William wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted. "I never imagined I could fight like this," he admitted, marveling at the battle he had just fought.
"I told you that you'd surprise yourself," Myre said with a playful smirk as she motioned for him to follow her. "Come on, we're not done yet."
William nodded and began walking behind her, but then he glanced back at the fallen wolves. A thought crossed his mind, and he stopped in his tracks. "Can I use my talent?" he asked, curiosity filling his voice.
Myre stopped and turned to him with a raised brow. "No," she replied firmly.
William sighed, feeling a bit deflated. 'Man, necromancy was so cool in games. I wonder when I'll be able to actually use it,' he thought wistfully.
Myre seemed to pick up on his disappointment. "There's a reason we aren't letting you use it right now," she said suddenly, her tone more serious.
William looked at her with a frown. "What reason?"
Myre sighed, as if choosing her words carefully. "After your last reckless stunt, trying to use your talent without proper control, your Sila channels were thrown into disarray," she explained.
William frowned deeper. "I don't believe you. If that were the case, Mother would've healed them by now," he retorted confidently.
"True," Myre acknowledged with a nod. "She could have. But she didn't, because she wanted you to learn from your mistakes. Your mother believes that some lessons are best taught through experience."
"But… I thought no one can use their full talents until they reach maturity—around fourteen years old for humans," William argued, feeling slightly confused.
"Exactly," Myre said, stopping and facing him. "That's why you're being pushed harder than your siblings. Think of it as your punishment for acting recklessly."
William blinked in surprise, trying to process what she was saying. "So, I'm training harder than they are because… I made a mistake?"
Myre gave a light chuckle, though there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "Yes, you're training more intensely because we need to make sure you can control yourself when the time comes. I went easier on you during our sessions, but the other instructors will not. That's also why we're out here today—to give you a break before the real grind begins."
William's face paled slightly as her words sank in. "Wait… you mean…?"
Myre grinned wickedly. "Oh yes. The next few years are going to be hell, young master. You're in for some serious work. Your mother's orders."
William felt his soul almost leave his body as the weight of his future training dawned on him. "M-mommy…" he muttered, feeling a cold sweat forming.
"Yes, your lovely, caring, and very strict mommy," Myre teased, patting him on the shoulder before continuing ahead.
'Poor you,' Sera muttered sympathetically in William's mind.
'Shut up. You also helped me, remember?' William shot back, annoyed.
'Yeah, but remember, I warned you from the start,' Sera replied with a hint of smugness.
William sighed heavily, recalling the excitement that clouded his judgment during his last summoning. 'Yeah, yeah… I ignored you back then.'
Myre, overhearing his sigh, chuckled lightly. "Don't dwell on it too much. The hard work will pay off," she reassured him. "And it's not like you won't be gaining anything from it."
William nodded, though his expression remained troubled as he followed her. Then Myre suddenly stopped, turning to him with a mischievous grin. "That being said, we can use your dagger today," she said.
"My dagger?" William blinked in confusion.
"Yes, the one you carry," Myre clarified. "You didn't think it was just a pretty piece of metal, did you?"
"I… well…" William hesitated, scratching the back of his head.
Myre sighed, shaking her head as if he was a lost cause. "It's not entirely your fault. You've yet to learn your clan's appraisal techniques," she said, motioning for him to look into her eyes.
William obediently glanced up at her, and suddenly her eyes changed color. They turned pitch black, her pupils glowing gold with a striking blue dot in the center. "This is an appraisal technique from my clan, called the Ancient Eyes of Eidolon."
She extended her hand. "Now, show me your dagger."
William handed over his dagger, and Myre examined it closely. "Ah, this is quite something. It's called Twilight Tear," she said as she held it up. "It has three enchantments. First, let me show you this."
She pointed the dagger at a nearby tree, and a bead of black light formed at the tip. In an instant, it shot out in a laser-like beam that pierced the tree, causing it to wither and decay in seconds.
"That was the Death Ray enchantment," Myre explained casually.
William stared in awe as she demonstrated the dagger's power. "What's the next one?" he asked eagerly.
Myre smirked and focused her energy on the dagger. The blade began to shift and morph before his eyes, transforming into a longsword, then into a whip, and finally back into its original form. "This enchantment allows the dagger to change shape into any weapon you might need," she said.
"That's… amazing!" William exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.
"And lastly," Myre continued, causing the blade to ignite in black flames, "is the Dreadfire enchantment. It's a death-attribute flame capable of melting even emperor-grade bones like butter."
William stared at the flames, mesmerized. The sheer power of the weapon in his hands filled him with wonder. Myre extinguished the flames and handed the dagger back to him with a grin. "You've really got some impressive gear there, kid."
William took the dagger back, looking at it with newfound appreciation. His mind buzzed with ideas of how he could utilize it in future battles. "Thank you, Myre," he said sincerely, holding the dagger tightly.
"Don't thank me, thank your mother," Myre smiled, amused by William's excitement.
William nodded, but his curiosity was piqued. "By the way, who is Eidolon?" he asked.
"He was the first Vampire Magus King," Myre replied, her tone respectful.
"Magus King?" William repeated, intrigued. He wasn't confused but rather curious about how this world also had a title like that.
"Yes," Myre nodded, "though my world isn't the same as this one. I come from a different galaxy. I discovered that after you summoned me. In my world, the strongest Elementalists who could control all elements were known as Magus Kings. Lesser ones were simply called Mages, unlike here, where they're called Elemental Awakeners."
William nodded thoughtfully, finally understanding why he had never heard of Mages in this world before.