“Whoa! You beat in seconds!” Michelle’s eyes widened in disbelief, lifting both of her hands higher than her head. “Am I really just that weak compared to you and Boris?”
“Your skills are a bit lacking, yeah,” I admitted with a shrug, “but what can you expect? It’s only been four days since we got here.”
No matter how talented soone was, if they had no combat experience before becoming a divine warrior, there was only so much they could accomplish in a short ti. Truthfully, Michelle wasn’t weak, far from it. What she lacked was ti, proper training, and a skilled instructor. Heck, the fact that she could hold her ground even briefly showed that she was quite talented.
“I see now,” I said, recalling our spar just now. “I think I know exactly what skills you need to learn.”
Although Michelle’s sharpshooting skill was very good, likely sharpened from before she was selected as a divine warrior, she couldn’t react fast enough when an enemy closed in. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that she was a bit too passive. In this case, there were exactly two skills that she needed to learn to mitigate this issue.
The first one would be Evasive Step—a movent skill that allowed the user to leap backward, sideways, or even forward several ters in an instant. It was useful not only for dodging attacks but also for repositioning quickly during combat. For soone like Michelle, who specialized in ranged combat, this was essential for keeping distance.
The second one was the most important, and it was called Quick Switch. As its na implied, it allowed the user to instantly swap weapons or tools with minimal delay. Whether switching from a bow to a dagger or vice versa, this skill could be the deciding factor between life and death in close combat situations.
Both skills should be available as skill books in the store and could be purchased with soul coins, but there was no need for that since they weren’t particularly difficult to learn—at least not for her. Besides, skill books were expensive, and it made more sense to reserve soul coins for upgrading equipnt or other essential needs.
Thinking about skill books reminded of sothing, so I asked, “I’m curious. What skill book did you gain from the third scenario?”
“I got Bloodletting,” Michelle replied. “I haven’t used it though…”
“Hrm…” I crossed my arms, thinking for a bit.
Bloodletting was an uncommon-rank passive skill that enabled the user’s attacks, particularly slashing or piercing ones, to cause minor bleeding damage over ti. The stronger the user’s Dexterity and weapon quality, the more severe the bleeding effect beca.
It wasn’t an explosive skill, but it excelled in sustained fights and prolonged engagents. For soone like Michelle, who specialized in ranged combat and precision strikes, it offered excellent synergy. If paired with a bow or dagger, even a glancing hit could start stacking pressure on the enemy. Just that it wasn’t exactly what she needed at the mont.
“Do you want the skill book, Maxim?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
“Nah,” I shook my head. “You should use it. It’ll serve you better than I. Instead, mind if I take a look at your status screen?”
“Sure.” Michelle nodded without hesitation, opening her status screen and letting read through it.
Michelle Lv. 9/40 (EXP 175/560)
Rank: Bet [2]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Woodsman
Title: Straight-Shooter
Status: Normal
Strength: 64 3 | Dexterity: 74 3 | Stamina: 62
Mind: 33 2 | Magic Power: 25 | Luck: 28
Free Attributes: 0
Signature Skill(s): -
Skill(s): [Basic Archery Lv.9], [Basic Axe Mastery Lv.6], [Basic Dagger/Knife Mastery Lv.4], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.1], [Forest Sense Lv.4], [Inventory], [Multi Shot Lv.4], [Piercing Shot Lv.3], [Tracking Lv.3], [Timber Draw Lv.1]
Woodsman, after all, was only a semi-combat class. It was understandable that there wasn’t any active movent skill available for dodging or repositioning, since it was more focused on utility. Her skill levels were also quite high for her level. Still, her stats weren’t bad at all. In fact, they were about equal to mine, though I had a lot of free attribute points left unspent.
In comparison, my stats were like this:
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 14/40 (EXP 126/660)
Rank: Bet [2]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: Foul Play (2)
Status: Normal
Strength: 80 | Dexterity: 62 10 | Stamina: 57 2
Mind: 49 | Magic Power: 45 | Luck: 54
Plausibility: 109
Free Attributes: 141
Signature Skill(s): [@!$# Creation], [Fabled Vessel], [Grant Plausibility], [Scenario Manipulation]
Skill(s): [Basic Alchemy Lv.4], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.2], [Basic Spearmanship Lv.10], [Basic Swordsmanship Lv.9], [Desperate Willpower Lv.5], [Fast Reading Lv.2], [Heavy Slash Lv.2], [Heavy Stab Lv.2], [Inventory], [Mana Sense Lv.1], [ntal Tolerance Lv.4], [Negotiation Lv.4], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.4], [Predator’s Step Lv.1], [Wind Rush Lv.1]
With my current stats, I could probably do three hundred push-ups, three hundred sit-ups, and three hundred squats while being able to run nonstop for thirty kiloters after doing all that. I sure had beco almost superhuman compared to the people back ho, though it was still nothing compared to what higher-ranked divine warriors could do.
