Chapter 10: Back to School [3]

It was just like that time back in the mountains with the Mountain Tyrant.

The dummy's next attack was visible to me, yet my reaction time was still not fast enough for me to dodge it on time.

After being forced to block another sword strike, I adjusted my grip to hold my right dagger with the top facing horizontally instead of retreating and back down.

In the meantime, the dummy threw another sword strike at me.

After preparing myself for the incoming surge of pain, I said in a quiet voice.

"Dragon's Eye"

Instantly, the time around me slowed, and with the dummy slash significantly slowed, I dodged the attack.

Then, without the need to dodge anymore, I instantly moved my daggers forward, and with one swift strike, the beginner dummy was defeated.

*SWISH*

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 9:05>

Since the dragon's eye required mana to stay active, it immediately halted after the battle, but the damage was already done. Collapsing on the ground due to exhaustion and pain, I grabbed a bottle of water and looked at my reflection on the shiny steel walls of the room.

Yet again, I was left looking like Zuko.

"I really can't rely on that trait for now."

However, during the battle, I realized something. The dragon's will trait was passive, and I just found out why.

The definition, "your eyesight is enhanced," was vague, but its uses were almost infinite.

Of course, the first use was in everyday life, like seeing the whiteboard accurately during class from far distances and being able to see things far away that a typical hero couldn't

I had just discovered the second use. My eyes processed the things around me at a rapid rate. By analyzing the dummy's previous moves, its current stance, and the angle at which it held the sword, my eyes accurately indicated the dummy's next move.

To prove my theory, I got up from the ground, grabbed my curved dagger, and reactivated the dummy, still at stage 1.

For the first few moments of the fight, I was once again left defending the dummy's onslaughts of thrusts and unable to see the opponent's subsequent attacks.

However, after some time of blocking with my daggers and running away, the indicator of the dummy's next attack was there.

With that information, I ducked prematurely, avoiding the dummy's ariel sword slash, then repositioned my grip on my daggers.

Dodging another slash, I counterattacked and took out the dummy in one swift slash.

*SWISH*

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 6:05>

"... it's shorter."

The time it took for my eyes to process the dummy's movements went down from 9 minutes to six minutes. Not that was impressive, as Class A students could definitely beat the first stage dummy within a minute.

Slow and steady wins the race!

Leaning against the wall of the steel room, I opened up my menu.

[Class: Novice Assassin: (Level 1: 19%) ]

-> Stealth : E-

-> Beginner Dagger Mastery : 23%

-> Arts: (N/A)

My progression was fast now; this was my first time touching a dagger, so anything would be better than that. 

As for my dagger arts, first, I would need at least to get the basics down of using a dagger to learn one, so that would be put on hold until I reached Intermediate Dagger Mastery.

The only way to increase my stealth stat would be to increase my class level, which was also out of the picture for now.

Although I did want to test my stealth by sneaking around and seeing its limits, I decided against it until my stat was at least above E, as being caught would put me in a lot of trouble.

Motivated by the progress, I returned and reactivated the dummy stage 1.

I would beat this thing down until I could see its movements within a minute.

*SWISH*

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 6:59>

*SWISH*

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 4:03>

*SWISH*

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 3:05>

After three more bouts with the dummy, I was completely exhausted, so I grabbed my water bottle and drank while checking my system again.

[Class: Novice Assassin: (Level 1: 25%) ]

-> Stealth : E-

-> Beginner Dagger Mastery : 29%

-> Arts: (N/A)

My progress was starting to plateau, but that was to be expected.

Looking at the dummy in front of me instantly heal back to its original form after the fight, i started to get jelaous.

Using the wall to support me, I stood back up and prepared to fight the dummy again.

Even though facing a stage 2 dummy would definitely increase my rate of progression, I wanted to get the basics dagger skills down before fighting one.

Sure, I could fight a stage 2 dummy 100 times until I could see its everyone move within 10 seconds, but that would never work in the real world. With monsters and humans, I only have one chance to win.

At the level of beginner dagger mastery, I had only unlocked one technique.

First Technique: Shadow Serpent Slash. A single horizontal slash with both your daggers that combines agility and lethality. Like a serpent, the slash lunges forward with incredible speed and like the poison of a serpent, the slash immobilizes your opponent for a second.

Without even knowing it, I had used the technique in my first battle with the dummy when I one-shotted it. 

However, I had yet to be able to use the immobilization part of the attack as it required some use of mana or QI, which were both things I had never used yet.

While magic body strengthening with QI was much easier, I had decided earlier that mana body strengthening would be much more powerful and useful.

My dreams of being a magic swordsman had changed into becoming a magic assassin!

Abandoning all hopes of taking the easy route through QI, I deactivated the dummy momentarily and began trying to channel the mana through my body and toward my dagger.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't work, so I sat back and began meditating.

Feeling the immense amount of mana flowing through my bloodstream, I attempted to control it.

