Azaria continued her relentless training.
This time, she had decided to focus specifically on her fire spells.
After her conversation with Glodius, she could no longer afford to waste time doubting her own abilities. If her Intelligence and Dexterity were insufficient, then she had only one solution: develop them.
More.
And more.
Until she reached the level she desired.
So she headed to one of the special training rooms in the Burning Phoenix Mansion.
The mansion boasted several facilities for training its inhabitants, but this room was by far one of the most impressive.
Behind massive metal doors lay a gigantic chamber.
It stretched for nearly three kilometers.
The floor, walls, and much of the structure were covered in a special metal imbued with magic. Rune inscriptions ran throughout parts of the room, emitting a faint glow. This place had been specially designed to allow family members to train without risking the destruction of the manor.
Once training was activated, several mana-powered puppets would spring into action.
They could move.
Attack.
Dodge.
And above all, adapt to the approximate skill level of their opponent.
They were thus ideal adversaries for magic users and fighters eager to hone their abilities.
Azaria wore her magician's attire: a long, red robe designed for combat, complete with a large hood of the same color. Her clothing was lightly infused with mana to better withstand certain magical manifestations.
She pushed open the massive doors and entered.
But as soon as she stepped inside, she immediately noticed she wasn't alone.
Several figures were already training in the gigantic hall: three of her brothers, two of her sisters. And one of her sisters-in-law.
Azaria stood still for a few seconds.
Her gaze fell upon them.
Her expression grew slightly colder.
The Klausvitch family was far from being as close-knit as it might have appeared to the outside world.
The late Klausvitch, Azaria's father, had married several women during his life.
Shoko, Azaria's mother, was one of them.
From this union, Azaria was born.
She was the only child of Shoko and her father.
But Klausvitch had also married two other women, with whom he had several other children.
Brothers.
Sisters.
A huge family.
But for Azaria, the word "family" had never truly held the same meaning.
Many of her half-brothers and half-sisters harbored a deep animosity toward her.
Some openly despised her.
Others never missed an opportunity to remind her of her weakness.
Even some of her stepmothers didn't think much of her.
The humiliations.
The insults.
The hurtful remarks.
It had all become routine.
At every encounter, Azaria had to endure their mockery.
And one reason kept recurring.
She was weaker than them.
At least, for the moment.
They had progressed faster.
They possessed better stats.
More experience.
And some had already reached a level the young girl hadn't yet attained.
But this contempt wasn't confined to the family mansion.
Azaria had also pursued an academic path.
She had once studied at one of the great magic academies located in the capital city of Xiapang.
More specifically, in the Shũzen district.
A prestigious, comprehensive academy, welcoming numerous students from various classes.
Mages.
Sorcerers.
Wizards.
Knights.
And many more.
The institution offered a very high-level education and trained some of the kingdom's future talents.
But even there, Azaria hadn't found peace.
The humiliations and harassment continued.
The contemptuous stares.
The constant comparisons to her brothers and sisters.
The whispered words behind her back.
Gradually, the young girl began to isolate herself.
Then one day...
She made her decision.
Azaria ended her academic journey.
She left the academy to continue her studies at home.
Since then, she had lived much more secluded.
Away from the other students.
Away from prying eyes.
Away from those who saw her as nothing more than a young magician incapable of competing with her own family.
It was then that Glodius made a decision.
Seeing his granddaughter becoming increasingly isolated, he chose to personally oversee her education.
He didn't want to let her succumb to doubt.
So he began to teach her magic.
Not just like a grandfather.
But like a true master.
Azaria clenched her fist slightly.
Glodius's words still echoed in her mind.
Your only true limit is your knowledge and your will.
She took a deep breath.
Then she stepped forward.
It didn't matter who was in this room.
It didn't matter what looks they gave her.
This time...
Azaria had come to train.
[Azaria's Perspective]
I slowly approach the training area.
No sooner have I crossed the threshold than several glances turn in my direction.
My half-brothers and half-sisters momentarily interrupt their exercises. Some already wear mocking smiles, as if they've just found a new distraction.
Once again, I've become the center of attention.
I lower my gaze slightly and continue walking, ignoring them completely.
I make my way to the training arena and step onto the vast metallic surface.
The moment my feet touch the ground, a massive dome of blue energy closes around the area.
A translucent screen appears before me.
[INDIVIDUAL DETECTED]
Name: Azaria Klausvitch
[SELECT YOUR TRAINING TYPE]
-Defensive Training
-Offensive Training
-Mana Refinement Training
-Hybrid Training
-Real-Time Immersive Training
Each training type has multiple difficulty levels.
Each time a level is completed, the difficulty gradually increases to allow the user to continue developing their skills.
Traditional training primarily relies on humanoid puppets powered by mana. Some are used to attack, others to absorb attacks, or to replicate different combat techniques.
But real-time immersive training is something else entirely.
It grants access to an artificial dimension specifically designed for training.
Once inside, the user must face various trials designed to improve their physical, magical, and mental abilities.
But unlike other training, everything here is real.
Injuries are real.
Pain is real.
And so is death.
If someone dies in this dimension, their body also dies in the real world.
This extremely dangerous training has been practiced for generations within the Burning Phoenix Family.
The parameters of this dimension are directly controlled by the family elders and monitored constantly, twenty-four hours a day.
I immediately think back to the promise I made to my grandfather.
I will no longer take unnecessary risks.
Therefore, I refuse the immersive training.
My finger lands on the offensive option.
[OFFENSIVE TRAINING SELECTED]
Suddenly, several humanoid puppets appear before me.
