Cassian, grunting and drenched in sweat, swung his wooden sword down at his sparring partner, Nahir. Nahir met the strike with a grunt of his own, blocking the overhead slash and pushing Cassian back. The force of the block sent Cassian stumbling, his arms trembling slightly as he struggled to regain his footing. With a pained voice, Nahir asked, "You fucker, what are you eating to get this strong so fast?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nahir launched a horizontal strike. Cassian managed to block it, but the power behind the blow still sent a sharp jolt through his side, making him wince. Nahir then spun 360 degrees, attacking from the other side, forcing Cassian to dodge by barely keeping his balance.
"Come on, be honest with me," Nahir growled, frustration clear in his voice. "Did you inherit some secret technique from your master Russel or something?"
They had been sparring together for quite some time, and each day Cassian seemed to improve by leaps and bounds. At first, he could barely manage to avoid a beating, only dodging one or two strikes. But now, he could block, dodge, and even find openings to strike back.
Nahir prided himself on becoming skilled with a sword through his own effort, learning by watching knights and warriors train. Cassian was similar in that regard, but he had the benefit of sparring with Nahir, which made his rapid progress sting even more. It hurt Nahir's pride to see Cassian learning at such an incredible pace.
But it wasn't as if Nahir was stagnant—he was growing stronger too, his movements more fluid and his strikes more precise. As he unleashed a barrage of powerful blows, he finally broke through Cassian's defense, landing a solid thrust to his stomach. Cassian doubled over in pain, nearly losing his lunch. "You're years away from being able to beat me," Nahir said, helping Cassian back to his feet, his own breathing heavy and sweat pouring down his face.
Cassian grunted as he stood, still clutching his stomach with a pained expression. He only relaxed a little after stretching his back to ease the discomfort. "Did you really have to hit that hard asshole?" he asked, wincing.
Nahir gave him a smirk as he sat down in the shade of a tree, taking a swig of water. Cassian followed suit, placing his brand-new wooden sword next to his worn-out one. "Are you going to try out for the Bloodfire Legion?" Cassian asked.
Nahir raised an amused eyebrow at the mention. The Bloodfire Legion was the official name of the Ven Dyke family's military force, a dream destination for many nobles and commoners alike. For nobles, it offered a chance to elevate their status, while for commoners, it provided a path to knighthood or even nobility. The tryouts Cassian mentioned weren't directly for the Legion itself but for a military training school that groomed future warriors. Anyone could apply—commoners, nobles, and even those of other races—since the Ven Dyke Duchy valued talent above all.
However, passing the tryout didn't guarantee a spot in the Legion, contrary to how Cassian seemed to frame it. "I am," Nahir replied, his expression thoughtful. "Aren't you? With your skills, you'd get in easily."
"I don't know..." Cassian replied, his voice uncertain. He was genuinely conflicted. If he passed the tryouts, he'd be free from his servant duties, which was tempting. But at the same time, he was reluctant to give up his position as a servant to the princess of the dukedom. He hadn't realized it before, but being a servant to royalty held significant power—more than some low-level nobles. Securing such a position was incredibly difficult, and he had only gotten it thanks to Tyron. Without that connection, he would have ended up like Nahir, just a servant to some captain's wife.
"Well, figure it out then," Nahir said, getting to his feet and picking up his wooden sword. "At the very least, you'd learn some sword techniques if you got in. That could help you develop your domain...and if you're lucky, you might even get your hands on a mana-gathering technique, too."
This uncertainty was why he couldn't decide whether to join the school or remain a servant, hoping to eventually get his hands on either a sword technique or a mana-gathering technique. Fortunately, he still had two months to think it over, and since his servant duties had only just begun, he had no idea what the future might hold. Smiling as he stood up, he said, "I'll think about it after I beat you."
"That might never happen..." Nahir replied with a smirk as they both headed off to take care of their afternoon duties.
Long-serving servants were sometimes rewarded with mana-gathering techniques, like Lucy and others had received. However, these techniques were usually geared toward extending their lifespan and making them stronger than the average human, which, in turn, made them more effective in their duties—and able to serve for a longer time.
Cassian didn't just want the bare minimum; he truly wanted to be strong, strong enough not to rely on anyone else for his safety. Being a servant meant he had to depend on his position, which only lasted as long as he was Lady Katherine's servant. The moment she dismissed him, all that authority would vanish.
"Let's just test the waters first," he muttered to himself as he went to clean up and get ready for his duties, which were the same as they had been every day before. But today, he felt a spark of excitement because he knew he would see Laureen. He had been eager to meet her again since she had helped him with what she called 'releasing his arousal.'
He had so many questions for her, but the past two days had offered no opportunities to speak with her. Hopefully, today would be different.
But unfortunately, all he managed was a brief greeting with her before Lady Katherine called him into her room. Unlike him, Laureen had an amused, teasing smile as she watched him walk away with a dejected expression, releasing a soft chuckle.
Lucy, who was walking alongside Laureen, noticed her chuckling and glanced in the same direction, but Cassian was already inside, so with a puzzled face. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, her tone full of confusion.
"Did you call for me, my lady?" Cassian asked, bowing as he approached Katherine, who was searching for a book on her bookshelf. She nodded and said, "This is for you," as she pulled a book from the shelf.
