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Chapter 443 101.3 - Dakota Hellen

His confidence intrigued her, and she was eager to see how he would handle the diverse array of weapons she had selected.

When she handed him the longsword, Dakota watched closely. The way he adjusted his grip and stance, recalling the basics of Federal Swordplay, demonstrated his adaptability. As he began his strikes, she could see the fluidity in his movements, but there were also moments of hesitation.

\'He\'s trying to find his footing with the sword,\' Dakota thought, her keen eyes catching every detail. \'The basics are there, but he needs to refine his technique.\'

As Astron engaged the training dummy, she saw the potential in his strikes. The Federal Swordplay\'s efficiency was evident, but his footwork needed improvement.

\'No, it may not be his footwork….\'

At the start, that was what she had thought, but there was somehow something different about it. It was as if he was trying to do something, but his body wasn\'t doing it exactly.

\'Maybe…..It might have been that….\'

She remembered something that she had seen when she was in the military. People who had changed their weapons tended to feel the need to reshape their bodies accordingly.

After all, even different stances can be specialized in some muscles, and changing stances could affect the body. Changing a complete weapon would be even harder to do so.

\'His specialized weapons are daggers and the bow. And, it seems he had picked the bow later on. That means, for all his childhood, he had been guided to use a dagger. I don\'t know why he did that, but if this is the case, the reason why his body is not able to follow his thoughts can be explained.\' Dakota\'s observations sharpened as she considered this. She watched Astron closely, noting the subtle hesitations in his movements. It was clear that his body was still accustomed to the movements and muscle memory of a dagger user, which were vastly different from the techniques required for a longsword.

\'His body is used to quick, close-quarters combat. The fluidity and lightness of a dagger are deeply ingrained in his muscle memory. Transitioning to a longsword, which requires broader, more powerful movements, would naturally create this disconnect.\'

As the examination continued, Dakota saw Astron\'s adaptability. He watched the holographic dummy, mimicking its techniques and gradually adjusting his own. His strikes became more confident, and his footwork started to align better with the demands of the sword.

\'Good. He\'s learning to bridge the gap,\' she thought. \'But it\'s going to take time and a lot of practice.\'

Normally, to make these types of situations work, one would need to abandon the first weapon completely so that one can transition easily without overwriting the previous habits.

But, since Astron was a [Weapon Master], abandoning a dagger would be impossible, as the sole reason why he was practicing a sword was to keep the variety of weapons.

\'For such a situation….A special body might be needed. And, I may know what it is.\'

She had some ideas about what to do, but she decided to keep that to herself for the time being.

When they moved to the spear, Dakota\'s initial curiosity deepened. The spear was even more different from the dagger, requiring entirely different muscle groups and techniques.

She observed his initial clumsiness but also his determination to adapt by observing the dummy\'s movements.

\'He\'s watching and learning. That\'s a good sign. He understands that each weapon requires its own set of skills and that brute force won\'t be enough.\'

As Astron continued to practice with the spear, Dakota saw him gradually becoming more comfortable. He started to integrate the principles of the Federal Swordplay, enhancing his control and precision with the spear. Despite his initial awkwardness, he was able to adapt and improve his techniques quickly.

\'He\'s learning to use the spear efficiently,\' she mused. \'He understands the importance of precision and timing. He\'s making the necessary adjustments, even if they\'re not perfect yet.\'

Dakota noted the improvements with satisfaction. She could see that Astron was making a concerted effort to bridge the gap between his muscle memory and the new techniques he was learning.

His willingness to observe, adapt, and apply feedback was crucial for a [Weapon Master]. They continued through the array of weapons, and Dakota\'s approval grew with each new challenge Astron faced.

\'He has the potential of becoming versatile,\' She thought. \'That\'s a critical quality for a [Weapon Master]. He\'s not just focused on one weapon; he\'s willing to learn and adapt to each one.\'

Just like that, the time for the last weapon that they would be testing came.

"Now, we are going to test your bare-handed combat abilities." ((N1))

It was her specialty, being a [Martial Artist]. Thus, she was looking forward to watching him fight in close combat directly.

