Only I Am A Reader

Contrary to what the children thought as they lamented their choices, things seemed to have become easier ever since the first filtration. Although the morning training remained the same, the weaponized beating that they expected didn't come to be the next day.

"If you have no plans of changing your weapons, then proceed to perform what you are capable of doing while wielding it."

Other than a couple who awkwardly put down their polearm weapons and picked up swords, nothing much changed from the weapon selection of the day before. However, the faces of the kids brightened at the sight of the new addition to the training hall, it was their time to deliver just like they received! They would no longer remain the only victims!

On the empty space beside the 24 stages, a dozen wooden figures were fastened to the ground in front of the weapon racks. On that day, the children swore that the puppets would know pain!

Swish! Bang! Buck!

All kinds of loud noise resounded as the first dozen children to perform released all their piled-up anger on the lifeless objects. Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan.

Tack! Tack! Tack!

Not having an actual battle didn't mean that the battle instructors would remain motionless. In response to the children's barbaric methods of waving their weapons around without even a drop of flow, the instructors' sticks drew 'blood'!

"If this is all that you are capable of, then this kind of training might be pointless… Should we proceed with direct battle instead?"

Under the threat of 'Gentle Han', the group of unruly children, who had almost forgotten where they were, swallowed the cries of injustice that almost exploded out of their mouths, trying their best to use whatever they learned.

Sizzle…

As the candles melted down bit by bit, the children's grudge with the instructors only intensified, but the majority of them noticed that they weren't being deliberately beaten due to slacking off, rather, it was quite the opposite. The instructors were using their sticks to correct their posture and handling of the weapon!

If the instructors had merely been judging the children's skills using theirs as a reference, none of the children would have noticed that. However, the battle instructors stuck to the limit of the basics book that the children had received, harshly guiding them to make the best use of said basics.

'Emotions can be useful sometimes…'

In a way, this indirect combination seemed to show some promise in Leo's eyes. As a swordsmanship expert himself, he could see that the anger the children redirected at the puppets made them digest the battle instructors' teaching at a faster rate.

Normally, fury had the opposite effect, making one incapable of proper thought, but the fear of getting struck for correction reversed the formula. Although unethical, this teaching method was effective to a certain degree!

"Next."

Despite taking longer than usual to get to their turn due to the decreased number of 'stages', Leo and Yeon finally stood in front of their respective puppets, ready to receive guidance like the rest.

Shhh!

Without holding back anything, Leo's spear flew at the puppet as if full of rage. Yesterday's incomplete training session had left him unsatisfied, and now was the time to show all that he had!

'It's immature, but it's still interesting.'

Instructor Han's eyebrow rose slightly at the skill that Leo exhibited. Everything seemed clear under his discerning eye. Even though Leo had suppressed the skill he showed the day before, he noticed a certain degree of maturity and coherence that Leo's current show of Spearmanship lacked. However, that couldn't deny this one-day Spearmanship didn't follow common sense either.

He could easily analyze everything on its own, but Leo's wide range of abnormalities combined was like a piled mystery that he couldn't explain… Still, that was exactly what made him the most interesting within the current batch of 'students'.

'What a waste of time.'

On the other hand, the sword instructor couldn't help clicking his tongue as he kept getting distracted by Leo's Spearmanship. This was undeniably the versatility of a battle genius, but that was also what made it a pity!

Taking yesterday's show as a reference, it was obvious that this child's compatibility with the sword had to be the highest. It was definitely a waste of time to train in anything else as his main weapon…

'Oh?'

The battle instructor's attention was suddenly stolen by someone else! Just by the side of the foolish child who didn't know any better, the dancing eastern blade almost touched the bottom of his heart. The moves were still clumsy and incomplete, but something about them seemed different!

'A blade of dedication!'

They were merely basic moves and not a developed style, yet the degree of devotion that the performance showed promise beyond that of geniuses! Rather than just a tool, the little girl was treating her weapon as something much more!

Tick.

Seeing this, the battle instructor couldn't help lightly striking with his stick to correct Yeon's mistake. Not all geniuses rose to the peak, but almost everyone he had seen who had that sort of connection had most definitely climbed to the top of their path! Although he didn't use an eastern blade, his familiarity with the sword path was enough to guide someone who used it!

'This is more like it.'

Taking a glance at the slight favoritism that was being redirected back at Yeon, Leo smiled inwardly. This was just one aspect of Yeon's talent that stemmed out of her emotional abnormality, merely the tip of the iceberg, but she was starting to grab the attention a secondary main character deserved even with him standing next to her.

"Next."

Unfortunately, Leo only managed to reach emotional satisfaction before the time was up. He had still yet to unload everything he received from 'Skill Reading', but he could still continue later once he returned to his 'room'.

'Not bad at all.'

Before he knew it, Leo found himself getting used to the Heavenly Furnace's abnormal routine. Perhaps… this wouldn't necessarily be an unpleasant experience?