"You need to utilize the technique as much as possible."
Seraph sighed, defeated as he leaned back against the wall.
"How can I even do that when I'm getting my ass beat constantly, and all I can do is dodge?!"
Elias lashed out as he hit his forehead with his own palm, which made his forehead sting slightly. His ears were still thumping from the previous blow.
"You have to read your opponent's moves before he reads yours."
Seraph's lack of explanation made Elias smile bitterly as he wanted to smash his head into the ground. He said it like it was the easiest and most obvious thing ever.
'Maybe having an overpowered teacher is not so great after all, he cannot…explain things.'
He thought whilst rubbing his forehead.
Sometimes he was barely able to explain things or how to move correctly, though that was probably due to the sheer difference in their strength.
Someone among the top rankings in the world wanting to explain how to stab properly when they could probably just make a city explode wasn't the most straightforward process.
'I can't give up, though, my progression isn't good enough.'
Even though Elias spent the last month ish training his mastery over Swift Edge, it barely progressed.
He looked up at the white screen in front of him.
[Mastery: 65%]
He exhaled slowly, his shoulders dropping.
'Though I am probably better than most people my age, except geniuses, maybe of the ruling families.'
He slowly stood up from the ground and readied himself. With a swift flick of his hand, he wiped the sweat out of his eyes.
"Let's go again."
Seraph nodded at Elias's remark and channeled his mana into the doll, making it instantly reassemble itself and stand up properly.
'Let's do this properly.'
He exhaled slowly and charged forward.
—
Seraph watched the exchange with sleepy eyes, though his messy white hair covered them.
His fingers were tapping against his walking stick.
'He's progressing fast. Faster than any normal child would. However…'
His train of thought shifted whilst he watched Elias duck under a slash in a precise motion.
Seraph's jaw tensed, though, as he remembered.
'Hopefully, he won't fall back compared to the other apostles.'
Yes, Seraph had long known that Elias was an Apostle of a god.
Since the oracle said a boy would come and change history, he had no idea which god or goddess Elias belonged to.
'We will have to see.'
He sighed as Elias finally managed to deal a decent blow to the doll's stomach, making it stagger back.
'Little monster.'
He shook his head as he saw Elias's face beaming with excitement.
—
In the deep forest of Elyndor, far from the frozen peaks, a girl was standing still on a wooden trunk, water flowing around her in endless circles, illuminated by the moonlight.
She was wearing a simple white robe with golden markings, which swayed in the night's wind.
The air was so cold that it was literally taking bites out of her.
However, her eyes were closed as the wind picked up her long silver hair, which was brighter than the moonlight itself.
Suddenly, an icicle charged at her from behind, however, she dodged without any issue and shattered the ice with a flick of her wrist.
Her eyes were still closed as her sharp ears shook gently, trying to determine the location of the technique that attacked him.
"Use your senses more, Veylin."
A delicate voice suddenly came from behind her, and a cold palm pushed her into the water.
She quickly opened her eyes, but she was already submerged in the water.
Every sound was muffled, even the thumping of her own heartbeat was barely noticeable as he sank into the cold water.
All of a sudden, a long, petite hand grabbed her, yanking her out of the deep water.
As she spun, the cold water dripped from every part of her body and her outfit.
She landed on the ground, spitting out the water, whilst her ears were still ringing and her vision was slightly blurry.
"You have to utilize all your senses properly, otherwise you will die a meaningless death."
The lady's voice was cold, colder than the stinging water.
Veylin bowed despite her desperately trying to catch her breath.
"I-I understand, Master Vierra."
She looked up at the beauty before her, her figure was enveloped in the moonlight, with long brown hair cascading all the way down to her waist.
She was wearing a simple black dress, however, it hugged her body pretty tightly.
"You must be strong as an apostle."
Vierra walked around her, and with a flick of her wrist, she dried her clothes.
Veylin felt the warmth brushing over her body as her ears had stopped ringing.
"Will the others be as strong as I am?"
Veylin's sudden question made Vierra stop in her tracks.
"I'll make sure you are the strongest."
Vierra's statement made Veylin's mood warm up just a tiny bit, however, she walked away without hesitation leaving Veylin alone.
She sighed deeply, lying down on the ground, staring at the moon as her nostrils were filled with the fresh scent of the water next to her.
"I must become the strongest…"
With that goal in mind, Veylin stood up swiftly and followed after her master.
—
A sword came up right to the temple of his head, so close he felt the air whistle near him, however, he managed to dodge just in time to avoid being beheaded.
'When I wished to live life to the fullest at first, I didn't know it would include nearly dying!'
Months have passed since Elias began his training with the doll, which is now using a longsword… like a knight.
His progression amazed Seraph however he didn't show it at all. Instead, he couldn't and didn't want to.
Elias took a sharp turn, then pivoted swiftly and aimed a swift stab at the doll's wrist.
The doll moved around effortlessly like a trained knight, managing to avoid the strike at the last second.
'Shit.' His pulse spiked in an instant.
However, there was one thing Elias had learned over the past few months.
It was never to stop attacking.
So he did just that, strike after strike, he kept aiming and leaping forward every single time the doll dodged back.
They circled each other like two professional dancers with extremely tight steps, it was like being in an unspoken rhythm that couldn't be broken. However, he couldn't keep it up forever.
'The corner.'
Elias kept pushing the doll into the corner as Seraph straightened his back to get an even better look.
The doll kept getting pushed back as Elias aimed at it with somewhat precise strikes.
'NOW!!'
He screamed in his mind as the technique activated itself.
[Swift Edge]
The doll not having anywhere to retreat tried to block or parry however the blade appeared in front of its throat and pierced it instantly with a ginormous crack echoing in the training room.