Chapter 128: 127 Franca's teaching

[You have completed a bandaging task, accelerating the healing of the target's wound. Bandaging experience +0.] Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.[Your "Scholarship - Bandaging" level has reached its maximum. To continue improving, you need to acquire advanced knowledge.]

"Still no increase in bandaging experience..." Gong Yan sighed softly.

Because of the two from Arbitration Place causing that fire rat disaster on Black Street last time, she had only learned the level 1 bandaging knowledge from the adults. The level 2 first aid was advanced knowledge, and without professional understanding, it was impossible to improve the experience, which had been holding her back for a long time.

In the Faction Shop that she unlocked, bandaging instruction from a master could be exchanged for 40 points of faction contribution. She was very envious and determined to have the adult teach her the moment she earned enough contribution points!

While she was sighing, deliberately made noises arose in the distance.

"Cough, cough~"

The girl's clear voice echoed melodically in the dark sewer, "Good evening."

Accompanying her voice, Franca, with her boots and longsword, gradually approached.

Familiar with the dark, the photoreceptor cells also clearly made out the other party in the extremely dim light environment.

Mutually...

Was it one of the two informants from before?

Was the previous guess wrong, and they weren't a single entity?

Or had that little ax-wielding dolt gone to carry out some other task for their 'adult' as they referred to them?

But none of that was important.

With her hands behind her back and a smile on her face, Franca came closer, "How did you guys end up here?"

"Ma... Master?" Gong Yan turned around to face the other, with an appropriate mix of surprise and hesitation on her face, "You... how are you here?"

Franca, with a mischievous smile, said, "Strictly speaking, I might not be as 'old' as you, so no need to be that formal. Just now I heard you saying... you are carrying out an 'adult's' order? What kind of order?"

"Franca!" the brawny man called out sternly.

There were as many factions in and out of the inner city as there were hairs on an ox; as long as they were not directly connected to heretics, they couldn't afford to investigate each one individually.

Since the other party had no relation to the demon believer who had escaped, there was no need to waste further time here. In fact, he felt there was no need to show up at all.

"Don't be in such a hurry~" Franca did as she pleased, completely unconcerned with the brawny man's face, which was as black as coal, though invisible in the darkness, "Don't you think we need a couple of helpers? It's too troublesome to chase after those rats in this labyrinthine sewer, one more person means more strength~"

"That's why we shouldn't continue doing senseless things here."

"That's why we should look for help."

Facing the stubborn Franca, the brawny man, who seemed to have more the role of a nanny in this mission, clearly had no way of persuading her.

He crossed his arms and stepped aside to sulk by himself...

"I've observed your combat method just now." Franca glanced significantly at the small shovel Gong Yan had put aside, "Your 'adult' doesn't seem to have taught you close combat techniques. Ranged attacks sometimes leave no room for manoeuvre and aren't suitable for survival on human territory~"

"..." Gong Yan couldn't figure out the reasoning of the young lady and could only ask with a puzzled face, "Master?"

"Let me teach you a few techniques~" Franca said with a beaming smile, and as she spoke, she spread the fingers of her right hand.

Within the dark space, a nebulous mist, like starlight, abruptly appeared about five centimeters in front of her palm.

With time, the misty light gradually expanded, resembling the pommel of a sword, slowly emerging forth.

"..." Staring at this fantastical scene, Dai Lian and Gong Yan were completely stunned.

This, this, this...

What kind of power was this?

Was it a technological spatial storage device, or a miracle achieved by individual Spiritual Energy?

Franca offered no explanation, grasping the now fully visible hilt and drawing forth a longsword with a deep blue scabbard into the presence of all.

Without a care, Franca tossed it towards Gong Yan, "It's my spare longsword, I'll lend it to you for now."

Catching it somewhat frantically, Gong Yan held the scabbard in her left hand and the hilt in her right, still looking bewildered, "I..."

"There's no 'I' or 'mine'... come on, let's go hunting for those rats!" Franca, the natural socialite, easily arranged everyone's next move.

