"I could not defeat you. This is my loss," Mayra admitted, although she had a complex expression on her face.
She did not pull any of her punches during their spar and her attacks could inflict considerable damage on August if he did not defend properly. However, he still managed to deal with her attacks and even launch counterattacks in response. This impressed her greatly.
Despite being impressed with August’s battle sense and capability, she still did not expect a draw in this match, especially with her last attack: Gorgon’s Gaze, just now. It was a sure-kill attack that had made her turn the tables and even kill her enemies many times in the past hence she was confident that August would be defeated. But to her astonishment, he was still standing before her unaffected by her spiritual attack just now.
’Perhaps he had a very strong soul as an innate ability? What more abilities is he hiding under his sleeve? Then that increased his mysteriousness even more,’ She wanted to ask August but hesitated.
Every sorcerer had his or her own personal secrets that they could not divulge even to their friends. This world was cruel and power decided everything. Exposing one’s weaknesses or secrets could prove to be fatal and hence sorcerers kept their distance from each other. Selfishness was considered to be a ’proper’ moral over here.
Mayra was lost in thought for a bit before recovering her expression returned to normal. "I guess we should return back to the fort, or do you need to rest and recover your magic power?" She asked.
"It’s fine, I can still manage, do not worry. Anyways once again thanks for the spar. I guess we can head back now," August replied calmly.
Although he managed to bring the match to a draw, even he had to admit that he would have been defeated with that one move if not for Rhea. When he saw her gaze and was hit instantaneously by Mayra’s spiritual attack, his five senses were completely cut off and he felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.
However, it turned out to be an illusion when he felt a strong vibration being emitted from a blue-coloured speck of light within his soul. The vibration pulsated throughout his soul, allowing him to regain his awareness for a slight moment and immediately responded to Mayra’s follow-up attack. All this happened in a matter of seconds.
It was after the battle did he realize that it was Rhea who helped him to resist the attack and recover very quickly, otherwise, he would have lost. This made him admire Mayra even more. She was strong, no doubt!
He was thinking about all this as well as he and Mayra walked towards two giant wolves that were not far from them. Those were wind wolves. However, they had a wind core embedded in their foreheads and they were two times bigger than an ordinary wind wolf with bright-green fur.
Those were elite-level wind wolves were triggered by the infusion of wind elemental cores, which improved their affinity with the wind element and gathering of magic power. This triggered a mutation from ordinary beasts with a bit of magic power, to true magic beasts!
Also August had improved upon the mind rune within the wind wolves and instead of just obeying simple commands like puppets, he was now able to control the wolves like they were his soldiers, through a magic tool that he created-a ring. The magic ’mind’ ring emitted a magic signal that resonated with the mind rune within them. Hence they were intelligent and could act on their own as well.
He gave a ring to Mayra as a gift and she was able to control one of the wind wolves. She was delighted with the present and played around with her ’pet’ all the time. He also used the past few weeks to analyse the data he got from the wind wolves and was pleased with their results. What meant was that he could control many of such beasts easily although it required a lot of focus and one needed a higher spiritual power to be able to implant the mind rune.
But he did not have to worry about that first shortcoming because he had Rhea and therefore he could delegate the control to Rhea. However, while the second shortcoming proved to be an issue, he did not mind it since the reason for performing this experiment with wind wolves was not for them to fight for him. In his view, they just provided him with support.
Just before they were about to ride back, Mayra brought out a box that she had been keeping beside her wolf and handed it to August. "Before we head back, I wanted to give you something, August," Mayra said with a light smile.
"What is this?"
"It’s a parting gift from me, so open it"
August opened the box, which had a rectangular shape, and inside of it was a delicate and very beautiful metal staff. It had a flame-like metallic shape at its tip and there was a large spirit stone embedded in it. However, the staff had a thin crack on its surface from top to down. August’s eyes were as wide as saucers as even he could not help but be overawed by the beautiful treasure that was before his eyes at the moment.
Mayra had a gentle look on her face as she saw August’s excited expression and was pleased. She placed he head on his shoulder from behind and said softly. "This staff was one of the treasures looted from a satellite world belonging to the Divine Gods World and was given to me by my mother. It was originally at the first grade, the level of equipment typically used by First-Rank Sorcerers. Unfortunately, it got badly damaged during my escape and it is now at the elite rank-0 level."
"I want you to have it, August. Please do not reject this gift of mine"
August’s initial excitement turned into confusion as he turned around and stared at Mayra. "You said it was originally a piece of first-grade magical equipment. But that does not mean you can’t use this as well. Why are you giving this to me?"
"You are more suited for it. I am more of a close combat sorcerer and you are more of a long-ranged combatant yourself. Moreover, I am a bloodline sorcerer-my path is different. so I don’t need it that urgently. So I want you to take it." Mayra replied resolutely.
After listening to her explanation, August felt she made sense and did not say anymore. Rather he paid attention to the data that Rhea displayed on the system interface.
MAGICAL EQUIPMENT: ELVEN SPIRIT STAFF
ELITE RANK-0 LEVEL (originally in the first grade)
FUNCTIONS
1. Boosts Spirit by 3
2. All magic power cost of all elemental spells below the second rank is reduced by 25%
3. Casting time reduced by 50%
August smiled and gave her a slight bow before saying solemnly. "Thank you, Mayra. This is a truly valuable gift. I won’t forget it"
"Don’t worry about it, August. You know I will always support you in whatever you do. Well go ahead and try it out," Mayra laughed while she suggested.
"Okay"
As soon as he held the staff, He could feel his spirit power surging instantly. He saw from his status that his spirit power which after months of training had reached 12 points, now temporarily jumped up to 15-reaching the level of an elite rank-0 sorcerer!
Wind Sorcery: Wind Spear Rain!
Right on top of the tip of the staff, several wind spears formed out of thin air within a second and August launched them towards a rock not far from him.
A rumbling sound could be heard as the wind spears obliterated the rock without any suspense.
"Wow! The wind spears were launched almost instantly when it previously took 3 seconds to cast!"
August exclaimed in surprise. "Moreover, it also used half of the magic power I needed previously to cast the wind sorcery I used just now. This magic staff is incredible!"
August did not need anyone to tell him what this meant. It meant that he could cast a lot more sorceries from now on without having to worry too much about the magic cost and also coupled with his high wind affinity compared to others among the rank-0 Apprentice Sorcerer level, he could become a lot more powerful and use even more destructive sorceries which consumed huge magic power!
"I am glad you liked my gift. Well, I guess it is time we head back now and continue our arrangements."
"After all, tomorrow will be the day the envoy from the Brander Clan arrives, marking the end of your mission and probably our last time together," Mayra said with a hint of sadness in her tone.
"Yes, that is true, unfortunately. The time has finally come," August replied as he mounted his mutated wind wolf and rode back with Mayra to the faint outline of Toledo fort in the distance.