Rebirth-Transcending All Beings-Chapter 38: Training [2]

Eleanor eyes fluttered open as sweat dripped down her forehead, coating her face yet her shapr gaze still focussed on him.

Vergil couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction. But his moment of pride was quickly replaced with a growing frustration as he turned back to his own task. "Let’s try again,"

His eyes focussed on the crystalline frost forming at his fingertips. He had been practising since Eleanor had started to form her second circle.

Trying to conjure and control the spell that Elvira had demonstrated. "Icebind Thread," he whispered.

A shimmer of frost weaved out, arcing itself as it formed between the wooden wall and the tip of his ring finger —but the connection wavered.

The line begun to crack, too brittle, snapping before being able to maintain itself.

Vergil cursed under his breath. "Damn it, again."

Elvira only watched in silence from her chair, leaning back. She did not interrupt him, but her thoights quietly processed his current capabilities.

’His manipulation of mana is unrefined, nowhere near the level of the academh prodogies.’ She stared at the thread.

’Same for technique and instinct. The only things he has going for him are that absurdly efficient 100% mana heart... and that he refuses to give up.’

Then she finally spoke up. "Vergil, ice magic requires patience not force. Your trying to dominate and it wont work if you keep trying this way."

"I know that," he muttered as he made his next attempt. "Then I’ll keep trying until it works."

Vergil flexed his arms, loosening them, before bringing them back up slowly.

This time, he did not focus on just shaping the ice, but the sensation of the mana threading outwards. It was a failure once more. But he pushed on.

Before long, he had finally created a working thread. Not perfect but it held on for dear life.

’Hmm, good enough." Elvira nodded. "Tripwire range, two minuites before it melts.

Vergil made a blank face, watching as the Tripwire melted before his very eyes. "I’ll do."

He glanced at Eleanor, who quietly meditated after he breakthrough.

"Shes catching up fast — gotta keep my lead."

Elvira eyes flickered between the two individuals. One of them had a natural magical refinement. The other a absurd efficency and grit.

Yet something about Vergil’s persistence to never yield, left an imperceptible smile on her face

"Alright!" She said with a loud tone. "Again Vergil, keep practising until your fingers freeze."

"Thats more like it," Vergil smiled.

------

The hours dragged on, and by noon. Vergil’s breath became foggy and his fingers numb and white from repetition.

Thread after thread of brittle ice had snapped, leaving behind cool water before being removed by Elvira’s magic.

Before it could be placed for long periods of time. It had snapped numerous times for Vergil to count.

After he finally managed it. He was about the speak, stretching.

(dramatic pause)

"I’ve done it," he shouted.

Meanwhile, Eleanor remained in total stillness. Eyes closed, posture upright.

Inside her body, her crystallised core thumped in an even rhythm as her two circles rotated around it.

She foucussed on her breathing, diverting her mana between between the two in measured speed. The process was nowhere near as intense as forming the circle, but it demanded the same amount of discipline.

They circles danced in synch. Moving horizontally and Vertically moving around her core but never meeting.

As they spun, streams of mana flowed from her core to the circles, feeding it with pure mana as her mana heart shimmered faintly. Thumming with a deep and resonant hum.

She could feel it. The newest addition reisted the flow at times, like an untrained muscle. But she kept working, synching the circles to dance.

It was a slow but steady journey. And in the end, she would make that power submit to her.

By the time Eleanor finished, the sun had already began to set, letting the shadows take over the front yard.

Yet Vergil only stared at his frostbitten hands. Sleeves half-frozen. "Again," he repeated.

He brought his hands together once more, channeling the mana from his heart to the circle that rotated. He didn’t rush — he let it cool before condesing before gently weaving the thread into existence as if weaving silk.

Between his fingers a thin, cold and tense line appeared; he moved, letting it detach from one finger and sticking it to the wall, he moved backwards, wrapping it around a support beam before finally resting.

Vergil exhaled shakily as his shoulders slumped from exhaustion. Yet a grin tugged at his lips.

User has learned the rank 1 skill Ice Thread (F)]

"Icebind Thread... finally," he muttered.

Elvira, sipping a cup of warm herbal tea by the window that shows the dark scenary. She didn’t even look his way when she spoke. "About time."

Vergil chuckled. "You know, for someone who said I was hopeless. You have alot of patience."

Elvira scoffed before replying in a dry voice. "Im old, I longed stop wasting time on pleasantries when my bones started to ache."

Vergil leaned back against the wall, eyes flickering towards Eleanor who stood up with grace. The mana around her calmer, like a pound undisturbed by a storm.

"Stabilised," she said softly to herself, before moving towards Vergil.

"Thats good at least," vergil replied in a tired tone. "Your officially stronger than me than I was five days ago."

Eleanor smirked faintly. "And you look like a dead icicle." Nudging his elbow.

Vergil chuckled before letting out a yawn. "I’ll take that as a compliment from you."

Elvira glanced at the pair, snorting before looking back at the window.

A pair of fools those two are. Both have goals yet still need a foothold.

’Maybe thats what this old cottage needs,’ she muttered to herself. Watching as stairs began to dot around the moonless sky.

The world was dangerous and these fools need all the help they can get. Her eyes softened as she thought of how much Vergil reminded her of that person.

[Your relationship with Elvira has increased to 6 stars out of 10]