Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 51: Class ScheduleTimeless AssassinC51: Class Schedule
(Leo's POV, Student Dorm Room 22C)
Leo felt a sharp, excruciating pain pulsing through his palm the moment Su Yang left, but he refused to acknowledge it until he was safely behind the closed door of his dorm.
Click.
The second the door locked behind him, he let out a sharp breath, shaking his hand violently to restore blood flow.
"Motherfucker—" he hissed under his breath, flexing his fingers as pins and needles of pain shot through them.
"Fucker did this on purpose!" Leo cursed, as his palm throbbed with a dull, aching burn, bruises already forming where Su Yang's monstrous grip had crushed his capillaries.
Clenching his jaw, he bit into the side of his palm and blew hot air over the skin to dull the lingering pain.
'What the fuck was all that about?'
Su Yang had come to his dorm out of nowhere, dragging an entire entourage of students behind him like some self-proclaimed emperor making an unannounced visit to a rival kingdom.
And for what?
A ridiculous intimidation stunt? A childish attempt at establishing dominance?
Leo exhaled sharply, his annoyance only deepening.
'Bastard exposed my face to a crowd. Soon, I won't be able to walk the halls without drawing attention.'
That thought alone pissed him off.
But beyond his irritation, Leo had to acknowledge an undeniable truth—Su Yang was strong. Too strong.
He had already known Su Yang was a Monarch-level talent, thanks to the assistant's briefing in the Genetic Testing Chamber, but until now, that was just information.
Feeling the difference firsthand was something else entirely and Leo was shocked at just how massive the gap in their raw physical strength really was.
It wasn't like he had not fought stronger opponents before. He did face a few in the entrance tests, however, those fights? Those were manageable.
This?
This was on another level entirely.
The sheer difference in physical power between them was absurd.
And the worst part?
Su Yang knew it.
The way he had applied pressure wasn't reckless—it was controlled. Calculated.
A deliberate show of power.
'That bastard.'
Leo exhaled, shaking his hand one last time now that some feeling had returned to his fingers.
"What the hell does he mean by 'See you around'?" he muttered, scowling. "I'm not fraternizing with the likes of him. Not a chance in hell."
Today's encounter had told him everything he needed to know about Su Yang.
He was flamboyant, arrogant, egotistical.
But beneath all that bravado—
He was calculated. Dangerous.
Su Yang understood people. He knew how to provoke them, how to control a crowd, how to instill dominance with nothing more than a few words and a well-timed smirk.
He wasn't just strong.
He was aware.
Aware of how people perceived him. Aware of how to weaponize that perception to his advantage.
He was disciplined. He was strategic.
He was a nightmare in human form.
'That's what makes him dangerous.'
Su Yang's arrogance wasn't empty.
His confidence wasn't baseless.
And if things continued the way they were, there was no doubt in Leo's mind that Su Yang was the easy favorite to dominate this year's rankings.
Leo sighed, rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah. I don't care if you're number one or number one hundred. Just stay out of my way, you crazy bastard."
He flexed his bruised fingers, his expression hardening.
"Because next time you try something like that… I'm coming for your neck."
He might have played it stoic today, but he wouldn't let Su Yang treat him like an easy target.
Bullies didn't stop after one show of dominance.
If he let this slide, then academy life was going to be hell.
And Leo had no intention of spending the next few years bowing his head.
******
Eventually, Leo ventured out of his dorm room later in the evening to check out the ranking board and the class schedule.
His decision to wait had been the right one, as by the time he arrived, the crowd had thinned significantly.
Only a handful of students remained, some standing silently as they read their results, while others muttered in despair, unable to accept that they had failed to make the cut for the Elite Class.
"My life is over. I have shamed my clan…"
"What does this mean for me? Should I just end it all now?"
"If I kill a student in the Elite Class, will it open a slot for me?"
Leo ignored the hushed conversations around him, his focus locked on the board.
[Rodova Military Academy – Elite Class Rankings]
1st Place – Leo Skyshard – Monarch Level Talent – 95 Points
2nd Place – Su Yang – Monarch Level Talent – 94.5 Points
3rd Place – Mu Shen – Transcendent Level Talent – 87 Points
4th Place – Ru Lan – Transcendent Level Talent – 85 Points
5th Place – Gu Feng – Transcendent Level Talent – 82 Points
Leo's gaze lingered on the list, his eyes narrowing slightly.
'So, I really did rank first…'
He had suspected as much after Su Yang's sudden interest in him earlier, but seeing it confirmed in writing was something else entirely.
He hadn't expected to outscore someone like Su Yang—especially not in a setting like this.
However, the half-point difference told him everything he needed to know about Su Yang versus his strengths.
He wasn't stronger than Su Yang.
He wasn't faster.
He wasn't more physically dominant.
But he was sharper.
The Reflex Test had tipped the scales in his favor, giving him just enough of an edge to surpass Su Yang, even if only by the slimmest margin.
Still, a part of him wondered if this ranking was a blessing or a curse.
Being ranked first meant more eyes were going to be on him all year long, which would in-turn mean more scrutiny, and more challenges for him.
*Sigh*
Leo exhaled sharply, pushing the thought aside as he shifted his attention to the class schedule displayed beside the rankings.
—---
[Elite Class Timetable – Year 1]
Common Courses:
1. Basics of Perception – Professor Powell
2. Physical Fitness & Training – Professor Marvin
3. General Magic Theory – Professor David
Professional Specialization (Assassin Branch):
4. Basics of Stealth & Assassination
5. Scouting, Movement & Planning
6. Practical Combat
—---
Leo's eyes moved over the list, analyzing the course structure.
Three foundational courses that all Elite Class students, regardless of profession, had to take.
Then—three specialization courses, tailored specifically for his branch.
No unnecessary fluff.
No wasted time.
Everything was designed with direct application to their profession.
As he skimmed through the timetables of other branches, he noted the differences.
The Swordsmanship Branch, for example, had "Basics of Swordsmanship & Sword Intent" instead of Stealth.
They also had "Leadership & Battlefield Tactics" as a secondary subject, instead of Scouting, Movement, & Planning.
Meanwhile, Practical Combat remained a common course, no matter the profession.
It all made sense.
Rodova was shaping them into specialists.
---
[Professor Notes – Year 1 Elite Class]
As Leo's eyes drifted lower, he noticed handwritten notes beneath each course description.
[Basics of Perception – Professor Powell]
> "You think you know how to see? Hahaha, we'll see if you can see in my class. Open your eyes, or you'll walk into a blade before you ever see it coming."
Class held daily except Thursdays and Sundays. Practical Training Ground D-4.
Leo's brow twitched slightly.
Who the hell wrote that?
This Powell guy sounded completely unhinged and like an individual who liked to make Dad Jokes.
[Physical Fitness & Training – Professor Marvin]
> "I don't care how strong you think you are. If you can't outrun, outlast, and overpower the enemy, you're already dead. In my class, you either adapt or collapse. Simple."
Class held daily at dawn. Training Hall C-2.
Leo let out a slow breath.
Professor Marvin sounded like a hard-ass.
He was no stranger to physical training, but something about Marvin's tone told him that this class would be hell.
[General Magic Theory – Professor David]
> "Magic is a tool. A weapon. A science. If you think it's some mystical nonsense or a shortcut to power, you're already a fool. I will make sure only those worthy of wielding it pass my class."
Class held daily except Saturdays and Sundays. Lecture Hall B-1.
Leo's lips curled slightly.
An indoor subject? And something that actually sounded interesting?
He almost couldn't believe his luck!
Then came the profession-specific courses.
[Basics of Stealth & Assassination]
> "The difference between a common thug and an assassin? One gets caught. The other doesn't. You'll either learn the difference, or you'll fail before you ever begin."
Class held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Stealth Training Facility A-6.
[Scouting, Movement & Planning]
> "No mission is won on strength alone. Your ability to move, observe, and plan is what separates the dead from the living. Make no mistake—you'll learn the art of survival before you ever learn to kill."
