Deliberate Practice

In his most frantic moments, as long as Suye found himself idle or detected any emotional fluctuation—even a few seconds of confusion—he would ask himself this question.

"Right now, at this very moment, what should I be doing most?"

This question seemed simple, even useless on the surface, but after years of use, it had become a powerful ability!

This ability allowed Suye to immediately do the most important and correct thing in many situations, rather than zoning out in confusion or doing the wrong thing.

At first, when he started practicing Lakin's Question, Suye didn't think it was that important either.

It wasn't until a company meeting once, when sudden noise from outside disrupted the proceedings, that Suye asked himself this question first, then stepped in to handle it, leaving a deep impression on the higher-ups and creating an opportunity for promotion.

Lakin's Question saved Suye a massive amount of time and helped him seize countless opportunities.

At first, the effects of this time and these opportunities seemed minor, but as they accumulated, quantity turned into quality, and only when Suye reviewed his past did he realize their enormous impact.

Now, whenever Suye asked himself this question, he felt like he was examining himself from a higher, broader perspective, thereby arriving at a more correct answer.

Experience trumps instinct, and method trumps experience.

Through constant observation and sensation, the cheetahs in Suye's eyes became clear—their pounces, swipes, sprints, all held no secrets.

This didn't grant Suye great power, but at least when encountering similar Beasts or Combat Skills in the future, it would make his judgments more accurate.

Perhaps the most ordinary judgment could one day save his life.

Niedern nodded and said, "Very good. Cheetahs have strong explosive power, but limited endurance. Now, use your Magic Rope to start tying up the cheetahs... Don't aim for the neck, aim for the body and legs; you're not precise enough yet. Also, don't use the Magic Rope carelessly. With your current total mana, you can use at most thirty apprentice-level spells in one morning."

Suye nodded, made his first attempt, chanted the incantation, and after a little over two seconds, the Magic Ox Rope glowed faintly as it flew toward one of the cheetahs.

The cheetah leaped suddenly, darting several meters away to dodge the Magic Rope, then turned back to glance at Suye before walking slowly with elegant steps, casually stepping on the Magic Ox Rope on the ground.

Seeing this, Suye snapped awake as if from a dream.

Niedern watched Suye's expression with great satisfaction and said, "Good, it seems you've already spotted the problem. Magic is omnipotent, but you are not. The Magic Rope spell can actively capture enemies within a certain range, but if the enemy moves too fast or is too far away, the Magic Rope is helpless. This is why most of us mages have our staffs inlaid with Amethyst—to speed up casting. Any talent or ability that accelerates casting speed is of utmost importance."

"Alright, continue using the Magic Rope until you've successfully tied up three cheetahs in a row."

"Thank you, teacher!"

Suye set aside the superiority he'd felt from easily drawing the Magic Array and returned to the mindset of a humble student.

"What better method should I use now to learn magic?" Suye asked a question based on Lakin's Question but slightly different—one he named the "Method Question."

"You could try Deliberate Practice."

Suye knew he couldn't find the "most perfect method," but using a recognized and effective method, then tweaking it slightly according to his own thinking, was bound to be far better than random practice.

"Deliberate Practice first requires a clear goal. The big goal this time is to tie up the cheetahs, but that's too vague. It's best to break it down into smaller sub-goals using project and goal management methods. Completing a few sub-goals naturally achieves the big goal. The big goal can be broken down into 'better judging cheetah movements,' 'better judging the Magic Rope's range,' 'more accurately controlling the Magic Ox Rope,' and 'faster casting.' Among these, faster casting requires long-term practice, so set that aside for today."

"Start practicing with the first sub-goal. However, 'better judging cheetah movements' isn't specific enough. Use the S.M.A.R.T. principle to set the goal—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. So, within half an hour, I want to be able to predict the cheetah's next move in advance, succeeding at least eight out of ten times, helping my Magic Rope catch the cheetah."

"Specifically, I first need to observe and summarize all possibilities, then compare them one by one..."

Using a method was fundamentally different from practicing randomly.

At first, Niedern didn't notice anything, but soon, he was astonished to find that Suye's accuracy in judging cheetah movements was rapidly improving.

"He must be a combat genius!"

Niedern rejoiced inwardly like he'd discovered a new magic, but on the surface, he only showed the faintest smile.

When the noon break bell rang, Suye chanted the incantation, pointed his finger, and the Magic Rope shot out like a living snake. The cheetah lunged forward, but it leaped straight into the Magic Rope's capture range.

The Magic Rope suddenly expanded from two meters to four, first binding the cheetah's two hind legs, then spreading to bind its two front legs.

"Aowu..." The cheetah let out an unwilling whine.

"Good!" Niedern praised.

Suye reached out and withdrew the rope from the cheetah.

The first two cheetahs were already lying on their backs, and this third one rolled over, showing Suye its white belly and letting out a whimpering plea.

Suye panted heavily, realizing that as his mana drained, his stamina and focus were also declining.

But the submission of the three cheetahs and the joy of mastering magic dispelled the fatigue of body and mind.

"You're a genius! A genius of combat magic!" Niedern couldn't help saying it, even though he tried hard to hold back.

"I'll pretend to believe your nonsense."

Suye didn't believe Niedern at all, because everything Niedern saw—those so-called signs of genius—were merely the results of years of practice, nothing to do with genius.

How ordinary he had been back then, Suye knew better than anyone.

Hearing Suye's words, Niedern wasn't angry; instead, he was quite pleased.

"This kid is really humble. His achievements will probably far surpass those classmates. That Lake has a photographic memory, but if he met Suye on the battlefield, he'd be dead for sure."

Niedern made this judgment in his mind, then, seeing Suye drenched in sweat, said, "Go take a shower, then have lunch."

"Thank you very much for your guidance!" Suye expressed his gratitude sincerely; today's gains were enormous.

Niedern turned and left, but after a few steps, he suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, Kelton is trustworthy, in most situations."

"The teacher knows Kelton? But that seems to have a hidden meaning..." Suye watched Niedern's Red Hair disappear into the woods.

Suye showered but didn't go straight to eat. Instead, he went to the Meditation Ground the school had specially opened for students to meditate.

Before entering the meditation lawn, Suye picked up a simple magic bracelet and set the timer for thirty minutes.