Compared to her first attempt, Lux had made tremendous progress in her second simulated training session.
During her fifteen minutes of reflection, Lux had thought about a lot and regained her composure.
So when she entered the simulated training again, she abandoned her previous strategy of wildly swinging her sword and forced herself to calm down, using more effective methods to deal with the beetles.
Simply knocking them away wouldn't be enough to last ten minutes. If she wanted to hold out, she had to reduce their numbers!
With that in mind, Lux began clumsily combining the basic sword techniques she had been practicing. She knocked away the beetles approaching her while killing those that got too close.
Then, making progress, she lasted five minutes.
Even though she'd realized that she needed to reduce the beetles' numbers and attack the vulnerable spots where they had no shell for protection, her stamina still limited how long she could last. As her movements slowed, the beetles swarming in like a tide would greatly restrict her actions, until they eventually broke through her defenses.
When Lux came to, she was in much better shape than last time.
Although she was still covered in something sticky, at least the phantom pain was gone—and, more importantly, she had truly felt herself improving.
"You can be proud of what you've accomplished," Karya offered, seizing the opportunity to comment. "It's like a child who wets the bed every night waking up one morning to find the sheets dry."
"Heh." Lux gave a dry laugh at Karya's sharp remark, as if she'd found the key to the problem. "My strategy was fine. You bastard, you tampered with the simulated training. Under normal circumstances, five minutes wouldn't have made me tired!"
"I told you, the simulated training takes place in a specific scenario and environment." Karya calmly denied Lux's accusation. "I never said that the you in training and the you now were exactly the same, and they couldn't possibly be exactly the same. The core purpose of training is to improve your judgment in battle and your ability to adapt, not to let you rely on your current training to crush your opponents with superior stats. You can't become a Sword God just by grinding in one spot!"
"You're just a sore loser!" Lux huffed indignantly. "What, are you going to tell me that your 'good students' were in exactly the same shape as me when they took this training?"
"Correct, but there's no reward." Karya confirmed that Lux was right. "I'll show you later—as long as you can pass this beginner-level basic training."
"Of course I can!" Lux lifted her chin, then took off her blue headband and tied her golden hair into a high ponytail. "Let's do it again. It's only ten minutes..."
"It's Sona's turn." Karya refused to let Lux train continuously. "Also, don't think you can keep training just because you're angry. That won't make you look diligent; it'll only make you more and more unstable. If you have that much energy, go over your performance just now and try to need fewer attempts. That way, I can get some rest too."
"..."
"Ah, young people these days. Not considerate at all..."
And so, amid Lux's gritted teeth, Sona stepped forward and grasped the hilt.
In the first training session, Lux lasted three minutes, while Sona lasted two.
In the second training session, Lux lasted five minutes, and Sona lasted five minutes.
In the third training session, Lux lasted six minutes, and Sona lasted six minutes.
In the fourth training session, Lux lasted six minutes, and Sona lasted six minutes.
In the fifth, sixth, and seventh training sessions, neither Lux nor Sona managed to last more than six minutes—and stamina was what held them back.
Whether they fought with physical attacks by swinging swords or used magic attacks by playing music, after six minutes of battle, Lux and Sona would become sluggish from exhaustion, and the cunning beetles would seize the opportunity to attack.
The two of them had gone out in the morning, but by lunchtime, neither had managed to last more than six minutes. They were getting absolutely crushed.
Lux stubbornly insisted that she wanted to continue, but Karya refused. "Take a break for now. Your mental state is already very unstable—and haven't you noticed that your Magic Circuit isn't working anymore?"
Only after Karya said this did Lux realize that the Magic Circuit she had painstakingly carved earlier now looked as if it had been left untouched for a century, its surface corroded and pitted.
"What happened?" Lux stared in astonishment. "What's wrong with the Magic Circuit?"
"My magic is dangerous. I told you that." Karya didn't bother hiding it. "Even though I only drew on a little of the magic inside the Nullstone walls, it was enough to corrode the Magic Circuit. Anyway, this thing is ruined now. If you want to keep training, then work hard and carve another one!"
