CHAPTER 62(GLORIOUS BEGINNING)

Author's note:

My dear Avatars,

If you've enjoyed reading this story, I'd really appreciate it if you recommended it to a friend! Word of mouth is one of the best ways to support puppeteers like me, and it would mean the world to me. Thanks for reading! 😊

PS: Don't forget to add to library 

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[JENNA'S PERSPECTIVE]

"I've observed many aspects while reviewing your last three battles, starting with that spell of yours, hmm! What was its name again?"

"Perpetual Lightning Judgment" I responded.

"Ah, yes, it's a good spell, but... it may not be the best fit for someone of your like you" the elderly man remarked.

"Excuse me?" I inquired with a puzzled expression.

"You also lack control over your spells, although I've noticed some improvement recently, considering the short timeframe," the man observed, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Nevertheless, had you perfected your mana and spell control, you could have completed your pseudo-domain before your opponent arrived. Even though it would not have altered the final outcome."

I clenched my fists feeling angry at myself for being weak.

If only I was stronger.

If only I was a better mage.

" When do I start training? " I asked

"That's the spirit!" the old man said with a grin. "Your training will be divided into two sections: During the day, we'll battle. At night, you'll cook."

"What?" I asked. "What kind of training is that? I can't beat you"

" I never said you had to beat me"

The man raised his hand, and a ball of wind appeared in his palm. My eyes widened.

"You guessed right," he said. "I'm a dual affinity sorcerer."

It now began to make sense - the behavior of magic users is often influenced by the elements they use.

Fire wielders often have quick tempers or a tendency to irritate people. Wind users are calm and serene, but also lazy. Ice usersare cold and sometimes calculating. Water users are kind and compassionate. Lightning welders are the black sheep, willy, unpredictable and chaotic, well not me though.

The old man's dual affinities showed in his behavior - sometimes he was calm and collected, and sometimes he was frustrating.

"My wind affinity is weaker than my fire affinity," the man explained. "During the day, we'll alternate between two exercises. In the first, I'll create various wind constructs, and you'll have to destroy them as quickly as possible. In the second, I'll create wind constructs, and you'll have to damage specific parts without alerting me. At night, after your sister finishes removing the poison from the food, you'll cook with your lightning magic. If you're not careful, the food will burn or be totally destroyed - and trust me, you won't want that." He said smiling mysteriously.

"I don't see how this would help me," I said.

"Ah, you're so short-sighted, as expected of a lightning mage" the man laughed. "To destroy someone's constructs without them knowing would require intense focus and control over mana. The process must be swift, hidden, and should pack a punch. Is that something you can do right now?"

"No," I replied.

"The same is true for the other exercise," he continued, "but they're just supplementary training. You can think of them as a test to gauge your improvement after your night training." He paused before continuing. "The night training," he said, "will focus on improving your control over your mana output and your control over lightning. The food will be placed in a special pot that has zero resistance to lightning, so even a small amount of lightning would damage it. You'll also need to regulate your output carefully to avoid burning the food. You'll need to focus on avoiding the destruction of the pot and cooking the food, quite a good idea for training, isn't it?."

" I ...."

" Enough talking, begin!"

DAMN!

I couldn't help but stare at the old man. Wasn't he the one who just asked me a question?.

If looks could kill, the man would have died several times over by now. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then switched to an attack stance.

"Wait," I said. "You called me a lightning mage. Does that mean you know about my situation?"

"I'm aware of it," he replied, "but I don't know the cause.

"In all my thousand years of life," he continued, "I've never seen anything like this. You may fight however you wish - I'm not restricting you to any particular techniques or style."

"Good to hear. " I said with a smile.

CRACKLE!

I was growing tired of fighting like a regular mage. It just didn't feel natural to me. Fighting Angela had made me realize something: I preferred exchanging blows with my opponents to hiding cowardly in the back and casting spells. I wasn't cut out to be a regular mage. I decided to forge my own path, and as the thought crossed my mind, a feeling of deja vu washed over me. It was as if I had experienced this before.

CRACKLE!

I decided to revisit those thoughts later. Nothing else mattered right now. All I could focus on was my target. This was the start of my own path - the path of JENNA STURM!

CRACKLE!

BOOOM!

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STARE!

FLICKER!

GLARE!

What the hell is this?

Where's the glorious start of my path?

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A FEW HOURS AGO

The situation was dire. It was nighttime, and over two hundred beasts had launched an attack on the cave. It was far more than the fifty or so we had been dealing with in the previous days. Draxus was able to handle the lesser number, but this new horde was far beyond his capacity to fight alone. I'd killed every last one of them, and after such a brutal battle, Draxus and I expected to rest. That didn't happen. The old man had poisoned the meat, forcing Janet to spend three hours removing as much of it as possible. After all, dragons eat a lot!

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BACK TO THE PRESENT

Stare!

As the lightning coming from my finger flickered, Draxus and Janet's stares turned into glares. I couldn't help but smile wryly at their expressions. After all, I was tired and hungry too. My glorious beginning had ended with me looking haggard and being glared at by two ravenous people while I cooked their food.

Why is the universe so unfair?

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[??????]

" You guys have come again, even after I left that dimension for you". A voice said. "Do you really like killing my loved ones that much..... Damn fragments"

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