[Roseris Manor, Center Forest]
*BOOM*
Selene elegantly flipped over a destructive punch from a woman with dirty blonde hair. While in the air, a red arrow of mana was simultaneously fired at Selene.
Selene, who had her eyes closed this entire time, contorted her body to dodge the arrow. Once her feet touched the ground she immediately leaned backwards to dodge a flying kick from the blonde-haired woman.
"Tch, Master you're impossible to touch!" The blonde-haired woman yelled as her hands turned into spotted paws. Selene smirked, "Are you not up to the challenge Jackie?"
Jackie gritted her teeth and got into a feline-like position. Yellow mana exploded out of her body, increasing her muscle mass and ripping her clothes a bit. Then, with a loud explosion and the creation of a crater, she vanished from her position.
She then appeared above Selene with her fist cocked all the way back. When she punched Selene, it was stopped abruptly by her hand. Selene smirked again and threw her into the trees, right at Seriene who was charging a powerful spell.
"Woah!" Seriene yelled as her focus was broken. She used [Wind Manipulation] to slow Jackie down but was nonetheless hit by her body. The duo flew through numerous trees before coming to a stop, creating a large gash in the earth.
"Ughhh, Master is too strong! She hasn't used a single spell or skill this entire time! How are we supposed to beat that?!" Jackie yelled as she helped Seriene up. Seriene, who was a little taller now, smiled.
"We don't have to beat her, we just have to land a blow!" Seriene exclaimed. Jackie's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "That's basically the same thing…"
"Having a chat in the middle of training are we? Perhaps I'm holding back too much." Jackie and Seriene felt a cold sweat drip down their back as they heard Selene's voice.
They both looked around to try and locate her. Despite Seriene having [Universal Perception], her mother somehow learned how to bypass that skill by concealing all aspects of her existence.
'She's around here somewhere! I have t-' Her thoughts were cut short by a palm quickly entering her vision. She quickly casted a tier 2 [Shield], to help mitigate most of the damage she was about to receive.
Selene's hand ripped through the first layer like paper and met some minor resistance on the second layer but her hand ultimately grabbed Seriene's face.
"Do you two surrender?" Selene asked in a sweet tone uncharacteristic of the current situation. Seriene glanced at Jackie who was currently stuck in place, the work of Selene's spell [Bind].
"Yes…" They both said in unison. Selene let go of Seriene's face and undid her spell. "Alrighty! You guys get a C today. Great offensive efforts, I can tell you've been practicing but…"
Selene looked at Jackie, "Jackie, you're overreliant on your physical prowess. I'm not saying being a physical fighter is bad but explore other avenues. To combat that, I put three books on your bed. Fire, Wind, and Enhancement magic. You should also try using your skills a bit more as well."
The ears on Jackie's head flopped and she nodded sadly, "Yes Master…"
Selene patted her head, "Don't be sad, Jackie. I want you to be better so you can become stronger! The stronger you become, the more at peace I feel." Selene spoke softly and hugged Jackie who was now sobbing. After a couple of minutes, she stopped crying, "I will become strong Master! I will become so strong, you won't have to worry about me ever again!" Jackie said resolutely.
Selene smiled brightly, "I believe in you, Jackie!" she gave her a thumbs-up before directing her gaze towards Seriene.
"Now onto you Seriene. Your magic prowess is amazing and probably surpasses my own in sheer potential but that's where the problem lies. You get so caught up in your spells that you forget the outside world exists, hence why I was able to surprise you by throwing Jackie at you and I also felt your magicule output rise, but that's beside the point. You need to learn how to fire powerful spells while also being aware of your surroundings but I admit, that's something even I have trouble with sometimes." Selene laughed a little while Seriene was nodding understandingly.
"So. I want you and Jackie to spar every day for an entire month. Jackie, you are prohibited from using physical attacks and can only use magic. Seriene, you are prohibited from using magic and can only use physical attacks. This will force you to strengthen your weaknesses and become better fighters overall." Selene said with a clap and smile. Jackie and Seriene both looked shocked but knew Selene hardly ever changed her mind.
"Yes Master…"
"Okay, Mommy…"
"Okay then! Now let's head home! Amhuluk said he cooked an Earth Drake and I want to know what that tastes like!" Selene's expression was full of gluttony. Seriene laughed, "Mommy for someone who doesn't have to eat, you've been doing it a lot lately."
Selene rolled her eyes, "Ever since I ate that colorful bird, which tasted so amazing! I've been on a little side quest to try everything in the cuisine world! I've still got a long way to go though..."
A few minutes later, they exited the treeline and were in front of a large Victorian mansion. Once they walked inside, a tall man was waiting in the foyer. He had light blue skin, long navy blue hair, yellow eyes, and was dressed in a butler outfit. He was quite handsome and was currently bowing.
"Welcome home, My Liege, Lady Seriene, and Jackie."
"You know you don't have to do this every time, Amhuluk." Selene said with a light laugh. Amhuluk shook his head, "I must my liege it is my duty."
"Thank you, Amhuluk, I appreciate it." Selene smiled as she made her way to the kitchen. The kitchen looked vastly different from the current age as it had a modern oven, fridge, sink, and lights. All thanks to Selene's proficient use of Enchantment and Engraving magic.
On the island were three silver plates with a thick piece of meat on them, "I hope it is to your liking my liege. Cooking is actually quite fun, especially when given such excellent ingredients and the opportunity to cook in such a grandiose kitchen."
"I'm glad you've found something you enjoy doing!" Selene smiled as she took a bite of the meat. Amhuluk, with a smile on his face, plugged his ears with his fingers in preparation for what's coming.
"AAMAAAAAAAZZZZIIIIINNGGGGG!!!" Selene yelled, shaking the entire mansion, "Amhuluk this is so good! This is number 2 right under that rainbow bird!"
Amhuluk smiled, "Thank you my liege. I do it for you." Selene ate her entire plate in moments and ate 3 more plates after that. After eating she made her way to her library which also doubled as a forge and lab.
She walked into two large double doors located in the right wing of the mansion. Inside these doors were bookshelves tall enough to reach the ceiling but they were mostly empty.
"I've written 30 spell books in one year, I think that's pretty good! There's still tons of magic and spells out there to be discovered or even created!" Selene walked to her desk, where there was a black book sitting on top of it. The book passively released an aura of dread and had a black miasma oozing off of it.
"My magnum opus, perhaps the greatest yet most dangerous book I've written. Selene's Black Book, a book full of spells that I've deemed too dangerous to be placed among the regular books." The front of the book had a singular eyeball with a red iris. Selene created a barrier around her desk and opened the book. When she did, an exorbitant amount of dark mana bursted out of the book, and the sounds of wailing souls could be heard.
"I think another volume might have to be made…" Selene filled almost every page of this thick, 300-page, book and her mind was still brimming with ideas of how to inflict harm to someone.
"Those who incur my wrath will not die peacefully…"