After getting over the shock of discovering that his mentor was several hundred years old, Jabari let out a helpless chuckle.
'This guy has a real talent for vanishing after dropping a bombshell.'
Lying back on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, attempting to process everything that had happened that day.
First, there was that strange feeling of familiarity with the name Darnell Campbell. He had no recollection of who the man was, yet just hearing the name stirred something deep within him – something he couldn't quite put into words. But without any leads, there was little point in obsessing over it for now.
Then there was the question of his bloodline. Who had he inherited it from? Was his family out there somewhere? Or had his lineage long since faded into obscurity? It was just another mystery with no clear way to investigate.
And then, of course, there was Aziz's offer – to become his personal disciple.
Jabari knew that Aziz was immensely powerful. Having a master like that would be a dream for any young warrior. But trust…
Trust was not something he could afford to give freely…
Not anymore.
Whenever he even considered it, images of Inayah and Oluwa surfaced in his mind – reminders of what was at stake and what could happen if he made the wrong choice.
Thankfully, Aziz had given him time to decide.
Lastly, there was the revelation that the strongest warriors could extend their lifespans. If Aziz had lived for centuries, then that meant…
Jabari let out a slow breath, his hands clenching at his sides. 'It all comes back to my own strength.'
If he were strong enough, he could search for answers about his past without fear.
If he were strong enough, he wouldn't need to rely on others or fear betrayal.
If he were strong enough, he could protect the people he cared about.
The thought sent a surge of burning determination through him. His hunger for power flared wildly, more intense than ever before.
That was when his mind drifted to something else. The vision he had experienced after collapsing at the peak of Hell's Staircase.
To everyone else, he had simply lost consciousness. But he knew the truth.
He had seen another glimpse of what he still believed to be his first life.
In that vision, he had been much younger than he was now, sitting cross-legged across from someone else.
The same young man he had died protecting in his nightmare.
His older brother.
Yet, despite being so close – despite looking directly at him – his face remained blurred.
No matter how hard he focused, no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't see through the blur that was his face.
Still, the feeling was undeniable.
When he looked at that young man, warmth flooded his chest. A deep, almost overwhelming sense of closeness.
It was a feeling that was in no way inferior to the love he felt for Inayah.
Something he hadn't even thought was possible.
The vision had continued.
His older brother stood before a massive, ten-meter-tall tree, its teal leaves shimmering under the setting sun. His voice, gentle yet commanding, reached Jabari's ears.
"I created a breathing technique called [Empyrean Breathing]," he had said. "It focuses on tempering the mortal body by absorbing nature's essence, forcing it to unearth all its potential and reach its true limits."
He gestured for the younger Jabari to stand.
"Get up and follow my instructions."
His voice had an almost mesmerising quality – one that made disobedience feel impossible.
As "Jabari" stood, his older brother moved forward, adjusting his posture with precise care.
"Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart."
"Now, lift onto your toes and lean back, as if trying to touch the sky with your sternum."
"Stretch your arms outward, as if embracing the sky in its entirety."
The strange part was how real it had all felt. It wasn't just a dream – it was like he had truly been there. It was like he really experienced it.
And then came the breathing itself.
"The hard part," his older brother had said. "The most important thing to remember – when you begin, you must hold on for as long as possible.
"The longer you endure, the more you gain.
"When you can hold the stance for a full minute, your body will have reached its peak mortal condition. At that point, without external resources, you won't be able to improve further.
"The true power of [Empyrean Breathing] lies in its ability to strengthen every physical attribute of the body – speed, strength, flexibility, endurance, reflexes… all of them are tempered equally."
Then, finally, the breathing technique itself.
"Short, sharp breaths," his brother instructed. "One on the second every second."
That was where the vision had ended.
Since then, he hadn't gotten the chance to try the [Empyrean Breathing] Technique, and although he didn't get to truly experience the technique in his dream, he still remembered how to adopt the stance with unprecedented clarity.
Now that he finally got the chance, he couldn't help but feel a little excited, but as soon as Jabari began, an unbearable pain flooded his entire body.
It was somewhat similar in nature to the agony he had experienced when attempting to imitate Aziz's footwork earlier – albeit not quite as intense.
Like countless ants biting into every single cell, still, he pushed his body to its limits before collapsing in a heap on the floor.
"Nineseconds," Jabari muttered between gasps for breath. "Not great, but it's a start!"
Lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of his training room, Jabari replayed the dream in his mind, his expression unreadable.
"…I wonder if he really is my family," he murmured aloud, staring blankly at the ceiling.
That night, Jabari slept like a baby.
It was the best sleep of his life.
No nightmares. No suffocating dread.
Just… peace.
For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt a strange sense of serenity.
Until-
A sudden shock surged through his body, jolting him awake.
It wasn't painful, not exactly, but it was startling enough to be deeply unpleasant.
"What the—?!" Jabari gasped, his body still tingling from the sensation.
Not understanding what had just happened, he immediately activated Inner Sight to check his condition.
Had he overdone it? Had he injured himself?
But to his shock, his body wasn't damaged.
In fact, it had improved.
The difference was small, barely noticeable, but with his now near-perfect memory, he could see it. Feel it.
Every inch of his body – his muscles, bones, tendons, even his organs – had strengthened ever so slightly.
Even his blood looked a bit clearer.
He had never felt this good before.
But the electric shock that had woken him…
'What was that?'
Was it part of the training's effect? Or was there some hidden damage he couldn't see?
For now, he pushed the thought aside.
'I'll ask Aziz later.'
Rolling to his feet, he grabbed his things and stepped out into the morning light – still dressed in the same clothes from the night before, a testament to how utterly drained he had been after his late-night training session.
With his mind focused on the next task ahead, he made his way toward August's cottage.
Jabari arrived just as August opened his front door.
As usual, August said nothing. He merely looked at Jabari, waiting for him to speak.
"I was hoping to train with you again this morning," Jabari said politely.
"Up to you."
With his usual indifference, August turned and carried his water buckets into the middle of his garden, paying no further attention to Jabari.
Jabari sighed inwardly. 'Aziz wants me to get closer to him, but how am I supposed to do that when he barely talks?'
Not that he could blame him. August wasn't the only one who wasn't keen on opening up. There was a time when Jabari might have been more willing to connect with others, but that version of him had died along with his trust in people.
Instead of dwelling on it, he turned his focus to his training.
Taking his position against the cabin wall, he dropped into his assisted-horse stance, the same way he had the day before.
August, though appearing uninterested, was secretly watching. And what he saw definitely took him by surprise him.
'Yesterday, his limit was 13 seconds.
Today, he lasted almost 17.'
That kind of improvement in one day wasn't natural.
Even more baffling, Jabari should still be sore from the previous session. Instead, here he was, steadily pushing his limits again.
Unaware of August's silent scrutiny, Jabari remained entirely focused on his training.
A faint smile crept onto his face. Not that he had noticed.
With every attempt, his endurance dropped, his rest periods lengthened, and his muscles screamed louder in protest. Yet the smile remained.
Because the pain didn't matter.
The progress did.
The feeling of getting stronger – of pushing past his limits – was something he relished.
After half an hour, he decided to stop. He knew better than to push himself to the point of needing to be carried again – especially not on the first official day of training.
"I'll see you at the same time tomorrow," Jabari said as he turned to leave.
His legs still felt like lead, forcing him to stumble slightly as he walked down the path, but August said nothing.
He simply watched Jabari leave, all while maintaining his weighted horse stance – solid, unshaken, as steady as Mount Tai.
When Jabari was out of sight, though, a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at his lips. 'Interesting.'
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