Blessed to be the Villain

"Flash Steps." The name alone sounded fast. Ethan turned to Arthur, who was smirking at him, a glint of amusement in his crimson eyes.

"It's a cool name. So, how do I learn it?" Ethan asked, eager to get started.

Arthur shook his index finger side to side, his grin widening. "Not so fast. First, you need to understand how this technique actually works."

"Alright." Ethan nodded, trying to keep his impatience in check.

Arthur's tone shifted slightly, taking on a more serious edge. "This technique is unique. Right now, it looks like I'm moving insanely fast, right?"

"Yeah," Ethan agreed. "Honestly, it seems like you're teleporting or something."

"Exactly. But the thing is… I'm not moving that fast. Or at least, not fast enough to look like I'm teleporting."

Ethan frowned. "But you are moving fast."

Arthur chuckled. "That's where you're wrong. It's not just about raw speed—it's about how your mind perceives speed. That's the trick behind Flash Steps."

Ethan's brows furrowed. "How does that work?"

Arthur rubbed his chin for a moment before explaining. "Okay, think about it this way: when something moves, it takes a little time to build up speed, right? Like a horse—when it starts running, it doesn't instantly reach top speed. It needs a moment to accelerate."

"Right," Ethan said, following along.

"That tiny delay in acceleration is something your brain expects. It's used to seeing things gradually speed up. But what happens when something skips that step? When it instantly goes from zero to full speed in a split second?"

Ethan's eyes widened slightly as the idea clicked into place.

"That's what makes Flash Steps so deceptive," Arthur continued. "Your mind expects movement to follow a certain rhythm. But when something jumps straight to max speed without any buildup, your brain doesn't know how to process it properly. It feels way faster than it actually is."

Ethan nodded slowly. "Like… light?"

Arthur snapped his fingers. "Exactly! Light doesn't accelerate—it's just there at full speed the moment it moves. That's one of the reasons we perceive it as unbelievably fast."

Ethan was starting to get it, but something still felt missing. "So… how does that apply to you? How are you doing it?"

Arthur grinned. "Simple. I use Flash Steps to skip the acceleration phase. Instead of building up speed, I explode into motion at my top speed instantly. It's not about being faster than everyone else—it's about moving differently."

Ethan's crimson eyes gleamed with understanding. No wonder it looked like teleportation. He wasn't just running fast—he was breaking the natural flow of movement itself.

Arthur smirked. "And that, my friend, is the secret behind Flash Steps."

Ethan's excitement flared. "Cool! So, how do I do it?"

Arthur held up three fingers. "Three things you need to train."

Ethan's attention locked onto him.

"First—" Arthur dropped one finger. "—you need to train your body. Even if you learn this technique, it's not like you're suddenly going to become super fast. Flash Steps doesn't make you faster; it just lets you move at your current top speed instantly. So, the faster you can naturally move, the more effective it will be."

Ethan nodded, his mind already thinking about ways to improve his speed.

"Second—" Arthur dropped another finger. "—you need to get used to moving that fast instantly. Your mind isn't used to that kind of abrupt motion, and it'll mess with your reaction time. If you can't process the speed, you won't be able to make split-second decisions while using it."

That made sense. Ethan had already experienced how disorienting it was just watching Arthur use Flash Steps.

"And third—" Arthur lowered his last finger, his expression turning serious. "—this is the most important one. You need to consciously infuse your will into your mana."

Ethan blinked. "Huh?"

Arthur sighed. "Right now, your mana responds to your will, but only subconsciously. To master Flash Steps, you need to control it actively."

Ethan tilted his head. "And that does what, exactly?"

Arthur crossed his arms. "You see, right now, you move your body using your mind. If you want to raise your arm, your brain sends a signal, and your arm moves. But that process takes time, even if it's just a fraction of a second. Plus, your brain automatically puts limits on how fast you can move to keep you from hurting yourself."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Okay…"

"But if you move your body using mana instead," Arthur continued, "it bypasses all of that. Mana doesn't have those limits. It doesn't care if you hurt yourself—it'll just move you as fast as you will it to. That's why Flash Steps works. You're not just moving with your muscles—you're moving with your mana."

Ethan squinted one eye. "Okaaay…"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Did you get it?"

Ethan forced a nod. "Mmm… yeah…"

But his expression betrayed him. I got the first and second parts, but that third one? Not a damn clue.

Arthur caught the look on his face and let out an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, I figured. I'm not the best at explaining things. It is pretty complicated."

Then, with a sudden smirk, he extended his hands toward Ethan. "Alright, let me teach you in a way I know you'll understand. Give me your hands."

Ethan hesitated. Something about the way Arthur said that sent an odd chill down his spine. Still, he swallowed his nerves and hesitantly placed his hands in Arthur's.

Arthur tightened his grip slightly. "Now, feel this."

Ethan blinked. "What? Your hands?"

Arthur's smirk widened. "Well… I don't mind."

Ethan's smile froze. His brain short-circuited for a second before his entire body jolted. He blinked rapidly, processing what Arthur just said. Then, as realization struck, he violently yanked his hands back, stumbling three steps away with wide eyes.

His hands instinctively flew up to shield himself as his mind screamed, What the hell kind of situation is this?!

Two young men. Alone in the middle of nowhere. Holding hands. "Feeling" things.

Ugh…! A shiver ran down his spine as goosebumps spread across his arms.

Ethan's face twisted in horror. "Arthur, look, man. I get it—I'm handsome. And I'm not saying you're not handsome, but I really don't swing that way. You get what I'm saying?"

(Next chapter going premium)