Chapter 103: Remarkable Results
"Ding dong!"
A heavy axe cleaved through a blocking scimitar, smashing into a thick shield.
Faced with an overwhelming impact, Leon chose not to withstand it head-on.
He stepped back two paces along the force and rolled to the side, pushing off the ground with his arm to quickly get back on his feet.
Beelzebub, however, seemed to have anticipated his movements, swiftly turning and taking two diagonal strides to close in on Leon.
His precise judgment and immense pressure left Leon feeling considerable strain.
Another axe swung diagonally toward him.
Leon still didn't dare to block it head-on. After bracing his shield twice, he skillfully retreated to relieve the pressure.
Despite suppressing the urge to go all out and crush Leon's defenses, Beelzebub methodically continued his attack, striking from different angles and directions with steady power.
Although Leon appeared a bit disheveled, he was holding up against Beelzebub's onslaught.
The barbarian warrior, while controlling his strength, watched the young man with admiration.
"Is this what a genius is like? It makes you too envious to even feel jealous!"
In just half a day, Leon had essentially mastered the "defensive stance" and was performing excellently.
When they first began sparring, Leon could only hold out for a few rounds.
But soon, Leon grasped the key points and techniques of the defensive stance, and his endurance increased significantly.
From initially holding on for just a few breaths, he was now lasting a full five minutes!
Leon had even started attempting counterattacks after stabilizing his defense.
Such progress left Beelzebub astonished!
But it also made him feel dissatisfied with himself!
As an 8th-level barbarian, even with his strength suppressed, he couldn't overpower Leon with his experience and battle skills as quickly as he should have.
It was truly embarrassing!
Bang!
After another powerful strike, Leon, who was somewhat exhausted, couldn't withstand the force anymore. His scimitar flew out of his hand, and he barely held off the attack with his shield before collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath and waving his hand in defeat:
"No more, no more, I'm out of energy!"
Twirling his axe, Beelzebub looked at the exhausted Leon and extended a hand to pull him up, laughing in his gruff voice:
"Go recover quickly then. I think you'll succeed today!"
A hint of joy appeared on Leon's face. He could clearly feel his improvement, but suddenly, he recalled something and said to Beelzebub with some fear:
"Wait, didn't you say you were practicing the Swift Footwork feat?"
"It's unfair! You're already so strong and fast—if your agility improves too..."
Just imagining that scenario made Leon realize that his hard days were far from over.
Jolted back to reality, Beelzebub suddenly shivered, as if remembering something:
"That's right! So what if Leon learns quickly? He still can't beat me!"
"And I can learn too!"
"As long as I have enough contribution points, I can also learn these feats that I never could before and become stronger quickly!"
"The lord never treated us like outsiders..."
"..."
Thinking back to the days of hard-fought battles, where he had to figure everything out on his own, Beelzebub felt a sting in his nose, but he soon steeled himself.
Before, there was no choice!
Now, I must work even harder!
"Protect the territory, protect the homeland!"
Beelzebub suddenly raised his hand high, letting out a thunderous roar.
The others in training looked satisfied and inspired.
That's right!
This is everyone's home!
Resting Leon laughed heartily, raising his hand to join the others in shouting:
"Protect the territory, protect the homeland!"
Matthew watched with a smile in his eyes.
For regular professionals, once they grasped the basic principles and received detailed analysis, along with proper training and resources...
Their daily progress on beginner feats could reach 5%!
In about 20 days, they could fully master a beginner feat!
That's quite fast!
But for someone like Leon, a genius with immense potential, it was entirely different.
In just one day, he could master a beginner feat!
The gap between a genius and an ordinary professional was truly vast!
Nevertheless, Matthew believed...
With so many resources invested, even these ordinary professionals would surpass most others!
Perhaps among them, there were a few late bloomers with hidden potential?
Matthew didn't mind the resources—he was willing to spend, especially in the Netheril Empire!
Here, aside from the resources needed by spellcasters, other resources were quite abundant.
Watching the professionals and soldiers train diligently, Arnold, who was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation, let out a deep breath of satisfaction.
In his younger years, Arnold once believed that even if he couldn't become a spellcaster, he could become a great figure, with his own territory and noble status.
He worked hard, leading troops into battle, fighting fearlessly even when surrounded by orcs.
But reality struck him hard.
The orcs were too numerous, and their strength and combat prowess far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers!
In that battle, Arnold's forces suffered heavy losses—barely one in ten survived.
He himself was gravely injured, on the verge of death.
Just when Arnold thought his life would end in that moment...
The arcane bombardment from distant spellcasters arrived!
Thousands of orcs were torn to pieces by the terrifying spells.
The crumbling fortress held firm once more.
Arnold was both relieved and disheartened.
The truth was clear: destructive spells were far more effective than his blade and sword swings!
Having delayed his treatment for too long, Arnold miraculously survived but lost the chance to further his strength.
He turned down a command post, returning home with the belongings of his fallen comrades and his own disappointment.
Over the years, all the money Arnold had earned, aside from what was needed for his family, was sent to the widows of his fallen comrades.
Despite the unconditional support from his family, when his grandchildren, who had the potential to become professionals, couldn't advance further due to the high cost of tuition, Arnold found himself in a dilemma.
Fortunately, Arnold's luck held out, and through inside sources, he learned that the notoriously generous Adam Smith was recruiting people.
With a monthly salary exceeding 50 gold coins and a one-time bonus of over 1,000 gold coins.
Believing he had little time left, Arnold didn't hesitate to sell himself cleanly.
At first, he thought that the mysterious arcane lord only wanted to train some soldiers to act as guards and caretakers during a transition.
Perhaps in a few years, the arcane lord, tired of the hassle, would dismiss an "old man" like him.
But after just a few days of training the soldiers, Arnold realized he was wrong.
And very wrong!
"This is where my true journey begins!"
The unyielding Arnold proudly wrote to his children.