Teaching and Boarding

The principle of "to those who have, more shall be given, and from those who have not, even what they have shall be taken away."

Just like this basic Extraordinary Swordsmanship, Evan didn't attach much importance to it. Those "Insignia Trainees" who left early even discarded it like worn-out shoes. Yet, new recruits would have to exchange their lives and merits for it throughout their service.

Furthermore, within the Navy, they wouldn't even be made aware of the existence of the Extraordinary world unless they reached a certain rank and served for a specified number of years.

Evan still remembered Eugene saying to him with utmost seriousness.

This wasn't just to maintain the stable rule of the upper class. It was also because the world humans lived in was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. Outside the civilized world lurked horrors beyond ordinary imagination. Ignorant explorers would invite chaos and disaster. The "Witch Hunt Movement" actively promoted by the major churches was not without reason.

However, no rule, however strict, was without exceptions. After quietly obtaining Major Eugene's permission, Evan called Gary aside.

"Young man! I see you have extraordinary potential, destined for martial arts mastery. The heavy responsibility of maintaining universal justice and peace will fall upon your shoulders! I have a technique here, the 'Buddha's Palm'... cough cough, I mean, a complete version of Military Swordsmanship. I'll sell it to you at a good price."

There's a saying at sea: "Even the strongest warrior at sea cannot set even the smallest sailboat in motion by their own strength alone."

It wouldn't matter if Evan aspired to be a lone wolf fighting solo, but this was the glorious Age of Exploration. Whether seeking power or greater strength, reliable companions were indispensable.

After nearly two months of interaction, Evan felt he understood this towering, iron-clad "young man" very well. He had a rough exterior and exceptional talent but possessed a pure heart. If cultivated properly while still young and inexperienced, he could become a great asset.

At the same time, Evan was confident in his Data Vision, believing the data it observed would not deceive him.

Then again, if Gary could even fake his breathing, heartbeat, and pupil dilation under the surveillance of Data Vision, such a master might warrant Evan bowing down to him instead.

For his only subordinate now, Evan was willing to invest in him early and give him a chance.

However, even Evan hadn't expected Gary's compatibility with "Military Swordsmanship" to be so high!

When he first started learning sword techniques with the new recruits, it wasn't very apparent. At most, he was just more powerful than others. During sparring, he often couldn't control his strength, leading to situations where he'd simply use brute force to send his opponent and their sword flying.

Because of this, Gary earned an unflattering nickname from his fellow recruits and Instructor Eugene: "Boar Warrior."

After all, even if he won ten out of ten sparring matches, his barbaric fighting style was difficult for the new recruits, who revered "Military Swordsmanship" as gospel, to accept.

But once Evan taught Gary the accompanying breathing technique for "Military Swordsmanship," allowing him to gradually learn to use the peculiar power contained within his body, circulate his energy to temper himself internally and externally, and gain the perfect method to control his Innate Divine Strength, his progress was rapid.

In just one week, Gary's physique transformed from being strong but unrefined to appearing slightly leaner. Instead of looking thin, he exuded a sense of lean strength, dangerous like a jungle beast.

The two stood facing each other with swords in a secluded corner, beginning their daily routine sparring session.

"Gary, attack!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"Hoo!" A fierce and powerful sword strike, carrying a gust of wind, came whistling. It was a simple downward slash, but in Gary's hands, it already held a different flavor.

"Slap!"

Evan sidestepped, swinging his wooden sword. The flat of the blade struck Gary's shoulder, pushing him back half a step.

"Attack again!"

"Slap!" Evan deflected Gary's thrust from the side, his blade sliding along to stop under his armpit.

"Attack again!" "Attack again!" ...

Only when Gary was exhausted, sprawled on the ground panting, did Evan leisurely sheathe his sword and open the latest collected data.

Name: Gary Farman
Gender: Male
Identity: Navy Recruit
Attributes:
Constitution: 0.7
Strength: 0.65 + 0.06
Agility: 0.4 + 0.12
Intelligence: 0.4
Skills: Faletis Sabre Art (Novice, includes Swordsmanship, Breathing Technique), Navigation Knowledge (Novice), Basic Military Literacy

Simply by reaching the novice level in the breathing technique, Gary's strength increased by 0.06, reaching a total of 0.71. His speed also saw a dramatic increase, jumping from 0.4 to 0.52. Although he still lagged behind in other attributes, his shortcomings were greatly compensated, and he now far surpassed the average adult.

