Chapter 11 : Unprotected handholding.

SHING!

CLANG!

BUZZ!

The Staff Of The Living Tribunal clashed against my arm-blades drawing sparks in the air as I deflected Mordo's attack, leaping back and hitting him with an eldritch whip to his foot that burned against his boots trying to pull him off his feet.

But, he just stomped onto the ground, pushing off the air as a magic circle appeared beneath his foot, ripping apart my whip and rocketing him into the sky.

"You should try using rubber bands next time." He mocked, "At least they snap back with a bite."

"Nah. Wouldn't wanna welt our precious little princess' skin, now would we?" I shot right back, making some distance between us as I manifested a shield in one hand, tao mandalas spinning like drill against the back of my wrist.

Mordo may not be strong but the staff packs a mean punch and the divine fire melts my skin into goop. Which, while it doesn't hurt, does take time to restore. I don't know how much my nanomachines can restore, but I certainly don't wanna check their limit. They are too important to be wasted on training exercises.

He frowned, flipping mid-air and with another air-step, the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr boosting his speed, he shot towards the ground spinning out the staff. It extended at the joints, segments connected by a divine flame that burned with an ominous light, flying through the air like a serpent, heading for a wide sweep. A great move to stop me from dodging.

But, I'm no slouch either and after three weeks of having the floor mopped with my face, I have learned some tricks of my own.

I made a gesture to summon an eldritch whip, a feint to lull him into thinking I planned to confront him, only to clap my hands together and pull apart a circular portal sending it flying like a frisbee towards the staff. It flew in tip first, dumping the artifact onto the mountainside below as Mordo let go at the last minute to avoid getting thrown himself.

"You really should hold onto your weapons. But, then again, I guess your dainty little hands are better suited for teacups, aren't they?" I laughed, when Mordo just twirled his fingers as well and the staff fell right back into his hands, shutting me up.

I guess he does know these mountains like the back of his hand. Next time I'll throw it into the desert. Lets see how he gets it back then.

"Why don't you catch these hands and find out?" His smug smile made his face ever so punchable as he hopped side to side, prepping for another round of blows.

"Unprotected handholding! How lewd~" I poked the tiger, "Your hands may be used to handling sausages but I'm purely vegetarian. Thanks, but no thanks."

"I was feeling conflicted about using this combo on a beginner…" He said, his hands glowing with a sea green light as two jade coloured magic circles lit up within his palms, "but you're just asking for it."

"Vapors Of Valtorr, which do all things conceal-"

Oh, no you don't! Do I look like a Super Sentai villain that'll just wait for you to complete your transformation?

I circled my hands and opened a portal behind me, connecting to the high noon in the Alaskan snowflats, the blinding light of the sun reflected off the snow and ice like the world's greatest searchlight burned through the portal, lighting up the courtyard, when I saw the smirk on Mordo's face.

Only then did I realize, Vapors Of Valtorr doesn't cast from visible spell circles. It is in the spell's nature to conceal after all.

No, the real spell he was casting was-

"Mists of Munnopoor!" A wave of haunted mists exploded from his hands, sweeping across the courtyard, reflecting the blinding light I had just summoned to essentially flashbang my own eyes.

Bastard!

He played me like a fiddle!

Knowing how much I like to counterspell safely from a distance, he knew exactly what I'd do.

But he's not the only one who's learned.

Tao mandalas after tao mandalas swirled around my forearms as I summoned a veritable wall of mystical shields to my sides.

Whenever he tries a trick like this, he always goes for the flank.

Let's see how you like to slam into a metaphysical wall!

Only…he didn't.

I furrowed my brows as a foreboding feeling crept up my spine.

And then he just appeared, right in front of me at a brisk walking pace, to add insult to injury.

"Peekaboo~" He grinned ear to ear as he threw out a punch laced with a gauntlet of spells glimmering like a nostalgic campfire.

Shit!

I leapt back, letting my legs fold beneath me as I fell ass-backwards through the Alaskan portal, only for him to give up the punch, his hand slithering forwards like a snake as he opened his fist, delivering a faint flick to my forehead, just as I cleared the portal and closed it in his face.

I fell flat onto the soft snow plains and laughed out louds, my voice echoing in the silence.

Ha! Take that.

I got awa-

BOOM!

My face blew up sending the snow flying up like a geyser erupting.

My face blew the fuck up like I'm a goddamn terminator.

How even-oh. Oh that is just so shitty-

And yet I kinda respect the ingenuity.

What did he do?

Well, lets just say that punch wasn't a punch, it was a grab. What did he grab?

The wards of Kamar-Taj.

Yeah, he stuck the wards onto my forehead with that flick.

Since the wards draw from the extravagant excess of magic flowing from the leyline beneath Kamar-Taj, naturally, when they snipped away from the leyline, they began to consume the nearest source of magic to power themselves-me.

