Is there a cap or stop on skill improvements in the Academy?

I'll spare you the log, but here are the details.

Considered:
A small ooze elemental seems like it would be a perfect match!
A small ooze elemental is larger than you.
It looks very disinterested.

General Rounds of Combat (Excerpt):

You parry a small ooze elemental's caustic slime.
Your pierce hits a small ooze elemental.
A small ooze elemental is covered with bleeding wounds.

A small ooze elemental's caustic slime misses you.
You dodge a small ooze elemental's caustic slime.
Your pierce misses a small ooze elemental.
A small ooze elemental is gushing blood.

A small ooze elemental's caustic slime misses you.
A small ooze elemental parries your pierce.
A small ooze elemental is writhing in agony.

Almost 300 rounds to kill this thing once. I fought it 2 times like this, so ~600 rounds of combat and not a single improvement to aim, or weapons that are at 77%,76, and 38%. My Int was 17.

RNG can't be THAT bad.

If you miss, your weapon wont improve.

Not that I'm aware of.

n/t

Then again, I think character time is a factor in learning.
And you start at 0 hours. So maybe that is part of it?

Edit: Clarifying what I meant.