CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 37: TRAINING BEGINS

"Here we are," Jenna joyfully announced.

Zaen yawned in reply. After all, he barely had had three hours of sleep before Jenna dragged him to the shower. She didn’t join him, or maybe she forgot to in her excitement.

As soon as he was dressed, she tossed him onto her shoulders and ran, not even giving him the chance to equip the stick. By the time she stopped, Zaen knew they were in another anomalous space, much like the hell’s restaurant.

"This is our training room," Jenna said, putting him down. "You can’t see it, but it is a massive space made for all sorts of training. Obviously, it is underground just as the rest of the base."

Zaen had learned one thing about Jenna. Usually, she wouldn’t speak, but once she did, there was no stopping her. He listened as she kept talking about how an anomaly had created the entire base within a single day and whatnot.

It also had all sorts of Slayer weapon replicas, which the agents used to train themselves. Since they weren’t actual slayer weapons, Zaen couldn’t see them with his [sight].

"Oh, I shouldn’t waste time," Jenna smacked her forehead and grabbed two wooden swords from the nearby stand. "Here, catch."

She said, tossing a blade at him. How was Zaen supposed to catch something he couldn’t see? The stick just bonked him on the head.

"Ow!"

"You were supposed to catch it," Jenna shrugged.

"I would have if I weren’t blind."

He bent down, trying to look for the sword, while Jenna looked at the camera above and shook her head.

...did he really kill those two?

On the other side, Karloff was watching the live feed.

They had a high opinion of Zaen because not only did he manage to kill the Endless once, but he also allegedly killed the anomalies of the restaurant. But how could he have done that when he couldn’t even grab a weapon in the air?

"Either we got played by him, or he wants to make a fool out of us," Karloff mumbled.

Still, he let two green lights blink, signaling for Jenna to continue the training.

"Pick it up. We’re starting," she said as she kicked the wooden sword toward him.

Instead of taking the sword, Zaen raised his hand.

"Can we use real weapons instead?" he asked.

"Eh? You want actual weapons? Do you know how dangerous—"

Jenna was in the middle of lecturing Zaen when the camera’s green light blinked twice. It was a simple code between Jenna and Karloff so that they could learn more about Zaen’s strange abilities.

"Fine, let’s do that," Jenna sighed before smiling. "Not like it’ll change the end result."

To their surprise, Zaen charged at her with just the stick in his right hand. Jenna narrowed her only eye, carefully analyzing his movements, but no matter how she saw it... he was a complete newbie.

His stance was full of gaps, not to mention the weak hold on his ’weapon’.

It’s a miracle this boy lived this long... or he really thinks we’re stupid.

Zaen jumped as soon as he got close to her and swung with his.. left arm?

Karloff raised his eyebrows, wondering what Zaen was up to, but the next second, his mouth fell open.

A sword materialized in his hand out of nowhere, and he struck Jenna right in the waist. If not for her quick-as-lightning reflexes, Zaen would have put another scar on her waist.

"Tricks? Is that how you kill your enemies?" Jenna retorted as Zaen stepped back.

Even though her words seemed harsh, her tone had a hint of admiration and surprise in it. Zaen smiled back, pointing at his bandaged eyes.

"Isn’t this enough of a handicap?" he asked. "Seriously, what’s wrong with this organization? Even Zoey was too weak, and I don’t think you’re much better."

Karloff wasn’t even fighting him, yet Zaen’s words irked him. In contrast, Jenna began laughing at his words.

"The flower girl is weak indeed," she said between laughs. "Maybe I should drag her here along with you and beat both of your sorry asses."

Before reengaging with him, she took off her shirt, revealing her scarred midriff. Even through his line-art vision, Zaen saw the bulging abs she had.

Two... four... six... eight...? Just how many of those does she have there?

Ten.

The answer was ten, but the other two were hidden inside her ’yoga’ pants. And Zaen was about to feel the brunt of all ten of those on his body soon.

"That said, there’s a reason Captain put me in charge of your training," she smiled, but unlike before, it wasn’t warm... but twisted. "I enjoy breaking the spirit of loudmouths like yourself."

Zaen had a feeling he had irked the wrong bull, but it was too late to back down. She charged at him... without a blade.

"Your sword—!"

"I don’t need it," Jenna yelled, flexing her hands. "These babies are enough."

Meanwhile, Karloff could only sigh in frustration.

"That was not the reason Captain put you in charge..." he mumbled.

The actual reason was far simpler. Jenna was the only agent in the facility who had combat experience while fighting with a single eye. It only made sense for her to coach a blind individual who used melee weapons like herself.

"Wait—"

Karloff switched off the feed before Zaen could say anything and folded his hands together.

"I’ll pray for your soul," he said before calling Zoey. "Send Ann to the training wing. The boy would need her very soon."

"Eh? What did he do?" Zoey asked.

"...he taunted the cow, no, bull."

The line went silent for a while before Zoey’s exaggerated sigh came through it.

"We’ll be there in a minute."

The call disconnected, but Karloff didn’t move from the spot.

"A minute? Zaen wouldn’t last more than three seconds with her."

Karloff was wrong. It hadn’t even been three seconds when his screams were heard everywhere in the training wing.