The so-called training had ended.
It was nothing more than a one-sided ass-beating.
"Hrg… I hate this," Erik groaned, lying on the ground.
"You okay?" Leena asked, looking down at him.
"You know, it's a cruel thing to say after beating someone like that."
Leena continued to stare at him silently.
"…Yeah, I'm fine."
Erik sat up, wincing.
"You've been beaten by women two times in a row now," Kruzen called from behind.
"Why did you hide it?" Erik asked.
"Hide what?"
"The fact that you already knew about my condition."
"I didn't hide it, Erik. I told you when you needed to hear it. You didn't need that information before."
"Huh… so what now?"
"Well," Kruzen said, stepping forward, "you'll be sparring with Leena from now on. Watch her closely. Study her methods. When your training's done and your second element is unlocked, you'll be able to wield it like it's always been part of you."
"Okay," Erik muttered.
"That's it for today. I'll take my leave. See you tomorrow."
Kruzen turned and left. Leena gave a polite bow to Erik and followed behind.
Erik remained seated for a while, thinking about how the fight had gone. It reminded him of sparring with Evalyn.
With Evalyn, he could at least see the attacks coming—he just didn't have the speed to react.
With Leena… he couldn't even see them coming.
He meditated for a while, trying to settle his thoughts, and then moved on to the most annoying part of the day: the ethics class.
It was supposed to teach him how to behave like a noble—everything from how to sit, how to eat, to even how to sleep.
"I'd rather get my ass kicked by Leena again," Erik muttered.
As expected, he struggled. He kept forgetting the correct stances, which spoon to pick up first, and all the tiny, meaningless rules.
When he asked Kruzen why he had to go through this hell, Kruzen simply said, "It'll be useful to you in the future."
And honestly, Erik could see how that might be true.
The day came to an end. After dinner, he went straight to his room.
He lay on his bed, going through everything that had happened—and everything that was coming tomorrow.
"…This sucks."
He pulled the covers over himself and closed his eyes, mentally preparing for another ass-beating in the morning.
The next morning came.
Erik sat at the edge of his bed when he heard a knock. As expected, it was Leena.
"Master Erik, I'm here to take you to Archmage Kruzen," she said.
"Alright," Erik replied, getting up and following her.
"You know, you don't have to call me Master Erik," he said as they walked.
"Why is that?"
"Because you're stronger than me. After a beating like that, being called 'Master' just feels… insulting."
Leena stayed silent for a moment.
"It's not about strength. It was an order to address you that way. But if you insist, I can stop."
"Please do."
"Okay, Erik."
…For some reason, that felt even more insulting. But Erik had asked for it.
Training began. As expected, Erik still couldn't read her movements. He couldn't trace how her mana flowed, and by the time he noticed anything, she had already struck.
She broke a few bones. Kruzen healed him.
They fought again.
Days passed. Not much changed.
But on the fifth day, Erik felt something—just a second before her attack landed, something inside him registered it. He couldn't react in time, but he could feel it coming.
On the ninth day, for the first time, Erik dodged a kick. He got caught by the next one, of course, but still—he had dodged her attack.
For the first time in nine days.
Training ended for the day.
"That was a good one, Erik," Kruzen said from behind.
Erik was still lying flat on the ground. "Well… for once."
"This is good progress. How did you do it?"
"I felt it, Kruzen. I felt her attack coming."
"Good."
"Kruzen… how does she move like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like she's flying… or no—"
"Teleporting?" Kruzen interrupted.
"Yeah. Like teleporting."
"Because she is."
"…What?"
"Leena, you may leave," Kruzen said.
Leena bowed and left silently.
"She's a gifted child, Erik. She's been using electricity since she was five. And if that's not enough, she was trained by Rowan himself. She's one of the few people Rowan has personally sparred with."
"If I master electricity… will I be able to move like that too? Teleport?"
"Let's hope so. As long as you push yourself to the limit, you'll be able to use it like you've had it your whole life."
Kruzen gave him a nod and left.
Erik sat there for a while before dragging himself to ethics class. As usual, it was miserable.
Afterward, he went straight to bed.
He stared up at the ceiling, going over the day's events.
I just need to be a bit quicker… a bit faster…