Class held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tactical Field B-9.
[Practical Combat]
> "If you hesitate, you die. If you lack control, you die. If you overestimate yourself, you die. Get used to hearing that. My job is to make sure you're worth keeping alive."
Class held daily. Combat Arena E-3.
Leo noted that the last three courses didn't list a specific professor.
Did that mean they had multiple instructors?
Or was it too dangerous to list a name?
Whatever the case, none of these notes sounded comforting.
It was almost like Rodova wasn't here to teach them.
It was here to break them and to forge them.
There were no easy courses. No approachable instructors.
Only killers in the making.
Leo exhaled slowly, stepping away from the board.
Tomorrow, it would all begin, and he had no intention of falling behind from day one.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 52: Academy LifeTimeless AssassinC52: Academy Life
(Leo's POV – Rodova Military Academy, Training Hall C-2, Early Morning)
Leo barely had any time to settle into his new routine before the first day of training hit him like a freight train.
The academy operated on a brutal schedule, and the dorm alarms blared at exactly 4:30 AM, signaling the start of the day with zero mercy.
Leo had barely managed to drag himself out of bed, throw on his training uniform, and make his way outside before being herded toward Training Hall C-2, where the first class of every morning—Physical Fitness & Training—was held.
Now, standing in the massive hall, he observed the ruthlessly efficient setup.
The space was vast, with rows of heavy-duty training equipment, climbing ropes, weighted dummies, and obstacle courses that looked like they belonged in a military boot camp rather than an academy.
The walls were lined with racks of weighted vests, stacks of iron plates, and resistance bands that looked like they were meant for dragons, not humans.
A few students muttered as they took in the setup.
"Are we training or getting sent to war?"
"I heard the instructor is brutal."
"Yeah, Professor Marvin, right? The guy's ex-military. Used to train actual soldiers before he came here."
Leo ignored the chatter, his eyes scanning the students around him.
Some looked sleepy. Others looked pumped. And then there were the rare few—like Su Yang—who stood there utterly unfazed, as if this was just another morning routine.
'So this is the Elite Class' Leo thought, as looking around, he could see how everyone around him looked exceptional in one way or another.
Everyone carried themself with an air of dignity.
Nobody made unnecessary gestures or trouble, and mostly everyone was courteous and reserved.
About 90% of the crowd was high born, while the remaining few were too shy to make eye contact with others.
'What a boring class—' Leo thought, rolling his shoulders, as he felt the slight soreness in his joint because of his encounter with Su Yang yesterday.
Then—
SLAM!
The heavy steel doors at the front of the hall burst open, and a man who looked like he had been carved from stone stepped inside.
'Is that Professor Marvin?' Leo wondered, as the man walked closer.
The man was a towering wall of muscle, his sleeveless training uniform revealing thick, battle-worn arms covered in scars.
His expression was one of pure, unfiltered authority, and the sheer weight of his presence made the room feel smaller.
The students immediately straightened when the man's gaze swept over them, as nobody seemed to be wanting to mess with him.
Then, in a deep, no-nonsense voice, he spoke—
"Welcome to Physical Fitness & Training. I'm Marvin Gallows, but you will call me Professor Marvin."
His tone held no warmth. No welcome. Just raw, military discipline.
"I don't care who you are. I don't care what clan you're from. I don't care if you're a Monarch-level talent or some gutter rat who barely crawled their way into the Elite class."
He folded his arms, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"In this hall, you are all the same."
He said, as he narrowed his eyes on Su Yang.
"I don't care how strong you think you are. If you can't outrun, outlast, and overpower the enemy, you're already dead."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
Marvin's lips curled slightly as if he could smell their doubt.
"Most of you have never felt what it means to be truly exhausted. To have every ounce of strength drained from your body, yet still be expected to keep going, which is why most of you don't understand the importance of physical training and conditioning–"
He said, as his voice softened just a tad bit.
"I'll tell you this just once, so listen carefully— "
"If you're an assassin, you will face situations where you must cross a vast distance in a matter of seconds. Whether it's closing in on a target before they escape or outrunning an entire battalion of pursuers, your ability to move will determine whether you live or die."
His icy gaze swept over the nervous students.
"The day your legs give out before your will to survive does—you die."
A tense hush fell over the training hall.
Marvin's voice lowered slightly, but the weight of his words only grew heavier.
"If you're a swordsman, picture this—your unit is laying siege on a fortress perched atop a hill. The only opening is a narrow, five-minute window at dawn, when the night patrols rotate out, and the morning fog is at its thickest.
He paused, letting the image sink in.
"In that brief moment, you must scale the cliffside, breach the walls, and eliminate the gate sentries— all before the changing guards notice something is wrong."
His piercing stare hardened.
"But what if you're too slow? What if you're not strong enough to carry your gear up that hill? What if your endurance fails before you reach the top?"
A suffocating silence.
"Then you die. And with you—your entire unit dies."
Marvin let the words hang, allowing them to settle into the bones of every student present.
Then, his gaze shifted.
"And archers…"
Some students instinctively straightened.
Marvin's lips curled slightly.
"You think distance keeps you safe? That standing on a vantage point means you're untouchable?"
He snorted.
"Let me tell you how an archer dies."
He raised a hand, mimicking the pull of a bowstring.
"You've climbed a high perch—a ridge, a tower, a tree. You take position, your arrows nocked, and your sight is locked onto the battlefield below."
Marvin snapped his fingers.
"The first few shots fly true. Your enemies fall. You think of yourself as a hunter above the chaos."
Then—his expression darkened.
"But then—they find you."
He took a slow step forward.
"They scale the ridge. They breach the tower. They set the forest alight beneath your perch."
Marvin's voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"You reach for another arrow—but your fingers are trembling. Your breath is ragged. Your arms are too weak to draw the bowstring again, because after hours of battle, you're exhausted."
Another pause.
"And the moment you hesitate—you die."
His words struck like hammer blows.
"The difference between a sniper and a corpse? Stamina. Strength. The ability to keep shooting when the body screams to stop."
His eyes swept over the room, landing on each student, branding his lesson into them.
"No matter your profession—if your body fails you before the battle is over, then you were never fit to fight in the first place."
A heavy silence followed.
Marvin exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"This is why we train."
Then, his voice snapped back to full command mode.
"Now—prepare for training, and remember, if you don't train till you feel like you will die, someday you will die for real."
"Today, we start with something light. We start with 25Kg weighted vest runs, followed by simple exercise runs.
Grab a vest and get in line—" Marvin instructed, as no-one hesitated for even a second longer.
Everyone swarmed to pick up a vest, however, when it was Leo's turn to pick up a vest, Marvin suddenly interrupted.
"Not you Skyshard, you, Su Yang, Mu Shen, the three of you are at the top of the rankings, so you will start with a 40kg vest.
Since the three of you want to parade as the best, you must also behave like the best" Professor Marvin said, as Leo looked at him in confusion?
Why did he already know his name?
And since when did he parade like the best?
What nonsense was this?
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 53: Hidden StrengthTimeless AssassinC53: Hidden Strength
The moment Professor Marvin singled Leo out for the heavier vest, the whispers began.
"This guy? This kid is Leo Skyshard, the number one ranked genius?"
"Oh man. I thought the top students were gonna get it easy, but Professor Marvin is laying into them on day one."
"I mean, it's only fair. If they only had 25kg, they'd finish while we're barely at the halfway mark."
"I wanna be friends with Leo Skyshard. They say being around the right kind of people sparks growth"
As Leo heard the murmurs around him, he exhaled sharply through his nose, his frown deepening.
His anonymity was gone.
Before today, he was just another face in the crowd—one of many new students blending into the academy's brutal ranks. But now, everyone in the Elite Class knew his name, his face, and exactly where he stood on the rankings as a dozen new gazes bore into his back.
He hated it.
He hated being the center of attention, however, for now he had no choice but to weather it.
Then—
A sudden bump against his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You hesitate too much, Skyshard."
