Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 1989

Nonetheless, Lauren was still a rookie.

Dixon let out a cold laugh and picked up his pace, meeting her speed with his own. Within just a few exchanges, Lauren was already struggling, barely avoiding disaster several times.

Less than 100 yards away from Serenity Villa, there was an artificial forest. Andrew, Tiana, Eric, Dylan, and Natasha were all standing at the edge of the tree line, watching the battle unfold.

Even though the area was pitch-black, Andrew could see and sense exactly what was happening inside the villa, including the number of people, their movements, and their intent.

Tiana slowly unclenched her fists, glancing at Andrew with genuine respect. "Andy, you were right to insist on this. Lauren really is holding her own! Sure, that bastard is bullying her with his higher rank, but Lauren is handling it like a natural."

Andrew smiled. "Fran and Aspen are doing just as well. All three of them already had a solid martial foundation, and a damn good one at that."

Eric said, "Aspen's got a ruthless streak, and I like that. You've trained her as an assassin, but she still hasn't learned the real trump card. If she could master the Art of Enchantment, killing would be effortless for her."

It was clear he was hinting at wanting to teach Aspen himself.

Andrew shook his head. "Killing is killing. There are many ways to do it. Why would she need the Art of Enchantment? So she can be like you and use it to charm men?"

She added, "I wonder if Cedric will come after you for this."

Andrew shrugged. "He'll only be grateful to me for training Fran into such a capable martial artist. Among the three, Fran's path is the hardest. External techniques aren't easy to master, but if done right, they're unstoppable.

"I just hope she and Lauren can push each other forward, where one focuses on internal energy, the other on external strength."

Eric snorted. "Oh, please, keep pretending it's difficult. You're a master of external arts yourself. Your skin's tougher than anything out there. Teaching a beginner like Francesca with your experience is child's play, but you act like it's some monumental challenge."