12 Chapter 11: Golden Amule (1/2)
Shortly after the encounter with the Dark Shadow Sect, I returned to my dorm. Feeling a little annoyed, I decided to go to the training room early so that I could vent my anger on the poor training dummy.
”Ah, so it's you.”
The teacher at the front of the training facility, Teacher Kun Lian, looked up when I stepped through the automatic glass doors. Before I even reached his desk, he grunted as he pulled out his tablet to make a note that I was here to book another of the room.
”Teacher Kun,” I greeted with a bow.
”Here, room 404.” Teacher Kun pulled out a key card and handed it to me. I straightened up and accepted it, thanking him. ”2 hours. Don't overstay.”
”Sorry. Thanks.”
Teacher Kun merely waved me inside. Stepping into the shiny, spotless corridor, I could see dozens of other students using the middle school training facility.
While many of the major sects had their own resources and could provide their disciples spaces to train in, many students chose to utilize Wu Ling Academy's ultramodern and state-of-the-art facilities. Some of them had no choice, coming from smaller sects that did not possess the necessary resources (which made me doubt the Martial Arts Alliance's claim that they were giving every disciple equal opportunity based on meritocracy), but many chose the academy's facilities because they were simply better than the facilities that even a lot of the richer sects possessed.
”Classmate Fei Wu.”
”Oh? Ban Zhang, you're here too?”
As I strolled toward Room 404, I encountered the class representative. He was toweling off as he proceeded toward the reception desk, no doubt intending to return the key card in his hand. Evidently he had just finished his own training session.
”Yes. Been practicing some of the new techniques that the Black Tortoise Sect taught me.” Ban Zhang nodded, and then clapped a hand on my shoulder. ”Good to see you training diligently too. I'm glad you didn't take this whole One Star Constitution thing too seriously.”
”Yeah.” I nodded. ”Can't let Qi Fu Ren bully me just because I'm weaker. I'm going to fight back.”
”Heh.” Ban Zhang shook his head before giving me an encouraging pat. ”Try not to get into fights. If you really want to duel him, apply for an official match.”
”I'll think about it.”
I watched as Ban Zhang left, and then continued toward my room. While passing by the countless doors, I could hear noises and crashes inside as various students practiced their techniques and sparred with training dummies.
”There you are.”
Stopping in front of the door labeled 404, I inserted the card key and stepped inside. The room was almost bare, but padded with ceramite and ferrocrete, materials designed to withstand the powers of our attacks and almost any form of destructive martial arts techniques. In theory, anyway, but it was common for the repair crews to come in to restore the damaged training rooms at the end of every day, after the students were done with them.
Stepping to the center of the room, I held out my hand and waited as a blue-tinted hologram came to life. Studying the diagrams on it, I then picked an icon that was labeled Level 2 Training Dummy.
Woo…
A whir echoed at the back of the room. The walls slid open, like double doors made of stainless steel, and an automated puppet staggered outside. Cables and wiring dangled from above, disappearing inside the chamber from where the puppet emerged, connected to its limbs.
Hiss…
With a hiss, the wires fell away and retracted. The mechanical puppet trembled for a bit, and then suddenly straightened up. A red light flashed in the single optical lenses built into its cylindrical head.
”Level 2,” it murmured in a robotic voice.
And then it suddenly lunged at me.
”!”
The clumsiness and jerkiness from earlier was no longer present. The battle puppet's movements were sharp, crisp and precise. I almost couldn't react in time as it spun above me to fluidly swing its silvery leg at my head. I parried its strike with both my hands, but was pushed back by the tremendous impact. Immediately my arms went numb from the blow.
So that's the difference between level 1 and level 2.
However, I had beaten not just the three seniors from Iron Mountain Sect, but also the de facto leader of the Dark Shadow Sect today. I wasn't going to let a mere puppet beat me.
As the puppet descended upon me with a crash, its kick resembling that of Mohawk's from yesterday, I stepped to the side. Its scything mechanical foot smashed into the ground, carving up concrete despite the floor being made from reinforced material. Even as some of the debris bounced upward, I braved the storm of concrete and stepped into range in order to slam my elbow into the puppet's gleaming, metallic chest.
At level 2, the battle puppet wasn't that strong, and even someone as weak as me was able to knock it back a little. But the battle puppet was quick to recover, immediately straightening p and switching its stance.
But it was too late.