They are medium-sized and made entirely of a mana-infused metallic material.
They extend their arms simultaneously.
BOOM!
Bluish magical shields appear in front of each of them.
This training is designed for one purpose: to improve my offensive power and my ability to break through enemy defenses.
I take a deep breath.
I'm about to begin when several voices echo behind me.
I close my eyes for a moment.
Of course...
I turn around.
Two of my half-brothers and two of my half-sisters approach, laughing.
They are all wearing their red magician robes and hoods.
The first boy, Kazu, has curly white hair and brown eyes. A contemptuous smile hangs on his face.
He crosses his arms and looks down at me.
"Look at that... Isn't that the useless Azaria?"
I clench my fists slightly.
But I don't reply.
Esmeralda, whose white hair gleams in the hall lights and whose emerald eyes are particularly bright, bursts out laughing.
"Watch out, Kazu. You'll end up hurting her."
She puts a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"And then she'll probably beat you up."
Lucia snickers in turn.
"Watch yourself." She might even summon her dark knight Kazu to protect you.
The four of them burst out laughing.
I remain silent.
Kazu, meanwhile, continues to stare at me arrogantly.
The fourth boy stands slightly apart.
Unlike the others, he doesn't laugh.
His dark hair frames his face, and his piercing blue eyes remain fixed on me.
He doesn't utter a single word.
I finally look away.
I didn't come here for them.
I came to train.
I look at the puppets in front of me.
Grandfather told me that my only limit is my knowledge and my willpower.
I gently clench my fists.
So I'm going to work.
Again and again.
Until no one can call me useless anymore.
Azaria continued her training, completely ignoring the provocations of Kazu, Lucia, and Esmeralda.
She remained focused on the puppets facing her.
With a simple gesture, her grimoire appeared before her. It floated silently in the air, its pages turning slightly under the influence of mana.
Azaria's grimoire was unique. Its brown cover was crisscrossed with a thin red thread, while several purple crystals were embedded in its surface.
Among magicians, the grimoire was not simply a book.
It was their catalyst.
Magicians absorbed the Nekroz present in their environment before purifying it and transforming it into usable mana. The grimoire performed a similar function: it served as an intermediary, allowing them to purify, channel, and control this energy.
There was, however, a fundamental difference between novices and experienced magicians.
Novices like Azaria still had to recite their incantations to materialize their spells. More advanced magicians, however, could cast their techniques directly with their thoughts. Their spells were already recorded in their grimoire, and their minds were intimately connected to it.
A grimoire was bound to its owner.
If someone tried to seize it, they would find only a simple book with blank pages. Without its true wielder, all its power became inaccessible.
Azaria took a deep breath.
She looked at the puppet in front of her.
Her grimoire opened.
She slowly raised her hand.
"Oh, you, destructive flame, come and lend me your saving aid. Reduce my enemies to dust."
A large amount of mana concentrated around her hand.
Then—
[First Offensive Technique: Fireball]
A fireball suddenly appeared in the air.
She raced across the room and crashed into the puppet's magical shield.
BOOM!
A violent explosion rang out.
A thick smoke momentarily blanketed the area.
Azaria remained motionless, waiting for the result.
A few seconds later, the smoke began to dissipate.
The shield was still there.
Not a crack.
Not even a scratch.
Azaria's eyes widened slightly.
Her heart sank.
She had just concentrated a considerable amount of mana into that attack.
And it had changed absolutely nothing.
[Azaria's Perspective]
No...
How is that possible?
I concentrated a good portion of my mana reserves into that spell.
And I couldn't even damage a puppet of that level...
A crushing weight pressed down on her chest.
Then laughter erupted behind her.
"Did you see that?!" Kazu exclaimed. "She can't even destroy such a basic force field!"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, laughing so hard.
Lucia crossed her arms with an arrogant smile.
"Even in my sleep, I'd be able to obliterate all the puppets in this training session." Esmeralda also burst out laughing.
A little further away, Xazyu remained silent.
But Azaria clearly noticed the smile playing at the corner of his lips.
They continued their teasing for several minutes.
Azaria didn't respond.
She simply clenched her fists. Then the four of them finally left the room.
Silence fell once more.
Azaria remained alone.
Alone with the puppets.
Alone with her humiliation.
Alone with the feeling of being constantly outshone by others.
She lowered her eyes.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"Am I really that weak?"
She shook her head.
"No..."
She looked up.
"I refuse."
Her grimoire began to float before her again.
"Again."
A new fireball appeared.
BOOM!
The shield held.
"Again!"
BOOM!
"Still nothing."
"Again!"
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the room.
Azaria started again.
Again.
And again.
And again.
She cast spells until her breathing became uneven.
Her robe was soaked with sweat. Her legs began to tremble.
Her mana reserves were dwindling dangerously.
But she continued.
Each time her spell failed, she started again.
Each time her arms ached, she raised them anyway.
Each time her body begged her to stop, she refused.
"Again..." Her voice grew weak.
"One more time..." A new fireball formed.
She launched it.
BOOM!
The shield held firm again.
Azaria gasped.
Her vision began to blur.
She placed a hand against her chest.
I have to become stronger.
She took a hard breath.
I have to prove I can do it.
She raised her hand again.
But this time, no spell came.
Her body had reached its limit.
Her legs suddenly gave way.
"Ah..." Her eyes lost their focus.
Her grimoire flickered in mid-air before vanishing.
Azaria fell heavily onto the metal floor.
Boom.
Her body lay still.
Her breathing was shallow.
Her eyes slowly closed.
Then everything went black.
Total emptiness.