A New Skill with a Terrible Temper!
"Good. Your weapon has taken shape."
A sharp glint flashed in Wong's eyes. "Now pick it up and fight!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Despite his heavy build, Wong burst forward at a terrifying speed.
Like a charging brown bear, he reached Ren in the blink of an eye.
His staff came whistling straight down at Ren's face!
With no combat experience, Ren hastily raised his wand to block.
He stumbled back a step.
Wong was about to press his advantage and teach the newcomer a lesson.
Then a string of Electronic Voice alerts erupted in Ren's mind!
[Ding!]
[Your Watoomb's Wand has been overwhelmed by a high-level magic artifact. Its pride is wounded, and it has begun desperately analyzing its opponent's moves!]
[Congratulations, host! Watoomb's Wand has learned Wand Combat on its own!]
[Your body has instinctively sensed mortal danger. Your adrenaline has surged, triggering a state of sudden enlightenment!]
[Congratulations, host! You have mastered Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat!]
[Wand Combat has reached level 1!]
[Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat has reached level 1!]
Bzzz—
A flood of combat memories poured through every part of Ren's body.
His muscle memory reorganized itself!
A moment ago, Ren had been scrambling for cover. Now his gaze turned razor-sharp.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ren blocked all three of Wong's lightning-fast blows with his wand!
More than that.
Ren began to fight back!
The wand in his hand shifted between a rigid iron staff and a supple whip, making his attacks impossible to predict.
With his free left hand, he even conjured a glowing golden sword and thrust it toward Wong's vitals!
The longer Wong fought, the more alarmed he became. A crack finally appeared in his perpetually impassive expression.
What was going on?!
Wasn't combat experience supposed to come from life-and-death battles?
How had a clumsy rookie turned into a battle-hardened veteran in the blink of an eye?
His moves were vicious and precise, and his defense left no opening!
Wong felt his scalp prickle.
If he didn't show what he could really do, a novice apprentice might beat him right here!
A whip strike came snapping toward Wong from a tricky angle.
Wong's face grew hot. He decided to stop holding back.
"Fight as if your life depends on it!"
With a roar, Wong abruptly pulled back his attack.
Watoomb's Boots of Jumping flared with brilliant golden light.
Two golden magic discs formed beneath his feet.
Wong pushed off hard. Defying the laws of physics, he changed direction in midair and leaped again!
Whoosh!
His bulky figure vanished from Ren's frontal view and appeared like a ghost in his blind spot.
Bang!
A powerful leg sweep struck.
Ren couldn't dodge in time and was knocked flat on his back.
Wong landed steadily and gave his staff a stylish twirl.
Then, in a deep voice that brooked no argument, he delivered the rest of his line:
"Because one day, it will."
Lying on the floor, Ren looked up at the Master, who seemed possessed by a war god. Deep admiration shone in his eyes.
Grand Mage Wong really lived up to his reputation!
That footwork, that sheer pressure—he was unbeatable!
Under Ren's admiring gaze.
Wong silently turned away and put his weapon back through a Portal.
But a suspicious flush crept across his dark face.
Using advanced movement equipment to ambush a newcomer who had first picked up a weapon five minutes ago.
How embarrassing...
Grand Mage Wong stared at Ren, who was still lying on the floor.
In his mind, he called the boy a monster ten thousand times over.
Not only was this kid a genius at Magic, he also had inhuman instincts for close combat!
Wong was a leading figure of Kamar-Taj, a Master.
Yet with his strength restrained and a weapon of the same level, he still couldn't beat a novice apprentice who had only just begun training!
The more Wong thought about it, the hotter his face grew.
Ren lay there panting. As Grand Mage Wong's gaze grew increasingly complicated, a chill crept down his spine.
"Master... did I get those moves wrong?"
The system's sudden enlightenment should have worked. Had his form fallen apart when he put the moves into practice?
Wong took a deep breath, forced his expression back into place, and resumed the stern, authoritative air of an instructor.
"Nothing seriously wrong. You've got a good grasp of it."
"But some details of how you generate force still need work."
