"Ready?"
Leo barely had time to nod before Faye placed her palm atop the beanie, her fingers spreading across the fabric with practiced precision.
A faint hum resonated from the device as she channeled her mana into it—slowly at first, then with increasing intensity.
Thin, glowing threads of blue energy seeped from her fingertips, intertwining with the embedded electrodes on the beanie’s surface.
The moment her mana fully connected with the device—
PAIN.
A violent surge tore through Leo’s skull, sending his nerves into overdrive. His back arched, fingers digging into the chair’s armrests as his entire body locked up.
A white-hot pulse hammered through his mind, as if someone had taken a branding iron and was forging memories straight into his consciousness.
And then—
The floodgates broke open.
A torrent of images, sensations, and knowledge crashed into Leo’s mind, his consciousness struggling to keep up with the sheer volume of information being forcefully restored.
’So that’s how you circulate mana…’
’So that’s how you draw in mana from your surroundings…’
The first pieces of his past slotted into place, answering fundamental questions about mana control and manipulation before the true depth of his combat knowledge surfaced.
Leo had mastered seven core moves, each designed for a different battlefield scenario. Though vastly different in application, they complemented one another seamlessly, forming the foundation of his assassination skill set.
The first technique to resurface was [Vanish], a stealth-based move that allowed him to turn completely invisible. The technique worked best when blending into darkness, but Leo had refined it to the point where he could even disappear in broad daylight. By manipulating the mana in his surroundings, he could bend light itself, creating a perfect illusion of nonexistence.
Then came [The Kill Strike], a technique meant to ensure the absolute lethality of an assassination. The move worked by channeling a pulse of volatile mana into an enemy’s body upon stabbing them. The moment the blade pierced, the mana detonated inside the target, causing instantaneous internal bleeding and organ failure. While a dagger wound might be survivable, no one could endure an explosion within their own body.
Next was [The Mirror World], a cloning technique that allowed him to summon up to a hundred identical copies of himself. The technique could be used in two ways—illusions, which served as perfect decoys to mislead an opponent, or physical clones, which could attack and defend just like the real Leo. The flexibility of the technique made it an invaluable tool in both combat and deception.
Following that was [Shadow Bind], a restraining move designed to incapacitate targets without the need for lethal force. Using mana-forged chains, Leo could wrap his enemies in powerful bindings, preventing their escape or counterattack. It was an ideal move for control, ensuring his prey had no chance to resist.
Next came [Full Counter], it was a skill which helped him send any magical/ physical attack coming his way back towards the sender with twice the force, however, executing it needed extreme timing and precision. One slight mistake and the whole move could fail, which was why it needed to be used with caution.
Then came [Blade Switch], a move that allowed Leo to throw a dagger and instantly teleport to its location. The technique created a blink-like effect, enabling him to reposition in battle with inhuman speed. He could use it to close distances, escape a dangerous situation, or launch an unexpected attack from a new angle.
Finally, his mind unlocked the knowledge of [Parallel Processing], a technique that temporarily merged the processing power of his conscious and subconscious minds.
This move was responsible for the moments when he perceived the world to slow down around him, giving him an immense advantage in battle.
However, it came at an enormous cost. His brain consumed energy a hundred times faster than normal to maintain the state, and his muscles had to keep up with the rapid signals, pushing his body beyond its natural limits.
The move was his most powerful ace, however, it’s overuse had the potential to leave him completely incapacitated, a price too high if misused.
As all this knowledge resurfaced in Leo’s mind, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction—but also immense pain.
His skull throbbed violently, as if someone had rammed a drill into his brain, forcing each memory back into place, while his entire body trembled under the weight of the forced recollection.
Having years of knowledge being crammed into one’s brain within seconds was not a good feeling, and Leo had no question in his mind that a weaker man would have passed out from it.
However, he held on, as the final bits of knowledge began to be transferred to his brain, on how to actually make use of his techniques in practical combat scenarios, as he received snippets of himself in past battles where he used the moves in one way or another.
"GAHHH—-"
He screamed, as a mouthful of spittle escaped his face, landing on the floor below.
He was approaching his limits, and quickly felt like he could not take any more knowledge for the day anymore.
"We are 96% done… Just hold on for a few more seconds," Muiyan Faye told him, as listening to her voice Leo somehow held on till the end, as the device finally powered off, having completed its function.
"Good job not passing out. Some of your memories would have been lost forever if you did," she said, as she removed the steaming beanie from his head, and ruffled his hair in joy.
"Lost forever? How about you warn me about such things before we start the procedure next time?" Leo snapped back, angry, as Faye let out a prideful smile.
"So…. Did you get the knowledge of your moveset back? What do you think of it?" Faye asked, as for a moment Leo said nothing and only gestured towards his throat, asking for water.
Faye rolled her eyes, however, fetched it for him at once.
And it was only after he drank some and recovered, that Leo began answering her question.
"The skill-set is balanced for movement, creativity and attack, however, I don’t know a single defensive maneuver.
If push comes to shove, I have no healing abilities or defensive moves that could save my life in a pinch, making my fighting style offensively skewed," Leo judged, as Faye nodded in agreement with his assessment.
"Glad you can see it now. Because, I already know what the previous you would have said when asked about it," Faye said, as she chuckled to herself as if reminiscing about an old joke.
"What? What would the old me say?" Leo asked, his curiosity piqued, as Faye only chuckled louder looking at the clueless him.
"What else? The old you would say…. Defence is for losers who get hit. I’m ’TheBoss’, I just don’t get hit–," Faye replied, as Leo once again frowned deeply.
His previous self sounded like an enigma, and Leo could not even begin to imagine what sort of a life he had lived to grow into such an arrogant prick.
However, while it sounded impractical, he was also secretly impressed by his past arrogant self, as clearly it had somehow managed to become the best assassin on planet Earth.
"Alright…. Your next class starts in 12 minutes, you better get a move on.
Also, remember—you won’t be able to use your skills instantly. Expect failures in the first few days
You need practice to return to your best, so don’t bank on it for immediate fights.
Also, if anyone asks, just tell them it was Instructor Faye who helped unlock some bits of my memory, however, don’t tell them about the beanie—" Faye instructed, as she unlocked the biometric door once again and showed Leo the exit.
"I’m your caretaker here, Skyshard, and while I’ll help you as best I can, it’s going to have to be you that does all the heavy lifting.
You must show promise in combat, and you must place at the top of your class, because if you don’t, all your sacrifices up till now will be for naught," Faye reminded, as she gave him one last good slap on his back before sending him on his way to the next class.