Skill, even those that sound very simple, like the action of "Diagonal Chop," which seems like something anyone could do.
The move is quite straightforward, pivot on the ball of your front foot, rotate your body to the other side, and if you’re holding the blade with your right hand, chop diagonally from the upper right to the lower left.
Just ensure that the blade aligns with the direction of motion, and that your eyes, hands, and body movement remain coordinated.
In reality, mastering the move may take some time but is doable; however, the challenge is to internalize it as a skill within the body, which is particularly difficult for most villagers without a background in long-term training.
As a skill, "Diagonal Chop" involves a burst of bodily strength enhancing the blade-holding arm and body at the moment of execution, granting greater power.
Normally, only by mastering a basic skill can one be considered on the path of a Bottom Adventurer; otherwise, they’re just ordinary people with some combat techniques.
Gauss looked at the confused eyes below, sighed, and said nothing.
Soon, he began the formal teaching.
He randomly named a strong young man at the front and then took out a practice log from his prepared Storage Pouch, tossing it onto the open ground.
"Use your best technique to deliver a diagonal chop to that log."
The young man hesitated for a moment, then nodded, walked to the log, and took a deep breath.
With a loud shout, he twisted his waist, rotating his body, and the machete in his hand flashed coldly as it struck the log.
"Boom!"
After a dull sound, the machete wedged into the log, splinters flying.
The young man spent considerable effort to retrieve the machete from the log, leaving behind a pronounced slash mark.
He looked at Gauss with a bit of pride on his face.
To achieve this level, he had put in some basic self-practice.
But it was still quite rough.
Gauss nodded but did not comment.
He simply walked up to the young man and borrowed his machete.
"I’ll use the same strength as you, demonstrating the basics skillfully for you all."
Standing firm, Gauss did not shout, his gaze locked onto the log, waist and hips effortlessly powering the shoulders and arms, and the machete in his hand swung forth.
It was one of the basic skills he planned to teach, "Diagonal Chop."
"Slice!"
No intense collision sound, but a light sound that was starkly different from the previous one resounded.
The edge of the machete precisely and smoothly sliced diagonally into the log, then continued to cut through the entire log without feeling any resistance.
He withdrew the machete and stood, the log chopped diagonally into two parts gently slid along the smooth cut and fell to the ground.
"Such thick timber was cut directly?"
"Did the machete not break?"
"How did that happen?"
The crowd watching the scene was astonished.
The same chop, the same machete, the same log, but while the young man’s forceful strike only carved a gap two or three fingers wide, Gauss completely severed the log.
Did he really use the same strength?
But recalling Gauss’s effortless and flowing movements just now, some villagers felt that he genuinely didn’t exert much force.
"Do you see the difference?" Gauss’s voice shattered the silence and speculation. "What I used was the skill power of ’Diagonal Chop.’ It’s not just a standardized move; at the moment of execution, a more profound ’skill power’ bursts forth allowing me to achieve tenfold the destructive effect using the same muscle strength."
Finally, everyone understood the significance of the skill.
"But to achieve what I did, honestly speaking, is quite challenging. Let me first teach you some basic movements."
"Later, I’ll observe your progress and select some of you who grasp them better for further training."
Gauss spoke as he looked into pairs of focused, fervent eyes.
Finding talented individuals is always rare.
But if a few can be discovered, even ten villagers possessing skill talent can contribute to this world in their unique way.
On a smaller scale, they can change their fate, master the power to protect their family, friends, and loved ones.
On a larger scale, some might become the next Professional, serving as the backbone of the village, town, or even city, potentially saving dozens or hundreds of lives.
On this journey, he acquired several skills, including "Straight Chop," "Diagonal Chop," and "Sweep."
These three skills are quite universal, usable across various weapons.
The practice process is quite simple for Gauss.
Since activating his secondary Profession "Sword Soul," his familiarity and understanding of swords have greatly increased, with insights also extending to other weapons.
In theory, it’s more than sufficient for teaching villagers.
However, the actual training process proved to be more cumbersome than he initially anticipated.
The supposedly straightforward move was extremely challenging for most villagers, with their ability to control body and limbs lacking coordination.
Even when the brain comprehends, the body fails to comply.
In disarray, their power application stance is a mess, and worse, weapons accidentally leaving their grip nearly injuring others, saved only by the constant vigilance of him and his teammates intercepting the flying weapons.
Though Gauss came prepared mentally for this, he remained patient and not rushed.