"Uh, professor, do you think this is a good idea?" Nichole spoke loudly, her voice tinted with a request for help, "I think we should stick to theory for now?"
Jack who was seemingly standing in thin air replied, "You're doing great, don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall."
"Professor, that's not reassuring, enough," Nichole screamed back.
"Back in my day, I had monsters chasing me, either I climbed or turned into an Eonborn," Jack replied with a small chuckle.
Nichole replied with a small sigh, "What's with the back in my day stuff, I didn't take you for one of the old guys."
"I don't look old?" Jack's eyes gleaming with life.
"Old?" Nichole turned back to look at Jack, "why would you look old?"
"Ahem, well focus on climbing," Jack cleared his throat, masking the earlier blush, "your only two hundred feet up, you got a lot to go."
Huff, Huff Nichole took in a few deep breaths, her fingers sticking to the rocky surface. She looked down, the height filling her mind with a sense of imminent dread, yet the presence of her teacher filled her with confidence.
"Professor, you will catch me if I fall," Nichole turned back, making sure he was still there, "right?"
"Of course," Jack placed his hand on his chest, "who do you take me for?"
I can do it, just feel the mana on my fingertips, she pulled out her right hand and placed it a few inches above, doing the same with her right feet, alright, that's it.
She continued the same with her left side, keeping at it for a few turns, but all of a sudden she stopped on her tracks.
Shit, must be from overusing mana, I must tell professor, she thought, as her fingers started losing the sensation of sticking to the rocky surface.
She turned back to try and find Jack, but he was already behind her, his hands gently wrapping around her.
She could the warmth emanating from his body. Sensing how he had gotten a grasp around her, Nichole lets go, falling into him.
"Aren't you eager to let go?" Jack asked teasingly.
Nichole replied with a chuckle, "Well, when I have a strong teacher, I can do that." This guy is weak to flattery.
Jack's cheeks turned red from the sudden compliment, "Let's get down, shall we?" the two suddenly fell, holding Nichole tightly, cutting through the air they continued their descent.
As soon the ground got closer, Jack switched directions stepping on air hopping around left and right, before coming to a graceful halt on the ground.
"Why did you make me do this professor?" Nichole asked getting off of his hold, and stabilising herself on the ground.
"Using mana on precise and careful activities such as this can increase your control better than normal training, and physical strength," Jack said, "they build better under strenuous conditions such as these."
"Is that how you build all that muscle?"
"Well, my master had a more different approach, but remember if you focus the mana at the fingertips alone you'll lose control faster, instead wear it around like a blanket."
"Why would focusing on the fingertips alone fail?"
"The flow of mana through you body constantly gives you better control. I'm not saying precise control such as focusing on the fingertips is bad, but if you practice this, you'll have a solid foundation."
"I get it," Nichole nodded in agreement, "I also felt fatigue faster because my brain was focusing on pinpoint precision, maybe I'll master it later."
"Exactly," Jack said with a grin, "now let's go again."
"Again?"
"You went two thirty feet up, but this time aim for two fifty," Jack looked up with a grin.
Nichole looked back at the rocky cliff, If I can climb that much, then I can do more.
"Professor, what exactly is the purpose of this training?"
"I guess you'll just have to find out."
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"Haha," the voice grew deeper, it's laughter echoing through the wide hall, "foolish girl you have fallen for my trap."
"You do know I'm not stupid," Daniela smirked, unfazed by the sudden revelation.
The voice grew louder as it revealed itself, a tall man with pale skin, long white hair falling over his shoulders, "Not stupid? You've already fallen in my trap."
"Really," Daniela looked at him uninterested, folding her arms, "how so?"
"Quite daring now, are we? the man took a step back, "well for one, a contract has already been formed, and the contract stated I'll have dominance in the contract which means your body is min—," he stopped after seeing Daniela was not listening to him, "hey, what are you doing?"
"You're a demon?" Daniela asked.
"Yes, I am. Not that knowing that is going to make any change, you're already mine," the man smiled, his green eyes glinting from mischief.
"But there are ways to break a contract."
"Only if both parties allow for it, so what are you going to do now?" the man pulled on his black coat.
"Ah, yes I forgot, well there is also one way to reverse a demon's contract."
"Yes, but you can do that only if you lie without the other party's knowledge, and I can sense lies, but you never lied."
As I suspected, even if I say that no one will know it's a lie, Daniela rubbed her chin, "Well, now bow down before your master."
"What?" thean growled, annoyed at her words, "what did you just tell me, wretch?"
"Are you deaf," Daniela laughed, "bow down, before your new master, me of course."
"I'll shut that filthy mouth of yours," the man's disappeared before turning up in f in of her, towering her by a feet, looking down at her.
