Translator: rainbowturtle
Editor: LD & Jyazen
âFootwork?â
Lebron thought it was absurd. Footwork wasnât the name of a dog. It was more like swordsmanship. It was an area that was hard to describe in words.
âStill, I canât say that it isnât possible.â
If it were at a level that could be reproduced with an explanation, his monstrous disciple wouldnât have found him. This was a matter of pride. His pride as the best knight of the empire was at stake.
âReally? Explain it to me once. Then I will see if I can give a demonstration. Wonât that allow you to understand?â Lebron said.
Hyeonu nodded in response. It was obvious. Lebron was a great NPC, but he couldnât know everything unless he was the AI overseeing Arena.
âThe name of the technique is Mysterious Sky Steps. The technique allows me to move very quickly. There are afterimages that make it look like Iâve split into several bodies. In short, it is a bizarre movement. It can be expressed in this way.â
As Hyeonu explained, Lebronâs expression became increasingly strange. However, Hyeonu didnât see this because he was focused on what he was describing.
âHow do you want me to demonstrate this technique? Who does he think I am?â Lebron remarked inwardly.
However, Lebron couldnât let these thoughts show. So, he made his expression look as majestic as usual, but his mind was still in confusion. âHow should I teach it? I have no sense of it at all. Yet I have to teach him how to do it?â
âThen you should learn from the basics of footwork. You canât learn such brilliant skills without a foundation. Donât you know this well?â In the end, Lebron chose to stall. He turned to teaching about footwork from the beginning.
Yet contrary to Lebronâs impure intentions, this was quite appropriate for Hyeonu.
âSo the footwork youâre talking about isnât just adding magic power. In a way, it requires more detailed magic power control than whatâs required for creating pure energy.â Lebron wasnât just words though.
He also gave a demonstration.
The floor of the training ground was broken as Lebronâs body leaped into the air.âMaybe it is like this when you train alone. Isnât it?â
Hyeonu nodded as Lebron re-enacted his appearance from a few minutes ago. It had looked exactly like this. This was what he had done for dozens of minutes.
âThatâs right. It really was like this.â
âIâm glad that I came. It mightâve been fine if I did it alone, but it is also good to learn comfortably.â
It was a matter of efficiency. If he learned the method by himself, the proficiency might be high. However, there was no guarantee of that. Hyeonu thought it would be better to learn from Lebron and improve his proficiency than hang onto the Mysterious Sky Steps, which he didnât know when he would be able to learn it on his own.
Lebron told him, âFirst of all, I will teach you the magic power footwork that every Knight of Keon learns.â
âI will first use this to delay the time and think about it a bit more. Bizarre movements... I think I know what it looks like,â Lebron thought. Then he exhaled once and continued, âFirst, use a minimal amount of magic power. Donât just focus on your feet because it is footwork. Think of it gently circulating around your entire body.â
Hyeonu followed Lebronâs words and used the minimum amount of magic power that he could control.
âThink about what is next. The basic practice of the Keon Knights is to be fastâto move like a bird, even in heavy armor. Imagine an infinitely light breeze. Then the moment you move, explode the magic power from the soles of your feet! Yet make sure that all the magic power circulating around your body isnât cut off.â
âIt is dirty and tricky.â
Lebronâs orders were really tricky despite being the basics. Still, Hyeonu concentrated and challenged it. If it didnât work at once, then he would challenge it two or three times until it worked. Hyeonu concentrated so much that he couldnât feel the passage of time. He couldnât remember how many times he challenged it. He couldnât count the number of times he failed.
âFast, light, fast, light.â The two words Lebron mentioned were the only things repeating in Hyeonuâs mind. It had to be done quickly and lightly.
Hyeonu moved again. He didnât give up. He would challenge it until it was possible. Then his effort shone through. Hyeonu moved in a dizzying manner although his movements were extremely monotonous. It was fast, and the afterimages were still there.
Clap clap clap! Lebron clapped with a smile when he saw Hyeonuâs appearance. He was endlessly admiring Hyeonuâs talent. âThis person is a monster. It took him less than an hour to learn the secret technique of the knight captain.â
The footwork Lebron taught wasnât the basic footwork of the Knights of Keon. Instead, it was a secret footwork technique taught only to the knight captains. The techniqueâs exact name was Lightning Blink, and it was named this because the movement was as fast as lightning. It took Hyeonu less than an hour to learn such techniques.
âBut thanks to it, I can understand what he is saying about the footwork,â Lebron thought.
The technique he taught Hyeonu was Lightning Blink, but Lebron could now roughly see what the Mysterious Sky Steps looked like. Hyeonu might not know it, but Lebron had seen it while watching. Hyeonuâs movements contained a bit of the Mysterious Sky Steps.
âThis is it!â Hyeonu stopped and raised his fists to the sky.
