Chapter 77. Instinct

“Morning Osmar! Morning Mrs. Fleming!” Ken said happily as he greeted the pair early the next morning in the dining room, eager to get his training started.

“Morning you two! Lovetta, you will be joining the training correct? It will be harsh but it will also help you out greatly if you are looking to get stronger.” Osmar offered as Lovetta agreed instantly to the training.

After wolfing down as much food as they could, the pair joined Osmar and his wife and arrived at his spacious private training facility.

“Before we get started, since you recently had a match against Julius, I wanted to know how you felt during the match and how strong you think he is compared to everyone else.” Osmar asked.

“Well, prior to fighting him, I have trained and at least sparred with 7 of the heroes, and while each one was formidable. I was never under the impression that they were unbeatable and I was confident in due time, I would overtake them.

The fight with Julius was completely different. I went full out from the very start and I was never in control or even close. It was the first time I got frustrated after a fight because I just couldn’t understand how someone could be that much stronger.” Ken replied as Osmar nodded in agreement with a smile.

“Don’t feel bad. Until someone experiences a fight against Zishell or Julius they won’t understand the hopelessness you are experiencing. If we want to scale their power against everyone else.

Hopeful kids like you and Fernard are probably around a 5 or 6. The lower-ranked heroes, retired heroes, and some other powerful individuals around a 7.

Old man Sylvester and I around a 9 and the retired top heroes from the human and elf kingdoms a 10. Then we have the current top 2. Even for me, their power is beyond my ability to comprehend compared to those before them so I will put Julius at a 99 and Zishell the perfect 100.” Osmar added.

“You were basing it on a scale of 100? How is it possible for the pair of them to be so much stronger? Retired top heroes? I haven’t heard anything about them either!” Ken replied, unable to fathom just how much stronger he would need to get to eventually get on the same level as Zishell and Julius.

“Absolute talent and potential. Both of them are just so gifted in every area and started training at such a young age it’s hard for anyone else to comprehend. To have the potential to even reach holy level in a single area, you will be at the top of the top in potential just based on how few get accepted into Dragonspire each year.

To have the potential to reach a level higher than holy in every area one day, having a fine-tuned body to boost it far beyond that, and to have the experience from fighting in every combat situation.

Zishell and Julius together in the same era so they could train and fight against each other as rivals is probably how they managed to get that strong.

One couldn’t have gotten to that level without the other since they would simply had no reason or motivation or even the idea of achieving the level they are currently at and continuing to grow.

How is it possible? We live in a world that was single-handedly created by an individual who managed to merge the souls and bodies of every human or elf with animals, elements, and who knows what else.

While I can at least fathom how Zishell and Julius reached where they are currently, I could never grasp how much power this hero had 10,000 years ago to turn the world into what it is today.” Osmar replied with a chuckle as Ken completely forgot about the training and just wanted to listen to the hero talk about the bigger world at large.

“I guess that’s true. With the Great Reset 10,000 years ago, can anyone else even be considered gifted when someone had that much power existed in the past?

Now that you mentioned it, I guess it’s true the heroes Julius and Zishell overtook would still be alive and well, but I guess retired heroes just don’t get talked about much after they are no longer in the picture.” Ken wandered as it was the first time he even heard anything about the top human and elf hero before Zishell and Julius took over.

“I don’t know if you are old enough to understand the politics of the world but the system itself is very much rigged and twisted. You have met and trained with every hero except the top 2 correct? What’s your honest impression about the heroes.” Osmar asked.

“Before having any personal experience, I didn’t know what to expect or think about the heroes, other than they are the most recognizable and admired individuals in the world.

Before I went to Dragonspire, I had no clue who was the king of whichever kingdom but I knew all of the heroes. Now that I have personally trained with and in many cases getting mentored privately by the heroes, each and every single one has been more than great and a joy to train under.” Ken replied as he remembered his interactions with each of the heroes fondly.

“I’m sure you are aware of the power balance between the races and the fact that 7 of the current top 10 were of common birth. For each of us to get to where we currently are, we had to do things that we weren’t proud of or wanted to remember. It’s not my place to say what the others had to do in order to reach this title so I will just share my journey with you.

After reaching holy level in my mid-20s while still studying at Dragonspire, I began to realize that I always ended up fighting those top heroes whom I couldn’t beat in the tournament. You are a bright kid so I’m sure you are beginning to notice that as well.

The way the tournament is set up with its single elimination and how the bracket works. The sole purpose is to gatekeep.

As long as the top hero from the human and elf kingdom is unbeatable like Zishell and Julius, those in power have full control over who gets the chance to be promoted and you can be sure that only someone who’s willing to follow a king’s order would get that chance.

I told you yesterday that out of everyone I have trained, Fernard is the one who’s got the highest potential right? But with his personality and sense of justice, unless he changes drastically like I had to, he won’t ever be given a chance to join the top 10.” Osmar said as the pair listened intently.

“What did you do to finally be given the chance to earn a spot in the top 10?” Ken asked eagerly.

“After realizing I could never beat the top 2 heroes that acted as gatekeepers and wouldn’t be matched up against anyone else unless I had the right connections, I did what I had to to be given the opportunity.

I joined the underground fighting ring in my late 20s and for the next 10 years, I reigned supreme in the underground fighting tournaments where there was no protection artifact and many fights ended in the death of my opponent.

