Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 71: InsanityTimeless AssassinC71: Insanity
The moment the referee's hand dropped to signal the start of the match, Leo immediately exploded forward, a menacing glare in his eyes.
WOOOSH—
Jiang Gu barely had time to react before Leo was already on him.
Leo didn't use any fancy techniques for this fight, not because he did not have confidence in performing them, but simply because he did not need to.
His combat knowledge and experience ran deeper than just skill moves and weapons mastery, as his battle IQ was quite high too.
At his best, he did not need to rely on any fancy moves to defeat his opponent, as more likely than not, he could usually read them like an open book.
"Not today—" Jiang Gu declared as he saw Leo descending upon him from the top, as he swung his sword in a quick, practiced arc, activating a mana-infused slash aimed straight at Leo's ribs—
But Leo read it like an open book.
He didn't dodge. He didn't flinch.
Instead, he leaned back while in mid-air, and calmly stepped on his opponent's sword, mid slash, to perform a back-flip.
"What?" Jiang Gu mouthed in disbelief, as his brain could not comprehend the sheer reflexes needed to time a backflip off an ongoing sword slash, however, that momentary distraction became his undoing, as Leo landed a blow to the top of his head before landing.
"Guh—"
Jiang Gu said dazedly, as his vision doubled and his balance became shaky.
"Where?" He mouthed in confusion, swinging his sword wildly, as he could not locate Leo in his dazed state.
"I'm right here you bum!" Leo said, as he tapped on his shoulders lightly, only for Jiang Gu to turn with a panic, as Leo punched him square on the nose.
*BAM*
Jiang Gu staggered back, his nose bone broken by the blow, as a steady stream of blood began trickling down his face.
"Ouch…. Ouch….Ahhhh—" He screamed, clutching his nose with his free hand, as once again he took his eyes off Leo, giving him the chance to go on the offensive yet again.
His next strike came instantly—a sweeping backhand across Jiang Gu's jaw, as he floored him to the ground.
THUD!
Jiang Gu laid flat on the ground, his brain a concusted mess, as he simply could not make sense of the world around him anymore.
STOMP!
Stomping ruthlessly on his face, Leo kicked his broken nose again and again, disfiguring it completely, until the referee forcibly stepped in to stop the fight and protect cadet safety.
"Fight over…. Winner, Cadet number one!... +2 points!" He declared, as it was only then that Leo walked away from Jiang Gu, but not before spitting on the ground beside his face.
"New number one, my ass."
Leo scoffed, turning his back on Jiang Gu and walking away, making sure the humiliation of this defeat would burn itself into his opponent's memory.
In a way Jiang Gu was extremely lucky.
Lucky that the academy had rules. Lucky that Leo had been forced to hold himself back, for if it weren't for the academy's restrictions, Leo knew in his heart that Jiang Gu would not have walked away from this fight—he would have crawled.
And the worst part?
Leo understood now, that he would not have felt a shred of guilt, even if he did go that far.
For all his earlier doubts about himself—about his true nature, about who he was before he lost his memory—the answer was now becoming clearer to him with every passing moment.
Deep down, Leo knew the truth.
It was like a reflection that had been staring back at him from the start. However, he was just not ready back then to acknowledge it.
However, he felt like he was ready to embrace it now.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't some noble warrior.
At his core, he was a killer—cold, calculating, and merciless toward anything that annoyed him.
But he wasn't a mindless murderer.
He did not kill simply for pleasure, nor did he crave destruction for its own sake.
But patience? Mercy?
He had very little of that to spare. Especially against people that he disliked or had no attachment to.
And it was surprising how hard it was for him to be attached to anyone, as although Mu Ryan was a sort of friend for him now, whose company he did not dislike.
He still had no question in his mind that if tomorrow, he somehow found himself facing Mu Ryan in a fight where only one of them could walk away, he would kill her without hesitation, and he wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it.
He simply did not care for her enough to care about her life or death, and although the very thought of killing an acquaintance should have unsettled him, if he were frank to himself, it didn't.
If anything, it comforted him instead, as a dark corner of his brain told him to be proud of this non-attachment, for it made him a harder target to go after.
However, on the other hand—-
The logical part of him recognized that this level of detachment, this raw, unwavering ruthlessness, was probably not a good thing.
Sympathy, compassion, and empathy—those were the things that made a human… human.
They were what separated men from monsters, what differentiated warriors from beasts.
But the more Leo thought about it, the harder it became to convince himself that he should care.
Because the truth was, he didn't.
There was no guilt. No hesitation about his nature in his head anymore and Instead of questioning it, he embraced it.
Why should he feel apologetic for his nature?
He was a hunter, not prey.
A predator, not some weak, bleeding-heart fool pretending to be something he wasn't.
And the more he came to terms with that…
The more he liked it.
He wasn't even back to his peak yet.
He had no grand achievements to boast about, no towering reputation to lean on.
Yet, still—he found his natural arrogance slowly creeping back.
Not because of what he had done and accomplished already in the academy but because of what he knew he could do.
"Damn…. I guess I finally understand why Muiyan Faye called my previous self impossibly arrogant.
'TheBoss'? That name sounded cringe to me when I first heard it, but I lowkey like it now….
I definitely feel like The Boss, with my combat instincts back, and if I feel this better with just my combat memories back? Just how would I really feel when I had all my memories back?" Leo wondered, as he clutched his palm into a fist and stared at it with passion.
*Thump* *Thump*
The thumping pulse in his veins, was demanding that he fight more.
The joy of humiliating his opponents…. He wanted to feel it more.
The elation of stomping an opponent's nose out!
HE WANTED TO FEEL IT MORE.
"God Damn it…. How long before the next fight starts? I'm already tired of looking at this bums face–" Leo said impatiently, as the referee kept looking at his clock, waiting for the timer to hit 0, before he gave the command to "Switch—"
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 72: SteamrollTimeless AssassinC72: Steamroll
Leo tore through the next few fights with ease, overwhelming his opponents with sheer dominance.
He did not need to use any flashy techniques or skill moves— in fact he did not even consider using them after the second fight. Not because he did not want to test out his newly recalled skill moves, but simply because he found his opponent's to not be at his level.
His opponents were skilled and strong.
Yes.
And the gap between them was not in terms of raw power.
Infact, most of the students of the Elite Class were at-par with him in terms of speed, strength and endurance, with some even being stronger in a few areas.
But the difference in their understanding of combat? That was a chasm the students in this class could not hope to cross in a short time.
Leo had a sea of combat information in his brain.
Experience so deep and rich, that gave him a way out of almost any perceivable combat situation at this level.
Which was in-stark contrast to most of his opponents, who were young elites, raised in noble families, that were although groomed through rigorous physical training regimens since childhood, still lacked knowledge of actual practical combat.
They had sparring experience, polished techniques, and textbook-perfect form.
But they had never fought for their lives.
And it showed.
Their movements, while technically sound, lacked killer instinct. They still treated combat like a sparring match—measured, predictable, hesitant.
None of them knew how to properly leverage their weapon advantage, like a proper seasoned warrior should.
Leo used daggers—the shortest melee weapon on the battlefield. Hence by all logic, his opponents, wielding longer swords and polearms, should have had the reach advantage. But they had no idea how to press that advantage.
For they lacked the fundamental understanding of how human anatomy worked, and what exactly was the most lethal range of their weapons.
Every weapon had a 'Kill-Zone'.
The area where it could dish out the maximum damage, and it was fundamental for a warrior to fight and hold their opponent within this 'Kill-Zone' so that at any opening shown, they could move-in for the kill.
However, the noble-borns did not understand this concept as well as Leo did.
And while Leo did not remember his teacher, nor did he recall what kind of life he had lived up until now to possess such a deep understanding of combat—
He still understood how to render his opponents' range advantage useless.
He knew that if he slipped past their guard and fought at extreme close range—separated by no more than half an arm's length—their ranged-weapons turned powerless.
The human elbow cannot bend backward.
Making a sword useless at that range, simply because one did not have enough space to swing it with any real force that could produce damage.
And Leo gave them no space.
He stuck to them like a shadow, fighting in such tight quarters that their own weapons became a liability.
Meanwhile, his daggers—small, compact, and designed for close-quarters combat—became instruments of pure destruction.
It was a simple trick. Basic.
But for these pampered nobles, who had never fought in real battle, it was an unsolvable puzzle.
