Chapter 22 - You Really Are a Baby

<p>"Go, Klum!" Raeki shouts, giving me two thumbs up. Although her expression didn't change, I could feel the understandable irritation radiating from Eniyala.<br/><br/> I grin at her, leaping at the opportunity. "I've been needing a warm-up," I say, stretching my back out. Reaching to my side, I close my fingers over open air, which materializes into UnHoly Raze. Holding the blade by my shoulder, I lowered into a ready stance.<br/><br/>[Target in sight.]<br/>[Critical Eye Skill activated.]<br/>[Opponent is stronger than the user.]<br/>[Underdog Skill activated.]<br/><br/> I immediately disregarded the Critical Mark on her left hand. Even if I hit that bluntly, it would probably at least break her hand, and I didn't want to risk injuring her before we started to travel. Still, I wanted to test where both her and I stood, so this was a good opportunity for that.<br/><br/> Neither of us budged for a long minute, staring the other down from several feet away. I open my Statscreen to double check what my stats were now at, making sure that it was right where Eniyala was standing so my eyes wouldn't leave her, which would create an opening.<br/><br/>STR: 8 (+1) MAG: 5 (+1)<br/>AGI: 12 (+2) DEX: 9 (+2)<br/>VIT: 7 (+1) INT: 10 (+2)<br/>Free Stats: 2<br/><br/>ACC: 10 (+2)<br/>DEF: 7 (+1)<br/>POW: 7 (+2)<br/><br/> Although one and two point stat differences didn't seem that different, I could feel how much it affected me directly in my body, potentially due to my heightened Dexterity. I close the screen, refocusing on Eniyala, before my foot digs in, driving me forward.<br/><br/> The second I start moving, the rod is spun into her left hand, and she holds up her right. As her mouth moves, strange letters glow red on the rod as blue sigils, bearing a fire-shaped glyph in each one, form on the tips of each five fingers. Copies of the sigils appeared around her head, and different sized blades made of a blue flame shot forward from each one. <br/><br/> As three blades fly towards me, I raise up my blade, deflecting a shortsword, before slicing the edge of my sword up, followed by a sharp, erratic turn to cut another shortsword and a fatter blade, causing them to burst. Blue flames danced past my blade, licking at me harmlessly. "You going easy on me or something?" I call out, which made her eyes narrow almost unnoticeably. As I look at her, a familiar feeling filled my chest, and I leap forward, twisting my body around with a wide swipe to cut the flaming dagger that had flown behind me. I plant my left hand on the ground to brace myself, using the support to twist my body and complete a 360° turn as I lightly land on the ground on my feet. I was now a few feet closer to Eniyala, who held the final blade, a fiery longsword, in her right hand. As I smiled at her, I marveled at how well I was moving.<br/><br/>[Erratic Movements (Rare Passive Skill): When utilizing the user's erratic fighting style, movement speed is increased 15%.]<br/>[* Note: This is one of those "always active" Passive Skills! Lucky user, it's almost as if the user is the main character!*]<br/><br/> I snort at the note, which makes Eniyala look at me quizzically. She had been taken aback by my sudden speed — she probably was expecting it to be my base value Agility, not boosted — but she had still managed to react well to my movements, and even attempted a counterattack. "She's pretty good."<br/><br/> "You know, you should break that habit of muttering to yourself. It's weird," Eniyala said. The rod lit up again, and this time golden bands with unrecognizable letters appear, snapping onto her body. Two closed around her wrists, two around her ankles, and one around her stomach. The first four revealed how small the joints were, as the bands closed onto the skin over the clothes she was wearing. The last one dragged my eyes towards it against my will, as the same process had revealed slim curves that had been hidden behind the bagginess of her outerwear before.<br/><br/> 'No Klum, bad Klum,' I think to myself, but Eniyala had used the opportunity to spring forward, bringing the longsword towards my neck with a surprising speed boost of her own.<br/><br/> Although startled, I didn't miss a beat as my muscles contracted, building up to push closer to my sparring buddy as the wind forcefully passed behind me. <br/><br/> WOOSH!<br/><br/> CLANG!<br/><br/> Surprisingly, this flaming blade didn't break in one hit, and several flaming sparks flew from the connection of the blades as neither of us gave ground. Raeki cheered at the spectacle, but both Eniyala and I were too into the spar to take notice.<br/><br/> Pushing off from one another, we surge forward once again to clash, both of us attempting to be the one to come out on top.