Timeless Assassin

(Leo's POV, Planet Saraf)

The very next day after mastering [Life Absorption], Leo was sent to Planet Saraf to train under the Fourth Elder and learn his secret technique.

Although every Elder within the Council was, to some degree, a self-serving politician, Leo had always felt that the First and Fourth elders were assholes that were a grade above the rest.

It was not because they were any more selfish than the others, but because they possessed a sharper cunning and a level of foresight that the others lacked.

The Fourth Elder in particular had been Veyr's most prominent supporter before the Dragon selection, and Leo knew him to be a man whose ambition was matched only by his willingness to use any means necessary to achieve his aims.

That alone made Leo wary, for while an enemy on the battlefield could be countered, the kind of mind that wove schemes within schemes was hard to compete against.

Now, with his destination set and the prospect of training under such a man looming over him, Leo found himself wondering not just what he would learn on Planet Saraf, but what price might be hidden within that lesson.

—--------------

"Welcome to my humble training ground…" The Fourth Elder greeted with a warm smile, gesturing toward the wide, open courtyard beyond the shaded veranda.

"Thank you for having me," Leo replied, his tone courteous, his smile practiced.

Their pleasantries drifted between them like a thin veil, each man speaking in the tone expected of his station, neither offering more than protocol demanded.

The Elder led him slowly through the training grounds, taking his time as they passed rows of weapon racks, sparring circles, and tiered stone platforms worn smooth from years of use.

From a distance, attendants kept watch, their eyes sharp even in idleness.

"Veyr has already begun learning this technique but he hasn't mastered it yet, unfortunately his training remained incomplete before your match began" the Elder remarked, his voice pleasant but carrying a note of narcissism beneath it.

"If he mastered the technique I wanted to teach him before your bout, perhaps he could have won….. But oh well, you surrendered anyhow so it doesn't matter, hahaha…."

Leo kept his expression neutral, offering only a fake,"I have no doubt he would have." as a response.

*Stop*

They paused near the center platform, which was a polished slab of reinforced stone large enough for several warriors to duel without crowding, as it was here that the Fourth Elder began his demonstration.

"I imagine you have been taught many strength enhancing methods in your career as a warrior already," he said at last, "but what I'll teach you today is something unique.

This skill is not something you will find in the open market… and in the right hands, it can shift the course of a battle in an instant."

Leo inclined his head slightly. "Then I look forward to learning it."

With a wave of his hand, the Elder dismissed his attendants, who scurried away at his signal.

Boots shuffled, doors closed, and soon the two stood alone in the vast, echoing space.

"The technique I'm about to teach you is called [Enhance]," he began, lowering his voice as though unveiling a treasured secret.

A faint mist curled from beneath his boots, rolling outward in lazy tendrils before vanishing.

In the same moment, he bent his knees and launched himself into the air — not with the labored arc of mortal effort, but with the sudden, explosive lift like a spring unbound.

*WOOOSH*

He soared past the hundred-foot mark, before staying suspended in the air for several heartbeats as though the wind itself obeyed him.

Then with a sharp yet controlled descent, landed back below with an impact that rippled through the stone.

*Thud*

"As you just saw, with this move, you can temporarily amplify the strength of any specific body part.

You saw me focusing this energy into my legs just now.

But if you focus it into your arms, you will strike with the weight of a siege weapon.

Focus it into your back, and you can take a hit that would crush lesser warriors. There is no limitation to this technique except your imagination… and your control."

Leo's brow lifted slightly in approval, his mind already considering its potential uses.

"Its not like [Enhance] is the only reinforcement spell in the market, of course there are many others, but every last one of them has flaws that [Enhance] does not" the Elder continued, as he spoke about his technique with pride.

"Usual reinforcements techniques consume too much mana and too much time to activate, and can often be only used once or twice a day for temporary effects.

However, [Enhance] is not bound by those usual flaws.

It activates instantly, costs barely any mana, and the cooldown is only twenty seconds. You can use it again and again without strain, and that, my young Dragon, is what separates it from the rest."

Leo nodded slowly, his mind already sketching scenarios where such a technique could turn a battle in his favor.

"How fast you can grasp this technique depends on two factors: one, your natural comprehension. And two, how smooth your body's mana channels are." The Fourth Elder said, his voice steady.

"For this technique to work, you must pump large amounts of mana through your circuits in a very short time.

That kind of strain cannot be sustained unless your channels are incredibly smooth and well-conditioned." He said, as he took a slow step forward, his gaze fixed on Leo.

"Often, the real problem in learning this technique is not understanding how to execute it, but surviving the injuries that come during practice. The path to smoothening your mana veins is never easy… it is a road paved with struggle, so often you will find your mana circuits damaged, forcing you to rest for a few days till they heal to then go again" The Fourth Elder warned, as Leo smiled gently in response.

Although the Elder was unaware of it, Leo possessed a mana heart that constantly refined and smoothed his mana circuits.

So by now, they were so impeccably conditioned that few in the galaxy could compare.

Because of that, he had no doubt that he would be able to master this technique in record time.