Chapter 359: Torture Method [II] "Yes, you did." Sebastian’s voice was a lot closer this time. Azel blinked several times before the man’s face came into view, he had crouched over him with that same wolfish grin... It really made Azel want to punch him in the face but the problem would be whether he would actually feel it. "How did dying feel?" Azel stared up at him blankly. "...I don’t know." "The mental zone tries to emulate death as realistically as possible," Sebastian said casually, leaning back with a stretch. "Or so I was told. Anyway, how did it feel when I touched that pressure point?" Azel sat up, the world still spinning slightly. His hands trembled, but he managed to stay upright. His eyes were empty, not because of fear but confusion. He had died. He knew it was training, but the sensation had been too real. The pain, the darkness, the silence... it all got on his nerves. ’I honestly haven’t fought the true monsters of this world yet,’ he thought grimly. He knew this wasn’t a game, but the realization hit harder than expected. ’If people can just touch a point on my body and I die instantly... what the fuck am I even doing? Why didn’t Steven ever teach me about this?’ "You shouldn’t blame another person for your own weakness," Sebastian said, taking a few casual steps back. "If you didn’t know something, then learn it now. That’s what this place is for." It was like Sebastian knew how he was feeling... Azel’s expression hardened. "Fine." "Good." Sebastian motioned for him to follow. "Now, tell me what it felt like when I hit the point." Azel thought for a moment. "There was pain... a lot of it. Then I couldn’t move my body. Like everything went blank." Sebastian smiled. "Perfect. That’s a good description. Most of the people I’ve used it on didn’t live long enough to explain." He laughed heartily and the sound bounced off the stone walls. It didn’t help that he looked completely unhinged while doing it. "But you’re right," Sebastian said, calming down. "When you touch a pressure point, it sends signals straight to the brain. If the pressure’s strong enough, your brain just... shuts down. A person can die without a single wound." He cracked his knuckles. "Of course, I’m the one who discovered every single pressure point in the human body. So you’re lucky... most people out there can’t do what I can. But still..." He tilted his head. "You should assume some might have figured it out too. Don’t underestimate anyone." Azel clenched his fists. The thought of dying that easily made him uneasy, but he refused to show fear. "Come on," Sebastian said, grinning again. "Quit moping. You want to get strong, don’t you?" Azel nodded and stood up. "Let’s go." Sebastian leapt back lightly, landing several meters away. ’Sigh... nothing bad should happen this time,’ Azel thought, shaking his head. ’I can defend that point now. What’s the worst that could happen?’ He focused his energy inward. The knot in his chest had sealed up again, but this time he consciously loosened it, letting the rejuvenating warmth of aura spread through his limbs. Then he studied Sebastian carefully and burned it into his memory... He adjusted his stance to the one that Sebastian was currently doing. Sebastian noticed immediately. His grin softened into curiosity. "You’re a quick learner, aren’t you?" Azel didn’t reply. "Alright then," Sebastian said, dropping into a new stance altogether. "Don’t worry. We’ll have a good spar this time. Try not to die again." Azel’s eyes narrowed. "No promises." He moved first. The ground cracked under his feet as he burst forward like a bullet. This stance gave him sharper momentum and better balance... he could feel his body flowing smoother than before and his aura control made every step a lot easier to execute. Sebastian’s eyes gleamed. "Good start." Azel’s leg swung in a high arc... a spinning kick aimed at Sebastian’s neck. Sebastian caught it with one hand and laughed. "Predictable—" But before he could finish, Azel twisted midair, using Sebastian’s grip as leverage. He kicked off with his other foot, forcing Sebastian to release him as he backflipped to the ground. The moment his feet touched rock, he swept forward in a low slide. Sebastian leapt into the air to dodge, but Azel was ready this time. He twisted his body, channeling aura into his arm. "Got you," he whispered. His fist shot forward... faster than before, hitting Sebastian square in the chest. The impact sent the older man spinning midair, crashing into the stone wall with a heavy thud. Azel straightened while panting slightly. "About time..." He immediately covered the pressure point near his neck with his hand anticipating a counterattack. Sure enough, Sebastian appeared in front of him in an instant with a dusty smile. "You’re improving," he said, brushing off his robe. "And smart, too. Covering your point like that..." He paused, eyes glinting mischievously. "...but not smart enough." Before Azel could react, Sebastian flicked his finger forward. It was just a single movement. The finger jabbed into a specific spot on Azel’s thigh. Instantly, pain exploded across his body. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 His vision went white. His breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t as sharp as the chest one, but it was paralyzing in its own way. ’N-no way... he got another point?!’ The agony swallowed him whole, and then came the darkness again. ... When Azel opened his eyes, the ceiling was familiar. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Again?" From somewhere behind him, Sebastian’s loud laughter filled the cavern. "You’re getting better!" he called. "At least you’re dying slower!" He stretched his arms lazily. "Now then, any questions before I break your nervous system again?" Azel sat up, rubbing his leg... it still throbbed even though this was supposed to be a mental zone. "Yeah... how many pressure points does my body have exactly?" Sebastian grinned, genuinely proud of the question. "So glad you asked!" He raised a finger. "For humans who use aura, there are about sixty pressure points in total. And around ten extra ones for... well, let’s say ’permanent paralysis.’" Azel blinked. "You’re joking." "Nope." "So you’re telling me there are seventy places on my body that can either shut me down or kill me instantly?" "Sixty that’ll knock you out or kill you," Sebastian corrected. "Ten that’ll make sure you never walk again." Azel dragged a hand down his face. "That’s insane." Sebastian’s grin widened. "Crazy, right? We’ll have to go through all of them so that you will learn the proper way of defending against these attacks." ’Fuck me...’