After hitchiking their way to Sagat's dojo in Thailand, Sagat made them rooms. Training would start within the week. Necro would start a strict diet of rice, beef and local vegetables, and was given a heavy sandbag to put in his room. Sagat advised Necro to start kicking the bag to condition his shins.
Even before training began, Necro and Effie began to realize the weight of their decision. The ideal of safety to them at the time had been a bit too good to pass up. They would miss travelling; they had been on the run together for nearly three years. They would still be together, which comforted them, but something was amiss. They had only been at Sagat's dojo for four days, and yet it was the longest time they had spent in one place since they could remember.
Training was hell. Sagat had forbid Necro from altering his shape during training. He could use his fancy Illuminati tricks once he had mastered the art, but Sagat had made sure that Necro must learn the art in honesty. When Sagat had given him the sandbag, Necro didn't realize just how important toughening his shins would be. Sagat's bones were harder than bricks, and he loved demonstrating this to Ilia. Necro would fall in pain from kicking a tree, and Sagat would throw a brick, a metal pipe, or a tree trunk into the air and split it in two with his shin.
"Get up! You must continue!" Sagat would roar.
And Necro would. But it was not easy.
Aside from kicking hard things, Necro spent hours punching hard things, elbowing hard things, kneeing hard things, shadowboxing, jumping rope, and performing calisthenics. He would do some assortment of these things for nearly eight hours a day, he would be taught form and meditate in another two hours. The rest was for sleeping and eating.
The Illuminati rarely visited Necro and Effie any more. Any time one of Necro's many clones showed up, Sagat would smile and use one of his trademark skills to defeat it. This was easily the best thing about being at Sagat's dojo; and every time Sagat defeated a pawn of the Illuminati Necro would reaffirm his commitment to training.
Effie made herself useful around Sagat's place, and oftentimes Sagat thought himself more thankful to have her than Effie and Necro did to have him. She helped prepare meals, cleaned the dojo, and when it wasn't Necro's duty, ran to the market to buy food. She spent her days playing with local children in the village and worrying about Necro and the Illuminati. At night, she often found herself patching up Ilia, who swore he couldn't go another day but always did.
Eleven months had passed. Necro hadn't met Sagat's original expectation of one year, but he continued to train under the king. He woke up early and proceeded to the training grounds. As he kicked wooden dummies, Sagat emerged from the dojo.
"It is time you learn the technique that makes me the god of Muay Thai." Sagat grinned.
Initially, Necro could hardly harness enough ki to create the Tiger Shot. He had more success with the Low Tiger Shot, he thought because of the conuctors implanted in his body by the Illuminati. Within a month, Necro could create a small fire. After two months of the harshest training yet, he created a blaze. Sagat promised to teach him the Tiger Cannon soon if he continued his progress.
It was an early morning in March, fourteen months after Necro had begun his training. Necro had mastered the Tiger Shot, and Sagat had agreed to teach him the Tiger Cannon. This would mark the ending of Necro's formal training, and Necro would be able to once again travel the globe with Effie, now in possession the power to stop the Illuminati if they continued to hunt him.
Sagat walked to the training grounds, observing the scorched dummies Necro had been practicing on. He smiled at his student.
"Ilia, you have come a long way from a year ago. Through months of training, you have become a powerful warrior. You have honed your skills diligently, and I respect that. It is because of this respect for you that I will teach you the final technique of Muay Thai, the Tiger Cannon."
"Thank you, master!" Necro smiled. "It's because of you that I am safe from my enemies, I am truly grateful."
"Ilia, it is a tradition of Muay Thai for a master to give a headband, called Mongkohn, to a student once he believes he is worthy of it. Today, you have earned your Mongkhon. It shall bring luck to you as long as it does not touch the ground."
Sagat adorned Necro with the Mongkohn, but before Necro could express his gratitude, a shrieking laugh came from the dojo.