And once again, Stephan realized reality was different than games. He tried to copy one of his movements when he was the Legend but he got everything wrong. His sceptre flew everywhere and at some point, it stuck on a tree. Mike observed the whole act, thinking the boy wanted to light the atmosphere between them since they started at the wrong foot. The knight just looked at the scene in front of him in a daze. After the sword laid on the ground for an hour, Stephan was just swinging the damn object everywhere.
"But I know how to do it, how come this useless body doesn't do anything?"
"Can I ask you something?" Mike finally decided to talk. He had his arms crossed over his chest watching the show while holding his laughter.
"Don't you see I am busy?" Stephan hissed.
"Suuure! But I really want to ask you something. It's important."
"I don't want to. I need to know how to make this body function and obey my will."
"Still, you didn't hear what I have to say. It's really important."
Stephan stopped swinging the object and turned his eyes to Mike who had a stern face. "I'd like to keep it that way. It probably just involves what you said earlier or something about what I do. But I promise, once I will get the hang of it, you will thank me."
"But you are just swinging that thing repeatedly doing the same thing. It's the same of what I was doing. It's just that the weapon is different."
"Look, I overlooked the offence and tried to stay polite. I didn't have a choice in this whole matter."
"Yeah, you said that earlier."
"No, really!! Do you understand what I said? It was a damn ride," he narrowed his eyes. "I don't expect you to understand. Anyway, I think you should do it while I give the instructions. Can you use mana?"
"I am not at that level yet. My mana is so low, that's why I am still a recruit considered new."
"So judging by what you said, all your peers graduated while you just stayed a minor."
"My peers all died."
Stephan looked to the left side then the right in the end he fixed his eyes on the man. "That's sad!" No concern in his voice. "Anyway, the idea I have is of an attack. If you succeed in doing it, you will be able to use the little bit of mana you have, who knows? Maybe you will graduate."
"Are you a performer? Because it feels like you are buying my head. Furthermore, those clothes are so poor that you can't be a mage. Even apprentices have good ones. Yours are more like the ones the beggars wear at Valtrar and by the way, they live in the suburbs."
"Are you implying that I am one? That's why you are an idiot! You cannot recognize a great one when you see one. Well, I don't blame you since you are still struggling. So now, do you want to try what I want you to do or pack the whole thing and throw it away?"
Mike raised his hands in surrender then grabbed the sword. Stephan explained the principle of the attack in detail. It made Mike somehow regret his attempt to ridicule him earlier. The attack pattern was one that belonged to an old human knight that specialized in the water attribute. The normal attack was performed using six consecutive strikes.
Mainly, the attack pattern was created for knights who used double sword attacks. Swinging both swords in cross-shaped stance until the last one that was in the form of a slash doing it while joining both weapons into one whole lance with two heads. Stephan's idea was to practice the first part, which was to try three consecutive normal attacks then by the end the slash.
"Therefore, you want me to be a double-sword knight."
"Isn't it tempting? Double-sword users are good and adaptable," Stephan was speaking from experience. Legend of the Past was a unique game that allowed him to understand that being a normal mage wasn't good enough; it was better to try and make the other areas good as well. For example, most mages didn't work on their agility because they were confident their barrier would protect them. However, it was more beneficial to be agile that have a barrier that could be shattered and the hit would touch you ending in death while simply agility would allow the fighter to move freely and cast the attacks faster.
"Valtrar doesn't need really those kinds of knights. In fact, double-sword users are usually shamed because there was no fighting art suitable for it. It is a waste of time."
"Then try what I say. What I gave you is genuine. Though I don't have enough strength now, I will be able to do it once I train enough. You just have to translate what I said into actions and practice hard."
"You miss one thing, mister apprentice mage," Mike sheathed his sword. "Cultivating mana needs a unique way to do so. We all have a mana core and the color defines the strength of the spells. You need to understand this little bit. My core is of no color."
"I know. That's why I said to practice it. I am giving you something that you might use for the future. I didn't demand you to perfect it now."
"Why?"
"Because you are the second person that talked to me in years. Of course, the second one that didn't do anything weird," he raised an eyebrow. "Accept it if you want, I don't care what you do with it. However, if you are able to materialize it, you will have a great standing in Valtrar. You said so yourself; the double-sword fighting style doesn't have any book explaining whatever you called it."
For a moment, Stephan thought he would be found out. The system helped him with the mana thing but he didn't know anything about cultivating it. He sighed in relief once Mike resumed his way back to the cup, feeling the blessing would turn off soon. He needed to charge it before it completely dried out.