[You are observing a master's sword technique demonstration. If you gain some insight...]

[Teaching: Feeling the other person's professional expertise, you decide to pay a certain price (combat experience/general experience) to learn the corresponding ability. (Exchange ratio: every 2 points of combat/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of corresponding specialty experience.)]

?

Gong Yan had not anticipated the situation unfolding in this way; she, who always felt that everything was under control, felt as clueless as she did with her own master when faced with Franca, the young lady from Arbitration Place.

To learn?

Or not to learn?

"We're short on time~" Franca, darting into the rat pack with the flash of her blade, didn't forget to pressure Gong Yan. To give Gong Yan as much learning time as possible, she was using the side of the longsword to swat away the oncoming plague rats.

[Triggered side quest—Blade of Agility.]

[Blade of Agility: Learn as much combat technique as possible in the Dark Environment, which will significantly enhance your Spiritual Energy. Quest Requirement: Acquire at least 0/1 level of proficiency with light weapons before clearing the current rat infestation. Quest Completion Reward: Mystery +0.3. Countdown: ???]

"..."

Gong Yan gritted her teeth.

Learn!

[Tip: The current environment is unique, and teaching conditions are limited. Please concentrate as much as possible on perceiving the opponent's movements, otherwise teaching cannot proceed.]

Willpower... Light of the sword...

Entity... Spectrum of colors...

Pipeline... vanished.

Sound of wind... vanished.

Swarm of rats... vanished.

Countless pieces of information in front of Gong Yan wove together, gradually sketching out the precise image of Franca's swordplay in a world of darkness...

[You spent 10 points of combat experience to learn, converted into 5 points of "Light Weapon Mastery" experience.]

...

[Precisely hitting small moving targets, Light Weapon Mastery experience +23.] (Stacked)

[You spent 10 points of combat experience to learn, converted into 5 points of "Light Weapon Mastery" experience.]

[Acquired "Level 1 Light Weapon Proficiency," and concurrently received talent points *1.]

[Light Weapon Proficiency (Level 1): Attack speed +3%, Armor penetration +1%.]

[Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 4/300, achieving 300 points will grant mastery of "Level 2 Light Weapon Proficiency".]

"Shua, shua, shua~"

Under the cold light of the sword, the rats were beheaded in one fell swoop!

[Killing three small targets simultaneously with one move, Light Weapon Mastery experience +6.]

[Combat ended, gained 20 points of combat experience.]

[You killed a plague rat, "Side Quest—Rat Eradication" progress 20/100.]

[Exceptional technique observed, continue learning and you might achieve unexpected gains.]

"Not bad~"

Franca whistles and holds nothing back. Your next chapter awaits on M V L

Sword light falls like snowflakes, corpses scatter as they fall.

Gong Yan wasn't given more chances to learn...

Sheathing her longsword, Franca turned and walked towards the far end of the dark pipeline.

"Bye-bye, missy~"

Her arrival was sudden, her departure resolute.

...

Once far from those two strange people, the burly man asked in a steady voice, "You suspect them?"

"Do you think it's possible?"

"I think you're wasting your time..." the burly man replied with a grimace.

"But they use bows and arrows~"

"Isn't using crossbows in sewers like this a perfectly normal choice?" he sighed deeply. "If it really was them, what they need now is to hide and clear their tracks, not jump out in front of us."

"But according to that mysterious person's responsibilities... shouldn't clearing the plague rats be their duty?"

The burly man snorted with scorn, "You think there are such noble people? Miss, I know these filthy gutters outside better than you... You, don't understand human nature."

"Oh~" Franca acted as if his words were hardly worth noticing, simply holding her chin and staring blankly, "but I think it's possible."

"Even if it's possible, you didn't have to teach her swordplay... "

"Wasn't it you who said last time that she had a talent for Spiritual Energy? What's wrong with testing her aptitude?"

"I'm starting to doubt your sanity..."

"Huh?" Franca was taken aback, and actually used her Spiritual Energy to carefully feel her own body, "I think I'm perfectly fine? Doing very well!"