And since the wards effectively got snipped by my portal, the tiny, little portion enchanted onto my exoskeleton did what spells do when they are disturbed.

It went Allahu-Akbar all over my face.

I raised a finger to touch my face and felt the cold bronze of my forehead sans the skin.

Dammit, and here I was just talking about conserving my nanomachines.

I sighed in frustration and counted out my record as of yet.

69-0, in Mordo's favour. He was gonna be so smug about it too, just thinking about it annoys me.

I opened a portal below me, and dropped back into Kamar-Taj, not even in the mood to stand up and walk in.

I'm gonna beat him someday, dangit! I will, I swear.

"Here." I looked up and saw a hand reaching down towards me, and a familiar bald head, "Come on, get up."

"Thanks." I grabbed the Ancient One's hand.

"You put up a good fight today." She praised, "You have improved."

"Not enough to beat him." I thumbed at Mordo, "That last combo was excessive though, showoff."

"If you want to beat me, you're a hundred years too early." He gloated from the side, "Maybe you should pay more attention to the basics if you get fooled by such simple tricks."

"You wanna go again, Mords? 70th time's the charm." I goaded him but he just deflected it. I can do this all day, literally.

"I'll let you off for today. I can't mop the floor with you if the mop is broken." He pointed at my face and I huffed in annoyance.

"Mordo here has been practicing everyday while you're in the library, preparing that move for the past week." The Ancient One spilled the tea, "The speed of your progress has forced him to improve his own stagnant skillset."

Oh so I'm closing in, huh?

Good to know.

"Please don't reveal my secrets, Ancient One." Mordo said, grumbling, "If you thought I was stagnant, why did you not say anything?"

The Ancient One's face softened, a tinge of regret in her eyes.

"After twenty years, I thought you had achieved your potential. I couldn't see a way, without risk significant enough to outmatch the cost, that would help push you further. You are one of the few masters Kamar-Taj has. I couldn't risk losing you, leaving us further vulnerable to the threats that exist out there. It is my failing as a teacher. I'm sorry, Mordo."

Mordo nodded grimly.

"I understand, Ancient One. It is not your fault, but mine. I was lacking."

"It is never too late to improve." She patted his shoulder, "I am proud of you for embracing that change."

She then turned to me.

"But do not mistake his improvement for weakness. Mordo is still significantly more powerful and experienced than you. His best spells are unsuited for spars, where they could affect other fellow initiates. In a real battle, your chances of victory would be so slim as to be non-existent. Do not forget, Master Mordo has more than earned that title."

I swallowed dryly and nodded.

Yeah, best not to get too cocky. I'm just beginning and he's already twenty years ahead. Making him sweat within a few weeks is already an achievement.

I have already mastered the basics, mostly because I don't need to waste time on maintenance and the other humdrum tasks of the day, like eating or pooping or sleeping. It's like I have had twice the time in a day as compared to others.

Most people also tend to start slow because they need to learn the languages in which the texts are written, mostly Sanskrit, Arabic and Chinese, two of which I already knew and because most people don't have the years of research experience I have. Poring over dusty tomes and vast shelves of literature is practically second nature to me.

All of this combined, gives me a significant advantage.

Though, my own talent is not low by any means. A body made of beryllium bronze that conducts magic like a fish takes to water and an inherent gift in terms of spatial sensitivity and affinity for teleportation and dimensional magic, further boosted my growth close to, if not surpassing Dr. Strange.

My progress has been satisfactory.

I can make shields, weapons, whips and nets from Eldritch energy, as well as use the sling ring to create and move portals, a skill even Dr. Strange didn't learn till late in the game, though that is more due to the immense advantage Way Opening gives me in relation to Spatial Magic. That's more than enough for now.

I also learned that magic meditation has little to no effect on my psi regen. Better than passive regen, sure, but a 0.15% increase in regen is practically worthless.

Maybe it will increase with practice? We'll find out.

Thankfully, the Ancient One helped me use the sceptre to heal my mind, something she admitted even her own spells couldn't do, on account of my unique physiology and lack of a brain, so to speak. My personality was anchored right there with my soul in those deep and tough bindings.

It was the same reason I couldn't use a memory spell to refresh my memories of Morag and grab the Power Stone right now. I had to take the long way. Something that was becoming very familiar to me.

No matter. Soon my Reality Manipulation will be fully recovered and then I can begin training in that as well. 

Let's keep on going. In another two weeks, I'll be ready for most anything. Or at least skilled enough to escape.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little late. A little boring. but here's the training montage.

Sorry. 

Gotta sleep, will edit chappy later, so tell me if you find something wrong.

Next time, Thanos interlude.

Donate powerstones.

Extra chapter at 100 powerstones or top 50 in monthly rankings. Whichever comes first.

Good night lads and laddies. 

Bye~