Vlad stood up from his seat, “Let’s head outside and welcome our guest.” With that, he exited the room and made his way to the front of the villa.
The rest of the men followed him outside, trailing behind Vlad. Once outside, Vlad approached the man who had arrived. “Tiger, my men want to see what you’re capable of,” Vlad said.
Tiger nodded, his expression calm and composed. The man who had earlier expressed his desire for a hand-to-hand combat challenge stepped forward, smirking. “So, you’re the one Lucas sent? You don’t look like much,” he taunted.
Tiger glanced at him, unfazed. “Looks can be deceiving,” he replied coolly. “But if you think you’re up for it, let’s see what you’ve got.”
The challenger laughed, “You’re going to regret underestimating me.”
Tiger shrugged, “I doubt it. But you’re welcome to try.”
The challenger sneered, “You’re all talk. I’ll take you down easily.”
Tiger’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “You’re not enough. Anyone else who wants to fight, step forward.”
This provoked anger among the group, and three more men stepped up, each challenging Tiger. One of them scoffed, “You think you can take all of us on? You’re in for a rude awakening.”
Tiger smirked arrogantly, setting down his bag. “These are my things. I’ll be staying here until you all improve,” he said, before walking to an open space and gesturing with a cocky tone, “Come on.”
The first challenger, feeling insulted, still underestimated Tiger and taunted him as he charged. “You’re going down!” he shouted.
Tiger remained calm, “We’ll see about that.”
Seeing their comrade attack, the other three rushed in as well, each determined to prove themselves.
Tiger remained calm as the three rushed at him, effortlessly dodging their attacks. The first man scoffed, “That was just luck!”
“Oh, really?” Tiger smirked, casually sidestepping punches from the other three. “You’re all too slow,” he taunted, grinning as he moved with ease.
Irritated, the four exchanged glances and charged at him together. To Tiger, their movements seemed sluggish, like turtles. He smoothly evaded their strikes, leaving the onlookers were in disbelief. “Four against one, and they can’t touch him?” someone exclaimed, watching Tiger’s graceful, almost dance-like dodges.
Tiger’s movements were swift and confident, his expression one of superiority. Soon, the four attackers were panting heavily. “Tch! All you do is dodge. Fight back!” one of them shouted in frustration.
Tiger nodded, placing one hand behind his back, teasing them. “Go ahead, come at me,” he said, waving them on with a mocking gesture.
Infuriated by his arrogance, the four charged again, but the result was the same. Slap! With each dodge, Tiger delivered a light slap to each of them. He laughed as he slapped all four, taunting, “You’re so slow,” he laughed, “like a bunch of snails.”
The four continued their attacks, but with each dodge and slap from Tiger, their faces began to swell like a head of a pigs.
One of the onlookers stood with an open mouth, wide enough to fit an egg. Tiger chuckled at the sight of the four with their swollen faces.
Finally, the arrogance faded from the challengers. “Alright, we give up,” one admitted, rubbing his sore cheek.
“Yeah, you’re better than we thought,” another conceded.
“We underestimated you,” a third added.
“We’re sorry,” the last one said, nodding in defeat.
Tiger smiled, looking around at everyone. In a calm tone, he said, “Don’t worry. Under my guidance, I promise you’ll become stronger and faster. But you’ll need to endure the tough training I’ll put you through.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, excitement and determination lighting up their eyes.
“Alright, take a break for now,” Tiger said with a laugh.
Vlad instructed one of his men to take Tiger’s belongings to the guest room. He then approached Tiger, curious. “When do you think we should start the training?” Vlad asked.
Tiger looked at him thoughtfully. “Later, after they’ve had some rest. I need to assess each of their strengths and weaknesses before dividing them into appropriate groups. And yes, that includes you,” he added with a slight grin. “The training sets will depend on their physical capabilities and mental fortitude. We need to start as soon as possible because we never know when the enemy might catch wind of our plans.”
Vlad nodded in agreement. “You’re right. We can’t afford to waste time.”
They continued discussing various training methods. “For mental strength,” Tiger explained, “we’ll incorporate exercises that challenge their focus and resilience. Things like meditation under stress, problem-solving under pressure, and even endurance tasks that require mental stamina.”
Vlad listened intently. “And for physical training?”
“We’ll focus on agility, strength, and endurance. But it’s crucial that they learn to push their limits mentally. A strong mind can drive a tired body further than you’d expect,” Tiger replied.
Vlad considered this. “So, a balance of both mental and physical training is key.”
“Exactly,” Tiger affirmed. “We need to prepare them for any situation, both in battle and in strategy.”
After their discussion, Vlad and Tiger headed inside the villa. Vlad led Tiger to his room. Tiger retrieved a notebook and pen from his bag and began jotting down his plans. He recognized the potential in the four he had faced earlier, deciding to separate them from the rest. Based on his observations, their teamwork was solid, making them ideal as a single unit.
He wrote down specific training regimens for the four, naming their group “The Iron Wolves” to reflect their strength and unity. He smiled. Then, he sketched out different plans for the remaining members of the Mercado Familia.
After a few hours of rest, Tiger stepped out and called for Vlad. “It’s time to gather everyone for training,” he said.
Tiger made his way to a courtyard where he would address the members. Within minutes, everyone assembled. Once they were all present, Tiger called the four he had sparred with to the front. “You four are now ‘The Iron Wolves,'” he announced. “Your training will be different from the others.”
He then turned to the rest of the group. “For the rest of you, we’ll focus on building both your physical and mental strength. You’ll undergo endurance drills, strategic exercises, and mental resilience training. It’s important to push your limits and work as a cohesive unit.”
After explaining the training regimen, Tiger added, “Before we begin, I need to assess each of your strengths. Please line up in an orderly fashion!”