"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did just now." In front of a stall, a senior student bowed his head and apologized to a freshman, a scene that most passers-by found unbelievable. Because they never thought that those proud and even somewhat conceited members of the archery club would do such a thing. "It's okay." I replied, looking at the senior. He might have asked Professor Joey about me and found out that I was indeed invited. "Thank you. I have registered you as one of our members. Congratulations." He said with a smile, trying to be friendly in front of me. "If you have nothing else to do, then I'll take my leave." I simply nodded and left. I knew what kind of person he was and what role he would play in the following plot. Therefore, there was no need to show him any friendly expression. I could clearly see his distorted expression. He was obviously angry at my attitude just now. It was just a simple little action, but it was enough to anger him. He is a creature with a fragile self-esteem. With just a little exploitation, he can manipulate and shape them as he pleases. "I will make sure you follow the same path in the game... You will be the route I take to find that demon and kill it"
With this thought in mind, I left. To explain what just happened, I was just passing by the archery club's booth on my way to the training ground and this senior stopped me, and that's what happened. Anyway, since today's class was cancelled, I can use this time to train. The urgency is approaching, because with the start of the club activities, the events in the story will also begin, which means I need to be strong enough for these events. These events include not only demons, but villains and humans as well. Not all students in the academy are good people. Some like to bully others, some want to be stronger but are crushed, and so on. The academy's harsh educational methods make it easy for students to fall into the abyss of despair, making them more susceptible to the temptation of demons and villains. Everything was relatively calm for now, as the factional fighting within the academy had not yet begun, which would not officially begin until after the first midterm exam. Regardless, now that I have some free time, I need to make the most of it. ...... The first practical training class on Tuesday. I stood in front of Ethan and couldn't help shaking my head. "Your partners have been changed." Eleanor looked at me and said, "Student Sylvie asked to change partners." It was Sylvie's own request. I knew very well that normally a tutor would not agree to such a request, especially one as strict as Eleanor White, but she did it anyway, probably because she didn't like me, so she was a little more lenient towards Sylvie. "Ethan and Morse. From now on you will train together." And the one assigned to my side was the heroic protagonist. I don't want anything to do with him. "It's understandable that she assigned Ethan to me." I thought to myself. After all, Ethan's ranking was similar to mine, so it was normal for him to be my partner. "You can start now. I'll be watching, so don't be lazy." She said in a serious tone, and then left the two of us looking at each other. After Eleanor White left, Ethan and I were left standing face to face, and I couldn't help feeling helpless. Ethan was almost the embodiment of the word "protagonist", which I didn't dislike. He is upright, idealistic, and always eager to prove his point. He is a sleeping lion cub who will one day grow into a hero.
Just because he's not a bad guy or a nasty person doesn't mean I'm happy with this arrangement. Heroes also have flaws. First, their beliefs. As a player, reader, or viewer, these beliefs may be acceptable because we know they will stick to them in the end. But from another perspective, what makes their opinions superior to others? Why are the beliefs of heroes worth following? When I first asked this question, the answer naturally emerged. That's power. If the hero does not have enough strength to support his beliefs, then these beliefs will eventually be forgotten. If they have power, then those beliefs become the beliefs of the weak…at least on the surface. Ethan cleared his throat and looked me straight in the face. "You know, Morse, I can see that you're not too happy with this arrangement. But I believe there are some benefits to our working together." He seemed to want to change his approach. He seemed to remember my attitude from last time, which was a good thing for me. I took a deep breath and said, "I don't see how partnering with you would do any of us any good." In a sense, Ethan is the protagonist and fighting him would definitely be rewarding for me. But why does he think so is the question in my mind. Ethan's tone remained calm, unshaken by my cold attitude. "Our ways may be different, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from each other." He continued speaking in the same tone, and I was reminded again of the game and why I loved playing it. "Strength is more than just physical ability. It's about understanding, adapting, and being able to use your abilities fluidly." It is precisely because his beliefs will change over time that he will grow from a child with a strong sense of justice to a mature man who has experienced countless things. This is one of the reasons why I like this game. But now he is annoying to me. I shook my head, a little impatient. "Look, Ethan, I respect your point of view, but don't waste your time on me. Not everyone's world works the way you think it does." For some reason I wanted to say these words and express my position, which is something I would not normally do. Maybe it was just his current personality that irritated me. But after hearing what I said, Ethan smiled, a smile that reflected his firm belief in the goodness of human nature. "Maybe I can't change your mind today, but I won't stop trying. Maybe we can find some common ground." I could tell he was getting excited about it, and it was making me increasingly irritated. 'No one cares about your beliefs...' I wanted to say this, but I closed my eyes and calmed the slight resentment in my heart. 'What are you doing, Morse? ' I asked myself. 'Why waste your time in vain? ' With this question I looked up at him. "Let's get started. I don't want to discuss philosophy right now." Ethan's persistence was evident in his smile. "Really? But I'll never give up, you know?" I responded to his statement with a simple statement. "I don't care about your resolve. Let's focus on the task at hand." "Okay." He nodded and assumed a serious fighting stance. At this point, we were both in combat mode, waiting for each other's moves. We circled each other, and the atmosphere was filled with tension. Although I felt annoyed, I was still a little curious about how this duel would develop. I wanted to see how strong I was in close combat and what my physical potential was really capable of.
