—-

The merchants fell asleep roughly an hour after setting up camp in a secluded area hidden by several large rocks. It not only provided natural cover, but each opening possessed a direct line of sight, so Kieran and the others would immediately notice if a monster approached or if the Desertborn Brigands somehow found their current location.

However, the odds of that happening remained slim since Head Merchant Penni revealed the lack of their activity inside the Aubrililies Kingdom’s territory. This rocky terrain marked the start of that territory. So the Desertborn Brigands would be treading on thin ice.

“Alright,” Kieran clapped his hands. “There will be no skill activation for the first part of this training. It’ll simply be familiarizing yourself with your class mechanics. And I do mean thoroughly.”

“What do you mean by that boss? Are you saying our moves are amateurish?” Nemean questioned.

Kieran glanced at him and nodded subtly. “That’s precisely what I’m saying. You aren’t weak, but I want you all to be elite—uncontested by your peers. That isn’t obtained with talent; that’s obtained with effort. After all, talent is only your starting place. The work you’ve put in determines your ultimate potential.”

“Ah, you sound like my old army instructor. The only difference is you aren’t as harsh,” Nemean groaned as he was reminded of his formal training. This air surrounding Kieran naturally came from his time as the Golden Brigade’s strongest Commander.

Some habits couldn’t be broken, not that Kieran wanted to. His experiences molded his leadership ability; why would he throw that away? It had an ample amount of use.

“I suppose I will become like a drill sergeant to you all. As for being rough, different situations call for different methods. I’m not looking to be a tyrant. You must desire this outcome for us both to get the most out of our actions.”

“I have to desire it…” Nemean muttered. He contemplated Kieran’s words before looking at him. “So, I should strive to be the best at the game?”

“The game? No,” Kieran shook his head. “What if this was much greater than a game? What if your experiences here… stayed with you? Would that not be enough incentive to push yourself?”

Everyone’s expression changed after listening to Kieran’s words. His way of speaking implied that he felt Zenith Online could be greater than what it currently was. Because of this, Altair noticed something.

“Are you saying we can draw benefits from this game?”

“I think it depends on how you look at it. But, I’ve confirmed that some matters inside this game aren’t just limited to the game world. It can affect reality as we know it. So… if you ever possess a power or item that raises your alarm, be wary. Its consequences may be deeper than you know,” Kieran warned.

His warning was somewhat ambiguous, but a flash of realization struck Alice as she listened to Kieran guide the boys.

‘Is that why? Could something in his possession have driven his actions? Then… Aatrox speaks from experience? No wonder his caution seems so genuine,’ Alice thought.

While the others didn’t catch a glimpse of Kieran’s action, Alice did. However, it was only a brief sighting. Still, she saw the cold ruthlessness buried in Kieran’s eyes as he gazed at Deserea. That type of mercilessness couldn’t be achieved unless it originated from horrifying trauma or the individual was originally cruel and sadistic.

The others took Kieran’s advice to heart, especially after considering their experiences thus far. It mostly involved Kieran’s skills, but it was enough to sway their views.

“I’ll keep that warning in mind,” Altair vowed. He then looked at everyone else before returning his gaze to Kieran. “So, where do we begin?”

“We begin with our weapons. I’ll start with Nemean,” Kieran said before gesturing for Nemean to follow.

They stepped off to the side, and Kieran had Nemean take a battle stance. After he did so, Kieran walked around Nemean, analyzing every point of his current stance.

After a few laps, Kieran finally made a move.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

Kieran hit numerous places on Nemean’s body, modifying what he felt Nemean lacked.

“This is the form you need. Your class is unorthodox, using shields no longer than your forearms as weapons. However, this is also your strength. If wielded properly, your defensive potential against a single target is greater than Bastion.”

“How so? Bastion’s class revolves around obtaining the perfect defense,” Nemean countered.

“Correct, but it is made only for defense. Your class, however, seeks the epitome in neither. This opens a new path for you. While Bastion can only use defense as an offense, you can alternate between an offensive defense and a defensive offense,” Kieran replied.

