Chapter 44: Advantage Strike
Chapter 44: Advantage Strike
Day 2, early morning.
Linsey woke up punctually, his biological clock calling him to action.
Three years ago, he would have been following Red Moon, learning various knowledge and languages from the Death Sect.
But that life was now vastly different.
In three years, Linsey had mastered both languages taught by Red Moon and reached the Proficiency level.
One could say so without exaggeration.
Currently, in terms of the Forest Tongue and Death Sect Cipher, he was on par with Red Moon, capable of handling any situation. The daily teachings on the Death Sect had also transitioned to learning by following the burials of the deceased.
Linsey no longer needed to study with Red Moon in the mornings.
The original rotating teaching schedule of four people had now become a three-person rotation.
Linsey woke up early, following the routine of practicing the languages he learned to ensure the growth of his experience bar.
Afterwards, he prepared breakfast for himself and Red Moon.
Bidding farewell to Red Moon, he headed towards the Lord's Manor with a light jog as a warm-up.
"..."
"Hey!"
Linsey was familiar with the terrain and didn't take the main entrance to the manor. Instead, he took a detour to the training ground near the forest, and before he arrived, he heard a loud shout from ahead.
"Brother Alan's voice?"
"What's going on?"
Linsey's eyebrows furrowed, and he hurried to investigate.
After seeing what was happening in the training ground, he realized it was nothing serious.
It was just a routine martial arts practice.
Alan, an apprentice of An Rui, was surrounded by several guards, and he was fending them off with a wooden sword in his hand.
Linsey was about to greet Alan, but at that moment, he noticed a subtle difference.
The skills Alan was practicing were from the Advantage Strike Style of the War Sect.
In the first stage, one would first cultivate offensive capabilities based on Advantage Strike.
The second stage would greatly enhance one's physique, granting exceptional strength, speed, and agility beyond that of ordinary Awakened individuals.
These two cultivation skills were straightforward and practical, enhancing actual combat abilities.
But Alan now exuded a unique aura with every movement. It was as if he had complete control over his surroundings, and he could predict and react to every situation, achieving the effect of being one step ahead.
It was no longer a simple matter of using the War Sect's skills to repel opponents as he had done in the past.
"Brother Alan, have you broken through?"
Linsey approached, and Alan, seeing him coming, dismissed the guards who were sparring with him.
"Linsey, you're here too."
Alan greeted him first, then nodded with unconcealed joy:
"That's right, I've finally broken through."
"The third stage of the Warrior's Heart allows me to be more adept in combat and handle various unexpected situations. These years of practice haven't been in vain!"
Yesterday, Alan finally grasped the first cultivation skill.
Today, Alan had broken through the long-troubling third stage bottleneck.
With both Alan and Alan making progress in their skills, Linsey genuinely felt happy for them.
"It's all thanks to Brother Alan's diligent practice."
"It's just luck!" Alan replied modestly.
"But Linsey, you should give it a try. Experiencing the War Sect's skills will definitely be beneficial."
Linsey thought it made sense.
"Let's go, let's try it out!"
Immediately, the two stood opposite each other in the training ground near the forest, each holding a wooden sword.
"Be careful."
Alan, who had just broken through, took the initiative and charged forward with a quick step, swinging his wooden sword towards Linsey's shoulder.
This strike seemed ordinary, but Linsey saw through it instantly.
- Advantage Strike.
In a normal fight, one standing on higher ground or in the light while the other in the shadows would naturally have a geographical advantage; if they were at the boundary between light and darkness, one would have a visual advantage during the clash.
The Advantage Strike Style cultivates this kind of advantage.
Those who cultivate this sect automatically gain an advantage in fair duels, allowing them to overpower their enemies and even defeat them instantly.
Linsey was already familiar with this technique.
So, in the moment Alan struck, he immediately retreated to create distance.
Instead of confronting this seemingly ordinary strike, which actually contained immense power, akin to a heavy strike from a leap from the second floor.
"Too slow!" Alan's voice boomed.
In that instant, Alan's movement seemed well-prepared. As Linsey retreated, he pressed forward, and what was once a guaranteed dodge now became a precise strike!
Was this the predictive ability of the Warrior's Heart?
Realizing the situation, Linsey rolled on the ground to dodge, only then standing up again.
Being suppressed like this, the defeat was certain.
Linsey's mind instantly assessed the situation.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, taking a short, quick step towards Alan, his wooden dagger slashing upwards.
Thwack!
The Warrior's Heart was immune to the surprise attack.
Alan, despite his late start, reached Linsey first, their wooden daggers clashing against each other.
At this moment, Linsey's hand trembled.
He had no intention of competing in strength with a War Sect Awakened.
Instead, he changed his footwork, allowing his dagger to follow the force of his body, forcing Alan to retreat.
"Your movements are just too agile!" Alan exclaimed in surprise.
Having been pushed back, Alan's expression was one of astonishment.
Without the War Sect's skills, Linsey's performance had already surpassed normal limits!
If not for Alan's Warrior's Heart, he might have truly been hit.
"If I didn't know your background, and we weren't so isolated here..."
"I'd really suspect you were from another War Sect, sent here to steal our techniques!"
Linsey smiled and replied, "It was just luck. I was fortunate just now."
In truth, Linsey's movement wasn't simple. How could the skills of one sect be easily blocked? Just as he had learned archery from Dan, possessing rapid-fire abilities.
The dagger skills and footwork he learned from the Lord's Manor now also had the Advantage Strike suffix.
Although he lacked the War Sect's skills, the skill panel allowed Linsey to fine-tune his movements during attacks.
He could adjust his stance when attacking or dodging, the power and angle of his dagger strikes.
These subtle adjustments also gave him an edge in combat, achieving a unique Advantage Strike.
The two practiced together for a while, then separated to continue their individual training.
Two hours passed like this.
A figure in a purple dress emerged from the back door of the manor, her gaze locking onto Linsey.
"Linsey, you're here!"
It was Anna.
Three years had passed, and the once-young girl had grown into a graceful young lady.
She watched Linsey practice his martial skills with delight in her eyes.
After a polite greeting, her first question was:
"I heard you went hunting in the woods yesterday. Did you collect any new fertilizer?"
Linsey's posture stiffened immediately.
The fertilizer Anna mentioned was for her beech tree.
Whenever Linsey went hunting, he would help the girl collect materials, which he would then give to Finn to process.
When Linsey went to the manor, he would bring the fertilizer to Anna.
This was their unspoken understanding.
But yesterday, Linsey was in a foul mood and forgot all about it!
"... "
Linsey's silence spoke volumes, and Anna sensed something was amiss.
The girl approached, her large, purple eyes fixed on Linsey, her teeth gently biting her lip.
"What's wrong? Did something happen in the forest, or did you forget...?"
Linsey interrupted, "It's not what you think! Yesterday in the forest, I encountered a particularly strong wild boar. It took a lot of effort to kill it..."
"Wild boar?" Hearing this, Anna forgot about the fertilizer and immediately checked Linsey for injuries. "Are you hurt?"
Living in a secluded frontier town with an Ascender father, Anna was no sheltered young lady.
She knew how dangerous wild boars could be!
Linsey waved his hands, "I'm fine. It was just a tense process."
"... "
After a brief chat, it was almost noon.
It was a good time for a break, so they headed to the manor for lunch.
But as they entered the courtyard, they saw Lord An Rui on the second floor of the main building, looking down at them.
"Linsey, come up here. There's something you need to know!"
Lord An Rui called out to Linsey, and when he saw Anna, he said, "Anna, come here too."
(End of Chapter)
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