Life Changing Event

*Yawn*

Ezra woke up as usual, got in a sitting position and closed his eyes for a good five minutes as he recalled the plan that he, Fredrick and Cabrera were to execute.

They would have to deceive everyone while making sure not to draw any suspicion from those who they would take advantage of.

Existences that could destroy them easily.

Ezra took deep breaths to calm his heart as he remembered why he was doing what he was doing, and the end goal of it all.

His enemies were numerous and powerful, so he had to walk carefully along the edge of a blade, but..

'I won't be like this forever' he reminded himself.

The battle he had with Cabrera and the gang members gave him an accurate prediction on his current skill.

Thanks to the elixir, his physique and meridians were nearing the peak of Adept rank, with the only thing stopping him from advancing being his untrained body.

After all, his body had grown to match that of a nine year old due to the elixir's effects, and his meridians were also enlarged.

His meridians were at Adept rank before he decided to use the elixir, which meant the effects should have taken his meridians to mid-Intermediate rank at the very least.

Yet his body limited him. It was tempered, but that was artificially rather through hard work. It wasn't yet strong enough to hold meridians of Intermediate rank. Which was why his advancement was halted.

Should he try to forcefully increase his rank, the least that would happen would be for his meridians to be crippled. At most, death with his meridians puncturing his organs.

Like a container filled with water to the brim, but the water keeps hitting the cover trying to break out.

This was the current situation with Ezra's body. And the answer was all too simple.

'I need to temper my physique to make it even stronger'

To make a bigger container.

And the only way to do that was..

'I'll start training in earnest'

He couldn't be around when Cabrera put the plan in motion, so he would use that time to train his body.

"Fredrick" he called as the man came into view.

Both of them stared at each other without saying a word.

Fredrick only nodded before saying..

"Since you already have a very good physique, you'll start your weapons training today. I'll be heading out for a while today, but you are to swing your sword one thousand times before the end of the day"

Frederick talked not too loud but not quiet either, as he thought..

'They should have heard me clearly'

"Yes, Sir" Ezra said, before going to clean up while Fedrick chugged down a disguise potion and headed out.

"And so it begins" Ezra muttered, before wearing appropriate clothes and heading to the abandoned training ground.

——————

*Swish* *Swish* *Swish* *Swish*...

The sound of air wheezing was the only thing heard as Ezra swung his sword downward with utmost concentration and focus while scanning the area.

The reason why Fredrick had talked loudly this morning was to catch the attention of the rats in hiding.

Ezra knew them to be the Empress's spies.

They had been spying on Ezra since the first day of his training.

It was part of why Ezra had bought peasant clothes and used disguise potions for the past four days.

They were always throwing the spies off their tail by going through alleyways and taking very complicated roads going in diverse patterns before eventually arriving at the gang bar.

He knew they wouldn't dare attack him and would only watch him even if he fainted.

Fredrick had notified the Expert knights of the new training ground of his departure, so they also had someone watching him.

Which was why the agents of the Empresses couldn't take action and only watched from afar.

'Hmm, they left?' Ezra found that he could not feel the gazes of those rats anymore when it was almost two hours after noon.

'Well, whatever' he thought as he shrugged and continued swinging his sword while inwardly counting.

His entire body was covered in steel armor as he felt his bones snap in place as he made downward slashes with his sword.

His breathing became more ragged by the minute as he felt his bones rejuvenate a moment later.

'The remaining of the elixir are constantly healing my bones and tempering them. So I have to make the best of this opportunity..by constantly exceeding my limits'

Thought Ezra as he kept slashing down. Each one a little more powerful than the last as he continued to test his limits, while at the same time constantly refining his body.

———————

Meanwhile..

"Gather around!" Cabrera shouted in his bar to assemble the gang members, or guild members as it was now.

Murmurs were heard as the members gathered to hear what their leader would say.

They had been expecting some changes ever since Cabrera announced things would return to the way they were two days ago, so the question in their heads was..

'What does he want to do?'

And they didn't have to wait long as Cabrera started..

"As I said two days ago, Mad Fist is back and I meant it" he paused, then continued..

"As you may know, I have registered this gang as a guild with the name 'Black Jaws' and I plan to rise through the ranks all the way to the top"

"I hope to do so with you guys by my side, but I know such life isn't meant for everyone"

"So..for those who don't wish to risk the rest of their lives fighting beasts and demons, you're free to leave"

"For those of you who wish to stay, know one thing, there will be no more play. We're going everything or nothing"

"It's do or die from this point onwards"

He paused then added..

" ..And I know none of you signed up for this, so this will be your only chance to get away from a man who many will say is over his head"

Cabrera stopped for a minute while watching the reactions of the members.

'Hmm, to think he'd ask me to use this to find the rats in hiding' he thought, marveling at the grand scheme a five year old had made up.

And indeed, Cabrera saw up to ten with conflicted expressions and marked their faces in his mind, before going on to say..historical

"And for those who wish to ascend the ranks with me, I promise with my honor, of a brother and a leader, that I will do my best in showing that you hadn't made a mistake in staying" he said and turned around before adding..

"For those who wish to leave, you have two hours to pack your bags and do so.. I will not hold anything against you because this is my ambition, there's no need for me to burden you with it"

"For those who wish to stay..you should also pack your bags because we're going somewhere else"

He then walked out the newly renovated bar without saying another word.

Meanwhile..

The bar was drowned in chaos as soon as he left, with the gang members muttering, shouting or reasoning on what path they would take.

They understood the underlying meaning of his words clearly.

Either stay knowing that turbulent times are coming and you might die anytime, or leave and continue living life peacefully elsewhere.

After the murmuring died down, silence descended as each person was in their thoughts, when someone spoke out..

"So..what are we gonna do now?"

The question causing turmoil in their minds was said out. And then someone spoke..

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm outta here. I didn't come to lose my life because of someone else's ambition" he said these shocking words without batting an eye.

"How can you easily betray the boss like that?!" another spoke up outraged.

"Look, it's not betrayal. That's why we were given two choices. Because as the boss said moments ago, I didn't sign up to fight beasts" the first replied without a hint of shame, but the other wasn't backing down.

"Oh? You didn't sign up? What a load of cr*p. Boss took us in from the slums, when we had nothing to look forward to, and brought us into the gang for-"

"He brought us into the gang for his benefit, no one else's" the first cut him off.

"Look at this! You're saying such sh*t when, until a moment ago, you were riding his cocktails. But you're right, he gave a choice because trash like you exist. You can do whatever you want for all I care, spending minutes to talk to betrayers like you isn't worth it" he said as went to pack his bags while adding..

"I don't know about you guys, but I can't imagine my life if I had never met the boss. No matter what gains he got, he still took care of us, joked with us and fought alongside us, and at the end of it, didn't get rid of us even when he could. And now the first you do is run away? I don't know about you guys, but I'm following the boss even if it gets me killed"

He said his piece and left. Leaving the gathering in utmost silence as each member concluded their thoughts as they left to pack their bags.

Neither side knew that, in the near future, one side would look back to this day with a smile of immense meanings, while the other would be filled with immense regret.

This decision was going to be a life changing event for many.