Miruku realized her old dodging habits would only lead to more mistakes. Ariana had stopped giving away any tells before attacking and had even begun changing the direction of her strikes mid-cast. Miruku’s strategy of letting attacks pass close by now only left her more exposed, forcing her to adjust her technique. Now, instead of sidestepping in place, she would abandon her spot entirely the moment she detected an incoming Water Arrow, dodging the instant she confirmed its trajectory.

Though Ariana's reactions were sharp, her Water Arrows weren't yet swift enough to close the gap.

"Do you want to stop?" Anyi asked. "This isn’t about reaction time or speed—it’s about predicting where she’ll be next. She’s moving erratically on purpose."

But Ariana’s gaze remained fixed on Miruku, a glint of determination in her eyes. "No, I can hit her."

Anyi only nodded, intrigued. He had a feeling she was on the brink of figuring something out herself.

Several arrows later, Miruku grew certain Ariana wouldn’t catch her. She began her next pause—

Whoosh!

A sudden Beam struck her shoulder.

“?!” Miruku barely had time to react before it was over.

“Aha—!” Ariana leaped, tossing the slime orb high into the air, where it dissolved in a flash of light. “I hit her! Hahaha!”

She turned to Anyi, her excitement barely contained.

“Yes, congratulations,” he said, smiling as he applauded lightly. The skill Beam was instant, faster than Miruku could ever outrun. The very moment it appeared, it was upon her.

Recovering, Miruku slumped to the ground, exhausted.

“Ariana caught you,” Anyi said with a smile as Ariana knelt beside her.

“Yes, Holy Maiden-sama…” Miruku replied, dazed.

"Miss Miruku," Anyi said, sitting beside her. "Do you realize you have a habit of stopping before you dodge?"

"Yes," she admitted, recalling how she’d nearly been struck just moments ago.

"You’re fast enough to escape before a hit lands, not just let attacks pass you by. If a fireball grazes past you, who's to say it won’t explode?" he continued, his expression deadpan.

With a humble bow, Miruku lowered herself before him. “Thank you, Mr. Anyi, for your guidance…”

Stolen novel; please report.

Anyi: “…”

Not that serious!

Ariana was about to bow too, but Anyi flicked her forehead.

“Ouch!” she yelped, rubbing the spot.

“No need to be so formal,” he chided.

Nearby, Karen’s training was progressing. With her ability to see herself and her opponent in third-person, she could track every movement in fine detail. Though at first intimidated by the soldiers’ strikes, she grew comfortable, coordinating her body to sidestep their attacks with ease. As she gained confidence, the soldiers’ swings became simple patterns for her to avoid.

Spotting Anyi and the others within her view, Karen signaled the soldiers to halt, turning to greet them.

“Finished training already?” she asked with a smile.

“We are! Came to check in on you,” Ariana replied with a laugh.

Karen chuckled. “Not bad, not bad.”

Even if she had tripped a few times.

Karen had only ever perceived the world in stark black-and-white lines, so navigating without mishap wasn’t easy. Her skirts and her own feet tripped her up, as she simply couldn’t distinguish obstacles well enough to avoid them. Before the system granted her current abilities, Karen relied on constant assistance; her walks were guided by maids, who steered her wherever she needed to go. They’d even brace her when she stumbled, preventing falls and keeping her upright.

Once she gained the system and set out on her own, she fell more times in a few days than she ever had in her life. Fortunately, the heroes had a perk: recovery through food.

Proudly, Karen demonstrated her dodging abilities to Anyi and the others. To Anyi, there was no fault to find. She had quickly adapted to her new sight and a body that had never been fully tested before. Her stats might reveal magic as her strongest talent, but her control and coordination showed her potential to balance both physical and magical skills.

“You’re choosing the path of a warrior,” Anyi said, his voice serious. “You have no combat experience and no weapon at hand. This means that, as you step into battle as a hero, you’ll be facing monsters empty-handed. And to get stronger, you’ll need to train in martial arts, relying solely on fists and feet against creatures. This is a serious disadvantage, compared to heroes with weapons.”

He paused, searching her expression. “Are you prepared?”

Without hesitation, Karen nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”

A quiet resolve shone in her eyes. She didn’t want to simply stand in the group’s protection; she wanted to fight with them. If that meant facing monsters bare-fisted, then so be it.

Satisfied, Anyi nodded back. “Very well. Then, here’s my recommendation: allocate 13 points to Strength, 10 to Agility, 6 each to Endurance and Durability, while keeping Prana and Intelligence as they are. For Technique, go with 15 points.”

“Huh? But I thought you said Technique was useless,” Ariana interjected, confused, since Anyi had once dismissed its importance for her.

Anyi shook his head. “For you, yes. But Princess Karen’s case is different. Technique will enhance her combat reaction speed, allowing her to control the battlefield even in chaotic moments. Imagine an alley suddenly flooded with ten enemies. Pure Agility might not be enough if her Technique isn’t high, as she’d struggle to process all that information at once. Conversely, if Technique is high but Agility isn’t, she could analyze everything perfectly but still be too slow to act. Technique allows her to process and react in time with her physical capabilities.”

He continued, “For Princess Karen, boosting Technique will make a huge difference.”

Karen bowed with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mr. Carl.”

“When Mr. Layton returns, we can conduct final training. Until then, Princess Karen, train with the soldiers to learn some basic martial arts. Don’t just practice dodging—learn to move your whole body, put your full strength into it.”

“Understood!” Karen nodded firmly.