Su Yang's voice was casual, almost bored, as he brushed past Leo and grabbed a 40kg vest.
With ease, he slid it over his shoulders and fastened the straps, rolling his shoulders like it weighed nothing.
"It's just 40 kilos," he said with a smirk, staring Marvin down like this was just another day for him.
Then—he grinned.
"Yeah, I'm the best around here. And I'm not afraid to show it." Su Yang yelled, as a ripple went through the crowd at his bold declaration, but Marvin only chuckled, unimpressed.
Meanwhile, Mu Shen, the number three ranked student let out an exaggerated groan.
"Mannnn… what a drag," he muttered, dragging a hand through his disheveled hair. "I'm not even a Monarch-level talent, why do I have to do the heavy load too?"
Despite his complaints, he still grabbed a 40kg vest and strapped it on, his expression making it clear that despite his protests he did not find the vest to be too heavy either.
Leaving only Leo behind.
Leo stared at the vest, his fingers tightening around the fabric as he lifted it.
Heavy… Heavy… Heavy.
At 72kg himself, adding another 40 kilograms onto his frame was no small thing.
It was nearly an extra half of his body weight, as even before he buckled it in place, he could feel the weight dragging against his arms, pressing down onto his shoulders, testing his balance.
'This is going to be hell' Leo realized the moment he put it on, however, there was no turning back now.
Securing the straps, Leo adjusted the vest so it fit snugly against his torso.
However, the instant he let go, his knees almost buckled.
The weight pulled at his body, demanding he sink lower, demanding he acknowledge how unnatural this burden was.
However, he did not.
Instead, he clenched his jaw, straightened his back, and refused to give Marvin or anyone else the satisfaction of seeing him struggle.
Then—
"Alright," Marvin barked, stepping forward. "No more stalling. Line up."
A single command, and the students fell into position, aligning into rows behind a set of marked lanes in the training hall.
Marvin pointed to the far end of the massive indoor track.
"100 laps," he said. "If you stop before you finish, you repeat the entire training session tomorrow."
A collective murmur of horror rippled through the students.
Marvin smirked.
"Move."
—
The moment they took off, Leo knew he was in trouble.
The added weight dragged against every step, slowing his movements, straining his muscles, making him feel like he was running through wet cement.
Each breath came heavier.
Each stride felt unnatural.
As it became clear to him that his body wasn't used to this.
As he completed the first lap, every fiber of his being screamed that this wasn't normal, that he should stop, that he should slow down.
But he did not.
He could not—
Because just a few paces ahead of him—Su Yang ran effortlessly, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement as if he wasn't carrying anything extra at all.
Because Mu Shen, despite his constant complaints, was keeping up just fine, his pace relaxed, his breathing controlled.
And most importantly—
Because Leo refused to fall behind.
Pride alone kept his feet moving.
His body screamed. His legs threatened to collapse beneath him.
But he refused.
His pride would not allow him to be the one struggling at the back while Su Yang ran ahead, smiling like the goddamn showoff he was.
So Leo grit his teeth—
And he ran.
He ran as hard as he could, for as far as he could, and continued to run even after his vision started to double and his lungs started to hurt.
"25 laps in Skyshard, how are you holding? Do you think we should increase our pace a little? Doesn't this feel too leisurely?" Su Yang asked teasingly, as Leo felt his blood boil over.
If he was at peak condition, he would have smacked Su Yang in the face at this moment, however, he was not.
He did not even have spare energy to sock him in the face and hence he continued to remain silent, consistent with his character.
"Mu Shen, you know, this guy's a mute, he doesn't speak even if you're chopping his dick off, a real hard-core assassin" Su Yang joked, as he glanced towards Mu Shen who was also running beside them at the head of the pack.
"Mannn… don't drag me into your internal squabbles, unlike you monsters, I'm struggling here to keep-up with your pace.
If you increase it anymore, I'm falling behind for sure" Mu Shen replied, as he refused to play Su Yang's game.
However, Su Yang only smirked in response.
"You're not struggling Mu Shen, Leo here is.
Look at his legs, they're vibrating violently, while he's wheezing through his mouth like a drowning seal.
A couple more laps and he won't be at the head of the pack here with us–" Su Yang said, as it was only when he drew attention to Leo's movements that Mu Shen noticed just how hard Leo was really struggling.
His legs vibrated due to muscle fatigue with every step that he took and his lungs seemed to be desperately gasping for oxygen.
"Oh yeah, no shit, bro's turning blue. Looks like endurance is not your strong suit bro, better sit this one out and try again tomorrow with no extra weights" Mu Shen said, as suddenly the respect that he seemed to carry for Leo before this sentence seemed to vanish, as he no longer seemed to fear him as before.
"He's not the only one, Half the crowd who have not been trained for endurance back in their clans have started to slow down.
A lap here is 600 meters, and after running for 15 kilometers at near sprinting speeds, most are already at their limits.
100 laps here is very harsh for the untrained, however, 100 laps with extra weights is pure hell—" Su Yang said, as just as he pointed this out, the first student burnt out and crashed, stumbling on to the mud below as his knees gave out completely.
However, while Su Yang said these words hoping to demoralize Leo, his words strangely motivated Leo instead.
'Wait? I've been running for 15 kilometres straight already? That doesn't seem right— it's been only 20 minutes. How did I manage to run 15 kilometres in 20 minutes? That too with a vest on?' Leo wondered, as something about this situation did not add up in his brain.
Although he had lost his memories and did not know the limits of his own strength, he did remember just how long a kilometre was supposed to be, and understood that under normal circumstances, walking leisurely would take one 15-20 minutes to cover a kilometre.
Yet, in just 20 minutes, he had covered 15 kilometers.
That wasn't human. That was wolf-like speed—except he wasn't slowing down. He wasn't collapsing. He was still moving.
'My body? Is it already this strong? Yes I'm tired, but I'm not dead yet…. Meaning I must have trained as hell to be what I am today' Leo realized, as his belief in his own strength suddenly skyrocketed.
He was told that he was the best assassin on Earth, but he did not know anything more about himself.
However, running today, he finally got a feel for his limits, and the real power coursing through his veins.
He was not an average human. He was already way past that limit already.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 54: FreakTimeless AssassinC54: Freak
Once Leo realized that he wasn't as weak as he had assumed, his breathing began to stabilize, and his heart rate gradually eased.
It was strange—how a psychological shift could have such a tangible effect on his body, as the difference between forcing himself to endure through sheer willpower and knowing, deep in his bones, that he could endure was staggering.
His muscles were still burning. His lungs still strained for air. His legs still felt the weight of the vest pressing down on them with every step.
But suddenly, it felt… manageable.
The despair that had been creeping in—the idea that he was barely hanging on while Su Yang ran circles around him—was gone.
Because now, he knew.
He was fast.
He was strong.
He was built for this.
And that made all the difference.
As he pushed forward, his strides evened out, and his pace became smoother.
Meanwhile, Su Yang, who had been casually observing Leo's struggle from the corner of his eye, narrowed his gaze slightly.
The shift was subtle—but he noticed it instantly.
Leo had gone from running on the edge of collapse to finding his rhythm.
Su Yang had never seen anything like that happen before, so he was baffled to see Leo find a second wind so late into the run.
It was fascinating to watch.
"Well, well," Su Yang muttered under his breath, lips curving upward. "So you do have some iron in you, Skyshard…"
Rather than feeling threatened, Su Yang felt excited.
He had been waiting for Leo to stop enduring and start owning it.
Now?
It was time to see how far he could push him.
"Hey, Skyshard," Su Yang called out, his tone light, teasing.
"You're looking a little too comfortable back there. What do you say we pick up the pace?" He said, as without waiting for a reply, Su Yang accelerated.
********
Leo, caught slightly off guard by Su Yang's sudden burst of speed, instinctively matched him.
His legs burned, his breath came harder—but his pride refused to let Su Yang leave him behind.
They shot past Mu Shen, who let out an exaggerated groan.
