From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 72: I’m Not Doing Anything

Charles and Kaira sat at a small open-air shop just outside the bank they’d visited.

The sun still blazed, but the shade of a yellow awning offered some relief.

Each held a square plastic container of chocolate ice cream, scooping it with plastic spoons.

The ice cream was creamy, its rich flavor a small reward after their grueling hike, cooling their parched throats.

In Kaira’s free hand, a plastic bag dangled heavily, stuffed with four more identical containers of ice cream.

Charles took a spoonful, savoring the chill.

"This is good," he said, glancing at Kaira. "But seriously, why’d the vendor make you buy so much? Four extra containers? That’s overkill!"

He pointed at the bag, raising an eyebrow.

"What’re you gonna do with all that?"

Kaira grinned, shoving another spoonful into her mouth.

"In the clan, everything’s bought in bulk," she explained, her tone nonchalant. "Vendors won’t take less than a gold coin as a minimum payment. If you want something, you gotta buy whatever they say is worth that coin."

Charles sighed, shaking his head.

"This is nuts," he said, gesturing at his container. "The money system here makes zero sense..."

Kaira laughed, wiping a drip of ice cream from her chin.

"That’s just how it works," she said, shrugging. "You get used to it. Besides, the ice cream’s good, right? I’m not complaining."

Charles grunted, scooping another bite.

"Yeah, it’s good," he admitted. "But I still think this clan’s designed to drive people insane."

Kaira shot him a mischievous smile, leaning closer.

"Hey," she said, "wanna train here?"

Charles blinked, caught off guard.

"Train?" he repeated, waving at the landscape around them. "Here? Are you crazy? We still gotta walk back to civilization. My legs are toast!"

Kaira burst out laughing, covering her mouth.

"You think I wanna fight you?" she said, her tone teasing. "What, you got that little faith in me? And here I thought you said you trusted my word."

’When did I say that?’ Charles thought, raising his hands with a laugh.

"Alright, alright," he said. "I trust you. You’re a woman of your word. But seriously, what do you wanna learn in this middle-of-nowhere place? It’s just a bank and a bunch of snooty rich folks."

Kaira smiled, pointing to the green fields surrounding the small village.

"What I like about this place, besides the ice cream, is the open space," she said, her eyes sparkling. "It’s perfect for training. Tons of room, fresh air, and no one bugging us."

Charles glanced at his nearly empty ice cream container, then at the bag with the other four.

"And what about all this?" he asked, nodding at the bag. "It’s gonna melt before we’re done training."

Kaira shrugged, her smile carefree.

"Don’t care," she said. "It’s tasty melted too. Plus, we can eat more later."

What kind of psycho likes melted ice cream? Charles thought, shaking his head.

He sighed, giving in.

"Fine," he said, setting his container on the table. "Where do you want me to teach you? But make it quick—I don’t wanna spend all day here."

Kaira pointed to a forest in the distance, beyond the modern houses.

The trees were tall, their leafy canopies promising shade.

"There," she said, standing up. "Let’s go."

Charles groaned but followed, clutching his ice cream container while Kaira carried the bag of extras.

They trudged down a dirt path, passing houses with air conditioners humming softly—bzzzzz.

The village was nearly empty, and the few residents in vibrant tunics—blue, red, gray—either ignored them or shot disdainful glances.

Charles clicked his tongue, irritated.

They reached the forest a few minutes later. The air was cooler under the trees, and the ground was blanketed with dry leaves that crunched underfoot—crackle-crackle.

Kaira set the ice cream bag by a tree trunk and turned to Charles, her expression serious.

"Alright," she said, crossing her arms. "Teach me how you do those acrobatics."

Charles blinked, confused.

"Acrobatics?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck. "What’re you talking about?"

Kaira rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious.

"You know," she said, waving her hands. "The stuff you did in the arena. Backflips, one-handed rolls, mid-air kicks. That! What kind of training did you do to learn all that?"

Charles froze, his mind blank.

’Oh, crap,’ he thought, a knot forming in his stomach. ’I have no idea how I do that stuff.’

The moves Kaira described were things he’d pulled off instinctively during duels, likely thanks to Rian’s muscle memory.

But explaining them? That was a whole different beast.

For a moment, he considered admitting he didn’t know, but Kaira’s expectant stare made him rethink.

’Better fake it,’ he thought, forcing a calm expression.

"Alright," he said, sounding confident. "Let’s start with the one-handed roll—it’s the most basic. First, you need good stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet. Then lean forward, plant one hand on the ground right in front of you, and use your legs’ momentum to lift your body. The trick is to twist your hips while pushing off with your hand to roll. It’s all about balance and arm strength."

Kaira nodded, her face focused, like she was memorizing every word.

"Got it," she said, mimicking the stance he described. "Like this, right?" ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Charles watched, noticing she was a bit stiff.

If he was going to bluff, he’d go all in.

"Relax your shoulders," he said, pointing. "If you’re tense, you’ll eat dirt."

Kaira took a deep breath, adjusting her posture.

Then, with a quick move, she leaned forward, planted a hand on the ground, and tried to push off. But her body wobbled, and instead of rolling, she flopped sideways with a dull thud.

"Ouch!" Kaira yelped, sitting up with a grimace.

Charles couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing, covering his mouth.

"That was epic!" he said between chuckles. "You looked like a sack of potatoes hitting the ground!"

Kaira glared at him, her cheeks flushing red.

"Don’t laugh!" she protested, standing and brushing leaves off her pants. "Itshipped. "It’s my first try! You said it was easy!"

Charles raised his hands, still laughing.

"I didn’t say it was easy," he corrected. "I said it was basic. But you gotta warm up first, or you’ll hurt yourself. With practice... you might pull it off."

By not guaranteeing she’d nail it, Charles had left himself the same wiggle room as companies claiming 99.99% effectiveness—plenty of room to dodge blame if Kaira complained.

Kaira sighed, crossing her arms.

"Fine..." she said, sounding resigned. "But don’t laugh again, got it? It’s embarrassing..."

Charles nodded, forcing a serious face, though his eyes still twinkled with amusement.

Truth be told, he was curious how long Kaira could keep this up before giving up.

"Got it," he said, his tone mock-serious. "No more laughing. Let’s try again, but... slower this time."