Sidius made his way towards the pathway leading to the sword hall. There were students from the C section already gathered, waiting patiently for their professor who was meditating quietly in front.
He was Michael Dylarz, a Heroic-ranked chosen who specialized in swords and aura. With his sharp features and formidable build, he resembled a beast hungry for battle.
He would only teach one time to all the first-year students and personally select an individual to receive further training from him.
Sidius sat on an empty mat at the back of the hall, waiting for the next class to commence.
As the moments passed, anticipation filled the air.
"Good day, first-years in the B section. You probably know me already, so I'll skip the formalities," Michael's commanding voice resonated throughout the large hall, immediately capturing the attention of all the students. "Today, you will choose the weapon that suits you best," the professor continued.
"For those who will pick swords, scythes, and axes, you will practice horizontal slashes."
"For those eyeing the spears and pole weapons, you will practice forward thrusts."
"And for those who prefer guns, daggers, and bows, you will throw and shoot at targets."
Michael's instructions were clear and decisive.
"You will practice your chosen technique one thousand times, is that understood?"
- Gasp!
Faint murmurs of excitement and disbelief could be heard from the students. One thousand times seemed like an overwhelming task for a first training, but they knew there was no other option.
Moving slowly towards the weaponry, Sidius blended in with the crowd and eventually chose a weapon— It was a dagger.
'A dagger is both convenient and efficient for dealing with enemies. Bows are too vulnerable when exposed. Swords, spears, and pole weapons are difficult to master, and axes are better suited for bulkier individuals,' Sidius thought to himself, carefully evaluating his choice.
'And scythes are for...'
Sidius paused for a moment to observe his peers. He noticed that many selected various types of swords, while about half of the female students chose bows.
Surprisingly, three students have selected the scythes.
'Heh, good luck cutting more grass with that,' Sidius chuckled inwardly.
'Scythes are impractical in battle so it's common sense to pick more useful weapons. But who knows, they might bring glory to the scythe after all.'
Afterwards, Sidius decided to walk slowly into the target room– a space designed for Chosens to practice with dummy targets.
Some students have already arrived carrying guns, daggers, and bows. There, he found an empty spot to begin throwing his daggers.
Daggers were the weapons of an assassin, ideal for both long-range and close combat. They suited Sidius perfectly as he preferred swift and decisive battles. He had no interest in prolonged fights; his aim was to eliminate his enemies as soon as possible.
Back on Earth, Sidius' strong physique often led to trouble during missions that dragged on for too long. He had always dreamt of becoming an assassin, wielding a dagger to deal a swift and stealthy blow.
'Daggers paired with shadow skills are overpowered. I can take out enemies without them even realizing it. Isn't that awesome? It's far less troublesome that way,' he exclaimed inwardly.
Walking to an empty space in the room, Sidius started throwing the dagger at the dummy. The target was designed as a human puppet with vital points marked by red dots, commonly used by Chosens to train their shooting skills.
'I had never practiced with daggers in my previous life because I was prohibited from doing so. I often used rifles, mostly machine guns. But this time, daggers will be my main weapon,' he said resolutely in his mind.
Sidius threw the daggers casually at first, honing his throwing skills and strengthening the muscles in his arms along with related active parts.
He can also fix his positioning for better and more efficient throws.
- Clang!
- Clang!
Moments later, Sidius realized that doing thousands of casual throws is boring for him.
His muscles would be exhausted without even needing to do anything more for the rest of the day so he decided to make a serious attempt.
'Just one. I want to see if daggers really suit me in this life.'
"Huu."
Exhaling, Sidius took a precise position. Using his right foot, he stepped back with only his toes on the ground, lowering his body slightly.
He crossed his arms holding the dagger until it reached his ears. He then focused his eyes on the target, imagining it to be closer than it seems.
With all his might, he threw the dagger straight to its destination.
- Kachak!
- Kachak!
The sound of two daggers swiftly hitting the dummy resonated in the room. They came close to hitting the dummy's heart, leaving destructive dents on its surface.
'Shit! I think I hit it too hard. It will not make Michael notice it, right?' he spoke to himself worriedly. 'I didn't expect my accuracy to be high on my first time throwing with this body.'
Tap. Tap. Tap.
At that moment, faint footsteps approached Sidius. However, he was too focused on himself to even notice them or the other students that had witnessed his dagger throwing.
Coming back to his senses, Sidius instinctively turns around and he sees Michael Dylarz smiling.
'This is bad. I need to come up with an excuse... Think! Think!'
Sidius panicked inwardly, trying to come up with a solution.
"Boy, state your name and your rank," the professor suddenly ordered.
"S-Sidius Ashcroft, F-rank, Sir!" Sidius automatically acted, feigning a stutter before making a salute.
"You're not bad," Michael said as he walked towards the broken dummy. "The stab was clean and powerful. It cuts through the dummy, which is similar to the body of E-ranked Demonic Beast."
"Can you do it again?" he asked, looking at Sidius.
'That's what I was waiting for you to say.'
Sidius sneered inside then he arrogantly responded, "Yes, Sir!"
"Good," Michael replied, then he turned to the student next to Sidius, signaling for him to step aside. "Throw the daggers again, I want to see it personally," he said, pointing at the dummy ahead.
Sidius walked confidently and stood 20 meters away from the dummy.
He then repeated the same movements as before, but this time, he aimed for the miss.
'Thinking of accepting me as your student? You're dreaming!'
Sidius inwardly chuckled, throwing the daggers with half of his power.