Swoosh—— Ethan took the lead, aiming a quick jab at my abdomen. His form wasn't that of a skilled fighter, but it was pretty good for an amateur. Bang-- I blocked quickly, the impact passing through my arm with a hint of pain. "He was strong, just as expected." Even in unarmed combat, Ethan's strength is evident, proving that his training and basic attributes are excellent. This is to be expected, after all, he has just awakened and his talent has not yet reached its ceiling. But I don't intend to back down. Swoosh—— I responded with a well-aimed hook, aiming for his chest, testing his defenses. Bang-- He blocked it with ease, showing his judgment and adaptability to the movements. Swoosh—— I then launched a spinning kick, and he quickly leaned forward to dodge it, which fully demonstrated his advantage as a spearman and quickly closed the distance between us. Swoosh—— Ethan threw a straight punch, and I leaned back to avoid it. The fist grazed my chin, which reminded me that he had excellent fighting talent and was good at fighting without weapons. This was not due to his pure strength, but to his talent. He seemed to move instinctively and make extremely accurate judgments, perhaps even he himself did not understand why he could do it. But it also gave me an opportunity to learn and improve myself by watching his natural movements and learning his special talents. I focused on the way he stood, the subtle shifts in his weight, the tension in his muscles. It was as if time had slowed down, allowing me to capture every detail of his movements. My mind raced to register this information. "I see. By using his body this way, he focuses more of his strength on his core, making it easier to recover from attacks," I thought to myself. Swoosh—— When he followed up with a left hook, I dodged sideways and quickly countered with an elbow to the side. Bang-- "Well--!" His grunt proved that my tactics were effective. Our fight became more intense, interweaving dodging, blocking and attacking. Ethan’s eyes showed a strong will, and although I was annoyed at first, I found myself gradually immersed in this battle and self-improvement. For some reason this was much better than just sparring with a training dummy, and I could feel myself improving much faster this way. As we fought, I could feel his strength and determination driving him forward. His punches became more controlled, his movements more precise. His natural ability to learn began to show, and his moves gradually became more refined. One sparring session wasn't enough to make him an expert, but he was improving rapidly.
Ethan didn't have much experience in unarmed combat, but he was an undoubted learner. He wasn't just throwing punches, he was studying my moves, adapting and evolving with each exchange. And I am also learning. In short, I also benefited a lot from this match. My [Insight Perception] skill allowed me to find the flaws in my own skills and areas for improvement. The feedback loop between us was unexpected but effective. I adjusted my strategy, using my agility to my advantage. I weaved in and out of his attacks, looking for gaps in his defenses. But every time I struck him, he struck back with renewed force, and our collision was a symphony of gasps, crashes, and the rustling of leaves underfoot. In the midst of physical exertion, Ethan spoke. "You know, I've been wanting to ask for a long time, why are you still ranked last? With your ability, you should be ranked higher." It seems that he is curious about why I am still ranked last. He must have noticed my fighting skills by now, although it doesn't matter to me. "It's none of your business." I interrupted him and threw a quick punch, aiming for his right abdomen. Bang-- However, he blocked my attack with his elbow, which was what I expected, as it was his instinctive reaction. "Heh...I'm really right--" Bang-- Just as she was about to continue speaking, I suddenly used a quick swing punch hidden behind the uppercut. This punch appeared in front of his eyes, causing him to lose balance in the fight and fall to the ground. Pooh-- He spat out the blood in his mouth and looked up at me. “You’re amazing.” "Shut up." bite-- Just as Ethan was about to stand up, a bell interrupted us, along with the instruction to end. "Stop!" Eleanor raised her hand and asked everyone to stop. Her magic power enveloped everyone, showing the precise control ability that matched her title of "Controller". "The class is over. You may all go home now." As she spoke, everyone stopped what they were doing. "You have a weird personality, but your skills are really great. I look forward to our next match." Ethan stood up, left a word, and turned to his team...