Extra's Descent

Swoosh—!

Brandon swung his sword, taking in every detail he remembered at the top of his head after watching Evelyn's recordings.

—While the basics put emphasis on footwork, of course, you already know that.

Her voice echoed in his mind.

—But it's more than just footwork. You're not dancing—you're commanding the battlefield.

Evelyn's teachings were never far from his thoughts. Even now, with her gone, it was like she was right there, correcting his form and guiding his strikes.

Thump!

His foot hit the ground in a perfect pivot, the weight shifting as his body twisted.

His blade followed the momentum, cutting a clean arc through the space before him.

—Remember, don't rely on strength alone. Feel the mana. Let it flow through your limbs, through your weapon.

"Huu…."

Brandon exhaled slowly, feeling the familiar warmth of mana course through his veins.

He remembered Evelyn's calm demeanor as she explained how to weave mana into his attacks.

Her swordsmanship, 'Pseudo Swordsmanship,' wasn't just about brute force.

It was about synergy.

—Despite knowing the basics of Pseudo Swordsmanship, you've been forcing brute strength the entire time, overpowering them due to the wide gap you have.

For example; Raven.

—But what if you're faced with a foe whose gap in strength and skills is far ahead of you? Will you be able to overpower them?

Brandon had thought of someone who clearly fitted that description.

Someone he had bested by cheating a bit.

Lumian.

"Hah."

He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

But he knew that wouldn't work anymore. He didn't want to rely on binding vows too much to clear the gap in strength.

—You did a good job with the wyvern. But what if your opponent isn't as idle as the wyvern?

Swoosh—!

—What if your opponent was as fast as you, and had the strength of a wyvern? Would you be able to restrain it?

At the time, if it weren't for Belle's wind magic suppressing the wyvern, the chains would've shattered, and Brandon wouldn't have been able to dispatch of it.

He swung again, this time channeling a thin layer of mana along the edge of his sword.

The blade shimmered slightly, leaving a faint trail of light in its wake.

—Mana amplifies everything. Use it to enhance your strikes, not overpower them.

In his mind's eye, Evelyn stood across from him, her usual composed expression watching his every move.

She never had to say much. Her presence alone pushed him to strive.

—The basics are drilled into you. Let's go further than that now. Don't just follow the patterns.

Swoosh—!

Brandon swung again.

This time shifting mid-swing, twisting his wrist in a fluid motion that turned the strike into a feint.

—Anticipate your opponent. Adapt. React.

His movements became more fluid.

It felt like he could almost see Evelyn in front of him, stepping aside effortlessly, dodging each of his strikes.

It was like they were sparring again—only this time, the weight of her absence made every step heavier.

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He lunged forward, thrusting his sword.

Swoosh—!

—No wasted movements, Brandon. Economy of motion.

That was the beauty of Pseudo Swordsmanship.

The swordsmanship, designed for mages who wanted to pick up the sword.

He adjusted his stance mid-thrust, pulling back just before overextending.

Every ounce of energy was saved.

"Haaa…. H-haaa…."

Brandon took bated breaths, sweat dripping down his forehead.

—You're holding back. Don't be afraid to push your mana further. Control it. Shape it.

Brandon paused, his breath coming in steady, measured intervals.

He closed his eyes, remembering how Evelyn always talked about the fine balance between physical and magical control.

He extended his senses, feeling the mana within him as it surged through his core.

Slowly, he began directing the flow outward, weaving it through his sword like strands of thread binding to the hilt.

—Good. Now compress it. Use it to reinforce your blade.

The sword glowed faintly, the mana coiling tighter around the blade.

Slash—!

He swung again, and this time, the impact felt different.

It was stronger. Cleaner.

—It's not just about using more mana. It's about controlling it precisely.

Brandon continued the motions, sparring with the image of Evelyn in his mind.

His attacks were sharper now than a few moments ago.

But even with this improvement, the weight of her absence hung over him.

Every strike, every parry felt like an effort to reach her, to hold onto something that was slipping away.

—Don't lose focus. Do so, and your strikes will become predictable. You won't defeat a stronger foe like that. For us mages, we must rely on swift attacks that slip past their defenses.

He remembered their last real sparring session before everything went wrong.

Evelyn had been quiet that day, more reserved than usual.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, looking back, it felt like she'd known something was coming.

—You have potential, Brandon. Even more than me. You have the potential to surpass him too. Don't waste it.

With each swing, his movements grew more refined.

He was faster now, more efficient.

The blade moved as an extension of himself, slicing through the air.

He could feel the mana dancing along the edge of his sword.

—This is just the beginning. There's more you need to learn about the connection between your sword and your magic.

