Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

At that moment, she felt the aura around him suddenly change. Bright red mana surrounded him, as if he was a demon.

'Blood magic?'

Maya asked herself, looking at the unusual mana. But, it was not just the color of his mana, but more about the feeling it gave her.

She felt the bloody scent, as if it was flowing from that moment.

What happened next was something she had never expected.

She thought it was a weak boy, but he suddenly rushed towards the puppet faster than before.

whoosh whoosh whoosh

He began to attack the puppet quickly.

The dagger spun in his hand, creating a blood-red crescent that cut through the air.

Bang Bang Bang

The attack was relentless, a constant storm of blades that tried to overwhelm the phantom golem.

A series of attacks formed by mana in the form of blood-red scimitars tried to pierce the puppet. Even when the dagger failed to touch the puppet, the blood-red blade had already passed through it and hit the wall behind it like the wind.

The puppet's defense began to loosen, unable to keep up with the sudden attack. This was a fierce battle between steel and shadow, a contest between will and mechanism.

He seemed to pour his essence into every strike, and every movement was a testament to his growth.

'What?'

Maya was amazed. It was an incredible sight, one that made her blood boil with excitement.

'You can do it.'

Click, click, click.

Before she knew it, she was eating chips rapidly, as if she were watching the climax of a movie.

'His attacks are limiting its movement.'

The boy's purple eyes turned slightly red, his irises sparkling.

'You can do it! ' She cheered for Morse silently, her heart filled with excitement and admiration.

'He's injured.'

The strain on his body was not lost on her. The veins bulging in his muscles were a testament to the physical toll his relentless attack had taken. But he persisted, his resilience on full display even in the face of adversity.

'His mana control is still immature, but it's like he knows how to use it instinctively. This must be his [Feature] or [Skill].'

As a skilled mage, Maya's insight allows her to see beyond the surface. Although Morse's mana control is still immature, he seems to have an instinctive understanding of mana manipulation. It's as if his [Characteristics] or [Skills] have given him an innate understanding of mana, making up for his lack of formal training.

The blades continued, each strike a calculated move, trying to catch the golem by surprise. Morse's attacks were relentless, each movement reflecting his determination to succeed.

'He's trying to beat it with his skills'

whoosh

In his rapid offensive, one particular attack caught Maya's attention. It was a slash of different speeds and trajectories, clearly a deliberate surprise attack meant to catch the puppet off guard. The puppet had become accustomed to his attack pattern and barely dodged the blow, showing its defense was weak.

Whoosh

This was followed by another slash from the opposite direction, aimed directly at the underside of the puppet.

Whoosh

But the puppet dodged his attack again.

'Another blow.'

However, Maya saw that Morse had apparently anticipated the puppet's counterattack.

Another attack approached from the opposite direction.

Whoosh

The puppet reacted at the last moment and managed to avoid the attack.

Each of his strikes missed, but were not completely blocked either, as the puppet could not keep up with the blocking speed.

'Hmm? Another strike? But is it still too late?'

Maya immediately saw another blow aimed directly at the puppet's core, but the puppet was ready to dodge.

'Um?'

However, it did not hide away.

On the contrary, it cannot be avoided at all.

Because it is surrounded by a circle of red lines.

'What's this?'

Even she herself was not aware of the trace amounts of bright red mana in the air, which surrounded the puppet like threads. She was so focused on Morse's attack that even as a bystander, she ignored it.

Knock

Then, a triumphant collision, the sound of his dagger hitting the puppet's defense was finally heard.

The Phantom Golem could not dodge or block the attack because it came too fast.

The blood-red dagger penetrated the puppet's defense, and at the same time, the blood-red lines around the puppet fell rapidly, forming a cage.

puff

The phantom puppet suddenly paused, its figure flashed and disappeared, and it returned to the repair state, waiting for the magic engineer to repair it.

“He actually did it.”

Maya's heart surged with excitement, witnessing Morse's victory. This fierce battle was not won by brute force, but through planning, determination and an indomitable will. It was a testimony to his growth, potential and strong spirit.

But at the same time, this was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.

The excitement of fighting and the pleasure of challenging your own limits.

Like she talked to her coach before coming here about how she was constantly pushing her limits, but she also realized that was wrong.

In reality, she wasn’t challenging herself, but was always doing what she felt comfortable with.

As a nature mage with powerful elemental abilities, she always felt comfortable in the elemental room instead of challenging herself. She trained in nature magic there and felt like she was back home.

And since the Element Chamber is considered a very difficult place, everyone thinks that she can handle it easily because she is a genius.

That was true, but not because she was a genius, but because she was a nature mage, and she had never felt uncomfortable since the first time she stepped into that place.

"ah......"

Seeing this scene now, Maya couldn't help but feel excited. It was like being inspired and motivated.

'What am I doing?'

But that doesn't mean she never pushed herself. In fact, she did before coming to the academy, or in the first few months of her studies.

A triumphant smile spread across her lips as she saw Morse's figure, his chest heaving violently from the fatigue of battle. This moment brought back memories of when she had pushed her limits, reminded her of the excitement she had found in challenging herself.