Cassian took the book and glanced at the title: Leg Devotion. The name reminded him of a book he had recently finished, making him uncertain whether it was about massage—like the previous one—or something weird, given the title's ambiguity.
His guess was correct. Katherine explained, "This book covers techniques for massaging calves and thighs. Please read it and begin practicing the techniques described in a week."
He hadn't even finished mastering foot massage techniques yet, still a long way from advancing to the first level of proficiency. Now, he had to learn another set of skills.
He hoped the system would find something useful in this new book. To his relief, the system's voice echoed in his mind, making him smile.
[Chaos mana detected. If the trainee allows the system to absorb it, a new skill will be provided.]
'First, promise me it won't be as useless as that foot massage skill,' Cassian thought, flipping through the pages as if he were reading, not wanting Katherine to know he was talking to someone in his mind.
[The system cannot determine which skill to provide, as it is based on the book, but it will attempt to find one that matches the host's needs.]
This response left Cassian a bit disheartened, thinking he might end up with another impractical skill. Still, at least he wouldn't have to start from scratch, even if it was another massage technique. He silently consented. 'It's all yours. Absorb it.'
[Absorbing chaos...]
The system began absorbing the chaos without even thanking Cassian for allowing it, he looked bit annoyed but thinking 'At least it's giving me something in exchange,' he waited for the reward. Since the system was taking its time, he turned to Katherine and said with a smile, "It will be done, my lady. But instead of waiting a week, could I start practicing now? The techniques are similar to foot massage, just with a few different strokes. I'd like to go through it once."
Katherine looked surprised, as the techniques in this book were nothing like the foot massage ones. However, Cassian spoke with such confidence that she gave an amused smile and said, "I'm free all day, so take your time."
"Thank you, my lady. It'll only take a couple of minutes at most," Cassian replied, stepping to the side and beginning to flip through the pages.
He had considered asking her to leave but was too impatient to wait. Since the book mentioned thigh massage as well, he wanted to see if massaging Katherine's thighs would have the same effect as it did when he massaged Laureen. Cassian didn't realize that just thinking about massaging Katherine's thighs was already causing a reaction—he could see a small bulge forming in his pants.
[Absorption complete.]
After a few minutes, the system's voice chimed in, making Cassian smile. It spoke again:
[The skill has been granted. You now possess 'Leg and Thigh Massage Mastery'. This skill enables you to identify massage points on the thighs and legs and provides comprehensive knowledge about the legs of humans and other beings with a similar anatomy. Does trainee Cassian wish to learn it?]
'Yes.'
Just like that, a surge of information began to fill his mind. As before, it was knowledge about various life forms, but Cassian noticed that most of these beings had similar physiology to humans, with only a few extra muscles or bones here and there.
As the information continued to flood in, the system spoke again, surprising him.
[The skill 'Leg and Thigh Massage Mastery' will be merged with 'Foot Massage Mastery,' creating the new skill 'Lower Body Massage Mastery.']
But the surprises didn't stop there.
[Another skill is in development. As the system processes the absorbed chaos, it will be completed and granted to the trainee in time.]
Cassian was momentarily confused by the system's announcement. He had questions about what it meant for a skill to be "in development" or "digesting the chaos," but he decided to set those thoughts aside for now.
As Cassian anticipated working on another set of thighs, he watched Katherine engrossed in her work at the study table. He walked up to her and said, "I'm done, my lady."
Katherine looked up in surprise and asked, "Already?"
Cassian simply nodded with a smile. Katherine returned his smile with amusement, then shifted her legs to the side to make room under the table. "Well, go ahead then."
To Cassian's luck, Katherine was wearing a long skirt, which meant he could work directly on her skin rather than through clothing. Taking his seat under the table, he gently grasped her feet and asked, "Shall I start with your feet and work my way up, my lady?"
"As you wish," Katherine replied with a smile, adding, "But did you really learn it so quickly?"
"Yes, my lady," Cassian said with a smirk. "Just let me warm up your feet before showing you."
He began massaging her feet, and within minutes, they began radiating warmth, helping Katherine relax as she felt the tension and tiredness ease from her body.
As Cassian observed Katherine's relaxed expression, he shifted his hands from her feet to her ankles. Lightly stroking his fingers behind her ankles, he moved up to her calves, applying more pressure as he continued. Katherine responded with a breathless gasp, "Ohhh... ha... ha... haa," and then laughed, surprised and excited. "You weren't lying...you really learned it."
Cassian smiled smugly at her reaction. While it wasn't his skill that allowed him to learn quickly, Katherine didn't need to know that, so he could afford to be a bit arrogant. However, not wanting to come off as a genius, he said, "It's not that I learned all the techniques—just a few that matched the foot massage ones."
"Well, it's already surprising that you learned so much in just a few minutes," Katherine said with a smile, continuing to relax in her chair. "Your aptitude is perfect for Magisteria."
Cassian looked puzzled, not knowing what Magisteria was. He asked, "What is Magisteria, my lady?"
bình luận đoạn văn
Tính năng bình luận đoạn văn hiện đã có trên Web! Di chuyển chuột qua bất kỳ đoạn nào và nhấp vào biểu tượng để thêm nhận xét của bạn.
Ngoài ra, bạn luôn có thể tắt / bật nó trong Cài đặt.
ĐÃ NHẬN ĐƯỢC