𝐀 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥
“Dahah!”
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Alma collapses, exhaling deeply.
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“So. . . strong. . . what is. . . this monster. . .”
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Lying on the ground, face up, gasping for air.
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“Well, after all, Iris is a demon, and the strongest one at that.”
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Luke kneels beside her.
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He too is drenched in sweat and panting.
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“Alma, how many times do I have to tell you not to rely too much on muscle memory?”
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Iris sighs while floating in the air.
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She is not even sweating, let alone out of breath.
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The initial goal of preparing ten thousand gold coins was easily achieved, but since there was still time, the two were undergoing special training under Iris.
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Or rather, Iris, not wanting to let Luke go, insisted he stay. . .
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Anyway, for the past two days, both of them have been rigorously trained by Iris.
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“I understand humans practice repetitive training, but it’s not enough if you’re using that armor. Come on, one more time.”
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Saying this, she gestures invitingly with her hand.
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“This. . . s*dist. . .”
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Alma, staggering to her feet, lunges at Iris again.
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Actually, Alma’s movements, enhanced by the new Demonstration Armor Ring, are already beyond human capabilities.
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It’s unlikely even a seasoned warrior could keep up with Alma’s movements.
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Yet, Iris handles all of it effortlessly with just one hand.
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“That’s why you shouldn’t just speed up your physical movements. Think faster, not just rely on your body. If you’re bound by the limits of your muscles, you’ll never succeed. Synchronize your thoughts with the armor. Then the armor will move for you.”
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While talking casually, her palm strike sends Alma flying tens of meters into a rock wall.
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“That armor can change its shape freely according to your will and thoughts, like this.”
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The ring on Iris’s arm transforms into a gauntlet similar to Alma’s new Demonstration Armor Ring.
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Then it grows into a fist several meters in size.
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“If you want to fully control it, you need to be conscious of every part of your body, from head to toe.”
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Her swung fist buries Alma further into the rock wall.
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Alma is completely covered by the fallen rocks.
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“Alma!”
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“That armor won’t dent with this much. More importantly, Luke, you rely too much on analysis and superficial magic. With that, you won’t even get close to the root, let alone see it.”
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“I. . . I’m sorry.”
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Luke stands up, wiping the mud off his face.
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Reaching the root of magic has been Luke’s ultimate goal since he became Iris’s disciple.
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In the human realm, it is common knowledge in magic studies that the original magical elements belong to one of the six elements: earth, water, fire, wind, light, and darkness, and all magic is composed of these.
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However, there is a theory that originally, the magical elements had no attributes.
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This is the theory of Origin Magic.
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It’s believed that in ancient times, the world’s magical elements were attributeless, and some event in the distant past caused them to acquire attributes.
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It is said that the lost ancient kingdom used primal magic, causing phenomena unimaginable today.
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Luke, who had been fascinated by this theory since his school days, became convinced of it after meeting Iris.
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This was because the magic used by Iris was beyond any known attribute.
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Iris, a demon, did not need incantations or magical formulas to cast magic.
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Iris’s magic existed in the moment as if defying the laws of this world, yet everything remained as it was.
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This was the power of primal magic, and the overwhelming difference between demons and humans.
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The primal magic wielded by Iris appeared incredibly beautiful to Luke, eventually becoming his dream.
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“I want to experience primal magic myself,” he thought.
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Seizing primal magic with his own hands became Luke’s driving principle, believing his inherent magic, “Analysis,” existed for this purpose.
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The magical armor Luke created with “Analysis” replicated ancient compression magic, but it was still far from primal magic.
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Still, he believed he would surely reach it one day.
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Iris gestured from the sky.
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“Luke, you’re overthinking it in your head. Magic is closely connected to willpower. Don’t think, just believe it to be so. By doing that, the results will naturally follow. Luke, you can do it. You can definitely grasp fundamental magic in your hands. So, one more time.”
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“I’ll. . . try!”
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Luke readied his left hand.
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― Thus, two days passed, and the day for their return arrived ―
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“Well, two days isn’t enough for much, but keep going even after we descend the mountain.”
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Iris watched as the two prepared to return to the mansion from the mountain they had climbed three days earlier.
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“Especially you, Alma. I hate to say this, but I’m entrusting Luke to you. I won’t forgive you if something happens to him.”
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“I got it.”
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Alma said this with a grin, bumping fists with Iris.
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“You two seem unusually close. What happened?”
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“Nothing special.”
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Alma hurriedly covered up, noticing Luke’s puzzled face.
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“Y, You mean realizing that Iris is actually a pretty good demon, like a comrade with shared goals?”
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“What does that mean?”
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“Ah, that thing, we made a pact. Sharing Luke. . .”
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“It’s nothing!”
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Alma hurriedly covered Iris’s mouth.
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“Let’s go back quickly! Otou-sama must be waiting.”
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“Luke, you don’t really have to go, do you? This is your home. Just leave the gold coins to Alma.”
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“No way! How can I return if Luke doesn’t?”
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Alma pulled away Iris, who clung to Luke with a spoiled voice.
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“Tch, a little more reluctance wouldn’t hurt.”
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“We have to return with the gold coins by the deadline. . . .But it’s strange, isn’t it? How so many coins fit in such a small bag.”
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Alma looked at the bag on her back with eyes filled with surprise.
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The huge amount of bags given by Iris were all inside Alma’s backpack, but it didn’t seem like it at all.
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Moreover, she couldn’t even feel the weight of the gold coins.
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“That bag is enchanted with compression magic. It uses the same technology as Alma’s Demonstration Armor. We could even fit all these gold coins in there.”
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“When you put it that way, it’s really an incredible magic technique. . .”
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Luke bowed his head to Iris.
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“Master, thank you for everything. I will definitely return, so please wait for me.”
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“. . .Well, I did receive a lot of help from Iris, and I’m grateful for that.”
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Alma also bowed her head honestly.
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“Besides, I still owe Iris. I’ll come back to repay that, so wait for me.”
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“Yes, I’ll wait. You two are my disciples. This is also your home. You can come back anytime.”
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“Okay, Luke, it’s about time to go.”
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Saying that, Alma hugged Luke.
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“Wait a minute, what’s that about?”
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Iris grabbed Alma’s head.
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“Eh, but we’ll die in the barrier if we don’t do this.”
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“Don’t joke! Why only you get such a privilege! That’s not allowed! Disciples can’t fall in love! It’s master’s order! I’ve just decided!”
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“What? I didn’t hear about that. Besides, that should be up to the people involved. Ah, ah, my head, my head’s going to tear off!”
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“. . .Both of you, maybe it’s time to stop. It’s getting dark.”
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Luke’s sigh dissolved into the mountain air.
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