He extends his hand to grab her neck, but in a moment's gap, a series of chains manifest, holding back his hand from reaching its destination, her throat.
"What?" he growled in panic, "how is this possible, what did you do?" he stared at her, with anger and confusion.
"Nothing, just lied a little, because my name is Rose, Rose Morris, and I am not someone from these lands."
"Impossible, I can sense lie—"
"Forget about it, you wanted to get out of here, right?" Daniela turned her back against the man, walking away into an altar at the center of ye large room, "I'll take you outside, just help me find the elixir."
"You?" the chains binding him disappeared, yet his expression remained grim. "Take me outside? How can I be sure you won't betray me?"
"Because, I'm not lying, you can see I'm not lying."
The man paused for a second, his expression softening, "It seems you're telling me the truth."
"Then take me to the elixir."
"You are here only for the elixir?"
"There are other treasures?"
"Yes. as there are troubles."
"Yes, yes. The guardians, but I think I can take them down, after all it manifests based on the individuals skill level," Daniela said, yet her mind was elsewhere, Other treasures? The only thing those two were able to get was the elixir, maybe I'll get something good.
"But before warned, the elixir requir—," his words got stuck on his throat after seeing Daniela push a slab, a bottle of green liquid floated upwards.
"Girl, get out of there," the man roared, but before his voice could reach her, a series of traps sprang out, shooting arrows.
"Alright time to get out here, Gust, displace, haste," Daniela shot forward narrowly avoiding the arrows, and exiting the stone altar, thinking it was over.
The walls creaked as multiple bricks fell forward revealing more traps and arrows pointing outwards.
"Haste," Daniela rushed towards the entrance, the arrows once more missing her narrowly, but one of the arrows nicked her thighs, but she continues forward without pausing.
"Ahh, why are there so many traps?" she yelled as she looked at the green bottle on her hand which she was clasping onto with her life, "all for this shitty potion."
"I told you to be on your guard," the man walked towards her, his long tailcoat floating.
"But I got it," she held it up, shaking the bottle a bit, wiping the blood off the small cut, the red streaking against her white skin.
"You're going to drink it now?"
"Yes," she opened the vial and downed the liquid, leaving behind a drop, a single green drop.
"You shouldn't have taken it all in one gulp."
"I know. System window," the menu popped up. She pressed on inventory and dropped the bottle into it, the bottle disappearing and appearing on the first column in the grid.
"What did you just do now?"
"What?"
"You dropped the bottle and it disappeared, it doesn't look like a storage ring?"
"Well, that's my secret."
_________________________
BOOM
A blue beam of light shot out from a gun, striking the dummy with a deafening blow.
BEEP BEEP
The machine beeped twice before announcing a result.
HUNDRED
"Oh, a hundred, good job Boss," Donatello said, as Finn walked back to the front of the line.
"Alright, aren't you next?" Finn looked at him, Donatello placing his hand on his sword's handle.
"I'll be back," Donatello walks off towards the dummy.
After this they sort us into groups based on the weapons we chose, and the sword group has the most children and will be taught by Professor Siena, but who will teach me?
Donatello drew his sword holding it up. He releases mana into the sword, a faint blue glow covering the sword.
That's a good stance, Finn thought as he scanned Donatello.
He pulls back his sword and strikes the dummy with a powerful horizontal slash, the impact deafening against the dummy.
BEEP BEEP
HUNDRED
"Wow, guess the sword Duke's son has been receiving training since he was born," Finn complimented him with a smile.
Donatello shrugged it off with, "I don't think I'll get close to my Boss getting a hundred when he's never used a gun before."
"Oh, please—"
HUNDRED
"Ooh, another hundred, it's Huo Xióng, he looks strong," Donatello said as he looked at the boy holding two swords, a grin plastered on his face.
"Yep, he looks strong," the two observed the rest of the children getting graded.
...
"That's it, and we have half an hour before break. Well take this chance to meet your professors," Charla announced, a group of people entered the training grounds at the same time.
Charla noticing their entrance, gestures towards them, "You will all be assigned to the professors based on the weapons you've chosen."
"Those who picked the sword, please go to Professor Siena," Charla said as a female professor came forward, it was the professor who was there to guide them when on the day of the weapon selection.
A large number of children walked towards her, Donatello waving Finn goodbye as he walked towards her.
"Anyone who has picked heavy weapons, please head towards Professor Joseph," a sturdy man with black hair walked to the front.
"Come with me," he spoke his stern voice commanding the children, but only a few children had picked heavy weapons.
"And those without weapons, come to me," Charla announced.
"Huh, what about me?" Finn said, watching as Charla wasn't making any more announcements.
"Hey kid," a firm voice pierced his ears. He turned back to see an old man who had placed his hands on Finn's shoulders, "Are you the one who picked a firearm?"
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