newbobooks Chapter 38 A Different Kind of Reward
Chapter 38 A Different Kind of Reward
The next morning, a group of students gathered together, preparing for the upcoming inhuman close combat course.
The sun had already risen, and its soft golden light bathed the training field; however, not everyone was interested in this early morning class.
A small group of students stood together, arms crossed, their faces showing reluctance. They murmured complaints about the early start of the class, their voices filled with grumbling and yawning.
"Who came up with the idea of having a class like this so early in the morning?" a student muttered.
“I have trouble even thinking at this time of morning,” another student chimed in, yawning.
"If only I could sleep for another five minutes," the third student sighed.
Their complaints continued until footsteps approached. Professor Eleanor arrived, and her arrival immediately put the students to a serious tone. The complaints ceased abruptly, and everyone's attention quickly focused on her.
"Good morning," Professor Eleanor greeted, her tone firm and calm. Her arrival silenced the students; they knew all too well how difficult this professor was to deal with.
"As I mentioned before, melee combat skills are often overlooked because we hunters usually rely on weapons. However, in dungeons, unexpected situations can sometimes occur, such as losing your weapon. Therefore, as a hunter, you must be prepared for this situation."
Professor Eleanor continued explaining the significance of close combat, while gesturing for the students to pay attention.
"So today you will be paired up with your partners to practice together. Note that your performance today will be scored."
Her words elicited knowing glances from the students; they might be unhappy about getting up early, but they also understood the importance of this training.
"Now, let's start assigning partners."
After saying this, she began to assign pairs to the students based on their rankings and her assessment of their abilities.
This allocation is natural, so the difference in students' abilities will not be too great; otherwise, the training effect would be greatly reduced.
The matching process is simple; it mainly involves grouping them according to their ranking.
When the list was finally filled, only two people remained.
One girl looked slightly downcast and seemed a little scared, while the other was a student who always gave her a headache and was annoying.
Sylvie Solaris
Because she is a healer with very weak combat abilities, even when she partners with Ethan, the training efficiency will be very low.
However, the annoying student in front of her solved this problem. Since he was at the bottom of the grade and her experienced eyes could see that Morse was physically weak, he was clearly the most suitable partner for Sylvie.
“Sylvie Solaris and Morse Scott. You can take your positions now.”
After she signaled for the two to take their places, she completed all the matching and then turned to the whole class again.
“Remember, the goal of this training is not to beat your partner, but to learn from each other. Pay attention to your technique and accept constructive feedback,” Eleanor reminded, her gaze sweeping over all the students.
Sylvie stood in front of Morse, slightly nervous, recalling the horrific scene.
"He seems to be very good at close combat," she thought, looking at the boy in front of her.
Her ability has been activated, allowing her to sense the other person's emotions.
It was a monotonous gray, and he stared at himself indifferently.
"Alright, begin!" Professor Eleanor gave the order, and the training ground immediately became lively as each group began practicing their respective skills.
Sylvie remained tense, for she had never experienced a situation where she had to fight. However, she knew she couldn't run away.
"Have you ever been in a fight before?" Morse's voice broke the silence between the two. He looked directly at Sylvie, his tone neither unfriendly nor gentle.
Sylvie shook her head timidly in response.
“Indeed, most therapists are like that.” Morse nodded upon hearing her reply, as if talking to himself.
“That won’t change until she learns how dangerous this world is,” Morse thought, looking at Sylvie in front of him, recalling the person who had helped him with his treatment last time.
"Repaying her in this way shouldn't be a bad thing."
With this in mind, Morse spoke again.
“Let’s start with the basics.” He looked very serious, his purple eyes fixed on Sylvie.
Sylvie didn't refuse. In fact, she couldn't refuse at all, because Morse looked incredibly imposing at that moment. Although this feeling largely stemmed from her frequent, silent observation of him from afar, at least in her eyes, she felt she couldn't refuse him.
