His own sword gained a thin layer of bluish aura as well. But unlike Peter's, it was stable, like paint done over the wood.
"Hold that reinforcement. Let's see your control over it in a confrontation."
He stepped forward, much more agile this time. His sword struck from the top with double the momentum.
Peter swallowed, steadying his stance. Maintaining reinforcement during combat was another challenge entirely.
His feet dug into the ground when their swords met in a guard, and they were clashing again.
He followed the ingrained instinct taught to him by his father and perfected by his skill, channeling the force behind the man's attacks into the earth beneath him, maintaining his footing.
But that was all he could manage for now. Despite feeling much stronger and faster.
Even though the man maintained equal stats to Peter's, he was still the more skilled between them.
Peter defended again and again against the relentless assault, relying on Mana Sense to guide him where to guard next.
There was a savage brutality in the man's attacks, a demand to break through Peter's defense and consume the unguarded.
But Peter wasn't letting him in easily. His bastion of defense stood strong, blow after blow.
He lost sense of everything but the two of them. Each skill within him worked in harmony.
Mana Sense guided him. Mana Manipulation kept both his body and weapon strong under the pressure.
Weapons Mastery inspired him with countless ways to guard, parry, counter, and attack.
Undying Vitality fended off fatigue and mental strain.
Time itself became meaningless. His being slipped into a trance-like state.
The man was saying something, his lips moving. But Peter couldn't hear him.
His vision had narrowed to the domain of Mana Sense, where paths of possibilities appeared before him, paths that could turn the tide.
And so, he responded.
The transition was subtle, just a heartbeat and a shift in the rhythm of his footwork.
Three exchanges later, he was no longer being pushed back.
Five more exchanges, and the man repeated the same downward slash. This time tilted slightly to aim for Peter's neck.
Peter's sword met the strike in a solid block, and for the first time, he countered.
Once he halted the descending blade, he loosened his grip, allowing his sword to spin at a 45-degree angle.
He advanced, gliding the edge of his weapon along the opponent's blade, aiming for his palm.
But before the strike could connect, a sudden knee crashed into Peter's stomach.
His body bent forward as he was launched backward, tumbling three steps before hitting the ground.
He rolled in pain, half-digested lunch forcing its way from his mouth.
Even as he squirmed on the ground, Undying Vitality activated, consuming 100 mana points to relieve him of the pain and nausea.
"Are you out of it now?" the man asked, pulling him up.
Peter nodded, finally able to hear him.
"Here, have some water. It will help," the man said.
Peter took the cup, drinking half and using the rest to rinse his mouth.
"What just happened?" David asked, his face painted with confusion and worry. Peter wanted to ask the same question himself.
Only then did he register his surroundings, every face was turned toward him.
Some held wonder. Others, confusion. A few, a quiet respect.
"He just experienced what we call a skill high," the man explained to the group, though his words were meant for Peter just as much.
He crouched slightly to fix Peter's clothes, brushing dust off his shoulders.
"None of you have felt it or seen it yet, so it's understandable you don't know," he continued, voice calm and teacher-like.
"Multiple scenarios can cause it, but the most common are skill harmony and skill compatibility.
"When multiple skills work in tandem, empowering one another with high harmony, it creates an exponential effect.
Skill compatibility, on the other hand, refers to when a skill naturally aligns with a person, ...making it drastically more efficient."
He stood tall again, his expression serious.
"Both situations can lead to a trance-like state where the person becomes a vessel, allowing their skills to fully express themselves."
He finished the explanation with a surprising gesture, a warm pat on Peter's head.
"That sounds too good to be true," Noelle muttered, drawing a few nods. Others fell into thoughtful silence.
"It may sound good, and it does have its perks," the man acknowledged. "But it's also called a vice for a reason. It can be deadly."
"You might perform at your peak, yes. It may even lead to a sharp boost in skill growth if you survive. But you're still losing yourself in a trance,"
"You'll develop tunnel vision, your focus consumed entirely by the task, reduced to a puppet moved by your skills."
He looked each of them in the eye before finishing, his tone heavier.
"Such states, more often than not, kill promising youth in battle. Like candles that burn too bright... before they die."
Then, turning to Peter, his tone softened.
"Don't worry too much. Your father has the same problem with his subset of skills. Most adventurers who survive past five years do, in fact."
"I'll inform him about this. He'll teach you how not to lose yourself in it."
Peter nodded, grateful.
His fingers twitched slightly as he brought up his status screen, curious if the man was right about the improved growth.
Status…
[
Name: Peter
Race: Human
Class: None
Age: 6
Title: Trailblazer: Skills, Skill Creator
Stats:
Health: 80 (Cons * 10)
Mana: 2800 (Spirit * 10)
Constitution: 8 Spirit: 280
Strength: 7 Agility: 8
Intelligence: 12
Luck: 18 Charisma: 35
Skills:
IDE, Status Camouflage, Mana sense Lv. 22, Mana Manipulation Lv. 11, Weapons Mastery Lv.11, Undying Vitality lv.6
]
Two levels in Mana Manipulation.
One more in Weapons Mastery... even though he'd already leveled it up that morning.
And three whole levels in Undying Vitality, despite them being early levels.
That was a month's worth of growth… in a single evening.
Peter couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. The rush of progress, the tangible improvement; it was addicting. He could hardly wait to figure out how to trigger another skill high, to harness it for accelerated growth.
But there were no more fights that day.
And honestly, he didn't mind.
He was content simply watching the others spar, soaking in their movements, their mistakes, and their strategies. Learning through observation, body resting, mind sharpening.