'Well, that was embarrassing.'
Ackster had already decided from the get-go that he wouldn't go all out in the spar with the ant general since it would only serve to inform the ants of how much of a threat he was. And he was injured. Due to Nolding his toes a bunch, his movements and kicks were far from what they could be. Ackster had only been able to deliver a fraction of his fighting capability.
But he could sense that the ant general had also held back a lot. Yet, Ackster had still been trounced.
It wasn't for nothing since he got a vague grasp of what the ant general was capable of and an opportunity to train his reactions when his movements are restricted and he's enduring severe pain.
Instead of using Keen Senses and Battlesight to supplement his combat and just using the best first move to dodge, Ackster had to be gentle with his moves. If he moved too much, he would have to take a step, which he couldn't do without severe repercussions. So, he had to use minimal movements to avoid, block, or parry the ant general's attacks, which came from all directions, thanks to the general's wings giving him flight and boosted speed, agility, and mobility.
He also tried acquiring Block since he was up against an opponent whose attacks he could actually block with his hands, legs, and arms.
However, neither fighter was giving their all, and the fight ended too quickly, so Ackster didn't make any progress. The only thing he gained was a better sense for unarmed melee combat, which, combined with his experience against Hansel and the unnamed bearded adventurer, was helping him flesh out his general understanding of battle. It wasn't much, but baby steps build adults, and as he learned more, Ackster would become greater.
But first, food.
Although the fight was short, the ant general had landed several solid hits in that short time. Combined with the energy his body burned through to keep up with his regeneration, Ackster was feeling like feasting, so he happily indulged in the buffet of ants lined up outside his room.
He ate until he couldn't, briefly entertaining the delusion of reducing the ants' numbers solely by eating them all. But he didn't forget how many ants had swarmed him and Karandiel, so he let that thought go with a smile as he pondered on his spar with the ant general to try and figure out what he could do better next time, what he shouldn't do next time, and what he should try again next time.
His overall situation was tense, but at the same time, it was also Ackster's first opportunity of not fighting for the sake of killing and surviving. He was fighting purely to learn and improve, and when he dedicated his entire self to that aspect of fighting, Ackster felt like he could see himself improving in real-time.
Ackster pretty quickly identified a couple of mistakes he made because he caught himself trying to move with his broken toes. Instead of either moving and bearing the extra pain or standing still and dealing with the general ant's attacks, Ackster hesitated and oscillated between either option before deciding on one. That was something that got him hit several times.
Ackster knew already that hesitation was fatal in the middle of fighting. But he had somehow not recognized it while he hesitated. It was only afterward, as he thought about what led up to each instance where he got hit, that he realized it was because he moved slower than he should have. And he moved slower because he couldn't decide how to move.
Ackster decided he would have to work on that. He didn't have time to think and weigh his options while fighting. He should be reacting as soon as his opponent attacked. Or, with Battlesight, react before they do that and launch a preemptive counterattack if possible.
With Strong Body, his eventual regeneration, and his defensive skills, Ackster wasn't too scared of getting hit. So, if he could land a solid blow by reacting as his opponent moves ahead of time, thanks to Battlesight and being trained to move at first possible stimuli, he would have a decent fighting strategy in place.
Reacting as things happen or are about to happen also makes it difficult for people reading him to guess what he's about to do, such as The Hero, who, in the original story, used a couple of skills to analyze and observe his opponent. The Hero, calculative as he was, calculated what his opponents would do, their patterns, their trends, and their habits, and used it against them if possible and necessary.
If Ackster developed a fighting style that relied on his advantages with sturdiness, regeneration, and senses instead of one that relied on proper tactics and plans, he would lessen the weight of one of The Hero's cards.
Of course, it wouldn't be that simple to counter The Hero in direct combat, but it would be a start, something Ackster felt he hadn't had until now.
'I really owe a lot to these ants.'
Ackster had gotten some peace and quiet so he could train Nold's secret technique without worrying about anything of the outside world. He got as much food as he wanted. And now, he had a personal trainer that helped him find flaws in his combat.
It was perfect except for the fact that he didn't need peace and quiet for his training. He could find as much food as he needed outside the nest. And he could find a trainer that could talk with him instead of merely beating him until he starts looking like the other ants in the nest.
Most importantly, however, the ants were delaying his progress toward the Sea God Temple.
After seeing the sharpness Hansel had imbued his spear with, Ackster was looking forward to what mana, trained with the Sea God Manual, could do.