Mid Ranged

With the General just watching him, Malik kept going through the weapons. 

'The bow can be a vessel for your magic as well. Physical and magical damage fused together.'

While Malik thought about it, the bow was more of a long range. The mid ranged goal was still not being met. He needed to be able to switch to a method of fighting that allowed him defense and attack at all ranges.

"Kid, look at the halberds, scythes, spears, or long swords. They extend your range and easily can be dropped to favor ranged or melee." The General finally spoke after keeping an eye on Malik's rambling about weapons. 

With a small push, Malik was sent stumbling toward a different weapons rack. 

'The pole ax is a very good weapon for cutting down cavalry. Larger monsters' legs without being near attack range. Even for creating distance.'

Malik saw the long ax and wasn't sure it would fit him. He would struggle with the unbalanced weight. 

'Scythes were once a farm tool specifically. That was until the slaughterer appeared during the lizard man uprising within the demon and swamp land borders.'

This information made it feel that the guide was worried if Malik tried to learn to use this weapon, he could end up as some wild killer. But at the same time, wouldn't that mean the scythe could be used to kill the cultists better? 

'The whip saber is a newer weapon created to be lightweight, long, and fairly flexible. It is used to strike with speed and whip around shields or defenses to cut the enemy.'

"This seems interesting." Malik was somewhat attracted to this option. But he noticed one jarring issue, the learning curve.

He would need to fight muck more often with this flexible weapon. He would also be limited to the whip like slashing attacks instead of using piercing attacks. It would make his battle style inflexible. 

"I gave you a push so you could choose one. Not gawk at them. Just take a damn sword before I set you running laps." The general was done with this. He wanted to see if the kid in front of him had piqued his interest for a reason. 

'The pole or also known as a staff is the only weapon with decent versatility. It often is used for blunt attacks, but can be used for piercing attacks if used in combination with magics. Many also use it evasively since it is sturdy enough to hold weight.'

"I'll leave this first. I can do more with it." Malik looked at the other weapons. When it came to the basics, this was just one part of them. "I can make this in to any of them, with magic, right?" 

"You said you were trying to learn them all. That's a better start. Battle masters tend to lack magic and make up for it with their weapons. If you can use magic, then learn that and use a similar battle style. Make that your weapons."

Leaving Malik aside, he pondered the ideas this kid had. He knew many people that started out with a wooden staff as a self defense weapon. But using it as one sort of everything by adding to it with magic? That was smart. Only a few people had the ability to use that sort of battle style.

Regardless of the general keeping an eye on him, Malik found that he liked the feeling of the staff. While he had never considered it, he was glad. He was thinking about how he would best be able to combine his current strength with what he had as a goal. 

Since he should be able to make some money while doing some adventuring jobs here and there, Malik knew that he would be able to commission a blacksmith at some point. Specifically, hsi classmate. She should be able to use good materials that he procured to make a staff that could channel his mana much better than a basic metal staff. 

From there, he could start using the mana manipulation skill to bring manas in to form on the staff. If he needed to fight a monster that was weak against fire, he could use the staff to either fire fire balls as a channel or to use it as a hammer or something made of fire. The staff would just be his base. 

His mind raced even more when he saw a boy using the two handed hammer nearby. If Malik was able to bring earth mana to create a hammer like the end of a battle hammer, then add other manas like fire, then he could do more physical and magical damage when he fought using this sort of style. 

"Student, you will be with me. I learned how to fight with a staff as my first weapon ever. Now I use the pole ax you almost chose." This soldier had watched the interaction with Malik and the General very carefully. Naturally, he had listened to every word as well. 

"Get in to a solid stance. Bend your knees more. Now hold your arms out, hold the staff. Stay that way." the soldier walked away. This left Malik wondering how this would help him. Then he thought back to how Instructor Jen had made him follow a similar stance training exercise. 

Since this would take time, Malik started to meditate while he stood there in a stance. The focus this time was on his body though. The ways his muscles held their positions. How he could adjust them to better move from that spot. 

After half an hour of standing in a stance, the soldier suddenly came behind him and pushed. Malik adjusted his feet and spun around. He fell right back in to the stance. 

"Good. you can return to stance while not worrying about losing posture. We can move on." Malik felt a bit aggrieved but that was a good way to test. But he kind of wanted to be shown more about how he could adjust to being pushed around. Many monsters he faced would be bigger than he was. Shouldn't he work on balance and such to defend against them?

The soldier was going student to student and adjusting the methods they used. He showed Malik how to step and raise the staff, then follow through with a downward strike. The carefully from being exactly as he had been shown. Repeated over and over for six laps around the training section they were using. 

This repeated with a side attack, an upward swing, and then a thrust. Each being something that would be a method of attack. Not that the swings couldn't be used as a deflection of attacks as well. 

What wa important though, was that malik was perfectly copying the soldier just the same as he had done with dagger arts when Instructor Jen had taught him. 

This brought the soldier back to him more often. Naturally, noticing that Malik was a quick learner who was already experienced in following a learning of a style, made it easier. Made the soldier more interested. The soldiers assisting today could gain some merit by helping the students advance even more after all. 

"Definitely an interesting student. Let's let him fight close combat. He said something about daggers…" the general smirked with a bit of heat in his tone. He was a battle master.. He loved to fight. Loved to spar. Loved to learn more about weapons through battle. Why would he miss a chance to teach someone a little more closely?