Brandon was aware.

It was much harder to execute properly than the basics he was used to doing.

It took a toll on his mental power to focus on his swings, while keeping his mana controlled and efficient simultaneously.

He continued like that for eight hours with no breaks in between.

"Haaa…. H-haaa…."

Taking deep and heavy breaths, Brandon turned his head towards the window, sweat dripping from his face.

The sun had already set, marking the end of another day.

But he wasn't done yet.

Because it was time for the second phase of his training.

——————————

∟ [Permafrost]

∟ [Eternal Glaciate] 15%

∟ [Glacial Bloom] Locked

∟ [Winter's Aegis] Locked

∟ [Aurora's Embrace] Locked

∟ [Veil of Eternal Frost] Locked

——————————

He had done the same training routine everyday. But it seemed like progressing his [Permafrost] affinity would take quite a while.

He looked at his hand.

Although there was small progress, he still couldn't shape the mana how he wanted.

He hadn't even accessed the first skill yet!

Instead, all he could do was tap into the [Permafrost] affinity slightly, allowing a slight chill to linger around him like an aura.

Additionally, he could freeze things a bit slightly.

"Hoo…."

Brandon clenched his fist, trying to steady his breathing.

He could feel the frost flickering around his fingers.

He needed to tap into it properly.

—Remember, focus on the mana circuits in your body. You already know the basic theory and applications from the lecture discussions.

It was heavily different from his [Curse] affinity.

Because that affinity was like muscle memory to him.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the pathways of mana flowing through him.

Different professors and instructors had walked him through this countless times, explaining how each affinity required a unique method of channeling through one's mana core during the lectures.

—Mana is tied directly to your emotions. The colder your mind, the more stable the frost becomes.

Brandon inhaled deeply, trying to clear his thoughts.

His mind drifted to the personal lessons Evelyn had shared with him about affinity circuits.

She had explained how the flow of mana had to be redirected properly, how each affinity found strength when the correct channels were utilized.

What she had just said was textbook knowledge, and was taught during lectures.

But what lectures didn't teach was how to manage affinities as a deviant, after just awakening them.

After all, those were taught in kindergarten. Awakening another affinity, completely different to their birth–given affinity was unheard of.

—Feel the cold. Don't resist it—become a part of it. The circuits are there, but they need to be reconfigured. Let the chill guide you, not overwhelm you.

His mana circuits had always been well–aligned with his [Curse] affinity.

But with [Permafrost], it was different. It was much harder.

He began redirecting the mana, focusing on his core, visualizing the cold spreading through the proper pathways.

It was then.

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

Notifications flashed in his peripheral vision.

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

The air around him grew colder slowly.

Cr… Crackle—!

Frost formed around his fingers, solidifying into small crystals.

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

It was a start, but it wasn't enough. He needed more control.

Brandon adjusted his stance, closing his eyes once more.

He could feel the frost swirling around him, slowly creeping up his arms.

But maintaining the balance was tricky. As if the cold threatened to shatter his focus if he pushed too hard.

—Your circuits have to match the rhythm of the element. Direct the flow through your core, into the correct channels, then guide it outward.

He extended his hand, concentrating on shaping the frost that hovered around his fingertips.

Slowly, he tried to form a small structure—something simple..

Crack—!

The frost flickered and dissolved, unable to hold its shape, and the notifications died down.

He continued like that once more.

He felt his head pang with a sharp migraine, but he pushed through, gritting his teeth.

Notifications flashed in fixed intervals.

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

Four hours had passed since then.

By the end of it….

∟ [Eternal Glaciate] 27.3%

It was good progress.

"Haaa…."

But it had also left him severely exhausted and drained.

Much to the point where he felt his clothes stuck to his skin tightly due to the accumulated sweat.

He slumped down on the ground, too exhausted to move a single muscle.

The days continued like that.

He had consistently undergone the same training routine everyday.

Swoosh—!

He swung his blade.

It was much faster than it was twenty days ago.

But recently, he felt like there was no breakthrough. As if he had reached a bottleneck.

He needed to train with someone.

Someone to spar with.

Someone who could keep up with him, even stronger than him would be better.

And someone who had all the free time in the world.

In addition to training, Brandon would always clear up his responsibilities for the day.

Responsibilities such as; managing his company, evaluating the products, and so on.

He had refrained from seeing his friends and family for a while.

He hadn't even seen Amelia for nearly a month.

But from what he knew, everyone had engaged in their own personal training.

After the encounter with Greed, it had given them all a reality check.

They were all still too weak.

And with the events planned for the second semester of the school year, they had to be well prepared.

"...."

A lightbulb lit up in his head.

Who else could he train with but Androxus?