Chapter 39

Now she at least partly understood that the world wasn't so simple.

After they left, Bill said goodbye to the nanny and headed to the yard.

While the other kids' days were filled with preparation, Bill wasn't idle either.

Controlling his body never seemed strange to him. Bill thought it was like clenching a fist. It meant that if he wanted to do something—he just did it. Wanted to burn off all the fat in his body? Just do it. Wanted to control the tips of his hair? It was as easy as raising a hand. If he had such a goal, his body obeyed.

However, it wasn't always simple. The fact that his body could do everything also meant he could hurt himself. He no longer had an internal "filter" to control this.

Understanding this, Bill decided to strengthen his entire body. He directed nutrients to his bones and vitamins to his skin, starting with the muscles and organs.

Now, instead of using his whole arm for a pull-up, he engaged individual muscle groups.

Although he hadn't dared to try it yet, he probably had enough strength to break through wood. At ten and a half years old, and after just six months of real training, Bill was satisfied with his progress.

But he knew that wasn't enough. Despite everything, he needed to stay motivated. After all, his father had lifted a giant and thrown it a kilometer. What kind of strength was that?

That was enough for Bill to keep his feet on the ground and not let himself get carried away.

Approaching the large tree in the center of the yard, Bill planned to exercise specific muscle groups in his core and legs today. The stronger he became, the fewer muscles he could safely work out.

Starting his simple exercises, which required great effort, Bill quickly felt fatigue. His body weight was sufficient for working on new muscle groups.

After a few minutes of exercising, he stopped and took out some vitamins. After he told his mother and the nanny about his progress, they were astonished, but in a good way.

After a long conversation, they asked him about his plans. Although Bill was still a child, willpower was an important trait in this world. Of course, ninety percent of people didn't have such strong willpower, but those who did were taken seriously, along with their achievements.

At ten, Bill had mastered the Return of Life, and he was no longer spoken to like a child.

In the conversation, Bill said he wanted to learn martial arts but didn't know where to start.

They promised to find a suitable instructor for him. That was about six months ago, and since then, Bill hadn't really thought about it.

Until now...

While Bill was in the yard, Miss Angie appeared with a middle-aged man, bald, with huge scars on his shoulders.

After Bill took the vitamins to help his tired muscles, Miss Angie called him over.

Miss Angie: "Bill, there's someone you need to meet."

Turning toward them, Bill stretched his arms and ran over.

"Yes, ma'am?" he said, eyeing the man, hoping he was who Bill thought he might be.

Looking approvingly at the boy, Miss Angie pointed to the man and said, "Bill, this is Kyar Sagatto. He teaches a special martial art and has agreed to be your instructor."

Turning to the man, who remained silent, Bill said, "Hello," and nodded slightly.

Seeing this, the man assessed him with a critical gaze before saying, "Boy, I've been told you're talented, and perhaps you are. But mastering my art requires more than just talent."

Puzzled, Bill glanced at Miss Angie and then asked, "So what else do I need?"

Looking directly at Bill, the man replied, "It's not a skill; it's desire. To master the martial art of my school, you need the desire to push beyond your limits. And everyone has different limits— the more talented a person is, the harder it is to break through that barrier."

Reflecting on what he heard, Bill thought that his mother and nanny wouldn't bring a charlatan to teach him. So he asked the obvious question, "And what is it called?"

With a serious expression, the bald man replied, "Art of 9 Limbs."

While having breakfast, Bill ate with a black eye under his left eye and a bruise stretching across his nose. It was the first time in nearly ninety years that he had a black eye and a bruised face. In his past life, even when he fought as a teenager, he managed not to get hit or was smart enough to avoid situations he couldn't handle.

But now it had been six months since he got a martial arts instructor, and he was literally beaten black and blue.

The Art of 9 Limbs is essentially a martial art designed for combat. The nine limbs are two hands, two feet, two elbows, two knees, and the head.

Utilizing punches and kicks from a distance, followed by quick combinations of punches, elbows, and headbutts in close combat, the Art of 9 Limbs was designed to be dirty, unfair, and devastating, no matter what weapon the opponent had.

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