Weapon selection [2]

Aurora Lewis's POV:

If I had to summarize in one word, it would be, 'dominating'.

With each strike and every blow, instructor Aroghna's assault became crazy.

It felt like I was fighting a demon, for I really feared that Aroghna actually wanted to kill me.

I managed to hold my ground until my rapier slid off the mat's edge, a tactical blunder on my part.

I allowed myself to be distracted.

Aroghna seized the opportunity. Snatching a handful of my hair, he pulled me towards him. "You should worry less about your vanity," he remarked, twisting me to face away as I lost my balance on the mat, "And cut your hair."

In retaliation, I struck at Aroghna's midsection, but he was unfazed. Abusing both my momentum and my hair, he forcefully slammed me onto the mat.

I rolled into the fall, half grateful that it was over.

I didn't even care that he'd kicked my ass in front of others.

But, in my prone state, I caught sight of a machete guy sneering at my expense.

But upon locking eyes with me, he quickly turned his gaze, as if it never happened.

'Does he thinks I didn't notice?' I fumed, my brows furrowed.

It was then that I detected a subtle shift in—

"Your rapier technique is crude. I have beat you with bare hands, anybody can." Aroghna continued his taunts, his gravelly voice grating in my ears.

"That's not true! 'Bare hands...' yea! Given your B rank. It's only because I am (F+)!" I protested, my face still pressed against the mattress, my voice muffled.

"Nonsense," Aroghna dismissed my argument. "Rank doesn't matter. Main thing is that your technique is garbage, even by the standards of an (F+)."

"I... I..." I hesitated, at a loss for words. Once again, the derisive laugh reached me, prompting an instant glare in its direction. The machete guy swiftly averted his gaze again. Annoying.

His antics were annoying, not just because he mocked me, but also because his mana signature felt weak.

A weakling was mocking me...

"As a mage, your focus should be on honing your magic, not on fencing. You're wasting your potential; there's no room for improvement," Aroghna scowled before striding away, adding, "Rest for now."

'Rapier for a mage...' I sank to the floor, my gaze falling on the training ground.

'I opted for the rapier due to my propensity 'voltaic',' I thought, slowly extending my hand as faint sparks of electricity danced across my palm.

Clutching my fist, I darted my gaze across the area, remembering the disgusting sneer from before.

It wasn't the sneer itself that disgusted me, but rather the indifference on his face as I suffered, his audacity to look down on me despite his low rank...stung. It stung.

"Where is he!" I cursed under my breath, scouring the surrounding with my eyes.

"Who?" A voice interjected out of the blue, as I blurt out, "A guy with a machete."

"A guy with a machete, hmm?" It was only upon the second inquiry that I realized my slip, turning to find Lylia.

"Oh, Lylia... it's...it's nothing. Nothing of importance," I attempted to dismiss the topic.

"Talking about him?" Lylia pointed with her thumb in a particular direction, and there he was.

Standing.

There was a reason to why he caught my attention.

Initially subtle, but now... even now, it was barely perceptible. His mana signature was weak, like a fading pulse of dying paitent. But it wasn't his weak mana or his earlier sneer that intrigued me. No, there was something else—a sensation.

Voltaic not only allowed me to control lightning, but also to feel electric currents.

And that's what I felt.

It felt like minuscule lightning bolts, small pockets of energy were flowing inside of him.

I didn't know. I wasn't sure. But it definitely felt like that.

Then, as swiftly as it happened, the sensation disappeared , as if it was never there.

What was that?

Did I imagine it?

"You alright, Aurora?" Lylia asked.

"Yea...yea...it's nothing."

***

Noah's Pov:

In the training place, there were several combat arts instructors: Yilin, Aroghna, Davis...well, professor Riya was a mage— ill-suited for teaching martial combat.

The academy had both martial arts instructors and magic theory professors, but the later is valued more.

Every instructor boasted expertise in

certain weaponries, pairing students accordingly.

For instance, instructor Aroghna was expert in swords. People like Aeravat and Aurora who mained in sword were assigned to learn from him.

And in the distance, I could actually see Aurora..."Pfft—get her ass beaten by instructor Aroghna," I blurted instinctively.

I couldn't help the jest, the scene was just amusing, the way Aurora was getting tossed around.

But, as I was enjoying the scene, Aurora glared right in my direction.

I quickly looked away.

Holy shit...

'She didn't saw me, right?' I thought, sweat began to trace down my temples.

Panic set in, my palms grew clammy.

Right then...

[There is a subtle shift in electricity resonance. Someone is taking readings of nanomachine's energy output. EM waves detected.] Nano's alert jolted me.

"EM waves?" I asked, feeling puzzled, but then it hit me—I remembered.

In the novel, Aurora Lewis had a unique ability called 'voltaic'—her propensity. It allowed her to sense electric currents and

dash out lightning attacks.

It was entirely possible that she could detect the nanomachines flowing inside me...

How could I have forgotten this!

"Nano, conceal your electromagnetic signature. Minimize any electrical output that could be detected!" I whispered through clenched teeth.

[Affirmative.]

I still sensed Aurora's glare, even though I wasn't directly looking at her—

"Student rank 1872. Noah Grey?" A smooth voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned around to see a dark-haired woman wielding two knives, dressed in an unfamiliar black attire.

"Miss Yilin," I greeted the instructor. My machete by my side.

She was a short-sword instructor, the one I was assigned to learn from—Instructor Yilin Cai. Just another NPC from the novel that I couldn't care less about.

***

"The machete," Instructor Yilin began, gesturing towards the blade in her hand, "is a sizable cleaver—a single-edged tool often used in agriculture, tropical places...; essentially, a short sword."

Adjusting angle of the machete slightly, she added, "Balanced somewhat towards the tip."

"Variants of machete exist worldwide, with blade lengths ranging from 35 centimetres to 70 centimetres, and the one you're holding," Yilin pointed at my right hand holding the weapon, "is called a 'grade type 2' machete, 65 centimetres long."

"Over time, the machete has been repurposed as a weapon, resulting in numerous combat martial arts. The Filipino Bolo is one example." Yilin explained, her gaze briefly drifting to some guys practicing with short swords in the background.

They were under her tutelage as well. But, my focus was on the machete, which meant Yilin had to teach me separately from the rest.

"Filipino Bolo?" I echoed her words. "I'm going to learn Filipino Bolo?"

"Not...quite...Being a weapon for combat, the machete can be used for slashing, hacking, and stabbing. Its compact size allows for swift movements, while the broad blade delivers significant cutting force," Yilin elucidated, demonstrating a fluid swing with her machete.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

"Due to its imbalance, the machete isn't suited for fencing. Instead, you will have to rely on rapid footwork and evasive maneuvers as the primary defense, with parrying and blocking as secondary tactics. The off-hand is used for controlling the opponent," she demonstrated.

"Noah Grey, your first task in this academy will be mastering certain evasive techniques of the Filipino Bolo. Consider it your first assignment."

***