The more he possessed, the more it gave him, and for what he did not have, more restrictions needed to be set.
Just like this basic Extraordinary Swordsmanship, Aiven didn't take it seriously, and those "Insignia Students" who left early even discarded it like a worn shoe. But the recruits had to exchange their lives and merits for it throughout their military careers.
In fact, unless they reached a certain level and tenure in the Navy, they would not even be made aware of the existence of the Extraordinary World.
Aiven still remembered Eugene speaking seriously to him.
This was not only to maintain the stable governance of the upper classes, but also because the world in which humans lived was far more complex than it seemed on the surface. Beyond the civilized world lurked horrors beyond ordinary imagination, and ignorant, secretive explorers could invite chaos and disaster. The "Witch Hunting Movement" vigorously promoted by the major churches was by no means unfounded.
However, no matter how strict the regulations were, there were exceptions. After quietly obtaining Major Eugene's permission, Aiven called Gary out alone.
"Young man! I see that you have a remarkable skeleton, you must be a martial arts prodigy. The duty of upholding cosmic justice and peace falls on you in the future! I happen to have a complete version of the Military Swordsmanship... cough, I can sell it to you at a cheaper price."
There's a saying at sea: "No matter how strong a warrior is, they can't operate even the smallest sailboat on their own strength alone."
If Aiven aspired to be a lone ranger, it wouldn't matter, but this was the great Age of Navigation. To gain power or attain stronger forces, reliable partners were indispensable.
After spending nearly two months together, Aiven believed he already knew this tower-like, robust "young man" very well. Coarse and gifted on the outside yet possessing a pure heart, if cultivated well in his fledgling years, he might become a significant ally.
Meanwhile, Aiven had complete confidence in his Data Visualization, trusting that the data it observed wouldn't deceive him.
On the other hand, if Gary could disguise breathing, heartbeat, and pupil changes under the surveillance of Data Visualization, such a masterful person would even make Aiven consider bowing down in reverence.
For his only little disciple at present, Aiven was willing to invest ahead of time and give him an opportunity.
Yet, even Aiven hadn't expected how well Gary aligned with "Military Swordsmanship"!
Initially, during sword technique practice with the recruits, he didn't show much more than being fiercer than others. In sparring, he often couldn't control his strength, and it looked like he was using sheer brute force to strike his opponent along with their sword.
Because of this, Gary earned an unflattering nickname "Wild Boar Warrior" from his fellow recruits and instructor Eugene.
Even if he went undefeated in ten sparring matches, this extremely savage style couldn't gain acceptance among the recruits who revered "Military Swordsmanship" as sacred.
But once Aiven taught Gary the Breathing Technique that accompanied the "Military Swordsmanship," allowing him to gradually learn to utilize the peculiar power within his body, to modulate his breath and temper his exterior and interior, it seemed like he had found the perfect method to control his innate divine power, and his progress accelerated.
In just one week, Gary's physical appearance changed from bulky yet not agile to a slightly leaner build. It not only didn't make him seem weak but gave off an impression of a lean and sturdy, dangerous beast from the jungle.
The two stood facing each other in a secluded corner, wielding swords, beginning their daily sparring routine.
"Gary, attack me!"
"Yes, boss!"
"Hoo!" A fierce sword strike came with a howling wind, a simple overhead slash, but in Gary's hands, it already had a unique flavor.
"Pop!"
Aiven dodged to the side, swung his wooden sword, and tapped Gary's shoulder, forcing him back half a step.
"Attack again!"
"Pop!" Knocking aside Gary's direct stab, the blade slid forward, stopping under his armpit.
"Attack again!" "Attack again!"...
Until Gary was completely exhausted, sprawled on the ground gasping for breath, Aiven leisurely sheathed his sword and opened the latest collected data.
Name: Gary Fafman
Gender: Male
Identity: Navy Recruit
Attributes: Constitution 0.7
Strength 0.65+0.06
Agility 0.4+0.12
Intelligence 0.4
Skills: Phaletis Saber Technique (Beginner, including Swordsmanship, Breathing Technique) Nautical Knowledge (Beginner) Basic Military Literacy
Just by simply starting the Breathing Technique, Gary's strength increased by 0.06, reaching a total of 0.71, and the rise in speed was even more dramatic, leaping directly from 0.4 to 0.52. Although still lacking compared to other attributes, it greatly compensated for his shortcomings, surpassing that of a regular adult.