They didn't know how to create distance. They didn't know how to reset the fight and regain control.
And because of that, they lost.
Every. Single. One.
**********
(1 hour later)
An hour later, Leo defeated his tenth and final opponent without so much as breaking a sweat, as he became one of only four students in the class to complete the day with an unbeaten record alongside Su Yang, Mu Shen and Teevo Drakos.
To be fair, he had only faced the lower percentile of the Elite Class today, with his matchups being the easiest ones on paper.
However, completing the day with an unbeaten record still did well to cement his legacy as one of this year's strongest students, as if anyone had any lingering doubts about his true potential, they no longer possessed those ideas anymore.
"Fuck— look at Skyshard, he's not even breathing heavy…. He's completely fine after winning 10 fights!"
"There's not a bead of sweat on his forehead, nor a scratch on his body. Even Su Yang has a scratch on his face, but Skyshard is untouched"
"Freak…. Skyshard is a goddamn freak, I faced him in combat for my seventh fight, and he completely out-classed me without ever needing to activate a single skill.
Fighting him felt like fighting an immovable wall, he's a true freak unlike anything I have ever seen before"
Murmurs began to spread around the class regarding Leo's performance in this first class, as looking around, there was not a single student who had managed to come out of this class unscathed, except for him.
Most of the students had suffered significant injuries…
Broken bones, bruised ribs, dislocated joints, swollen eyes—
However, even those who were good at defence and did not pick up any major injury, looked to be completely exhausted after ten fights, as they found themselves collapsed on the floor, their chest heaving heavily, while Leo stood tall, unbothered.
Unlike these fools who went all out in every fight and expended every bit of mana in their bodies, Leo never went all out, nor did he use too many skills, as he fought the fights with his brain and conserved most of his energy by not performing any useless movements.
He felt like he could easily go for an hour more before his breathing became unsteady, as just this much action was not enough to tickle his bones.
"Alright class, that's it for today. I hope you have gained a lot of new insights by facing your fellow classmates today.
We will repeat this process tomorrow, day after and the day after tomorrow as well, before holding a rankers exhibition match on Sunday.
If you think your performance today was not up-to the mark, then I suggest that before you go to bed today, you think about your fights, how they played out and what you could have done differently to avoid a defeat.
Introspection is the most important aspect for improvement, but it's not something that can be taught and only something that can be experienced through enlightenment.
Anyways, that's it for you all today.
Dismissed—" Major Hen said, as he turned on his heel and walked out of the practical combat grounds, leaving the students rolling on the floor to their own devices.
"Big brother! You were on fire today! I never knew you could move like that—" Mu Ryan said, as soon as the class ended, as she immediately rushed beside Leo and grabbed him by the arm.
"You're going to face me tomorrow, please go easy on me…. I don't want a bruised cheek—" She said while pouting, as she tried to appear cute, and appeal for leniency.
"If you don't want to end up with a bruised face, then just throw your weapon to the ground as soon as the match starts, declaring a forfeit.
If not, then don't blame me for what comes next" Leo replied amusedly, as he gave her the evil side-eye.
"Mean! Big brother is a meanie—" Mu Ryan complained as she feebly hit him on his arms, causing Leo to burst out in laughter.
An interaction, that did not go unnoticed by the class.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 73: A new power block?Timeless AssassinC73: A new power block?
(Rodova Military Academy, Tactical Training Grounds, B-9)
The final class of the day after Practical Combat was 'Scouting, Movement, and Planning,' an Assassin Branch-exclusive course that Leo had to take alongside regular class students.
It was a 90% theoretical lecture with a few practical demonstrations conducted by Army Specialists—nothing too physically demanding, which was a relief, considering that nearly everyone who arrived for the lecture looked half-dead after enduring the first day of hellish training at the Rodova Military Academy.
On the first day, the Lieutenant conducting the class outlined the importance of mission planning and introduced three core rules that every assassin had to follow when preparing for an operation:
1. Scout
2. Verify
3. Plan
The first thumb rule—Scouting—was the foundation of every mission.
Before an assassin ever lifted a blade, before a single step was taken toward the target, scouting had to be done.
A poorly scouted mission was a mission doomed to fail.
The more an assassin knew about their target—their habits, routines, security measures, and the layout of their environment—the less room there was for unexpected surprises.
Scouting was not just about watching a target from the shadows. It was about gathering every possible detail that could be used to ensure success.
How many guards were stationed at a given time?
Did the target have a predictable schedule?
Were there alternative exits if the main escape route was blocked?
What terrain or structures could be used to an assassin's advantage?
These were questions that needed clear answers before any plan could be formed.
A well-protected target required a different approach than one who was careless.
A target surrounded by political figures demanded stealth, whereas an enemy general on the battlefield could be eliminated more aggressively.
Every mission had unique variables—but those variables meant nothing if they weren't accounted for before execution.
Which was why scouting wasn't just a task—it was a mandatory step in mission planning.
An assassin who scouted properly entered every battle already holding the advantage.
And an assassin who didn't?
Walked into the unknown, blind, and vulnerable.
—---
The next part was to verify the information they had obtained and ensure that they were not being purposefully deceived by the enemy through misinformation or planted intel.
This was the stage where an assassin had to question everything they saw, every bit of intelligence they gathered, and every assumption they made—because the smallest overlooked detail could turn a perfect plan into a disaster.
What if the guards they had been tracking were only decoys, meant to mislead intruders?
What if the secret passage they uncovered was, in fact, a trap designed to funnel intruders into an ambush?
What if the unguarded window was left open deliberately, to lure them into a kill zone?
A skilled enemy knew that assassins and scouts relied on information. The smartest ones used that against them.
Because of this, verification was a non-negotiable step.
An assassin had to cross-check everything. Observe a target's behavior on different days, at different times. Note variations in security routines—not just on regular days but also on high-alert situations.
If an opportunity seemed too easy, it probably was a trap.
And hence the class was given a simple phrase to memorize:
"Misinformation is deadlier than ignorance."
Because an assassin who went into a mission without information had a chance.
But an assassin who went in with false information?
Was already dead.
—-----
Once information had been gathered and verified, the final step was creating a plan.
However, a good plan was never just one plan.
The Lieutenant stressed that having a single strategy was a rookie mistake.
An assassin needed to operate with at least three plans at all times:
1. The Primary Plan – The optimal, cleanest method of execution. If everything went as expected, this was the plan that would be followed.
2. The Contingency Plan – A backup method that accounted for unexpected variables. If a guard patrol changed, if a security system was upgraded, or if the target moved unexpectedly, the assassin needed a second option ready to be deployed.
3. The Escape Plan – No matter how well-planned a mission was, extraction was just as important as execution. If an assassin eliminated a target but was caught or killed during escape, the mission was a failure. A proper plan included multiple exit routes, disguises, or diversions.
There was no such thing as a 'perfect' mission. There were only well-prepared assassins.
—--
As the lecture concluded, most of the cadets sat up, paying full attention.
Despite their exhaustion, they understood the weight of what was being taught.
This wasn't just textbook theory.
It was knowledge forged from real missions. Real deaths. Real failures.
And Leo appreciated it too.
Having an escape route planned beforehand and being cautious was probably a smart strategy that his arrogant ass needed to learn, as just like the Lieutenant said, there was no perfectly executed missions, just prepared assassin's that had thought about every possibility that could unfold.
Hence, by the end, Leo stood up thoroughly satisfied with what he had learnt for the day, as he hauled his tired rear to the mess hall for dinner, with a grumbling Mu Ryan by his side.
"Oh my God, Leo—- everything hurts!" She complained, as she clutched her head.
"My head hurts, my body hurts, my butt hurts…. I don't even know how a butt can hurt, but mine hurts after all these long hours of sitting! And it's only the first day.
The hellish Professor Marvin expects us to come in early tomorrow and run more laps as penalty for failing his expectations today, and this hell will just continue all over again tomorrow morning.
And… and… and this is all if I retire to bed now, but I can't.
I still have to spend a few hours meditating, then I have to work on the scroll given in the basics of perception class and also prepare for the next lecture of Professor David by studying his lecture notes today.
I then have to introspect my combat performance like Major Hen wanted, and I have to sleep and recover my tired body too!