But as the adrenaline wore off, Maya turned her attention to Morse's condition. She noticed a telltale sign: his steps were unsteady and his stance was shaky.

It was obvious that the intense battle had taken its toll on him, draining his strength and nearly leaving him exhausted.

Bang

Then he fell to the ground and was unable to stand up.

Maya approached him without hesitation, concern overriding any hesitation. Her steps were swift and decisive, and she was filled with a different kind of sympathy than before.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, with genuine concern in her tone, as she reached out to help him up.

“Hoo…Hoo…”

Morse was panting, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath. He nodded slightly, his face showing fatigue and a hint of pride.

"Wow! You're awesome!" Maya said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, "I've never seen anyone defeat a phantom puppet like you do. Your skills and determination are amazing!"

Morse muttered, barely audible. "Nothing..."

Maya's smile widened, ignoring his modesty. "No, really, you're like a whirlwind. Your moves are so precise, especially the last blow is just...wow!"

Morse's eyes remained focused on the ground, and it was clear that he was not used to being praised, especially by someone as full of life as Maya.

"I mean, not many students can hit that puppet, let alone defeat it," Maya continued, her excitement contagious, "You're really good!"

Morse's response was only a low grunt, but Maya was undeterred. She was determined to make him realize his accomplishments.

"That trick you used to entangle the puppet was really clever!" Maya's eyes sparkled with admiration, "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Tsk." However, Morse's response was just a slight click of the tip of his tongue. His lips were tightly pursed, and his fatigue and discomfort were obvious.

He hated it when others knew his skills and interfered in his affairs.

"You should be really proud of yourself, cadet," Maya continued, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm, "You faced a difficult challenge and prevailed. That took real ability and determination." She placed her hand on her heart and spoke like a general on the battlefield.

In fact, she even imagined herself to be like that.

But Morse couldn't stand Maya's nagging any longer. He finally raised his eyes and met Maya's sincere blue eyes. He couldn't deny that there was a sincerity in her words that was hard to ignore, but he didn't want to admit it either.

"How long have you been watching?" he asked, in silent protest, as if to express that it was not polite to watch someone else's skills.

After a moment's thought, Maya realized that she had been watching him for a long time. "Hmm? Since the beginning, probably?"

"Huh? Don't you know it's rude to look at other people's skills?"

"Hmm? Really?"

"Yes."

"I understand...but if you don't want to show off your skills, why train in public?"

“Then…” Morse hesitated. Even though he was very good at words, Maya’s point made sense. And he didn’t want to argue.

When he didn't answer, Maya looked proud.

"Hehe..." Then she laughed happily.

"What's so funny?"

"nothing……"

“Tsk.”

"Anyway, junior," Maya said with a warm and respectful tone, "you are really amazing. This is the first time I've seen a freshman hit a phantom puppet."

Morse's momentary annoyance was replaced by surprise. It was obvious that Maya's compliment contained a sincerity that he had not expected.

"But..." Maya's expression turned serious and analytical, "There is still room for improvement."

"You have great technique and intuition," Maya began, her tone focused, "but you lack a certain sense of precision. It's like you're directing your body's movements but your body can't keep up."

She slowly lowered her eyes and observed his body. Even though he looked thin, she could see the muscles gradually developing under his clothes.

"But that move you just used. Did you just learn it?" Maya hit the point accurately, her eyes piercing through him.

“…”

"It's obvious, you know? When you were facing the Phantom Golem," Maya continued, her eyes sharp, "you were using your mana without any control. It's powerful, no doubt, but it's also very crude. You have to learn to channel your mana, but at that time, when using that skill, you were doing it with your subconscious."

"Maya-senpai, you are amazing."

Maya smiled softly: "Of course, I am the first."

"well……"

"Hey, if you're interested, I can help you improve your mana control skills," Maya offered with a friendly smile.

Morse frowned and looked at her suspiciously: "Why did you do this?"

He doesn't believe in helping without reward, everyone has a purpose.

Maya's smile didn't disappear, but her eyes revealed sincerity and determination: "Take it as a reward, junior."

Morse blinked, looking confused. "Payback? What payback?"

Maya's eyes softened as she looked at him, "It's because you've rekindled in me the desire to challenge myself, to push beyond my comfort zone. You know, it's easy to fall into a routine in life, to rely on the familiar. But seeing you fearlessly rise to the challenge reminds me of what it's like to truly test your limits."

Morse's expression remained calm, though her words gave him pause for a moment. He had never considered how his actions might affect others, especially someone like Maya.

“I’ve been too comfortable, too complacent,” Maya continued, a hint of self-reflection in her voice, “but after looking at you today, I realized that I was holding back.”

Morse's eyes continued to lock with Maya's as he absorbed her words.

"So, if you are willing, I would like to help you perfect your mana control," Maya said, her tone firm. "And in return, you will help me challenge myself again, just like you did today."

Morse's expression remained calm, his mind racing. The idea of ​​helping others challenge themselves came to him suddenly, and it was obviously not a common idea.

"Think about it," Maya continued with a smile, "Junior, if you are not interested, it doesn't matter."

But for Morse, this was an opportunity that would never come again.

"No, there's nothing to think about. If it's you, senpai, I accept it."