(Rodova Military Academy, Basement B-1, Basics of Stealth and Assassination Class)

    The final class of the day after Practical Combat was Basics of Stealth and Assassination, the only lecture Leo had not attended even once yet, as it was only held on select few days, alternating with the Scouting, Movement and Planning class.

    It was held in the basement, in a dark and damp environment, which felt unsettling. However, as if the environment was not bad enough, the instructor for this class was even worse.

    Unlike the other classes, which were led by seasoned military officials or scholarly instructors, this one was conducted by someone far removed from the chains of order and discipline.

    A criminal.

    One who stood before them in heavy restraints, his hands bound in reinforced shackles, his legs weighed down by enchanted chains—yet none of it seemed to suppress the twisted glee dancing in his eyes.

    The instructor for this class was Severus Maximus, the infamous ’Needle Assassin’, who Rodova Military Academy had specially recruited as a teacher, to give their students the best education possible.

    Severus however, was a man so dangerous, that two high-ranking military lieutenants stood guard around him at all times, monitoring his every move, as despite his bounds, he could not be trusted alone around anyone.

    And yet—

    Despite the chains and the guards monitoring his every move, the madness in Severus’s eyes remained unaffected by his environment, as he looked at the students as if they were his prey, rather than his disciples.

    "Keh... hehehe... Kekekeke!" A wheezing, almost inhuman cackle filled the air as he began his lesson, as his odd shrill voice sent goosebumps down the spines of many.

    "Hello, my little children," he cooed, his voice dripping with mock affection, his lips stretching into an unsettling grin.

    "I’m Severus Maximus, also known as the ’Needle Assassin.’ Kekeke...." He said, as his shoulders trembled with thinly veiled excitement, as if just introducing himself was enough to send him into hysterics.

    "I’m here to be your teacher for this lovely, depraved little course— Not because I have some deep desire to share my knowledge... Oh no, no, no."

    His head twitched unnaturally as he leaned forward.

    "I’m here because it knocks precious, precious years off my ridiculously long jail sentence—Kekekeke!"

    His laughter cracked through the air, echoing against the cold stone walls of the basement classroom, as it made many grown men break into cold sweats.

    Some looked visibly unsettled. Others were outright disturbed.

    But Leo?

    He didn’t care.

    If a man was infamous enough to earn a moniker, then his knowledge was valuable.

    His mental instability? His history of crimes? None of that mattered to him, as he felt eager to learn.

    "I’m sure you’re all learning the theory of assassination in your fancy military lectures, honing your combat techniques in another class, practicing your little swings and stabs like good little soldiers."

    Severus’s nose wrinkled in disdain, his shackles rattling as he gestured dramatically.

    "Bah. Useless. Predictable. Basic." He scoffed. "Anyone with a knife and a little muscle memory can stab someone. But that’s not assassination—that’s butchery."

    He grinned wickedly, his teeth flashing in the dimly lit room.

    "To make it, you simply need the venom glands of a Six-Toothed Viper and the sap of a Moonshade Plant. The venom paralyzes, while the sap accelerates its spread through the body. A perfect combination."

    He licked his lips.

    "One scratch, and the enemy won’t even have time to realize they’re already a corpse."

    The students swallowed hard, shifting uneasily as they realized just how deadly the knowledge being imparted was.

    But Severus wasn’t done.

    His grin deepened as he reached for another vial, this one filled with a clear, colorless liquid.

    "Now, if instant death is too... uncreative for you, let me introduce something a bit more fun—Widow’s Embrace."

    Unlike before, he handled this vial with reverence, almost affection, like a treasured possession.

    "This little beauty is a delayed poison. Odorless. Tasteless. Undetectable in food or drink."

    He tilted the vial, watching the liquid swirl.

    "The victim consumes it... and for the next 22 hours, they feel nothing. Not a single symptom. No dizziness, no nausea, no warning signs."

    His voice dropped to a whisper.

    "But then... the final two hours arrive. And that’s when the fun begins."

    He sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest as if overcome by the beauty of his own creation.

    "The pain starts subtly at first. A slight burning in the stomach. Then it spreads. Within ten minutes, it feels like their organs are liquefying. Their body overheats, their veins rupture, and their nerves set ablaze—and all they can do is scream."

    Severus chuckled darkly.

    "Oh, and before you ask—no antidote. There is no cure to it after 20 hours when it’s completely absorbed into the bloodstream.

    If detected early, you can use high level healing magic to prevent it from taking effect and then slowly removing it.

    However, if the effects kick in, then by the time the prey realizes something is wrong. It’s already too late to save them."

    His eyes flicked over the class, lingering on their expressions—some pale, others outright horrified.

    "Now, who wants to learn how to make it?"

    Silence.

    Then, reluctantly, a few hands rose.

    Leo, however, had already been taking notes, as he raised his hand eagerly.

    Using poisons did not seem like his style, as he felt like he was more of a front-line no-nonsense fighter, however, having knowledge on the topic did not seem to be a bad thing either, as he absorbed every word coming out of Severus’s mouth like a sponge.

    So far, this was turning out to be his favorite class yet, as although he was doing nothing but taking notes in this class, it was by far the most informative and practical of all the other theory subjects that he studied.