Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 322 - The Third Lesson (2)

“Huh? Teacher Nadia, why do you look so happy?”

Iris Paqueta asked with a puzzled expression, noticing Nadia’s visibly changed demeanor.

At the start of the new semester, Nadia’s expression had been truly gloomy.

It was clear something had happened, but it was too difficult to ask about it.

However, recently, her expression had been considerably brighter.

“Ah, a problem I was worrying about has been resolved very well.”

“You looked like you were dying. Was it because of that issue?”

“Yes, fortunately, I received help.”

Nadia blushed as if embarrassed after saying that.

“Hmm? Well, well, it seems you’re thinking about the person who helped you? But why are your cheeks red? This looks like love, teacher.”

Iris teased Nadia with a subtle smile.

“Ah, no. No, really. It was Teacher Ethan who helped me.”

“Huh? Teacher Ethan?”

Iris asked back with a surprised expression.

“Teacher Ethan helped you with that issue?”

“Yes.”

Iris, who had been smiling subtly, now wore a blatantly deep smile.

“This is love, it’s love.”

“Ah, no! What are you saying!”

Iris laughed heartily at Nadia’s flustered reaction.

***

“Today’s class will be divided into two parts. Since it’s difficult to proceed with all the students using bows together, let’s have the students who will use bows come forward first.”

There were fifteen students in total who intended to use the bow as their main weapon.

Ethan set up a special golem where the platform had been.

“You need to hit this. Everyone, use the routine you’ve practiced to maintain your composure and shoot. I will try to break your composure.”

As soon as Ethan gave the signal, the students immediately took out their bows.

“Hah.”

“Huu-up!”

Although Ethan had told them to create their own routines, he hadn’t specifically told them not to follow the deep breathing method he had demonstrated.

Deep breathing is the most basic routine.

Just breathing regularly can help regain some composure.

“Breathing, blinking. You’ve created excellent routines.”

Ethan grinned.

He instantly moved in front of the students who had drawn their bowstrings. Suspended in the air, Ethan changed the flow of air.

“But they’re far too easy to break.”

Bang-!

With an explosive sound, weak mana spread out from Ethan.

The mana that spread out just enough to cover the students around Ethan immediately constricted their breath.

Their routines were instantly broken.

They couldn’t even shoot properly, let alone dive, due to the surprise.

“I didn’t do anything special. You all know well that this is a situation where mana is extremely limited. I just used a very basic method. Using mana to apply pressure. If your breathing is disrupted even slightly, that routine breaks. It’s the easiest routine, but also the easiest to disrupt.”

Saying this, Ethan corrected the posture of each of the fifteen students who had come forward.

‘Archery skills learned from Jumong and Robin Hood, huh.’

On top of that, Ethan had the Martial Arts Master trait.

“And you’re too slow. You’re not even properly infusing mana. You two over there, Pedri and Gabi. You have your family’s secret archery techniques, so you’re the best among these fifteen. That’s why you two need to think more.”

Three arrows shot out as soon as Ethan picked up the bow, accurately hitting the special golem.

“Ha, with just one shot…”

“Why three arrows…”

Ethan briefly explained the principle and described how to utilize the bow.

“Try again while maintaining your routine. The other students should have seen it too, right? When mana pressure comes in, the dive breaks instantly. If that happens, you’ll enter a vicious cycle of repeating the routine for the sake of the routine. Pick up your bows again.”

At Ethan’s words, the fifteen students picked up their bows again.

“Fast and accurate, and focus on the bowstring. Shoot!”

Swish-!

As they shot their arrows, Ethan’s wooden sword corrected their postures.

All fifteen students’ postures were adjusted simultaneously by Ethan’s wooden sword.

“Again. Draw, shoot.”

Swish-!

This time, they were able to shoot arrows faster.

Thwack-! Thwack-!

This time, Ethan hit seven people’s shoulders and the rest’s waists and thighs.

“Again. Draw one more time. This time, two shots.”

Swish-!

Despite clearly shooting two arrows, the speed was as fast as if they had shot just one.

“Huh…?”

“What is this…?”

The students looked bewildered despite having shot themselves.

Only the students with the secret archery techniques Ethan had mentioned were astounded, realizing what they had just done.

“T-Teacher…”

“Practice the posture I’ve corrected and the routine until next week’s class.”

Ethan sent the fifteen students back and called everyone else forward.

“Today’s lesson will proceed as it just did.”

In addition to the routine, they will demonstrate the skills they’re focusing on as their main technique.

“The routine is for diving. Diving is for perfectly executing the skills you have in any situation. Routine, dive, skill. You should think of these three as one.”

The students who came forward understood Ethan’s words and took their stances.

“Each of you, perform one form. Mages can complete their magic circles right away.”

At Ethan’s words, the students used the routines they had created over the past week. Deeply concentrating to dive.

