Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 727: Combat [Castle Bonus - ]

The next day swiftly came. Asher woke up, the same routine, the same pattern. He bathed, brushed, then teleported away. As usual, he was the last to arrive, maintaining his consistent and almost deliberate timing.

And just like the previous week, a new Instructor arrived and simply teleported all of them away to his own training venue, and of course, Asher had already removed his Position Mark, as he would be placing it in their new location once they settled.

Everyone appeared midair as the Instructor teleported them into the sky instead, which was unexpected and momentarily disorienting. Everyone simply stared around in surprise at first. Below them, about two hundred mountains spread out, with trees surrounding each one, but these mountains weren’t particularly high; they resembled large hills rather than towering peaks, yet their sheer number created an imposing landscape.

”Attention,” the Instructor began to speak, his voice calm and composed, effortlessly commanding their focus, ”for the last two weeks, you trained your bodies and overall strength, then last week you trained your speed, pain tolerance, reaction time, and related aspects. This week, we will be training something new and obvious.” He paused briefly, letting the anticipation build before continuing, ”we will be training you in combat.”

At his words, the students who usually frowned all seemed visibly relieved and even excited. After all, none of them had truly engaged in combat with their weapons up until this point. Yes, they carried their weapons with them, but they had never been given the opportunity to use them in any meaningful way. Even Asher, who had Virelass strapped to his waist for the past eight months, had not used it, as it remained within his soul.

”Before you get too happy, this training will be different,” the Instructor, now identified as Sam, continued. ”Throughout your lives, you have all fought with only one type of weapon, but on a battlefield, anything can happen. You might lose your weapon, it might shatter, or it might become unusable. What then? Do you become useless? No. Instead, you simply find the nearest weapon and continue your fight. Simple.” His tone remained calm, yet his words carried undeniable weight.

”So, in this combat training, you will select a weapon, and with that weapon, you will fight,” Instructor Sam continued after a brief pause. ”If we had more time, I might have trained everyone to at least a basic level in each weapon, but we do not have such a luxury. And what is the best way to gain experience, if not through combat?” His voice carried clearly to every student present.

”Since we have only a week, the plan is straightforward. Today, you fight with a particular type of weapon. Tomorrow, you will fight with another, and so on and so forth, without using the weapon you are most familiar with. And of course, you cannot fool me, as I already know the weapon each of you specializes in,” Instructor Sam continued.

Asher couldn’t help but sigh. He understood that Cindralis was doing this because of the rules or the nature of the competition. Imagine them announcing that students would be forced to use entirely random weapons, if such a thing were enforced strictly, many participants would be completely overwhelmed, unless they possessed something like Instructor Jane’s awakened ability.

”This training will increase your combat awareness, efficiency, and acumen,” the Instructor stated once more, and with a snap of his fingers, numerous weapons materialized midair, each appearing directly before a student as they remained suspended under Instructor Sam’s control.

Asher looked around thoughtfully. He always used a rapier, which fell under the category of swords, and choosing another type of sword would defeat the entire purpose of this training. After a moment of consideration, Asher selected a pole weapon. Although he had never used one before, he was confident that he could quickly grasp its fundamentals with just a few swings and adjustments.

Some people chose to play it safe. Someone like William, who used a greatsword, immediately chose a sabre, while Thalric, who used a sabre, didn’t hesitate for even a second before selecting a rapier. He was practically the first person to choose a weapon, as he required no time to think or deliberate.

As for Finch, since he was proficient with a chain, he simply chose a whip, as the two weapons shared similar mechanics and flexibility in combat.

Instructor Sam simply observed them for a moment before shaking his head slightly. Tomorrow, he would adjust the rules. Anyone who used a type of sword wouldn’t be allowed to simply choose another variation of a sword and consider the requirement fulfilled. But that would be addressed later, as the students had already made their choices, and he had not clarified that restriction beforehand.

”Since you are all done, I will now explain the combat training,” he began once more. ”Your goal is simple: reach the top of a hill. Nothing more, nothing less. And of course, only physical combat is allowed. No abilities. Additionally, only two people are permitted per hill, each climbing from opposite sides,” he stated calmly, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Everyone nodded in understanding. They didn’t need to ask questions; they could already infer that something, or someone, would be waiting for them at the base of each hill, forcing them to fight their way upward.

”Off you go then,” Instructor Sam said.

Before the students could fully process what was happening, gravity immediately seized them, pulling them downward with sudden force. Yet none of them screamed. Though initially startled, their expressions stabilized within a second, their composure returning almost instantly.

Asher couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Ten months ago, during the Star Academy combat test, they had been dropped from the sky, and now, during this combat training, they were experiencing the same method once again. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was some deeper meaning behind this repeated method of descent.

He shook his head, shelving the thought without further consideration. Without wasting any more time, he sprang into action. His body shifted midair as he adjusted his trajectory, directing himself toward another student. As he got close, Asher simply stepped on him briefly before pushing off and diving toward another, using them as footholds as he descended rapidly toward the ground.

As he approached the base of a hill, he pushed off one final student and landed smoothly. Without uttering a word, he surged forward immediately, his body cutting through the air as he left a faint trail of dust behind him.

Although he had used his classmates as footholds during his descent, none of them dared to complain. Besides, Asher had stepped on everyone equally, both men and women, showing no preference whatsoever. In his eyes, there was no room for gender favoritism.

Everyone landed soon after and immediately dashed toward various hills, wide smiles spreading across their faces. After all, it was finally time to immerse themselves in combat, to feel the raw intensity of battle, the clash of weapons, and the sheer force of their strength being unleashed without restraint.

And for the first time since the training began, excitement replaced dread.

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Bonus Chapter Sponsored by the_gaming_weirdo.

How you guys like the fast pacing of these training, hope I’m fast enough.

Also, thanks to everyone who made these bulk Chapters possible, the author thanks you all for your repeated support and love.