Before she could say anything more, Astron raised his hand. "Excuse me, ma\'am, may I request something?"

Dakota tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "What is your request?"

Astron looked into her eyes with a slight glint and asked, "Would it be okay if we sparred for this part of the examination?"

Dakota\'s eyes narrowed, a mix of curiosity and caution in her gaze. "Why would I do such a thing? What reason made you request this?"

Astron glanced at her body, sizing her up from top to bottom before replying, "Since you\'re a [Martial Artist], I thought it would be best if I went against someone like you. It would provide a more realistic and challenging assessment of my skills."

Dakota raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I am a [Martial Artist]? How can you be so sure?"

Astron maintained eye contact, his expression steady. "Firstly, I observed the way you move, ma\'am. Your posture is always perfectly balanced, and your strides are purposeful and controlled. Different from a person with a weapon user, you are not leaning onto one side. That meant you were either a dual wielder or a martial artist.

What gave away is your clothing.

From the slight deformities in your knuckles, elbows, knees, and the bottom part of your palms, it is evident you use them a lot, especially since your palms are covered. Those kinds of marks were the result of years of intense training and real combat experience, the kind that only someone who regularly fought with their body would have.

That was why I reached such a conclusion."

Dakota\'s interest was piqued even further. His observations were accurate, and his confidence in his request was compelling. She could see he had been paying close attention, analyzing every detail.

\'From this alone, it can easily be concluded that he has good observation skills. His observation grade for this exam would be an A just from this.\'

Most cadets didn\'t have such good eyes.

\'It is mentioned in his file, but even I was not expecting such a result. How intriguing.\'

"Very well," she said after a moment of consideration. "We will spar. But know this, Trainee Astron, I will not go easy on you. You might end up with more severe injuries than you imagine. Are you still okay with it even after hearing this?"

"Yes, ma\'am," Astron replied as if he was sure of himself.

\'Heeeeeh…..How cheeky….\'

She was amused but, at the same time, curious. And she was not repulsed by the idea either, as she was faring to know what he would do against her.

Dakota moved to the center of the training hall, gesturing for Astron to join her.

This sparring session would not only test Astron\'s bare-handed combat abilities but also provide a deeper insight into his adaptability and resilience.

FLICK!

And then she had flicked her fingers, and her watch glowed.

–ẘ̸̬̓͐̃̓̇̈́̽͛͋̚̚h̴̨̨͕̘̮̞̟̜̦̲͕̜͉͛ḭ̴̎̿̇̋́̇s̴̢͉͉͉͇̦̯̓̌̏̔̾̃̋̃̈̈́̐p̷̨̛͖͎̦̥̬̺̯̌̀̈̎̀̇̐̓̐̆͝ę̴̲̱̠̼̞̲͔͎͕̼̃̃́͘͝ŗ̵̢͈̮̞̙̩̝̗̙͉̖̽̂͝͝ ̴̞̠͈̖̣͇̹̣̩̗̪̗̉̔̈́̚͜w̷̢̠̺̺̠̱̝̠͈̹͊̀̅̆̍͗̑͜h̶̢̧̳̞̖̼̲̦̍̀̾̆͆̅̓͊͂̇͋̕̚͝í̸̧̛̞̣̞̐͊̌͆̍̓̽̏̅̈́̚̚ś̷̨̝̪̥͚̞̫̯̩ͅp̴̧͙̳̜̙̈̔͂͆̅͌͠ͅe̷̡̗̗̅̉̔̎̀̇̌͘͠͝ŕ̶̨͉̒̊̽͋̌͒̕͝͠͝ ̴̨̛̛͉͈̪̼͎̲̣̥̮̼̖̞̍̾͊̄̊́̃͠ͅw̷̛̫͕̣̗͓̪̘̮̙͙͚̩̩̰̔̀͌̄͌̎̏̈̐̕h̶̢̡̟̖̼̮̮̦̲̞̳̗͐̊͂͗̈́͆̓͌́́̉̊̕̚͠į̸̡͓̲͚̙̲̝͔̲̬̍̇͘͝s̷̡̛̙͍̤͙̿́̌͌̆̔͘̕͝p̸̧̧͎͎̻̬͉̯̫̞̭͚̟͐͗́͜͠ͅe̶̢̡̘̲̳͍̪̹̘͖͚̬̱̯̜͆̃͌̇̚r̴̦̬̮̻̘͇̖̺͔̦͔̙͔̹̃̓͛͗͌͌͗̒̓̇͠͝ͅ ̸̯͇͍̹̮͕̻̩̟̣̯̫͇̈́̋̊̅̆̾̊̀͋͘̕͜͝͝

