Nolan watched everything intently.
Once again, Minerva planted her foot on the floor and shot forward as quickly as a bullet. Nolan saw Selena's reaction half a second later: her face paled as Minerva's spear nearly struck her.
In that split second, however, a medium-sized water dome formed around Selena.
Minerva's spear struck the dome's surface, sending up a violent ripple.
Minerva smiled lopsidedly.
"Selena, you're indeed clever and quite astute," she said casually. "But I saw your fight with Master Vincent. You struggled to hold on. If your opponent were a Sentinel Extreme, a water dome like this one would shatter easily."
Selena leaped back two meters, her breath ragged.
"But that doesn't mean—" Minerva continued. "I can destroy it."
Minerva took a stance. Violet-blue mana flowed rapidly and concentrated on the tip of her spear. With a single, straight thrust, the spear shot forward, spinning like a growling drill bit.
Selena spread her arms, summoning all her mana. The water dome trembled violently.
The spear's rotation accelerated.
Cracks appeared on the dome's surface.
In a matter of seconds, the water dome shattered. Nolan saw Selena's eyes widen. If Minerva had pulled her spear out any slower, its tip would have mercilessly pierced Selena's eye.
The spear stopped right in front of Selena's face.
She collapsed to the floor, her body trembling and her face pale.
Meanwhile, Minerva caught the spear with one hand, spun it lightly, and pointed the tip at Nolan.
Nolan immediately swung his hand. A black sword with white stripes emerged from his storage bracelet and floated into his grasp. A dark mana aura enveloped the blade, thick and heavy.
Minerva's eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward and swung his sword.
Eclipse Cleaves came in a flurry.
Minerva dodged with clean, efficient movements. Nolan's slashes only hit the floor and wall, leaving deep cracks.
This time, he didn't retreat.
He followed Minerva's lead, getting into close range.
Sword and spear clashed.
A loud metallic clang resounded, accompanied by a flash of golden light. A violet aura and dark mana collided, creating pressure that vibrated the air.
Nolan twisted his body in midair and swung his sword at a tight angle.
Minerva blocked the attack with the back of her spear.
Instantly, Nolan felt a strange vibration. Minerva channeled mana into her spear, as if an explosion of energy had erupted from the point of impact.
Nolan's sword trembled violently.
A wave of mana pushed his body back.
However, Nolan planted his feet precisely and landed lightly without falling.
Minerva spun her spear once more and adopted a firm stance.
"Sir Vincent taught me about Sentinels with dark mana auras," she said. "That attribute is extremely rare."
Her gaze was fixed squarely on him.
"And you... Prince of Arathen," she continued, smiling crookedly, "you possess one."
Her smile widened, clearly showing her enthusiasm.
"Very interesting."
Nolan drew his sword and prepared himself, especially as Minerva raised the tip of her spear upward. Two violet-blue portals opened in the air.
Two violet-blue spears formed from her mana aura and shot toward him from within the portals. Nolan reacted quickly, deflecting the first spear aimed at his eyes with his sword, then spinning and destroying the second. Both spears shattered into fragments of light.
However, Minerva's aggressive attacks did not stop there.
Nolan watched the ponytailed woman slam her spear onto the floor. A magic circle formed and two mana chains shot out like snakes, swiftly pursuing him.
Although he managed to deflect them with Eclipse Cleave, they continued to move, twisting and pursuing him relentlessly. He was forced to run back and forth, passing Selena and Julian, who were sitting on the edge of the arena simply watching the two mana chains chase him.
"Nolan's fighting! We're losing, so we can only cheer you on!" Julian shouted.
Selena joined in the chant beside him, though her tone was completely off.
Inwardly, Nolan wanted to curse them both out.
However, since the training was one-on-one and the loser had to step aside, Nolan was the only one left to face Minerva.
Nolan was slightly surprised when, amidst his attempts to evade the two chains pursuing him, Minerva attacked directly. Before he could look to the side, Nolan's sword collided with the tip of Minerva's spear. The clash of weapons sent sparks flying.
Nolan stepped back with his left foot, using his sword to block the pressure of Minerva's attack.