I was known as the savage emperor of the underground but in reality, I was just a dog of the underworld bosses and gatekept people from the ability to profit from their gambling ventures.

With the connections I made with the underground bosses, I was invited to the inner circles with the kings and royals, and eventually, with my hands full of blood and death, I was given the opportunity to stand in front of the world and act as if I am a hero.

Those years I spent in the underground fighting ring were something I still have nightmares about decades and decades later and the only saving grace is my wife.

I was confident and arrogant during my years in Dragonspire. I was strong and my disadvantages as a commoner fueled me to the top of my class early on.

I had my share of lovers as beautiful girls flocked to my side not so different from you and I truly believed my future would be bright.

My lack of progression to the top 10 and my refusal to settle as a nobody in a medium-sized kingdom eventually drove a wedge between me and all of my lovers and by the time I joined the underground fighting circle, I was all alone and in a terrible mental state.

Meeting the love of my life when I was battered and at the lowest point in my life but having her by my side is what got me through those years of meaningless slaughter for the entertainment of the wealthy and gambling addict of the poor.” Osmar said as he embraced his wife and thanked her for everything she’s done for him.

“Thank you for sharing your experience with me! I have begun to understand that if I don’t want to change my ideologies, the only way is to reach the top and overcome Julius and Zishell with my might and force them to bend to my will” Ken replied happily and confidently as Osmar burst out laughing.

“That’s the spirit! With an attitude like that, I definitely want to see you succeed! Just some final words and we will go over what your training will entail.

You asked why you haven’t heard anything about the retired top heroes right? To keep the balance between the races and give them a sense of equality. The existence of those heroes is not something those in power want the average citizen to remember.

I am not sure if humans and elves simply have a higher potential compared to the rest but as far as the hero system has been in place. The top heroes have always been either a human or elf.

I might be the 3rd ranked hero and the pride of the beastman. But there are at least a handful of retired human and elf heroes that I could never beat.

As you might have guessed, once a top hero loses his position to the next generation, he would be forced into retirement in either Darrumburgh or Yelwraek and remain out of the spotlight for the rest of their lives.”

“I guess the top 10 would only consist of humans and elves if those top heroes didn’t retire. But why do those in power care so much about keeping the balance?” Ken wondered.

“How do you think a beastman would feel if the entire top 10 only consisted of humans and elves? While individually we might not have as high of a peak. One of the reasons why the races kept at war for thousands of years was that feeling of inferiority.

The beastman and lizardman do not want to feel like they are inferior and to prove that they are equals, they would wage war and the world was in a constant state of conflict. We are able to enjoy this two thousand years of peace thanks to this balance.

Those in power do not want civil unrest and to keep the citizens happy and doing what they are supposed to do, the races are made to seem like we are similar in power and the tournaments are an elaborate propaganda to enforce that facade.

Personally, while I hate many of the things that are taking place behind closed doors. The one thing I can agree with is that peace is beneficial for everyday citizens and most would only suffer if this balance was to be broken.

Now! Enough with the politics! Until I can see what you are capable of and judge your potential for myself. The rest of this conversation is pointless and serves us no purpose.” Osmar said as Ken eagerly waited for the start of his training.

“What do you have planned that could help me reach holy level?” Ken asked, wondering what piece of the puzzle he was missing.

“We will test your survival instinct and see if you really have what it takes. So far in all of your training, you have had the protection of knowing you won’t be harmed.

We will not be using any protection artifacts, any cut you receive will bleed and any punch you take will bruise and possibly break your bones. I will not hold back and we will go until you can no longer move.” Osmar replied to the shock of Lovetta.

“How will trying to kill him push him to holy level?” Lovetta asked as her temper started to flare.

“Without feeling the pain or having his life put on the line, his training is not complete but I can’t blame the school for not putting their students in harm's way. Even though I was already at holy level when I joined the underground, my growth from those life-or-death fights allowed me to get stronger exponentially faster compared to when I was a student and that’s what eventually allowed me to become the 3rd ranked hero.

Sadly, no matter how much faster I was getting stronger at the beginning, once I reached my limit, the growth simply stalled and I could no longer get stronger to keep up with the likes of Zishell and Julius.

If your potential is as high as you are talented. Repeatedly facing life or death and letting your body experience the pain of getting hurt will no doubt speed up your advancement as your body will be put into a position of adopting and growing or death. Your natural instincts will kick in and we will see if you are capable of reaching holy level faster than even the likes of Julius and Zishell.” Osmar continued.

“How is he going to get stronger if you are going to hurt him to the point of near death?” Lovetta protested some more.

“That’s why Helen is here! You didn’t think my wonderful wife was just here to watch me beat him up, did you? Due to her circumstances, she never had a chance to go to school but still managed to become an extremely powerful healer from self-studying! She healed me back to health on one fateful day after I won a fight but fell unconscious from my injuries and almost died.

She was by far the best healer I have ever met and at first, I simply wanted her around to heal all my injuries. But as you can see, we eventually became inseparable and without her, I could have never climbed to the top of the underground ring or became the hero I am today.” Osmar said sincerely as he thanked his wife once more.

“Sounds simple enough! We fight all out, you beat the crap out of me over and over until I either get strong enough to no longer have to suffer the pain or it’s just not meant to be!” Ken said happily as he stretched and got ready to face the music.