Thump-!

However, they couldn’t dive easily. This was because Ethan was deliberately trying to break their dive.

‘It’s easy to forcibly create a situation. So I’ll use all the situations that might occur in actual combat.’

Ethan is very experienced. The stronger the opponent, the more they prioritize breaking the other’s composure.

Therefore, Ethan had various experiences of having his dive disrupted.

Now he can use dive naturally, but it wasn’t just once or twice that he failed to dive due to interference before reaching this point.

‘This is that much of an advanced technique.’

In fact, Ethan didn’t think he could perfectly pass on this dive technique in the short period of six months.

But at least he wanted to let them know that there is such a thing as dive and that using this dive allows you to concentrate in any situation.

‘Whether they acquire it or not, knowing and not knowing really makes a world of difference.’

“!”

“Damn it.”

“Crap.”

Due to Ethan’s interference, the students couldn’t properly attempt to dive.

Rather, there were quite a few students whose routines were broken and their concentration shattered to the point where it would be better not to try at all.

After a quick scan, Ethan began personalized corrections.

“The most important thing is composure. Just now, you got caught up in the thought of carrying out the routine and ended up doing a routine for the sake of the routine, right?”

This is not a correction for the whole group, but for each individual.

“The routine itself was good just now. The dive was half done. You just need to take one more step from there.”

“Yes, teacher!”

“Alden, you were caught up in the obsession that you had to dive. Just let it flow naturally.”

“Yes!”

“Lutein, the same goes for you. Like flowing water. Remember, the routine is just to maintain composure.”

“…Yes!”

Swords for swords, spears for spears. Ethan’s corrections varied according to the weapon each student had.

Especially the magic students received very detailed corrections.

Magic is a vast field of study, so there are extremely diverse and unique ways to create and unfold magic circles.

It’s about adding individuality to the standard method for the magic to be cast.

Nevertheless, Ethan corrected everything to match each individual’s uniqueness.

‘The experience of clearing MePan dozens of times is being utilized here.’

All the students’ eyes sparkled. They all had expectations for Ethan’s class.

And today, in this third lesson, their expectations were fully met.

Regardless of the weapon.

Being able to receive education tailored to the student while properly acknowledging their characteristics.

This is something other teachers absolutely cannot imitate, which is why Ethan showed confidence.

Because even if they know, they can’t follow.

“I said you could do it comfortably, but there should still be some tension, right? There are already several students who have completed their routines.”

At Ethan’s words, the students started looking around.

“Exactly ten people.”

Ten out of one hundred and fifty.

“You’ll still need to polish it more, but those who can definitely use the dive I’m teaching, come forward.”

At those words, ten people stepped forward.

Even though Ethan didn’t specifically mention names, they already knew themselves, so they looked overflowing with confidence.

When Ethan gave the signal, the ten students simultaneously used their routines and entered the dive.

Clap-!

Among them, there was one student who dived most clearly.

Oz Lazarus.

The returned prodigal son’s concentration was quite fierce. He clapped once and then very naturally drew his sword.

He had already entered the dive state with the clap.

Oz’s swordsmanship unfolded in a state of complete concentration.

Explosive speed and destructive power.

The most distinctive feature was the sword that momentarily lengthened.

It was the cloud swordsmanship that the Lazarus family boasted of. The Lazarus family, which once enjoyed its heyday in the Demon Empire, made a name for itself with this cloud swordsmanship.

Sha-ak-.

Oz’s cloud swordsmanship, unfolded by the dive, had a magical quality that made one stare blankly.

The cloud swordsmanship from the 1st to the 5th form was elegantly demonstrated by Oz’s hand.

After finishing the 5th form, Oz slowly caught his breath. The dive state had already been released.

“Well done, Oz.”

Ethan’s voice penetrated Oz.

“Did I… do well?”

“Yes, it was an excellent dive.”

What Oz needed wasn’t anything else.

Praise.

Words of encouragement that acknowledge when something is done well.

That’s what Oz needed.

Oz stared blankly at his sword.

Watching Oz, the students tensed up.

Oz had wasted a year. Now that Oz had returned and shown such performance, they couldn’t just stand still.

‘Oz has certainly become a catalyst.’

“Alright, let’s do it one more time.”

Ethan closed and opened his bloodshot eyes once.

The education for 150 people came at too great a cost.

He had to close his eyes immediately to recover from the bloodshot eyes, and when the strength drained from his entire body, he became so tired that he could lose consciousness.

‘But with this, each of them should be able to do their part.’

Soon, the 3rd Apostle will come to the academy.

Of course, there will be tremendous chaos and damage.

But even Ethan can’t protect everyone.

Then what he needs to do is to teach them as much as possible and raise their abilities.

‘So that none of those I’ve taught will die.’