Chapter 175: Footsteps of the Night King

The sun was rising peacefully on the horizon as Strax arrived at an improvised training field that Cristine had set up for them. The area was shaded by large trees, surrounded by nothing but nature.

Cristine was waiting for him, standing in the middle of the training ground. There were several targets and straw dummies scattered around. She was dressed in dark clothing, a tunic, with her hair tied back in a tight bun. Seeing her like this made Strax feel somewhat intimidated; she was a strong woman, clearly a step above him, and it was obvious he would feel that way when she was so serious.

"I thought you couldn't escape your duties as an assassin. I was surprised when Monica told me to come here," he said, yawning. It wasn't even six in the morning yet!

"Strax," she said with an authoritative tone that left no room for questioning. "Let's start with the Shadow Step." She said, completely ignoring him.

"Shadow Step? What's that?" He asked, trying to focus.

"You need to learn how to be an assassin, or it won't make sense to continue with the plan. So, come on, no slacking." She ordered. She was really taking this seriously...

'Well... at least I'll learn how to be an assassin. The mantle will be worth wearing this way...' He thought as he continued to yawn.

Strax had asked her about her techniques, so he knew what the Shadow Step was. The Shadow Step was a technique that allowed the user to move without being detected, a great tool for an assassin. Besides that, there was the Lightning Step, or Shunpo, a movement technique that made the user move at a speed almost impossible to follow.

When he heard about these, he wanted to learn them immediately. After all, he didn't have any movement techniques yet... Even the basic ones seemed useless to him because his body wasn't compatible with those techniques, although he could use them. This led to the current situation... He was in front of Cristine, who was going to teach him the techniques.

"First, focus on your mana," Cristine began, extending her hand to show a small sphere of mana floating gently above her palm. "The Shadow Step requires precise control of mana to blend with the environment."

Strax watched closely, trying to absorb every detail. Cristine then demonstrated the technique, gradually disappearing from view as if becoming part of the shadows. Then, she reappeared a few meters ahead with a fluid and swift movement

"Now it's your turn," Cristine said, with a neutral expression, but her eyes revealed a hint of expectation. "Remember that the key is to merge your mana with the environment. You must become a part of it."

Strax closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the magical energy within his body. He tried to gather the mana, visualizing it as an extension of himself, a continuous flow merging with the darkness around him.

He took the first step and tried to move. However, the result was a fiasco. He stumbled and fell, his attempt to blend with the shadows failing miserably.

"Ouch!" He roared in pain as he tried to get up... Cristine struggled to hold back a laugh.

"That's not it," Cristine said, moving closer to help. "You're overthinking it. Let the mana flow naturally, without forcing it." She said, helping him up.

Strax stood up, a bit frustrated, and tried again.

This time, he managed to disappear briefly, but it was only for a blink before he became visible again.

He tried again, but the result was the same.

The environment seemed to ignore him, but he couldn't merge with it.

"This isn't right," Strax murmured, breathing heavily. "What am I doing wrong?"

Cristine sighed and approached him. "You're trying to control the mana instead of connecting with it. The Shadow Step requires an intuitive connection. You need to feel the mana merging with the environment, as if you are becoming part of it."

She guided Strax's hand to show the correct flow of mana, like a gentle current. "Try again. Feel the difference."

Strax took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing intently. He tried to sense the mana, letting it flow naturally.

He took another step and tried again.

This time, he managed to remain invisible for a bit longer, but not long enough to consider it a success.

"Better, but still not enough," Cristine said, crossing her arms. "The secret is practice. The more you try, the more natural it will become."

[You have obtained the skill: Lightning Steps (Incomplete)]

He read, a bit frustrated... incomplete wasn't the word he wanted...

"It's not enough." Strax said, completely breaking the mood. Cristine watched him stand up... "That's enough, you don't need to push yourself so hard... It was just one day." She said, but Strax wasn't satisfied...

Strax looked at her, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. "I want to test something," he said, his voice sounding strange...

'The concepts are similar, just not fully explored...' he thought...

He then stood in the middle of the field... He began combining the two movements, trying to merge Shadow Step with Lightning Step.

The idea was to become invisible and move with lightning speed at the same time.

So he tried...

One...

Two...

Ten...

Twenty...

Thirty...

Hours passed, and he finally understood...

He began to move and, suddenly, there was a bright flash and an explosion of energy.

'D-did he combine them?!' Cristine was paralyzed, her eyes wide as she watched what Strax had achieved. He was moving with stunning speed, leaving a trail of shadows and lightning around him. It was a mix of speed and invisibility that seemed to defy reality itself.

"This is..." Cristine murmured, her voice trembling. "This is incredible."

[You created a Technique. Name it!]

Strax read with satisfaction... 'Night King Steps' he murmured.

[You created the Technique "Night King Steps" (LVL 1)]

[The techniques have been merged, and now they are just one... In this case, the level of both will be exponential and grow with the user and their mastery!]

'So, he erased the two separate techniques and created just one... well, fewer huge notifications to read,' Strax thought.

Strax continued to demonstrate his new technique, moving from one side to the other with a speed that seemed to transcend logic.

He was blending the two techniques in a way Cristine had never seen before.

The energy around him seemed almost tangible, and the force of his technique was making Cristine feel almost faint.

Finally, he stopped, panting, and turned to Cristine, a triumphant smile on his face. "I think I did it."

Cristine recovered from the shock, her legs still trembling. "Y-yes, you did. I've never seen anything like this before."