"Of course you two psychos would do this," he grumbled. "Just kill me already and get it over with…"
But neither Leo nor Su Yang paid him any mind.
The other students, still struggling through their laps, could only watch as the two front-runners began pulling away from the pack.
"Look at them go…"
"They were already ahead of the rest of us, and now they're treating this like a damn race?"
"Monarch-level talents really are built different, huh?"
Marvin, observing from the sidelines, let out a quiet chuckle.
'Good…'
He had expected Su Yang to do well.
But Leo's performance surprised him.
According to the data slate that he had, it seemed like Leo's strength and endurance was average at best.
And with him wearing a 40 kg vest instead of 25, Marvin expected him to collapse amongst the first few students who gave out, however, Leo resiliently held on.
Despite hitting his muscle capacity, Leo kept running on pure adrenaline and willpower, as he pulled ahead of the pack alongside Su Yang, and managed to lap them all around Lap40.
By now, around 50% of the class had already given out.
On their very first day, they did not have the mettle to keep running at near top speeds for over 25 kilometers, especially with a weighted vest on.
However, despite hitting his limits long ago, Leo kept running non-stop, never falling a step behind Su Yang, until they hit lap number 50.
********
As they hit Lap 50, Su Yang finally felt the strain of running for 30 kilometers catch up to him, as his breathing became more ragged and his decision to run faster and break his initial rhythm came back to bite him in the ass.
"Say… what…. Sky…shard, are… you? Fe—feeling it yet?" He said, his voice coming out in rasps, as he looked across towards Leo who kept running with a simple smile on his face.
"Oh, come… on now….. say something!" Su Yang urged, as he forcefully took a step ahead of Leo and glanced at his face.
However, what he saw made him stumble in fear, as he lost his balance and hit the ground below with a sickening slide and THUD.
The impact sent shockwaves through Su Yang's body, but he barely felt it. His mind was still reeling from what he had just witnessed.
His chest heaved as he scrambled up onto his elbows, eyes locked onto Leo, who continued running as if nothing had happened.
But it wasn't normal.
It wasn't human.
"Professor—!" Su Yang's voice came out hoarse, cracking slightly as he turned to Marvin.
His face was ghastly pale, his breaths coming in short gasps as he struggled to put what he saw into words.
Marvin, who had been observing from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow. "If you're gonna ask me to let you join the sprint again Yang, you can forget about it. You can finish it, but you're still running the penalty tomorrow."
"It's not—" Su Yang gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet despite his trembling legs. He pointed at Leo, his golden eyes wide, almost disbelieving.
"It's not about me…. Look at him!"
Marvin's gaze flicked toward Leo, and what he saw made his expression darken.
Blood ran down Leo's nose in thick, crimson trails, staining his chin and dripping onto his vest. More blood had seeped from the corners of his mouth, trailing down his jawline in messy streaks.
But it wasn't just that.
His face—his expression—was wrong.
A bloody smile curled at his lips, stretching far too easily despite the signs of physical agony his body should have been experiencing.
And then, there were his eyes.
Or rather, the lack of them.
His pupils had completely disappeared, leaving behind nothing but rolled-back, ghostly white eyes that stared into the abyss.
He wasn't conscious.
That much was obvious.
But somehow, impossibly, he was still running.
A fresh shiver crawled up Su Yang's spine as he clenched his fists. He had never seen anything like this before.
"Professor," he breathed, his voice lower now, carrying the weight of something close to horror. "He's not awake, but he's still running."
Marvin's frown deepened.
Leo's form was still perfect, his strides still fluid, his balance unwavering.
But there was no recognition in his movements. No control.
As if his body had simply refused to stop.
Marvin cursed under his breath, his instincts kicking in.
"Skyshard!" he barked.
No response.
Leo's legs kept moving, his breath ragged but steady, his body acting purely on something beyond awareness.
"SKYSHARD!" Marvin shouted again, louder this time, his voice carrying authority.
But there was no response again.
"Shit," Marvin muttered, as he moved in quickly to stop Leo from harming himself anymore.
This wasn't him passing out from just exhaustion.
This wasn't him still running from just determination.
This was something else.
Su Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands still trembling slightly.
He parted his lips as if to say something, but swallowed it down instantly.
For the first time since stepping foot into Rodova, he felt it.
Something beyond competition.
Something beyond talent.
Something unnatural.
As for the first time in his life, he developed genuine feelings of respect for a colleague.
"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" He said, his eyes wide, as no matter how much he searched within himself, he could not think of a scenario where he would continue running even after he had passed out.
Not even if his life were on the line.
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Marvin rushed forward the moment he realized what was happening.
Leo's body kept moving, his legs still driving forward despite the unmistakable signs of unconsciousness.
"Stop boy, you'll end up killing yourself if you don't–" Marvin said, as without hesitation he caught him by the shoulders, and lifted him clean off the ground.
But even as Marvin lifted Leo's body into the air, Leo still continued to thrash and struggle against the restraint, his muscles twitching, his limbs jerking as if searching for solid ground.
His legs kicked weakly, desperate to keep running, despite the fact that his mind had already long since shut down.
Marvin frowned, staring into the eerie, rolled-back whites of Leo's eyes, searching for some flicker of awareness.
However, there was nothing to be found.
Leo was gone.
And yet—his body refused to stop.
'What monstrous willpower!… what kind of training turns a boy into this?' Marvin wondered, feeling impressed as he exhaled sharply through his nose.
Shifting his grip, he brought Leo's thrashing form into a tight hold, locking his arms against his sides, forcing him still.
It was only then—when all movement had been forcibly cut off—that Leo's body finally stopped resisting, going slack against Marvin's unyielding frame. As finally, he stopped for good.
For a moment, the training field was deathly silent.
And then, as if reality had just sunk in, the whispers began.
"…What the fuck did we just witness?"
"He was smiling, the whole time—while he was running, while he was bleeding—he was smiling."
"No… that's not even the worst part, the worst part is that he was unconscious. He didn't even know he was smiling. He didn't choose to keep going. His body just… kept running and smiling, even when his mind was gone."
The words settled over the group of students still running like a suffocating weight.
"I want to believe he would've stopped eventually—"
" —I have to believe that. But… if the professor hadn't stopped him, if Marvin hadn't physically restrained him…"
He hesitated, as if speaking the thought aloud would make it real.
"…Would he have just kept going? Would he have run until his body actually broke?"
The question sent chills racing down spines of the students who sat just outside the running track.
"…I thought I knew what it meant to push past my limits. I thought I understood what willpower was." A girl from the six big clans said, as she turned her gaze towards Leo's limp form.
"But that? That wasn't willpower. That was something else."
"Something inhuman—"
Silence.
Then—
"Fuck, I was planning to challenge him after this." Someone said with a dry humourless laugh.
"Now? I don't even think I want to be on the same battlefield as that freak." He concluded, as he rubbed his hands over his skin that had turned reptilian with goosebumps.
"This guy… he's not normal. He's not normal. No one should be able to do that. No one should be able to keep running when their body gives out."
"It's not just talent or training… it's like he doesn't know how to stop."
"…What kind of life do you have to live, to become something like that?" Mu Shen asked, his gaze flickering toward Leo's motionless form.
"…No," he corrected himself, shaking his head. "What kind of person do you have to be? What the hell has he gone through to become this?"
The thought settled uneasily in everyone's minds.
All of them had worked hard to get where they were today.
None of them had easy lives growing up.
However, whatever hell they had been through, now looked like a children's park when compared to the past of Leo Skyshard.
*********
(Rodova Military Academy, The C Wing Infirmary)
Professor Marvin personally rushed Leo into the infirmary once his thrashing stopped, as he felt Leo's pulse weaken slightly with every passing second.
The infirmary was relatively quiet, with only a handful of minor cases being treated—scrapes, bruises, and the occasional muscle strain.
Since the semester had just begun, there weren't many serious injuries yet, leaving the medical staff free to prepare for what would inevitably come.
