CHAPTER 36 - TRAINING

Tosh attacked right after he teased Hoax.

As expected, Mave was hit. This time it was on his leg. He was now kneeling down on the ground and catching his breath. Meta was awake while Friean is sleeping. She can't see what the boys are doing because they are facing backward to the location. Also, it was also kinda distant so they can't hear Mave's small voice of pain.

Tosh smirked, "I think you're hungry, Hoax. You became slow that is why he saw your move."

But all of them seemed surprised when blood underneath Tosh's eyes flowed. He slowly wiped it and looked at Mave.

"How did you do that? I totally felt that you didn't even touch me," Tosh was really clueless.

Mave just smiled, "Just attack me. I want this thing to end, please. I'm a bit tired."

Ace moved swiftly and get near to Mave. He examined his state before kicking him on his other feet. When Mave is about to fall, Ace hurriedly caught him and ask, "Are you still okay? Can you still continue?"

Mave smiled, "You guys are going easy on me," Ace was puzzled but he suddenly felt a hot fluid flowing down on his leg, "I'm alright, Ace. Don't worry that much. I also want to learn," Mave bravely said and tried to stand up alone to face the last opponent.

Roi brought his small darts out and shouted, "Run, Mave. Run!"

"Are you kidding me, Roi? How could I when these guys already beat me on my legs?" Mave asked but he was left without any choice but run when Roi throw his darts targetting him.

He was able to get rid of the other darts but by the last dart, he was caught. Roi immediately grabs him but to Roi's surprise, Mave was able to change their position. He found himself being darted on the tree and Mave was sitting on the ground.

The other boys' jaw was about to drop because what happened was really unexpected.

The sun was about to set so the two of them, which were Rex and Tosh, decided to build the bonfire. The others, Ace and Roi, decided to help Mave clean himself and aid his wounds with the help of Hoax.

Mave is trying his best not to make any sound because he was too embarrassed by his situation.

"You know, guys? I never experienced being this injured while playing on my whole life!" Mave bites his lips to stop himself from screaming when Hoax covered his wounds with medicinal plants.

Ace laughed, "May we remind you that you didn't enter an Olympics! You entered a mythical island where no one can predict what will happen."

"You guys are so considerate of me. That made me feel worse. I said that don't go easy on me. And you have it also before we began but all of you pretend," Mave was still disappointed despite his condition.

"What are you trying to say? What do you mean?" Roi was still not convinced of what he is thinking.

Mave cleared his throat, "I can see your attacks coming. That's why I was able to scratch you with a line using my hand-made knife. I can see you moving and to what directions you will attack but I feel that my body is too heavy to move so I was still being hit."

The three of them looked at each other while Mave was busy looking at his wounds.

"I told you! He can see those coming! Those scratches on your arms and legs and on Tosh's face was the evidence!" Hoax exclaimed.

"How did you learned that?" Ace was suddenly curious.

Mave slightly closed his eyes, "In that room. Those books were not just ordinary books. I don't know how to clearly explain it but, the moment Lady Samsoon asked me to read those, I became curious. The moment I opened it, I can't remember if I was able to finish it but when I woke up, I felt something inside me has changed. I felt like I want to move and move. And I follow what my body says, I found myself trying to use the handcrafted knife in such a way that no one will notice it. What I was struggling with that time is what I felt a while ago. My body seems off because I think that I have been lax and I don't exercise."

Ace snapped, "I already knew that something was off with those books so I did not bother to open even a single page of it. I focused on the things I have been doing since then. Maybe I will also feel a little bit off if I decided to open those."

"I don't have any interest in those. I'd rather listen and watch than to read," Hoax said while looking at Ace.

"I read some," Roi was trying to remember things, "But it seems that I haven't felt those like what you've said."

Ace stand up and remove some of the leaves that fell on his lap, "Maybe because you are not yet challenged like what we did to Mave. I guess that's the signal for it to take effect. I bet Lady Samson put a spell on it."

"Hey, chatty guys! If you're done with Mave, won't you mind if you help us prepare dinner?" Rex asked them.

"Why would we?" Mave was playing like a tough bro.

"I am not referring to you injured, Little Prince," Rex fired back.

Ace offered a helping hand to Hoax, and he immediately accepted it with a smile.

"Let's leave the girls like that. Let's just call them if all of these are prepared," Ace suggested.

"That's right," Rex agreed, "Let my sister and, uhm—"

Ace chuckled, "And who?" he playfully asked.

Rex's face turned red and he glared at Ace, "Let my sister and Meta to rest. They will need a lot of those before they exhaust themselves on training."

Ace can't stop himself from laughing and so with the other guys. They had a fun night although Mave was suffering from his wounds and bruises gave to him by his fellow mates.