But the mana particles acted like spoiled brats and completely ignored me.

"What the hell? You're in my body; listen to me, damn it."

A very important advantage of being a noble is having enough money to pay for private tutoring on circulating mana. When you enter the academy, you have that important fundamental down.

Yet, Ren had no memories regarding that.

What the hell did this guy do all his childhood?

Oh wait, he just ate and used his parents' money to live his life. 

I shouldn't blame it because I would probably do the same thing, but still, does this guy have no shame?

Looking into Ren's memories was useful at some points, but the more time I spent looking at his past, the more immersed I felt in his character and emotions.

Being able to control your mana was necessary for magicians but not weapon users, so asking one of my weapons teachers for help with it would be useless.

Recomposing myself, I decided to take a different approach to controlling my mana.

Instead of trying to move the mana particles forcibly, I would move my red blood cells and blood to a certain location, and hopefully, the mana would follow.

Using a blunt pencil from my backpack, I stabbed myself in the hand, and immediately the skin on my arm became red as blood immediately began flowing towards the wound to recover it.

Then, I repeated the same thing with my left hand so that my blood was mostly concentrated in those two places.

The first step was done.

Ignoring the tingling sensation of the wounds, I picked up my daggers, holding them so their tips were horizontal.

After pressing the start button on the dummy, I stalled with it by blocking its sword blows and running until I could finally see its movements.

I dodged a sword blow by prematurely moving my shoulders and immediately launched a counterattack. With a slash full of hope, I swung my daggers and felt them connect with the outer body of the dummy.

*SWISH*

I purposely didn't use all my power when slashing, as if I killed the dummy in a blow again, and I wouldn't be able to see if it worked.

Stepping back from the dummy, I saw it completely frozen. After its previous swing, its sword and arms were stuck in the air.

Then, a split second later, the dummy resumed motion, and its sword came crashing onto my head.

"AHHH, THIS SON OF BI-"

It seems that my blood technique worked for now, but its limitations were clear. Instead of freezing the monster for a full second, it only did it around a fourth of one.

I did want to see if the wound on my hand was more dangerous if the power of the slash would increase, but at the same time, I'm not a damn masochist.

The first technique was just the start. Once I reached intermediate and adept mastery with daggers, the techniques became harder to learn but also more powerful.

Standing back up, I dodged a hit from the dummy and used another Soul-Serpent Slash, this time without mana, and beat it.

<Stage 1 dummy defeated. New Record: 2:05>

"Just a minute before I can move onto stage 2. Hope you're not going to miss me stage 1 bastard."

After another minute of recovery, I stood back up and went to start back up the dummy, but when I did, a message popped up.

<Your 3 daily hours of AI training are completed! Please come back tomorrow to train more!>

AI dummies were expensive and rare, so the government didn't buy too many for the academy. Students could use the dummies for 3 hours a day, so everyone could use them at least once a day.

Of course, there was an exemption to this rule: Class A students. If I were to be ranked now, I would say that Class B would be my place.

Leaving the room, I opened my school phone to see how bad the damage was.

[Merit Points: 0]

"..."

Everyone student starts off with 10 Merit Points, but it seems like this goddamn idiot Ren managed to lose them on the first week of school.

Looking up from my phone, I could see a couple of students training in the main area of the training hall with the non-AI dummies.

Of course, there was Liam. 

Why wouldn't the main character be training to become stronger? It's their entire purpose. Weak to strong protagonists were always like that.

Next to Liam, there was another student. A Class A student and another heroine.

"Irene Lionheart."

Her dark red hair, cascaded down to her waist, fittingly described her personality—a woman full of passion, anger, and intensity. Her matching red eyes also seemed to shine like a flame, hinting at her talent for fire magic. 

Her hands, devoid of any calluses, also hinted at her non-usage of weapons. Hailing from another family of heroes, Irene came from the magic tower in the empire's capital city.

Specifically, the fire magic tower.

As a skilled fire mage who awoke and began using magic at the early age of 15, Irene was known throughout as a prodigy. Her personality also perfectly matched her use of fire magic: intense, hot-blooded, and fiery.

She was easy to anger and arrogant, but those negative traits did not hinder her progress one bit.

Her passion for academics should also not be underestimated. She constantly strived to be the best in every area, and her efforts were not futile: She ranked third out of 1,000 first-years.

Irene not only met the gigantic expectations placed on her due to her father's title of hero, but exceeded them as her sharp intellect and elegant usage of magic gave her the nickname: "Firestorm."

A storm of emotions combined with the usage of fire magic. A obedient bunch of fire would swirl around her finger whenever she used magic, each fire particle adhering to her commands like she was a god.

Although it wasn't described in the book, I could see parts of her academy uniform slightly darker, showing her recent and accidental use of fire magic. In the realm of magic, every student below the age of 16 strived to become like her.

So, why was someone like that talking to a loser like Liam?