His constitution attribute showed no change, but this was the core attribute for an Extraordinary person on the Knight's Path, the foundation upon which other attributes could be utilized. It would undoubtedly require more effort from him.

It was like a second-generation rich heir who had learned how to efficiently allocate and manage wealth, and only then would they consider how to expand their fortune.

Gary's situation was similar. Through the novice level of the breathing technique, he would experience rapid improvement in the short term. However, to cross the threshold of the extraordinary, he still had a long way to go, step by step.

"Alright, stop lying there. Remember your current limits. You have one month left. Strive to fully unlock the potential of your innate physique by then."

"Yes, Boss, I understand!" The more he engaged in true cultivation, the more Gary looked up to Evan with awe. Evan's physique, strength, skill, and knowledge were all vastly superior. Moreover, Gary owed Evan a debt of gratitude for teaching him the breathing technique, and he had now become Evan's devoted fan.

For Gary, he might hesitate at what his instructor said, but he would undoubtedly go through fire and water for Evan's words.

Thus, for the next month, besides various necessary training subjects and spending time in the library, Evan also frequently found time to spar with Gary. With the formal boarding of the warship approaching, Evan didn't want his newly acquired subordinate to be taken out by pirates in an instant.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Come in!"

Evan pushed open the door and entered Major Eugene's office. After saluting, he asked, "Instructor, you called for me?"

"Stop being so formal. Close the door and have a seat!" Evan had helped Eugene considerably over the past three months. As Eugene saw through Evan's true nature, their relationship had grown much closer.

"What is your family thinking? I haven't received any notification about your transfer file yet. You don't actually plan on just being assigned to any old warship, do you?" Eugene asked, crossing his legs and speaking as if it were an afterthought.

Evan could only offer a wry smile.

He knew that after the new recruits finished their training, they would all go on board ships for practical experience. In fact, if nothing unexpected happened, many might spend their entire naval careers on that single warship. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they would share its fate.

Therefore, which warship one was assigned to was a life-altering decision for a naval sailor, even more significant than choosing a spouse.

After all, the choice of warship not only affected the ease of future promotions but also one's very survival. If assigned to an unvalued Level 6 patrol ship or a dispatch vessel, one could only slowly accumulate seniority. If assigned to an old, outdated cannon fodder ship, one could only pray for the Goddess's Blessing to return safely. However, if one could step directly onto a main battleship, while the risks were high, merits would be accumulated more quickly.

However, the choice of warship was not up to the new recruits themselves but was directly assigned by higher-ups.

Children of the Elite with connections had their futures arranged long in advance by their families. The "Insignia Trainees" from Evan's cohort had left one after another in the first month because the warships arranged for them had returned to port and they were boarding early.

If Evan truly had a family behind him, they certainly wouldn't have let him waste three months in the training camp; arrangements would have been made long ago.

This was also where Major Eugene was puzzled.

Looking at Evan's expression, the imaginative Major Eugene automatically conjured up scenarios of internal family strife, power struggles, and neglected collateral branches in his mind. Then, too lazy to inquire further, he simply waved his hand:

"Alright, alright, I'll arrange it for you. Now get out of here!"

"Yes, Instructor!" Evan thanked him with a cheeky grin, saluted, and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right, Instructor, Gary..."

"Get lost!!!"

Leaving Major Eugene's office, Evan felt half the weight lifted from his shoulders. As a novice, he had already encountered several good people with a cold exterior but a warm interior. Viscount Andrea's recommendation and Major Eugene's support – without them, he might have stumbled in blindly and wasted several years.

Although they might have their own agendas, he couldn't forget the benefits he had received. He had to remember to repay them when he had the ability, otherwise, his thoughts wouldn't be at peace.

As for the protagonists in the novels he had read in his past life, who debuted as a blank slate but could slaughter their way through, engaging in witty battles of strategy and intellect with countless malicious old foxes and still emerge victorious – that wasn't impossible, but it was too fantastical.