Shackles Of Reality

** Adam walker's POV**

After some of the students also picked weapons, instructor Blake then said " Now that you have chosen your weapon of choice put them aside".

"We are to start with some basic excercises so how about giving me two hundred pushups, sit-ups and squats each", he said with a straight face as if it was something normal.

As soon as he said that the cadets started wailing.

- is he joking

- yeah he must be

And they had the right to.

Two hundred of each of this excercises. Hell ever since I started my training, the most number of this excercises have done was sixty and now we are talking two hundred if I do that am not sure I'll be able to leave this building on my two legs.

Well I was exaggerating but I'll be severely tired by the time am done.

"If you all don't start immediately I'll double it", he declared giving everyone a new found motivation.

About half an hour later I was literally swimming in my own sweat and so was everyone else. Well expect for lady divider and emo dude, it seemed as if it was normal for them.

Seriously am starting to hate this guy. My arms and thighs were aching so much they felt like they weigh tons.

At the end by the time I was done there were still about one hour remaining for the class. Some cadets were on the verge of passing out.

At least I was the third to finish in 50 minutes. The first was obvious Aurora and the second was the emo dude.

About 30 minutes all that could do it had finished and those that couldn't were either passed out or sprawled on the floor.

"Now you all have five minutes to rest before you spar with me". Instructor Blake said seeing as most were finished.

- "Damn what the hell man".

- "Help he's going to kill us".

'Ah fuck this guy now I officially hate him'.

"I will fight you in the same rank so quit whining", he said. 'Well that's better cause anything else and it'll be plain bullying'.

Five minutes passed but it felt like a single breath.

"I will start from rank one" he declared.

Soon he and and Aurora stood a few meters apart in an arena. And he said you deserve your reputation to think you're already at peak gold rank now that is something you don't see everyday.

- "what peak gold rank?"

- "And at 16 years at that?"

The cadets started muttering about her rank.

To say I was shocked was an understatement . I was only at peak iron rank meaning she was two major ranks above me. The top ten cadets had frowns on their faces heck even emo dude's face changed.

He said "start" and I was baffled by what happened.

Aurora was standing in a battle stance and suddenly she was throwing a kick at instructor Blake's side which he blocked with his forearm before throwing a punch which she dodge by jumping back.

I didn't even see how she moved. Is that the difference between iron and gold rank.

They clashed again but this time he blocked her attack and manage to deflect her blow.

Even though he was clearly more experienced, it seems she was stronger than him at the same rank.

After they went at it for about five minutes he ended their match. He called for the rank two Quinn Darkheart. Seriously this guy is like a background character hell even instructor Blake was looking for him while he stood right in frontof him.

Time passed and it reached my turn. Apart from Aurora the second highest rank was mid silver. As all the cadets from rank 2 to 9 were in mid silver rank.

"Rank 38 where the hell are you", he shouted.

"I'm here", I answered while walking towards the arena. This man really does love to shout.

We stood facing each other before he adjusted his rank to peak iron rank and said come at me with everything you've got.

I took a normal boxing stance I learnt from the internet. I rushed towards with a punch to his ribs which he parried with his left hand before sending a kick towards my torso and the only defence I could manage was to cross my arms.

Damn bastard, this fucker wants to kill me I thought. My forearms creaking from the kick when I suddenly felt something telling me to move I dodged to the right following my instincts only to hear the sound of a fist hitting the arena floor.

'Damn at least allow me curse in peace'. It continued like that with him hitting me while trying to dodge by following my instincts the keyword trying. It's as if he knows every move I'll make there by changing his attacks at the last second to follow whichever side I dodge to.

After our session my body felt like a human punching bag. I didn't have a mirror but I think I might have a black eye or two.

Soon he was done sparring with all the cadets at least the ones who didn't pass out after the initial harsh training which he termed as 'body conditioning'.

"You all can go now. Take the weapons you chose with you", he said.

I turned around and headed to pick the katana along with everyone else who picked a weapon.

I was heading for the door when I heard ; "rank 38 stop, I want to talk to you".

Everyone turned to look at both me and the person who spoke. Why wouldn't they, after all It was the crazy madman who used me as a punching bag earlier.

"What the hell are you'll looking at?", he barked, making them looked away. After everyone was out leaving only me and him he said a sentence that made my brain shutdown.

He said, "I want to take you as my student".

I looked at him with a look that said are you retarded?, 'Seriously after using me as a punching bag'.

But before I could speak he said "am a master of diverse number of martial arts and weapon arts".

'Well that changes everything, after all I want to learn martial arts' I mused.

I looked at him and asked "why me?" He stayed silent for a while before.

"You felt it didn't you?, your instinct , it's like telling you where to move to dodge a blow.

If it were someone your age fighting you , you would have dodged almost all those blows I landed. Even I did it only because of my experience", he said.