<br/><br/>[Skill Slash has been activated.]<br/><br/> "Flaming Boost!"<br/><br/> "An incantation?"<br/><br/> As Mana flew from my hands and coated UnHoly Raze in a purple glow, azure flames fly from the backs of Eniyala's shoulders and her blade, propelling her forward. Since Slash would end if I hit anything with my blade, I dodge under the controlled swipe, darting my blade in an unreadable pattern before swiping it at her wrist, attempting to cut the golden band that was clearly some type of buff. At the last second, Eniyala lets go of the sword, jerking her middle finger up. In response, the blade spins around, catching the blow.<br/><br/> "Detonate."<br/><br/> As soon as our blades clashed, a large blue explosion bursts from the sword, throwing us both back. <br/><br/>- - - <br/><br/> As I slowly picked myself up off the ground, I move a curtain of my hair away to look through the smoke and see what had happened to my opponent. As it dissipates, I see a boy with white hair lying on his side, arm propping up his head as his knee was bent over his other leg. As he struck this ridiculous pose, he gives me a cheesy smile.<br/><br/> I scoff in disbelief. <br/><br/> "What? I bet you just can't see true beauty," Klum jokes, rolling himself to his feet — clumsily. 'Why is he struggling like that? His Dexterity is high for his level.'<br/><br/> He lowers into a relaxed stance, but I could see his muscles tensed underneath his composure, ready to spring into action in an instant.<br/><br/> 'He really is pretty strong for having been here for a week. I mean, who levels up 4 times in a single week?'<br/><br/> Plus, there was the issue that no matter how I looked at it, his Total Stat Count was completely wrong.<br/><br/> Concentrating on the man, I watch the tip of his sword lower as his legs wind up quietly, pushing him forward at incredible speed.<br/><br/> 'If he still has tells like that…'<br/><br/>(Skill Sprint was activated.)<br/>(Movement speed increased by 10%.)<br/><br/> "Come on then!"<br/><br/>- - -<br/><br/>[Eniyala Ignios has activated Skill Sprint.]<br/>[User can learn this Skill.]<br/><br/> "Huh," I thought, grinning at the woman who had leapt back with new speed. I lower the edge of my weapon by my left side as I continue dashing forwards. She lifts the rod in the air; three blue flamed spears spiral into position from thin air, pointing angrily at me. Eniyala points the rod at me, and the spears fly at me like hounds released. I deflect one, sparks flying everywhere as it spins past, and dodge another. I meet the third head on, pushing my Mana into my legs as I tried to work on reinforcing them for the skill.<br/><br/>[Sprint: Progression increased.]<br/>[Total Progression: 50%]<br/><br/> "Nice."<br/><br/> However, that was the most I would get in this spar. I could tell instantly that the other half of it was something I didn't yet understand how to do. Brushing it off, I push forward. Even with her small retreat, I easily caught up with the distance Eniyala created. It was then that she gave me a "you've activated my trap card" smile, breaking her concentrated look. At that moment, alarm bells began ringing in my body. "Shi-"<br/><br/> BAM!!<br/><br/> A giant blue fist, middle finger extended, slams down on top of me, flames crashing upon the ground like waves as they disperse slowly.<br/><br/> A large, smoldering crater was left where the fist had hit, and I laid inside it, like a bug that had just been crushed. Eniyala peeked her head over with a smug grin. <br/><br/> "I guess you really are a baby," she said with a smug wink, to which I only responded with a groan. Raeki runs in and pours a few green potions over my body. With a shudder, my body begins healing at an incredibly rapid rate. Soon, I had gone from crushed to back to normal. "Ugh," I mutter, still feeling what cockroaches must feel daily.<br/><br/> A moment later, I finally stand up, meeting Eniyala's eyes. She extends a hand to shake, a clear indication she had accepted me. The bands were gone, and the rod had returned to a pen, making her look once more like an ordinary girl. Still, her smile wasn't hard to look at, and I took her hand with a smile of my own.<br/><br/> "Shall we start moving? You said your father should be on his way back from the next town over, yes?"<br/><br/> She nods. "We'll intercept him on the path, then we'll… tell him everything."<br/><br/> I nod, patting her shoulder. "Do you want me to—"<br/><br/> She shook her head firmly, gently pushing my hand away. "I got it."<br/><br/> I nodded once more in understanding, turning to the path as I dust myself off. Raeki looks at me, hyper as ever, and I give him a smile.<br/><br/> "Let's go, then."</p>