“Have you ever faced a sage?”

  “What?” captain Altan Niraj blurted out, confused. He could not be blamed for his confusion, the question was very random

  “I am sure you have heard the stories, the analysis. A novice no matter how many there are, could never hope kill a sage, it would take more tier four scholars than you have men in a platoon to kill a sage in a fight, if it was even possible in the first place. It would be less for tier five’s but that should give you a perspective. I could take two of you on with out ever breaking a sweat and that is just on a one tier difference. Do you see where I am going with this? A higher tiered you will always be more important than any one enemy you throw your life away to -in your words- weaken. I mean, even amongst your equals, always assume they can survive your killing move till you are absolutely sure they can’t. It is better to take an enemy down with a thousand small cuts than it is to go for a ‘quick finisher’ and lose your life in the process.”

  “I asked for a fight not a lecture” captain Altan Niraj grumbled without venom,

  Zhao Bing nodded sagely “But you got one anyway.”

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  “Is it over?” The first lieutenant asked from afar.

  “Yes” captain Altan Niraj replied.

  The lieutenants and the Corporal began to jog toward them at the affirmative answer.

  “Please tell me, how are you not dead? Those lighting bolts could be fatal even for a tier six scholar, I am sure because captain Altan Niraj can not hold himself back even if he wanted to, at least not yet.”

  “Second lieutenant!” first lieutenant Lanka snapped

  “I am sorry, sir. My emotions got the better of me.” Apologized Yasemin

  “Yes, that reminds me of another thing I should address, your..... intimidation tactic, take this” Zhao Bing turns to Yasemin and hands her his gun “Fire a shot whenever you are ready”

  Lieutenant Yasemin collected the gun and aimed at Zhao Bing.

  “Not at me” Zhao corrected calmly

  “Sorry” the second lieutenant said, not sorry at all as she shifted her aim. She carefully poured her aether into the gun from the bullet cartridge, let her aether fill the inside of the bullet, strengthening them, mundane metals with the ability to kill aether enhanced humans. When she filled all the bullets with her aether she called out.

  “Ready”

  “Fire at will”

  No sooner did Zhao Bing finish speaking, she fired. The bullet landed a few thousand paces away with a loud bang. A crater the depth of an arm in length and a fist around formed around the bullet.

  “Metal! Good, it will be easy. Now, captain what did you notice?”

  Captain Altan Niraj shrugged and shook his head.