"First things first," Clara said. "How would you imagine yourself during The Shadow Dash?"
Jake pondered over this question.
The imagination was a crucial part of any skill before it became etched in the muscle memory. He thought for a few seconds before replying to the assassin lady.
He said, "Like me becoming a shadow?"
"It's a common perception, and it's not necessarily wrong," Clara nodded. "There's a better view, though. Imagine yourself as light instead. Shadows can not exist without light, and their presence heavily relies on light. You can make even up to four shadows from a single entity so long as you properly use light."
Jake could see where she was coming from.
In fact, he already imagined conjuring a ball of light above her head to form various shadows off her body.
Clara smiled upon seeing his focused eyes.
Shadow Dash's usage is to choose a spot around an entity and teleport to its side. Any player who learned that skill from a statue could teleport to anyone. Their experience and usage of it would increase Shadow Dash's grade and steadily help them evolve the skill.
The movement skills were one of the first skills that made people feel like they were in another world.
No one could just teleport in real life, after all.
Therefore, getting a proper experience and getting used to it was necessary.
Jake was in the same shoes.
He could pick up Shadow Dash from Clara so long as she passed him an assassin subclass. It'd be easy to do that as she was an experienced assassin, and showing him a few moves would be enough.
Jake, however, wanted to know the principles behind Shadow Dash and make his own version of it.
Which was why he was like NPC and learned the very basics.
"You should experience Shadow Dash, too," Clara smirked.
Appearing beside Jake, she extended her hand and caught his neck. There was a soft squeeze before Clara realized that her instincts and muscle memory had taken over.
Had she not realized that, she would have crushed Jake's throat.
Jake coughed.
Clara joined her hands in an apology sign and apologized. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"
"No wonder you guys killed the beast Elizabeth wanted to tame..." Jake half-joked as he massaged his throat.
Clara looked away, "She got hurt... so we had to come in." She fixed her mindset and added. "I'll make it more enjoyable for you."
Having said that, Clara disappeared from Jake's view. He couldn't sense her at all and felt like a lone man dumped on the grassland. A few seconds later, however, Clara appeared behind Jake and wound her arms around him. She sealed him in a lock so powerful that Jake couldn't move at all.
She dropped onto her back.
It didn't hurt him, as Jake fell on her.
That said, he was utterly at her wish.
Meaning Jake was lying on Clara, feeling closer to her than ever. It was not to the point where he would question her boldness. There was such a clear boundary between them that no one would question Clara's motives.
She was teaching him, for sure.
Clara whispered to Jake, "Another reason why we consider a meeting between a man and a woman a date... don't you agree?"
She sounded so much younger as she asked him.
A few hours later, Clara returned to her squad.
She silently took over a spot in the forest outside of The Turtle Forest.
"Why is Princess here?" she asked her companion.
He replied, "She ran away from the turtle forest because Archer wasn't there."
Another added, "It's already a miracle that she had been studying like a normal human for a week."
Clara smirked, "His Majesty would kill you if he heard you."
"Would he? I think he would agree with me," the man replied. "How did it go with Archer? You didn't molest him, did you?"
Clara harrumphed, "Players pick up skills fast because of their different gifts, but Archer is different! He learned the basics first and made his own skill! I'm proud of him!"
"Did you molest him?" another assassin asked.
"Why are you guys so concerned about it?! Nothing happened! Such a loss! It hurts my confidence, but I think he's a late bloomer for a reason," Clara sighed.
"The Imperial Grand Mage told Mrs. Alice that he's only eighteen."
Clara widened her eyes. "You're lying! He doesn't look like eighteen at all!"
"I know, right?"
"Ah, how could I be so reserved? I should have pushed myself more on him while we cuddled! I'll cry for real! Damn! Damn it all! I can't even find a husband because of this occupation, and I missed such a splendid young man full of vigor for the night!
I'm taking a paid leave soon!" Clara cried.
The assassins sighed. These two knew Clara well enough to know that cuddling was her wrestling with the poor lad and making him unable to move.
If Clara was considerable enough, it should be pretty enjoyable for him.
The four prayed it had been the case.
They decided to keep that to themselves and not betray their comrade to The Imperial Grand Mage.
"Archer is here... he's aiming close at the beast Princess is trying to tame," the assassin suddenly said.
The rest had sensed Archer before the man had finished his words.
Clara puffed out her chest, "He's a good archer! He won't hit Princess! I will interfere if the trajectory is off!"
The arrow landed between Elizabeth and the squirrel-like beast.
Jake appeared in the middle, then.
"Uh, shouldn't I be facing the beast?" Jake asked Elizabeth as he saw her instead of the beast.
That was when the beast swept its claw from below, sending Jake to the skies.
He flew up like a famous Team R.
Clara shook her head.
The assassin said, "His accuracy is on point, but that movement skill..."
"He has a lot to learn."
"Yeah."
Clara nodded. "He'll learn in no time!"