The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

’Huh?’

Garrick blinked. Then blinked again.

Still the same.

Garrick slowly sat up.

’...His eyes are open?’

The pressure with his eyes closed alone was already insane. But open... he would be subjected to an overwhelming flood of information all at once.

It had taken Garrick days just to form a coherent thought with his eyes closed, weeks before he could even attempt opening them, and the first time he did, he had blacked out entirely.

And yet... it had barely been two hours.

’He’s insane.’

Garrick shook his head, a wry smile forming on his lips. This boy would be the end of him one day.

A moment later, the smile slowly stretched into a grin.

’I can’t miss it.’

Even if it got him killed, there was no way in hell he was looking away. He had to see how far this monster would go.

His gaze sharpened as the young heir suddenly turned toward him, meeting his eyes with those steady purple irises.

Garrick felt his heart pound faintly in his chest.

”Heh...”

...

Time passed in a blur, and soon, a loud clap rang across the training ground.

”Alright! Gather up!”

”Huff! Huff!”

By then, the trainees were barely clinging to consciousness. Their breaths were ragged, bodies drenched in sweat as they dragged themselves forward to stand before Garrick.

Garrick stared at the trainees with a deep frown.

”I’ve been watching you all day, and I’ve gotta say... this has been a shitty day. You’re all pathetic excuses for trainees. What the hell have you been doing? That’s training? That’s the future of the South? All I see is a pile of shit. We might as well slit our throats now and save everyone the trouble. Repeat after me—I am shit.”

Most of the trainees clenched their fists, heads lowering as a heavy gloom settled over them.

”Are you deaf, or just stupid? Say it. I am shit.”

The trainees flinched, and with gritted teeth, their voices began to rise.

”I-I am shit.”

”Louder.”

”I-I am shit!”

”Again.”

”I-I am shit!”

”I am shit!”

”I AM SHIT!”

Their unified shouts echoed across the training grounds.

A satisfied smile appeared on Garrick’s face as he raised a hand, signaling them to stop.

”Good. At least you’re self-aware. Trash that knows it’s trash can improve. The rest just stink forever. Be grateful, I’m your instructor now. I might be able to turn you into something barely worth looking at.”

The trainees stared at him in disbelief.

Was that... supposed to motivate them?

”From today, we’re changing things. Every training day ends with sparring.”

”B-but instructor, we usually only spar at the end of the week—”

Something hard slammed into the trainee’s forehead, sending him crashing to the ground. The rest turned sharply, only to find Garrick staring down at them with a cold gaze.

”What was that?”

A hush fell over the training ground. No one moved.

”...Good. Thought so. Top trainee—get on the arena.”

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The training ground fell into a tense silence as a boy with spiky black hair moved toward the arena.

’Hmm.’

Zephyrion observed the trainees, noting the mix of fear and respect in their eyes as they stared at the boy.

’He’s the strongest among them.’

”You. You’re up. Fight him.”

”Ah—! M-me, instructor? B-but—”

”Move.”

The trainee’s words died in his throat under Garrick’s glare. He gulped and forced himself toward the arena.

”Damn... he’s fighting Kaiden?”

”He’s finished...”

”Unlucky bastard...”

”I am Kaiden.”

Kaiden lowered his head slightly, his tone calm.

”I-I’m J-Joan.”

”This isn’t a tea party. Fight.”

”Y-yes.”

The trainee swallowed hard and hastily formed a sword from metal. In contrast, Kaiden remained completely still.

A moment passed.

”...Begin.”

Kaiden vanished from his spot, appearing before the boy in an instant as his fist drove into his chin.

The impact lifted the boy clean off the ground, but before he could be flung away, Kaiden caught him by the face, twisted his body, and slammed him into the arena with a bone jarring force.

”Ah... as expected.”

”That was fast.”

”He didn’t even last a second...”

The trainees nodded, watching the boy sprawled across the ground with pity. There was no surprise in their expressions, only resignation.

”Haha! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Garrick burst into laughter. ”Finally, someone who isn’t completely useless!”

Kaiden gave a small bow toward Garrick, his expression unchanged. As he stepped down from the arena, his eyes suddenly met Zephyrion’s.

They narrowed slightly.

Zephyrion caught the cold, sharp edge within them immediately. However, the boy gave a faint scoff and looked away the next moment.

”...”

”Alright! Next!”

The following matches, to say the least, unfolded exactly as expected. With a single glance, Zephyrion could already discern the capabilities of each trainee, and how their battles would end.

The only other trainee who managed to catch his attention was one with a calm demeanor and a sharp gaze, who had also ended his battle swiftly.

Still, Zephyrion continued watching. The sparring session was nothing short of a godsend. Observing the trainees in combat revealed far more about them than anything else could have.

Already, a clearer picture of each one was taking shape in his mind.

”Alright! Final fight, get up here!”

The atmosphere among the trainees shifted as a girl of average height stepped onto the arena. Her black hair fell loosely, partially veiling her face.

”Ah shit... it’s Fiona.”

”Guess we’re sleeping here.”

”That’s if Instructor Garrick doesn’t kill her first.”

”Yeah... she’s done.”

”Form your weapons!”

As the girl, Fiona, formed her sword, Zephyrion’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’It’s strong.’

The strength of an Ascendant’s element was tied to their rank, but more importantly, to the clarity of their elemental emotion and visualization.

The metal element demanded resolve. To wield it, one had to visualize the element’s rune within their mind and establish a connection with the WorldPulse through that emotion.

The purity of the emotion, combined with the clarity of the visualization, determined the strength of the manifested metal.

Of all the trainees Zephyrion had observed so far, her metal was undoubtedly the strongest.

”Begin!”