After leaving Sylvia's home, a steamy make-out night, it was a regular school week. Albion went to his classes as normal. Training his swordsmanship which he now believed he had found a way to get the feeling back. Repeating it until he found the perfect way to bring it back. He learned magic from Sylvia as usual and taught his magic class. But after the week went now it was the weekend.
Albion was wearing his hardened leather armour which had grown a bit small for his body. The hardened leather armour was slightly damaged. His sword that he got from Mrs Winchester on his waist and the dagger on the back of the belt. Albion was standing in front of a large pearly white tower. Many students were around, entering the tower in groups.
Lily: Why don't you ask your new friends to party?
Lily said floating above Albion's head.
Albion: I just wanted to test my new magic and try to improve in swordsmanship. I didn't think that would happen if I had many people helping me and focusing on climbing the tower.
Lily: So are you planning to solo the tower?
Albion: Just to grow. I'll party with them some other time.
Albion said as he took deep breaths, his heartbeat slowed down and his mind calmed. Walking into the dark doorway of the pearly white tower. As he walked through the dark, pitch-black doorway, he immediately found himself in a forest in the middle of nowhere. Tall trees around him. Green grass underneath his feet. Blue skies barely seen with the dense coverage of leaves overhead.
Albion: {This is really realistic for an artificial space. I wonder how you get the Spatial distortion. There's no element like that. Though maybe it uses basic mana and illusion magic to make the space feel bigger to the mind. They did say it was similar to the Imaginary Space. I wonder if I should learn illusion magic 3rd year.}
A screen popped up in front of Albion. But instead of his normal blue translucent screen. There was a purple translucent screen.
[To advance to the next floor kill 10 goblins.]
[0/10]
Albion: Oh ok. So you need to achieve certain targets to move up floors. Hahaha. I would have barely passed the first floor before. Especially if the goblins were in a large group.
Albion sensed the wide area with magic sense. Everything was indeed made with magic. Everything looked like mana to him. But Albion could tell it all apart. Able to tell the trees apart from the two walking entities. Finding two goblins nearby.
Albion: {Let's try some new combinations.}
A magic sphere appeared in front of Albion.
Concussive Blast + Earth Bullet
Albion pictured the desired effect as he activated the spell. A massive spiral of solid stone formed. Shaped like a spiked drill as it fired at high speeds, sonic booms sounding. The stone-spiked drill ripped apart the trees as it tore one goblin's head off. The other goblin was riddled with splinters as it screamed in pain. Its eyes were pierced with splinters as it rolled around on the floor. Screaming as it bled. Albion didn't even bother to hear its screams. Not that he could understand them. He assumed since it wasn't an actual monster his skill to understand them didn't work. Another stone-spiked drill ripped apart the goblin's torso as it died. After a minute their bodies disappeared in a purple light. At least what remained of them.
[2/10]
Albion: {And that was a more powerful version of the combination Earth Cannon. Now let's see if I can make a new combination.}
Albion found another goblin as the magic sphere filled with more runes. New runes.
Concussive Blast + Earth Bullet + Fireball
As the spell activated Albion thought of a molten spike. But something unexpected happened. While the rock was heated the flames formed were spiralling and exploding outward. A spiral of fire around the Earth Bullet.
Albion: {Hmmm. Maybe it is because it still needs to work on some sort of physics. Even if the spike is super hot if you spin it around with compressed air off course it's going to make the spiral of fire.}
The spiked drill exploded forward with a multiple explosive burst of wind. Even the air caught alight and exploded as the spiked drill shot forward. The trees in the way were completely ripped apart as the nearby trees caught on fire from the spiralling flames. The goblin's head was torn off while the intense flames seared the bleeding neck shut. The body was left on the floor missing its head. The body charred.
[You have created a new spell. Combination (F) has turned into Combination (E).]
Albion: Oh? New?… Hahahaha! I get to name it then! Let's go with… Phoenix Lance!
Lily: Don't you think that's a bit… on the nose? Maybe like Mr Eye skill.
Albion heard Lily giggle as he blushed.
Albion: Maybe. But what am I supposed to call it? Flaming Spiral of Annihilation and Death.
Albion was laughing manically as the forest burned around him. But he couldn't get distracted. In fact, with the raging fires, it was better for him. He could progress with his swordsmanship. After a bit, he took a breath. Drawing his sword. Closing his eyes.
Albion: {I already know what I should do.}
Albion closed his eyes. Listening to the roaring flames around him. He didn't use mana sense but he could picture the forest burning around him. He kept his breath calm as he felt the forest burn around him. Blocking out the noises in his ears.
He took further breaths as he acknowledged the flames and the darkness of his eyes. He already knew what he had to do. He had realised when he was with Sylvia. To not think of anything. Not even the sword. If it was going to be a part of him, it shouldn't be any different from him. So as he took calm breaths as he focused on the feeling he found. The feeling of darkness he had when he died. The feeling of nothing but floating in a void. His body was completely relaxed. He lost the tenseness in his shoulders even though he was holding up his sword. His grip became soft even though he was holding his sword. His mind was empty. Not only barely acknowledging the sword that was in his hands. In fact, he couldn't even feel it right now. It was like it wasn't even there. The only way he knew the sword was there was because he knew he drew it.
