Meanwhile, Theo and the others underwent their training while wearing all that weight the whole time. It was truly a chore because their movement was restricted. They were not even allowed to take them off when sleeping or they would be expelled.
Unfortunately for Theo, his torture had yet to end when they finished their training. He needed to go through all his master training during the night.
Although reluctant, he still came to his master, having something to ask her.
"You've finally come. I'm tired of waiting for you before and now you're even slower." She shook her head in disappointment.
"I'm sorry. It's all because of these bracelets and now I'm tired." Theo raised his hands, showing the weight he put on.
"Don't make excuses. I don't need those." She snorted. "We are still going to practice even if you are dead tired."
"Eh? Where is the gentle master from two days ago?" Theo sighed.
"You brat… Do you think you will fight every enemy in your best condition? Sometimes, even when your legs give up, you still need to run. That's why don't make those excuses in front of me or you will one day face your death."
Seeing the cold look from his master, Theo's face turned serious as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Master. I was wrong."
"As long as you understand." She sighed and asked. "How were your trip and your progress with Alea Eilric?"
"Ehm, I think it was good. For the first time I realized that geniuses were truly different. Of course, I don't say they are perfect." Theo smiled, remembering Alea's trauma. From other points of view, it might look like something that could be easily overcome, but it might be the hardest thing to face for Alea.
He was sure that Alea also tried to fix that, but as one would expect, she still couldn't. He also thought about solving that problem so their team could win and participate in Grand Gaia.
"I am asking you whether you have controlled her or not."
"Well, I'm not sure myself. It's true that I have grasped her fighting style, but she has surpassed my expectations from time to time. Besides, our gap is too large, so it's hard for me to keep that up for long."
"Ho? That's an improvement. I thought you were going to fail and ended up getting overwhelmed. And here I have prepared to console you."
Theo's eyebrows twitched. "You don't have confidence in me?"
"Haha." His master only laughed it off before asking, "So, what did you do?"
"I know that she could learn my intention from observing my gesture alone, so I tried to position myself in her blindspot while figuring out what she sees. Well, I often guessed it wrong and we ended up stumbling with her, but I think it can be improved over time.
"For now, I know that I have the chance despite our gap." Theo smiled, feeling happy to know that he wasn't like the useless him in the past.
She contemplated for a while before opening her mouth. "Well, the gap between you is not that far since Elite Rank and Normal Rank are like the gap between a normal person and an athlete in the past. But when you enter the Champion Rank, the gap starts getting bigger and bigger. I won't tell you much about it since you're going to experience it yourself later.
"For now, you will train your observation when you're hunting with her. After that, you will start learning about prediction. I mean, if Alea's eyes and reaction ability is 100% and your observation ability and reacting to it is 75%, prediction is 120%.
"For example, if you predict that your enemy will slash you from your left, you already know it and stop him before he even swings his weapon, it will become a perfect block, right? I know how hard it is, but I want to train your eyes and rationality to the utmost limit. These two are the only things that we can rely on to fight those geniuses who are always at 100%."
"So, that's why you don't mind me pairing up with Alea Eilric?"
"Exactly. I want you to get used to her movement to improve your abilities while increasing the five aspects. Of course, because you are too reliant on your Magic Bullet and Clone, it's hard for you to come up with something like this… After all, only in adversity with lack of resources will you find a creative way to deal with your own situation."
"I understand. I will do my best." Theo nodded in amazement. He never expected that his master actually had thought that much ahead. 'I wonder if I can reach her level one day. I want to see what kind of view my master sees…'
She patted her head with a smile. "For now, let's not overreach ourselves and start from the basics again."
"Yes, Master."
"How is your Magic Bullet?"
"It's only five." Theo shook his head and raised his hand. The Magic Power fluctuated as blue light gradually formed, illuminating the area. It then split into five smaller Magic Bullets as he released it toward the dummy a few feet from him. "That's all."
"I will make you complete this magic bullet this week."
"That's right. Does every single skill above E Rank have a weakness like harming one's body or preventing you from using it continuously?"
"Yes. Are you talking about your Magic Bullet? You haven't realized it?"
"I think I can use my Magic Bullet in succession without stopping."
"Haiz. You should feel your magic power a bit more. You will see that your Magic Bullet will take more and more Magic Power from your body every time you use it. That's why it's easier for you to get tired when training this skill. Why is that?" His master took out a water bottle and poured it on her hand.
She then reached a small branch and poked her palm before slightly turning it to the left so the water would form a net for a small area as if the water climbed the stick. "You can see that the branch is actually lifting the water a bit, right? You must have learned it in school.
"Magic Power is like water. It's wetting the pores where you release your magic power, making it easier for the magic power to flow out excessively. Of course, the only solution is to let it dry. The Magic Bullet won't take too long… Probably thirty seconds to a minute. You need to feel it yourself.
"I thought you'd realized this, but It seems I need to change my schedule and cram the knowledge into your head first. Alright. I have decided. Tonight will be a study night. You're not going to escape from me until midnight."
"Ugh. I will do my best." Theo nodded.