“Fuck, I’m Retarded”

"Here," Evangeline said as she held some inconspicuous object over for Mateus to take.

"What's this?" Mateus accepted the offering before tactfully adding, "A badge for a job well done? Tch, I can't believe you're still making fun of me…"

"No, idiot. That's a symbol to represent your status as one of our Sects newest Greenhorn Alchemists," Evangeline said whilst shaking her head derisively.

"Wow, on my first attempt at pill concocting, I made not one, but three Consummate Quality pills and still only qualify as a Greenhorn Alchemist. Un-fucking-belivable..."

As a vein threatened to burst on her on her forehead, Evangeline barked, "Brat! Be happy I decided to promote you in the first place, or you would have had to take the promotion exam like everyone else." She had to physically stop herself from impulsively taking back the badge.

"Ah, I see," Mateus nodded sagely. "It's not that I'm not good enough to qualify as a better Alchemist, you just don't have the power to immediately promote me to my rightful spot in the hierarchy."

Eyes narrowed on Mateus' form, Evangeline simply stared at the boy before her. He had no right to be getting under her skin as well as he was, but there was just 'something' about him that irked her like nothing else…

"You're good, kid, "Evangeline admitted, "but don't push your fucking luck." She threatened, "Tame your damned arrogance before it gets you killed." With those final words, she left without giving him a chance to retort.

"Hmm… She's probably right," Mateus admitted as he made his way over to call in another examiner to test his martial aptitude for Wires.

...

"It is I!" Monte appeared out of thin air... With a new pose, no less.

"What? I thought you were a flag kind of guy," Mateus said as he eyed Monte cautiously. He didn't look like he was carrying any wires of his own.

"I am 'a flag kind of guy.' I'll admit that it is my specialty," Monte said as he extended his right arm and a set of wires materialized in the same place Mateus kept his set of Fractured Spirit Wire. "However, I know a thing or two about wires too. Trust me," he grinned, "I know enough to test you accurately."

"Uh, ok then… How do you want to do this?" Mateus asked, clearly ill at ease upon seeing Monte take a fighting stance.

"How about..." Monte flicked his hand and pinched with his thumb and forefinger to now hold a perfectly straightened piece of wire, "...we go through the phases of the first couple Stages and see what level of combat prowess you have first?"

"You practice the Septette Wire Art?" Mateus asked as he recognized Monte's use of The Line; the first technique of his chosen Martial Art. He mimicked Monte down to the gesture of his flick as he held his own straightened piece of wire.

"Please, any one at my level could instantly pick up Mortal Grade techniques and handle them like a grandmaster," Monte said. "Now, enough talk. Come at me, and I'll start by defending at a Beginner Phase Mortal level."

"Sure," Mateus said as he unfurled the rest of his wire and used The Line to straight it into a thrusting piercing right into Monte's body. In a fraction of a second, he made contact and struck someone for the first time. However…

"Good, good..." Monte casually said as the sharpened wire that previously cut into the ground was effortlessly stopped by his robe. "That right there is the raw striking power and speed of an Early to Mid Phase Soldier Stage Practitioner."

One moment he was over a ten meters away and in the next Monte was right in front of Mateus, swiping with his own use of The Line as he said, "So, let just jump right into the Beginner Soldier Stage level, then."

Out of pure instinct, Mateus wildly ducked under Monte's wire before he regained control of his body and forced it to follow the principles of the fighting tactics recorded in his Septette Wire Art. He spent a minute getting used to simple dodging and blocking with his wire against Monte's before daring to take another offending swing of his own.

Pch!

"Getting confident now, are we?" Monte asked mirthfully after impaling Mateus on the shoulder with his own piercing thrust. He had a thing or two to teach Mateus about being more careful and aware of his opponent's moves before recklessly going for a hit of his own.

Mateus didn't respond as he jumped several paces back, now aware that the range of moves Monte could perform included more than just simple swings of a straightened wire. With just a taste of the consequences of falling for tunnel vision, he did not want to repeat his mistake going forward.

Of course, despite the clear Level 100 attached to his Skill for the Mortal Realm section of the Septette Wire Art. Despite Mateus' having integrated with countless Martial Arts, there was no Level for experience acquired through, well… experience. There was no set method for how one should react to every single possible action in battle.

As it turned out, no amount of preparation could compare to actually going through with the motions of fight. So, Mateus failed, lost, and suffered unavoidable damage in the process of trying to fight Monte. His Level 100 Skill didn't mean jack when it was his Level 1 Exposure To Battle that decided how said Skill was used.

Simple things, like forgetting what he was capable of, or tripping up as a result of not being decisive enough with how to respond to attacks and opportunities... just slipped his mind in the heat of the fight.

'He's fallen for all the rookie mistakes, clearly demarking the limits of his innate ability to integrate with script,' Monte thought as he silently kicked up the complexity of his fighting style and increased his strength to that of an Early Phase Martial Soldier — an Early Phase Martial Soldier without using any potential Stat boosting Martial Skills, but an Early Phase Martial Soldier nonetheless.

With his increased strength and speed, Monte surprised Mateus for the umpteenth time, but didn't manage to do much of anything after the first couple seconds as Mateus adapted accordingly and once again got used to combat at the newly heightened level.

'However...' Monte couldn't help but grin as he kicked up the heat once again and found Mateus defending and adjusting perfectly without taking so much as a scratch's worth of damage. 'Arguably, just as frightening as his innate ability is his propensity to learn and adapt from his mistakes on the fly.'

A sparse couple moment later, Monte would almost choke on his thoughts when Mateus seemingly collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut for no reason.

"God fucking damn it," Mateus curse came through muffled as he couldn't find the strength to lift himself from having his face pressed into the floor. "I can't believe I forget to keep an eye on my Energy Reserves to prevent this! Fuck, I'm retarded..."

'If you're retarded, what does that make me for making the same mistake?' Monte nervously smiled as he felt a bead of sweat fall down the side of his face.