“I don’t… understand that,” Nemean murmured with a wry smile. Sure he understood that he could attack and defend, but he didn’t comprehend how they were so interchangeable.

Kieran paused momentarily before considering a better answer.

“What I mean is, Bastion’s class is limited to Defense as his leading stat. It defines how useful he is. But, in your case, your shields define you. You could become essentially unstoppable if you can find the perfect shields to complement your skillset as a Shield Enforcer.”

Nemean expression grew complex after hearing this. “That sounds awesome, but it also sounds like an insane amount of work is in store for me.”

Kieran crossed his arms with a smirk. “Are you scared of a challenge? I think you can easily rise above it.”

Nemean scoffed but ultimately accepted the challenge. Afterward, Kieran began sparring with Nemean, who expressed concerns about their Health.

“Don’t worry. I have enabled Sparring Mode. Our Health won’t be affected, but we’re liable to feel pain depending on our actions,” Kieran answered. The pain wasn’t a result of an imperfect Sparring Mode; it was the result of a perfect one dependent on the realism stage.

With pseudo-Stage One Realism now affecting them, Kieran assumed sparring could be painful depending on how heavy-handed they were.

“Be mindful of your stance when you attack. Apply the corrections I’ve made,” Kieran reminded.

Afterward, Nemean lunged toward Kieran, who remained in a readied stance. Without moving, Kieran analyzed every movement Nemean made and waited for the tell to arrive.

Three seconds later, he reacted.

Whoosh! Thud!

Kieran deflected Nemean’s attack effortlessly and slammed him to the ground. His moves appeared to be some combat art because they happened faster than Nemean could react.

Nemean stared up in a daze before kipping to his feet. “What the hell? I didn’t even blink! When did you move?”

“When you moved,” Kieran answered.

“B-but…” Nemean was at a loss for words. He opted for a small movement, so he should’ve been to see Kieran react.

“The problem with frontal shield strikes is they interrupt your line of sight. The moment you threw the punch, you blocked your view of me for a split second. That window will always be your opponent’s time to become deadly. Account for the shield’s broad coverage and move accordingly.”

“Again,” Kieran said.

Nemean went in for another strike but remained mindful of the advice given. Still, they ended up in the same situation—Nemean on his back, gazing at the stars in a daze.

This happened several times until Kieran suddenly moved preemptively.

“Better, but I read you. I could tell your actions before you performed them. This will become a regular occurrence if you go against an elite player. They partake in high-level battles so often it becomes second nature. I need that from you.”

Nemean growled in frustration but nodded. Formal training in the army was one thing, but fighting opponents with higher skill levels was another.

Kieran continued to guide Nemean until their exchanges lasted for more than just one or two strikes. However, Kieran remained empty-handed the entire time.

Kieran didn’t switch to Bastion until Nemean could no longer go on.

Kieran first looked over Bastion before making his decision. “Your training will be somewhat different. I believe we’ve talked about it once before, and you’ve even pulled it off naturally—redirection. There are a few other important components, but redirection should be your foundation as a tank.”

“Redirection… got it. I’ll try it!” Bastion seemed almost excited to conduct training.

Unbeknownst to Kieran, Bastion loved the process of becoming stronger rather than being strong. He was one of those people who focused on the journey and not the destination. This mindset inadvertently birthed competitiveness in Bastion.

“Spar with me until Nemean recovers some energy. But, only focus on dealing with my attacks,” Kieran reminded.

Little could be gained from Bastion attacking, so Kieran would rather have him master defense and elevate his role to an entirely different level.

‘At the very least, I’ll turn him into a tank on par with the main tanks of Behemoth-level guilds,’ Kieran inwardly thought.

Every player who held the main position in reputed guilds possessed monstrous combat standards. It was improbable for them to lose against a lower rank player.

Kieran launched a series of attacks backed by moderate strength, yet Bastion retreated after each attack.