It's like there's not enough hours on the clock for me to do all that and still remain sane, because I'm going to either fail one of the courses, or I'm going to go insane" Ryan complained as she stomped her feet in frustration like a spoiled baby.
"It's not all that bad… you can grab a couple extra stamina potions during dinner, it will help you stay awake longer" Leo comforted, as although he too felt like the academy life here was a lot more gruelling than he expected, he was somehow fine with it.
Deep down, he understood that getting stronger was not supposed to be an easy process, because if it were then every bum in the universe would be naturally powerful.
Becoming strong was hard, and required sacrifice, which was why the strong were universally respected, as not everyone could become what they were.
*Chatter*
*Chatter*
As Leo entered the mess-hall for dinner, he found the place entirely full with hardly any seats left, however, to his surprise, the corner table which he usually sat at had a few empty seats left with Su Yang and Mu Shen sitting together on it, looking like they were saving it for him.
As he walked in, Mu Shen immediately waved towards him to grab his attention, as Leo chuckled at this unexpected development.
He had not expected to make allies in the Academy—at least, not this quickly.
But now? It looked like he was going to be in a power-block with the two best students in the class
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 74: Ghost Sleep.Timeless AssassinC74: Ghost Sleep.
As Leo and Mu Ryan took their seats after filling their plates, the atmosphere at the table turned unexpectedly tense. The three strongest cadets in the Elite Class—Leo, Su Yang, and Mu Shen—sat in silence, locking eyes in an unspoken battle of wills.
The rest of the mess hall immediately took notice. Whispers spread like wildfire, speculating on what it meant that the strongest students had aligned themselves together.
"Man, my shoulders hurt," Mu Shen finally broke the silence, rotating his shoulder blades with a wince. "Punched a damn shield with my bare fists today. My knuckles are fine, but my shoulder? Feels like it's falling apart…..What a drag—"
Su Yang scoffed, running a hand over the thin cut on his cheek. "Tch. I can't believe I let some bastard land a hit on me." His fingers traced the wound with irritation.
"Little shit spat poison mist in my eyes. Blinded me for just a second—and that was enough."
Mu Shen smirked. "Damn, even you got caught slipping?"
Su Yang's jaw clenched. "Next time, I'm breaking his ribs. No—screw that. I'm shattering them."
His tone was casual, but Leo could tell he meant every word.
"What about you, Skyshard? How'd you get the black eye?" Mu Shen asked, finally turning to Leo.
Leo only chuckled, casually pointing toward Su Yang.
Mu Shen blinked. "Him?"
Su Yang frowned. "It's nothing. It wasn't a fair fight. I cheap-shotted Skyshard this time."
"But I've got a feeling that next time… it won't be the same."
Leo's grin widened at that response.
Su Yang could have bragged. He could have rubbed in the fact that he had beaten Leo black and blue that morning.
But he didn't.
Instead, he chose not to consider that fight as legitimate—because Leo had been without his memories.
That small gesture earned Su Yang some respect in Leo's book.
As for all his arrogance, it seemed like Su Yang still had his own sense of honor.
"Well, well," Mu Shen mused, alternating his gaze between the two of them. "Now that's a fight I really want to see."
He turned back to his food, but the conversation was far from over.
"The fight between the three of you is going to change every week," Mu Ryan added, chewing thoughtfully. "Depends on how your Genetic Awakening goes and what skills you unlock."
Leo's ears perked up at that. "When does that happen? We got tested for our genetic potential, but when do we start awakening it?"
Before Mu Ryan could answer, Su Yang spoke first.
"Next week. You get your first shot this Sunday. Depending on how fast you digest it, you will get another shot every subsequent week—or once you've fully absorbed the previous dose. Whichever takes longer."
He took a sip of water before continuing.
"Commoners only get one full-dose Genetic Awakening, which is far less effective."
Su Yang glanced at Leo, knowing he might lack the full context. So he took the time to break it down.
"Through extensive research, we've found that the best way to maximize the Genetic Awakening Serum's effects is to take it in small, controlled doses over a year—while coupling it with intense physical training. The more you train, the faster you digest the serum, and the better your results."
He glanced around the mess hall, his expression darkening.
"The whiners in our class bitching about the academy's hellish training don't get it. They don't realize this training is the only way to draw out the maximum potential in our genes."
He leaned back in his seat and met Leo's gaze. "So if, at any point, you feel like the academy isn't pushing you to your limits, start training more on your own, Skyshard. Because it's going to be more important than you think."
Leo nodded in understanding. He didn't need to be convinced to push his limits.
Becoming strong was his obsession.
With or without his memories, he knew that he wanted to become as strong as he physically could, and would do anything to get to that limit.
No matter how much sacrifice and hard work he needed to get there.
"Also, don't forget—" Mu Shen added, "the higher your genetic potential, the greater your chances of experiencing 'Ghost Sleep.'"
The moment the words left his mouth, Su Yang visibly tensed.
A subtle, involuntary tremor ran through his fingers.
And Leo caught the reaction immediately.
"Ghost Sleep?" Leo asked, curious. "What's that?"
Mu Shen turned to him with a weird look. "You don't know?"
He let out a laugh. "Skyshard, how can you not know Ghost Sleep? Your father or mother must've told you about it countless times growing up!"
Leo didn't react, only blinking at him in confusion.
Mu Shen kept laughing. "Hell, it's practically all the old geezers in our families ever talk about!"
But when Leo still didn't respond, the laughter slowly died.
And Su Yang took over.
"Ghost Sleep is when you tap into the memories of your ancestors, Skyshard."
He said it plainly, but there was something grim in his voice.
"It happens after you take the Genetic Awakening Serum.
You don't know exactly when it will happen, but occasionally after you take the serum, you will find yourself slipping into a state called 'Ghost Sleep' at night—where you start witnessing past events from your bloodline.
Events that left a deep imprint on its history."
Su Yang's gaze darkened.
"These memories are almost always tied to extreme emotions—either immense joy or overwhelming hatred."
He exhaled sharply before adding, "But in the history of the Six Great Clans, I've never heard of a 'Ghost Sleep' filled with joy. Not even once."
Leo didn't speak, letting him continue.
"For us, it's always something brutal. A gruesome assassination. A massacre. Or worse…"
Su Yang's fingers clenched against the table.
"Watching your entire family being raped and slaughtered before your eyes."
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Leo didn't move. Didn't react outwardly.
But he absorbed every word.
"The likelihood of experiencing Ghost Sleep depends on how much of the progenitor god's blood runs in your veins," Su Yang continued. "The weaker your divine blood, the less frequently it happens."
He met Leo's gaze.
"But if you have thick blood, like we do, it's unavoidable." he said, as he paused.
"We're bound to experience it—maybe once or twice a month." he said concluding his speech, as he trembled once again.
Leo finally noticed it.
Both Mu Shen and Su Yang—two of the strongest cadets in the class—looked physically afraid of ghost sleep, as both of them had goosebumps just thinking about it.
These two men, who did not flinch at the sight of blood or physical pain. Trembled at the thought of these nightmares, which just went to prove how horrible they must be.
'Ghost Sleep…..'
Leo had no memories of it.
But if these two, as powerful as they were, feared it to this extent…
Then whatever it was—whatever they were destined to see in his dreams—
Was surely going to be hell.
"GOSH, let's not talk about these depressing topics, it's literally killing my appetite guys….." Mu Ryan said, trying to pull back the conversation to a more cheerful note, as the boys unanimously agreed to her suggestion.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 75: MeditationTimeless AssassinC75: Meditation
After dinner, Leo returned straight to his room, his mind set on a single goal—starting his meditation practice.
Now that he had regained his knowledge of how to circulate mana within his body, Leo was eager to dive into meditation. He understood that it was one of the most crucial aspects of a warrior's path and a key to unlocking the next stage of his power.
Before dinner today, he had no idea as to how important meditation was versus learning new skills, however, after listening to Mu Shen and Su Yang talk about their plans for the rest of the day after dinner, Leo got a pretty good idea about its importance.
Mu Shen and Su Yang, mentioned over dinner that they intended to meditate until midnight, followed by an hour dedicated to learning the perception skill-scroll they'd been given earlier.
And only then would they call it a night.
It was currently 7 p.m., meaning that the two of them planned to spend at least five hours meditating versus only one to learn a new skill. Which was an eye-opener for Leo.
