*****
Uwah~ The sun's so bright today. Another amazing chance to practice magic and exercise!
I know there's something more that I'm missing. [Enhance] is a great ability. It can enhance my body or something I'm holding, but I think there's another level or two I haven't reached.
Although, my mom wouldn't be happy with me practicing magic instead of doing my chores. So maybe… I'll do those first. Before practicing. Not because I'm scared of Mother! No. Me? A mighty Minotaur?! Hahaha.
Oh, goodness, she's behind me again, isn't she? Because, for some reason, I've been hearing a suspicious amount of breathing from behind me. So either I have nostrils on the back of my head, or someone is staring at me menacingly.
After receiving a scolding and maybe a beating, not that I could ever be beaten, but if I did, it was because I allowed it. I finished my chores before testing multiple different things about magic, specifically [Enhance].
I've learned that the better understanding I have of whatever I'm enhancing, the better it enhances. Instead of enhancing my arm, if I enhance my bones, muscles, and skin, then it'll have an even greater effect.
With weapons, I didn't need complex knowledge of their materials to enhance them stronger than before. But, I learned I could change the shapes of the weapons I create from magic.
My Bo-Staff can become longer and thicker from enhancement, but not harder.
People can create weapons through using magic. If I increase my magic capabilities and learn more about weapons and their materials. Then maybe I could produce better weapons. I'll have to look into it later on.
While I have improved my magic and [Enhance], I believe I'm missing something.
"Nevrim, are you sure about this?" My father questioned my suggestion. It's not like he was scared. I was different from other minotaurs. He just didn't wish to hurt me.
"Stop worrying! It'll only be hand-to-hand combat. I'm tougher than I look, okay?" It's kind of annoying to be continuously looked down on by everyone.
Minotaurs are supposed to be hulking beasts. Most of them were 3-5 meters tall with massive muscles. Meanwhile, I was barely over 5 feet tall. 5"1. Shorter than some human females! It's because of my unique race variance.
[Status]
Name: Nevrim
Race: Minotaur: Vistra (A battle magician variance)
Class: ?????
Sex: Male
Level: 12
Hp: 475/475 Mana:700/1000
Stats: Str 40, Agi 40, Mag 55, Vit 30, Per(ception) 35
Skills: Decay, Enhance, Darkness, and Gaze of the Queen of Decay and Darkness.
Decay: rots/withers what caster comes in contact with.
Enhance: enhances capabilities of caster/wielded weapons.
Darkness: Swallows target's vision in darkness: blind effect.
Gaze of the Queen of Decay and Darkness: Intimidates living organisms around the caster. The weak will faint. Can also induce blindness and decaying effects depending on intent.
I'm a magician Minotaur. But I'm a close-range magician with physical skills like enhance.
I wasn't challenging my father because I thought I could win. He's a battle-hardened veteran. There's no chance, but I think I can learn something. I'm so close!
He suddenly threw something into the air.
"When that thing lands, the battle begins." My father smirked. There seemed to be other intentions behind it.
I watched the object intently. I waited for the moment it touched the ground, but right before it did, I felt what I would assume was his fist in my face.
I barely managed to Enhance my face before his fist landed. It was imperfect, but it reduced the damage.
"Unfair! You said when the object touches the ground! Dirty geezer. Lecher. Child abuser."
"Gehehehe, always be on guard, boy. Enemies and monsters won't wait for you."
He's right, but that still felt dirty.
Enhance.
I dashed towards him with enhanced speed and threw a flurry of punches. He countered them all with a single hand. Deflecting a few, and catching others, but whatever the method, he countered every attack before sending me backward with a palm to the chest.
Gah! That hurts geezer.
Enhance!
I dashed towards him with other plans, but he countered my dash with a close-liner.
Geh! Seriously, I said, that hurts!
Fine, if he can counter how I dash normally. Then I just need to change how I come at him.
Enhance.
I dash towards him once more.
"Don't you learn?! That won't work. Change tactics!"
He attempted to close-line my dash again, but it won't work this time!
Swish, WHOOSH, CRACK
"So, you've got some tricks, aye?" My father said, a little proud of me.
I had managed to bait his attack out by enhancing my left leg and dashing with that. Afterward, I Enhanced my right, changed course mid-dash, and unleashed a surprise attack, but why am I on my ass?
"I thought I had you." I said regretfully. I mean, how?! I had it all planned out and everything!
"It was a decent attempt, but you'll need more than that to defeat a hardened veteran." He merely laughed. He didn't mean to mock me, but it felt like he was.
What if…
After getting up and dusting myself off, I took a deep breath.
I'm not sure if this will work. If I take smaller steps and lower the output of Enhance, it'll become easier to control while having a similar effect.
I've been putting max output into my Enhance, but if I put in just enough, I won't overshoot my target or waste energy. Smaller steps would make it easier to change course.
A smile formed across my face. How couldn't it? I was having loads of fun, this was my first step to greatness.
"Let's go, old man." I shouted while gesturing for him to come here.
After continuously adjusting the size of my steps and output of Enhance, I reached an equilibrium that allowed me to perform better than I imagined. Of course, it required getting my ass handed to me repeatedly. Like over and over. Many times.
I won't be able to smile for a week with how much of a beating my face took.
"Gahahaha. Well done, boy. No, son. That was great for such a tiny minotaur." He rustled my hair before heading back home to finish his chores. Mother scared him, too. Maybe I should've dueled her. No, scratch that. I like living.
While I could land many more attacks and keep up with his speed, I lacked power behind my punches. While enhancing my bones, muscles, and even skin did wonders. It was still lacking. I'll have to practice and do some more testing.