Training (1)

'…Ouroboros's disciple?

[Title: Ouroboros's Disciple]

[Master: Ouroboros (??? Level)]

[Disciple Level: 1]

Acquired Bonuses:

Endless Growth → Training Efficiency +50%

Serpent's Endurance → Regeneration Rate +30%, reduces exhaustion during prolonged battles.

Ancient Wisdom → Faster understanding of martial arts, magic, and philosophy.

Ouroboros's Mark → Passive resistance to mental manipulation and soul corruption.

[Unique Technique: Serpent's Flow]

Type: Time Manipulation | Cooldown: 5 minutes

Upon activation → For 5 seconds, the time around the user's body slows to 0.33x, making the world appear in slow motion. The user, however, moves at normal speed.

[The Serpent's Flow technique can improve over time]

'…What the fuck? Isn't this a bit much?'

[Ouroboros has granted the Host power befitting his disciple, of course.]

'Then just how powerful is he..?'

Lindarion shook his head suddenly, sitting up on the bed. He could still feel the soft velvet as he propped himself up on his arms.

'Show me the Insight technique.'

[Legendary Technique: Insight]

Level 1 Ability: Grants heightened awareness of body language, emotions, and surface-level intent in others. Can detect basic deception and recognize feints in battle.

[The Insight technique can improve over time.]

'Wow… It's pretty impressive even at level one, but the potential for growth makes it awesome.'

Leaning back, he felt the softness of the pillow against his tired body.

'What exactly was Ouroboros thinking…?'

"Step forward and let time guide you."

Ouroboros's last words echoed in his head as his eyelids grew heavy from exhaustion.

—

The next morning, Lindarion woke up feeling refreshed, hearing a knock at his door.

"Come in."

A maid entered, the smell of freshly baked breakfast filling the air as she placed it beside him on the bed.

"Thank you."

"Of course, Your Highness," she said with a bow before leaving the room.

The air was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and blooming herbs, mixing with the cool morning breeze.

He picked up a piece of flatbread, made with forest almonds and honey, and let the flavors slowly flood his senses. The sweet, slightly chilled moonberry fruit provided a pleasant contrast to the slightly crisp bread, which felt as soft as a pillow when he touched it.

He finished his meal with a cup of moonleaf tea. The warm herbal drink cleared his thoughts and sharpened his senses.

'That was incredibly delicious.'

Then he quickly stood up to stretch his limbs and started searching for training clothes.

His search was successful as he found a perfectly white fabric outfit and quickly put it on. It still smelled new—never worn before.

"This will do."

The fabric hugged his body, allowing him to move with ease, without any hindrance or discomfort.

"Time to go."

He opened his door and walked through the seemingly endless corridors of the palace.

"What should I expect?"

Soon, he reached the garden. The cold breeze brushed against his face, carrying the scent of fresh water and blooming flowers as he walked through the paths.

Before long, he arrived at the stone circle, but Seraphine was nowhere in sight. Despite scanning the area with his eyes, he couldn't spot her anywhere.

Minutes, or maybe even hours, could have passed. He had no idea how long he'd been waiting.

Suddenly, he felt a cold touch on his shoulder. Reflexively, he jerked forward and whipped his head around.

Seraphine stood still, her hand extended toward him.

"I'll take that as a signal to start the training. Don't worry, I'll hold back. Give it your all, Your Highness…" She flashed a devilishly cold smile before springing forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

'What kind of training is this?!'

Seraphine hrust her arm out like an unrelenting spear, an attack with no escape.

Lindarion quickly dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding her strike. At the same time, his eyes searched for an opening on her body where he could strike, but he couldn't find a single one. So, he pulled back, staying on the defensive.

"Not bad, Your Highness…" she said, and before he could react, she launched another attack. Her right arm came down from above, aimed directly at his head.

Using both arms, he tried to block her attack. He braced himself, but the impact made his whole body shudder, as though his bones were cracking under the pressure.

"You're dead," she said coldly, and when he looked down, he saw her left arm just inches from his throat.

'…This is going to be hell.'

"50 push-ups. Let's go."

Her voice was icy, and he could tell she was enjoying this.

Lindarion dropped to the ground, pressing his palms against the cold floor, and began the push-ups with ease. Given his stats, this task wasn't exactly difficult.

Within minutes, he was done. He pushed himself up, hearing that devilish voice again.

"I'm attacking again."

She declared it plainly, and he saw her approach, this time walking slowly toward him, her movements as graceful as a swan.

'What's she planning…?'

He tried scanning her arms and legs, searching for any signs of an incoming strike, but he had no idea what she was going to do next.

'No openings at all. I must try something, though…'

He couldn't wait any longer; he had to give it his all.

Dashing toward her, he poured all his strength and agility into the movement.

A flicker of surprise crossed her face before it twisted into a devilish smile.

'…Fuck.'

Then he aimed for her solar plexus with his right arm, but she blocked it with her hand easily with a swift motion. So, he pulled back, repositioning himself toward her side, but her eyes tracked every move he made.

She extended her right hand toward him, but before it could reach him, suddenly, it froze.

[Mana Thread Manipulation]

The Mana Threads coiling from his fingertips wrapped around her arm, binding it like a puppet's strings.

Surprise was evident on her face as her brows shot up, but before she could react, his punch landed against her right ribs.

Seraphine didn't even flinch, as if she hadn't felt it at all. The satisfaction of landing the hit lingered on his face—until he heard her cold voice.

"Not bad, Your Highness. I guess I've been holding back too much."

Suddenly, a black fire appeared in her hand, swirling up her arm and incinerating the mana threads like they were nothing.

"Good luck."

Seraphine's voice was cold and confident.

Lindarion leaped backward instinctively, but before he could gain any distance, she closed the gap in a heartbeat and aimed a kick at his stomach.

'What the hell… why did I decide to do this…'

The kick knocked the air out of his lungs, sending him flying back a meter. By the time he could get to his feet, she was already there, her hand hovering just inches from his throat.

"You're dead again, Your Highness."