*Jade’s Private Training Room*
"All right," I said calmly, my voice echoing through the spacious training hall.
"All of you—attack at once."
The four of them froze.
Michael, Ronald, Myra, and Julien exchanged confused looks, clearly unsure whether I was serious or simply testing their nerves. For a mont, none of them moved.
I glanced upward.
Jade was standing on the observation platform above us, arms crossed as she watched the training session. Her eyes t mine, sharp and warning—don’t go too hard on them.
Of course.
I wasn’t planning to crush them.
I only wanted to asure their strength.
That was all.
After a brief pause, Michael and Ronald stepped forward together, leaving Julien and Myra behind them. Their formation was already telling—frontline pressure supported by a rear assassin and a long-range attacker.
Not bad.
Ronald slowly drew his sword, the blade reflecting the training room lights, while Michael clenched his fists, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a brawl.
They rushed toward at the sa ti.
Fast.
When they reached striking distance, Ronald swung his sword with impressive precision, aiming straight for my blind spots. His footwork was clean, disciplined—clearly trained for real combat, not just simulations.
That’s decent, I thought.
At the sa ti, Michael appeared at my flank, his fist already flying toward my head. Their coordination wasn’t perfect, but the timing was good enough to pressure most opponents.
But—
It still wasn’t enough.
I jumped.
My body shot upward, leaving Ronald’s blade slicing through empty air. Because of the montum, his sword continued its arc—straight toward Michael.
Ronald’s eyes widened.
So did Michael’s.
Realizing the danger, both of them reacted instantly, abandoning their attacks and shifting into defensive positions to avoid injuring each other. Their reactions were fast—comndable, even.
Still, they were clipped by each other’s attacks, though not severely.
While I was still airborne, sothing caught my eye.
A glow.
For a split second, I thought it was Lightnova.
But I was wrong.
It ca from Myra.
She had extended both of her hands toward , her expression sharp despite her timid nature. Green light gathered rapidly, forming several glowing arrows that launched toward like rockets.
Smart.
Attacking while the enemy is midair—when movent should be limited.
But—
Sothing felt off.
I scanned the area.
Julien was gone.
The realization hit just as I felt a presence behind .
Cold steel brushed dangerously close to my neck.
Julien had appeared directly at my back, a dagger aid precisely for a lethal strike.
"Heh... you guys are smarter than I expected," I muttered.
I twisted my body midair and drove both of my feet backward, kicking Julien square in the chest.
His eyes widened in shock as he was sent plumting downward.
However, the recoil from my kick sent hurtling straight toward Myra’s incoming arrows.
Guess I’ll test my luck.
I reached out, grabbed one of the glowing arrows, and stepped onto it.
Gasps echoed through the room.
Myra’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"W-What!? How is he standing on an arrow that’s still moving!?"
The arrows slamd into the wall with explosive force—and unbelievably, I was still standing on one of them, now embedded firmly into the surface.
"Your tactics are good," I said calmly.
The arrow beneath my feet dissolved into light, forcing to drop.
I landed smoothly on the floor.
"But they’re still not enough to defeat soone stronger than you."
I began walking forward, hands clasped behind my back.
They were clever—especially Myra. She understood that most people were helpless in midair.
Unfortunately for them, that logic didn’t apply to soone like Lightnova... soone who could fly freely.
Ronald and Michael stared at .
"Hm?" I tilted my head. "What are you two waiting for? I’m on the ground now."
Their eyes widened.
They charged.
Ronald’s sword and Michael’s fist ca straight for my face.
"Still full of energy, I see."
I extended both hands.
I caught Michael’s fist with one hand and gripped the flat of Ronald’s blade with the other, carefully avoiding the sharp edge.
Both of them froze in disbelief.
I twisted my wrists, throwing off their balance and making it impossible for them to pull back.
Then—
I released.
My hands clenched into fists.
I struck both of them in the stomach simultaneously.
I deliberately avoided channeling void energy. If I had, they’d be dead on the spot.
They were sent flying backward.
Michael barely flinched before charging again, this ti switching to kicks. His right leg shot toward my neck.
I caught it.
But he didn’t stop there.
Using the montum, he spun his body and struck with his left leg.
I couldn’t fully dodge it.
The kick landed.
I was pushed backward.
At that exact mont, Ronald appeared above , sword already descending.
I jumped back just in ti, his blade slicing nothing but air.
He pivoted smoothly and rushed again, his cold eyes locked onto mine as he lunged forward with killing intent.
I couldn’t dodge this one.
If I didn’t respond—
I’d be cut.
Impressive.
In an instant, I activated Lightnova.
A blade of pure light ford in my hand, intercepting Ronald’s sword with a sharp clang.
Behind —
Julien appeared again.
His dagger flashed toward my shoulder.
I had already anticipated it.
A second light blade manifested in my other hand, blocking his strike from behind.
"W-What!?" Julien shouted.
Seeing pinned from both sides, Myra released another volley of arrows.
They shot toward like missiles.
Damn...
While using copied abilities, I couldn’t access my original powers fully.
That limitation was starting to hurt.
I forced Ronald back with my light blade, then kicked Julien away with my heel.
The arrows closed in.
At the last second, I deflected every single one with my twin light swords.
They nearly hit —
But none did.
I glanced at the blades in my hands.
They were fading.
As expected... copied power is never perfect.
I switched abilities.
Lightning erupted around my body—the power I had copied from Min-seo.
In a flash, I disappeared.
"Myra!!" the others shouted.
I reappeared directly in front of her.
She froze, terror written all over her face.
She couldn’t move.
I raised my hand—
And lightly flicked her forehead.
She yelped and fell backward onto the floor.
"Good job, Myra," I said gently. "That was well done."
She exhaled shakily, realizing I had no intention of hurting her.
Minutes later, all four of them sat side by side, exhausted and drenched in sweat.
I stood before them.
"Your tactics are solid. Keep them."
Michael drank from a bottle of water as I continued.
"Michael—you managed to land a hit on earlier. That’s impressive."
His face lit up with pride.
I turned to Ronald and Julien. Both looked disappointed, frustrated that they hadn’t landed a clean strike.
"Ronald," I said, "don’t look so gloomy. You’re on par with Michael. If I hadn’t drawn my sword earlier, I might’ve been cut."
A faint smile appeared on Ronald’s usually cold face.
Then I faced Julien.
"Julien, as an assassin, you need to make better use of your surroundings. Even in open terrain, your Stealth skill allows you to erase your presence."
I t his eyes.
"And rember—your job isn’t just to kill. You’re also responsible for protecting your long-range attacker."
His face brightened.
"Yes, boss!!"
Finally, I turned to Myra.
She looked down, clearly thinking she’d been a burden.
"And you, Myra—you did great as a ranged attacker."
She looked up.
"If you had summoned arrows from the ground earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to rush you."
Her lips curved into a smile.
"As a long-range fighter," I continued, "your position is the most important during war. Control the battlefield. Don’t let enemies reach you."
"Yes, boss!! I understand!" she said enthusiastically.
Despite her timid appearance, she was brave.
And all of them—
Would be extrely useful in the future.
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