Free Web NovelChapter 22: Chapter 22: Teacher Grant’s Personal Training
As it turned out, Seraphina Sterling’s intuition was spot on.
The very next day, using the excuse that Seraphina Sterling’s fundamentals were too weak, Terrence Grant had her move directly into his own courtyard. He called it "saving time." The moment Kimberly Jennings heard it was all for the sake of her lessons, she happily packed Seraphina’s daily necessities and study supplies.
But Seraphina Sterling, having already run five kilometers on the first day, was so sore she felt like she was dying. She could barely lift an arm or a leg, leaving her no room to object. And so, for the next half a month, she was plunged into a living hell.
Mornings were for running endlessly up and down the mountain—a full five round trips. In the afternoons, Terrence Grant would personally teach her combat techniques. The "personal" part of that training was so close it made her want to curse him out. Evenings were for familiarizing herself with firearms: disassembly, assembly, and shooting practice. Her schedule was completely packed.
Yet she never uttered a single word of complaint. It wasn’t because she believed the training would truly enable her to protect herself, but because of what Terrence Grant had said to her on her very first day. His words had been outrageously arrogant, but they were enough to put her on high alert.
"Seraphina Sterling, I can overlook all those little tricks and schemes you’ve used on me in the past, including how you manipulated me into accepting you as my exceptionally untalented student. But since you are now my student, you’ll put away that petty cleverness of yours. You need to learn that in the face of absolute power, all your little plots are completely useless! And that is the first lesson I will teach you—don’t try to pull tricks on your teacher!"
That single moment had been a devastating blow to her. ’So all my clever little ploys, all the tactics I used to play Cheney and Terrence Grant against each other... in his eyes, they were completely worthless! Not even worthy of mention!’
After that, Seraphina Sterling rarely spoke up. No matter how exhausting the training, no matter how harsh Terrence Grant’s words became, no matter how grueling the tasks, she offered no objections. She knew that without the strength to back them up, her opinions were meaningless.
Today was supposed to be Terrence Grant’s combat skills lesson, but instead, Seraphina Sterling was led to a swimming pool. She looked at the clean, spacious pool. There was no one else around. Seraphina didn’t feel anxious; her nature had always been exceptionally steady, almost frighteningly calm.
These past few days of training had tempered her spirit, making her even more serene. Terrence Grant’s "lecture" on the first day, in particular, had sparked a complete shift in her mindset. It was now difficult to imagine a scenario that could make her lose her cool-headed judgment.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the pool, clamped onto her right ankle, and with a powerful tug, pulled her into the water before she could even react. Most people in that situation would scream out of pure instinct, but in the exact moment she was being dragged under, Seraphina Sterling took a deep breath, preparing herself for the submersion. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Even Terrence Grant was astonished by her progress. ’It’s only been a few days! Of all the people I’ve trained, I’ve never seen anyone improve this quickly!’
Seraphina Sterling’s eyes shot open. She saw the tall, agile figure underwater and attacked without a second thought. She had personally witnessed him take on four opponents at once that night, and she wanted to know just how vast the gap between them truly was. ’Over this time, I’ve gone from thinking he’s just highly skilled to believing he’s utterly unfathomable. I’ve never seen him injured, never even seen him flustered!’
Gripping a sharp dagger, Seraphina Sterling launched a vicious offensive. Every single move was merciless, every strike lethal! But Terrence Grant weaved effortlessly between her attacks; her deadly strikes were completely useless against him.
Seconds ticked by. Seraphina Sterling gave it her all, using every technique she had learned over the past few days without holding anything back, yet she still couldn’t land a single scratch on Terrence Grant. She couldn’t even get close!
Five minutes had passed, yet the pace of Seraphina Sterling’s assault hadn’t slowed one bit. Dodging another one of her attacks, Terrence Grant snatched the dagger from her hand, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her up out of the water.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed? You think you have iron lungs and can stay underwater forever?" Terrence Grant took the towel Hughes offered him. His chest was solid, his abs powerful, and he was wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks. His body was more perfect than a male model’s! Enough to make anyone drool!
Seraphina Sterling merely gave him a passing glance, then looked away as if she’d seen nothing at all. The blushing and heart-pounding of a typical girl were completely absent. "I just wanted to see how wide the gap is between me and my teacher. I’m very fond of my life; why would I let myself die before I’ve accomplished anything?"
Terrence Grant casually wiped the water from his body, clearly displeased by Seraphina Sterling’s placid reaction. ’She saw this perfect physique and reacted like she saw nothing at all!’ "You want to compare yourself to me? Try again in ten years."
As he spoke, he slowly approached Seraphina Sterling. She was soaked through, her clothes clinging to her body and outlining her slender, exquisite figure. ’She’s not tall, and looks so slim... I never expected she’d be so stacked!’
Seraphina Sterling noticed his gaze and threw her towel straight at his head. "Maybe I don’t need to train for ten years. I could just find a few capable women to take care of you for me!"
The instant before the towel could land on his head, Terrence Grant snatched it out of the air. He lunged forward, hooked the towel around her neck, and pulled her in until they were practically touching, close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her body. "The woman who can ’take care of’ me hasn’t been born yet! But I can ’take care of’ you right now!"