So when Professor Marvin stormed in, carrying Leo's limp body over his shoulder, the room instantly snapped to attention.
Half a dozen assistants and a senior healer, a composed yet authoritative woman with streaks of silver in her dark hair, rushed toward him, their eyes widening when they saw the state Leo was in.
"Place him here," the senior healer instructed, motioning toward one of the reinforced medical tables, as Marvin did as told, carefully lowering Leo onto the padded surface.
"What happened to him?" The senior healer asked, as Marvin quickly briefed them about how Leo kept running despite passing out, pushing his body well beyond its limits.
Having a general idea of what went down, the assistants immediately went to work, their hands glowing with diagnostic mana as they began a rapid assessment.
However, within seconds, their faces turned grim.
"Muscle fibers across his legs and arms are torn—" one of them reported, voice laced with disbelief.
"Multiple stress fractures in his tibia, fibula, and metatarsals," another chimed in.
"Mana exhaustion detected—his reserves are completely drained."
But the worst was yet to come.
The senior healer, standing at Leo's bedside, placed her hand just above his chest, her mana pulsing in waves as she conducted a deeper scan.
A second later, her eyes flickered with something close to shock.
"There's a small perforation in his left lung," she said, her usually calm voice carrying a rare note of incredulity. "Likely caused by extreme exertion under prolonged oxygen deprivation."
One of the assistants swallowed hard. "That… that doesn't make sense. That kind of injury occurs in high-intensity combat, not from running."
The senior healer pulled back, exhaling sharply as she studied Leo's unconscious form. His face was still pale, lips slightly parted as his body lay eerily still, completely drained of all its strength.
But even now—despite the damage—his fingers twitched, as if his body was still trying to move.
"This level of self-destruction…" the senior healer muttered under her breath. "How can one even do this to themselves?"
Professor Marvin crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Leo. He had seen many students over the years, many elite warriors in the making, but none who had done this much damage to themselves without being in an actual fight.
He let out a low grunt. "Forget the how. Can you fix him?"
The senior healer nodded, but there was hesitation in her eyes. "Yes. His injuries are severe, but they can be healed completely within a few hours with proper treatment."
"I will try and ensure that he doesn't miss his next class due in 2.5 hours, but he's going to miss breakfast for sure—" she concluded, as Marvin's lips curled slightly, though there was no humor in his expression.
"Alright, fix him and once he wakes up inform him that he has failed my training class and needs to re-do the 100 laps tomorrow" Marvin instructed, as with that he left the infirmary hall.
Shaking her head, as if disappointed in the muscle headed professor, the chief healer prepared a serum, while also giving instructions to her assistants.
"Prepare the mana regeneration solution. He needs deep-tissue healing and a full detoxification cycle."
"Tasha, cast a healing spell over his lungs, the hole is small you can fill it quickly"
"Daryn, pump out the leaked blood, unclog the smaller arteries"
"Heldi, heal his fractured bones"
"Chop, Chop! The next class is in 2.5 hours—"
The chief healer instructed, as the whole team worked on Leo's body double speed.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 56: Next ClassTimeless AssassinC56: Next Class
( Leo's POV, C Wing Infirmary)
Leo stirred, his senses slowly dragging themselves back into focus.
Everything hurt.
His limbs felt like dead weights, his muscles screamed in protest with even the slightest shift, and his head throbbed with a dull, pounding ache.
It was like waking up from the worst beating of his life—except he couldn't remember when he'd even taken a hit.
*Gasp*
A deep breath sent a sharp, uncomfortable pressure through his chest. Not pain, but tightness, like his lungs were still adjusting to working properly again.
'What the hell happened…?' he wondered, as his last memory was one of running on the track—his legs burning, his breath coming shorter, and the world slowly darkening with each lap.
Darkness. That was all he remembered. It had crept in at the edges of his vision, spreading with every step until—
Until what?
His brows furrowed slightly as he stared at the white ceiling above him. He didn't remember collapsing. Didn't remember stopping.
All he knew was that one moment he was running, and the next… he was here.
"You're awake."
A calm, authoritative voice cut through his thoughts, and Leo turned his head slightly to see a mature woman standing at his bedside.
Her dark hair was streaked with silver, tied into a neat bun, and her sharp, assessing eyes swept over him with clinical precision.
"You gave us quite the trouble, young man," she said, setting a small vial down on the bedside table. "Not many students manage to land themselves in the infirmary on the first day—at least, not from running."
Leo blinked, his throat dry as he finally registered his surroundings.
This was the C-Wing Infirmary, he had seen it during the orientation from the outside.
"How long was I out?" He asked, his voice coming out rough, probably because he hadn't spoken in hours.
"A little over two hours." The healer responded, looking at the clock, as Leo exhaled sharply to her response.
This wasn't ideal, being out for two hours meant that he missed most of what else happened in the morning training class, and missed his chance to grab breakfast.
"You need to get moving if you don't want to miss your next class." The healer warned, as reaching for the vial she had placed on the table beside him earlier, she pressed the glass into his hand.
"Drink this throughout the day. Small sips, not all at once. It'll help your body recover."
Leo frowned slightly, staring at the potion.
It looked turbid and yellow, like pee, and once the thought entered his brain, he couldn't imagine himself drinking it at all.
Nonetheless, giving the healer a firm nod, Leo swung his legs over the bedside, his feet hitting the cold floor, exhaling slowly before pushing himself upright.
'It feels… painful–' he realized, as every inch of his body hurt, however, while the pain was ever present, it was strangely manageable.
He could move despite the pain, and that was all that mattered.
"Your body is not fully healed, so don't be reckless. Your mana reserves are still running low, so expect some fatigue. However, sip on that drink and eat well and you should be fine by tomorrow" She said, as she checked off some points on her patient sheet.
Leo rolled his shoulders, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs before giving her a curt nod.
"Thanks." he said, however, the chief healer did not respond.
She just gave him a knowing look before turning away, already moving to tend to the next patient.
"Alright, the next class is the Basics Of Perception, I have to go to block D–" Leo muttered to himself, as he did not linger around either.
Walking swiftly, he began making his way to sector D, while also thinking about how he must have become the biggest joke in class.
"Passing out on day one… people must think I'm a fraud…. *Sigh*. I'm going to become the center of jokes and bullying.
People will pick on me, just because I'm number one and not worthy," Leo mused, as he almost dreaded moving to the next class.
He was never one to be really affected by peer pressure, however, it did not feel good to be the butt of the jokes.
Nonetheless, with no other options, he did make his way to the next class, where the atmosphere at his arrival was entirely different to what he had expected.
*********
As Leo stepped into Training Ground D-4, a heavy silence settled over the students already gathered there.
He had expected whispers, sneers, maybe even a few mocking grins.
He had expected people to call him out for passing out. For collapsing on day one.
But what he got…
Was something completely different.
The moment his presence registered, heads turned—slowly, almost cautiously.
Eyes flickered toward him with an unreadable, wary.
Some widened, others narrowed, and a few students even took half a step back, as if his very presence unsettled them.
It was subtle. But Leo felt it.
The eyes looking at him feared him, as if they saw him like a monster instead of a colleague, and Leo could not understand why?
'What's going on?' he wondered, as he straightened his shoulders.
He didn't slow his steps. Didn't let his expression shift and walked as if he was completely unbothered by the glances coming his way.
But internally, he was confused.
'What the hell is this reaction?'
His gaze flicked across the students, scanning their faces, their body language.
He caught bits and pieces of hushed conversations—not whispers of mockery, but of caution. Of disbelief.
"He's up already…?"
"Two hours. That's all it took for him to recover from that?"
"I… I thought he'd be out for the rest of the day, at least…"
"He passed out but kept running… his body didn't stop…"
Leo's steps faltered slightly.
What?
Kept running?
The words didn't make sense. He had collapsed, right? That's why he was in the infirmary. That's why he woke up there.
But the murmurs continued.
"He was smiling the whole time like a freak."
