strict mentor. "However, your problems are also very obvious. Your moves aren't decisive enough. You lack the forward-driving momentum, the courage to trade blows at critical moments." Lyte's eyes were sharp. "You must understand that in a true life-and-death struggle, sometimes resolute courage alone is enough to achieve the unexpected. It can even play a crucial role in deciding the outcome."
He stepped forward and began to carefully analyze several specific mistakes Wise had made during the fight. "Besides your mindset, your physical fitness is an even greater weakness. Strength, speed, and endurance all need to be comprehensively improved. There are no shortcuts for this; it can only be honed through consistent, grueling training."
Seeing Lyte speak with such gravity, Caesar and the others nearby quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Whoa, Lyte, don't be so strict!" Caesar interjected. "Wise has already done incredibly well!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Pie Pie added. "To fight you like this in his first real combat is already amazing!"
Bernice also chimed in with a gentle smile. "The Proxy's physical foundation does need time to be built up. It can't be rushed."
Wise, however, listened carefully to every word, especially Lyte's critique. He nodded heavily, his expression sincere. "I understand, Lyte. Thank you for your guidance. I will remember these issues and strive to improve."
Just as the atmosphere at the training ground eased and everyone was about to relax, they saw a figure running toward them in a hurry. It was Lucy, her face etched with anxiety as she frantically scanned the area.
"What happened, Lucy?" Wise was the first to ask, his brow furrowing in concern.
Lucy caught her breath, her voice strained with urgency. "It's Mokus! That Bunny responsible for transporting supplies—it's gone! It should have arrived by now, but it hasn't shown up! I can't get in contact with it!"
Although Mokus was known for being mischievous, it had never made such a critical error during a transport mission. It was highly likely that something unexpected had happened.
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