Both parties circled each other, gauging their strength. Retnan kept his blade firm in his grip. Giida held his spear slack. Casual. Dragging on the ground.
Then it made its first move. It threw its spear and gripped it properly before thrusting. Retnan dodged, sliced the spear in two, then went straight for it. His blade swept past Giida's neck by a hair. Giida swept his spear handle toward his side. Retnan evaded it, jumping away.
Giida stood perfectly calm. Once more it pointed behind Retnan, signaling him to retreat. Retnan looked back at Meliah, arms crossed, then laughed. "We haven't even started."
Retnan took a deep breath and charged. Giida didn't. Retnan swept his blade over and over, trying to get at him, but Giida dodged all of it. Calmly. Retnan tried to move faster, but it seemed like Giida could read his every move.
*How is it this intelligent.*
Giida evaded all of it, grabbed Retnan by the arm, and kicked him in the belly. Then aimed its spear head at Retnan's neck. He grabbed it — a sudden tug of war. Despite the beast's skeletal body it had some strength, but not on Retnan's level.
Retnan twisted his hand, angling the spear toward its own head. When it realized it was getting overpowered, it tried to escape. But Retnan's grip was locked on its arm. It would need to break its own arm off to get free.
Retnan held the severed arm of Giida — which was actually made of wood, not bone. He tossed it to the ground. Giida's arm began to grow back.
"You should be the one thinking about fleeing, not me."
Mana flared around its body. A calm, green translucent energy pulsing around it.
With a single gesture, vines sprouted from the ground and shot toward Retnan in their numbers. He ran toward Giida, slicing through vines, barely dodging them.
Giida kept his distance — just as Retnan suspected. It was bad at close combat. That's why it used a spear. But how it could calculate Retnan's attacks was something he was yet to figure out.
*So let's amp this up.*
"Wish-craft: Swordsmanship of My Wish!" The skill manifested. The movement and experience of a top swordsman burned into his very memory and muscles, using mana.
His steps became different. He dodged the vines smoothly, his movement like water. In the blink of an eye he stood before Giida. The spear grew longer, slicing at Retnan, but mere wood was nothing against his sword. He sliced through it easily, then went on in constant repeated sweeps. This time Giida couldn't dodge them fully. The edge of his blade carving into it.
Giida adapted and aimed for his wrist. Retnan saw it coming — about to follow his swordsmanship instincts and make space to parry. He held himself. And threw a punch instead. Crack. His fist split its jaw.
Retnan had a suspicion. Giida was reading his footwork to predict his movement — he could feel Giida's mana spread out through the grass beneath his feet. But throwing in random attacks broke its reading. Retnan grabbed his blade before it dropped and continued aiming at Giida's critical areas.
Slowly Giida's attacks grew slower. The vines weren't frequent. And it knew it was going to lose if it continued. In a desperate duck, Retnan's blade swept above its head, chipping its horn. It slammed its hand to the ground and the earth began to tremble. Before Retnan could leap away, roots burst out of the ground — meant to throw him off but it was a big mistake. He lifted himself into the air using the roots' force.
As if time slowed, Retnan twisted in the air. Target locked on Giida. He dived headfirst, blade ready, and severed its head with a clean arc.
He landed in a low pose. Exhaled before straightening up and sheathing his blade. "You weren't as strong as I expected." He shook his head.
*[Guardian Giida slain (C-Rank) +100 Flux]*
What the? A hundred Flux. Tsk. Still, he absorbed the flux. *Sigh. I need more… but I need to be patient.*
Meliah walked up to him with renewed curiosity and awe. "You can also wish for skills… that's really versatile. Though I'm sure it isn't limitless."
"Yes it is. I'm limited to only mundane wishes. Things I could naturally attain." He glanced back toward the path. "Let's head back… I'll continue tomorrow, I'm really exhausted."
"You haven't had a proper meal, have you. I'll get you one when we arrive at the Castle."
"But before we go—" She pulled out a round ball and placed it in his palm.
"What's this?" Retnan said, studying it, rolling it between his fingers.
