NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Training
Chapter 7: Training
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“When there is a will, there is a way. There is nothing more terrifying than despair. Because, while failure may be deemed harmful, despair is catastrophic. Failure is trying to do something, but being unable to succeed. While despair, is anguish, complete hopelessness, the incarnation of defeatism.”
Philosopher William Troombell, Script of Destiny
Year 433
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--POV: Laurence—
--Place: Training Grounds / Time:07:11—
The gentle morning breeze goes past me, as I stare at the sun which has just risen from the east. Truly beautiful, no matter how many times I see it, I will never get bored of it.
I am right now in a training ground that has nothing but grass, only a few inches tall. Apparently, they use it to simulate battle, however instead of using wooden weapons, they use a dull edge of impure iron. Intresting.
With spear in hand, my opponent, who happens to be a guard of this lovely residence, dashes at me with full determination to take me down, only problem being, is that he is too….
slow
As soon as I think this, the whole world suddenly stops, with everything having a tinge of deep blue in it. In case you haven’t realised yet, this is time magic. My favourite magic, to be specific. While it isn’t the most showy or flashy, it is very practical, simple and gets the job done.
“pffft” I hold back my laughter as I approach my opponent, who is currently frozen mid-dash. With wide open eyes, and a half-opened mouth, and teeth clenched. He currently looks very stupid.
“No offense, bud” I give him my condolences, as I kick him lightly in the stomach. Why not use the sword you ask? the sword in my hand is so useless, that if I was in my dragon form, and used the tip of my pinky toe of my left leg, the sword would be obliterated out of existence, it’s not even funny.
I watch him as he flies across the training field due to my kick. I feel bad for that leather armour he is wearing that is probably unrecognizable at this point.
I walk back to my previous position with sword in hand, and put on my the pose I was standing in before I froze time. I have to put on a show of strength for the lord of this household who wants to see it, and with just a thought I order time to go….
fast
The world that was tinged blue returns to normal, and the frozen silence morphs into instant murmuring in shock of how the guard I was facing suddenly teleported away, while laying on the ground breathing heavily.
Even if I may have overdone it, I am not one to care about a single mortal.
I drop my sword, and walk to the side of the training grounds with a group of spectators, who consists, of the lord along with Clarissa, as well as some guards.
“Did I pass, boss?” I ask the old man, who seems to be in deep contemplation, or maybe he is too infatuated with my strength? I am too flattered, no more praise please. “With flying colours” he replies, kind of blandly. Is time magic common here? I don’t think it is.
“What was that? Was that spatial magic? Can you teach me?” Clarissa wakes up from her stupor, and immediately starts blabbing about something I have no interest in. She seems to have recovered from the little punishment I gave her, I like resilience.
As I walk back into the house, Clarissa follows me and continues saying something I am not paying attention to.
“Haah…” Should I block my hearing ability, to get rid of this bee that can’t close her mouth?
--POV: Theodore Chamberlayne—
What was that? What did I just see? Vick is one of the most compotent of the guards currently in this residence, but somehow, I feel like even he doesn’t know what happened to him.
What happened to him? Does Laurence have some kind of barrier around him, and by entering it, Vick somehow got repelled backwards?
No, a barrier like that wouldn’t work as I shook his hands yesterday, and nothing happened to me….or is the barrier something you can call on command?
“My lord!” A servant rushes to me with something in hand “I found this where he left it sir!”
This!!
This is the sword he had during the duel, but it looks so rusty and old. Complete reddish-brown with rust, with some places hinting erosion.
The sword eroded? It is as if it has been existing for……
“hundreds of years….” Is this an effect of his magic, is this ……!
the mythical Time Magic??!!!
“My lord” Alfred says with an ashen expression, his face stating he thought the same thing as me. “My lord, the magic should have affected him as well, yet his appearance didn’t change at all!!”
“Wait, wait, wait…what if….what if he could live those hundreds of years without a single change in appearance” This sounds like some stupid theory, but I could be on the mark on Laurence.
“My lord, for a being to be able to live for hundreds of years, without a single sign of aging, and being that proficient in time magic” Alfred takes a deep breath “He could only be either a demon or a dragon”
“A demon or a dragon, huh?” Well, shit. Isn’t this my lucky day!