Martial Techniques
"Where can I train?" Stefan inquired upon his return from the Astral space.
"Where do you feel at ease?" Mia countered.
"A pitch will do. I want to select a technique," he replied, finding himself on a pitch.
Browsing through various techniques, he paused at a few that would benefit his role as a striker.
'Vanishing steps look promising, much more effective than Tiger steps,' he mused, selecting the video.
A hologram materialized with a ball, and as it started juggling, he blinked twice but saw multiple legs kicking the same ball. The cleverly concealed legs amazed and excited him. With such a technique mastered, his dribbling skills would greatly improve.
'The Soaring Dragon Shot should serve as a potent offensive technique,' he reasoned, choosing the technique and downloading both videos into his account. He saw no need for additional resources before reaching the World rank.
Picking up a ball, Stefan glanced down at it, exhaling loudly. However, even juggling close to five times, he struggled to control the ball.
After an entire hour of trying, with minimal progress, crimson lightning crackled over his body. Frustrated, he struck the ball forcefully, propelling it into the sky.
A fierce gust followed the ball, crackling with lightning. Sprinting after it, he leaped over five meters and struck the ball, aiming for the goalpost.
Yet, the ball missed the goalpost by a significant margin, prompting him to lower his head in disappointment and sigh heavily.
Compared to his peak, Stefan's ball control was painfully pitiful. "Have you given up?" Mia's voice echoed.
"Even if the Earth was blown up, I'll train in space. And why are you still here? Don't you have other tasks?" he retorted.
"I wanted to inform you that it's time for lessons," Mia said as a screen materialized before Stefan's vision.
"So I just need to press a button, and I'll appear in the classroom. Is everything just a casual tap away?" he marveled, still adjusting to the new age.
As Mia was about to speak, Stefan selected the option and found himself in a vast lecture hall, softly illuminated.
Several people arrived at the door like him, yet he stood out in his white polo and blue jeans, while everyone else sported a red jacket, black polo and pants, paired with white sneakers.
As he navigated to find a seat, the door on the opposite side opened, and a brown-haired young man entered, causing a flurry of excitement in the room.
"We have the same class as the rising stars! Will Landon come here?" a girl exclaimed.
"Speaking of Landon, what about Grim? I heard no one has managed to score against that fearsome goalkeeper except Autumn Leaf," a guy countered.
"There's no way Autumn Leaf will be here, right?" Another person asked, visibly thrilled.
Following the composed brown-haired young man was Landon, who entered with a smile. He even winked at some ladies before taking a seat beside the brown-haired man; their seats were distinctively marked white, unlike the others which were black.
Another guy and a girl entered calmly as Stefan settled into his seat and summoned his status interface.
"It's her!" A guy, two seats away from him, screamed, causing Stefan's ears to twitch as he raised his head.
Her striking red hair contrasted with her large sapphire eyes. With naturally long lashes, an oval face, and a lollipop in her mouth, she walked into the hall. Despite the air filled with screams of her name, Stefan noticed she seemed detached from the attention.
'A maniac,' he thought internally. Encountering someone with a passion as strong as his didn't bring him joy; it signaled an impending intense competition.
"Wow, she's stunning! Look at those long legs, her waist, and even her height," the man beside Stefan praised enthusiastically, irking Stefan.
"What rank are you?" Stefan asked.
"I just entered the 1st stage in my martial arts," the man boasted.
"Great. Can I use your headset?" Stefan asked with a smile that seemed devilish. "O-Okay…" the guy responded, handing him the headset with trembling hands.
"I'll return it once the lecture is over," Stefan reassured with a smile and covered his ears.
[Titan Name: Blaze]
[Age: 121]
[Rank: ….]
[Talent: Dual Alpha]
[Martial Art: Explosive Leopard]
[Martial Technique: Soaring Dragon, Vanishing Steps… Supreme Jörmundgandr Shot (Broken)].
After a brief moment, a stout man with a face cap walked onto the stage, sporting a broad smile. "We've got so many Aspiring Galactic Hunters together with Titans, my class is really popular, huh," the man chuckled and activated an electronic device in his palm.
The names of students and their ranks appeared on a hovering screen, with Autumn Leaf at the top spot. Despite her seemingly unaffected demeanor, a faint smirk graced her tender pink lips.
"Oh, we have a new name at the last position. Let's see. Stefan Anderson, an aspiring reserve member of the rising stars," the instructor announced, shining a spotlight on Stefan, who looked around bewildered.
Stunned by the sudden attention, Stefan removed the headset, his eyes widening as some people chuckled at his predicament.
He was supposed to join this class after two months, upon graduating from the trainee class. However, due to Mia's inability to select his class on time, he was randomly assigned to the intermediate martial arts class.
'You've got to be kidding me,' Stefan muttered, his gaze bypassing the instructor and meeting Landon, who waved at him.
"Let's see, you've just started and could only juggle four times. Impressive," the instructor said, triggering laughter throughout the room. Stefan's eyes suddenly locked with Autumn Leaf's captivating gaze.
"And you're a striker, that's interesting. Stefan, would you like to introduce yourself?" The instructor asked, wearing a gentle smile.
"My name should be all you need to know," Stefan replied, plunging the hall into silence.