The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Offensive Mindset

Looking up, I locked eyes with Varay as she was turning back into her normal form, the ice enveloping her slowly thawing.

“Good duel, General Arthur,” Varay acknowledged extending a hand.

I grabbed her arm and allowed her to pull me up to my feet. “As expected, there’s still a gap between us.”

“If you were able to hold that form for an extended period of time, there was a chance you could’ve overpowered me,” the lance admitted.

“I consider that form a borrowed power, not my own,” I chuckled, patting the dust off of my clothes. “I thought I mastered ice to a large extent but seeing you today makes me doubt myself.”

Varay revealed just the faintest glimmer of a smile before heading toward where my sister and the rest of our audience were.

As soon as we made it back to the group, the elders, Bairon and Virion—who had been exchanging gold coins with each other for reasons unknown—eagerly began bombarding me with suggestions and tips on what I did wrong during my sparring session with Varay.

“Your fire spells are strong but you expended an unnecessary amount of mana for each of them,” Hester began.

“That’s right,” Buhnd chimed in. “And there were many instances where utilizing your earth magic would’ve been more beneficial, yet you chose to revert back to your comfortable affinities.”

My head spun as I tried to keep eye contact with everyone who was talking to me until Alanis spoke up. “Elders. I believe it’d be most beneficial for General Arthur if we spoke one at a time in a more controlled setting.”

“I agree,” General Virion added. “Let’s gather around and examine what our young general did wrong!”

With that, I found myself on a stone chair, graciously erected by Buhn, sitting in circle like a child and his classmates for a group activity. Except my classmates were perhaps some of the most powerful and influential figures in all of this continent.

Ellie and Boo joined us in the circle but remained silent while everyone else began pointing out specific instances in my last fight where there was something better I could’ve done.

“Using wind to bolster up your spells was a good idea, but your application of it was surface level,” Camus explained. “For example, instead of using the wind to ‘push’ the lightning spear, why not integrate it around the entire spell itself? That way, you’d create a spinning force to strengthen its piercing power without using that much more mana.”

I was mulling over the elven elder’s analysis when another voice spoke up. It was Bairon.

“Because of the element’s very nature, shaping lightning is much harder than shaping fire. A more efficient attack would’ve been molding the fire into a piercing shape and coating it with lightning,” he said sternly.

“Th-Thanks... for the advice,” I said, surprised by his help. I understood that we were on the same side and all, but I was still the one that had brutally killed his brother.

Don’t get me wrong, Lucas deserved every ounce of what I did to him and more, but that didn’t stop Bairon from taking my actions on his family personally.

“Allow me to just give one insight,” Varay said. “Your control over ice is good, but as your opponent, it was too predictable for me that your ice magic merely served as a distraction. I’m sure Princess Kathyln saw this as well.”

The princess nodded. “Besides the spell Absolute Zero, most of his ice manipulation serves to divert his foe’s attention from his more powerful lightning spells.”

Have I become that predictable?

As if answering my thought, Varay added, “Your speed and spell chaining make up for this slight shortcoming, but I suspect that—in a prolonged battle—this can lead to your defeat.”

“I’ll keep your advice in mind. Thank you”—I shifted my gaze to Kathyln—“both of you.”

Virion used this opportunity, rising from his stone seat and clasping his hands. “Well, I apologize for our little interruption. Carry on with the training, Arthur. My expectations of your growth are high, especially since you’re taking time off from the battlefield.”

The commander shot me a wink before walking toward the entrance with his hands behind his back. The two lances followed close on either side of him and my eyes followed their figures until the large doors closed behind them.

“That was exhausting,” Emily said, letting out a deep breath.

“Being in a room with two lances and Commander Virion really leaves no room to breathe,” my sister added, falling forward on top of Boo’s furry back.

“Three lances,” I corrected. “Your brother’s a lance too, you know.”

“Well, you’re my brother first,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

I got up from my seat and stretched my sore limbs. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Is training done for today?” Kathyln asked, her eyes downcast.

Emily walked over to the panel, carefully reading one of the gauges. “Well, there’s still a lot of mana stored in here from earlier if you want to continue training.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Buhnd exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. “I’ve been itching to stretch my body after watching the fight. You down for little match, Princess?”

Kathyln eagerly nodded and followed behind the dwarven elder to the other end of the training grounds.

“I think I’ll head on up first,” my sister said, mid-yawn.

“Do you want me to walk you to your room?” I asked.

Ellie shook her head, patting Boo’s thick body. “That’s what I have Boo for.”

I nodded, shooting her a smile. “Good night.”

Her eyes half closed, she gave me a weak salute. “Good night, elders. Good night, Emily. Good night, Miss Emeria. And good night, Lance Arthur.”

I scoffed. “Cheeky girl.”

My sister batted her eyes innocently before trotting out of the room, leaving only Emily, Alanis, and the two remaining elders.

“Your sister is very different from you, General Arthur,” Alanis commented.

I couldn’t help but smile. “She definitely takes more after our father.”

“And you resemble more of your mother?” the elven assistant asked, her eyes focused on Kathyln and Buhnd’s figures.

I watched the two of them as well, adjusting their dueling equipment before beginning their spar. “I’m not sure. I’d like to think that I’m a mixture of both of them.”

“Who else would you resemble if not either of them?” Hester asked.

I simply shrugged, unable to form a better response, when I heard a yawn from behind.

Looking back over my shoulder, I could see Emily’s head bobbing as she struggled to stay awake.

“Emily,” I called out, startling the artificer.

Emily fumbled with the dials on her panel as if she had been working. “I’m not sleeping!”

“No one said you were,” I chuckled. “But maybe you should get some rest.”

“General Arthur is right,” Alanis stated. “I have basic knowledge of how to operate the device from watching.”

The artificer let out another yawn, adjusting her glasses. “Thank you, but it’s okay. I need to collect more data and compare the fpu from General Varay and Arthur’s last battle.”

“Speaking of that, you haven’t really given us any of the data during my training sessions with the elders over the past few days,” I said.