Few Who Are Noticed by the Gods Have a Good End

At this time, Hector's warm and empathetic attitude, far exceeded Night's expectations, even while traveling, Hector's mouth didn't stop.

Perhaps those previous words had a significant impact on Hector.

If it were an ordinary Trojan soldier,

being treated with such warmth by the great prince of Troy, and potentially the future king, Hector,

they would either be ecstatic or terrified, not knowing what to do.

Fortunately, while the simulated universe experience felt very real, indistinguishable from the real world, Night still maintained a degree of clarity.

He was fully aware that his true identity was not that of a Trojan soldier, and in this simulated universe, he was destined to be just a passerby, not truly influencing that mythical world's history.

Night: ...

Silently reflecting, he quickly adjusted his mindset, maintaining a balanced attitude: "Alright. In that case, I'll call you by your name, Hector…

I'm honored to be your friend.

I have a request now, and I wonder if you could grant it, in the name of friendship."

Taking advantage of Hector's current warmth, Night, not forgetting his purpose in the simulated universe, seized the opportunity and boldly asked.

This attitude made the other accompanying soldiers feel that it was somewhat arrogant and excessive.

To dare make a request just after becoming the prince's friend…

What audacity!

The strong sense of hierarchy and respect for ranks made it hard for them to accept Night's behavior, and they were ready to step in, and prepared to punish Night severely at Hector's command.

However, the latter not only didn't feel displeased, but he also readily agreed.

He didn't even care what the request was.

In his eyes, Night, who had spoken those heartfelt words earlier, must be a sincere and righteous man who wouldn't ask for anything unreasonable or difficult.

Since it was a request from a friend,

he naturally would help…

Under Hector's gaze, Night finally spoke, slowly and firmly stating his request: "I want you… to teach me your martial skills!"

...

Time flew by, and unsurprisingly, Hector agreed to Night's final request.

Teaching him martial skills was something Hector was more than willing to do; he had already considered it.

Previously, there hadn't been time,

but now that Night had asked, he wouldn't hold back.

Thus, Hector said, "From the beginning on the battlefield,

I noticed you mimicking my attacks…

Though still very rough, your learning speed far surpasses that of ordinary people.

We don't have time for detailed lessons now, so I'll teach you some basic weapon stances, methods of using strength, and ways to harness it along the way.

The best teacher, however, is the battlefield…!

I'll start with the basics.

Then, through actual combat, you'll need to understand and master it yourself.

As you become more proficient, I'll teach you more advanced combat techniques."

After Hector made this solemn promise, every day thereafter,

besides the time spent traveling, was devoted to Hector instructing Night in various combat techniques.

And Night, like a sponge, eagerly absorbed all the combat skills, intensely focusing on building a solid foundation.

He didn't mind that Hector didn't immediately teach him high-level combat skills.

In fact, he was well aware of his own abilities.

Previously, although he used his unique mental strength and will to stay calm, allowing him to quickly assess danger and fight optimally on the battlefield, this only helped him adapt quickly and survive.

But since he was clueless about martial arts, he fought purely on instinct and brute strength, which significantly limited his stamina and effectiveness in direct combat.

Since he decided to become truly powerful, he knew he shouldn't just focus on physical strength, enduring hits wasn't his style…

Even if he trained his body to be invulnerable like Achilles, he might someday encounter a divine weapon with armor-piercing attributes, capable of killing him with a single strike—!

Therefore— he firmly believed in,

"The only good enemy is a dead enemy."

"As long as I eliminate all enemies within sight, I am safe."

These principles,

Night's goal in learning martial arts was simple and pure, to eliminate enemies faster than they could react.

Unaware of his cautious and fearsome combat mentality,

Hector was wholeheartedly dreaming of molding Night into a hero.

In his eyes, thus young man's desire for power must also come with the ambition to become a hero, to establish his own legacy and glory.

As a friend, Hector was determined to help Night become stronger with all his might!

Unfortunately, as a mortal hero,

while Hector himself had developed extraordinary martial skills, he wasn't necessarily equipped to mentor a hero's growth.

Being skilled and being able to teach are two different things.

If it were an ordinary soldier, Hector felt confident in guiding and instructing them.

But fostering a hero was far more complex.

Hector saw heroic qualities and wisdom in Night, but someone with such potential for wisdom, might be better suited to be taught by the legendary hero trainer, the wise centaur—Chiron, who was renowned as a sage and mentor to heroes.

Even more so, Hector thought of the goddess Athena, the guardian deity of Troy, a goddess of unparalleled wisdom and martial skill.

If they were lucky enough to have a deity personally instruct Night, that would be ideal.

In all of ancient Greece, what could be more fitting than having a god as a teacher for heroes?!

Hector felt that the brilliant qualities in Night should be shared, for everyone to know; if only his ancestry had divine connections or means to communicate with gods,

he might have even tried to advocate for Night.

And if Night knew Hector was fantasizing about having gods personally teach him, he'd certainly want to take a break~!

Good grief, if not for the simulated universe, being noticed by Greek gods for real, might make one think that suicide would lead to a happier life.

Being watched by beings with power and a level of existence far above one's own, whether out of curiosity, goodwill, or malice, was extremely dangerous.

Haven't the most famous heroes in Greek history met tragic ends?

.

.

.