"Nolan, is this your limit?" Minerva asked with a lopsided smile, her aura blazing with enthusiasm. "We've dueled three times, and you've lost every time. Do you want to lose again?"
Minerva tilted her spear slightly, her eyes sharp.
"I heard you fought the Dark Sentinel—the Ultimate Sentinel of Squeance 7—and defeated him. But even against me, who is also ranked seven, you're already having trouble," she continued coldly. "Is this all your power? I doubt you truly defeated that Dark Sentinel."
Minerva's words were deliberately offensive and provocative.
Nolan's brow furrowed. A dark fire seemed to ignite in his belly as a rage rose involuntarily within him. His grip on his sword wavered slightly, and that was all it took.
Minerva immediately took advantage of the opening, swinging her spear with all her might.
The impact sent Nolan flying backward. However, he managed to keep himself from falling, forcing himself to stand even as he gasped for breath.
His hand, gripping the sword, trembled slightly. Memories of himself and Caelthorn collided, making his mind turbulent and his emotions difficult to control.
"Usually, I remain calm and rational in any situation. But for some reason, Caelthorn's memories are mixing with mine, making me lose control of my emotions," he muttered to himself.
Nolan exhaled slowly, trying to calm his pounding heart. He tightened his grip on his sword. A dark mana aura slowly enveloped his body while his right hand reached forward.
A pitch-black magic circle appeared beneath his feet. From within the circle, a long, snake-like dragon emerged and coiled through the air, its body shrouded in shadows.
Nolan recognized this magical technique. He had learned about it during a moment of unconsciousness when the black-faced figure said that he had given Nolan a gift of knowledge. He realized that the technique was still in its infancy—he had never used it before. However, the urge to try it was too strong to ignore.
[Dragon Calamity]
The black dragon's form resembled Vincent's Heaven-Defying Dragon. The Heaven-Defying Dragon, however, was a legendary Magic Beast that was summoned and permanently bonded to its owner. Dragon Calamity, on the other hand, was formed purely from the manifestation of a dark mana aura that had been condensed and shaped into a dragon. Essentially, Nolan didn't yet possess a Magic Beast of his own.
The black dragon roared, its body twisting wildly. Though only about a meter long, it moved incredibly fast. In an instant, Dragon Calamity shot toward Minerva, who had already prepared herself with her spear raised.
The roar echoed, mingling with the pressure of a dark aura. Minerva slammed her spear into the ground, immediately erecting a violet-blue shield as Dragon Calamity opened its mouth wide. The attack slammed hard into the shield but couldn't penetrate it.
Annoyed that its prey was protected by the shield, the dragon growled lowly. Its long, snake-like body twisted viciously as its head slammed into the shield and its tail lashed out repeatedly in hopes of breaking the barrier.
[Black Moon – Void Disc]
Nolan leaped high into the air. His sword, imbued with a dark mana aura, swung down and formed a pitch-black Black Moon. The Black Moon spun like a giant disc and hurtled toward Minerva.
The Dragon Calamity and the Black Moon attacks struck the protective shield simultaneously. Cracks spread rapidly until the shield shattered into countless pieces.
This was Nolan's opportunity.
He dashed down as Minerva retreated, her spear suspended in midair. With a twisting motion, Nolan slammed his sword against the spear shaft. A loud clang rang out, and the weapon flew from her grasp.
The series of attacks in the air came to a halt.
Minerva stomped her foot hard on the floor. In an instant, Nolan's sword tip stopped mere centimeters from the ponytailed woman's neck.
Nolan held his breath.
Minerva looked momentarily surprised, then smiled with satisfaction.
"Very good."
Nolan exhaled softly. He spun the sword around and put it back into his storage bracelet.
The fifth week of training ended quite satisfactorily. At least for Nolan.
Selena wore a weary expression, and Julian looked no better—he was miserable and exhausted. Minerva showed no hesitation toward either of them, continuing to tap the tip of her spear on the floor in an intimidating rhythm.
"You," Minerva said coldly, "have completed nineteen missions before joining the guild. But even fighting me—a mere Squeance 7 Ultimate Sentinel—is overwhelming. Were you spoiled by your previous captain?"
Nolan listened quietly to the lecture.
In contrast, Selena and Julian cowered like children who had just been scolded.