Lucius walked up to the massive Chinese style gate, its dark wooden panels reinforced with metal and decorated with intricate carvings. Two tiger shaped door knobs sat at the center, their fierce faces seemingly staring directly at anyone who approached.
Above the entrance was a simple plaque bearing the words, Purpose and Perseverance. Lucius stared at the words for a moment before reaching toward one of the tiger shaped handles.
Before his fingers could touch it, the enormous doors began creaking open on their own, the sound echoing through the otherwise quiet grounds and startling him enough to pull his hand back.
"Okay, that was weird," he muttered.
Once the doors opened fully, Lucius stepped through and found himself standing on a massive piece of land primarily dedicated to training. Several water fountains were scattered throughout the grounds, surrounded by carefully maintained paths and patches of greenery, while numerous buildings stood at various points across the property. The entire place was clearly designed to accommodate and train a large number of students, yet there was an eerie stillness hanging over everything.
There was no one here.
Lucius looked around cautiously before walking toward the nearest fountain. It was an elaborate stone structure shaped like a tiger, water flowing gently from its open mouth into a wide basin beneath it. The craftsmanship immediately caught his attention, and he stood there for a moment admiring the details carved into the stone.
Thud!
Lucius’s attention was suddenly stolen by the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. He turned toward the source and saw an old white haired man walking slowly in his direction with the aid of a wooden staff. He wore ancient Chinese style robes that hung loosely around his aging frame, while his long white hair was tied neatly behind his head. A long white beard extended down his chest, which he stroked gently as he approached.
The man looked like he had walked straight out of an ancient movie.
"Ooh my... It’s not every day someone comes here. Are you lost, young lad?" Master Zhang chuckled while rubbing his beard.
Lucius was slightly startled and unsure how he was supposed to respond. He quickly straightened himself and bowed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out Bruce’s card. He held it out respectfully for the old man to see.
"Teacher... I was asked to come here for your guidance," Lucius said.
Master Zhang took the card from his hand and stared at it for a moment. His eyes moved from the card to Lucius several times, as though comparing the information on the identification card with the young man standing before him.
"I see. You are the one he told me about."
Master Zhang handed the card back and began walking around Lucius slowly, examining him from different angles. Lucius remained still, following the old man’s movements with his eyes while trying to figure out what exactly he was looking for. Get faster updates on novelping(.)com.
"Young lad, who do you consider a strong man?" Master Zhang suddenly asked.
Lucius frowned and pondered for a moment. The question seemed simple, but after everything Bruce and the old man had already told him about strength, he suspected there was more to it than the obvious answer.
"A man with no weakness," Lucius blurted out.
Bam!
The cane struck his leg.
Lucius had not bothered to dodge because it was merely a normal looking wooden staff being wielded by an old man. The strike itself did not even hurt his skin, yet something strange immediately happened inside his leg. A powerful force seemed to pour into his body through the point of impact, traveling deep into his muscles and rattling his bones.
"Aaah!"
Lucius cried out as his leg gave way and he dropped onto one knee. He stared at his foot in complete shock, unable to understand what had just happened. His body could withstand probably withstand bullets, absorb Aether, and survive wounds that should have incapacitated an ordinary human, yet an old man had just knocked him down with what appeared to be nothing more than a walking stick.
Master Zhang continued walking around him as though nothing unusual had happened, gently stroking his beard. "Silly child, everyone will always possess a weakness. It’s something we cannot fully get rid of. A strong man is a man who understands his strengths and leans into them."
He stopped directly in front of Lucius and looked down at him.
"What are your strengths?"
Lucius’s face paled slightly as he remembered the strike. He began racking his brain, mentally going through everything he was capable of. His physical strength, regeneration, ability to absorb matter, Aether resistance, Xenovian traits, Devour Talent, and Hand of God all passed through his mind. He spent several seconds considering them before finally answering.
"My physical prowess is my greatest strength... My ability to absorb matter like iron helps reinforce this strength," Lucius said with an uncertain look.
Master Zhang’s eyes narrowed and Lucius instinctively flinched.
"I will let it go because you only gained this ability two or three days ago," Master Zhang said, his expression relaxing slightly. "However, you are not completely wrong. Your physical prowess is exceptional, but it’s nothing special."
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Lucius blinked in surprise. "What?"
Master Zhang nodded firmly. "There are people with Enforcer type talents who can match your strength. However, what they do not have is your survivability."
Buzz!
Lucius’s eyes widened.
Master Zhang continued before he could respond. "You have the invulnerability of an Enforcer type as well as fast regenerative abilities. And to crown it all, you possess a Talent capable of reinforcing your already powerful body with any material available, further boosting your survivability. If you ask me, even if you don’t become the strongest man alive, you can easily become the hardest man to kill."
Buzz!
Lucius slowly rose to his feet, his mouth hanging open as he tried to process what he had just heard.
"Enlighten me!" Lucius finally said, the words being the only response his overwhelmed mind could produce.
"Luckily for you, I possess an elite grade secret art that would serve you very well..." Master Zhang said, his eyes carrying a faint glimmer of amusement. "But of course, you can only practice it once you reach the natural requirements. Now, let’s start training!"
Lucius raised a brow as Master Zhang signaled for him to follow. The old man turned and began walking toward one of the many buildings scattered across the grounds, forcing Lucius to hurry after him.
They entered the building, and Lucius immediately found himself staring at a collection of modern workout equipment. The sight was strangely out of place within the traditional looking training grounds, but it quickly became clear that the equipment had a purpose. Heavy weights, reinforced benches, resistance machines, and other specialized equipment filled the spacious room.
Master Zhang looked over the equipment before turning his attention toward Lucius.
"I already understand your capabilities, so I know how to make you sweat. Let’s start with two hundred and fifty kilogram bench presses first. Five sets, thirty per set!" Master Zhang ordered.
Buzz!
Lucius’s face twisted into a horrified expression.
"Two hundred and what?!"