Naturally, Levi could not have known the content of Hestia and Hephaestus's conversation after he left.
Arriving at the library on the third floor, he found a random spot to sit down, then took out the 'Petra Martial Arts · Skill Book' he had obtained from the gacha earlier and selected to use it.
In the next instant, the sensation was distinctly different from using Skill Books in the past.
Levi's consciousness was suddenly pulled into a space filled with grey mist.
A black-haired man with a slender figure, wearing a brown form-fitting windbreaker and holding a spear, was standing not far away at this moment.
Seeing Levi's form appear, the man did not hesitate in the slightest; he stepped forward, the spear in his hand stabbing out rapidly like falling rain.
Levi felt somewhat chaotic at this moment.
However, his combat instincts were stimulated like never before.
Seeing the man attacking him, with a slight thought, he manifested a one-handed sword in the palm of his right hand.
Then, the ding-ding-ding-ding sounds of weapons clashing rang out.
Although Levi had recently placed more of his cultivation focus on Primordial Runes and the compilation of magic, he had, after all, solidly honed his swordsmanship for ten years.
The number of Proficiency Increase Tickets consumed on various martial arts also numbered nearly a thousand.
Converted into real time, this was equivalent to several hundred years of time.
Placed in some low-magic worlds, it would be enough to be called a 'Grandmaster'.
However, his opponent at this moment, despite having physical attributes slightly weaker than his own, was always able to strike at his most uncomfortable positions during every attack and defense.
This left Levi somewhat helpless.
He could only rely on his physical attributes to trade injuries for injuries.
Unfortunately, their first exchange lasted less than three minutes, ending with his chest being pierced.
The next second, the surrounding scene refreshed.
The man reappeared in front of him, and Levi, as if nothing had happened, summoned his weapon again.
One-handed sword, two-handed sword, spear, bow...
Once, twice, three times, four times...
Hiten Mitsurugi Style, Ancient Guyun Sword Art, Favonius Bladework, Hunter's Marksmanship, Star-Treading Dipper-Seizing Spear Technique...
During the first one thousand exchanges, Levi was consistently at a disadvantage.
Only the time he persisted extended slightly.
From less than three minutes at the beginning, it slowly increased to half an hour.
During the next one thousand exchanges, Levi's moves began to change.
He no longer followed the standard routines of the skills but integrated a trace of his own understanding.
Another one thousand times passed. Somewhat unexpectedly, faint traces of the man's fighting style could vaguely be seen on Levi's body.
He began to become adept at finding the enemy's flaws.
Then, came the fourth set of one thousand times.
The man's traces thoroughly covered Levi.
The battle between the two sides was as if they were looking in a mirror.
Finally, the fifth set of one thousand times arrived.
To be more precise, it was the 4,782nd battle after entering the space.
The pale-gold haired young man, who was already able to fight the man to a standstill and would only lose due to exhaustion of stamina, suddenly smiled.
The Will of Petra on his body, which was almost overflowing, suddenly changed violently.
What replaced it was another kind of aura—similar, yet essentialy distinct.
"I have a sword; I invite you to appreciate it."
The man also evidently sensed the young man's change. After retreating two steps, he held his spear and assumed a stance that leaned more toward defense.
Levi sheathed his sword, his expression resolute.
In the next instant, both sides moved simultaneously.
Levi gripped the hilt of his one-handed sword. Situated within this space, although no elemental power was attached to the blade, at this moment, its sharp edge was fully revealed, as if it could tear through everything.
The man also did not show weakness; a single point of cold light was forcibly transformed into a sky full of light and shadows.
At this moment, the extreme point clashed against the eternal rock.
In terms of aura alone, the two were almost evenly matched.
Even so, because the man had walked further on his own path, he was still half a step stronger than Levi on some detailed levels.
But this space was originally just a special place manifested by the Skill Book combined with Levi's consciousness for the purpose of learning 'Petra Martial Arts'.
When he successfully entered the door of 'Petra Martial Arts', or rather, the moment he comprehended the 'Will of Petra' and walked out a martial path unique to himself, the space's mission was already completed.
—Crack.
The confrontation between the two sides was still continuing, but the surrounding grey mist space shattered first.
Along with it, the man also gradually turned into particles of light.
In reality, Levi opened his eyes.
"What a pity, a winner wasn't decided."
While speaking, he clicked open his Character Status and looked at the Skill column.
They had all disappeared.
Replacing them was:
(Image! Image! Image!)
[Cold Edge Martial Arts · 6 Star (Mastery 1%)]
[Obtained Development Ability 'Martial Refinement D']
[My Way is Cold Edge: Attack Power vastly increased]
[Petra Grinding Blade: For every martial art or taijutsu mastered, Defense gains a small increase; can be increased up to ten times. Currently mastered martial arts/taijutsu: Hiten Mitsurugi Style 3-Star, Ancient Guyun Sword Art 3-Star, Favonius Bladework · Two-Handed 3-Star, Hunter's Marksmanship 3-Star, Star-Treading Dipper-Seizing Spear Technique 4-Star]
Everyone's path of martial arts is different.
Levi realized this point clearly when he returned to the real world.
He was not the Zhongli manifested by the grey mist space, possessing the determination to protect Liyue for thousands of years.
Nor was he Raiden Ei, who pursued Eternity in a single instant.
For Levi, the so-called Martial Arts were no different from Magic or Runes from the very beginning; they were merely tools used to become stronger and protect himself.
It was just that Martial Arts leaned more toward weapons, hence, it gained the name 'Cold Edge'.
Levi exhaled a breath of turbid air, then consecutively burned 200 Proficiency Increase Tickets.
Based on his past experience practicing 'Ice Element Control', the training effect of 20,000 days—even if it didn't raise the proficiency of 'Cold Edge Martial Arts' by a full level—should at least make the progress bar move a little.
However, somewhat unexpectedly, this skill seemed to be frozen; it didn't produce even the slightest change.
Levi:
"..."
A bad premonition suddenly rose in his heart.
'Don't tell me Martial Arts type skills require fighting against strong opponents to improve?'
'Or is it...'
Levi pondered for a moment, then clicked open the Lv.1 Genshin Card Pool, designating the Up Item as the 3-Star 'Church Spearmanship · Skill Book'.
Then, 40,000 Valis Vouchers were ignited, and the extracted Skill Book was used immediately.
On the Character Status, the information for Church Spearmanship quietly emerged.
Because he had the foundation of the same type but higher-star 'Star-Treading Dipper-Seizing Spear Technique', this skill reached Mastery 39% right from the start.
Levi then used another 169 Proficiency Increase Tickets, easily maxing out the Church Spearmanship.
Subsequently, this skill, just like the other martial arts before it, was transferred into the sub-page directory of 'Cold Edge Martial Arts'. At the same moment:
[Cold Edge Martial Arts · 6 Star (Mastery 1% → Mastery 1.1%)]
Seeing that the proficiency of Cold Edge Martial Arts finally increased, although the margin was very low, it ultimately made Levi breathe a sigh of relief.
And since a 3-Star ordinary martial art could produce an effect, then theoretically, 4-Star and 5-Star extraordinary martial arts, as well as 6-Star martial arts skills, would not be exceptions.
Then, what he needed to do next was very obvious.
When the sun slanted to the west and night fell.
Levi, who had stayed in the library for half the morning plus the entire afternoon, stood up with a smile on the corner of his mouth. On his Character Status, a max-level skill was flashing with an inexplicable brilliance.
____
New Story: FGO: Building a Lostbelt from Scratch, the Winner is Canon
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