With the veiled whispers that were incomprehensible, the platform that they had been standing on started to transform. The ground solidified, and mana barriers surrounding them strengthened. It took the form of an arena, creating a focused environment for their sparring session.

Dakota smiled as she took her position. "Since you are just a beginner, I am going to limit my strength to match your stats." Saying that, she channeled her mana all across her body, which began to glow slightly.

Astron nodded his head, acknowledging her statement. "Understood."

Dakota settled into her stance, her eyes locked onto Astron. "Begin," she commanded.

SWOOSH!

And the two launched forward.

********

As Dakota settled into her stance, her presence exuded a powerful and predatory aura. Her body was coiled like a spring, ready to unleash explosive force at a moment\'s notice.

Observing her posture, I couldn\'t help but think she looked like a tiger—graceful yet dangerous, her every movement calculated and efficient.

\'This is going to be challenging.\'

And that was exactly what I had been desiring. S

The moment she gave the command, "Begin," we both launched forward simultaneously.

–SWOOSH!

Dakota moved with incredible speed and precision, her fists and feet striking out with an accuracy that could kill.

Yeah…..

Right from the start.

I could barely keep up, but my eyes and instincts were honed from countless hours of training. I dodged and parried her attacks, trying to find an opening.

–THUD! THUD!

Her blows were relentless; each strike aimed to exploit any weakness in my defense.

I felt the impact reverberate through my arms as I blocked her punches, my muscles straining against the force.

Despite her self-imposed limitation, it was as if I was facing a mountain and a truck.

THUD! A swift kick to my side sent me staggering back, but I quickly regained my balance. I could see the hint of a smile on Dakota\'s face.

\'She\'s testing me, pushing me to see how I\'ll respond under pressure.\'

I tightened my stance, focusing on my breathing and calming my mind.

Even though I was always prominent in combat, there was something that I had been missing in this world.

\'Barehand combat with mana. This is my first time.\'

Indeed, this was the case.

There was something fundamentally different with just fighting with one\'s bare body and one\'s weapon coated with mana.

Since the moment mana entered the system, even fundamental things would change.

Circulating mana while controlling your own body was an intricate dance. It required a heightened level of awareness, a deep connection between mind and muscle.

Every movement, every breath, had to be synchronized with the flow of mana within. It was like trying to pat your head and rub your belly simultaneously but on a much more complex and demanding scale.

\'This is harder than I thought.\'

And doing this against an enemy like her was much harder.

But that was fine.

Losing here or showing off your winning side was not important here.

What was important was how I could improve. That was it.

Thus, I would be doing exactly that.

Strikes had to be timed not just with physical precision but also with the precise release of mana. It demanded an acute sense of internal balance, an ability to modulate the flow of energy through your body while executing complex movements.

My brain had to process not only the physical actions but also the intricate patterns of mana circulation.

It was like learning to walk all over again, with an additional sense to manage. The sensory input was overwhelming at times, the feel of mana coursing through my veins, the hum of energy amplifying each movement.

\'Every punch, every kick… it\'s like recalibrating my entire combat style.\'

–SWOOSH!

"It seems you are finally getting onto something. But, you must never forget your opponent is right here."

Dakota moved in again, her body blurring.

THUD!

And I felt a pressure right under my left ear.

\'No!\'

I moved my body to raise my hand rapidly, and I was successful in blocking the strike. Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

–DING!

But, as if a shock blast appeared out of nowhere, I felt my eardrums ring.

THUD! And lost by balance for a second, falling down to the ground.

"Or things like this may happen."

I was knocked down.

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