“You can do it. I won’t spoon-feed it to you. You must realize the basis of redirection. If not against me, then against Nemean,” Kieran expressed. He didn’t relent, unleashing a continuous stream of attacks that drove Bastion back.

“It’s happening too fast. I need time to process what’s going on!” Bastion exclaimed. It seemed like Kieran attacked faster after every tenth strike.

“Your opponent won’t give you time, so don’t request it from me either. Pressure and intensity are your friends. Now wield them!” Kieran remarked.

He ignored Bastion’s pleas to slow down because most progress occurred while training under pressure. Moreover, one of Kieran’s requirements was that his allies needed to handle stress well.

Unfortunately, Bastion couldn’t land the timing for the redirection. Perhaps the result would differ once he sparred with Nemean.

Afterward, Kieran switched his attention to Altair.

‘In his case, I’ll provoke the early creation of his Darkness Excursion Steps. All of my actions until now have been made while bearing the creation of unique techniques in mind. I’ll have them take advantage of Technique Creation before it becomes a mainstream action.’

Although Technique Creation remained just around the corner, most players wouldn’t understand its uses until they honed their actions to a certain degree. Reaching that level meant specific actions could be turned into actions without a cooldown that affected combat, otherwise known as techniques.

Unlike Bastion and Nemean, Kieran’s spar against Altair was extremely fast-paced and Kieran also allowed the usage of skills. “Come on; you’re faster than that, right? Move faster,” Kieran smirked.

This comment didn’t refer to Altair’s Agility; it referred to Altair condensing his speed to achieve an acceleration beyond his current limitation. That was the basis of the Darkness Excursion Steps. However, accomplishing that was easier said than done because it required precise timing and utilization of force.

Altair narrowed his eyes as he thought Kieran was mocking his current Agility. He didn’t know that Kieran was stimulating him to make the most of his Control.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Altair’s slashes steadily grew faster until his arms turned into a flurry, drawing some shock from Kieran.

‘Those eyes…’ Kieran inwardly remarked. A deep darkness filled Altair’s eyes as he revealed an almost murderous glint. Of course, it wasn’t directed at Kieran. These emotions merely seeped out of him beyond his control.

However, Kieran didn’t stop. He wanted to harness this display. After all, Altair only became stronger once he adopted his ruthlessness and no longer inhibited his negative emotions.

“Faster!” Kieran yelled.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

The strikes rapidly increased while Kieran smiled, deflecting them with subtle shifts of Crimson Ashrune.

All of a sudden, one of Altair’s strikes seemed to skip through the air and gain an abnormal acceleration. Kieran abruptly threw his head back as the tip of Altair’s dagger brushed past his lip.

Despite the danger, Kieran teemed with excitement. The abnormality in Altair’s movement became more frequent while his expression continued to darken.

‘To go up against the Wiyans, he’ll need ample strength. It’s only right that I guide you there, old friend,’ Kieran thought.

Altair’s attacks soon grew to a point where Kieran activated Blood Mania to gain additional speed from Tormented Beliefs. It was still too early to call it a proper technique, but Altair more or less took a step in the realm of his famed Darkness Excursion Steps.

‘These quick acceleration bursts are undoubtedly rudimentary forms of the drives. But, he’ll exhaust himself too quickly if I let this go on,’ Kieran thought.

Thus, he executed a strange movement himself where his body suddenly jerked and accelerated in the next instant.

Bang!

“What the hell!” Bastion exclaimed with his mouth agape. He couldn’t describe what he had just seen. All he knew was that Kieran’s body seemed to teleport from a still motion.

“Ugh,” Altair groaned with a palm over his forehead. “What was that for?”

“You were plunging too deep into the darkness, buddy. I had to draw you out. So, I hit you in the head with the hilt.”

“Yeah… but how heavy is that thing?”

“Pretty heavy,” Kieran remarked.

A genuine smile suddenly appeared on his face as Kieran looked at his party. He was overcome with confidence after taking them through their first bout of training. Their foundation were all acceptable, and even Alice seemed to be making some progress on increasing her mana sensitivity.