Simultaneously, he shouted, making unidentified noise, âUwaaah!â
It was an exhilarating accomplishment. Then Lebron poured cold water on Hyeonu.âTo be honest, I canât give you the exact magic power operation of the footwork youâre talking about.â
Lebronâs words were sobering. He couldnât show Hyeonu the original technique. Why? It was because he hadnât seen Hyeonu use the technique. Yet even if he hadnât seen it, he could still give a similar form, even if it had different principles. It was just never easy to restore exactly something that had not been seen. This was a hard and tedious task, which meant it needed a long time to do. It was impossible for Lebron to restore it in less than an hour.
âHuh? What does that...âHyeonu responded like a fool to Lebronâs cold words. It was a big blow. Lebron couldnât teach him the Mysterious Sky Steps. Then what had Hyeonu been doing so far?
âYou donât have to frown too much. I canât teach you the exact skill. This doesnât mean I canât teach it at all,â Lebron said.
Hyeonu currently wasnât wearing a mask, and his expression was clearly revealed. He didnât need to wear it in front of Lebron, so he had taken it off before entering the training field.
âWhat is with my expression? Iâm always smiling. Master, did you see it incorrectly?â Hyeonu quickly changed his expression to a smiling face.
Lebron laughed at Hyeonuâs cheekiness. âI will show you a demonstration. Think about whether it is similar to the Mysterious Sky Steps you mentioned.â
Lebron took a step to the center of the training field. This was the beginning of the Lebron-style Mysterious Sky Steps. Lebronâs figure became blurred. He appeared here and there, moving across the training ground that was dozens of meters wide. Lebron never stayed in one place for a long time.
A word came to Hyeonuâs mind when he saw it. âFlicker! Suddenly appearing and disappearing!â
Soon, Lebronâs movements started to change. He wasnât just suddenly appearing and disappearing. As he left numerous afterimages behind him, Lebronâs movements started to become complicated. In the end, all the afterimages started to move differently.
âWow...â Hyeonu sighed at the sight. Lebronâs Mysterious Sky Steps was superior to the one Hyeonu used. At best, Hyeonuâs attempt at Mysterious Sky Steps was consisted of the motions before Lebronâs movements changed. That was it.
Then Lebron added more.
âI will learn that. It is enough even if it isnât registered as a skill.âHyeonu made a firm commitment.
This skill must be learned. Lebronâs version of Mysterious Sky Steps was a continuous skill used by players. Even if the skill wasnât registered, it would have a similar effect.
âThen it will be a big boost once I become a professional gamer.â
Recently, Hyeonu hadnât shown sword energy control these days. It was only used when hunting alone. Even now, he managed it. Adjusting the length of the sword energy made it look like a simple skill. After the third class advancement, the skill changed, and it seemed unusable.
âDid you see it?â Lebron asked Hyeonu after completing the demonstration.
âIâll learn it, Master!âHyeonu answered with enthusiasm.
***
Liu Shei was sitting on one side of the Sky Lounge on the 29th floor of the Kunlun Hotel in Beijing. In the past, Liu Shei had needed to be submissive to Tian Hu here. Now it was different. He was standing in the superior position.
âTo sum up what you are saying, Nike wants to be Kowloonâs main sponsor?â Liu Shei questioned the man in front of himâNike Managementâs president, Jamie Moore.
âNo, thatâs not what I mean.â Jamie shook his head at Liu Sheiâs words.
Liu Shei tried to speak again, but Jamie continued instead. âIâm talking about a contract with Nike Management. I want to recruit Kowloon. It isnât just a sponsorship deal. It is about making Kowloon a part of Nike Management.â
Liu Shei appeared to be perplexed by Jamieâs words. It was a completely unexpected offer. Making Kowloon a part of Nikeâit was a proposal that no company had ever made.
âThis... Is this real?â
In some ways, it was an absurd proposition, soLiu Sheiâs reaction wasnât particularly strange. The proposal to swallow Kowloon, a large guild that divided China along with New World, seemed absurd.
âOnce again, this proposal isnât a joke. I have also brought a draft of the contract.â Jamie smiled, pulled out a bunch of papers from his bag, and pushed it in front of Liu Shei. âThere are many pages, but... due to the importance of contracts, I thought it was necessary. I hope you will get in touch with the other Kowloon members.â
Liu Shei had a tired expression as he looked at the contract that was dozens of pages long.
âWhat does this mean...?â Liu Shei read through the contract and couldnât figure out what to say. He had no choice but to nod at Jamieâs words. Still, he didnât have the power to handle such large contracts arbitrarily, so he couldnât even acknowledge the contract. It needed to be sufficiently reviewed using the guildâs manpower.
âRight, did you know? It was Alley Leader who recommended that I approach the Kowloon Guild.â Jamie left the hotel after saying these meaningful words.
âAlley Leader?âLiu Shei was left alone to interpret the meaning of Jamieâs words.