Beyond The Crimson Gate-Chapter 45: Survivor’s Guilt

In a room within the base, a slim figure was swinging her knives with a master’s precision.

Her target was a 5-foot dummy with cuts on where its neck, spine, and heels were.

The door to the training room opened and Ian walked in with his warhammer in hand.

He sat in a corner and watched Ming as she practiced her deadliest moves over and over again until perfection was an understatement.

Her steps faltered, and she cursed herself, coming to a stop.

Ming’s eyes flew to the observer, "Good. You’re finally here."

Ian stood and gripped his warhammer, "I won’t spar with you until you take at least a ten-minute break." He made his decision.

"Kale didn’t have time to rest in Dimension Zero!!! Didn’t you catch a glimpse of him when they brought him in?! He was lacking an arm!"

Ming Lee yelled and gripped her knives with renewed vigor.

"Whether you choose to attack me is your decision but don’t blame me for your wounds." She kicked the floor and charged in.

Ian planted the handle of his warhammer to the ground and tapped a small button on it, raising a small blue shield in front of him.

Ming’s foot struck the shield and she ran off it, flipping.

She threw her knives at the shield. Upon contact, the shield suddenly vanished, and the knives gained blue lines.

Ian bent over backwards and the knives barely passed over his head.

Ming stretched out her hands and the knives returned to them.

Silence filled the training room and Ian took on a serious stance. Faint blue lines spread on his warhammer.

"About time." She closed the gap between them in an instant.

Ian twisted the handle of the warhammer and it came apart.

The pieces covered both arms, forming two hammered gauntlets packed with blue lines.

Ming’s knives struck the gauntlets with a loud ring.

Ian swung his hand at Ming and she grabbed it, used it to pivot her body into the air, avoiding the blow with ease.

She pushed against his hand and put some distance between them.

Her breath was ragged and uneven, she was clearly exhausted and fatigued.

But rather than rest, she placed both knives close to her chest and pressed on a button hidden in them.

A wave of energy filled her and the blue lines on the knives vanished. Her eyes shone with a faint blue light.

"Since when could your knives do that?" Ian almost sounded sad.

Ming didn’t reply; instead, she threw one knife at him.

Ian smacked the knife away with ease, and Ming threw the other before smiling.

She waved her hands, and the first knife started flying toward Ian, from a different direction than the other.

He spread out both arms to block both knives.

Ming ran to him and kicked him square in the head. Ian stumbled and spat out a little blood.

His eyes became cold and he joined both hands. The warhammer reformed, and I slammed it into the ground.

A large shockwave threw Ming back, Ian didn’t waste time and swung his warhammer, shattering one of her knives.

Ming called the other knife to her hand and hissed at her loss. The blue light in her eyes had dimmed a little.

Ian noticed it and his eyes softened. Ming attacked and attacked until the light vanished completely.

She was mid-swing when her body gave out and she fell to her knees.

"I understand how you feel, you aren’t alone. I also train but I also give myself time to rest. What good is training all the time if you die from exhaustion?" Ian’s voice carried weight.

Ming gritted her teeth as tears streamed down her face, "He almost died because of me."

Ian kept silent as she lay down and let her empty out her heart.

Soon, she fell asleep.

Ian sighed before carrying her to her room.

He placed her in her room before immediately leaving for his room.

As soon as the door behind him closed, he screamed and smashed the table with his warhammer.

"How could I just stay there while he sacrificed himself for us?!" Ian’s voice was hysterical.

Images flashed in his head, "Nobody will ever like you!"

"Freak!"

"Leave, it will be better for everyone."

Ian’s eyes shook slightly, "Stop!" His scream silenced the voices in his head.

His eyes became glossy, his breath uneven, "I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to him again."

He picked up his warhammer and left the room, going back to the training room.

"Hey, Ian." A familiar voice spoke.

He turned around slowly and saw Kale standing with a small, white lizard on one of his shoulders.

A wide smile beamed on his face and he slammed into Kale.

"Okay, man, I’m happy to see you, too," Kale chuckled as he patted Ian’s back.

Ian looked at the small reptile that had to move during the hug, "Um, I think there’s something on you."

Kale smiled, "This is Catalyst, my umm... companion. I don’t even think it’s a pet. To be honest, I don’t even know why it likes me."

Rather than ask questions about the animal, his focus wasn’t on Kale, "I’m happy that you are alright. We were worried."

Shifting slightly, Kale scratched his neck and sighed.

"As you can see, not only am I fine, I am better than ever before." He assured his friend.

"So, where’s Ming?" His question reminded Ian of what he had barely had half an hour ago.

"She’s asleep."

Kale tilted his head, "And how do you know this? Oh? Is there something going on that I don’t know?"

His suggestive wording made Ian blush and stutter a bit, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"We just finished sparring not too long ago, that’s how I know."

Kale looked unconvinced by his explanation but let the matter rest.

"So what has happened since I’ve been out of commission?"

Ian pondered for a good moment before shaking his head, "Nothing much. We still train by ourselves and eat. That’s all."

Kale shook his head, "Well then, see you later." He started walking away.

"Oh yeah, before I leave..." Kale called out to Ian.

"I also got a beast infusion. Later."

"..."