Dealer of Desire Lv. 21
Dealer of Desire Lv. 22
As I opened my eyes, there was a text in front of me. I had leveled up, gaining two levels.
It is my first level-up, since my class upgraded. I had thought I would level up in the month seeing the things I had done, but I didn't.
Powerful the class is, the harder it is to level it up.
I didn't get a skill, but got attribute points. I had decided not to use them immediately. I am not sure about them and wouldn't be using, them before giving them some serious thought.
A moment later, I closed the window and looked at the clock.
It is dawn.
Usually, I woke up, before dawn, but yesterday, I had slept late. I had only slept for three and a half hours.
I would have slept more, but I am excited about my training session with the Ser Schegen. I should have delayed it for a day, but I didn't want to waste even a single day of this opportunity.
I got up from the bed and freshened up, before changing into the training clothes and walking out of my room.
When I reached the training ring, there was no one. So, I begin to stretch.
Hun!
I had just finished it when I saw him coming exactly at six, as he had said he would.
"You seemed excited, Lord Silver," said the old man as he stopped.
"I am Sir Schegan. I have dreamed about this opportunity since I was a child." I replied, truthfully.
"I heard you were training to be an imperial knight, before changing the path suddenly?" He asked as he walked toward the weapon rack and picked up the spear.
"Yes, I experienced something, that forced me to think about the path, more clearly," I replied.
The old man didn't say anything other than smile before stepping on the ring.
"I have a skill that will let me lower my attributes' strength to yours," he informed. It is him asking the permission, as skills like this would require the permission of the other party.
"Ok," I said, and immediately I felt the skill on me.
After a moment of hesitation, I let the skill scan my attribute and could a faint surprise appear in the eyes of the old man, for a moment.
I am higher leveled than an average person of my age, and my attributes are also strong thanks to my main class. It could be said that my current strength is slightly higher than the average Lv. 20 warriors.
It is thanks to the upgrade of the main class, which had increased the weight of the attributes.
"Come at me with everything you have. Use every skill and technique, don't hold back anything." He spoke.
"As you wish," I replied.
The next second, I appeared in front of him with the Rapid Steps and attacked with the Swift Blade and Weighted Strike.
He didn't move for a fraction of a second and when did, his spear moved at a slow speed, I was confident that my sword would be able to avoid the attack rather easily, but I remained cautious, seeing I was not sparring with a normal person.
Still, despite all the caution, I was not able to stop the old man from doing what he did.
Clack!
His slow spear had reached my sword really fast and hit the handle of my rapier, with the tip of his spear, without touching my hand.
Clatter!
There were barely two centimeters of distance between my hand and quillon, but the tip of his spear hit that space, touching my hand. Giving such a shock to my arm, that rapier flew away from my grip and clattered to the ground.
I am shocked.
I am not shocked because he was able to do that or didn't use his skills to achieve that, but shocked because of how easily he did it.
It felt like it didn't take any effort from him at all, despite his strength being the same as mine. I knew I was not his match despite the same strength, but I didn't think, he would be able to do that, with such ease.
In just one move, he had crushed all the confidence I had in me.
"You have left a big opening, anyone skillful enough would have exploited that and cut your arm apart," he said.
"It was a small opening," I said, feeling embarrassed as I picked up my sword. "Sometimes, it is enough for the enemies to exploit," he replied.
Clatter.
I nodded and went to him again and once again; he used the same move. His spear came at my sword and, being careful, I tried to avoid it, but it hit the handle and the rapier clattered on the floor.
"You can not close all openings. So, you have to take control of them and use them to your advantage," he advised.
Once again, I attacked. His spear effortlessly hit the hand, and it clattered on the ring, despite me gripping at it tightly.
It happened four more times before I tried to use a different approach.
"Your spear is too slow. It won't be able to hit my sword this time." I said with the full power of Persuasion. I couldn't use the skills full power, combat scenario, with it being an administrative skill.
Still, I have been able to bring quite a lot of power. More, than I had, when I was fighting on the ship. I have been practicing it by using it in combat with instructors David and Jon.
For a fraction moment, it seemed to work, seeing how his spear seemed to slow down.
Clatter!
I got happy too quickly and once again, my sword was clattered on the ring.
"It is a powerful skill, and you have used it well. They might work on the normal enemies, but it won't work on me," he said with a smile.
He is clearly advising me not to use such attacks on him, not because he is angry or doesn't like them, but because they are useless.
He might have an attribute the same as me, but that doesn't mean, my skill would work on him, that would have worked on the people of my strength.
If he has what I heard, he has. Then even if the Persuasive, is far stronger than this, it wouldn't have affected him much.
So, I should focus on conventional attacks.
I picked up my sword attack and once again it clattered on the floor. I did it again, and it clattered. I used different techniques, but every time, my sword would clatter on the ground.
It was very irritating that I wanted to howl in frustration, but I controlled myself and kept attacking after picking up my sword. Without care of anything, especially my wrist.
It is hurting. The shock is felt before the sword is released from my hand.
Thwack!
It continued till, the forty-ninth attack, when the blade of his spear, finally clashed against the blade of my rapier.
Seeing that, a big smile appeared on my face, and I wanted to cry, but instead, I smiled with relief.
"This is the correct form. It gives the enemy less space to attack, while you a control over the opening," he said.
I looked at the form and was immediately surprised.
To others, the form wouldn't look much different, but to me. It is very different from my usual, more comfortable with much greater freedom to act against the enemy's attacks.
The old man should have told me, but he let me find it myself.
"Now, the next step," he said and moved his spear, locked with my sword, and tapped on my chest with its tip.
