"So...."
"Yes, dear Lucas?"
The Madame was waiting for me in my room, reading a book as always. There were a lot of things I thought to ask on the way here, but I drew a blank when I looked at her.
"I'm leaving huh?"
"Indeed."
"Am I ready?"
"No," the madame closed her book with a thud, "None who set out into the world are truly prepared for what lies in store."
"Oh" that kind of killed my mood a little.
"A month is given to you," she walked towards me, "you have ample time to prepare yourself. Make the most the fairy's realm."
She tapped me on my head before walking down the hallway.
"Look lively Lucas, you shall have a visitor joining you soon."
"Huh?"
+++
So, I was informed by Cecily that close combat training and language classes has been added to my already busy schedule. I was initially confused about the language classes but apparently my translator from Interface was not completely perfect.
It auto corrected Emma to Emmy, so I've been accidently calling her by the wrong nickname this entire time.
"Emma I'm so sorry about that."
"Haha, no worries. I didn't mind."
Furthermore, since units of time and measurements were different here it would appear that I say really weird things like
"Oh yeah is lunch going to be in 12.034 minutes or so?" as just an example. After being informed I understood and went to studying with my translator turned off.
Speaking of Interface, I haven't really interacted with it much since lessons have been so hectic, and the Angel's Record has been repeatedly showing me blank pages. I got some off time tonight since my arm is recharging so let's just take a look at what has changed.
[Lucas Li/Level 15 Human/ Physical: 6 (-1) / Mana: 4 / Spiritual: 6/Adjustable]
[Interface Skills (4/4):
Background Information: Level 2/
Danger Sensing: Level 2/
Lightning Cannon Interface: N/A/
Self-Access: Level 1]
[Regular Skills (2/3): Thundering Fury: Level 2/ Special Mana Circuit: N/A]
Through repeated usage of mana, I have notably increased my mana value by 3 and my spiritual by 1, physical also went up by 1 presumably from just being healthy.
I was also informed that my self-access skill can only be used when I had at least 10 points in a single stat.
So, its unusable, nice going me.
Speaking of poor decisions, my weird arm also takes up both an interface skill slot and a regular skill slot. Not really sure it's worth it to be honest....
But it is what it is.
"Hey... wait a minute."
[State: Poisoned]
"What in tarnation why am I still poisoned? It's been more than three months already." I cry, audibly concerned.
[Poison: Unknown]
I'll have to check in with the madame pretty soon, but for the meantime...
"What you got for me Angel's Record?"
{Our Hero trains his body and mind to withstand his newfound powers}
{You may use 'Chains of Light'}
{You may use 'Lightning Influx'}
I received 'Lightning Influx' after the whole fairy circle shenanigan but otherwise nothing has changed for the better part of three months. That skill is a bit more mundane than 'Chains of Light', only giving me a surge of mana, but a very very large surge, so much so that the power is dangerous if not unleashed in seconds.
The bigger problem with the skills off the Angel's Record is their staggering once per month usage.
Talk about an expensive time cost sheesh. Let's just get some sleep for now.
+++
"So, Emma, when you said I was getting a sparring partner you didn't mean..." I was outside the Sanctuary in a designed meadow that Cecily cleared out for us, and the Madame enchanted; this was where I usually practiced any magic that wasn't my arm cannon.
"Hello Manolor." A familiar red girl stood facing me on the opposite end of the field, she was bigger than I remember and her hair much longer. Her wings were gone but her other insectoid features remained.
"Sister, you said you would behave yourself!" Emma whizzed around her ears.
"Right right, Lucas, was it?" She brought out a wooden training blade from her back and twirled it before readying a stance, "Let's have a good match, shall we?"
"Yeah su-"
She gave me a prankster like grin before she disappeared.
I barely managed to bring my own sword up in time before I was hit.
THUNK.
The force of the impact smacked me straight out of the ring, and I hit a tree with a thud.
"Sister be gentle! He's a beginner." Emma flew over to help me.
