Chapter 389 - Training Darlene (2)
"How are these rocks going to control my power over Spatial Laws? I don't even know what Spatial Laws is or what I can do with it… Don't tell me you are going to throw rocks at me?" Darlene asked doubtfully.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'll be doing. I will be throwing these rocks at you, and you are not allowed to dodge them. There is nothing difficult to understand about Spatial Law. To manipulate it is to bend, twist, and distort space itself. At higher levels, you can expand, compress, or even tear it apart."
"You're kidding, right? You really want to throw rocks at me, hubby? That's so cruel… Do you really have the heart to do that to me?" Darlene asked with watery eyes.
She did not have the confidence at all. How can she just believe she can do something she had never done before, just because her hubby told her she can do it?
"I'm serious. Don't worry, I'm doing this for you. You'll forgive for this…" Leon continues to explain, "We won't start with anything difficult. I just need you to bend space and change the trajectory of the rocks I throw..."
"...If you don't want to get hit by them, that is." He added teasingly.
"Y-You're enjoying this, aren't you? Are you trying to make sport of me? Is it because I was grumpy? I'm sorry for being mad at you, okay? Let's not do this..." Darlene accused him in a trembling voice.
"No? How can I possibly enjoy doing such a cruel thing to you...?" Leon defended with a disbelieving expression, but the corners of his lips subtly lifted into an evil smile.
"Get ready. We'll start with a few practice rounds, then I'll aim them at you seriously, my dear." Leon warned after moving to a suitable spot some distance from Darlene with the rocks in his hands, readying for a throw.
"W-Wait! I'm not mentally prepared for this—Ah, I hate you—!"
Darlene screamed as she dodged the flying rocks.
Poof! Poof!
The walnut-sized rocks embedded themselves in the wall opposite of Leon like glue after he tossed them.
Darlene looked at the firmly embedded rocks with disbelief. Was her hubby trying to kill her? She shot Leon an angry look and snappishly said, "Are you crazy!? Why are you throwing them so hard?! What if you hit me?!"
"Why are you dodging the rocks? What if you get hit? It'll hurt a lot, you know?" Leon said with slightly furrowed brows.
"That's why I'm dodging them!"
Leon shook his head and said, "They were aimed to narrowly miss you. But if you try to dodge them, there's a much higher chance of them hitting you! You cannot use your body to dodge; you need to use your mind to bend the space."
"Let us start again, my dear." He stated.
After some time, Darlene unwillingly got back up and faced Leon directly on the opposite side of the courtyard. She mustered her courage and mentally prepared herself before she said, "Okay, I'm ready this time."
Her hubby was doing this for her own good. She needed to put in the effort too. If there is no will, there will be no change. If there is no change, then she will continue to remain the talentless and uncultivated person she always has been…
Poof! Poof!
Darlene ended up dodging the rocks once again when Leon tossed them. He looked at her said helplessly, "Why are you dodging them again? Are you trying to get hit, or do you simply not trust my aiming…? It defeats the purpose of this training if you only use your body to dodge, my dear."
"Of course, I trust you. But it is easier said than done! My body just reacted instinctively when I saw the rocks hurled at me." Darlene pouted.
Leon tapped his feet in thought and glanced around the courtyard for ideas. A few dead logs were lying around on the barren ground, both long and short ones. Also, there some items inside the bedrooms that he could use.
An idea was quickly formed inside his mind in a short instance as he gave Darlene an evil look and said, "I have an idea that can help you focus, but you are not going to like it."
"If I am not going to like it, then let's not try it." Darlene quickly said reflectively. She did not like the look in Leon's eyes.
"Hahaha, you don't have a choice in this matter." Leon chuckled sinisterly.
He walked over to the longest dead log and used his hand like a carving knife to chip away one of the log's end into a sharp point. Afterward, he brought it over to Darlene and stabbed it into the ground next to her like a stake before making his way off into one of the courtyard's room.
Darlene watched him work with curious eyes, not knowing what he was up to. But when he came out with a self-made rope sometime later and glanced at her, she understood his intention and felt a chill in her heart.
"No, absolutely not! Hubby, you cannot do that to me!"
Darlene immediately tried to make a break for the exit. However, she was no match for Leon's speed as she was quickly caught and slumped over one of his shoulders.
"Nooo!"
She threw kicks and punches at the empty air as she tried to resist and escape from Leon's grasp, but it was no use. She was quickly brought to the stake and had her hands and feet tied firmly.
"This is a bad idea! I don't want to do this anymore! Stop this at once, or I will really get mad. Wuwu… you are bullying me!" Darlene cried while she resisted and attempted to wiggle her way out of her binding.
Nevertheless, her efforts were futile. She was tightly bound to the stake like a lamb ready to be roasted on the spit.
"You'll forgive me for this."
"No, I won't!" Darlene said defiantly.
Leon smiled wryly in response and collected more rocks off the ground before getting into position and readied his hand.
"Remember, my dear, you need to imagine space being curved. But what's more important is the mind. You need to will for it to bend for it to work. Alright, here we go." Leon instructed and threw his rocks.
"Ahh, I hate you to death!" Darlene screamed as she saw the incoming projectile and instinctive closed her eyes.
Swoosh!
The rocks zoomed past her and smashed into the walls with a poof! Shortly after, Darlene peeked one eye open and confirmed she was okay before opening the other.
"See? My throwing is very precise. These will not hit you…" Leon said, before cheekily adding, "But only if I don't want them to."
Despite being teased, Darlene felt a bit more confident after the last miss. She did not need to dodge after all.
She hummed and said, "Okay, I'll ready to try this time."
"That's a good girl."
Leon nodded and started throwing the rocks one after the other. The rocks zoomed past narrowly and still caused Darlene to half close her eyes.
But after several more shots, she became fully confident in Leon and even hummed as the rocks flew past. However, none of the rocks had curved in their trajectory.
"Are you even trying to curve the rocks?" Leon sighed.
Darlene giggled, "Hehe, I knew hubby would not have the heart to hit—Ahh, my forehead! Y-You hit me!"
Her forehead was struck by a slow rock as punishment. It was a feeble shot, but it still left her forehead swelling slightly, causing her eyes to tear.
"Yup, and I will continue hitting you from now on. If you don't want to be hit, you will have to make use of the power of Spatial Laws sleeping inside you." Leon stated.
He had been too lenient on her, causing her to grow complacent. It seems that she would not learn unless she suffers a little.
"Nooo, it hurts~! Wuwuu, Hubby is a big Meany." Darlene cried. All her built-up confidence was destroyed in a single hit. She did not doubt that Leon would really dare to hit her with rocks again.
"Ahh!"
Darlene screamed with horror as she watched the rock fly directly at her forehead again with wide eyes. It will definitely hurt badly if she cannot dodge it!
'Move! Move! Move!'
Darlene urged in her mind in that split second. She watched as space suddenly distort and curved the rock from its initial trajectory. Shortly after, she was ecstatic that the rock missed.
It was true! She can manipulate space!
"Hubby, I did it!" Darlene shouted with joy.
"Well done, my dear. Now, let us try it again." Leon spoke back to her with a light smile. In truth, he was the one who manipulated space to curve the rock.
Somewhere deep down, Darlene still did not believe she can manipulate space. As such, Leon was tricking her into firmly believing she can.. Only in that way will her Spatial Laws finally manifest itself.