“All right. I think I know what skills you need to learn.” I explained to Michelle the two skills—Evasive Step and Quick Switch. There actually wasn’t any secret training thod that would help her learn these quickly, other than to continue sparring like we did. Repetition and muscle mory were key.
“If possible, I want you to learn Pain Tolerance as well. So, I’ll rough you up a little. Bear with it.”
“Mm-hmm!” She nodded vigorously. “I’m fine with that! I’ll endure whatever you do to . You don’t need to hold back.”
Uh… Why is our conversation sounding a bit misleading?
Anyway, I didn’t dwell on the thought and began preparing for the next round of sparring. I grabbed a wooden shield this ti so I could learn how to use it while sparring with her. Michelle adjusted her grip on the axe and bow, with her stance more focused now that she understood what I was trying to help her achieve. Furthermore, I told her to drink the elixir now, as I also did the sa; the elixir should help in the training to so degree.
“You ready?”
“I’m ready!”
“Then let’s start.”
We circled each other slowly in the ring, eyeing each other for the perfect mont to strike. Michelle was more composed now—her shoulders relaxed, her posture steady, and her gaze sharper than before.
I took the initiative and lunged forward with a sweeping strike—not too fast, not too slow—just enough to test her reaction. She didn’t retreat this ti. Instead, she sidestepped just in ti to avoid the swing. It wasn’t exactly the execution of a skill yet, but it was definite progress.
“Do it again, but faster!” I called out.
I advanced again, this ti with a two-part combo—one high slash followed by a low kick. She parried the high swing with her axe, but wasn’t quick enough to evade the second fully. My kick connected with her thigh, and she staggered slightly.
“Ugh.” She groaned through clenched teeth.
“Are you done?”
“Not yet!” she shouted, lunging forward with renewed energy and swinging her wooden axe.
I raised my shield to block the blow, but I noticed sothing mid-swing. Her axe strike had been a feint. Just before contact, she attempted to switch weapons mid-motion. It was a bit clumsy—her fingers fumbling the grip—but she managed to pull the dagger into her hand before I could exploit the gap.
Although I dodged easily, I was impressed. She was adapting quickly, learning not only the chanics but also the flow of battle. Honestly, faster than I would’ve expected if I were in her place.
Thus, we kept at it. I would pressure her with unpredictable movents and light strikes, gradually increasing the tempo. She would attempt to dodge or reposition using instinctive footwork, switching her weapons as needed to counterattack. It took over a dozen attempts, but eventually…
As I deflected the rain of arrows coming from her bow, Michelle suddenly sprinted toward with her dagger drawn. I leaned back instinctively to avoid the thrust, but before I could regain my balance, she did sothing unexpected—biting down on the dagger’s hilt, she freed both hands, drew her bow from her back, and in one smooth, fluid motion, nocked an arrow and aid it at .
It was fast. Almost unbelievably so. She released the arrow just as I raised my sword and swung with all my strength to deflect it. The blade connected perfectly, splitting the projectile into two halves midair. Sothing that I couldn’t have done before.
You have acquired a skill: [Projectile Defense Lv.1].
Nice, I got the skill I was aiming for. But there was no ti to celebrate.
I imdiately pivoted and slashed at her in retaliation. To my surprise, Michelle darted away in a blur, performing a sorsault to evade. She landed gracefully behind , her axe already in hand. At the sa mont I turned with my blade, she pointed the head of her axe right at my neck.
Our weapons stopped just inches from each other’s throats.
It was the first ti our spar ended in a draw.
“Huf. Huff… Did I just…” Michelle blinked in surprise.
“Yup,” I said, smirking while lowering the sword. “Good job. You have learned the two skills.”
Scratch that about her being “quite” talented. She’s monstrously talented! I thought. Learning two combat skills through actual sparring was no easy feat, especially not in such a short ti. I doubted that even I could’ve done it under the sa circumstances without relying on prior knowledge.
Her cheeks puffed a bit from my complint. I could see the joy in her eyes even through the exhaustion. The mont a skill was acquired through pure effort was always satisfying, more so than simply learning it through a skill book.
After that, we continued sparring for nearly another hour to refine her movents and sharpen her instincts while I simultaneously focused on learning how to properly wield a shield. It didn’t take long before a notification appeared:
You have acquired a skill: [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.1].
Your Dexterity has increased by 1.
Still, what shocked the most wasn’t my progress—it was hers. Michelle’s growth was frighteningly fast. Toward the end, I found myself forced to use Wind Rush and Predator’s Step repeatedly just to dodge her ambushes and clutch out wins. There were even a few exchanges where the spar ended in a draw because I couldn’t find a clean opening to exploit.
She was improving by leaps and bounds, so much so that I had to double-check myself a few tis, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on . With the right guidance, Michelle wasn’t just talented—she was a true genius.
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