He had reclaimed that feeling. The feeling of the sword missing. Of the sword not even being there. The feeling of the sword being one with his body.
And as if he had hands inside of his own body, he held onto this feeling. But he didn't know what to do with it. What was he supposed to do with this feeling? He tried to tug on it but he couldn't. He wanted to keep his mind empty and stay with this feeling. He couldn't think and just stood there. Still. In a burning forest.
Then after a while something happened. His body moved on its own accord. Swinging his body and sword. His mana moving with his body. He felt a skill activate but it was different. The mana was moving to his sword.
Albion felt as if he striking something as it hit his sword. A loud Ting could be heard.
???: WHAT THE HELL?!
Albion: {What the hell?}
Albion looked at his sword as his mana was around it. Violent. Like a flickering flame. It flickered exactly like a flame but it was blue as his mana surrounded the sword. And only the sword.
[Congratulations. You have gained the skill Weapon Mana (F).]
[Congratulations. You have gained the skill Battle Instinct (F).]
[Your Sub class Beginner Swordsman (Growth) has turned into Swordsman (Growth).]
Albion looked back as he saw a split-in-half arrow beside him. Looking back as he saw instead of a goblin. A boy. But this boy wasn't any regular person. Albion remembered him from somewhere.
Albion: Hey wait… aren't you a student of mine from the D rank magic class? Why are you attacking me?
The boy was one of the kids who always glared at him at the end of class. The boy looked in shock as Albion had actually recognised him. The boy grabbed another arrow from the quiver as he pulled it back. A magic circle forming in front of the arrowhead.
???: YOU'RE A COMMONER! YOU THINK I'D ACCEPT YOU AS MY TEACHER! AND YOU'RE THE ONE THAT BURNED DOWN A LARGE PORTION OF THE FOREST WEREN'T YOU?!
Albion looked around not understanding what the boy meant. Then he realised. He could see grey skies. Many trees around had turned to ash and charcoal. Not a single piece of greenery was left around him. Not the grass or the leaves on the trees. Nothing. On one side of him, he was able to see some green trees in the distance separated by a river. On his other side trees were still burning.
[46/10]
[47/10]
[Do you want to move up to the next floor?]
Albion: Is there a problem with that? {I did accidentally kill more than intended. But that shouldn't be a problem.}
???: OF COURSE THERE IS! YOU'RE STEALING MORE KILLS THAN YOU NEED TO! A BURNING TREE FELL ON ONE OF MY GOBLIN KILLS!
Albion: And what right does that give you to attack your teacher?
???: YOU ARE NOT MY TEACHER!
The arrow was fired as a concussive blast launched the arrow faster. Extremely fast. Embedding itself into Albion's stomach as he flew back into an ashy tree from the force. Unable to react to such a fast speed. The tree broke and fell backwards as Albion sat at the base of the tree with an arrow in his stomach.
Albion: {Owwww!}
The boy grabbed another arrow but Albion held out his hand. The boy went to shoot another arrow with another Concussive Blast. But the spell faded as the arrow was fired. Albion used Spell Deterioration on the spell. The arrow didn't reach Albion and fell far away from his feet. The kid widened his eyes as he saw the magic Albion was about to cast. It was terrifying and dangerous. The student trying to run away.
The Phoenix Lance or Flaming Spiral of Annihilation and Death, appeared in front of Albion as it shot out. Ripping the kid to pieces as his body instantly disappeared. Albion pulled out the arrow and stood up. The wound slowly regenerating.
Albion: That… was a new way of using Concussive Blast. Magic and Archery. I can only assume it's a class called Magic Archer or two separate classes used well together.
[You have achieved 50 kills.]
[Summoning a Tribe of Goblin.]
Albion: Goblin what?
Suddenly a hundred goblins appeared from nowhere. Albion blinked a few times as the arrow wound healed.
Some were normal goblins while others looked like variants. Others were a lot bigger than the size they should have been. All were organised like a small army. All looking at Albion.
Albion: What… the… fuck. What is this?!
*KIKIKI*
Rang throughout the air as all the goblins grabbed their weapons from their sides. Albion then saw some similar goblins from what he had previously experienced.
Albion: Awwww. You guys bring back fond memories. Nearly a year since I've seen Eve. Maybe I should ask Sylvia to take me to see her. Maybe Heart would do it.
A normal magic circle appeared as a hard jet of water shot over the goblins. Dowsing them in tonnes of water.
Albion: You know I feel kinda bad… finding it this easy.
Another magic circle appeared as a bolt of lightning struck the floor. From above the Goblin tribe. All the goblins spasmed and many of them fell on the floor. Only a small troupe behind survived. A barrier surrounding them. 3 regular goblins and 5 variants.
Albion looked at them. Looking at his new advancement to Swordsman. And his new skills.
Albion: Only sword this time.
Albion held his sword as blue mana flame-like surrounded it.