Timeless Assassin

Chapter 116: Skill Selection

At Rodova Military Academy, the level of skills a student could access depended entirely on their evaluated talent grade.

This distinction was made not because the university held a bias against any of its students, but because, it was simply impossible for Grandmaster level talents to learn skill moves rated higher than 'Legendary', unless their sole purpose was to memorize the contents of the skill scrolls, and replicate them for sale on the open market.

However, to discourage and prevent such practices, Grandmaster-level talents were restricted to selecting (Legendary) skills from the academy's archives, while Transcendent-level talents could access (Semi-Divine) ranked skills at best.

However, Leo had no such limitations.

As a Monarch-level talent, he had unrestricted access to the academy's entire skill archive, including the rare (Divine) ranked skills— accessing whom was a rare opportunity that only a handful of students in Rodova's history had ever received.

And although the number of (Divine) ranked skills in the archive was limited, their monetary value was undoubtedly immeasurable.

In the open market, acquiring a (Divine) skill was next to impossible—even for those with billions of MP to spend, as the majority of the Great Clans monopolized these skills, preventing their leakage to the open markets and preserving them for their lineage alone.

Only the universal government, and academies affiliated with the universal government were an exception to this norm, which was why Rodova was one of the rare universities where students could even access such skills without paying any additional costs.

This meant that for Leo, the academy wasn't just a place for training—it was a goldmine of irreplaceable resources, and he intended to make full use of it.

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(Rodova Military Academy, The Skill Scroll and Meditation Manual Archives)

Leo was escorted into the Archives by a Genetic Testing Lab assistant, just like his first time here when he was selecting a meditation manual.

"All students are allowed to choose 4 skill scrolls in an academic year. So remember, you can pick at-most of 4 scrolls now, since it shows that you have not selected any yet—" The assistant informed Leo, as Leo nodded in acknowledgement.

"Very well, can you show me the list of defensive and offensive skills that you have, and filter out skills similar to 'Magic Wall' and 'Single Strike'.

I'm looking for Chain-Hit Offence, and Full Body Defence moves, no lower than (Semi-Divine) in grade" Leo requested, as the assistant quickly began tapping on his data slate, applying the necessary filters before passing the data slate onto Leo.

"Here–" he said, handing over a list of 3 defensive and 4 offensive moves, which fit his criteria.

Leo scanned the data slate, his eyes narrowing as he read through the carefully filtered list of skill techniques.

Each one fit his criteria, as it was either a Full-Body Defensive Move or a Chain-Hit Offensive Move, and all were of at least (Semi-Divine) grade.

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Defensive Skills:

1. [Titan's Aegis] (Semi-Divine)

A skill developed by the Titan species, granting the user a temporary armor of condensed mana that exponentially amplifies durability. While active, damage taken is reduced by 70%, but movement speed is significantly hindered.

CAUTION :- The user must remain rooted for at least 0.5 seconds for full activation.

2. [Void Shell] (Semi-Divine)

A passive mana-layering technique that automatically activates upon the user's mind sensing imminent lethal damage, creating a temporary null-space barrier around the user.

The barrier lasts for 1.5 seconds, absorbing all impact before dissipating. However, it has a 15-second cooldown, meaning it cannot be relied upon continuously in extended battles.

3. [Celestial Veil] (Divine)

A full-body defensive move that envelops the user in a veil of ethereal mana, rendering them impervious to both physical and magical attacks for exactly 1.2 seconds upon activation.

Using this skill does not restrict movement and allows the user to seamlessly counterattack while being protected.

However, its biggest limitation lies in its extreme mana consumption—activating it even once requires 25% of total mana reserves at (Basic) proficiency and 5% of the reserve at (Perfect) proficiency, making it a pain to master.

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Leo's eyes lingered on Celestial Veil longer than the rest. It was undoubtedly the best option, but its mana cost was a serious drawback.

If Leo was not in the Rodova Military Academy where he had access to a near infinite supply of Mana Potion bottles, he could probably never realistically choose to master such a move, however, within the academy it was definitely possible.

The flexibility it provided over the other moves was undeniable, as he could move freely while using it, which made it far more versatile than Titan's Aegis, and unlike Void Shell, it had no cooldown.

When his mastery of the skill inevitably improved, he could reduce its cost of activation, making it a perfect long-term investment.

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Offensive Skills:

1. [Hidden Fang] (Semi-Divine)

A rapid slashing technique that allows the user to unleash ten consecutive strikes in less than 2 seconds. Each strike increases in speed, and if all land successfully, the final strike deals 200% more damage. However, the strikes must be executed perfectly—missing even one resets the chain.

2. [Howling Blades] (Semi-Divine)

A close-range technique that sends out bladed shockwaves with every swing, creating a zone of death around the user. Effective against multiple opponents but requires significant stamina, as each swing drains a small percentage of the user's strength.

3. [Thousand Phantom Strikes] (Divine)

A god-tier multiplication technique created by the Eternal Sovereign Kaelith which creates an illusionary effect where every single attack appears to land multiple times at once.

Unlike Hidden Fang, this skill does not require the user to physically execute a thousand slashes—it layers afterimages over real strikes, overwhelming the enemy's senses, and making it impossible to detect where the real attack is coming from.

The effectiveness depends on the user's speed and mana control, as with proper mastery, this move could allow the user to cut an opponent apart from all angles without them even realizing they were being struck.

4. [Death Crescent] (Semi-Divine)

A chain-slash technique that generates crescent-shaped energy blades with each consecutive attack. Instead of relying purely on speed, this skill allows the user to attack from multiple angles simultaneously, as every slash leaves behind a residual energy blade that continues the assault.

Each crescent blade homes in on the target, forcing the opponent into a defensive stance, while the user can reposition freely to exploit openings. The technique can be extended into a crescendo of slashes, with the final strike unleashing a storm of delayed crescent blades that descend all at once for a finishing blow.

This skill is ideal for pressuring defensive opponents, overwhelming them with relentless ranged and close-quarters attacks while maintaining strategic movement.

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Leo tapped his finger against the screen, deep in thought.

For defense, Celestial Veil was the best long-term option. The mana cost was steep, but with training, he could optimize mana efficiency to mitigate it.

For offense, Thousand Phantom Strikes was in a league of its own. Unlike the others, it didn't just increase the number of attacks—it created sensory overload, a technique that he could already integrate into his fighting style.

If he combined it with Blade Switch, he could create something even Hen would struggle to read, and hence for that reason alone, although he also liked [Death Crescent], Leo decided to go with [Thousand Phantom Strikes] as his final choice.

With his decision made, Leo turned to the assistant.

"These two," he said, his voice firm as he presented his choices.

The assistant raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised but saying nothing as he processed the selection.

"You have exhausted two of the four skill moves you can learn this year," the assistant informed, as Leo nodded.

"Both of them are Divine-rank, which means you'll be required to sign a formal soul-binding non-disclosure contract which prevents you from passing these skills down to your future disciples or colleagues, in-case you ever decide to do so.

Once that's done, you'll receive a memory crystal containing the skill techniques." The assistant informed, as Leo nodded yet again.

He had no intention of passing these moves down to anyone, and hence he did not care about signing any contracts.

There will be two more chapters updated tonight after a few hours.