The training sessions that followed quickly devolved into one-sided beatdowns.
No matter how hard Faust tried, he always ended up getting kicked around like a stray dog by Mistoria.
As for her stats... Mistoria never used power beyond his comprehension.
Every training session with the Elven Martial Saint left Faust feeling like victory was just within reach, yet it always slipped through his fingers.
Meeting a legendary elven hero by pure chance, her martial arts monstrously powerful, unable to overcome her despite giving it everything!
Loss after loss left Faust nearly numb to it all. Whatever small sense of superiority he'd had about being "somewhat elite" was completely ground away.
What's more, this teacher was nothing like the prince's previous sword instructors. Thanks to his status, they neither would nor could actually beat on Faust.
Even the king, given his physical condition, wouldn't strike his adopted son too hard. In fact, the king had never intended to turn Faust into a warrior in the first place.
But Mistoria truly held nothing back. Fists and feet, swords and staves, she beat Faust until he wanted to die.
Yet on closer inspection, these were only minor injuries. What kind of advanced technique was this?
If Faust didn't genuinely have no grudge against her, His Highness would think this Elven Martial Saint was settling some personal score.
Any ordinary pampered noble brat would've collapsed long ago under such brutal treatment.
"To master supreme martial arts, one must endure pain that ordinary people cannot..."
But Faust just happened to be exceptionally good at taking punishment. He showed up to get beaten every single day without fail, never once complaining or begging for mercy.
Even Mistoria had remarked more than once, "It seems besides being good-looking, your willpower is pretty impressive too."
One week, two weeks, three weeks... this masochistic training continued for a full month.
He didn't know if it was his imagination, but as time went on, Faust felt himself getting stronger.
Though he still couldn't beat Mistoria, he could now barely handle the elven mentor's counterattacks.
From blocking one move, to exchanging several rounds, to fighting hard for ten minutes before going down, the progress was visible.
Faust naturally assumed the elven mentor was going easy on him.
"Not at all. I never hold back."
However, Mistoria flatly denied it. "Even with students, I'm serious. Slacking off and underestimating your opponent in battle is disrespectful."
That was strange then. Faust's path was [Sovereign Ruler].
One-sided beatings wouldn't increase path experience no matter what, and His Highness absolutely couldn't grow stronger from this.
[It's not an illusion. You really have gotten stronger.]
Just as Faust was puzzling over it, Mephisto provided a timely explanation.
[It just won't show up in the technique you use to check your own status, because your path experience in 'Sovereign Ruler' hasn't actually increased. What you've gained is experience in 'Martial Saint.']
[Speaking in terms of raw power, among the many humans I've seen, this elf isn't particularly strong, but the mystical properties she's condensed are quite rare.
Put together, she becomes the perfect instructor, though she hasn't realized it herself.]
Faust's eyes lit up. "Oh? What property is so incredible? I've never heard of it."
Mystical properties were summaries of past experiences and achievements, what distinguished each transcendent being.
People on the same path might have vastly different power levels simply due to different mystical properties.
To some extent, mystical properties represented most of one's strength.
[Want to see? Faust, how could I not satisfy your curiosity?]
As Mephisto's words fell, the relevant property information appeared in Faust's mind.
[Mirror Heart]
[Your eyes perceive weaknesses, your mind is flawless, no longer troubled by illusions and distractions]
[In battle, you can read your opponent's movements and intentions]
[Sanctified Flesh]
[Countless days and nights of rigorous practice and discipline have borne fruit. You possess a body trained to absolute perfection]
[You can freely control and reproduce physical information]
[Reached the Ultimate]
[Through long refinement and grueling training, your soul and body have achieved perfect balance, every move contains complete mastery]
[Your attacks carry effects that shake both soul and body]
...
"These are... Teacher Mistoria's mystical properties?"
Faust browsed through them, nearly crying with envy.
Though he knew the Elven Martial Saint was overpowered as a legendary hero, seeing these mystical properties laid out, who wouldn't be jealous?
No wonder Mistoria could dial her power down to his level and still toy with him effortlessly. With these properties, the Elven Martial Saint didn't need to think at all.
Basic attacks dealt massive damage, regular attacks hurt like hell.
Stats? Check. Mechanics? Check. Skill? Check.
Total package of strength and beauty, through and through.
Faust wasn't too familiar with the [Mage] system, but for the [Hero] path, these properties could probably stand at the very top.
"Truly worthy of a legendary hero, but what does this have to do with being a teacher?"
After marveling at the elven mentor's power, Faust returned to the main question, confused.
I've seen the stats and been properly awed, but where's the part about being suited as a teacher?
Among Mistoria's mystical properties, he didn't see any teaching enhancement abilities.
[Among talented humans, condensing one of the three great mystical properties she's formed is normal, condensing two is quite rare, and condensing all three, even in my memory, I can count them on one hand.]
[Therefore, I know these three properties have a synergistic effect that almost no one knows about.]
Mephisto explained in detail to Faust why they'd chosen Mistoria.
[Sanctified Flesh] at mastery saves one's physical information, maintaining an extremely balanced and stable state.
[Mirror Heart's] mind-reading effect makes opponents far below Mistoria's level almost completely defenseless against her.
And the striking effect of [Reached the Ultimate] was the method Mistoria used to make Faust experience pain.
But beyond that, due to the overwhelming gap, [Reached the Ultimate] could easily shake and alter Faust's body.
What it transmitted wasn't just excruciating pain, but also... her own physical information.
[Each of her strikes inputs her perfect physical information into your body.
You're continuously receiving a Martial Saint's battle-hardened combat techniques and experience.]
[Even if you haven't walked this path and can't condense corresponding mystical properties from it, the most basic physical enhancement and combat instincts aren't affected.]
In other words, Faust only needed to get thoroughly beaten by Mistoria to grow stronger.