Fate: The Forged Arthur Pendragon

Normally,

The speed at which an apprentice masters combat techniques can determine their innate talent for that specific profession.

Take Quick Step as an example: an ordinary person would need years of practice to even touch the threshold, to move silently and elusively with quick steps.

However, a person with an innate talent for being an Assassin, when mastering this most basic and core ability,

The required learning time would range from half a month to a month.

And the reason Lucan was confident in teaching Suya to master Quick Step within five days was because he was a Master-level thief, and due to a past experience, he also possessed a specialty called Hero Cultivation.

But even so, Lucan had never imagined that Suya would fully master this combat technique within five days. He had originally only planned to fully teach Suya the portion of Quick Step that improved agility.

However,

Now,

How many seconds had passed since this kid saw his demonstration of advanced Quick Step techniques until he perfectly executed the ability only possible with proficient Quick Step?

At this moment,

Lucan, realizing that something incredible was happening before his eyes, suddenly stopped breathing. A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his scalp tingle!

"Lord Lucan, Lord Lucan—"

The young man's voice, clearer and more melodious than a bard's, reached his ears.

Lucan snapped out of his shock to see Suya's small hand waving in front of his eyes.

"Why are you spacing out?"

"Is mastering this technique really that difficult?"

Lucan instinctively wanted to nod.

Damn it, it's a technique that even the strongest assassins take a month to learn, and you learned it in two seconds, then asked me, who took half a year to learn it—

Is it difficult?

Is~ it~ difficult~?

Lucan couldn't help but bite down on his aching molars, using a top-tier con artist's facial control to forcefully suppress the urge to curse.

Then, his gaze fell faintly upon Suya.

He shook his head, coughed, and then let out a strange, eerie laugh:

"No, no."

"This is merely the most basic combat technique. With all due respect, My King, you still have a long way to go."

Suya nodded with a look of realization, thinking, Indeed, with my level, I'm still far from that human Hulk, Seleucus, who can jump hundreds of meters.

This made a sense of urgency well up in his heart.

However, he then reconsidered. According to what was just said, Lucan only seemed to plan to teach him this little bit.

To avoid wasting time, he spoke,

"So that's how it is. Then, Lord Lucan, is the training over?"

"According to the plan, I still need to learn magic from Merlin and stealth from Dagonet."

"Can I go find them now?"

But these words, upon reaching Lucan's ears, were like a clap of thunder from a clear sky!

He slightly opened his narrowed eyes, his golden pupils fixed on Suya's innocent, sunrise-like smile, feeling that smile was so blinding!

It was as if another Suya, covering his mouth and sneering coldly, had appeared behind him, poking his spine and asking with disdain,

[That's it?]

[You, the so-called Hero Cultivator, the grand thief who achieved mastery through deception, is this all you've got?]

[You're nothing special, Lord~ Lu~can~]

The thought alone!

"Wait!"

Lucan immediately shouted.

He forcefully controlled his gradually distorting face to form a smile that involuntarily inspired trust:

"My King, that was just a warm-up."

"Next, I will teach you the most important combat technique for an Assassin Swordsman—"

"Shadow Vanish!"

Suya instantly stopped his impending step, his body trembling.

Shadow Vanish!

Although he didn't know what it was, just by the name, he knew it was something incredibly prestigious!

Much cooler than combat techniques like hook punches and flying kicks!

At this moment, Lucan spoke faintly,

"However, this is an advanced combat technique."

"Before learning this technique, you must learn its four prerequisite techniques!"

"Which four?"

Lucan stared at Suya, slowly and confidently stating,

"Roll, Throw, Dirty Tricks, and False Clock."

Regardless,

In two seconds, just by watching, to learn an ability that even the most talented person in this world would take a month to master,

This was too sensational. Lucan couldn't connect it to reality for a moment.

However, Lucan then thought again. Perhaps this was just the result of Suya's prior training.

It was similar to the long accumulation process many people experience before a breakthrough. This kid must have been diligently practicing this combat technique for years, already possessing the necessary foundation and understanding. Coupled with the influence of his Hero Cultivation specialty and his 'detailed' explanation,

Only by superimposing all these prerequisites could that scene, which was practically a divine revelation, have occurred!