As Morse began to teach her the basic stances and movements, Sylvie listened attentively, trying to grasp what he was teaching. He demonstrated to her how to adjust her body posture for defense and how to quickly turn and react. His instructions were clear and concise, and he demonstrated each movement precisely.
“You need to move faster to be more stable,” Morse pointed out, correcting her posture.
"Keep your arms close to your body to protect your chest."
Sylvie adjusted his posture as instructed, but felt awkward and unconfident when imitating his movements.
"This is too difficult," Sylvie thought to herself, feeling a dull ache in her body.
However, Morse's gaze remained fixed on her. Although his attitude was serious, she could sense that he genuinely wanted to help her. If she gave up now, she would be letting him down.
“Let’s try a basic block,” Morse said calmly. He demonstrated the movement, raising his forearm to protect his face and chest. “You need to use your forearm to absorb the impact.”
Sylvie mimicked the movement, feeling slightly more confident with clear guidance. Morse observed her closely, his gaze assessing her movements.
But Morse's reaction surprised her. "No, this isn't the right way to do it," he said firmly, clearly dissatisfied with his actions.
Sylvie's heart sank with his words. She had tried her best to follow his instructions, but it still wasn't good enough. Sylvie bit her lip, a sense of frustration welling up inside her.
Morse seemed to sense her emotions and spoke again, "Now, I'll make you understand why you're doing this." He adjusted his posture and clenched his fists, making Sylvie even more nervous.
"Ah!" A soft gasp escaped Sylvie's lips involuntarily, her nerves becoming even more sensitive due to tension.
“Don’t worry, I’ll control my strength. I’m just letting you get a feel for it,” Morse reassured him, his movements still cautious.
Despite his words, Sylvie couldn't help but tremble, her fear growing stronger. She closed her eyes, her mind filled with terror and anticipation.
"It must hurt so much, it must hurt so much, it must hurt so much..."
She kept repeating this phrase in her mind, unable to shake off her fear.
Observing her reaction, Morse knew he needed to try a different approach.
boom!
Morse's fist touched her, but there was no pain she expected. Instead, there was only a slight discomfort in her elbow. Confused, she opened her eyes and found Morse's face inches away.
"Huh?" she stammered, her tone clearly surprised. She recalled their previous encounter, and this close contact brought back a flood of memories and emotions.
“Calm down.” Morse’s voice was steady, his gaze unwavering. “Sylvie.”
Even hearing her own name made her uneasy. The distance between them, coupled with the intense aura in Morse's voice, almost overwhelmed her, and her deep-seated fear of battle was fully awakened.
Morse observed Sylvie's reaction and knew he had to appear ruthless at this moment.
“You need to control yourself.” His tone was firm, with a hint of sternness. “This level of fear will not only put you in danger, but it will also put your future teammates in danger. If you can’t control your emotions in battle, you’ll be a burden, and that’s dangerous.”
His words were sharp and so real that they were impossible to ignore. Sylvie's anxiety and fear were obstacles that had to be faced, and Morse had no intention of downplaying her weaknesses.
“Your performance is terrible right now,” Morse continued, his tone uncompromising. “If you continue like this, you will only fail. In real combat, there is no time for hesitation or fear. If you can’t handle this, then you don’t belong here.”
Morse paused, his gaze fixed firmly on her. "If you're unwilling to confront your weaknesses, then perhaps you should reconsider whether you want to stay at this academy," he added, a resolute glint in his voice.
Sylvie sensed the weight of his words and the truth behind them.
But that doesn't mean she can accept it all. On the contrary, she feels deeply frustrated.
Tears welled up in her eyes, filled with anger and despair.
Without saying a word, she turned and left the training field, her emotions completely overwhelmed. Facing her fears and deep self-doubt was difficult, but Morse's words struck her right to the core.
"Silvy! Where are you going?" She even ignored Professor Eleanor's calls and left the training ground directly.