The next morning, a group of students gathered together to prepare for the anti-human close combat course that was about to begin. The sun has risen, and the soft golden sunlight shines on the training ground. However, not everyone is interested in this early class. A small group of students stood together, arms crossed, reluctance on their faces, and their voices grumbled about the early class, their voices filled with complaints and yawns. "Who came up with this kind of class so early in the morning?" one student muttered. "I have trouble thinking at this time in the morning," another student chimed in, yawning. "If only I could sleep five more minutes." The third student sighed. Their complaints continued until there was a sound of footsteps. Professor Eleanor arrived, and her presence immediately made the students serious. The complaints stopped abruptly, and everyone's attention quickly focused on her. "Good morning," Professor Eleanor greeted, her tone firm and calm. As soon as she appeared, the students dared not complain anymore, as they knew how difficult this professor was to deal with. "As I said before, close combat skills are often overlooked because we hunters usually rely on weapons. However, in a dungeon, sometimes unexpected situations may happen, such as losing your weapon. Therefore, as a hunter, you must be prepared for such situations." Professor Eleanor continued to explain the significance of close combat, while motioning for the students to pay attention with her hands.
"So, today you will be paired with your partners and practice together. Please note that your performance today will be graded." Her words made the students exchange knowing glances. They might be dissatisfied with getting up early, but they also understood the importance of this training. "Now, let's start assigning partners." After saying this, she began to assign partners to the students based on their rankings and her assessment of their abilities. This distribution is natural, so the difference in students' abilities will not be too big, otherwise the effect of the training will be greatly reduced. The matching process is simple, mainly grouping people according to their ranking. When the list was finally distributed, there were only two people left. One was a girl with a slightly depressed expression and seemed a little scared, while the other was an annoying student who always gave her a headache. Sylvie Solaris Since she is a healer, her combat ability is quite weak, so even if she is paired with Ethan, her training efficiency will be very low. However, the annoying student in front of her solved this problem. Because he was ranked at the bottom of the grade, and her experienced eyes could see that Morse was physically weak, he was obviously the most suitable partner for Silvi. "Sylvie Solaris and Morse Scott. You may take your positions." After she motioned for the two to take their positions, she completed all the matching and then turned to the class again. "Remember, the goal of this training is not to beat your partner, but to learn from each other. Pay attention to your techniques, and accept constructive feedback." Eleanor reminded, her eyes scanning all the students. Sylvie stood in front of Morse, a little nervous, as she recalled the terrible scene. "He looks like he's good at close combat." She thought and looked at the boy in front of her. Her ability has been activated and she can sense the other person's emotions. It was a monotonous grey, and he looked at himself with indifference. "Okay, let's start!" Professor Eleanor gave the order, and the training ground suddenly became lively, and each group began to practice their own skills.
Sylvie was still nervous because she had never been in a situation where she had to fight. However, she knew she couldn't escape. "Have you ever been in a fight before?" Morse's voice broke the silence between the two. He looked directly at Silvi, and his tone was not unfriendly, but it was not gentle at all. Xierwei shook his head timidly in response. "Sure enough, most therapists are like this." Hearing her answer, Morse nodded, as if talking to himself. "Until she learns how dangerous this world is, this won't change." Morse thought as he looked at Silvi in front of him, recalling the person who helped him with his treatment last time. "It shouldn't be a bad thing to repay her in this way." With this thought in mind, Morse spoke again. "Let's start with the basics." He looked serious, his purple eyes staring straight at Xierwei. Xi Erwei did not refuse. In fact, he could not refuse at all, because at this moment Morse looked very imposing. Although this feeling mostly came from the fact that she often watched him silently from a distance, at least in her eyes, she felt that she could not refuse him. As Morse began to teach her the basic stances and movements, Sylvie listened carefully, trying to absorb what he was teaching her. He showed her how to adjust her body posture to defend herself and how to turn quickly to react. His instructions were clear and each move was demonstrated with precision. "You need to move a little faster so you're more stable," Morse pointed out, correcting her form. "Keep your arms close to your body so that your chest is protected." Silvi adjusted her posture according to his instructions, but felt clumsy and unconfident when she imitated his movements. "This is too difficult." Xierwei thought to herself, feeling her body beginning to ache. However, Morse's eyes were always fixed on her. Although his attitude was serious, she could feel that he really wanted to help her. If she gave up now, she would be sorry for his efforts. "Let's try a basic block," Morse said calmly. He demonstrated the move, raising his forearms to protect his face and chest. "You need to use your forearms to absorb the impact." Sylvie imitated the movement, feeling a little more confident now that she had clear guidance. Morse watched her carefully, his eyes assessing her movements. But Morse's reaction surprised her. "No, this is not the right way to do it." He said firmly, showing obvious dissatisfaction with his actions. Xierwei's heart sank as he spoke. She had tried her best to follow his instructions, but it was still not good enough. Xierwei bit her lip, feeling frustrated. Morse seemed to sense her emotions and said, "Now, I'll let you understand why you should do this." He adjusted his stance and clenched his fists, and Silvi suddenly felt more nervous. "Ah!" A slight exclamation came out of Xierwei's mouth unconsciously, and her nerves became more sensitive because of tension. "Don't worry, I will control the strength. I just want you to feel it." Morse comforted, still moving cautiously. But despite what he said, Sylvie couldn't help trembling, and her fear became more intense. She closed her eyes, her mind filled with fear and anticipation. "It must be painful, it must be painful, it must be painful..." She kept repeating this sentence in her mind, unable to shake off her fear. Observing her reaction, Morse knew he needed to try a different approach. Bang! Morse's fist touched her, but there was no pain as she expected. Instead, there was only a slight discomfort in her elbow. Confused, she opened her eyes and found Morse's face close at hand.
"Hmm?" she stammered, her tone clearly surprised. She thought back to their previous encounter, and this close contact brought back many memories and emotions at once. "Calm down." Morse's voice was steady, his eyes not moving away. "Sylvie." Even hearing her own name made her feel uneasy. The distance between the two, coupled with the strong aura in Morse's tone, almost overwhelmed her, and the fear of fighting buried deep in her heart was completely awakened. Morse observed Silvi's reaction and knew that he had to act ruthlessly at this moment. "You need to get control of yourself." He said firmly, with a hint of severity in his voice. "This level of fear will not only put you in danger, but also your future teammates. If you can't control your emotions in combat, you'll be a liability, and that's dangerous." His words are sharp and unavoidable. Sylvie’s anxieties and fears are obstacles that must be faced, and Morse has no intention of downplaying her weaknesses. "You are performing poorly right now," Morse continued, his tone unyielding. "If you continue like this, you will only fail. In a real battle, there is no time for hesitation and fear. If you can't bear this, then you are not fit to be here at all." Morse paused, his eyes fixed on her. "If you are unwilling to face your own weaknesses, then you should probably reconsider staying in this academy," he added, with a hint of determination in his tone. Xierwei felt the weight of his words and the truth in them. But this does not mean that she can accept it all calmly. On the contrary, she feels deeply frustrated. Tears welled up in her eyes, filled with anger and loss. Without saying a word, she turned and left the training ground, the emotion completely overwhelmed her. Facing her own fears and deep self-doubt was difficult, but Morse's words hit her directly to the heart. "Student Silvi! Where are you going?" She even ignored Professor Eleanor's call and left the training ground directly.