I wandered around the house for a little while, seeing that he wasn't in the kitchen or living area, and decided to just go around the house whilst taking some things here and there to put somewhere else. It was a nice little game I was sure I'd play plenty of times in the future, and this way I could actually get some progress in (Steal)...even though I technically wasn't stealing anything it was counting and I was happy with just that. Currently the Skill was nearing level 20, just hanging off on the edge of it and I was sure that it would tip over the edge soon enough, but not today it seemed...or at least not at the moment. There was still plenty of today left to do things with, and I was sure that training wouldn't take up the entirety of it. 

Even if it did end up taking the entire day, until Red got back, it would more than likely be worth it as I'd get to see several of the limits I had as well as getting to see how much magic or Skills I could use at once...and how strong they might get. I was extremely excited for that part, but unfortunately the next thing he was going to be testing me with was Strength and durability. Durability was something that I wasn't sure about: I'd been shot by Red a few times with arrows, and almost killed by Cinder's sword, but nothing else had really happened since then and I didn't know how to feel about potentially getting tossed around like a rag-dragon until he was done with me. 

I'd replaced nearly everything in the living area and put all of the kitchen utensils on the center island...with a few of the pans being in other rooms upstairs. I was just about to head outside to start looking around when I felt a pulse of energy from behind me near the kitchen. Looking back I found Pops standing in the middle of it looking at everything misplaced with confusion. Then he noticed me, or rather my visible head looking at him and he chuckled. 

"You calm enough to continue?" He said and I nodded, "Sorry about disappearing. If you were looking for me, I had to check the meats real quick and then I stopped by my office to write down a few notes." I tilted my head in confusion at that last word. He said it like it was the strangest thing in the world, and yet something that he was unsure what to do with...I didn't know how to take that: Good or bad?

"Lets go back to the Training area downstairs then and I'll set a few things up to test your strength against." He walked around the center island and towards the stairs, I turned around and followed after him. Wondering what he had planned for me to be going against, unsurprisingly he went over to the Dummy Crystals...I decided that was their name now, and pushed the defense position on and then turned the dial up to six on the durability section before pushing that one in as well. 

"Alright, I already know that you're able to rip through the level fours without much trouble, but today we are going to be testing each and every setting to see how high you can get before failure." He sounded as interested in this as I was excited, but I didn't go in yet and instead waited for him to do whatever it was he was doing and tell me to go ahead. "Don't worry about what I'm doing and just go bonkers...also don't worry if they get destroyed. Each of these dummies has a self-repairing rune and an parallel setting rune on them to enhance or set whatever has been chosen." 

I took his advice, and for the next few hours I dealt with different levels and types of opponents. Surprising myself and him when I was able to get all the way up to level 8 on the Defense setting with every difficulty, level 7 on the offensive setting varying a little on the speed and durability areas, and level 7 again for the balanced setting more adept towards the power difficulty than the other two (durability and speed). 

"This is certainly a surprise." He said when I was done, "At this rate you'll not only surpass Red, but also myself buy the time you have to leave...maybe setting the bar at Level 10 as the minimum might've been a little low in my estimations for letting you leave into the city." He seemed to be thinking for a moment and I kept looking at him hopefully repeating 'please don't increase it' in my head over and over. 

"How about the minimum needed to pass is at level 12 and the maximum still at 15, or 16?" I sulked, it was only two levels, but that meant I had to work that much harder if I wanted to prove I could leave here on my own. "Yeah. That sounds good. From now on you'll need to pass all three difficulties on every stage in order to prove you can leave here and handle yourself." 

Why are you grinning?! You damn demon...

"Enough of that. How about we test how much you can take." Why's that smile even wider dammit!?! "I am going to set these back to level 4 since that's the level you got to before this, but instead of what you were doing earlier I want you dodging only. If you don't get hit within a minute I'm going to increase the speed until its at a level you can probably handle, and then I'll increase power output until you are dealt a lethal blow."

A lethal blow!? These dummies can't actually kill me during this could they, "If you are dealt a lethal blow that cannot be blocked or avoided the dummy that made the strike will disintegrate and reform in it's starting position." He pushed in the Offense crystal on setting 5 for durability, speed, and power; then disappeared just as the thing attacked. I quickly lept back and it's fist hit the ground, denting it slightly with cracks spreading from the impact. 

I looked back at where he stood just behind the control crystals, he had that evil grin plastered on his face again! "Focus Sc'the. You don't want me to increase the power more do you?" 

You...Damn...Demon.

----------------------------

<Poppa (Pops)>

Sc'the was an...interesting...dragon. 

I'd had him run around the entirety of the property just as I had for Redline, but he hadn't even shown the slightest hint of fatigue of muscle failure. Red had only been able to do ten laps around before collapsing on the spot and passing out going full speed...It was testament to how hard she worked and how hard she trained, but it still couldn't compare to this dragon. 