"Why does he look so calm? He knows he's fooling no-one with this fake calmness anymore yeah?"
Leo's brow twitched.
'What the hell are they talking about?'
A shadow flickered in his peripheral vision, and Leo turned just as Mu Shen stepped into view, arms crossed, his usually laid-back expression nowhere to be found.
"You really are a freak, Skyshard" Mu Shen muttered, not in an insulting way, but as if he was still trying to process what he had seen.
Leo frowned. "What the hell happened?"
Mu Shen's lips parted slightly, as if about to answer—
Then—
"Alright, settle down."
A sharp, commanding voice cut through the murmur of students, instantly snapping the air into focus.
Leo turned his head toward the source, his attention locking onto the instructor standing at the front of the training field.
A tall, wiry man with a piercing gaze and a predator's smile. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy, but something about him screamed danger.
It was Professor Powell.
Instructor of Basics of Perception.
Leo could tell just by looking at him—this was not a man to take lightly.
"Time to see if you can actually see," he said, as with a snap of his fingers he summoned a thin gray fog, to cover the entire training grounds.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 57: Basics Of PerceptionTimeless AssassinC57: Basics Of Perception
The gray fog that Professor Powell summoned dulled the surroundings around the students subtly.
It didn't just reduce visibility; it muted sounds, dampened external disturbances, and wrapped the training ground in an unnatural stillness.
It wasn't suffocating, but it was disorienting, making it impossible for students to perceive further than 15 meters from their location, hence sending their senses into overdrive.
And it was in this altered atmosphere, that Professor Powell disappeared from the location he was standing on, his voice reverberating from every corner of the open classroom, as he began his lesson.
"Perception," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly through the haze, "is not just about seeing. It is about understanding."
His tone was steady, deliberate. He was not simply lecturing—he was teaching, and his every word had weight.
"The biggest mistake novices make in combat is assuming their eyes alone will save them. That if they can see an attack, they can react. That if they watch their opponent, they'll know what's coming." Powell scoffed, as the fog around the students seemed to shift, now growing thicker.
"You do not see with your eyes. You see with your mind." Powell said, his voice now growing more firm.
"Your eyes are merely a tool—a flawed, easily deceived tool. They fall for illusions, they misjudge speed, they fail to track movements in the heat of a fight. To survive, to thrive, to be the kind of warriors this academy is shaping you into, you need more than simple sight."
"Perception is the ability to process information, to recognize patterns, to know rather than guess. A true assassin does not watch their opponent's blade—they sense the shift in weight, the tension in their muscles before they even move. A swordsman does not look for openings—they feel the rhythm of battle, understanding when to strike without hesitation. An archer does not merely aim—they anticipate where their target will be, long before they move."
A pause.
"Perception is not just about noticing your surroundings. It is about understanding them."
The fog thickened, reducing visibility even further. The students tensed.
"In this mist, you are blind. So tell me—how will you fight?"
No one spoke.
Powell chuckled. It wasn't a pleasant sound.
"You see, raw information is meaningless if you do not know how to interpret it." He let the words settle before continuing.
"Some of you, right now, are panicked. You've lost one of your senses, and instead of adapting, you freeze. Others are straining your eyes, trying to force sight through the fog. A mistake. You are relying on something that is already failing you."
The tension thickened.
"To see is passive. To perceive is active. It means knowing what is happening even when your eyes are closed. It means recognizing the presence of a threat not because you saw them move, but because you felt the shift in the air. Because you heard the faintest scuff of a foot against the ground. Because your instincts told you something was wrong."
There was no mockery in his tone—only truth. And that made it worse.
"This," Powell said finally, "is why you are weak."
A ripple of unease passed through the students as the fog surrounding them began to rapidly clear.
However, as the fog cleared, to the horror of all students, standing behind each one of them, was a masked assassin, with their knives pointed towards their back.
None of them had managed to perceive when the Assassin had arrived behind them, or when they had arrived behind the individual beside them.
As on the first day of the class, all of them collectively failed to perceive the threat to their lives.
"Holy Shit! He got us…. He got us all–"
"How did these guys get here? I couldn't sense anything at all!"
"I was looking back over my shoulders the whole time, but I still couldn't see it coming. Are we really that poor at perception?"
The students whispered amongst each other, as Powell's demonstration left everyone speechless.
Even Su Yang, who walked around like he was the best, could not perceive the presence of the Assassin behind him, as a deep frown spread on his face when he felt the cold tip of the dagger pressed against his back.
He was not proud of being caught off-guard like this, however, looking around as he saw both Mu Shen and Leo Skyshard facing the same fate, he somehow did not feel as bad as before.
"If any one of you was wondering why you need to take a class on perception before today? Now you know why—" Powell concluded, as with a clap of his hands he dismissed the gathered assassins.
The students had no way of knowing that the assassins lurking around them were, in fact, highly skilled operatives—Grandmaster-level warriors hired specifically for this exercise.
Their presence was far beyond what any of the students could hope to detect at their current level. But without that crucial piece of information, all they felt was inadequacy.
Their failure to sense even a single presence gnawed at them, making them question their instincts, their training, their very worth. And yet, rather than feeling discouraged, it ignited something deeper—a raw, urgent desire to learn. To understand. To perceive beyond mere sight, which was exactly the professor's goal.
"Unlike your other courses, we will progress in the Basics Of Perception class based on goals.
You have 4 weeks to achieve each goal, after which we move on to the next.
If you achieve your goal before time, you can take the remainder of the classes for that period off, no problem.
However, if you lag behind, you better work extra-time before bed, because I will deduct your grades and move on ruthlessly without waiting for you to catch up," Powell warned, as he explained the format for the class.
"The first objective is to eliminate blind spots in your vision. To achieve this, we begin with the fundamental perception skill—(360° View).
Your level of genetic talent will determine the version of this skill that you learn:
Grandmaster-level talents will have the opportunity to learn the legendary version of this skill—(Peripheral Vision).
Transcendent-level talents can push further, advancing to the Semi-Divine tier—(Full Vision).
While our couple lucky Monarch-level talents will have access to the ultimate form—(Absolute Vision), an ability that grants an unparalleled field of perception.
Your task over the next four weeks is simple:
Master the skill to (Intermediate Grade) for full marks.
Achieve only (Basic Grade), and you'll pass, but barely.
Fail to learn it at all, and you get point deductions from the very start.
This is your first step toward true awareness. Let's see how many of you actually have what it takes." Powell said, as with a clap of his fingers, he summoned digital skill scrolls that landed precisely as per one's genetic talent in their hands.
Leo and Su Yang got the ultimate version of the skill, in the form of (Absolute Vision), while Mu Shen and the other top geniuses got (Full Vision).
However, the majority of the class got (Peripheral Vision), showing how even within the Elite Class, over 70% of the students gathered were still Grandmaster level talents at best.
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After receiving their skill holograms, Professor Powell instructed the students to review their scrolls, ensuring they grasped the fundamental concepts before he provided further explanation.
As per his instruction, all students activated their assigned holograms, as detailed diagrams and explanations flickered into view before them.
Each hologram contained a mana circulation map, illustrating how to activate the 360° View technique assigned to them and while the foundational concept was the same, the specific functionality of the move varied depending on the grade of the skill.
For the majority of the class—those assigned the technique 'Peripheral Vision'—the skill functioned as a passive sonar.
It alerted them to movement in their blind spots at all times, but without providing a clear image. It was like having an internal radar constantly pinging disturbances behind them, but without precise details.
The limits of their senses only alerted them of projectiles coming their way and of the rough size they were, however, it did not reveal the exact shape.
It was impossible for a user of 'Peripheral Vision' to distinguish between a pebble coming their way versus a dagger, however, having the ability to sense projectiles coming their way from their blind spot was already a big boon.
In contrast, students who were assigned the skill 'Full Vision', had access to a more advanced perception method.
Instead of a general awareness, their perception became three-dimensional.
They could sense depth, shape, and distance, creating a mental image of objects in their blind spots.
