The desert air was still, the heat shimmering off the glass-stained sand where their battle had just ended.
Maren Walberd stood with a relaxed posture, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.
"Look, boy," Maren said, his eyes twinkling with genuine excitement.
"You've peaked my interest. It's been a long time since anyone made me sweat even a little."
Markil stood several feet away, his body tense. He was still processing the fact that his strongest attacks hadn't even scratched this man.
"Tell me one thing," Markil demanded, his voice muffled by his black mask.
"How did we get here? We were just at the Zephyros club. This desert is hundreds of miles away."
Maren chuckled, enjoying Markil's confusion.
"That's one of my many gifts, kid. It's called Global Teleportation. I didn't just move myself; I brought you along with me effortlessly. Space is just a door to me."
Markil's eyes widened behind his mask.
He can teleport others across entire continents? That's not just magic... that's god-level manipulation.
As Markil stared at his own hands in shock, Maren continued, counting his abilities on his fingers.
"And that's not all. I have Fire Magic—and I don't mean just throwing fireballs. I can manipulate flames with such precision that I can forge a sword out of pure fire or cause an explosion the size of a city."
Maren's expression shifted to a boastful grin.
"Then there's my Ice Magic. It's the highest level you'll ever see. I can rain down Ice Spears from the sky or Flash-Freeze an entire army into solid ice statues in a heartbeat."
He wasn't done.
"I also have Predatory Instinct. I can track a target across different dimensions. If you move faster than the human eye can see, I'll still see you in slow motion. Oh! And I almost forgot Gravity Manipulation..."
Markil made a disgusted, funny face under his mask.
Is this guy serious? Why is he telling me all this? He's such an arrogant asshole. He hasn't even seen my face, and he's acting like we're best friends.
"Stop! Just stop!" Markil shouted, waving his arms.
"I get it! You're a monster! You have too many powers! Just shut up!"
Maren laughed loudly.
"So, what do you say? Do you want to be my student?"
Markil paused.
He hated Maren's personality, but he couldn't deny the truth. If I want to rule this world, I need to learn from the best. And unfortunately, this pervert is the best.
"Fine," Markil muttered.
"I'll be your student."
"Excellent!" Maren's face lit up, but then his tone turned a bit more serious.
"But I have one condition."
Markil instinctively reached for the hilts of his swords, Asler and Warfer.
"A condition? What is it?"
"Relax, it's easy," Maren said, stepping closer.
"Take off that mask. I want to see the face of the person I'm going to train."
Markil froze.
Oh no. Does he know who I am? He remembered the "Wanted" posters he had seen in the kingdom earlier. If Maren recognized him as the Chaos Creator who killed the King, this could be a trap.
Markil looked at Maren's smiling face.
He doesn't look like an enemy... but I can't be sure.
Maren, seeing Markil hesitate, thought to himself:
Why is he so nervous? Poor kid. He probably thinks he's so ugly that I'll change my mind about teaching him. Don't worry, kid, I've seen it all.
"Come on," Maren encouraged.
"I promise I'll still teach you. Just show me your face."
Markil sighed.
Whatever. If he tries to kill me, I'll just have to fight my way out.
Markil unsummoned his swords and slowly reached for his mask. With a sharp pull, he removed it, revealing his face to the open air.
Maren's jaw dropped. He stared at Markil in total silence for five seconds.
"What the... are you kidding me?!" Maren finally exploded.
"You said your face was bad! You're actually handsome! You're even better looking than me! My luck is amazing—I got a student who is powerful AND a lady-killer!"
Markil turned his head away, annoyed.
He doesn't recognize me. He really hasn't seen the posters. He's just a weirdo.
Suddenly, Maren lunged forward and wrapped Markil in a giant hug.
"Get off me, you old pervert!" Markil yelled, struggling to break free from Maren's iron grip.
"No way! From today on, you're my official student!" Maren cheered.
"I'm going to teach you everything—how to master your powers and, more importantly, how to pick up girls!"
Before Markil could argue further, Maren snapped his fingers.
In a flash of light, the desert was gone. They were standing right back in their hotel room, the training about to begin.
(Chapter 44 Finished)