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"Alright," Orlen's voice carried through the training grounds, snapping everyone's focus back to the lesson. "We're continuing where we left off last time.

You'll be split into pairs, and this time, we're focusing on counterplay—how to react to your opponent's abilities efficiently, rather than just brute-forcing your way through battles.

Every class has its own counterplay. A warrior doesn't deal with an assassin the same way they deal with a mage, and a summoner's approach to battle is vastly different from a swordsman's.

Knowing your own strengths isn't enough—you need to understand how to dismantle your opponent's as well."

The students were already preparing to form their pairs when Orlen added, "Form teams of two, preferably with someone of the same class.

That will help you refine your mirror matchups. If that's not possible, find someone with a complementary class."

The students began scanning the crowd, some pairing up quickly while others hesitated.

"And Arlon," Orlen continued, making some of the students pause and glance over. "You will be joining this lesson as well. Herrig, please be Arlon's partner today."

At Orlen's words, a tall male Elf stepped forward from behind the gathering students.

He moved with quiet confidence, his posture straight and relaxed, exuding an effortless grace that was characteristic of his race.

Unlike most of the other students wielding swords, staffs, or other melee weapons, Herrig carried a sleek, finely crafted bow slung across his back.

His quiver was secured at his hip rather than his back—a telltale sign of an experienced archer, allowing for faster arrow retrieval in battle.

It was rare to see archers in combat, even in Trion.

When EVR was first launched, many players had attempted the archer class, drawn to the idea of sniping enemies from a distance.

But once they realized there was no crosshair or guiding mechanism to assist with aiming, most quickly abandoned the class.

Only a handful of players had persisted—most of them real-life archers who already had experience shooting without modern aids.

Of course, Trion had more archers, though still not many. Races tended to follow the classes they were most comfortable with.

And archery was only a secondary option when it came to currently living races.

Only a few still followed the path of the bow.

And among them, Elves had the highest number of archers, their natural dexterity and sharp vision making them the most suited for the class.

Herrig was one of them.

"Nice to meet you," he said, offering Arlon a confident smile that could probably bewitch many women—and maybe even some men. "I'm Herrig."

Arlon gave a simple nod. "Nice to meet you. I am Arlon."

Herrig chuckled. "Haha! Of course, I know who you are. I don't think there's anyone in the academy right now who doesn't."

His words weren't an exaggeration.

Arlon's near-victory against Orlen, combined with the record-breaking time in the forest challenge as well as the other things that happened had cemented his reputation among the students in just two days.

Arlon, unfazed by the statement, simply responded, "Then, I guess I don't need to introduce myself."

"Not at all," Herrig said with a grin. "Though I'll admit I'm curious—do you have experience fighting against archers?"

"Not many."

"Hah, then this will be fun," Herrig said, rolling his shoulders. "I hope you won't mind me going all out."

Arlon nodded, already mentally preparing for the match. "Though we're focusing on counterplay rather than a full battle, I'll still give my all."

Herrig smirked, tightening the strap of his quiver. "Good. I wouldn't want you to hold back just because I use a bow."

"That won't be a problem," Arlon replied evenly.

As they finalized their stances, the rest of the students were also getting ready. Each of the players had managed to find a suitable match, though some were more enthusiastic than others.

Zack, in particular, wasted no time in challenging Sia. "Alright, round three. This time, I'm winning."

Sia let out an exaggerated sigh, stretching her arms. "You again? This will be the third time I win. You do realize that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Zack muttered, cracking his neck. "Third time's the charm."

Sia rolled her eyes but didn't refuse the challenge. She could respect his persistence—even if it was slightly annoying.

Meanwhile, Carole had paired up with Mirek. Despite his usual playful attitude, Mirek took his role as a priest seriously when it came to training.

"Are you ready?" Mirek asked.

Carole nodded, gripping her staff. "Yeah. Just don't go easy on me."

"Oh? Trying to impress someone?" Mirek teased.

Carole's face twitched. "Just focus on the lesson."

It hadn't been more than two hours since they met, but Carole was already used to Mirek's antics. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

June, on the other hand, had been paired with Mei. The two had already developed a sense of understanding after spending time together, so their match-up felt natural.

But June was the one who offered to pair up with Mei this time.

The other pairs fell into place as well, each finding their own sparring partner.

Orlen surveyed the class, nodding in approval. "Good. You will all start at the same time. Remember, this isn't about overpowering your opponent— it's about understanding how to counter their actions.

I don't care if you win or lose, but I do care if you learn nothing. Make sure every exchange gives you insight into your weaknesses."

A few students straightened up at his words, realizing this wasn't just another training match.

Orlen clapped his hands together. "Now, don't worry about trying to show off. I can watch all of you at the same time. Get into position."

Everyone spread out across the training grounds, finding small open spaces. Since they weren't engaging in full battles, they didn't need much room— just enough to test and react to each other's techniques.

Once everyone was in place, Orlen raised his hand. "Begin!"

Immediately, the sounds of weapons clashing, spells activating, and quick footwork echoed through the training grounds.