They could actively focus on a specific area without turning their head to search for enemies behind a tree in their blind spot, or to make sure allies were tagging along, making it far more refined than just an alert system.
However, there were still limitations to this method.
Using this technique one can still not perceive colors and other sensory information from their blind spots, making it less effective to see through illusions, however, still an excellent technique to master.
Finally, at the highest tier, 'Absolute Vision', had none of these restrictions.
Rather than using sonar-like awareness or three-dimensional mapping, this version of the skill eliminated one's blind spots entirely.
Through advanced mana manipulation, the user could directly perceive their surroundings as if they had eyes on the back of their head, giving mental imagery akin to real eyes.
Using this skill, the brain processed information exactly like normal vision, creating a seamless 360° field of sight, incorporating everything from color to precise depth perception.
Once mastered, a user of this skill could even perceive the world with their real eyes closed and they would never feel the difference.
With this skill fully mastered, ambushes against the user became next to impossible, as stealth attacks would lose all meaning.
It was a complete removal of the natural limitations of human sight, and the limit of what a perception skill could be.
*********
As the students studied their scrolls, the difference in difficulty between the diagrams on each table became apparent.
Those with Peripheral Vision had a simple circulation pattern—just enough to expand their awareness.
Full Vision required a more intricate mana flow, allowing for three-dimensional spatial mapping.
But Absolute Vision had the most complex structure.
The user's mana had to be precisely controlled, and their brains had to be continuously fed with visual input without causing sensory overload.
It wasn't just a technique—it was a complete rewiring of how their brain's perception functioned.
Hence, while most students were simply trying to grasp the basics, Leo and Su Yang tried to make sense of the sheer absurd diagram in front of them.
With Leo in particular, finding the text in front of him, extremely hard to understand.
**********
Leo read the instructions on his scroll that read, "Circulate the mana as shown in the diagram in front of you—" and realized that he did not remember how to circulate the mana in his body at all.
It was the same restriction he had faced the previous day when he had spent hours trying to practice his newly acquired Meditation Manual, only to fail miserably.
No matter how much he focused, how much he willed his body to comply, there was no reaction. He could not sense, let alone manipulate, the mana flowing within him.
At the time, he had come to terms with the fact that he would need to learn the basics of mana sensing and circulation before making any meaningful progress.
However, what he hadn't expected—was to land in a situation where his inability to perform such a basic function would become a problem the very next day.
And yet, here he was.
Leo's gaze flickered toward the diagram projected in front of him.
The intricately detailed mana circulation chart mapped out the exact flow paths needed to activate the Absolute Vision technique.
The concept was simple enough in theory—follow the channels, direct the flow, and engage with the surrounding mana to create a seamless perception field.
But for Leo, none of this meant anything if he couldn't even take the first step.
"Damn it." He exhaled sharply, his words leaving his mouth in a soft curse, as he blamed his memory loss for placing him in this unnecessary situation.
However, before he could wallow in self pity, it was Professor Powell who grabbed everyone's attention, as he began explaining his take on mastering the technique.
"Alright everyone, pay attention to me for a second–" he said, as he drew everyone's attention to himself.
"I'm going to share my experience on how to master this method, and while the specifics will vary person to person, you will all broadly face three stages of problems to master this technique.
In the first phase : You will learn how to replicate activating this technique without needing to look at the diagram.
This is the easiest step, and all you need to do to complete it is to memorize the technique perfectly and learn how to perform it at will.
Using it once will provide you with 3-5 seconds of 360° vision, which is fine for now.
In the second phase : we learn how to make it last forever.
Basically what you need to do is, you learn how to activate the skill within the timeframe of taking one breath, basically training your brain to perform the move so fast that it becomes second nature to you.
This is the hardest stage and many of you will struggle here.
In the final stage, you will learn how to do it Subconsciously. Make it a passive skill that's active at all times, even when you sleep.
You will start performing it effortlessly without even needing to think how to perform it, and that's when you will hit (Basic) mastery.
My expectations from all of you is that you will hit (Basic) mastery for this skill within the first four weeks of this class, with every session between now and evaluation day being more or less a doubt solving session to help students who have seen their progress stagnate at some particular part.
You can choose to attend or not. But come evaluation day, I expect all of you to attain (Basic) mastery for passing marks and (Intermediate) mastery for full marks." Powell said, as he concluded today's lecture on this note.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 59: Unexpected InteractionTimeless AssassinC59: Unexpected Interaction
Leo did not expect to be dismissed from the Basics of Perception class a mere 35 minutes after it began.
However, much to his surprise, he was, giving him ample time to head for an early lunch.
Having already missed breakfast, he was starving, and so, without hesitation, he made his way toward the mess hall, though he quickly noticed he was one of the few who did.
Most students opted to head back to their dorms, preferring to rest before grabbing a meal later, but Leo chose otherwise. Lunch service had already begun, and with his next lecture still 2.5 hours away, he had more than enough time to eat and focus on solving his mana sensing problem.
However, just as he stepped out of the training grounds and onto the stone-paved pathway leading toward the mess hall, a quiet, feminine voice whispered beside him.
"You've lost your memories too, haven't you? I can tell—"
A sharp chill ran down Leo's spine as he heard those words being spoken to him.
His instincts flared, his muscles tensed, and his heartbeat rose as his hand moved on reflex, reaching for the dagger at his utility belt—only to grasp at nothing.
His weapons weren't on him since he was not required to carry them for the first two classes, which only made his heart skip a beat once more.
"No need to panic. I won't hurt you." The voice spoke again, calm and steady, as Leo turned his head slightly, his gaze falling onto the speaker.
To his surprise, the source of the voice was a small girl—no taller than five-foot-two—walking merrily beside him.
She had shoulder-length dark brown hair, large black eyes, and a youthful face that gave her an almost doll-like appearance.
If not for the Elite Class skill scroll clutched in her arms, Leo might have mistaken her for a faculty member's child. But that scroll told him otherwise.
She wasn't just a student—she was a colleague, someone who had earned her place in the Elite Class, just like him.
At first glance, she didn't appear remotely threatening.
And yet, despite her harmless appearance, she had managed to sneak up on him and startle him.
Which was a fact that Leo did not appreciate.
His expression remained unreadable as he silently observed her, waiting for further explanation.
But the girl, unfazed by his silence, smiled slightly before continuing in an easy, measured tone.
"I'm Mu Ryan." She said, her black eyes meeting his directly.
"I have also lost my memories just like you… If you don't mind, can I tag along? I don't feel safe around the others alone."
Leo's stomach twisted slightly at her words.
His first instinct was one of immediate suspicion.
He did not trust easily—especially not strangers who could seemingly see right through him.
How did she know about his memory loss? How could she tell?
Even Su Yang and Mu Shen—his closest competitors—had yet to pick up on his amnesia. But somehow, she had.
Was she bluffing? Taking a calculated guess? Testing his reaction?
Or… did she truly share the same experience?
His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered his next move, but before he could say a word—
Mu Ryan suddenly reached out and tugged at his arm, pulling herself closer as she matched his stride, as if walking beside him was the most natural thing in the world.
Leo tensed.
"I never agreed to you hanging around me," His voice was calm, though his body language remained guarded. He tried to pull his arm free, but Mu Ryan's grip was surprisingly firm.
"You can't say no." She tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying quiet certainty. "I'm technically your cousin. Or younger sister. Even if you don't remember, you're most likely from the Mu Clan as well."
Leo stilled.
His mind immediately went on high alert.
Twice now—twice in mere moments—this girl had pulled details about him out of thin air.
Details he had barely admitted to himself.
His suspected ties to the Mu Clan were something he had kept to himself, something he wasn't even fully sure of. And yet, she spoke of it with such ease, as if it were already fact, making his weariness deepen.
At this point, he felt like he had no choice but to let her stay close.
Not because he trusted her.
But because if he didn't, he might never figure out what exactly she had seen in him—what subtle tells he had unknowingly revealed—that had given his past away.
