Chapter 22: A Mage Should Have Some Proficiency in Hand-to-Hand Combat

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"I'm sorry! Teacher, I was wrong!" Vivian bowed repeatedly, her face bruised and swollen.

Wigfath sighed, looking at her student with a sense of helplessness.

The good news was that the flames emanating from Vivian's body could indeed burn away debuffs; the poisoning effect on Wigfath had dissolved rapidly under Vivian's punches.

The bad news was that these flames were indiscriminate—they would just as readily burn away buffs and any defensive magic surrounding the target.

In truth, by the time Vivian had thrown her first few punches, Wigfath's poisoning had already been cured. But Vivian, oblivious, had simply kept on swinging.

Wigfath had initially intended to use defensive spells to block the onslaught, but those spells were ruthlessly consumed by the burning flames the moment they manifested. Their magical energy had only served as fuel, making Vivian's fists faster and more powerful.

And so, Vivian had only grown more spirited as the fight went on.

In the end, Wigfath had no choice but to give Vivian a sound thrashing.

Watching this scene, Ron finally understood who Vivian had inherited her bizarre combat style from. Wigfath had swung her staff with such ferocious intensity that she had essentially strung Vivian up for a beating.

Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that these names carried such a strong flavor of Western fantasy, Ron would have thought he was reading a Wuxia novel.

However, Wigfath's beating had successfully tested the limits of Vivian's "Body Incineration" magic. It ignored level differences to provide a one-hundred-percent consumption rate for buffs, debuffs, defensive magic, and sealing spells, but its absorption rate for offensive magic was limited.

Ron suddenly recalled that he had originally developed this magic for the purpose of "undressing." The Saintesses were always laden with various seals and restrictions, designed specifically to prevent people like him from getting his hands on them. Body Incineration had been intended to deal with those very things.

It was a pity, though, that the magic could not convert this fuel into the caster's own mana. This meant that every time Vivian burned through her own reserves, she inevitably fell into a state of exhaustion.

Wigfath watched Vivian, who was tearfully applying various potions with Loli’s assistance, her gaze growing serious. She didn't ask about the origin of the magic; she allowed her students to have their own secrets. Yet, her intuition told her that this magic of Vivian's was surely related to the "Sanctity Deprivation" of the Mad Demon King. The characteristics both displayed were identical. The only difference was that "Sanctity Deprivation" was used on others.

Sanctity Deprivation...

You all keep giving my magic such strange names!

Ron thought to himself, feeling a bit guilty.

"The Mad Demon King, is it..."

Wigfath harbored no particular hatred for that figure from five thousand years ago, nor could she say she liked him—even if she was a member of the Iris Society. She didn't believe the Mad Demon King would ever truly be resurrected. In fact, most of the sisters in the Society shared that same sentiment.

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Wigfath decided to halt Vivian's early graduation process. Vivian's magic displayed such peculiar properties that if the wrong people found out, it would undoubtedly bring disaster upon her. Moreover, those people in the Magic Association seemed to have ulterior motives regarding Vivian, having specifically arranged difficult graduation tasks for her. This ran contrary to Wigfath's original intention of protecting her student.

Vivian needed to continue her studies and gain greater strength. Wigfath decided to trade with other witches in the Society to see if she could obtain offensive magic that Vivian could actually use properly.

At the very least, Wigfath was a competent teacher.

Loli's potions were effective; Vivian's injuries healed quickly. That same afternoon, Vivian packed her things and set off.

The location of the soul fragment Ron mentioned was at Lake Lamo. It had once been the site of Old Palavi City, which was destroyed during the Imperial Unification War centuries ago and had since become a paradise for magical beasts.

Thanks to Grayla's ring, Vivian was able to travel light. She decided to act alone this time; after all, if the target was a Demon King's soul fragment, it was better not to let outsiders know.

Lake Lamo was not far from the current city of Palavi. Vivian arrived in the vicinity by dusk.

[You sense the aura of a soul fragment.]

It was nearby, as expected. Ron narrowed his eyes. He wondered which of his skills this fragment recorded. He truly hoped it was an offensive ability.

[Vivian was in no rush to search. The wilderness at night is absolutely dangerous.]

[Vivian lit a campfire and began her daily training.]

Yes, training. Ron watched the text scrolling before him. Vivian was performing strength training.

[You eat the grilled fish Vivian prepared, watching her silently as she trains.]

Come to think of it, when Body Incineration converted magic into attribute bonuses, it caused the temperature on Vivian's skin to rise. Vivian had previously used this trait to grill fish...

Well, grilled fish...

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The way her mind worked was quite unique when you thought about it.

This time, Ron did not intend to stop Vivian's training. The Body Incineration magic had created a need for Vivian to improve her melee combat strength. Once her close-quarters ability met the requirements for real combat, it would be a desperate situation for any mage to find themselves within her reach. All of their defensive magic would be non-existent before Body Incineration—it would only serve to enhance Vivian's power.

The only thing to figure out now was how Vivian was supposed to get close to her enemies.

Of course, the best way would be to reclaim his soul fragment containing the teleportation skill from Wigfath. With that skill, Vivian would definitely have the ability to close the distance instantly.

What? You say a mage must have long-range, precision-strike capabilities? If you have teleportation, are you afraid of lacking that ability? Couldn't you just teleport a barrel of explosives directly into the opponent's face?

Wait! That Wigfath, swinging her staff with such force—could that be her combat style?

I have to say, if she really fought like that, she would be the ultimate "Mage-Killer."

Ron shook his head. Even if he instigated it, Vivian's personality would never allow her to attack her teacher; it would only leave a bad impression on her. If Ron intended for his character to be a villain in the story, he could instigate such a thing. That way, Vivian's refusal would serve to flesh out her character once more, while also planting the seeds for their future divergence.

Unfortunately, Vivian lacked that kind of scheming nature. If he showed any malice, she would likely report him to her teacher, Wigfath, immediately.

Ultimately, Vivian was not a transmigrator; she had no ambition to conquer the world.

[At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the forest nearby.]

[Several drenched mercenaries stumbled out of the woods, supporting one another as they fled.]

[They were screaming and exclaiming in terror.]

[In a matter of moments, they vanished into the darkness.]

[A massive black bear lunged out of the forest, roaring several times in the direction where the mercenaries had disappeared.]

["Wow! What a cute bear!" Vivian's eyes lit up when she saw the black bear.]

[She thought of her teacher's pet.]

[She wondered if this cute bear would be willing to wrestle with her.]