"Sorry sorry." she raised up her hands in surrender, "I thought since he was that strong at magic, he'd be good enough to withstand a basic charge."
She was underestimating me, and I wasn't about to take it sitting down.
"Thanks Emma, but I still got some fight left in me." I brushed her aside gently and got back into the ring, Ruby had already taken her position at the opposite side.
Interface, if you will.
[Ruby/ Level 21 ???-???/ ???/ Physical: 1 (+24)/ Mana: 15 (-12)/ Spiritual: 3]
What in tarnation is that?
Excuse me? Did you say 25 Physical? You've got to be kidding me.
I took my place, staring that monster head on.
"Why don't you strike first this time?" she twirled the wooden sword in her hand while looking distracted, clearly not taking this seriously.
I should take advantage of this moment.
[Thundering Fury Active: status condition removed]
Huh, or not.
"I'd rather not." I responded, being very wary.
She looked at me with genuine surprised before catching her sword midair: "Fine. Let's have it your way."
She disappeared again.
I brought my sword up to defend.
THWACK.
Her blade hit me cleanly on my sides while I looked like an idiot trying to defend against an overhead strike. I fell over at the force of the strike.
"Was that weak enough for you?" she mocked me while standing over me.
I gathered myself before launching my blade at her.
It didn't hit of course, she blocked it cleanly with her own.
"Oh? Looks like you missed your mark." she smirked, still smiling at me with that irritating grin.
"Hah... hah... When will you learn" A crackle of electricity surged up my left arm, "that I don't miss!"
A bright light blinded me before I realized I had scorched my blade into an unusable condition. Thankfully the training blade acted as a makeshift wand, so I didn't take too much backlash from the spell.
"Oh! A clever trick."
Unfortunately, Ruby didn't seem phased at all.
Thwack.
A light swing set me flying yet again. Emma rushed over to help me again and as I raised my head, I could barely see her leaning her chin on her sword.
"Hmm, that's strange the others have told me how frightening your power is. Why is it that your spell was so weak just now?" she asked.
I sat up a bit while Emma healed me.
"The right arm is strong, that's about it." I clumsily lifted up my right arm, it was covered by my sleeves at the moment, but she should be able to see my blue hand that was covered in strange patterns.
"I see." she looked rather deep in thought.
Until she walked towards me, blade in hand.
"Woah woah, hold on I surrender." I scrambled to get away, "You're not going to kill me for what happened in the bestiary right?"
If she was holding a grudge this might get ugly, I'm not sure how strong Emma was but 25 physical was a lot of physical.
"That was what the first hit was for. Emma, can you give us a while? I want to have a moment alone."
"No wait Emma don't leave me, she's going to murder me in cold blood."
Emma giggled a bit before replying to me. "It's okay Lucas, I don't sense any ill intent." she said before flying off.
...
We stare at each other in silence for a brief second.
Until a flash of red light blinded me. She had transformed into the small form of a fairy; red butterfly wings framed her tiny figure.
"Do you," she turned to show me her wings, "remember this?"
I could see a distinct marking on her forewing. A blemish of deep red.
"Ah, was it from when I stained your wing with blood? I apologize for that."
She flew close to me.
"Please. Don't apologize." she hovered in front of my face, hesitating for some reason before turned to me.
"When.... when I fell from the observation deck, and you caught me. I could feel your rage and frustration. It was harsh, reflecting your desire to harm and repay unto us the unfairness that had been done to you." She began.
"But stronger than that was your desire to save a life. Despite all we did.... all I did, you did not want to harm me. Your kindness was pure and powerful, something you carry with you even through blinding rage." She leaned her tiny hands on the tip of my nose.
"I just wanted to say.... thank you."
She gave me a light, quick kiss on the nose, before hovering back and giving me a smile.
"Emma come out, I know you're hiding nearby." she accused the bush on my left.
"Ah come on Ruby, you can't blame me for wanting to see a fairy's kiss." Emma appeared out of nowhere and gave me a thumbs up.
"Ugh, of course I had to give it to a Manolor like him." Ruby sighed.