"How do you know I'm from the Mu Clan?" Leo asked, as Mu Ryan quietly hummed a song beside him instead of answering.
For a while, she ignored him, but then as the mess hall drew closer, she finally turned to speak.
"I'll tell you once we fill our plates and are seated for lunch, however, if I satisfy your curiosity, you have to agree to letting me hang out with you from now on–" Mu Ryan demanded, as Leo cautiously agreed to her demands.
*********
Leo and Mu Ryan chose an empty corner table to sit in, as they ate in silence across one another.
For a while, none of them talked to one another and only focused on the food on their plate, until eventually Mu Ryan began with her explanation.
"How I figured out your identity is not Arc Ship Science, it's pretty basic if I'm being honest—" She began, as she sheepishly looked into Leo's eyes.
"Just like you, I have been sent here without my memories as well, however, unlike you, I've kept my original name–" Mu Ryan said, as she swallowed a bite of her food.
"I too was stressing out after arriving here about information about this universe.
About how to gain context to conversations around me that I might be missing.
And that led me to the academy library, but I apparently arrived there a day after you did," Mu Ryan said, as she gave him an innocent smile.
"The librarian there recommended the same book that you read the day before, and told me about how there was a student who came in there just a day ago with the same problem as me.
So that's where I knew about your memory loss from" Mu Ryan clarified, as Leo suddenly understood where he had lapsed.
"Although many minor clans wipe off memory of their scions, hoping to pass off as Mu Clan spawns, none of them usually have the same talent as you.
Monarch level talents usually have a direct bloodline connection to Gods, and the only major clan with connection to Gods who wipes the memories of their descendants is the Mu Clan.
So I just made an educated guess about the same" Mu Ryan said, as she shrugged her shoulders in nonchalance.
"I'm suffering here alone, big brother, I don't like the gazes of the men around me in class.
They see me as a weak doll although I'm a transcendent level talent, and without having any memories of what skills I possess, I feel like I need to stay around you, or I'll be the target of a lot of bullying.
Just today, between the first and second class, they bullied the student who dropped the first during the morning training.
I wasn't there but I heard that they dunked his face in the toilet for being trash, and I don't want to be the next one getting that treatment.
Currently, between you and Mu Shen, you're the more feared student in class, so I've decided to hang around you for my personal security," Mu Ryan shamelessly clarified, as Leo slapped his own face in disbelief.
Although he wasn't 100% convinced about Mu Ryan's innocence, for now at least, he perceived her to be harmless.
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Mu Ryan's clarification gave Leo a lot to think about, especially with regards to his memory loss.
The librarian had told him a couple days ago that they had 2-3 students every year that walked into the academy with issues of memory loss, meaning that this had to be a common occurrence.
And between that scrawny kid that was beat up by Su Yang, Mu Ryan and himself, there were three students who suffered with memory loss this year as well.
In Leo's understanding, if this was such a common occurrence every year, then it would not be too bad if details about his memory loss were eventually leaked, however, not wanting to risk it, he still wanted to protect the secret as close to his chest as possible for now.
"I see…." Leo replied in a heavy voice, as he swallowed a mouthful of food, before opening a stamina regeneration potion and taking a sip.
"If all of us are from the Mu Clan, then why do you think Mu Shen was allowed to come to the academy with his memories intact? While you were allowed to keep your name, and I was assigned a fake name?" Leo asked, probing for more information from Mu Ryan, as he wanted to understand her take on the world.
"To be honest big brother, I'm not too sure, but in my limited understanding of the Mu Clan, the upbringing of clan talents is not decided by the birth parents but the council of elders," Mu Ryan began, as she explained the topic to Leo with a passion.
"They say that when a child comes of age, the elders sit and decide the best route for their growth, and based on the child's personality and other factors, it's decided as to how they are to be exposed to the world," Mu Ryan said, as she presented Leo with a very interesting theory.
"If they are disciplined and their personality is deemed to be regal and fitting of the clan name, they don't undergo a wiping of their memories.
So my assumption is that brother Mu Shen fits that criteria.
He keeps to himself, he doesn't partake in bullying others and is a great talent.
Definitely worthy of bearing the clan name" Mu Ryan explained, as she nodded her head in satisfaction.
"In contrast, even though I don't have my memories, I know for a fact that I'm a problem child.
I have an eccentric personality and my range of emotions are wild.
I can go from being really sad to really happy in a matter of moments, so it's probably not a good look for the clan if I behave that way in the outer world.
My assumption is that they decided I needed a fresh start to perhaps work on some of my flaws, which is probably why I woke up with a list of weaknesses to work on also imprinted in my brain" Mu Ryan said, as she tapped towards her forehead in glee.
"Finally, I think you're the worst of the bunch.
You must have hit the jackpot of having a personality so rotten that the elders hate you, and a talent so grand that they can't deny you, that they have sent you out into the world without your memories and your real name.
They will most likely accept you back into the clan if you make a proper warrior of yourself and bring the clan honor.
However, if you accidentally get crippled or die, or if you don't live up to your potential, they will probably disown you, since they don't want problem kids like you in the clan" Mu Ryan said, as she gave Leo a friendly thumbs up. However, Leo did not find this explanation funny at all.
"So if I don't live up to my talents, the clan will most certainly disown me and force me to live out the rest of my days alone. Is that what you're saying?" Leo asked, as My Ryan vehemently nodded.
"If you don't live up to your talents the clan will disown you yes.
Also, I'll go hug the thighs of my brother Mu Shen, because I don't want to be associated with a loser.
So I will abandon you too—" Mu Ryan said, as Leo felt his left eye flicker in anger at her words.
He had never even willingly accepted her company in the first place, however, she was already threatening to leave him if he did not shine.
'What a cartoon character–' Leo concluded, as he let out a deep sigh and returned his focus to his food.
**********
(2 hours later, Lecture Hall A-2)
Leo arrived at the next class about 20 minutes before the lecture was scheduled to begin.
He chose an empty seat in the third row to be seated, so that he did not show-up at the very front of the class, but was not mixed with the backbenchers either.
It was the perfect sweet spot that would allow him to study anonymously, as he felt quite excited for the upcoming class, 'General Magic Theory' which was purely a theoretical subject.
Beside him, sat Mu Ryan, who unlike him could not sit still at all.
She had to fidget about constantly, whether it was to raise the height of her seat, arrange her note taking supplies, or just spin around for fun to kill time.
In a way, Leo did not mind her childish behaviour as he found himself capable of turning a blind eye to it.
However, on another note he felt worried for the woman, as he could not imagine any circumstance where such a restless individual could turn out to be a good Assassin, when assassination was a primarily stealth related profession.
"In so early? Skyshard? Don't tell me you have that Dork Gene in you—" A male voice mocked him, as Leo turned to see Su Yang entering the room.
Unlike him, he walked straight to the last row of the class, where he slouched until his head was barely above the table.
"Theoretical classes bore me, I reserve my enthusiasm for the battlefield," He declared loudly, even though nobody was paying attention to him in particular.
'Guess he's just a weirdo–' Leo thought, as he ignored him, and patiently waited for the class to begin.
********
A little while later, the class completely filled up, as Professor David walked into the room with an air of authority about himself.
This seemed to be a common feature amongst all professors in the university, as they all seemed to exude an aura of strength and authority.
After walking in, he took a quick glance at his watch, and on the exact stroke of 2:30 pm, broke off a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard behind him.
*Tap*
*Tap*
*SCREECH*
*Tap*
'What Is Mana?' He wrote, before turning, as just as he was about to speak, a student came running into the class.
*BOOM*
With a casual flick of his wrist, Professor David flung the kid who came in late, with as much speed as he came in, as the poor student found himself slipping on the hard floor as he hit the passageway railing.
"You're late and hence you're not welcome in my class.
Try to enter without permission again, and I promise I will break your bones." David said in a cold, ruthless voice, as the poor student who dared walk in late, ran away from the professor's sight in fear, not daring to linger before him any longer.
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