It is not like; I didn't try to stop it. I did, but his spear had avoided that easily.
Seeing the look on his face, I know it will be another frustrating round, but I am looking forward to it. I need to improve myself and this old man is my best chance, no matter how frustrating his methods are.
Our two hours passed painfully, and we had finally stopped.
When I looked at myself, I couldn't help but get surprised. My training clothes are clean, and not every movement of mine is giving me pain.
Yes, there are a few points that are giving me some pain, like my wrist and chest, but they are not feeling as painful as they do when I train with Jon or instructor David.
"Thank you for the lesson, Sir Schegan," I said and bowed slightly to the old man, while the old man smiled before opening his mouth.
"You are very talented, Lord Silver, but this talent is also your weakness. Talented ones pick things up quickly and not always good things,"
"You, Lord Silver, have fought against the mediocre enemies and learned some mediocre things. Once you remove them, your strength will increase drastically," he said.
I am surprised. I had not thought he would say something like it, because I have been thinking the opposite.
I had thought I had improved fighting those strong enemies. I felt my technique was improving, becoming more efficient. Jon and instructor David had said the same, but the old man saying the opposite.
I didn't want to believe him and wouldn't until I became sure of it myself, but I will train under him.
"I have to say, I am surprised, Sir Schegan," I said, and the old man grinned without saying anything.
I got off the ring and was about to invite him for breakfast when Stone stepped forward.
"Sir Schegen, I would be really grateful. If you sparred with me," said Stone, surprising me, but I didn't say anything and turned to Sir Schegan.
"Sure, but you will have to use, that elder-blood strength to fight against me," said the old man.
The expression on Stone's face turned a little hesitant, upon hearing that.
I am not surprised; he knows about Stone's elder blood. I am sure he had done his research before coming here.
"It is not a power I could bring out with will. It only came out, when I am in danger or desperate condition," he said, and the old man nodded.
"You are in the process of awakening it. Only, fully awakened, control that power at will," he said and took out a red enchanted spear from his pocket.
"Let's see if this old man, could put enough pressure on you to bring out that elder-blood power," he added.
Stone grinned as he took out his big sword and stepped into the ring.
I wanted to object, seeing them using a real weapon. Instead, I had enveloped the area surrounding the ring with even denser mist. Seeing that, Zela enveloped the entire area in a privacy spell.
Now nobody would hear what was happening.
"Use everything you have," said the old man, and Stone nodded and went toward the old man at a speed, that is blurring to my eyes.
Thankfully, the attack of the old man was slow enough that I could see it and like how he did against me, he used his spear slowly toward the coming sword.
Rip!
A moment later, I heard the ripping sound and saw the long red line from Stone's chest to stomach.
I nearly screamed but stopped noticing the wound was not as serious as it looked. It is deep enough to draw blood, but not deep enough. It couldn't be healed quickly with potion and spell.
It needs serious control to achieve such a feat.
Stone looked at the wound and launched another attack, and immediately got another wound on his chest and the second after that, one on the arm.
He didn't stop attacking, despite every attack giving him a new wound. Within seconds, the bloody shirt was torn to pieces and fell to the ground.
He didn't seem to care as he continued to go against the old man.
Gasp!
Seconds passed when suddenly, a loud gasp rang out. Stopping the spar momentarily.
Carla and Margaux walked through the mist, and their eyes were wide with shock and horror.
"This," said Margaux, with a shaking voice, seeing Stone's bloody body. Maybe calling them here was a bad idea.
"Relax, the injuries aren't as serious as they look," I said, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. "He is completely bloody, and you are saying, the injuries are not series?" asked Carla in horror.
I opened my mouth, but Zela spoke before me.
"They are not, Miss Carla. They are superficial enough that, I would be able to heal them with my spell." She said, and her words seemed to make them feel better.
At the same moment, the spar resumed, and they swallowed all other questions as they watched the battle with horrified eyes.
I couldn't blame them for feeling what they were feeling. They hadn't had much experience with battles. Obviously, such a scene would feel horrific.
Seconds passed, and Stone began to receive injury after injury, turning even his legs bloody. That I had started to get worried, and even Zela began to get worried.
When finally, the thing, we were all waiting to happen, happened.
The bronze light begins to come out through the blood. As it did, Stone's speed became faster, and his strength reached higher.
Clang!
Finally, the old man clashed his spear against his sword, before giving him another bloody cut and then another and then another.
It seemed like, he wanted to make Stone angry. Telling him, that even his elder blood is nothing.
He achieved that because the faint bronze light coming out of Stone's body flared. Making him even stronger, that I begin to have a problem, seeing anything but a blur.
Clang Clang Clang
The real clash begins, and all saw was sparks of their clash, as they moved across the ring. It is the Stone that is moving; the old man had remained on his spot, without moving an inch.
Stone wants to reach closer to the old man, but the spear will always keep him away.
I wish I could see the battle more clearly, but I couldn't. Though I am recording it and will watch it later.
Thud!
The clash continued for more than an hour, when it suddenly stopped, with Stone collapsing on the ring.
Gasp!
Zela went to him first, casting healing spells on him. They also removed the blood, revealing the injuries that made them gasp again, but soon they calmed down, seeing how they were knitting together.
Many of them were already healed, thanks to Stone's elder blood.
I looked at Stone and was surprised to see him conscious, albeit barely. The previous times, he used his elder blood power. He had fallen unconscious.
"You are good, Mr. Stone, far better than what I heard about you. I really hope, you will survive the awakening when it happens," said Sir Schegan, putting a small smile on Stone's tired face.