Ways to Level Up

Kali was handed a real spear. It was a regular wood handle spear with a sharp silver tip. It looks nothing like her hunting spear but she can settle for it.

"Then, Young Master, I will be using a real sword since you will be using a regular spear." Yurik said as he went and got a regular sword, He unsheathe it and threw the scabbard on the ground.

"Noted." She spun the newly acquired spear to get used to it. It was a fast and acrobatic display of spin and when she finally got used to it. She held it to her right and her eyes focused on him. Yurik remained on guard.

'Something changed.'

*Clash*

It happened in a blink of an eye. Her spear crossed Yuriks sword. She slid off her spear redirecting his sword away to the ground. She rotated her body and aimed a kick at Yurik's head but he blocked it with his left arm.

'This strength!!!' Yurik was caught off guard. Her kick is heavy.

Kali withdraws her leg and aggressively attacks him. She put Yurik on defensive mode with no opening to strike back. She pulls out her left hand, clench it to fist and strikes him straight to his face which he dodge by bending his body backwards and flipping his body meters away from her.

'That was dangerous.'

Everything happened so fast that the knights watching held their breath, not wanting to miss a single moment, then the crowd of knights cheered loudly like they were not dying a few minutes ago.

Kali, who is too focused on the fight, didn't hear the cheers.

'I am using the messenger anklet . . . is this the strength of a Captain?'

Yurik decided to attack this time. He didn't hold back in his attacks and she chose to dodge instead of countering it. Kali stabs the ground and uses it as a support to her body as she spins around and kicks him. As usual he countered it with his arm effortlessly.

'Tsk' She clicked her tongue as she couldn't land a clean hit.

She charged and threw at him the spear where he hit it with a sword and redirected it to the ground. She threw hard punches and avoided the swing of his sword and eventually she got elbowed in the stomach and back down at force. As she rose her head the sharp edge of the sword is aimed at her neck.

'Dammit.' She cursed and glared at her defeat.

Kali is striding along the corridors grumpily.

'Dammit! ' Her heavy footsteps are announcing her presence at the residence. She can't help but feel frustrated because she was confident in her skills only to lose. As usual she saw Hoston doing his usual rounds.

"Hoston, Brother hasn't come out of his studies yet?" She tried to sound as calm as she can but her eyes are twitching and she can't control her eyebrows from meeting.

"Not yet, Master Kali. Do you want me to call Master Theo?"

She gave up control and openly frown.She sighed and said "No need, he must be busy. Please tell me when he came out of the room.Thank you" Kali unconsciously bowed and left Houston.

Hoston carried a worried face and thought 'She must be so lonely.'

'I need to level up!' Kali looked determined.

A week had passed.

The new adjusted time for the knight division training schedule was due to Kali's habit of early morning training. From 5 to 10 in the morning, the Fourth Division Knights will be using the training ground.

The training ground was crowded even though it was still early in the morning. That is because of Kali and Yurik sparring session. The training ground began to have spectators because of it. Other division knights and servants came to watch it and soon the crowd began to multiply over the week.

"Haaaaa." Kali exhaled as she moved backward from a right swing sword. It's only been 6 minutes but it feels like hours.

Yurik started to use his fist after a few days of sparring. His heavy blows left on her right arm made it tremble resulting in her to give up that fight in order to conceal her weakness.

'I won't get hit again.'

She moves swiftly with her spear from one side to another at good speed but Yurik's reflexes are at par. She didn't hesitate to attack him with the intention of harming him.

Each stab and slash attempt she gave, Yurik countered it without breaking a sweat. It agitated Kali more. She unknowingly released a killer intent. Yurik puts distance between them and observes her from afar her blue eyes become darker for a second.

Yurik studies Kali and there is no sign she is calming her killer intent. He then closed his eyes as he saw the rushing kali. When Yurik opened his eyes he released menacing blood lust. Kali flinched as the recipient of it.

*Ting*

[Blood Lust detected]

Preparing. . . .

'Shit.' She bit her lips since it's already too late. She missed her timing to draw her weapon as defense. The incoming sword is about to slice her abdomen. The bloodlust made her hesitate for a second. Her mind went blank as she saw the blade in her face.

*Thud

She was tripped to the ground and face planted on the ground.

'Huh?' She looks up and Yurik's sword is pointed at her throat again. She lost yet again.

The system didn't send any emergency requests. Yurik's killing intent is gone. It was there seconds ago then gone after a second. He opened and closed it like a faucet tap. That amazingly annoyed her.

"You did excellent today, Master Kali" Yurik held his hand and she grabbed it and dust off the sand in her training outfit.

"I lost again. "

"It's not that the young master is weak. You are strong. "

"Then what am I lacking?"

"Experience."

****

Kali swung her training stick at the wooden dummy and it vibrated from the impact.

'Training like this doesn't give much experience. Killing monsters the only way?'

She swings her stick more violently while frowning. The vibrating sound caught the attention of the nearby training knights.

'Is it really just monsters? What about humans?'

She remembered the keepers. The masked men. 'They were humans right?'

Unconsciously she let out a murderous aura as she non stop attacked the dummy until her wooden weapon and the dummy broke in half. The half of her weapon flew up and the half dummy flew to the other side.

'Why haven't I thought about it? There are more humans than monsters'

She stared hard in the shattered dummy with her numb trembling right arm.

'That should give experience right?'

She turned around and saw a group of knights. They are sweating and unable to move from their spot as they catch their breath. They notice her steadily approaching them with her broken weapon. Something cold brushed their nape. They flinched at her steps.

"Your blood lust is leaking." A firm large hand stopped Kali's tracks. She gives a side glance at the hand squeezing her shoulder. The grip became stronger making her twitch her eyes. She looks up and sees the dark face and glowing blue eyes of man hidden underneath the hood.

Gio forcefully made Kali stop her blood lust by digging his fingers in her shoulder blades.

'What happened to her?'

Kali's blood lust stops and she finally realizes she is staring at Gio.

"Sir-- Brother, finally you're out of your room" She turned her body in his direction.

Gio frowns at the sudden change in her aura.

"What are you doing?"

"Training." She answered quickly like everything was normal.

"I mean what were you planning to do?" Gio squinted his eyes. She looked indifferent when she met his eyes and he found the statue like knights behind her.

"Gathering experience."

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

"Anyway, brother, I am done with my training. Let's have early lunch. I want to say something."

After saying what she brushes off Gio's hands and walks past him and her eyes remain indifferent.

It was Kali's first time eating in the dining room where the seats could accommodate 10 persons and a large yellow chandelier hung above. Whole roasted chicken, plates of different meat and vegetables were served in a fancy manner. The meals served are good for five to seven people.

The servants left after serving their meal. Kali is looking at the food with excitement. Hoston looked at them with a faint smile and slight teary eyes before closing the door.

'Master Kali has been patiently waiting for this day.' Hoston remembers Kali's routine of asking him if her brother has gone out of his room.

Gio removes his hood revealing his blue eyes against his flawless white skin. He openly stares at Kali who is enjoying her food.

"What the hell were you going to do earlier?"

Kali stopped eating and looked Gio dead in the eye. She knows he is just like the count, his father.

"I told you, gathering experience."

"Are you going to insist on that?"

"It's the truth though." She said as she put another piece of meat in her mouth.

"You're going to kill them" The atmosphere in the dining room began to feel heavy.

Kali met Gio's eyes then averted it.

"When is the next venture?"

". . . The day after tomorrow."

"I see."

They both got their answers.