Having friends—or at least, fellow cadets with more general knowledge in the academy—gave Leo some much-needed context about how he should manage his time, which came as a significant relief considering how clueless he felt without his memories.
Hence, after returning to his dorm, the first thing that Leo did was to grab his holographic copy of the meditation manual, sitting cross legged on the floor, before diving right in.
[Please condense a ball of mana in the centre of your left palm]
The manual instructed, as it began floating automatically into the air, hovering right before Leo's eyes, with the text written within beginning to glow with a faint light.
"Oh? Okay—" Leo muttered, feeling surprised, as he did as instructed and condensed a ball of mana in the center of his left palm.
[Insufficient mana density detected— please pack more mana into the current ball]
The text inside the book shifted, as it seemed to track Leo's progress in real-time.
"Oh? A live book? That's Interesting—" Leo mused, as he condensed even more mana into the same spot, until the insufficient mana density warning dispersed, shifting into an anatomical diagram of his body and the mana circuits within his body.
[Please circulate the condensed ball of mana exactly as displayed in the path in front of you—]
The book instructed, as it showed the exact path Leo was meant to follow, whereby he would circulate the ball of mana from his left palm up to his heart, and then down towards his navel, where the diagram wanted him to stop.
As a whole, it looked simple, however, in reality it was anything but simple.
The road-map of the mana circuits in his body looked exactly like the map of the various nerves distributed in his body, or the circulatory system that delivered blood and nutrients to every cell.
There were millions of small mana pathways fracturing into individual cell blocks within his body, which eventually merged to form a larger mana path, and eventually several of these small pathways merged to form a proper major mana pathway that Leo usually used to activate skills.
Hence, to move a large block of mana, along a specific micro-mana pathway within his body was easier said than done, as at every slight-mistake, the text before his eyes turned from blue to red, reading:-
[Wrong Path Taken, Please Retrace All Steps]
Overall, it was an extremely tedious and time consuming process to just transport a concentrated mana ball from his left palm to navel, and it took Leo a good twenty minutes of focusing his full attention to it, to do it correctly once.
[Please break the single large ball of mana into two equal parts, and control both balls of mana to reach the femur bone of your body as shown in the diagram]
The book instructed, as the simulation it displayed now changed to showing how Leo must split the single mana ball into two and then control it down a specific pathway to reach both the femur bones of his body.
"The hell—"
He cursed, as he understood that the difficulty of this step of the meditation process was twice as hard as the first one.
As although the distance was shorter, controlling two balls of mana at once was significantly more difficult than controlling just one.
However, with no other options, Leo began focusing on doing it correctly, however, always messed it up somehow, as he remained impossibly stuck on this step for the next full hour.
*Pant–*
*Pant–*
By the one and a half hour mark into starting his meditation, Leo found his brain throbbing in over-exertion and pain, as he quickly approached his limits.
He had been using all his brain capacity non-stop for the past 90 minutes, focusing on an incredibly narrow and tedious process, and it took a significant toll on his mental health.
"Fuck it, I need a break!" He said, as he dispersed both balls of mana and laid back on his back, closing his eyes, as the glowing meditation manual dimmed and lowered to the ground automatically.
*Throb*
*Throb*
Every vein in his brain hurt from the overexertion, as even with his eyes closed he could see the mana diagram floating before his eyes, asking him to guide it correctly again.
"Meditation sucks. I would rather run a hundred laps twice a day than do this shit–" Leo cursed, as he realized that meditation was a much harder process to undergo rather than physical training.
However, while he cursed verbally, internally he did not feel frustrated at all.
If anything, he was excited, as he had never felt his brain challenged to such limits before.
'If meditation is this tough, and I do it daily, my brain is going to improve by leaps and bounds in the days to come.
It's like exercise, but for my brain, and I'm sure the benefits it will bring will be massive—' Leo thought, as he let a soft grin spread on his face.
*Deep breaths–*
Inhaling and exhaling sharply, he waited until the throbbing sensation in his brain subsided before slowly getting back to his meditation position again with the crossed legs.
Then, he opened the meditation manual again, which immediately floated back into the air, asking him to form a concentrated ball of mana in his left palm.
This time, Leo got it right on the first try, before quickly guiding it to his navel in just 5 minutes, as he then proceeded to split them into equal parts as guided.
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Then—
He once again found himself trying to guide both balls down towards his femur bone as instructed, which he began doing unsuccessfully for about half an hour, until he finally got the path memorized just right to precisely guide both balls down at a simultaneous pace, succeeding with this step of the training.
[Using the mana balls as a power core, charge-up all the 121,776 micro-mana pathways leading to your bone marrow, to begin the production of new blood cells–]
The manual instructed, as reading that text, Leo let out a sharp breath of disbelief.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 76: Meditation (2)Timeless AssassinC76: Meditation (2)
[Using the mana balls as a power core, charge up all the 121,776 micro-mana pathways leading to your bone marrow, to begin the production of new blood cells.]
Leo exhaled sharply, his eyes scanning the glowing text before it shifted into an anatomical diagram.
The complexity of what he had to do this time around was simply staggering— the diagram wanted him to activate hundreds of thousands of micro-pathways at once, which looked like a tree branch diverging into uncountable roots.
However, instead of a trunk, all of them stemmed from the two mana balls he had painstakingly guided to his femur bones.
It required a level of fine control that he had not yet mastered as a warrior, however, he had no other choice but to give it a shot regardless.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the mana spheres embedded deep in his legs and upon his command, they pulsed faintly, like miniature hearts awaiting further instructions.
Carefully, he tried to push the energy stored within them outward, attempting to distribute the stored mana through the delicate channels branching into his femur.
However, just as he started that process, he felt a sharp jolt of resistance surging through his body.
Apparently, the mana flow stuttered, clogging at multiple junctures, as it found itself unable to disperse properly.
It was like trying to force a flood through thin, fragile pipes, and his small mana circuits could clearly not handle that much load.
[Mana flow error detected. Improper distribution rate. Restarting process.]
The glowing text flashed red, and Leo clenched his jaw, suppressing a frustrated growl.
He wasn't lacking the focus—it was just that his pathways weren't accustomed to this level of fine control, forcing him to be more careful.
'Alright, I can do this if I am incredibly patient, I just need to be patient–' Leo thought, as steadying his breathing, he tried again.
This time, he adjusted his approach, visualizing the mana not as a torrent but as a steady trickle, slowly seeping through the microscopic channels.
He adopted a patient approach, waiting for mana to move forward on its own instead of forcing it to circulate, as he only applied the lightest of pressure.
"Oh yeah…. That's the way to go—" Leo muttered out loud in joy, as very soon he realized that this approach was indeed the right one, as the mana began reaching the marrow production site within the femur bones.
[Micro-mana pathways successfully charged. Initiating bone marrow activation.]
A deep warmth spread through his femur, unlike anything he had ever felt before as the mana he sent in began to react with it.
It wasn't pain, but it was something entirely foreign, as his body could sense something changing on a cellular level.
[Red Blood Cell production in femur bone marrow successfully altered.]
[New Blood Cells are now being generated in place of standard Red Blood Cells.]
His eyes flicked open as more text appeared, displaying a comparative diagram of standard human red blood cells versus the new ones forming within him.
Normal red blood cells were small, disc-shaped, and functioned solely as oxygen carriers.
But in contrast, the new blood cells were twice as large, capable of storing and transporting mana while also carrying twice as much oxygen to provide a completely superior alternative to the old cells.
"Holy shit… so this is what all this was about!" Leo realized, as he finally understood why this meditation manual not only improved the user's mana capacity but also altered their body constitution.
It was an amazing technique, but before Leo could celebrate the production of the new blood cells, another red alert message cut his excitement short.
[Warning: Mana power core depleting. Estimated time remaining: 50 seconds.]
The warmth in his femur bones flickered, the energy draining rapidly.
His body was consuming the mana supply at an astonishing rate, fueling the transformation at an unsustainable pace prompting the meditation manual to instruct him to find a replacement immediately.
Leo gritted his teeth, already forming a new mana ball in his left palm, but his body resisted.
His circuits were strained, his focus already taxed from the precision required in the last step.
And hence, it became nearly impossible for him to circulate an entirely new batch of mana, while also maintaining the on-going process without any mistakes.
Unfortunately, this meant that in 50 seconds, his power core ran out completely, pausing the production of new blood cells, as the text before him updated yet again.
