"Truly impressive!"
Lyssandra exclaimed, clapping her her hands as she strolled toward the shattered remains of the targets.
The Shadow Goblins felt a warmth spread through their chests upon hearing her praise, yet their eyes could not help but wander, tracing the hypnotic curves of her silhouette.
After examining each ruin with a scrutinizing gaze, her demeanor shifted.
"But…"
Her eyes grew cold and serious.
"Three, you are an assassin. Why did you emerge directly in front of your enemy? Above, behind, or even vertically beneath would have been much better options. Use the shadows more effectively!"
She turned to the next.
"Two, that portal movement was well executed, particularly the way you halved the target. But that was enough to end the strike. Why the excessive violence of ripping the chest apart? I know you were performing for me to see, but as an assassin, that display was reckless and left far too much evidence. Do not think I didn't notice that your fingers are currently bleeding."
Two immediately tucked his hands behind his back in an attempt to hide the injuries, his face flushing a deep shade of red in embarrassment.
Finally, her gaze fell upon the leader.
"And One, leveraging the momentum of gravity was a clever use of kinetic energy, but don't you think your charge time was excessively slow?"
"Yes, I was thinking about that, and it has been troubling me deeply,"
One replied, his breathing slowly stabilizing as the color returned to his face.
"The skill consumed far too much of your mana and stamina. Had this been a real engagement, and you had struck a killing blow, it might have been acceptable… almost acceptable!"
Lyssandra's voice rose, carrying a commanding edge.
"No! It was not fine at all. What if you had missed? Would you have simply sat there, panting like a breathless dog, waiting for death? And what if your target was not alone? Once the kill was complete, how would you find the strength to make your escape from the pursuers??"
She crossed her arms, a gesture that caused her massive breasts to bounce slightly against her chest.
"You must refine the process. Make it efficient and far less straining on your physical body!"
"But how?"
One groaned, rubbing his face with his hands in frustration.
"I do not know. This is incredibly taxing!"
"I can suggest paths to take, but the actual refinement must be done by you alone,"
she stated firmly.
She stepped closer to One, sinking down until they were nearly eye-to-eye level. She lifted her hands, pressing her palms together in a prayer-like gesture, leaving only a few centimeters of space between them.
"Have you ever considered reducing the spatial distance between the two portals themselves?"
One's eyes widened in realization as the profound truth of her words hit him.
Lyssandra continued, her tone instructional.
"And what about the time it takes to launch your projectiles? You must learn to time the buildup. If you wait five seconds before the strike, it might consume half of your mana and stamina, correct? That is due to the massive force required to propel it through the space."
She turned her attention back to the shattered wooden target.
"Even so, the dagger would still travel more than fifty meters and achieve its objective. By managing the momentum, you wouldn't lose everything in a single, wasteful burst of power."
One sat there, his expression completely flabbergasted, staring at her as the realization of a much more efficient way to fight slowly dawned on him.
"But remember, everything I have said is mere theory. To transform these concepts into truly formidable skills, you must experiment for yourselves. Find your own path, remain resilient in your journey, and never surrender to doubt. In the end, only through such struggle will you become truly great,"
Lyssandra declared, her voice sounding majestic as she looked into the eyes of each goblin.
The profound weight of her speech struck the three of them deeply; they instantly dropped to their knees, tears of inspiration streaming down their faces.
"Thank you, Great One, for your divine guidance! We shall not disappoint you!"
She watched them, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Good. Now return to your training and sharpen your crafts, so that you may prove your worth in the coming days."
The three of them scurried away, energized by the new, potent knowledge they had just acquired.
'They truly are gifted individuals,' Lyssandra thought to herself. 'Who would have guessed that a mere monster could grasp such intricate and complex assassination methods?'
Then, a playful giggle escaped her. 'But I am the one who taught them. Most of the credit belongs to me, after all!'
-
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Later that day, following a grueling training session for the trio, Three approached One, who was sitting alone in a corner of the camp.
"Hey, do you have a moment?"
Three asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Yeah, I'm finished with my work anyway. What's on your mind?"
One replied, ceasing his training. Sweat poured from his glistening forehead, dampening his dark shirt until it clung to his six-pack abdominal muscles, making them clearly visible through the fabric.
"Hey, Three, are you alright there?"
One asked, noticing how Three was staring intensely at his chest.
"Yeah… yeah, I'm just tired from the training,"
Three stammered, snapping out of his daze.
"So, what is it you wanted to discuss?"
One asked, his gaze piercing.
"Actually… it was about the last time we spoke,"
Three answered, his voice dropping to a near-whisper.
This revelation left One feeling slightly flustered. The moment they had shared before had been strange, yet strangely heartwarming to the point where it felt like the seed of something much deeper was being planted.
The realization that Three wanted to address it directly made the fatigue hit One all at once, causing his head to spin.
"S-Sure!"
One stammered.
"Uhm… about that thing you said… that you were a good listener and you wanted to hear whatever I had to say… was that true?"
Three asked, his eyes searching for confirmation.
"Yes, it's true,"
One replied steadily.
'Oh no, why am I constantly repeating myself? What am I going to say now?' Three thought, his mind stumbling in circles as he hesitated on his next words.
Finally, he spoke with clarity.
"I want to thank you… for being there for me when I was at my absolute lowest."
He took a deep, shaky breath.
"Before, I...couldn't understand that strange, heavy...feeling inside my chest. But since the evolution, my mind has been much clearer. I think… I think I finally understand what that feeling was."
As he spoke, a visible flush crept onto both of their cheeks, though fortunately, the shadows cast by their dark hoods kept their expressions mostly obscured from the world.
Neither of them spoke after that. Time seemed to stretch into an infinite, silent void as they waited.
"I wanted to…"
"It was…"
Both men started to utter, only to abruptly stop, each waiting for the other to take the lead.
"You can speak first…"
"You can speak first…"
They both spoke the same sentence at the same moment, their faces etched with sheer astonishment. It felt as though their spiritual energies had momentarily synchronized on the exact same wavelength.
A sudden, brief burst of laughter escaped them at the sheer coincidence, but Three quickly glanced left and right, his eyes darting around. Once he was certain no one was watching, he pulled down his mask to reveal the lower half of his face.
*Muah!*
He delivered a quick, soft peck to One's cheek before spinning on his heel and dashing away, his face turning a shade of red reminiscent of a ripe tomato. Only his voice echoed back.
"I-i'll see you tomorrow!"
One stood paralyzed for a moment, stunned by the sudden affection. A gentle smile slowly crept across his lips as he raised his hand, tracing the spot on his cheek where the contact had been made. Deep inside, he felt a warmth, like a sweet, gentle river flowing through his very soul.
He departed quickly after that, leaving behind only the lingering warmth where Three's lips had touched, along with the ghostly imprint of their exchange in the still air.
Moments later, a figure emerged from behind a nearby rock crevice, its hand clutching a crudely carved wooden effigy shaped like a goblin. The wooden figure bore the rough, simple features of their kind—pointed ears, wide eyes, and a toothy grin.
The figure watched the entire scene unfold from this hidden vantage point. As it observed, its grip tightened around the wooden carving, knuckles whitening.
The pressure was so intense that the wood began to creak and groan, the material straining dangerously against the force being applied. Only the figure's self-control stopped it from snapping the effigy clean in two right there.
Then, just as quietly as they appeared, the mysterious observer vanished, leaving behind an inexplicable feeling lingering in their wake like a half-remembered dream.