It's like his Stamina levels were infinite or something...

He was able to do a hundred and seventy-two laps, full speed, and with telekinetic pressure along the length of his back and weighted at differing sections of his tail. Not only was that number absolutely absurd but the adaptability he showed to different physical stimuli was completely unimaginable. Here he was, surpassing both Redline and my own speeds in climbing the levels of the Training Dummies in mere minutes--something that had taken her two months to get to her current level of 12, and my own personal best of 3 weeks to level 14. He was already halfway there, in only an hour. 

I had to go to my office and get a clear note-pad to record his progress specifically. I was sure that not only had I come across a prodigy of fighting, but also a prodigy among the Dragons due to how smart he was for his age. Only three and able to not only communicate effectively without (Telepathy), but also able to fight and coordinated effectively in a fast-paced environment.

And I hadn't even seen how most of his Skills came into play either! He could very well have already reached a level surpassing Reds, even my own when using Enhancement Skills and movement techniques. They might not be as effective due to his low personal level being low, only just past his first evolution, but also the levels of his Skills most likely still below their thirties. 

He in his first evolution still and had caused me a lot of trouble to clear just the use of one of his skills, sure it was because he lost control to his instincts--and yes it was my fault for doing something so traumatic to him in the first place--but to be past the fist evolution at barely three days old?! It was unheard of for any known species, much less so for those of Dragon-kind due to their protectiveness of their young. 

I looked at the dial I'd been slowly turning up while I watched, thinking. He was at level seven in speed for the balanced fighting style, at 8 durability and nearing 10 in power. I didn't really need to increase the power all that much past this point as it was just incentive to keep him moving, but as I watched--taking mental notes of this--I could tell that he was already getting more and more comfortable dodging in such an intense setting. I let him stay like that for a good three minutes before stopping the simulation and setting up the last one; defense wasn't suited for this kind of thing as the entire point of that setting was getting into a certain style or overwhelming a strong opponent. 

I wouldn't say but he'd already put three dummies out of commission permanently due to the toxic nature of his attacks: whether it be biting, clawing, or striking the dummies with his body or tail. Every time he struck the venom coursing through him would seep energy from the reconstruction runes to fuel it's own attacks on a non-living body...just that alone made me shudder at the thought of what might happen if he'd had to use them in a fight against another living being. 

He didn't know it, but at this level he could easily put down someone at level 80 with ease: All he'd have to do it get in one or two good strikes and then play keep-away until they succumbed enough to his venom that they would eventually lose their ability to attack, then stand, and he would be able to rip out their throat or decapitate them with that tail-blade of his. The venom would attack not only someone's organs and flesh, but it would also cause unbearable pain as it sucked away at their Health, Mana, and Stamina. Slowly suffocating the vessel of its resistance and causing most afflicted to go insane from the pain before death. 

It was an concoction I'd regretted ever letting see the light of use, even if mostly for torture...

"You won't be facing defense as that would go against what I'm trying to teach." This got a tilt from him and I could tell that there was something it wanted to ask, but couldn't due to not having (Telepathy) yet, actually made me regret not using the chance to get it over (Telekinesis), but if I had I probably wouldn't be here so I could only sympathize for how he probably felt. 

"Offense will be more inclined to take a hit in order to dish out a stronger hit, and those that usually are of this style have either a berserker or brawler class. Specifically designed around getting hit in order to kill something faster." I turned the dials up on Durability to 9, set the speed at 6, and the Power at 7. This was probably on the lower end of most using this style he'd be having to go against in the future, and I hoped he wouldn't have to for his and my sake. 

If he got hurt fighting something, and Redline wasn't around to protect him, or if it was because Sc'the was protecting her--no matter what happened earlier with him promising to do so--she would be heart-broken and extremely pissed with not only whatever it was that killed him, but also at me for even offering that role as a promise. She knew Sc'the would have done anything to get out of the mansion: to see the outside world--because she had done the exact same thing, and no matter how she looked about it she was pissed at me for what had happened yesterday. 

I continued to watch Sc'the as he learned the Dummy's attack pattern, even changing how he dodged as he refined his movements. Shifting with the Dummy every time it changed attack patterns, and playing keep away when it went into a Berserker mode. He was a natural at fighting, and it made me envious I couldn't name him an apprentice due to his being a dragon. 

And there were still his Skills and Breath to test out...

I decided to split this chapter in half, with the last part being Poppa's POV since I don't do him often, and it sounded like an interesting idea to include his perspective of how different it is training Sc'the than it was to train Red in the same manner. 
This would be the second chapter I'll be releasing today, please tell me if it feels like there's more action going on and if it feels warranted or not giving the timing/spacing I've been going at. 

Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!

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