[Mana depleted. Restart required.]
"Shit." Leo exhaled sharply.
He had failed to get the next mana ball down in time, putting an end to the new cell production.
Leo understood that ideally, he should have had the next batch of mana cores ready before the previous ones depleted, but doing so required an immense level of mental precision and discipline.
And right now, he simply wasn't fast enough.
For the next several minutes, he worked meticulously to repeat the process. He condensed another mana ball in his palm, ensuring its density was sufficient before guiding it back down the precise pathway he had memorized.
However, despite his best efforts he made a few minor mistakes whole guiding it down, and was forced to retrace his steps a couple times before achieving the desired result.
Overall, nine grueling minutes passed before he finally succeeded in splitting the energy into two and positioning them correctly in his femur bones again.
But by then, all the previous progress had already halted and the window of efficiency was completely lost.
Panting, he wiped the sweat from his brow, and restarted the process of trickling mana to his femur bones, which once again restarted the production process of new blood cells.
However, once again it was depleted within the minute, and Leo had to start from zero yet again.
"Fuck this is hard–" he realized, as just as he was about to restart the process, doing it all over again from step 0, the text before him shifted again, showing him an analysis chart.
[Optimal Replacement Efficiency Data:
Maintaining continuous flow for 2 hours/day → Peak production rate: 100,000 new blood cells/day.
If sustained for over 2 years → Full blood replacement achieved.
Breaks or inconsistent training = Efficiency drop, extending the process indefinitely.
If sustained for 5 hours/day → Full replacement may be achieved within 8-9 months. ]
Leo's head tilted slightly as he read through the numbers.
The process wasn't just difficult—it was a battle against time.
If he failed to maintain a constant cycle, the replacement process would take years to complete, making it a terrible waste of time. Your journey continues with NovelBin.Côm
The first thing he needed to do to practice this method efficiently was to learn how to maintain a constant power cycle, as without it, doing the same steps over and over again with delays in between was next to useless.
The Complete Marrow Meditation Manual aimed to reconstruct his body, one cell at a time, and to do so, the replacement rate of new cells produced had to out-weigh the death+ production rate of old cells.
If achieved successfully, the new blood cells didn't just enhance mana storage; they increased oxygen efficiency, improved muscle endurance, reduced lactic acid buildup, and optimized cardiovascular health.
Which meant that if he completed the transformation, he wouldn't just be a stronger fighter.
He'd be something far beyond human limitations.
But getting there was the real challenge.
Right now, he was too slow. It had taken him nine minutes to restart the process, and if he kept going at this pace, the replacement cycle would take forever to complete.
This meant that not only did he have to get faster, he also needed to get more efficient and more precise, as only then could he hope to master this technique and complete the replacement rate within a reasonable timeframe.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 77: Absolute VisionTimeless AssassinC77: Absolute Vision
(Rodova Military Academy, Leo's Dorm, 12:30 AM)
At around 12:30 midnight, Leo finally gave up on meditation for the day, after spending five and a half frustrating hours making little to no progress.
His head ached, his focus was strained, and his patience with the entire process had worn thin.
So, instead of continuing down that fruitless path, he turned his attention to something new—the Absolute Vision skill scroll.
A challenge, yes.
But hopefully, one that wasn't as painfully tedious as meditation.
Whirrrr—
The holographic scroll activated, flickering to life in the dim room, hovering before his eyes just as the meditation manual had.
But unlike the silent hum of the meditation guide, this one made a low mechanical whirring sound, like an old, worn-out engine sputtering to life.
Then, the first set of instructions appeared, glowing faintly.
[Mastering Absolute Vision requires mastering Mana Perception first.]
[Until you can visualize the flow of mana around you with your eyes closed, it is fruitless to attempt this method.]
Leo exhaled sharply, closing his eyes without hesitation.
And immediately, he felt it.
The subtle pull of mana in the air, swirling in unseen currents.
It wasn't visible, but it was there—an invisible tide that he was unconsciously drawing into his body, like a whirlpool slowly siphoning water from its surroundings.
When he opened his eyes again, the warning label was gone.
The text on the scroll had already updated, shifting to the next phase of instruction.
[Please circulate mana within your body, following the path in the diagram before you.]
The hologram shifted, revealing an anatomical diagram of the human body, tracing the specific mana circulation route he needed to follow.
The path began near the base of his skull, running down his spine, branching through his legs, all the way to his toes—before looping back up in a continuous cycle.
Unlike the Meditation Manual, which required distributing mana into delicate micro-pathways, this technique was far more straightforward.
It didn't require complex branching. No intricate detours. Just one clean, fluid cycle.
Three attempts. That's how long it took him to memorize the pattern.
As after only three repetitions, he had engraved the process into muscle memory, circulating the mana through his body smoothly and without error.
[Step complete.]
[Please close your eyes and circulate the mana once more.]
Leo complied instantly, closing his eyes and performing the circulation from memory.
He expected nothing different.
Yet—
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The moment he completed the cycle—
His world changed.
A three-dimensional map of his surroundings exploded into his mind.
Not a blurry impression. Not some vague awareness.
But a detailed, spatially accurate reconstruction of the entire room.
He could feel the outline of his bed, the slight unevenness of his desk, the soft ripple of the air as it brushed against his skin.
The world around him had shifted, no longer defined by sight but by pure perception.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa—whoa…."
Leo staggered, nearly losing his balance.
It was too real. Too overwhelming.
His brain struggled to process the sudden flood of information, adjusting to a completely new way of perceiving reality.
For a brief moment—
He wasn't using his eyes.
Yet, he could still see everything.
[Congratulations, you have successfully mastered the first stage of (Absolute Vision), you inherently understand the concept behind 3D imaging and have a robust subconscious brain capable of interpreting the information in real time.]
The skill scroll said, as Leo frowned deeply upon reading this.
He felt perplexed as to why he could master such a difficult technique with such ease, however, apparently he already had an inherent understanding of how to sense mana around his body, and a robust enough brain to compile the information he collected.
[The next step is to learn how to perform one circulation of this method with each breath that you take.
The focus is on speed with precision]
The skill scroll instructed, as Leo closed his eyes once again and took in a deep breath, trying to sync one cycle of mana rotation alongside it.
However, as he tried to cycle the mana down the memorized path, he realized that he needed at least 3.5 seconds to complete one cycle.
Whereas the mental image created after each cycle lasted for only 1 second.
This meant that, if he wanted to learn how to maintain this skill continuously, he needed to shorten the mana circulation time from 3.5 seconds to unde one, and then sync it with his breathing, so that his brain linked performing this method Sub-Consciously with breathing, doing it every passing moment without Leo needing to focus on it.
*Sigh–*
Leo exhaled sharply, closing his eyes once more.
Again.
He pushed the mana through the path, forcing himself to move faster while maintaining the same precision.
This time he improved very slightly, pushing his circulation time to 3.4 seconds, but it was still too slow.
'Again–' He thought, as he hastened the process even more, repeating the circulation path, as he tried adjusting his control and trimming unnecessary hesitation.
The result?
He trimmed down his time to 3.2 seconds, which was a great improvement over 3.5, but still a far-cry from where he needed to be.
Leo exhaled, rubbing his temple as the strain on his mind began creeping in.
A quick glance at the clock told him that it was 3:00 AM already, meaning that there was only 1.5 hour left before the morning alarms blared and the next academic day began.
'I need to take some rest, pushing anymore will only be counterproductive, I guess I will work on this again tomorrow–' Leo concluded, as he shut down the holographic scroll, and climbed onto his bunk bed.
'I have a long way to go–' Leo realized, as at that thought, his brain drifted asleep, shutting down in almost an instant after the exhaustion that it had undergone today.
It was a challenge to learn both the meditation method and the perception skill simultaneously, however, Leo had faith in his ability to keep-up regardless.
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Next morning at 4:30 am sharp, the alarms in the corridors blared loudly, signalling the start of yet another academic day.
Hearing the loud sound, Leo practically forced himself to wake up, however, his mind seemed to be reluctant to cooperate.
Feeling as heavy as lead, Leo's brain resisted restarting, dragging him down into the depths of exhaustion. But with no other choice, he forced himself to power through it, pushing past the sluggish haze of sleep.