"Get up. I'll correct your form."
Combat was no performance.
In a real close-quarters fight, the key was dealing the most lethal damage with the least effort.
Such fine control depended on muscle memory. Even if Ren understood it in his head, his body couldn't immediately keep up.
Grand Mage Wong had spent decades honing his skills in real combat.
He was more than qualified to instruct an apprentice.
For the next hour.
Wong became the strictest drill instructor imaginable.
"Straighten your arm! Don't pull back!"
"No! Drive from your waist and brace your legs!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Between stern reprimands, Wong's staff struck the backs of Ren's knees and his back without mercy.
And yet.
Instead of looking miserable, Ren grew more excited with every blow. A faint smile of enjoyment even hung on his lips.
Because the system alerts in his head had become a constant stream!
[Ding!]
[Your Watoomb's Wand has taken a top combat master's stern instruction to heart. Its enlightenment has deepened!]
[Wand Combat proficiency has soared!]
[Ding!]
[Your Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat has received guidance from a master instructor. It is delighted, and its training speed has increased by 300%!]
Ren opened his panel and glanced at it.
Good grief. After just a few rounds of getting beaten up, his combat skill was already on the verge of reaching level 3!
Even Magic Shield, the easiest skill to manage before this, had needed three full days of passive training just to reach level 1.
Now, with Grand Mage Wong's hands-on "physical enlightenment".
His skills were leveling up like a Rocket!
Grand Mage Wong really was a top-tier source of experience!
Ren was having the time of his life.
Across from him, Grand Mage Wong grew more shaken the longer he taught.
He had seriously underestimated this freak once again.
In combat, most people struggled to change the way they were used to generating force.
But with Ren.
Even the most difficult tactical move, even muscle memory that went against his instincts.
Wong only had to teach it once, and Ren could reproduce it perfectly!
Was this guy even human?
If The Ancient One hadn't examined the kid herself.
Wong might have suspected Ren was an alien monster who had replaced the real one—one of the Skrulls.
"That's enough for today."
Wong put away his weapon and let out a long breath.
"Combat takes steady, patient work. It requires not only technique, but a strong body to support it."
"I'll have Carter prepare some medicinal baths to help you recover. Keep practicing when you get back."
"Yes, Master!"
Ren bowed respectfully, then raised a hand, drew a Portal, and stepped through it.
Wong watched Ren vanish in an instant.
The corner of his eye twitched.
Using spatial Magic like an elevator... Did this kid have an endless supply of magical power?
Back in his room.
Ren took a hot shower, then sprawled across his bed.
Getting beaten up had felt great at the time, but now that he had stopped, every muscle in his body ached in protest.
He planned to get a good sleep and let the system grind experience on its own.
But the moment he closed his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Your Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat is extremely dissatisfied with its host's decision to slack off!]
[The combat skill's mood has fallen. Training efficiency has dropped by 90%!]
[Your Watoomb's Wand has realized you did not bring it back and has fallen into deep despair.]
[Wand Combat has gone on strike and refuses to train!]
"What the hell!"
Ren shot upright in bed.
These new skills had terrible tempers!
He just wanted a nap. Did they really have to go on strike over it?
Grand Mage Wong had taken Watoomb's Wand away. Apprentices weren't allowed to keep magic artifacts privately, so Ren couldn't do anything about Wand Combat's strike.
But he wasn't going to put up with that drop in Close-Quarters Combat's efficiency.
Ren sighed helplessly and climbed out of bed.
Following the forms Grand Mage Wong had taught him that day, he began practicing each move in his room.
As his body got moving.
[Ding! Kamar-Taj Close-Quarters Combat's mood has improved. Training efficiency has returned to normal.]
Ren rolled his eyes.
So he was just a training tool with no feelings of his own.
Still.
As he worked through the combat forms.
Ren clearly felt Cosmic Energy washing through his body in a strange rhythm.
The soreness gradually faded.
In its place came waves of warm comfort.
His physical strength was steadily increasing.
Ren closed his eyes, immersed in the simple joy of being a training tool.
Then someone knocked on his door.