Extra's Descent

"Come."

For the entire week, Brandon had been sparring with Androxus. Despite his increase in strength, not once had he ever even scratched the wyvern.

Androxus was simply too strong.

Probably the strongest he had ever faced, with Jin as the exception.

Brandon gritted his teeth in frustration.

He lunged forward, pouring mana into his legs for extra speed.

But Androxus sidestepped effortlessly, almost lazy.

"You're relying too much on your strength."

Androxus said, blocking another strike with his forearm.

Clank! Clank—!

Brandon jumped back as his chest heaved. His sword glowed faintly with mana, but it wasn't enough.

"H-haaa…."

Brandon knew he had to change his approach. He couldn't keep fighting like this.

"Haa…."

But as the days went by, finally, Brandon had made a breakthrough with his [Permafrost] affinity.

He had finally unlocked the first skill.

[Eternal Glaciate]

Taking a deep breath, Brandon activated [Eternal Glaciate].

The air around him shifted, growing colder as the wave of glacial energy expanded outward.

The ground beneath his feet froze, and a biting chill filled the air.

Frost spread across the ground, turning the once dry earth into a frozen wasteland.

Androxus's gaze flickered to the ice forming at his feet, but he didn't move.

"Good."

Androxus said, his voice still calm.

"Now, use it."

While Androxus wasn't surprised by the skill, he had to admit the magic was beautiful.

Brandon focused, feeling the [Permafrost] affinity wrap around him like a second skin.

He surged forward again, his sword trailing icy mist.

Swoosh—!

The blade came down, aiming for Androxus's chest, but just as before, Androxus stepped aside, avoiding the attack.

However, this time, the ice followed. The ground beneath Androxus's feet froze instantly, slowing his movements.

For a moment, Brandon thought he had him.

But in one fluid motion, Androxus shattered the ice beneath him, breaking free as if it were nothing.

Androxus stared at him blankly, clearing underwhelmed by the skill.

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But Brandon couldn't do a thing.

Androxus was simply just way beyond his current strength.

The air around Brandon grew colder still, the [Eternal Glaciate] spreading further, encasing the entire area in frost.

The very air seemed to shimmer with the frost.

But Androxus remained unaffected, his movements still fluid, still precise.

"Your swordsmanship has grown faster."

"What's the point if I can't even damage you?"

"That's the thing. There is no point. You can never wound me no matter how much you try."

Brandon gritted his teeth, forcing more mana into his sword.

The blade glowed brighter, crackling with frost. He lunged forward again, faster this time.

Clang—!

The sword met Androxus's arm, but instead of a solid hit, the wyvern twisted, redirecting the force and sending Brandon stumbling back.

"Much stronger now, but the mana is still unrefined. Try again."

Brandon gritted his teeth, stepping back once more.

His breathing was ragged, and he could feel the strain of maintaining [Eternal Glaciate].

The frost-covered ground stretched as far as he could see, but it wasn't enough.

He needed more control.

"Focus," Androxus said. "Don't just rely on the ice. Use it. Shape it."

Brandon closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the cold mana surge through him.

He had to refine it, condense it, make it sharper.

When he opened his eyes, the frost around him shimmered.

He could feel the chill bite into his skin, but he welcomed it.

Without wasting a second, he dashed forward again, faster this time, his sword trailing behind him in an arc, layered with the frost.

Swoosh—!

Androxus blocked the strike again, but this time, the frost clung to his arm, slowing his movements slightly.

Brandon saw the opening and twisted his body, swinging his sword in a wide arc toward Androxus's side.

Clang—!

Androxus deflected the blow, but Brandon didn't stop.

He moved faster now, his strikes becoming more fluid, more calm.

The cold intensified, and the air around them seemed to freeze.

For a brief second, Androxus's movements slowed as the frost took hold, but once again, he broke free, shattering the ice with sheer force.

"Your control is improving," Androxus said, stepping back. "But you're rushing it."