—------
(Rodova Military Academy, Physical Training Grounds)
It wasn't until Leo was halfway through the 100 penalty laps—his feet pounding against the dirt alongside the rest of the class—that his brain finally shook off its grogginess.
He hadn't wanted to wake up.
But listening to Mu Shen's colorful morning rant made the ordeal almost worth it.
"Mark my words, boys…" Mu Shen panted between heavy breaths. "One of these days, I'm gonna find a stick—a long, thick one—made of really hard wood, with the nastiest, sharpest grooves and edges you can imagine."
He exhaled sharply, his eyes burning with unholy determination.
"I'm gonna oil it. Kiss it. Cherish it like it's my life's purpose—"
Leo raised a brow, already sensing where this was going.
"—And then, when Marvin isn't looking, I'm gonna ram it straight up his ass!"
Leo couldn't help it—he burst into laughter, shaking his head at Mu Shen's outrageously committed vendetta against Professor Marvin.
"Look at that smug bastard—he's smiling at our misery!" Mu Shen growled, glaring up at Professor Marvin. "Look at him, standing there all high and mighty, enjoying this shit!"
Following his gaze, the others turned to see Marvin watching over them with that ever-present calm, unreadable expression.
Mu Shen scowled even harder.
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"Fucker." He muttered under his breath, making sure the professor wasn't looking before throwing in the insult.
Su Yang, arrogant as always, exhaled sharply. "At least he did not make us wear the weighted vests today. The run's not nearly as bad without them."
However, Leo rolled his eyes at that comment.
Maybe it wasn't bad for them, but for him? It was already hell.
Even without the added weight, 50 laps in, he could feel the exhaustion creeping in—his muscles aching, his breath growing heavier.
But unlike yesterday, there was something different.
At Least today, he knew he could keep going for at least 30 laps more at the minimum, because his body did have the necessary strength to pull that off.
And with Mu Shen's endless rants and Su Yang's calm determination beside him, he had hope to cover the last 20 too, as he felt like maybe, just maybe, completing the 100 laps mark wasn't impossible today after all.
"Skyshard, Shen, we must go faster, the bastards behind us are only a single lap behind.
We must crush them everyday in training, so they psychologically never dare to think they're equal to us—" Su Yang said, as he increased the pace of his running slightly, much to the dismay of both Leo and Mu Shen.
"You crazy fucker… you need to tone down your obsession of stomping down the Commoners, we are already a lap ahead of them.
And unlike you, I have no interest in giving them psychological nightmares!" Mu Shen complained, as he looked prepared to shove that same stick up Su Yang's ass that he wanted to shove up Marvin's.
"You have no vision, Mu Shen, and you don't have the qualities of a good leader in you.
Skyshard understands me, which is why he is my rival, while you're just a friend" Su Yang replied, as both Mu Shen and Leo rolled their eyes at his words, before increasing their pace to match his.
"Just to be clear…. I work solo, I don't want to lead no-one!" Leo said, as Mu Shen nodded in agreement.
"Skyshard has to be the most obnoxious, and clueless individual I've ever seen.
Did you see that hottie that came to chat with him this morning? One of the only two good looking girls in the Elite Class?
She invited Skyshard to run in a pack with her, even said it coquettishly while squeezing her boobs, however, Skyshard simply replied 'Sorry, I prefer to go solo–'," Mu Shen mimicked, as this time around Su Yang chuckled out loud.
"Did he really do that? Which one was it? Deryl? Or Gio?" Su Yang asked, as Mu Shen immediately replied "Gio–"
"Mmmm…. That one's got a serious pair, I'm surprised you did not choose to run beside her, Skyshard, you could have seen quite the view of her balloons jiggling," Su Yang teased, as Leo's face darkened.
"If she approached either of us, I'm sure both of us would take the offer, but not Skyshard.
Skyshard is a hard man!
When his girlfriend asks him 'Honey? Do you want me to blow you?', Skyshard shakes his head and replies 'Sorry, I prefer to go solo–'," Mu Shen teased, as both him and Su Yang immediately burst into laughter.
And burst into the uncontrollable kind, which completely messed up their cadence and their breathing patterns.
"Oh shut-up! I'm just a focused man, I'm focused on getting stronger and not on heavy balloons.
Also, she's not that pretty anyways—" Leo fought back, however, his words fell on flat ears.
Su Yang and Mu Shen simply did not care for what he had to say, and kept laughing and expanding on the joke for the next 5 laps, as they pissed the shit out of Leo.
However, because of how relaxed they ran, joking and laughing with one another, none of them felt the fatigue creeping in, which helped them get to lap80 in a breeze.
"Look at those three at the front…. They're laughing and running like they don't feel the pressure at all.
They're one and a half laps ahead from the rest of us, yet there's not a frown on their faces—" Noted a student from the rest of the class running pack, whose atmosphere was not as cheerful as Leo and company.
Infact, in stark contrast to what Leo experienced with Su Yang and Mu Shen, the morale of the majority of the class pack was not flying high at all.
As after every couple laps, one of them would drop out, after complaining about feeling dizzy since the past 5 laps.
"Fuck the talented and fuck their friendship with one another.
As if it's not bad enough that they're born with more natural talent than the rest of us, now they're bonding over their talents too, as they laugh down on us!"
"Talent doesn't determine your physical conditioning.
If they can run 100 laps without breaking a sweat, then it means they've lived a life far more difficult than most of us can even imagine.
They have trained for this…. It wasn't given to them at birth" One sensible student amongst them spoke, however, his words only served as dampening the spirits of the others even more.
It was bad enough to acknowledge that they did not have the same elite level talent as the top students of the class, however, to also admit they did not work as hard as them on-top, really hurt their pride.
"I can't… I can't…. I'm dropping. I can't run like those monsters, 100 laps are not for me!" Said yet another student as he crashed on the running track on the 97th lap, with just 3 more to go—
It was a pitiful fall, one so close to the finish line, however, while he failed, Leo, Su Yang and Mu Shen did not, as the trio managed to complete the 100th lap, while the majority of the class was still on 98th at the end.
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Professor Marvin showed no mercy to those who failed to complete the 100 laps run today as well.
Apart from severely rebuking them and threatening to drop them from the Elite Class should they not make the cut soon enough, he also publicly humiliated them, asking them uncomfortable questions about their own mentality and will power.
"Those who failed to complete the 100 laps today, will repeat the process tomorrow, while the rest of the class will move on to the next stage—" Marvin informed, as rather than allowing them to move on, he coldly assigned them the same punishment for tomorrow, which was to run another 100 laps.
Meanwhile, the students who succeeded were promoted to the next phase of training: weighted vest exercises.
With only half an hour left before the session for the day ended, Marvin spared them from anything too strenuous for the day, assigning a brief round of push-ups and sit-ups before dismissing them.
But as they left, he made one thing painfully clear.
"Enjoy today while you can. Tomorrow will not be this easy."
—------
(Rodova Military Academy, Basics of Perception Class)
With no mandatory attendance requirement until the next evaluation day, the Basics of Perception class saw a steep drop in numbers from the second session onwards.
Less than 30% of the students showed up, and most weren't even here to actively train—as they simply came to consult Professor Powell on their personal struggles before leaving again.
However, unlike the others who rushed to ask their questions and leave, Leo lingered for a while, quietly observing the class and taking in the struggles his peers faced before posing his own question.
And what he saw surprised him.
Nearly 90% of the students present were still stuck on the very first step—sensing mana.
They couldn't even complete the preliminary phase of learning the technique.
For these students, Professor Powell had to recommend special exercises and additional study guides just to help them grasp the basic ability to sense the mana around them.
Leo, however, found himself completely unable to relate to their struggles.
Mana perception had never been an issue for him.
While his peers wrestled with fundamentals, he was already leagues ahead—despite being assigned the most complex version of the skill.
His concern wasn't about how to activate the technique.
He wanted to know how to make it faster.
So when he finally raised his hand and asked Professor Powell for tips on accelerating mana circulation, the entire room fell silent.
His question stood out like a sharp blade among dull stones.
Even Powell raised a brow, scanning the room before his gaze settled on Leo.
It was a clear and undeniable reminder of just how far ahead he already was.
With a faint, knowing smile, Powell finally responded.
"Speed of circulation improves with practice," he began.
"Think of your mana circuits as a rocky road—full of shrubs, loose rocks, and slippery sand.
