Chapter 45: Spar

Vell adjusted his collar, still feeling the faint pressure from Jia’s earlier grip. He smirked, and his usual confidence returned.

“Well, it looks like it is just us. Cozy, is not it?”

Jia glared daggers at him, and her fists were clenched tightly.

“You are insufferable,” she hissed. “If not for the queen’s orders, you would be nothing but a stain on this floor.”

“Glad to see we are starting on the right foot,” he said, and he leaned back in his chair. “But let us put the hostility aside for now. We have got work to do, and wasting energy on each other is not going to help anyone.”

’Though, is this really where we are going to sleep? Harsh does not even begin to explain this. Well, whatever, as long as we are not disturbed.’

“Yenna, come over, do not be shy. Say hi to our new friend.”

She stepped closer and offered a small, timid wave.

“Hello,” she said softly, and her voice was barely above a whisper.

Jia’s eyes flicked to Yenna, and her expression was unchanging. She crossed her arms and let out a dismissive huff.

“I am not here to make friends,” she said coldly. “Let us get that clear.”

’I do not like you either, bitch. Huh? Was that me? Oh no, what is happening to me?’

She clutched her hands together as if she were grounding herself, and she forced a smile.

“Right,” she said, and her voice was unsteady. “We are just here to work together.”

He noticed that something was wrong, so he grabbed her by the hand, which flustered her a lot.

“Sit, do not be so nervous.”

She stared at him for a few seconds and then sat down next to him. Her heart was beating like crazy.

He could still tell that something was off, so he leaned in slightly, and his voice dropped to a gentler tone.

“Babe, you okay? You seem a little… off.”

She nodded quickly, and her hands were fidgeting in her lap.

“Yeah, I am fine. Just tired, that is all,” she replied, and her voice was still shaky.

’BABEEEEEEEE!’

Yep, her mind was now a mess, but at least she calmed down. Whatever uneasy feeling she had, it disappeared just like that.

He smirked as he saw her barely able to contain herself.

’Adorable.’

Jia, who was watching from the side, scoffed. “Touching. If you are done with your little moment, maybe we can get to the actual point of this.”

He stared at her, and he activated his slitted eyes as he scanned her.

“You are actually super strong, huh? Way stronger than the monster from before.”

“Hmph, of course I am. You dare to compare a captain to a mere warrior? Your arrogance truly knows no bounds.”

“Pfft.”

“Eh?”

Her eyes were locked on him, and her dagger was clenched tightly, ready to be drawn.

“Are you laughing at me?”

He chuckled, and his smirk grew wider.

“Laughing? Me? No, no,” he said, and he waved a hand dismissively. “I am just… impressed. I mean, you have got that whole ’superiority complex’ thing down to an art. It is almost cute.”

Her eyes flared with fury, and she took a step forward. Her hands were sparking with latent energy.

“You are walking a very thin line, human.”

“Relax, tough lady,” he said, and his tone was still playful but with an edge of seriousness. “I am just acknowledging your strength. But that does not mean I will not call you out when you get too full of yourself.”

Yenna, who sensed the rising tension, grabbed Vell’s sleeve gently. “Maybe we should focus on the plan, instead of provoking her?”

“Yeah, that is enough playing for now.”

He got up and sat behind Yenna, and he placed his hand under her shirt. Just like before, this sent chills through her body, the good kind.

“Alright, I think I have delayed this long enough. You have no mana in your core, right?”

She nodded, and she stated that she could only manipulate a little when it entered her body.

“Okay, I am going to guide you on the way to absorb mana. It is painful, but you must bear with it no matter what. Once you master that, you can become as strong as me, maybe even stronger.”

Her eyes widened, and uncertainty flickered across her face. “Stronger than you? That is… hard to believe.”

He could not help but chuckle, and his fingers gently traced along her back as he spoke. “Trust me, you have got the potential. You just need the right push, and like I said before, I am here for that. Just trust me.”

Jia, who was still standing with her arms crossed, sneered. “This should be good. Watching him try to teach someone will be like watching a chicken explain flight.”

Vell shot her a glance, unfazed. “You are welcome to observe, Captain. Maybe you will learn something too.”

“Hmph.”

Yenna let out a shaky breath, and she turned around slightly to ask. “Okay, I will try, but what do you mean by ’painful’?”

“It is like ripping open a door that has been rusted shut. Mana wants to flow, but your body is not used to it. It will hurt at first, but you will adapt quickly, since you already had experience using mana, though that was the bad kind, I think.”

She swallowed hard and nodded again. “I will do it. I am ready.”

“Good, I will start.”

’I would have loved to give her some of this new type of mana, but I cannot draw from my cores for some reason, so I have no choice. She will have to start with the natural one first.’

He began concentrating, and he gathered mana at his fingertips and slowly sent it into her body. She gasped as the first wave of mana entered. It was not just a sensation, it was a jolt, like an electric current surging through her veins. Her body tensed involuntarily, and her breathing grew uneven.

“Easy,” he whispered, and his voice was steady. “Breathe. Let it flow. Do not fight it.”

She tried to focus on his words, but the pressure inside her was building. It was as if her entire being was trying to reject the foreign energy. Pain flared in her chest, and her hands clenched into fists.

“I-I cannot,” she stammered, and her voice was trembling. “It is too much-”

“Yes, you can,” he interrupted, and his tone was firm but not unkind. “Listen to me. This is your body learning to adapt. Do not think of the mana as an enemy, welcome it. Are you really going to let your player journey end here?”

She bit her lip and nodded, and she forced herself to relax. She focused on the sensation, and she tried to imagine the mana as water flowing through a cracked dam. Slowly, she willed herself to accept it.

“That is it,” he encouraged, and his hand was steady on her back. “You are doing great.”

The pain began to dull, and it was replaced by a strange warmth. It was still uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Her breathing steadied, and she could feel the mana spreading throughout her body, passing through each pathway.

“I… I think it is working,” she whispered, and there was a hint of awe in her voice.

“Excellent. Now I want you to take control of that mana and direct it to your core. I am sure I do not need to help you with this step.”

She nodded and began directing the mana as he said. She made sure not to rush or force it, and she allowed the flow to remain steady and controlled. The mana responded to her will, and it shifted and converged toward her core. Each movement felt like a delicate balancing act, but with every passing second, she grew more confident.

It did not take her long to fill up because of her past experience. She turned toward him, a proud smile on her face, which made him nervous. He had never seen her smile like that.

“Well done,” he said, and his voice was tinged with pride and a hint of nervousness. “You have taken the first step. How do you feel?”

Yenna’s smile widened, and her eyes were shining with newfound confidence. “I feel… different. Stronger, maybe. It is hard to explain.”

Jia, who had been watching silently, raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. I did not think you had it in you.”

“Oh, right, Captain, wanna spar?” he asked, and there was a confident look in his eyes.

“What?”

[System evolution 80%]

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