Chapter 36: Hell Training (2)
POV Amy:
I was currently standing behind the second-floor window—my room—pulling back the sheer curtain covering the glass slightly. From here, I could see the backyard quite clearly.
And there was Ren, that idiot, facing his new Master—Grandpa.
Initially, I thought their training would be like any ordinary exercise: warm-ups, a little theory, a short, simple duel... but no.
What I was seeing now looked more like a duel of life and death—at least, on one side.
"Insane…" I whispered softly, my eyes fixed on the two of them.
Their wooden staffs clashed with insane speed. Every impact let out a sharp "CLACK!" that echoed into the house.
Even the air around them felt like it was trembling, like an electric field hanging in the air.
Ren, he was amazing.
His body was enveloped in silver-blue lightning flashes that danced on his skin, occasionally striking the ground and leaving scorch marks.
"...Is he really that strong?" I murmured softly. "No wonder Grandpa took him as a disciple."
At first, when Grandpa said he wanted Ren as his disciple, I was shocked and disbelieving. How could I not be? My mother once told me that Grandpa had never accepted a disciple before.
But look at him now; he got a strong but arrogant disciple—very arrogant.
Grandpa moved fast, almost like a blur. I constantly lost track of him, but Ren wasn't far behind.
He parried, dodged, and even occasionally retaliated with lightning strikes that made my eyes squint.
However—Grandpa moved as if he always knew what Ren was going to do. He parried every attack with frightening precision, even when Ren disappeared in a flash of lightning.
And then came the moment. Grandpa saw an opening in Ren's body, then struck him with a force that made the air tremble even without using aura.
Ren was thrown back several steps, but he didn't give up. He plunged his staff into the ground, letting go of it. And slowly raised his hands.
I frowned, and so did Grandpa, although it wasn't visible on his face.
"What is he doing?" I asked softly.
Then it happened: he curled both his hands, leaving only the index and middle fingers extended, and joined them.
I leaned forward unconsciously, watching what he was about to do. Blue fire slowly appeared on his fingers. Both my eyes and Grandpa's widened.
Then with a rapid motion, he pulled the fire with his two right fingers. Strangely, the fire was drawn like a solid yet flexible object, and by pulling the fire, an elegant blue fire arrow was formed.
My breath hitched.
The fire fluttered and flickered as if it were alive. I covered my mouth with both hands, saying unconsciously.
"Beautiful..."
Then I remembered something. Right then, my shock intensified greatly.
"Wait a minute..." I blinked once. "Isn't it normal for a person usually to only have one affinity??"
Blinked again.
And again.
My mouth slowly dropped open wide, processing what was actually happening. Look, even though I'm only ten years old, I'm quite smart. My mother also once said that Swordsmen cannot use strong magic—even basic magic is difficult.
But what I was seeing now—that wasn't ordinary magic, and the crazy thing was, he was a Swordsman! And that blue fire wasn't just hot; it was alive, as if it had a will of its own.
The back end of the fire arrow elongated and spun around him, as if gently wrapping around Ren.
The air around Ren vibrated, his hair flowed backward, and his crystal-blue eyes glowed, staring at Grandpa. Lightning was still flashing from his body.
Lightning and fire... two different affinities.
"That's impossible…" I whispered with bated breath.
Even Grandpa, who had always been calm, now stood frozen, his eyes wide. His staff lowered slightly, as if he had just seen something impossible.
Ren raised the blue arrow toward Grandpa, and for a moment, the world felt silent. No wind. No sound of birds.
Only the faint vibration of energy swirling around him.
I gripped the curtain tightly in my hand. My heart pounded rapidly—a mix of awe and something else.
"Ren... Who exactly are you?"
POV Ren:
I plunged my staff into the ground, not because I was tired—well... maybe a little, but because I wanted to try something. I imagined something with my Imagination skill, slowly raising my hands.
Sighing softly, I curled both my hands, leaving only the index and middle fingers extended. A small smile spread across my lips.
I joined my two fingers while thinking about the move I desperately wanted to use. Slowly, blue fire appeared on my fingers.
The fire wasn't hot; in fact, it was cold in my hand. My smile widened further. Himmel stopped and widened his eyes.
I took a long breath. My fingertips trembled, feeling how the blue energy danced between the pores of my skin.
The fire wasn't like regular fire; it didn't burn, it didn't hurt, but it felt alive.
I brought my two hands together, pulling the flame like a long, flexible string that obeyed me.
Every movement of my hand made it curve, stretch, until it finally formed a thin, glowing blue bow—the arrow born from the tip of my own middle finger.
'I did it!' That's right, I created a blue fire arrow using my Imagination skill.
That made Himmel freeze and frown. He spoke with immense curiosity.
"Kid... You have more than one affinity? Why didn't you tell me!?"
He covered his widely raised lips with the palm of his hand. I looked at him, grinning, saying nothing, even though sweat was pouring down my forehead.
A burst of energy enveloped my body. Lightning flared, mixing with the blue fire embers that spun around me like a spiral. The air around me rumbled—it felt heavy, as if the entire atmosphere was holding its breath.
Then... I powerfully pulled back the "bow."
—ZRRRRR~!!
The sound of energy shrieked, making my hair flow wildly and the ground beneath my feet tremble.
Himmel—no, Master—frowned deeper. His staff was already raised, but I could see fine wrinkles on his face. For the first time since the training began, his casual expression cracked.
He could feel what I was feeling. Within this fire arrow, mana gathered like a tidal wave.
I winced slightly, staring straight at my Master. "Try to take this, Master," I whispered softly, then—
"RELEASE!!"
WHOOSHHH—!!!
The air split.