Luciel stepped forward, giving Instructor Julian a formal knight's salute.
"Teacher Julian, I apologize for the offense."
Julian nodded slightly, signaling him to begin.
Luciel inhaled deeply, his eyes flashing with a sharp, determined light. Then, he launched his attack.
Precision and Power
With a swift and calculated step forward, Luciel positioned himself at the most uncomfortable spot for Julian—right at the edge of his defensive reach while maintaining the best possible angle for an attack. His sword flashed like a shooting star, striking forward with lethal precision.
Julian reacted instantly, taking a small step back and drawing a semicircle with his sword, effortlessly intercepting Luciel's strike.
Luciel felt the impact travel through his weapon, but Julian's strength was no greater than his own. Yet, he had neutralized the attack with ease.
So this is the power of a knight's vision and skill…
Luciel's mind raced.
"Analyze the best offensive strategy!"
His thoughts synced with the chip's calculations.
"Step back two paces—overhead slash."
"Sidestep—advance—horizontal cut."
"Thrust at the lower abdomen—evade to the right."
Following the chip's guidance, Luciel unleashed every technique he had learned, barring only his secret Super Cross Swordsmanship.
He moved with the precision of a finely tuned machine, each strike executed at the perfect moment with optimal accuracy.
The students watching from the sidelines were stunned.
Their mouths hung open in disbelief.
Luciel was overwhelming Julian!
His attacks weren't wild or reckless; they were structured, elegant, and devastatingly effective. Each movement was methodical, every strike a lesson in perfection.
Even more shocking—
Julian was being forced to retreat!
The Impossible Mastery
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Luciel's swordsmanship… it looks familiar."
"Wait a minute… isn't this just basic swordsmanship?"
"You're telling me Luciel is using basic swordsmanship… and it's pushing Instructor Julian back?! That's insane!"
Gasps filled the air. Young faces twisted in shock and disbelief.
Julian himself was taken aback.
Basic swordsmanship?
Yes, it was indeed basic swordsmanship.
But this—
This was beyond perfection.
Julian had seen countless knights master the fundamentals, but never had he witnessed someone refine them to such an extreme degree.
No textbook could match what Luciel displayed.
No, this is beyond textbook perfection!
For the first time in years, Julian felt pressure—true battle pressure.
This boy, Luciel had forced him into an actual fight.
After retiring from the battlefield, Julian thought he would never experience such a feeling again. Yet here he was standing before an apprentice knight feeling the weight of real combat.
Unbelievable!
His gaze drifted downward—to Luciel's feet.
Basic footwork… but mastered to an inhuman level!
A sharp glint flashed in Julian's eyes.
He was looking at a rare, unpolished gem—a true prodigy hidden beneath the dust.
Luciel's battle instincts were monstrous. His fighting intuition was almost animalistic.
Julian had no doubt—
Luciel Lanster was an undeniable genius.
Exploiting the Weakness
"Target's right shoulder is stiff. Blood flow is obstructed. Estimated 78% chance of victory if attacked here."
Luciel's chip provided a crucial analysis.
His gaze locked onto Julian's right shoulder.
Indeed, every time Julian raised his sword, there was a slight unnatural stiffness.
An old injury…
Luciel's eyes gleamed like an eagle spotting its prey.
Now's my chance!
He dashed forward, his sword a blur of motion, aimed precisely at Julian's weak spot.
The angle—perfect.
The timing—flawless.
Even Julian was momentarily startled.
His old shoulder wound had never fully healed. It was a flaw so subtle that only knights of his caliber should be able to detect it.
Yet, Luciel—an apprentice—had found it.
And in the midst of battle, no less!
Impossible!
Julian's instincts kicked in. His sword swung up to block, but—
"Buzz!"
A strange vibration pulsed through his blade.
A shock ran through Julian's arm, making his shoulder ache as though it had been pierced by a needle.
This technique…
Julian's heart pounded.
"Micro-level swordsmanship?! How is this possible?!"
Crack!
His sword snapped in half.
Silence.
Julian stood frozen, staring at the broken blade in his hand. It felt like a dream.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze to Luciel.
Then, in a voice filled with both admiration and disbelief, he said—
"Astounding."
Luciel bowed deeply, performing a knight's salute.
A Stunned Audience
The training ground was deathly quiet.
Not a single student moved.
It was as if they had all been petrified.
Luciel… had defeated Instructor Julian.
With basic swordsmanship.
Joey's mouth hung open, his expression frozen like a stunned toad.
Meanwhile, Anderson looked like a soulless puppet, eyes hollow with despair.
If even Instructor Julian—at the same strength level—couldn't defeat Luciel, then what hope did the rest of them have?
Julian turned back to the students and declared—
"Luciel Lanster. Result: Excellence."
Then, after a brief pause, he added—
"He is the top-ranked student in this mid-term assessment. I will personally teach him the knight's breathing technique."
For a moment, no one reacted.
Then—
A deafening roar erupted across the training ground.
Students talked over one another, their voices filled with shock and admiration.
"Luciel!"
"Luciel!"
"Luciel!"
His name was on everyone's lips.
Dozens of eyes fixed on him with a mix of awe, disbelief, and reverence.
A double Outstanding evaluation.
This was an achievement no one had ever attained before.
It was legendary.
And Luciel Lanster had done it..