I slammed my foot under its guard, rocking it, and then spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the head. The battle puppet was sent hurtling head-over-heels into the wall, spinning in a clumsy manner that contrasted against its graceful movements from before, and vanished in a tiny explosion of dust.
”Phew…”
I watched as the puppet slid down to the floor, the malicious red light in its lenses dimming. Then the puppet spoke.
”Level 2 training dummy incapacitated. Shall I switch to level 3?”
”Er…” I pondered for a moment, and then shrugged. ”Why not? Okay.”
The automata puppet picked itself back up, and then straightened itself. The red light flared in its single optical lens again, giving it a demonic yet mechanical visage that made it seem eerie. I was astonished to see that there was no sign of damage. Damn, but these things were built tough. Well, that was no surprise, considering they were designed to endure the full brunt of martial artists' attacks. Of course a thirteen-year-old amateur like me wouldn't be able to put a scratch on it.
”Anytime you're ready,” the puppet droned emotionlessly. I nodded.
”Go ahead.”
The puppet disappeared. Before I knew it, I was thrown off my feet. Slamming into the wall, I collapsed, blood leaking from my mouth. I couldn't even get up. Falling over, I clutched my chest, coughing and wheezing.
The automaton puppet mercilessly crashed down upon my position, and I barely avoided being pulverized into a bloody pulp by rolling away.
”I surrender!” I shouted, blood dribbling from my lips. ”Cancel duel! Stand down!”
The puppet immediately deactivated, kneeling and awaiting further orders. Its optical lens continued to flare in bright crimson, but otherwise it was utterly still.
”Damn it…”
I had no idea there was such a massive difference between level 2 and 3. Clearly I was still a long way from my goal.
”Hey…” I wiped the blood from my mouth as I staggered toward the training dummy. Given my injuries, it was clear my sparring was done for the day. At least I learned something – never underestimate your enemy, even if it was a mechanical puppet. ”Is there a level 2.5?”
The puppet seemed to consider my question, its optical lens glowing as it processed my words.
”I am afraid not.”
”Damn…”
I sighed, shaking my head. Level 2 was a little too easy for me, but level 3 was impossible for me to spar with right now. Why was there such a huge difference?
”Well, thanks anyway. I guess we'll end the session early today.”
It would be too dangerous to continue. I had to heal my injuries first. I wouldn't be surprised if I had broken a few ribs, or if at least one of my internal organs had been ruptured. I had best see Doctor Yi Liao after this.
”Acknowledged.”
The automaton puppet nodded and stood up. It then proceeded back to the chamber, the walls sliding open to allow it entry. Turning around to face me, it disappeared behind the closing metallic doors even as unseen machinery connected wires and cabling to its mechanical limbs in the darkness. The last thing I saw was the red light in its optical lens before it flickered off, and the doors concealed the whole training dummy from view.
Grimacing, I picked myself up and began staggering to the exit.
*
”Hey, you're back.”
Zhu Jiao looked up when I walked through the door of our dormitory building. Apparently he had just returned from a training session and hadn't returned to his room just yet. Same as me, I suppose. I waved at him and nodded.
”I'm home.”
Having lived in the dormitory for three months now, it now felt like a genuine home to me, as if I had lived here all my life. Zhu Jiao stayed in the room a few doors away from mine, so it wasn't common to run into him. As we stayed in the same level, I followed him to the elevator.
”Went to the training facility again?”
Even though he was still seething from the bullying from earlier, Zhu Jiao had finally calmed down and refocused his energy into meditating. He was adopting a totally different approach from me, and as such didn't agree with mine.
”Yeah,” I nodded. Zhu Jiao smiled in approval.
”Had a good workout, I assume?”
”Sort of. I got beaten up instead.”
I winced as I rubbed my chest. After returning the keycard to Teacher Kun, I had headed to the infirmary. Teacher Yi Liao told me off for being reckless in training, but she used her qi to heal my injuries. As expected, it didn't take her more than a minute to completely restore me back to full health.
”You got beaten up by those stupid training dummies? Really?”
Zhu Jiao stared at me in shock. I chuckled in embarrassment.
”Well…yeah. Level 2 was a bit too easy, so I set it to level 3. Big mistake.”
”Huh?!”
Ding!
Zhu Jiao's voice overlapped with the elevator's chime. The doors slid open and I stepped out. Still in a stupor, Zhu Jiao hurried after me.
”You were trying to fight a level 3 battle puppet?”
”Yeah, I was.”