Zelir took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword hilt.

He felt the Power that came from the fusion of his Magic Contract and the Spring Seed.

Attack!

This time, Zelir again started with a fierce vertical slash, intending to crush Gray’s defense with absolute Power!

"CLANG!"

After knocking Gray’s Wooden Sword from the center line, Zelir followed up with wide, sweeping slashes left and right, trying to suppress him.

But Gray’s defense was flawless.

His sword angled downward, he moved his feet in small steps in time with Zelir’s attacks, precisely blocking each blow and deflecting most of the force.

The moment one of Zelir’s slashes was parried away, Gray seized the fleeting opening and executed a sudden upward strike!

"BANG!"

The Wooden Sword struck heavily against the flat of Zelir’s blade, which he had raised horizontally to block. The immense Power shattered his defensive stance, and Gray immediately followed up with a Thrust.

A hit to the right chest.

Round two, Gray wins!

"I told you, when it comes to Swordsmanship, you’re still far too green."

Gray retracted his Wooden Sword, his face a mask of smug satisfaction.

"Tch..." Zelir pursed his lips.

’I should just use Fog Flowing Gauze and fight him for real.’

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop bullying you."

Gray waved his hand, his expression turning more serious. "If you want to truly learn Swordsmanship, you first need to figure out your own style."

"Style?"

"Right. What kind of Swordsmanship do you want to practice? You need to have a general direction, right?"

Gray casually slung the Wooden Sword over his shoulder and began to explain things to Zelir.

"From what I know, there’s the common Rock Stream, for example. It’s characterized by a balance of offense and defense, with wide, powerful movements."

"Warriors who use this style of Swordsmanship are usually equipped with thick, sturdy Arm Armor and Shoulder Armor."

"The Rock Stream places great emphasis on a stable lower body and defensive stances. It’s methodical, with every move being simple and efficient. Marcus is a typical Rock Stream practitioner. You can tell just by watching him fight—he’s as steady as a mountain."

"Besides the Rock Stream, there are other schools, like the more agile Wind Stream. It’s characterized by high speed and fluid movement, with a special emphasis on footwork. Like me."

A proud look appeared on Gray’s face as he said this.

"A Wind Stream Swordsman never clashes head-on. Instead, they find tiny openings in the enemy’s defense through constant exchanges and evasions, then deliver a single fatal blow. Compared to slashing, the Thrust is clearly a more dangerous technique."

"Then, well, there are schools that use other weapons. Like techniques for the Beheading Saber or Broad Axe, and Spear Technique with a Long Spear. Those are alright too, but I don’t know much about them."

"That sounds so complicated..." Zelir rubbed the bridge of his nose.

’It’s just like studying magic theory.’

"It’s not so bad. It might sound like a lot, but they all stem from the same root. There are only a few real options to choose from,"

Gray said.

"Besides, for most people, mastering the basic Sword Techniques is enough. When you get to the highest levels of practice, what really matters is your ability to adapt, your physical condition, and the bodily reactions built up over time. That is the best Swordsmanship."

"Take me, for example. Even if my Swordsmanship were peerless and I could exploit any opening, I’d still be toast against a Middle Level Warrior. They’d swing their sword, and it would cleave you and your weapon in two. What could you possibly use to block that?"

"True..." Zelir nodded.

’Strength breaks all techniques, after all. Physical conditioning is the most important foundation for any skill.’

"If you ask me, you’d be better off going the Rock Stream route. No need for a Shield, but get some Arm Armor or something. It’ll be good for defense when an enemy gets in close," Gray suggested.

"No need for that. I only need to learn offense," Zelir said, shaking his head decisively.

"Isn’t that a bit too aggressive?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Because I don’t need to defend," Zelir said.

"What?"

Gray was amused by Zelir’s arrogant statement. "You little..."

"Come on."

Zelir simply put down the Wooden Sword in his hand and jutted his chin at Gray. "Try and cut me."

"What a strange request..."

Although Gray said this, his interest was piqued.

He wanted to see what kind of trick Zelir had up his sleeve.

Gray raised his Wooden Sword and swung it horizontally in a casual motion.

However, just as the Wooden Sword was about to strike Zelir’s chest, a strange, invisible force acted upon the blade.

Gray felt as if his strike had plunged into a thick swamp. The force behind the blade was guided and deflected, causing it to slide limply to the side.

"This... What is this?"

The relaxed expression on Gray’s face vanished, and his eyes slowly widened.

At some point, a hazy halo of light, like flowing morning mist, had appeared around Zelir.

"Is this some kind of Magic Shield?"

Gray focused his Spirit, and this time, he put more force into it, thrusting his sword out again.

The result was the same. The moment the tip of the Wooden Sword touched the hazy halo, it was completely deflected by a strange power, utterly unable to harm Zelir in the slightest.

"Alright... I finally understand why you want to study Swordsmanship."

After several more fruitless attempts, Gray finally gave up.

"With this Magic Shield alone, plus your Power, any Demons or enemies who think you’re weak in close combat are in for a nasty surprise."

"Something like that." Zelir dispersed the Fog Flowing Gauze.

’Mastering one more skill gives me another way to attack. It might come in handy when my Magic Power runs out.’

"I’m so jealous of you Mages..."

Gray grumbled, "You can cook up all sorts of strange Magic."

But he had a strange feeling.

Why did the hazy halo around Zelir... feel so familiar?

"If that’s the case, then you really don’t need to worry about defense."

Unable to figure it out, Gray stopped thinking about it. He refocused his Spirit. "Let me teach you the most basic Sword Techniques first. We’ll start with the Thrust."

Gray crooked his finger at Zelir. "Come on, attack me with a Thrust."

Zelir gripped the hilt with both hands, took a step forward, and aimed a swift Thrust straight at Gray’s chest.

However, Gray simply took an easy step to the side and flicked his Wooden Sword outward.

"PAK!"

With a crisp sound of impact, Zelir felt a clever, deflecting force travel up his blade.

His seemingly sure-hit strike was easily led astray, stabbing into empty air, and the overextension left his body with a huge opening.

Gray didn’t even bother to counter-attack. He just tapped Zelir’s shoulder, not too lightly and not too heavily, with the flat of his blade and shook his head.

"You don’t call that a Thrust. You call that a push-shot."

Gray smiled. "It was feeble. Not threatening at all."

"But my speed and Power aren’t bad." Zelir was confused. He withdrew his sword, stepped back, and reset his stance.