And now,

Lucan was certain that the kid in front of him had absolutely not mastered the combat techniques he mentioned. Otherwise, he wouldn't be an Apprentice now, but a formal Professional!

Moreover,

Shadow Vanish, this ability, wasn't even something an Apprentice or a conventionally defined Professional could master. It was a power almost supernatural, only barely usable by high-level Professionals who had already given birth to 'Ki'!

"Good!"

At this moment, Suya didn't realize that Lucan was abstractly teaching him something beyond his current level.

He only felt that Lucan, in front of him, was becoming more and more handsome.

He stared intently at the con artist in front of him—bah, what con artist? This was clearly the King's esteemed teacher—and excitedly proclaimed,

"Lord Lucan, please teach me!"

"Hmph, full of spirit! Very well, let's start with Roll—"

"Although Roll is a universal ability across all classes, the Assassin's roll is somewhat different from other classes. It requires the simultaneous use of hands, feet, waist, legs, and eyes, feeling the self and the earth become one..."

And then,

After Lucan's personal five-second demonstration.

"Lord Lucan, I've learned it!"

Suya looked at Lucan with excitement.

Isn't this just the technique the Macedonian scouts he first encountered used to roll off their horses in the trenches and quickly adjust their posture?

The only slightly abstract part was the pious posture Lucan mentioned, of becoming one with the earth.

Lucan: "..."

This kid must have learned this too, since it's the most basic combat technique.

"Next, Throw!"

Lucan handed him a stack of throwing knives, his face dark.

One minute later,

"Lord Lucan, I've learned it!"

Suya looked at the twenty small throwing knives lodged within the 10-ring of the target twenty meters away, excitedly looking at Lucan.

Although the throwing method was different, the principle was similar to how the two scouts he had encountered previously threw javelins at him. It wasn't much different from the techniques Suya had used in his previous life for throwing playing cards or darting needles at balloons.

The only difference was that when throwing, one needed to abstractly connect oneself and the target with an esoteric 'spirit'. After Lucan demonstrated how to channel this 'spirit', Suya quickly mastered the technique.

"Then Dirty Tricks, this combat technique requires combining Quick Step, Roll, and Throw into an advanced technique."

Five minutes later,

Suya started with a roll, raised his hand to scatter a handful of dirt forward, then prostrated himself on the ground in the dust, seemingly merging with the earth.

Then, he suddenly leaped from an elusive position, but his entire body burst out of the dust cloud from another direction, swinging the iron sword in his hand and striking the wooden stick in Lucan's hand.

Lucan looked down at the chip in his wooden stick.

"..."

His face finally couldn't maintain its composure, revealing a bewildered expression.

Fortunately,

The next combat technique, False Clock, taught by Lucan, who was gradually becoming numb with shock, finally stumped Suya.

This was a technique similar to the 'substitution jutsu' seen in ninja anime and films Suya had watched in his previous life.

It involved combining all previously learned combat techniques:

Through Roll, Quick Step Sidestep, creating a smoke screen with Dirty Tricks, then using a Quick Step Great Leap to exit the smoke's range. During this process, a barrel shaped to resemble oneself would be thrown out, creating an illusionary 'self' in the enemy's eyes within the smoke, using methods akin to illusion and hypnosis, then slipping away from danger to seek an opportunity for combat.

This was the first time Suya was learning such a complex combat technique that required linking other techniques, achieving seamless execution, and first raising the proficiency of other techniques before it could be unleashed.

Suya first spent half an hour, by consulting Lucan and figuring things out himself, to quickly increase the proficiency of the other combat techniques on his status panel to the 'proficient' level.

Then,

He spent another hour chaining the series of techniques together.

Finally, he perfectly executed this combat technique!

And just as he was about to ask Lucan about the last combat technique Lucan had promised to teach him, Shadow Vanish,

Lucan, who was gradually recovering from his shock, suddenly raised his hand to stop Suya from continuing to practice, a conflicted look flashing in his narrowed eyes.

Then, he sternly stopped Suya:

"That's enough for today!"

"My King,"

"Now, go eat. Eat as much as you can!"

"Tomorrow, if you can still stand, then I will teach you this ability."