There was no change in Constitution data, but it's the most crucial attribute for an Extraordinary following the Knight Path, forming the foundation for other attributes' efficacy, inevitably requiring him to put in more effort.
Like an heir who has inherited wealth, he's learned how to efficiently allocate and manage it before considering how to expand the total wealth.
The same scenario applied to Gary, who would experience rapid growth for a short period through the Breathing Technique, but to cross the threshold of the Extraordinary, he would have to tread a long and steadfast path.
"Alright, stop lying around like a corpse, remember your current limits. You have one more month; strive to fully exploit your innate constitution's potential by then."
"Understood, boss, I got it!" The more Gary embarked on genuine training, the more he became overwhelmed by Aiven's commanding presence — constitution, strength, skills, and knowledge thoroughly crushed him. Moreover, the gracious act of teaching him the Breathing Technique had transformed Gary into Aiven's little admirer.
To Gary, he might deliberate over what the instructor says, but anything Aiven said would drive him to take any risk without hesitation.
So for the next month, aside from necessary training subjects and library visits, Aiven often found time to feed moves to Gary. With the formal boarding schedule approaching, Aiven didn't want his newly accepted disciple to be taken down by Pirates at first sight.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
"Come in!"
Aiven pushed the door open and walked into Major Eugene's office, saluted, and asked:
"Instructor, you called?"
"Stop pretending to be serious, close the door and sit down!" Over the past three months, Aiven had indeed helped Eugene a lot. While seeing through his nature, their relationship had grown significantly closer.
"What exactly is your family thinking? I have yet to receive any transfer notification for you. Are you really planning to let yourself be randomly assigned to a warship?" Eugene asked in a nonchalant manner, crossing his legs.
Aiven replied with a wry smile!
He also knew that recruits were supposed to go on-board for internships upon completing training, and unless unforeseen events occurred, many might spend their entire naval careers on that single warship, sharing fortunes and misfortunes together.
So, choosing which warship they board was a major decision for a navy sailor, more serious than choosing a bride.
After all, the warship one boards would not only affect future promotions but also one's very life. If assigned to an insignificant Sixth-class Patrol or Communications Ship, one would merely endure seniority. If aboard an outdated cannon-fodder ship, they'd be praying for Goddess' protection for a safe return. But getting on a main battleship meant faster accumulation of military merits despite higher risks.
However, the choice of warship wasn't up to the recruits, and it was directly assigned by the superiors.
The offspring of influential families had their futures arranged early; during the first month, Aiven's fellow "Insignia Students" consecutively left in advance because the warships arranged for them returned to port and they boarded ahead of time.
If Aiven indeed had a family backing him, they certainly wouldn't let him waste three months in a training camp without arrangements.
This was where Major Eugene's confusion lay.
Seeing Aiven's expression, the imaginative Major Eugene automatically conjured stories of internal family strife, power struggles, and neglected side branches, and subsequently waved his hand dismissively:
"Alright, alright, I'll arrange it for you, off you go!"
"As you command, Instructor!" Aiven replied with a cheeky grin, saluted, and turned to leave. At the door, he suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, Instructor, about Gary..."
"Just go!!!" shouted Eugene.
Walking out of Major Eugene's office, half the weight in Aiven's heart was lifted. Meeting some warm-hearted people like Viscount Andrea's recommendation and Major Eugene's mentorship upon entering this new world, without them, stumbling around blindly for years would be the least of his worries.
Though they each might have their own reasons, Aiven couldn't casually forget the benefits he had received. Whenever possible, repaying them became a duty he couldn't ignore, otherwise, his conscience wouldn't be at peace.
Regarding the novels read in his previous life, where protagonists, as soon as they started fresh, killed left and right like blank slates and battled countless malicious adversary old foxes, coming out victorious, was not impossible but merely too fantastical.