Although he didn't notice it himself, on this new mission, Teclos moved differently—he wasn't faster or stronger, at least not by much. But something had changed in the way he approached a hunt. He was stealthier.
Every step he took carried the intent of stealth.
Every breath he took was controlled.
Even the way he shifted his weight along the branches felt refined, moving with the forest itself.
Like a shadow of the forest, unseen by most of its dwellers.
He had begun to understand something fundamental about his darkness affinity.
For him, brute force was not the answer anymore.
Stealth was.
Patience.
And a precise killing blow.
It was what allowed him to fully utilize the nature of his darkness mana—and without realizing it, he had started walking the exact path the old man had been pushing him toward from the very beginning.
The old man chose the training targets in a way that favored stealth—either because the target was too strong for a frontal assault or too quick.