"It's a magical item. It compresses and stores Flux. You helped in the last dungeon. That's your share of the flux. To use it — just squeeze."
Retnan squeezed.
*[+700 Flux]*
His eyes widened. *Woah.*
*[1010/1000 Flux]*
*[Ready to cultivate your Nexus]*
"Why are you giving it to me just now?" Retnan asked — though he already knew the reason.
"I…" A slight pause. "…wanted to see you use your Wish-craft again."
Retnan shook his head slightly. *Just what I expected.*
"Let's leave." Meliah began to leave the dungeon.
"Do you know how to cultivate Nexus? So you can guide me?"
The request caught Meliah off guard — he was willing to learn, despite being exhausted. She couldn't refuse. "I do have experience cultivating Nexus, but it's draining. You might lose consciousness on your first attempt."
She crossed her arms. "Should we proceed, or wait until you're at full strength?"
Retnan rolled his eyes. "You hyped this dungeon like I was going to die… I ain't falling for that again. Teach me."
---
***
---
As Meliah instructed, Retnan sat on the ground in a lotus position. Legs crossed. Fingers intertwined, brought up to his chest.
"First — look inward. Feel your mana flow freely to your chest, then spread it out, matching your breath."
Retnan did so. Each breath, his mana concentrated at his chest before pulsing and spreading. He held it there until he got his next step, keeping his concentration focused.
"Concentrate deeply. Until you can see the flux in your body."
He tightened his focus. His vision didn't change but he didn't give up. His focus deepened until he saw tiny sparkles in his dark vision.
"If you can feel it, guide them to the center of your chest. Cultivate it — sharpen it, visualize a star. Use your mana to guide it."
In, out. Retnan kept his breath in rhythm. *Guide the flux.*
*[Nexus cultivation: 1%]*
It wasn't taxing at first. Then his hands began to tremble. Sweat trailed down his head. He jerked, gritted his teeth to keep his concentration. *What is this feeling? Like I'm moving thousands of tiny muscles at once.*
His breath began to drag, losing its rhythm with his mana flow. His shirt began to soak. He struggled, holding on. Unfortunately his concentration broke with heavy breaths, pausing his Nexus cultivation.
*[Nexus cultivation: 5%]*
"Tsk. That… was… difficult." He said between breaths. *If I had a wish point I would have wished for mastery. But reset time is over.*
"I told you." Meliah said with a knowing smile. "At least you lasted longer than I expected. Let's head back. It's getting late."
---
***
---
Retnan walked to his quarters — the ones the queen had provided, just behind the Castle in the estate. Meliah had pointed him the way; she couldn't show him personally, she had business to take care of. He tossed the key playfully, but his eyes scanned the corners. Cautious of every figure. He knew the jealousy and envy of him being seen with their commander — he wasn't going to let his guard down. Their whispers blurred behind him.
"Please, I wasn't—"
Retnan paused. He walked backward, peeping into the corner the cry came from.
A younger Knight was pushed against the wall. Another Knight stood over her, arms crossed, looking down at the girl. The girl raised her arm in defense. Retnan recognized the bully's face — still the same one from before who had tried to come at him.
"You never learn your lesson, do you."
"Please, I didn't—"
*Slap.* "I never asked you to speak."
Retnan minded his business and walked away without being noticed. A few steps ahead the wheezing and crying grew louder.
*Not your business.* He kept walking toward his quarters. *I'm too exhausted to get involved in childish seniority flexing.*
He paused. *Sigh. Who am I kidding. I didn't get to punch her last time.*
With a smirk he spun on his heels and ran back to the corner.
"Get away from her!"
The Knight paused, arm raised mid-swing at the younger girl. She turned toward the voice. "You…" She shoved the girl aside. "Last time you escaped because of the Commander. Oh, I'll enjoy beating you up."
"Good luck." Retnan yawned.
Veins bulged on her neck. Her fingers dug into her palms. "Aqueth-craft —" Her mana responded. "Sailor's Wheel." A huge wheel of water formed.
Retnan unsheathed his blade.