After reflecting on their performances, Raiden came to a realization. During their demonstrations, it became clear that these students employed multiple techniques simultaneously, and these techniques complemented each other effectively. The way they combined their skills in practical scenarios highlighted a sophisticated understanding of how to integrate and maximize their abilities.

Raiden concluded that the requirement for graduating from the journeyman level was not solely about individual prowess but about demonstrating the ability to combine techniques in a cohesive and effective manner. Mastery at this level involved not just refining skills but also showcasing how well different techniques could work together to achieve superior results.

"You guys trained during the mission, and I allowed that because adults were around you, but things need to be slowed down from now on," Altria explained. "Some of you gained experience and now must be thinking that you can do the same with the other paths. Things aren’t that simple. If you want to improve the same path further, you can use the experience learned as the foundation, but the other paths will still be challenging, so keep that in mind."

Everyone nodded, and then they resumed their training. In the last few days, Raiden wondered if he should focus on a new path or not... but he just confirmed that this was necessary to graduate. Becoming a specialist on a single path seemed the best option, but it came with several demerits.

Emphasizing in strength alone might make a person formidable in physical combat, but it can leave them vulnerable to situations requiring agility, dexterity, or strategic thinking. They could struggle with tasks or enemies that require finesse or evasion outside of combat.

Specializing in agility can enhance speed and maneuverability, but without sufficient strength, defense, or perception, a person might be weak in direct confrontations or unable to deal with enemies who can outlast or outsmart them.

Focusing on perception improves a person’s ability to detect hidden things and react to their environment. However, this alone may not help in physical confrontations or defensive situations, leaving them exposed if they can’t handle direct threats. Lorene’s being bad at long-scale battles was proof of it.

Prioritizing defense can make a person incredibly resilient, but it might come at the expense of offensive capabilities or agility. They might be well-protected but unable to deal significant damage or move effectively. So, they won’t be of much use when their allies need their help, making battles unnecessary longer.

A healer is invaluable for protecting a group, but relying only on healing skills means the person might lack offensive and defensive abilities. They could struggle in situations where they need to contribute more actively to battles or self-defense. When alone in a battle, they wouldn’t last for long.

Specializing in manipulation can be powerful for influencing others and gaining advantages through many means. However, it might not help much in direct combat or situations requiring physical prowess or survival skills.

It seemed that people on the journeymen level had to learn that with duels, but they didn’t have the chance to do so, thanks to the last mission. Altria was determined to make up for it, though.

"For a while, we will spend half of our time here dueling against each other," Altria declared. "The other half of the lessons will be free training. I will determine when the duels will end, so don’t stop unless I tell you to, even if the opponent is on the ground." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

That would make things more interesting. Raiden left his spear at home so that he wouldn’t have that much advantage over the others, so it was fine. Still, he didn’t expect her next words.

"Raiden will duel with Javier," Altria declared.

Javier looked a bit surprised, too, but soon he couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear... he had been waiting for a chance like that, after all. It has been a while since Raiden, Javier, and Ruth actually sparred against each other. They never did it since they began to develop their own techniques.

Raiden and Javier stepped into the center of the room, a clear space designated for their duel. Their movement immediately shifted the atmosphere as the other students, who had previously been scattered, now moved toward the walls. They formed a semi-circle around the central area, their attention fixed on the two combatants.

Raiden and Javier, though among the youngest students at their level, were not typically the center of attention. The other students usually maintained a casual or indifferent demeanor. However, the recent buzz surrounding Raiden had stirred something different. Rumors of his participation in the war and remarkable feats on the battlefield had started circulating among the students.

These whispers painted Raiden as a figure of considerable intrigue. The stories spoke of his daring actions and the significant impact he had made, elevating his status beyond that of a mere student. The duel had now become a spectacle, a chance for the students to witness firsthand the skill and prowess of someone whose name had already become legendary in their circle.

"Start," Altria declared.

Javier stepped in with all his might, already knowing that Raiden had chosen the path of agility. Giving him the chance to control the flow of the battle wasn’t a good idea. Causing as much damage as possible to weaken him was the best course of action.

With that in mind, Javier tried to punch Raiden’s stomach with all his might, but he blocked the attack with the palm of his hand... Raiden moved fast enough, but the attack pushed him backward and made the bones of his hand hurt quite a bit.

Javier watched Raiden for a short moment and confirmed that he had caused some damage when he saw Raiden swinging his hand around a bit... both of them were using their techniques, but he could be effective against Raiden, too.

Javier smiled for a moment, but soon, he stepped forward again to attack. In the end, Raiden didn’t know if he should feel proud of the progress of his friend or ashamed that despite his secret power, he still felt the damage in his hand. Still, those thoughts soon vanished from his mind when the next punch approached, and he just stepped to the side with all his might.

Javier’s punch hit the air, and Raiden saw him wide open. He soon hit his right side with a punch, and then the expression on his face twitched. Soon, he recovered and target Raiden’s leg with a kick... this time, he was forced to jump backward, and that didn’t give him an opening to attack.

"I get it now... even more so why we need to learn two types of techniques that can work well together," Raiden thought. "I am fast enough, but my attack power isn’t that high to completely stop him with a single attack."

Things would have been different if they had weapons, but that would only acentuate the nuances about the paths. While the Path of Strength focuses on increasing physical power and damage output, it lacks speed and flexibility. Those who rely solely on strength might be slower to react and less capable of avoiding attacks or quickly repositioning in combat.

The path of Agility improves movement and evasion but doesn’t provide an enhanced ability to detect hidden threats or anticipate enemy actions. Those with high agility might still be caught off guard by traps, ambushes, or concealed enemies because they lack the means to perceive these dangers.

The path of perception enhances one’s ability to detect and react to threats but doesn’t improve one’s ability to withstand damage. Even with superior awareness, people can still take significant damage if they lack defensive measures.

The path of Defense improves a person’s ability to withstand damage, but it doesn’t facilitate recovery from injuries or restore lost health. Those with strong defensive capabilities may still suffer from long-term injuries without means of healing.

The path of Healing focuses on restoring health and providing support but doesn’t offer direct combat advantages or strategic influence. While healing is crucial for sustaining allies, it doesn’t change the nature of engagements or alter opponents’ strengths.

Finally, The Path of Manipulation focuses on influencing others, deceiving opponents, and using terrain tactics. While this can provide significant strategic advantages and alter the course of interactions or battles, it does not directly impact physical combat or enhance a user’s ability to deal with or withstand damage. Manipulation relies on external factors rather than improving physical capabilities.

Raiden could easily see a diagram of how each path affected each other now. It was something like this: Path of Strength < Path of Agility < Path of Perception < Path of Defense < Path of Healing < Path of Manipulation < Path of Strength.

At the same time, Raiden could see that the weak paths against one another also worked well with each other. Strength and Speed would make one fearsome on the battlefield... defense and healing would make a guy really hard to kill, too.