Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 53: Mastering Feats

 

"Their foundations are weak; there's no need to rush them into intense training just yet. Let's focus on building up their health first..."

 

"At the same time, we need to emphasize the importance of contributing to the territory. The more they contribute, the more respected they will be, and the more recognition they’ll receive from everyone..."

 

Matthew instructed Ralph, who looked at him with a hint of confusion, unable to help but ask:

 

"Lord Matthew, shouldn’t we ensure that everyone remains loyal to you?"

 

Smiling slightly, Matthew reflected on his past and present experiences and replied in a deep voice:

 

"Loyalty isn’t something you can demand or force through indoctrination. As long as I do better than any other lord, they’ll naturally become my strongest supporters."

 

Steady and confident!

 

Ralph had noticed this before. Since coming to the territory, it seemed the mask that Lord Matthew had worn was gradually being removed.

 

Perhaps this was Matthew’s true self—the confidence of a genius and the pride of an Arcanist.

 

Ralph grew even more excited. Every word from Matthew only revealed a glimpse of his wild ambitions, yet it was enough to fill him with motivation.

 

Adding to the daily goals!

 

As Ralph walked away, Matthew allowed a faint smile to creep across his face. He turned to Old John, standing guard nearby, and said:

 

"Bring Knight Angela here."

 

Poor Ralph. Loyalty isn’t stolen or bought—it’s born out of shared interests.

 

Fifteen minutes later.

 

In the private training grounds of the lord’s estate, Angela, wielding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, was locked in combat with Old John.

 

Angela’s talent was superior; she had received rigorous and complete training and had successfully become a knight.

 

Whether in commanding troops or individual combat, she was outstanding among 2nd-tier professionals.

 

However, when faced with Old John’s experienced assaults, she was mainly on the defensive, only launching sharp counterattacks when opportunities arose to suppress Old John’s continuous offensive.

 

Thanks to the experience gained from the recent battles, Old John had advanced to a 4th-tier warrior, giving him a clear advantage in the fight.

 

Matthew watched the two intently, carefully observing their attributes.

 

Name: Angela

 

Age: 18

 

Profession: 2nd-tier Knight

 

Talents:

 

Advanced Talent—Bravery, Strength +2, Constitution +3, Allied Morale +1.

 

Feats:

 

Intermediate Feat—Mounted Mastery LV1, Can ride most mounts, Speed +2, Coordination +2.

 

Intermediate Feat—Weapon Mastery LV2, Proficient in all weapons, +3 to damage dealt.

 

Basic Feat—Skilled Command LV1, Able to issue effective and swift orders.

 

Legacy:

 

Intermediate Legacy—Command—Aura Amplification LV1, All auras are 50% more effective.

 

Attributes:

 

Strength: 12

 

Agility: 14

 

Constitution: 15

 

Intelligence: 10

 

Perception: 14

 

Charisma: 18

 

Luck: +2 (Fortunate Outcomes)

 

Skills:

 

Cleave LV2, attacks in a 145-degree cone in front, dealing +2 bonus damage.

 

Precise Shooting LV2, accuracy +2, damage +3 with ranged attacks.

 

Thrust LV2, +4 to attack rolls with piercing weapons, +2 to damage.

 

Rallying Aura LV1, boosts the strength by +1, damage by +1, and movement speed by +2 of all allies within a 50-meter radius.

 

Evaluation: A versatile command talent!

 

Name: John

 

Age: 31

 

Profession: 4th-tier Warrior

 

Talents: None

 

Feats:

 

Intermediate Feat—Sword and Blade Mastery LV2, Mastery over swords and blades, +4 to attack rolls, +3 to damage, +2 to speed.

 

Basic Feat—Defensive Stance LV3, +3 to defense rolls.

 

Basic Feat—Veteran of the Battlefield LV3, +3 to damage and defense in chaotic combat.

 

Legacy:

 

Basic Legacy—Lone Wolf—Weakness Identification LV2, Can discern weaknesses in most enemies, +4 to damage against weak points.

 

Attributes:

 

Strength: 15

 

Agility: 12

 

Constitution: 12

 

Intelligence: 8

 

Perception: 10

 

Charisma: 10

 

Luck: +1, Slightly Lucky.

 

Evaluation: A seasoned, battle-hardened warrior!

 

Matthew observed with great focus, watching how both assessed the situation, chose their combat strategies, and their habits and movements during battle.

 

As the fight continued, deeper insights began to emerge in Matthew's mind.

 

Feats are manifestations of skill, a distilled summary of experience and knowledge.

 

Each feat develops through habitual behavior, combat ability, and experience.

 

To gain a feat, one must accumulate significant repetition and targeted training.

 

Most professionals had some instinctive sense of this, though few could articulate it clearly.

 

"Do this, then this, and it works out..."

 

"The enemy will strike from the left; block in advance and counter. What? You know it's coming but still can’t block it?"

 

"I can do it, but explaining how... that’s a bit tricky."

 

"I know how to do it, but teaching it is another thing entirely!"

 

"..."

 

These sorts of statements applied to most professionals.

 

Only those who were adept at analyzing and eager to research could uncover some of the deeper truths and train others in these feats.

 

This required a combination of strength, experience, and wisdom.

 

This was why it was so difficult for most professionals to learn feats just through practice or study—especially the more advanced ones.

 

In Matthew’s eyes, the methods for gaining their basic feats became quite clear.

 

Skilled Command—Training Method:

 

Study of command knowledge for 10 hours.

 

Participation in 30 hours of formation training.

 

Participation in 15 hours of command training.

 

Participation in 5 hours of battlefield command.

 

Summarization and discussion of command experiences for 2 hours.

 

Defensive Stance—Training Method:

 

Study of defensive strategies for 3 hours.

 

Combat against an opponent 2 tiers higher for 3 hours.

 

Combat against an opponent 1 tier higher for 5 hours.

 

Combat against two opponents of equal tier for 5 hours.

 

Combat against three opponents of one tier lower for 8 hours.

 

Summarization and discussion of defensive experiences for 3 hours.

 

Veteran of the Battlefield—Training Method:

 

Study of battlefield experiences for 3 hours.

 

Participation in 15 hours of chaotic battlefield training.

 

Engagement in 5 hours of mixed battlefield combat.

 

All training methods had corresponding requirements and standards.

 

Within these standards, the duration could be adjusted based on the individual's insights.

 

Suppressing his excitement, Matthew chose the feat with the lowest standards and the easiest to achieve: Defensive Stance, as the first feat to focus on training.

 

As the commander of the guard, Angela was the natural choice for this enhancement, especially since she would also be guiding the other soldiers in their training.

 

With this in mind, Matthew called off the fight between the two, turning to the curious Old John with a smile:

 

"Next, let’s summarize and record all the defensive techniques and strategies."