At first, it's difficult to move across. The terrain slows you down. But the more you walk the same path, the more it changes.
The shrubs get trampled. The loose rocks shift to the side. The sand is blown away.
Step by step, that shaky road transforms into a highway.
And once that happens—your speed naturally increases."
Powell's tone was casual, but his words struck deep.
It made perfect sense.
Leo nodded, absorbing the lesson before thanking the professor and making his way out.
If all it took was repetition, then that meant only one thing—
He was guaranteed to crack the code.
And it was only a matter of time.
—------
(Rodova Military Academy, The second floor library)
After leaving the basics of perception class early, Leo joined Mu Ryan on the second floor library to complete the homework that Professor David assigned all students in yesterday's class.
Since the professor already had a vendetta against him, Leo did not wish to give him any fuel to kick him out again, and hence he sincerely completed the homework with Mu Ryan's help, and even studied for the coming lesson from the lecture guide manual.
It was his intention today to not get kicked out and absorb whatever knowledge that he could regarding the basics of magic theory, however, he still felt unsure as to whether or not Professor David would let him sit within the class or not?
—--------
(Basics Of Magic Theory Class)
After lunch, the Basics of Magic Theory class commenced.
And the moment class began, David's first order of business was collecting the homework—immediately kicking out any student who had failed to complete it.
Predictably, Su Yang was one of the casualties.
Since he hadn't attended class the previous day, he hadn't even bothered doing the assignment—handing David the perfect excuse to kick him out yet again with a public bashing.
However, when Leo stepped forward and submitted his completed work, something unexpected happened.
David's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in sheer frustration.
The professor had clearly expected Leo to fail.
He had likely prepared an entire lecture on sincerity and diligence, just waiting for Leo to show up empty-handed so he could publicly humiliate him.
However, to his surprise, not only had Leo completed the assignment, but he had done it correctly—completely robbing David of his anticipated moment of triumph.
The sheer displeasure on the man's face was almost comical for the class to witness.
However, since the lecture had to go on anyways, David was forced to allow Leo a seat, as he carried on with the lecture with his mood visibly soured.
The topic for the day?
Elemental Infusion.
As he explained the process through which pure mana could be altered to take on different elemental natures—such as fire mana, water mana, dark mana, and beyond.
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It was a very informative lecture and although David was a groggy teacher, his knowledge and command on the subject was absolutely top-notch.
The way he explained the topic opened Leo's horizons on how different types of infused mana could help increase the power of different types of spells.
While also understanding how they could help a craftsman craft better quality items.
Overall, he was very satisfied with what he learnt for the day, as he decided to make this a habit and ensure that he gave the professor no excuses to kick him out from now on.
—--------
(Rodova Military Academy, Practical Combat Class)
After Basics Of Magic Theory, the next class was practical combat, where once again Major Hen matched up all students against one another, right from where they had left off the day before.
Leo felt very excited for his match-ups today, as compared to yesterday the quality of his opponents went up significantly today, with the last two opponents that he faced even possessing some of the same skills that he did.
The second last opponent that he faced, executed a move similar to [Shadow Bind] to try and restrict his movements, while the last one had a decoy clone move, which created multiple illusions of himself, making it hard to perceive the real one.
However, while he struggled more against them compared to the opponents he faced yesterday, Leo still managed to win all 10 matches that he fought today, while only picking up minimal injuries.
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Professor Marvin showed no mercy to those who failed to complete the 100 laps run today as well.
Apart from severely rebuking them and threatening to drop them from the Elite Class should they not make the cut soon enough, he also publicly humiliated them, asking them uncomfortable questions about their own mentality and will power.
"Those who failed to complete the 100 laps today, will repeat the process tomorrow, while the rest of the class will move on to the next stage—" Marvin informed, as rather than allowing them to move on, he coldly assigned them the same punishment for tomorrow, which was to run another 100 laps.
Meanwhile, the students who succeeded were promoted to the next phase of training: weighted vest exercises.
With only half an hour left before the session for the day ended, Marvin spared them from anything too strenuous for the day, assigning a brief round of push-ups and sit-ups before dismissing them.
But as they left, he made one thing painfully clear.
"Enjoy today while you can. Tomorrow will not be this easy."
—------
(Rodova Military Academy, Basics of Perception Class)
With no mandatory attendance requirement until the next evaluation day, the Basics of Perception class saw a steep drop in numbers from the second session onwards.
Less than 30% of the students showed up, and most weren't even here to actively train—as they simply came to consult Professor Powell on their personal struggles before leaving again.
However, unlike the others who rushed to ask their questions and leave, Leo lingered for a while, quietly observing the class and taking in the struggles his peers faced before posing his own question.
And what he saw surprised him.
Nearly 90% of the students present were still stuck on the very first step—sensing mana.
They couldn't even complete the preliminary phase of learning the technique.
For these students, Professor Powell had to recommend special exercises and additional study guides just to help them grasp the basic ability to sense the mana around them.
Leo, however, found himself completely unable to relate to their struggles.
Mana perception had never been an issue for him.
While his peers wrestled with fundamentals, he was already leagues ahead—despite being assigned the most complex version of the skill.
His concern wasn't about how to activate the technique.
He wanted to know how to make it faster.
So when he finally raised his hand and asked Professor Powell for tips on accelerating mana circulation, the entire room fell silent.
His question stood out like a sharp blade among dull stones.
Even Powell raised a brow, scanning the room before his gaze settled on Leo.
It was a clear and undeniable reminder of just how far ahead he already was.
With a faint, knowing smile, Powell finally responded.
"Speed of circulation improves with practice," he began.
"Think of your mana circuits as a rocky road—full of shrubs, loose rocks, and slippery sand.
At first, it's difficult to move across. The terrain slows you down. But the more you walk the same path, the more it changes.
The shrubs get trampled. The loose rocks shift to the side. The sand is blown away.
Step by step, that shaky road transforms into a highway.
And once that happens—your speed naturally increases."
Powell's tone was casual, but his words struck deep.
It made perfect sense.
Leo nodded, absorbing the lesson before thanking the professor and making his way out.
If all it took was repetition, then that meant only one thing—
He was guaranteed to crack the code.
And it was only a matter of time.
—------
(Rodova Military Academy, The second floor library)
After leaving the basics of perception class early, Leo joined Mu Ryan on the second floor library to complete the homework that Professor David assigned all students in yesterday's class.
Since the professor already had a vendetta against him, Leo did not wish to give him any fuel to kick him out again, and hence he sincerely completed the homework with Mu Ryan's help, and even studied for the coming lesson from the lecture guide manual.
It was his intention today to not get kicked out and absorb whatever knowledge that he could regarding the basics of magic theory, however, he still felt unsure as to whether or not Professor David would let him sit within the class or not?
—--------
(Basics Of Magic Theory Class)
After lunch, the Basics of Magic Theory class commenced.
And the moment class began, David's first order of business was collecting the homework—immediately kicking out any student who had failed to complete it.
Predictably, Su Yang was one of the casualties.
Since he hadn't attended class the previous day, he hadn't even bothered doing the assignment—handing David the perfect excuse to kick him out yet again with a public bashing.
However, when Leo stepped forward and submitted his completed work, something unexpected happened.
David's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in sheer frustration.
The professor had clearly expected Leo to fail.
He had likely prepared an entire lecture on sincerity and diligence, just waiting for Leo to show up empty-handed so he could publicly humiliate him.
However, to his surprise, not only had Leo completed the assignment, but he had done it correctly—completely robbing David of his anticipated moment of triumph.
The sheer displeasure on the man's face was almost comical for the class to witness.
However, since the lecture had to go on anyways, David was forced to allow Leo a seat, as he carried on with the lecture with his mood visibly soured.
The topic for the day?
Elemental Infusion.
As he explained the process through which pure mana could be altered to take on different elemental natures—such as fire mana, water mana, dark mana, and beyond.
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It was a very informative lecture and although David was a groggy teacher, his knowledge and command on the subject was absolutely top-notch.
The way he explained the topic opened Leo's horizons on how different types of infused mana could help increase the power of different types of spells.
While also understanding how they could help a craftsman craft better quality items.
Overall, he was very satisfied with what he learnt for the day, as he decided to make this a habit and ensure that he gave the professor no excuses to kick him out from now on.
