The Fractured Mage

Chapter 9 - Traits

"Ow...that really hurt, I think it's broken...," I groaned, rubbing my nose gingerly as I got back up, rubbing the area above my upper lip as blood trickled out of my nostrils.

"You have a bad habit of freezing up every time I go on the offensive, at least try to react in some way, anything would be better than not moving at all. You'd be dead if this wasn't a wooden sword," Responded Iris, pointing the blunt blade at me as I stood up.

"Maybe go a little easier, sis, don't you think you're kinda overdoing it?" Called out Lilac from the stairs, watching us as she sipped on a glass of apple juice while her snake slithered across her left arm.

"The harder I am on him, the faster he'll improve."

"Yikes, sure glad you aren't training me, you overpowered gorilla...," Muttered Lilac wryly.

"Hm? What was that? You say something?"

"Nothing! Didn't say a word!"

A couple more weeks have passed, and before this, I'd been spending a couple of hours each day training by myself. One hour in hand to hand combat, and one hour wielding my Magic.

Ifeus would occasionally spar with me to check my progress, usually about once or twice a week, but for the most part, I trained solo.

Yesterday, I sparred against him for the first time in over a week, since he'd been busy with Guild work, and he determined that I'd reached a level where I wasn't going to progress much further training alone.

And so, to make sure that I keep improving at a steady and fast rate, he asked Iris to train me whenever she's free, which she agreed to.

Now, keep in mind that I've never actually fought anyone before, at least as far as my current memories are concerned. Actually, I doubt I was in any proper fights even before I lost my memories...whenever I do something that I've probably done before my amnesia, I get a sense of familiarity and deja vu.

If I'd been skilled in combat before, then surely muscle memory would be a factor, and I wouldn't be struggling so much. Additionally, during the sparring sessions I'd had with Ifeus, he stayed completely on the defensive the whole time and just let me attack.

In other words, as far as I can remember, I've never been physically hurt by another person before. When training solo in hand to hand combat, I just repeat the moves that Ifeus taught me on a punching bag, an object that, you know, doesn't hit back.

So basically, I'm a total novice when it comes to fighting, as green as they come. Now, then, let's compare me to Iris...for starters, she's a real prodigy, not only did she awaken her Magic System at the age of five, but she'd already unlocked both her Basic and Ascended Tiers when she did.

The vast majority of Mages start off with their Basic Tier and can then take upto ten years on average to reach their Ascended Tier, the majority of Ascended Mages reach that level when they're more or less in the mid-twenties. Which means that she had more raw potential as a toddler than most adults do.

Add to that the fact that she's got a good four years of experience under her belt as a Guild Mage, and she's basically light years ahead of me. We're not even in the same league.

Oh, and since I'm supposed to keep my Ether Mage abilities a secret for the time being, Ifeus told me to only use hand to hand combat when sparring against her.

The idea is to act like I possess the Physical Class, with the Ascended Tier of Martial Artist. I have the same Basic Tier as the Physical Class, Brawler, but unfortunately, I can't use any of its Arts.

However, I do possess few Traits from the Brawler Tier...specifically, I possess the Strength Boost Level 1, Speed Boost Level 1 and Martial Arts Level 1 Traits.

There's also Weapon Arts Level 1 that Brawlers can possess, but I'm not compatible with that Traits, so I can't equip it. And since my Ascended Tier isn't of the Physical Class, my Traits are stuck at Level 1.

Incidentally, Iris possesses the Physical Class, and her Ascended Tier is Saber, her Traits are at Level 3, she has the same Traits I do, plus the Blade Arts Trait, also at Level 3.

Level 4, and the highest one, Level 5, are only accessible to Apex Mages, so unless and until she unlocks her Apex Tier, her Traits are capped at Level 3.

I should clarify something about Traits though...most Traits, especially the Traits of the Physical Class, are essentially shortcuts, nothing more. With enough physical training, a person without, say, the Strength Boost Trait, can match someone who does possess it.

These Traits enhance your body to a point that would normally take a few years of physical training to reach, so like I said, they're just shortcuts.

There are exceptions, not all Traits fall under this category. For instance, there's another Trait I possess thanks to my Ether Mage Ascended Tier, called Ether Detection...it lets me sense Ether within a hundred meter radius.

Which is, of course, an ability that can't be achieved through training. Unless there are other people with the Wrath Class, I might be the only Mage in the world who can sense Ether.

Back to the matter at hand, not only was Iris's starting point way ahead of most others, she's got several Traits that make her even stronger. There's no way I'm anywhere close to being a match for her, especially when I'm not using my Ether Mage abilities...

"Can we wrap things up for today? I still have to train using my Ether Magic, so I'd rather not get totally worn down fighting you," I requested hopefully, my body aching all over at the spots she'd struck.

I'm gonna be covered in bruises, aren't I?

"Hm...okay, I suppose that's fine. From tomorrow onwards, train with your Ether Magic first, and spar with me afterwards. We've got a lot of work to do to get you to a level where you can convincingly pass yourself off as an Ascended Mage without using your Ether Magic. I have to say though, while your dodging skills, reaction time and instincts have a lot of room for improvement, you sure can take a hit pretty well, it's almost like you're used to it or something," She remarked thoughtfully.

Yeah, I noticed that too...her hits definitely hurt a lot, each strike is insanely heavy, and yet...I find myself able to bear it without too much trouble. I definitely don't want to get hit, of course, but every time she's about to land a hit...I get this sense of resignation in my body, as if I'm used to feeling pain or something, like she said.

Not the most uplifting realization, that. It makes me wonder, just what exactly happened to me before the start of my current memories?