With Conrad's words, Valian attacked once again. Deep down, he was fully experiencing a truth he had already known internally.
He swung a kick from the left. Conrad stepped back slightly and gently pushed the incoming kick downward with his hand before retaliating with a kick aimed at Valian's exposed abdomen. Valian grinned, blocked the kick with his elbow, then used the momentum from his original kick to spin and counterattack with the same elbow that had blocked earlier.
Conrad simply retreated, because he already knew how every attack and block would unfold.
"When blocking and dodging, it would be good for you to learn how to avoid the biggest attacks with the smallest possible movement," he said.
Valian let out a light breath, placed a hand on his chin, and started thinking.
"He barely used any nen in that kick. The speed and force behind the attack were much lower than I expected."
"I know we're practicing, but while I'm using nearly half my strength, he's moving as if he's sparring with a child."
Valian did not blame Conrad for this behavior. He was simply trying to rationalize it to stop himself from feeling bad.
The fact that Conrad could spar with him using such little power showed just how massive the gap between them truly was.
After practicing similar attacks and defensive exchanges for a while longer, Conrad smiled.
"Now, I want you to use your nen ability and attack me that way."
"As practice, there's another thing I want you to do. While using your nen ability and attacking me, I want you to verbally mutter what you're doing and why you're doing it."
Valian thought for a moment.
"Why would I need to do something like that?" he asked.
Conrad raised a finger.
"Explaining your own ability to yourself during combat will expose the simplest weaknesses and flaws you aren't consciously aware of."
"At the same time, it'll teach you to assume your opponent is also an intelligent and powerful nen user. If you can explain your own actions and understand exactly what you're doing, then an opponent who's smarter and more experienced than you will also understand almost everything you're revealing."
"This way, you'll gain the perspective of seeing which behaviors, techniques, attacks, and timings your opponent is also capable of recognizing," he said.
Valian grinned and nodded.
"You're confusing me, but you're also making sense..." he said.
"I'll do it."
After speaking, Valian raised his hand. The nen around him instantly intensified and began gathering into his palm within seconds.
"Medical Miracle, Form: Needle of the Medical Angel," he whispered.
As he whispered those words, a massive needle around 2.5 meters long materialized in his hand, its middle section extremely thin.
"This is my ability, the Needle of the Medical Angel..."
"It's considered the first form of Medical Miracle."
Conrad nodded and swiftly grabbed the cane he had left in the corner of the training area.
"Good..."
"I already told you how to attack."
Valian took a deep breath. The moment he stepped forward, he appeared before Conrad at a far greater speed and seriousness than before and swung the giant needle. Conrad casually blocked it with his cane.
"I started the battle with a simple attack using my needle..."
"If I can draw even a single drop of blood from my opponent, I can both transform into Form 2 and activate the special ability of the Needle of the Medical Angel, 'Blood Draining Disease,'" he muttered.
Conrad stepped back with a smile on his face and spoke.
"Any experienced nen user, if their opponent uses some kind of needle... would understand that one of the concepts associated with needles is 'blood,' and they would avoid getting wounded," he said.
Valian paused for a moment before responding with a huge grin.
"Now I understand better what you meant."
"I'm not actually muttering my own actions. I'm reading my opponent's thoughts and analyzing their reactions to my behavior."
Conrad smiled.
"Bingo!"
Valian focused once more and resumed attacking.
"Blood Draining Disease is the sole special ability of the Needle of the Medical Angel. After taking my opponent's blood, within ten seconds the opponent develops a 'Level One' disease. Every ten seconds, the disease level increases exponentially, causing effects such as weakness and loss of concentration."
"Once the ability activates, every attack that draws blood multiplies the effect."
"If I manage to wound an opponent ten times, as long as I can continue drawing even small amounts of blood, I can practically destroy almost all of their strength within sixty seconds..." he muttered.
Conrad already knew how the ability worked.
While completing the conditions required for Valian to join the group, Valian had explained everything.
Still, listening to it during combat was enjoyable, and at the same time it was helping Conrad improve as well.
Valian attacked five, ten, many times, but almost every attack was easily blocked by Conrad's cane.
"Fighting with a 2.5 meter needle is extremely difficult. You need much more practice and training in that regard."
"Especially if your opponent is a weapon user, like a swordsman, things become even harder."
"Because although the natural properties of the needle partially ignore defensive nen, it becomes mostly useless as long as it's blocked," Conrad said.
Valian nodded.
"I know... That's why I added the condition I mentioned to you," he said.
After Valian spoke, his words caused Conrad to smile.
Valian's Needle of the Medical Angel could inflict various effects on opponents through wounds and blood, but just as Conrad had said, if the opponent was capable of using a weapon, the wounding aspect could be completely negated through blocking.
For situations like this, Valian had a different limitation and condition.
The Needle of the Medical Angel possessed only a single ability, but if Valian used the needle on himself for a period of time in a self-harming manner and accepted the negative effects produced by that usage onto himself, a state of continuous empowerment born from constant weakening would emerge.