Brandon clenched his fist. No matter how much he improved, it still wasn't enough.

"You're not fighting the ice," Androxus continued. "You're fighting me. Also, why are you in such a hurry?"

It was a habit Androxus had noticed.

In each spar, Brandon would start off seamlessly, but the further the fight prolonged, the more reckless he got.

Brandon knew Androxus was right, but the urge to push harder, faster, was overwhelming.

He couldn't afford to waste time.

Without responding, he shifted his stance and surged forward again.

Swoosh—!

His sword glowed with frost, each swing faster than the last.

He was trying to push past his limits.

Androxus moved effortlessly, dodging each strike with minimal effort, his expression remaining blank.

"You're still not listening."

Androxus said, stepping to the side and letting Brandon's blade pass him by.

"Slow down."

But it all went to deaf ears. Brandon didn't slow down at all.

His movements became more erratic, desperate even.

The frost around them thickened, but it wasn't controlled.

Clang—!

Another strike was deflected, and Androxus didn't even break a sweat.

Brandon stumbled back, breathing heavily. His body ached from the strain as he raised his head, breathing heavily.

"Haaa…."

"I said stop rushing." Androxus's voice was firm, but not harsh. "You're relying too much on brute force."

Brandon paused, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm not rushing."

He muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

Androxus raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you fighting like a man with no time?"

Brandon couldn't answer. He didn't have an answer.

He swung again, determined to land a hit, but the result was the same.

Androxus easily sidestepped, his expression never changing.

"You're wasting your energy."

Brandon froze, his frustration now boiling over.

He had thought he had significantly improved compared to a month ago.

However, the pressure of time ticking, the fact he had to face another Archbishop so soon, weighed in his mind heavily.

Thinking back during his fight with Greed, while it didn't prove to be too difficult, he knew that wouldn't be the case once they met again.

In the first place, he could tell Greed wasn't at his full strength.

Yet despite that, Brandon had to exert effort in defeating him.

"I don't have time to waste."

He finally said, his voice low.

Androxus tilted his head.

"Why do you think rushing will help you? You can't master this if you don't understand it."

Brandon clenched his jaw, looking at the ground for a moment.

"I'm trying."

"Trying doesn't mean rushing."

"Haaa…."

Brandon exhaled, the frosty air around him slowly dissipating.

"That's enough for today. I need to go now."

Brandon nodded his head, slumped down on the ground, a metal sound ringing as he let go of his sword.

It had always been like this.

For some reason, Androxus would only train with him for two hours a day before leaving.

While Brandon asked, Androxus wouldn't tell him anything.

But it wasn't his problem in the first place.

And so, Brandon didn't pry on his matters.

Seeing that Androxus had already left, Brandon continued practicing, swinging his sword.

He continued like that for another hour, remembering Evelyn's teachings.

Then in the next hour, he focused on his affinity once more.

Sitting down on the ground, Brandon drew a sharp breath in and began to meditate.

"Huuu…."

——————————

∟ [Permafrost]

∟ [Eternal Glaciate] Complete Mastery

∟ [Glacial Bloom] 2%

∟ [Winter's Aegis] Locked

∟ [Aurora's Embrace] Locked

∟ [Veil of Eternal Frost] Locked

——————————

It had been a week since he unlocked the first skill.

And he had never slacked off in the affinity department. Yet despite that, he had only managed to progress by two percent.

Unlike the first skill, the intervals of the notification for the second skill seemed longer.

Additionally, it was much harder to redirect the circuits as well.

It hurt his head too.

But Brandon was persistent.

He had about two months left before the start of the second semester.

Additionally, there was a Summit that would be hailed in six months.

It was a chance for him to meet people around his skill level—maybe even greater.

But in any case, that wasn't in Brandon's mind at the moment.

He had to become strong enough.

Strong enough so a scenario similar to Evelyn would never happen again.