The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

"In the instant you are blinded, your instinct will make you prioritize dealing with what seems to be the biggest threat in front of you, but that is just an illusion. The real me has already used the cover of bright light to get around to your blind spot."

That final strike, if timed correctly, is very easy to execute.

Qu Luo listened in a daze, and then she finally understood.

It turned out that the seemingly thunderous charge was just a lure to attract her attention; the real killing move was the blinding white light, the illusionary illusion, and the flanking maneuver to finish her off.

The entire process was meticulously planned and executed, exploiting her reliance on instinct to lure her into a trap.

Recalling the previous sparring session, Qu Luo finally realized that Moran's seemingly flashy and flawed moves hadn't been going all out at all, and that she might have been using her as a practice partner to experiment with and refine various techniques!
Once Moran put aside her "practice moves" mindset and truly went all out, she was subdued in less than a minute!
How on earth did this person come up with and execute such a complex series of tactics in such a short period of time?
Qu Luo's feelings were extremely complicated.

She could fight her way in and out of hordes of ferocious mirror beasts in the perilous mirror space, her fighting spirit undiminished even when covered in blood.

But when faced with an opponent like Moran, she felt an unprecedented headache and powerlessness.

Her fighting instincts, which she was so proud of and honed through life-and-death experiences, seemed completely useless in the face of Moran's tactics, and even became a weakness that could be easily exploited.

She stared blankly at the ground, and for the first time, she began to deeply doubt her method of fighting purely based on instinct.

Perhaps... what Teacher Meiye said about attending a few classes really makes some sense?
At least... after learning it, you'll be able to understand where Moran's strange and unusual moves come from, right?
Thinking of this, Qu Luo felt a surge of curiosity about Mo Lan. She looked up, her eyes filled with unprecedented seriousness and inquiry, and asked softly:
"How...how did you come up with the idea of ​​fighting like this?"

And what classes should I take, or what books should I read, so that I can learn your fighting style?

She simply couldn't call that ingenious trap a "skill".

"Hmm...that's a lot then~"

When Moran saw that she had asked, she immediately perked up and, without any intention of keeping anything to herself, generously began to count on her fingers:

"First of all, you need to be familiar with the effects of the beast core skills of various mirror beasts, right?"

You definitely need to read "The Complete Encyclopedia of Beast Core Skills" carefully, and it's best to memorize the characteristics of each skill when it's used, otherwise you won't be able to react at all when you encounter it.

As for books and courses on skill combinations, the more the better. I recommend you check them out…

Moran speaks slowly, but the book and course titles he rattles off come like a machine gun:
"In addition, there is systematic training in martial arts. The variations in martial arts moves are much more complex and diverse than skills, and there are also more combat techniques to learn."

The school's martial arts classes are all on my list of desired courses. Even if I can't master them all, learning them once will allow me to know how to deal with opponents who are skilled in these types of martial arts.

The book section also has many books on martial arts and combat, which are well worth reading.

Books like "Introduction to Combat Psychology" are incredibly useful; they can help you understand your opponent's psychology.

There are also "Basic Environmental Utilization and Tactical Deployment", "Seventeen Techniques for Concealing Spells", "Advanced Footwork: Visual Deception and Blind Spot Entry"...

At first, Qu Luo tried her best to take out paper and pen and write quickly, but the more she wrote, the more alarmed she became, and the pen tip almost sparked on the paper.

She had just returned from a fierce battle in the Dark Canyon last night and hadn't even had a chance to hear the legend of "Curse King Moran" on campus. At this moment, she felt that the smiling classmate in front of her was thinking about something else entirely.

She had filled several pages with densely packed notes, the titles of books and courses so numerous they made her dizzy, yet Moran showed no sign of stopping. On the contrary, she became more and more excited, even starting to recommend different teachers' teaching styles and accompanying reference books...

Qu Luo's hand holding the pen trembled slightly as she looked at the ridiculously long list. Recalling the series of tactics that had been executed in the blink of an eye, leaving her utterly helpless, she suddenly realized that her defeat was entirely justified! This was simply a contest on a completely different level.

The opponent's attack was a dimensional reduction strike, achieved effortlessly after mastering a vast amount of knowledge.

She, however, is still at the stage of relying on innate talent, instinct, and muscle memory.

At this moment, the slight resentment Qu Luo felt due to her defeat completely vanished.

Seeing this, Moran decided to add fuel to the fire:

Qu Luo, the innate physical attributes and magical abilities of the Mirror Beasts are far superior to those of humans.

Ultimately, we are able to explore and utilize mirror spaces not through brute force.

Wisdom—the wisdom to learn, think, create, and utilize tools and knowledge—is what truly makes us humans superior to the Mirror Beasts!

She pointed to the densely written paper in Qu Luo's hand, then pointed to her own head:
"These are our most powerful 'fangs' and 'claws'."

We must make good use of them! Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste?

These words, like a final blow, struck Qu Luo's heart precisely.

Her fighting style, which relies on physical speed, reflexes, and killing instincts, is indeed very similar to that of the Mirror Beast.

But as Moran said, this doesn't seem to... truly leverage the advantages of "human beings".

Qu Luo looked down at the unfamiliar course and book titles on the paper, and then recalled the defeat that had left her completely helpless.

Her long-held instincts were easily shattered, and the power Moran displayed, stemming from knowledge and wisdom, captivated her.

She gripped the paper tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

This time, she didn't lower her head. Instead, slowly, with an unprecedented determination, she raised her head to look at Moran. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, but her eyes held something else entirely:

"I...I will go and learn."

"Hmm!" Moran said happily when she saw that she had taken it to heart, "That's right! I also want to learn from you and master your instinctive reactions and efficient killing moves honed in actual combat!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, and the thought of frequently sparring with such opponents in the future made her unable to resist suggesting:
"How about this! From now on, we'll spar every month... no! Every week! I'll teach you how to fight with your brain, and you help me hone my moves."

"!!!"

Qu Luo, who had just begun to feel a spark of motivation to study, felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head when she heard the words "weekly sparring," and instantly turned back into the frightened rabbit.

Is this kind of public execution-like social torture and tactical torment something we have to endure every week?!

"No, no... every week... that's too, too frequent..." (End of Chapter)