The Married Life Of Immortals

Bane just stood there with a frown on his face, but then jumped back as the ground started to repair itself. Bane had never seen anything like it, and looked down at his weapon. He wasn't sure if the thing was magical or if he was missing something.

"Is there an explanation for the repairing ground?"

Bane felt his soul stir, and the dragon, Aetheryx, answered. 'There is a formation placed on this place for multiple things, self-repair being one of the main ones.'

"Thanks, buddy. How is it going?" Bane asked out loud as he was about to turn and leave, but froze when a voice not in his head spoke up.

"Leaving so fast?"

Bane turned back to see another standing rat, but this one looked like it had gotten into some steroids. This rat stood at least 9 feet tall, and had a body that was bulging with muscles. The rat's ears and tail were much larger than Ratkin, and its fur was pure white, save for the tiny red vest it wore. The rat had a massive wooden club, and its claws were easily a foot long.

"Are you my next trainer?" Bane asked, and the big rat nodded.

"You are skipping a few, but that sword looks interesting. Do you want to compare weapon weight? I will let you try my club first!"

The big rat threw the club to Bane, and the young man grabbed it, the club shrinking slightly on contact. Bane frowned at the club, and then swung it a few times, and threw it back to the big rat.

"Pretty nice, but a toothpick to a tree compared to my blade. Thanks, though. Can we fight now?" Bane asked, and the big rat grinned.

"I am Ratrage. The youngest. We will have a fun match!"

The big rat burst forward, and the club in his hand grew as big as he was. Bane was about to counter, but the strike staggered him back, making Bane wince.

"Not bad. But this is how it is done," Bane said as he swung the blade in a sideways strike, but Ratrage caught it with his hand, stopping it. This time Bane saw the red energy that briefly covered his body.

"You are going to need more than just the weight of this blade to beat me, boy!"

The big rat pushed the blade away, and swung his club again. Bane tried to counter, but the rat was simply too quick. Bane smashed into a wall, but his Divine Immortal Body Refinement technique negated all the damage, healing his bones as they tried to break.

Ratrage stopped and watched as Bane pulled himself free, and dusted his clothes off. Bane had a frown on his face, and looked at the sword in his hand.

"I didn't realize the difference would be that much. What kind of freaky techniques are you using?"

"Grandmaster ranked Force Reduction paired with a Master ranked Momentum Killer. They aren't powerful skills normally, but I also have a passive skill, Vanguard Vampire. This allows me to absorb strength and tenacity from each strike I can block. The more effective the block, the more I gain," Ratrage explained, and Bane nodded with a smile, taking his sword in both hands.

"Now that is a crazy combination. I wonder how strong you are? How high is your Tenacity stat?"

"I don't have a Tenacity stat. I am a beast with an Astral Soul," Ratrage explained, and Bane shrugged.

"I don't have stats either, but does that mean you are a Valkyrie?" Bane asked, but the massive rat just rushed at him again.

The fight was the same as the last. Bane's body was smashed and broken, and the only reason he didn't die was because of his skill. While the damage was healed, the pain was still there, and Bane's mind was getting foggy, but he refused to back down.

Bane stood back up, and his body was shaking. "Is that all you got, rat? I am starting to wonder if you really are a Grandmaster."

Ratrage laughed. "I have been holding back, but maybe a demonstration is in order."

"Oh yeah. Let's see what a real strike looks like," Bane taunted, and Ratrage burst forward.

The club slammed into Bane, and the young man was blown across the room. He crashed into the wall and slid down, leaving a streak of blood along the surface. His body was twisted and broken, but it was healing rapidly.

"Not bad. That actually hurt a bit," Bane groaned while biting his lip. That one really hurt.

"You aren't so bad. But, that sword is useless in your hands. You lack the proper skills, so no matter how heavy your blade is, I can negate it. Now, I will show you true power!"

Bane forced himself back to his feet, and his skin was slowly mending. His ribs had been broken, and one was even sticking out of his side.

"Show me," Bane challenged, and the giant rat laughed.

"I can't kill you. But, I can leave a few marks for you to remember me by!"

The rat moved so quickly, but Bane narrowly avoided the strike this time, bringing the flat of his blade around to slam into the back of Ratrage. The big rat went flying, and smashed into a wall. Bane's face was serious, and the blade was covered in a red mist.

"So, you were paying attention? You finally understand my weakness?" Ratrage asked as he got up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as his body rapidly healed.

Bane nodded. "I can't let you touch or notice my blade before it hits you. I can't be predictable or obvious."

"Very good. Now, can you survive?"

Ratrage was gone, and the entire room was shaking as the ground cracked and broke. Bane was leaping through the air, just barely dodging the strikes.

'This is impossible!'

The room was destroyed, and Bane was breathing heavily as he sat on the only piece of flooring that wasn't repairing itself. Ratrage walked up to him, and put his club back into a small ring.

"You lasted longer than expected, boy. But, it looks like it is over."

"Yeah, yeah," Bane said, panting and gasping. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, and there was even a deep slash across his chest. His body was talking a lot longer to heal now, but he was exhausted and had burned through most of his mana and demonic energy reserves. Every time he thought he was pulling ahead, there always seemed to be someone related to Nina waiting to give him a reality check.

"What did you learn, boy?"

"I need to be faster and stronger. Power, power, and more power," Bane replied.

"Very good. I will let the master know."