"Aaah! Eee! How could this happen?!" Lux's eyes widened in disbelief. "So I haven't even passed the training, and it's already over?"
"Yeah." Karya sounded rather regretful too. "It's a shame, but it's fine. As long as you carve another one, we can continue."
Lux was as dejected as an internet-addicted girl whose every electronic device had been taken away. To her, although the simulated training hurt and failing left her frustrated, fighting beetles in the desert was unexpectedly thrilling once she accepted the premise.
This was an unprecedentedly novel experience for a noble girl, and Lux had become completely absorbed in it!
She had already planned that if she still couldn't last seven minutes the next time, she'd use Light Magic to give the beetles a serious blow. But before she could use her trump card, the Magic Circuit broke...
If only she'd known, she wouldn't have insisted on solving the problem with swordsmanship last time. She should've just used magic.
What a shame!
Meanwhile, Sona was also somewhat dejected—but unlike Lux, who was upset about not clearing the training, Sona was upset that she could no longer resonate with Aihua as she pleased.
In the real world, Sona had to suppress her desire to play. Even when she did play, she couldn't use magic to pluck the strings. But in the illusion of the simulated training, she could resonate with Aihua through magic, like soulmates.
This kind of cooperation not only improved her combat awareness and experience but also greatly helped her develop her musicality. Compared to the tedious practice of playing music, this training had also been a tremendous help to her musical skill.
What a shame!
After returning to Crown Guard Manor, the two girls decided to turn their disappointment into motivation. They would try to make large quantities of Nullstone Magic Circuits as smoothly as they could, so they could continue their simulated training.
Lux and Sona, who had undergone an intensive education, showed astonishing enthusiasm when it came to practical learning. Even their skill at making Magic Circuits improved at an incredible pace.
In less than half a month, Lux had finished her second Magic Circuit.
Then, the day after Lux completed her second one, Sona also successfully carved a complete Magic Circuit.
With the Magic Circuits to support them, the simulated training finally resumed. It was still the familiar place, the familiar corner. After closing her eyes, Lux found herself in the familiar desert again. She took the longsword from Karya and walked down the dune with her head held high.
"Just watch!" Lux drew her longsword and casually tossed aside its scabbard. "I'm not the same as I was before—hyah!"
With Lux's sharp cry, a brilliant glow burst from the longsword in her hand. The sword, which had been less than three feet long, instantly transformed into a greatsword over five feet long.
"Come on!" Lux declared confidently. "So you're the Scarabs? You're doomed!"
The Light Sword was not only long, but also devastatingly powerful. The beetles' shells could withstand the blows of an ordinary blade, but they had little resistance to the "enchantment" of light. With a single sweep, Lux could wipe out a large group of beetles.
"This training's nothing!" Lux laughed loudly. "Watch me clear them all out—wait, ow!"
Unfortunately, the glory lasted all of three seconds. After swinging twice, Lux suddenly felt her knees give way. It was as if all her strength had been drained, and she couldn't stay upright. She had just swung her sword, throwing off her balance, and before she could adjust, she lost her footing completely and fell to the ground.
The brilliant light faded from her sword, which slipped from her hand and landed in the sand. The beetles she had driven away swarmed back with a chorus of squeaks...
Lux's eighth training session lasted a mere five seconds.
"How could this happen?!" Lux gritted her teeth after the training ended. "Why did I suddenly run out of strength?"
"Because you chose the most exhausting way to fight." Karya sounded utterly helpless. "I admit, Lux, that Light Sword of yours looks incredibly cool. But even in the real world, with such an astonishing drain on your magic, you—at twelve years old—probably couldn't keep it up for more than a few minutes..."
"..."
"And, do you have some misunderstanding about the purpose of simulated training? I'm training your combat skills. I want you to make the most of your abilities and fighting strength in any situation. If you have ten parts of strength, then use all ten parts of your fighting strength! I'm not letting you show off in my memory fragments!"
"..."
"This child really is such a handful—think it over carefully. If you lose again in five seconds next time, I'll bury you in the desert for half an hour!" Karya sighed, then turned to Sona. "It's your turn this time, Sona. Don't copy Lux!"
Before you continue