—--------
(Rodova Military Academy, Practical Combat Class)
After Basics Of Magic Theory, the next class was practical combat, where once again Major Hen matched up all students against one another, right from where they had left off the day before.
Leo felt very excited for his match-ups today, as compared to yesterday the quality of his opponents went up significantly today, with the last two opponents that he faced even possessing some of the same skills that he did.
The second last opponent that he faced, executed a move similar to [Shadow Bind] to try and restrict his movements, while the last one had a decoy clone move, which created multiple illusions of himself, making it hard to perceive the real one.
However, while he struggled more against them compared to the opponents he faced yesterday, Leo still managed to win all 10 matches that he fought today, while only picking up minimal injuries.
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Show menu Novel BinNovel Timeless Assassin Chapter 80: Stealth and Assassination ClassTimeless AssassinC80: Stealth and Assassination Class
(Rodova Military Academy, Basement B-1, Basics of Stealth and Assassination Class)
The final class of the day after Practical Combat was Basics of Stealth and Assassination, the only lecture Leo had not attended even once yet, as it was only held on select few days, alternating with the Scouting, Movement and Planning class.
It was held in the basement, in a dark and damp environment, which felt unsettling. However, as if the environment was not bad enough, the instructor for this class was even worse.
Unlike the other classes, which were led by seasoned military officials or scholarly instructors, this one was conducted by someone far removed from the chains of order and discipline.
A criminal.
One who stood before them in heavy restraints, his hands bound in reinforced shackles, his legs weighed down by enchanted chains—yet none of it seemed to suppress the twisted glee dancing in his eyes.
The instructor for this class was Severus Maximus, the infamous 'Needle Assassin', who Rodova Military Academy had specially recruited as a teacher, to give their students the best education possible.
Severus however, was a man so dangerous, that two high-ranking military lieutenants stood guard around him at all times, monitoring his every move, as despite his bounds, he could not be trusted alone around anyone.
And yet—
Despite the chains and the guards monitoring his every move, the madness in Severus's eyes remained unaffected by his environment, as he looked at the students as if they were his prey, rather than his disciples.
"Keh… hehehe… Kekekeke!" A wheezing, almost inhuman cackle filled the air as he began his lesson, as his odd shrill voice sent goosebumps down the spines of many.
"Hello, my little children," he cooed, his voice dripping with mock affection, his lips stretching into an unsettling grin.
"I'm Severus Maximus, also known as the 'Needle Assassin.' Kekeke…." He said, as his shoulders trembled with thinly veiled excitement, as if just introducing himself was enough to send him into hysterics.
"I'm here to be your teacher for this lovely, depraved little course— Not because I have some deep desire to share my knowledge… Oh no, no, no."
His head twitched unnaturally as he leaned forward.
"I'm here because it knocks precious, precious years off my ridiculously long jail sentence—Kekekeke!"
His laughter cracked through the air, echoing against the cold stone walls of the basement classroom, as it made many grown men break into cold sweats.
Some looked visibly unsettled. Others were outright disturbed.
But Leo?
He didn't care.
If a man was infamous enough to earn a moniker, then his knowledge was valuable.
His mental instability? His history of crimes? None of that mattered to him, as he felt eager to learn.
"I'm sure you're all learning the theory of assassination in your fancy military lectures, honing your combat techniques in another class, practicing your little swings and stabs like good little soldiers."
Severus's nose wrinkled in disdain, his shackles rattling as he gestured dramatically.
"Bah. Useless. Predictable. Basic." He scoffed. "Anyone with a knife and a little muscle memory can stab someone. But that's not assassination—that's butchery."
He grinned wickedly, his teeth flashing in the dimly lit room.
"What I'm going to teach you is real assassination. The kind that doesn't leave a trace."
He hugged himself, his fingers twitching against his ribs, as if reliving some dark, delightful memory.
"The art of accidents. The art of making murders look like suicide. The art of staging a murder that looks like a lovers' quarrel has gone terribly, terribly wrong."
He exhaled shakily, laughing under his breath, his voice descending into an eerie whisper.
"How to make a father kill his own son in a drunken rage."
"How to make a priest die in prayer, a dagger lodged so perfectly in his throat it seems… poetic."
"How to make a corpse look like it walked into its own death willingly—Kekekeke!"
His laughter swelled again, breathless and delighted, his entire body trembling in sheer amusement, as he made the students extremely uneasy.
Some instinctively shifted away. Others dared not meet his gaze, fearful of the wild glint in his eyes, as even the lieutenants stationed beside him, who were armed to the teeth, seemed slightly uncomfortable in letting him continue with the lecture.
However, since they were under orders, and he had not done anything to break the rules, they could only bide their time in silence for now.
"Today's lesson is about something simple. Something delightful. Something… deadly."
He licked his lips, dragging out the words.
"Poisons."
"I'll be teaching you how to kill with a whisper. How to end a life without ever raising a blade. How to twist the very breath in someone's lungs and make them die thinking it was a simple cold." Severus said, as he let out a content sigh, as if savoring the beauty of his own words.
"We'll go through types of poisons, their effects in assassination, how to brew them in the wild, and how to extract them from live creatures."
"But of course… this is all just for demonstration, kekeke…! If you truly value your own life, you should always—always—buy your poisons from a reputable vendor."
His voice dropped to a sickeningly sweet whisper.
"Unless, of course, you wish to end up like some of my past students…"
He paused.
Then, he threw his head back in laughter, the deranged, bone-chilling cackles filling the classroom once more.
As the actual lesson began.
"Let's start with something simple, yet effective—Weaponized Poison." Severus said, as he lifted a tiny vial containing an inky black substance, swirling it between his fingers.
"This here? A lovely little concoction called 'Viper's Fang.' It kills instantly upon entering the bloodstream. A mere scratch, a single cut laced with this, and within three seconds—" He snapped his fingers, the sharp sound echoing in the silent room.
"Dead. No antidote, no counter. Just dead."
Severus chuckled, shaking his head.
"The best part? The corpse remains intact. No foam at the mouth. No violent spasms. Just a quiet, polite exit from the mortal realm." Continue your journey on NovelBin.Côm
With an eerie gentleness, he uncorked the vial and dipped the tip of a dagger into it, coating the blade in the viscous liquid.
"To make it, you simply need the venom glands of a Six-Toothed Viper and the sap of a Moonshade Plant. The venom paralyzes, while the sap accelerates its spread through the body. A perfect combination."
He licked his lips.
"One scratch, and the enemy won't even have time to realize they're already a corpse."
The students swallowed hard, shifting uneasily as they realized just how deadly the knowledge being imparted was.
But Severus wasn't done.
His grin deepened as he reached for another vial, this one filled with a clear, colorless liquid.
"Now, if instant death is too… uncreative for you, let me introduce something a bit more fun—Widow's Embrace."
Unlike before, he handled this vial with reverence, almost affection, like a treasured possession.
"This little beauty is a delayed poison. Odorless. Tasteless. Undetectable in food or drink."
He tilted the vial, watching the liquid swirl.
"The victim consumes it… and for the next 22 hours, they feel nothing. Not a single symptom. No dizziness, no nausea, no warning signs."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"But then… the final two hours arrive. And that's when the fun begins."
He sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest as if overcome by the beauty of his own creation.
"The pain starts subtly at first. A slight burning in the stomach. Then it spreads. Within ten minutes, it feels like their organs are liquefying. Their body overheats, their veins rupture, and their nerves set ablaze—and all they can do is scream."
Severus chuckled darkly.
"Oh, and before you ask—no antidote. There is no cure to it after 20 hours when it's completely absorbed into the bloodstream.
If detected early, you can use high level healing magic to prevent it from taking effect and then slowly removing it.
However, if the effects kick in, then by the time the prey realizes something is wrong. It's already too late to save them."
His eyes flicked over the class, lingering on their expressions—some pale, others outright horrified.
"Now, who wants to learn how to make it?"
Silence.
Then, reluctantly, a few hands rose.
Leo, however, had already been taking notes, as he raised his hand eagerly.
Using poisons did not seem like his style, as he felt like he was more of a front-line no-nonsense fighter, however, having knowledge on the topic did not seem to be a bad thing either, as he absorbed every word coming out of Severus's mouth like a sponge.
So far, this was turning out to be his favorite class yet, as although he was doing nothing but taking notes in this class, it was by far the most informative and practical of all the other theory subjects that he studied.
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