No sooner said than done. Calca began by following Remedios through some basic physical conditioning.
Regardless of whether weapons could be used within that mysterious space, it was essential to strengthen her body and learn fundamental evasion techniques. After two hours of rigorous exercise, Calca offered her prayers and once again entered that realm.
The moment she arrived, Calca saw the Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow still sitting cross-legged in meditation not far ahead. Beside it stood Surshana, positioned like a silent guardian.
Good grief, do you actually live here?
In truth, Calca had been entering this space via prayer every night for the past few days to scout the situation. She had entered four times in total; three times, Surshana was standing watch by the Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow's side. The only time he wasn't there, he appeared out of thin air like a ghost the moment she tried to draw close. Had she not retreated in time, she likely would have been decapitated again.
However, these probes allowed her to discover one thing: as long as she didn't move recklessly, Surshana wouldn't come looking for trouble. Using this trait to her advantage, she could freely experiment with her initial theories.
Calca looked down at her white dress—the clothes she wore during prayer—and focused on whether she could change them. She concentrated her mind, visualizing a set of practical, sturdy trousers and a long-sleeved top. Gradually, a faint light began to shimmer across her body.
Surshana, whose eyes had been hollow and vacant like a statue, slowly turned his head toward her. His grip on the Cross Scythe seemed to tighten, the creaking sound echoing through the dark, silent space. Calca couldn't help but swallow hard, her heart heavy with tension.
She felt both a deep wariness toward Surshana and a lingering uncertainty about her own plan. She wasn't arrogant enough to believe that two hours of training would allow her to pick a fight and win. This trip was primarily to test if her magic and weapons would function here—a factor that would dictate her future strategy.
Finally, as the light on Calca's body faded, her long dress had transformed into a practical knight's training uniform. Her waist-length golden hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.
It works. It actually works.
Calca reached out her hand again. A ball of light gathered in her palm, stretching outward until it took form. Soon, she was gripping a long spear.
This was the weapon Remedios had recommended to her. Since she was going to practice combat techniques, she needed to commit to a specific weapon early on.
Most priests chose short-range blunt instruments like maces. Such weapons were easy to carry and served a dual purpose as both a focus for casting and a melee weapon. According to Remedios, many priests on the battlefield fought with a kite shield in one hand and a mace in the other, clad in heavy armor; their survival rates were often higher than those of Paladins.
However, the mace had one fatal flaw: its reach was too short. Against Surshana, that was a massive disadvantage. Thus, Remedios had specifically chosen the spear for Calca.
Priests who used spears were rare. While a spear could function as both a staff and a weapon, the survival rate for an unskilled user was much lower than the shield-and-mace combo. The spear was a weapon specialized entirely for offense. As the saying goes: "An extra inch of length is an extra inch of strength." A common farmer with a bit of spear training could feasibly kill a well-trained knight wielding a hand-and-a-half sword.
If someone managed to bypass the tip of the spear and get inside the wielder's guard, the spearman would be in grave danger. However, Remedios believed this was a problem a magic caster was uniquely suited to solve.
A caster's primary goal is to maintain distance. The spear not only aided in that but also boosted offensive capabilities. If an opponent struggled to get past the spear's reach, the caster could use that opening to blast them back with a close-range spell or use teleportation to relocate. Aside from being somewhat cumbersome to carry, it was an ideal piece of equipment for a combat-oriented magic caster.
Most importantly, it could counter Surshana's Cross Scythe.
Calca stood poised with her spear, then slowly opened her palm toward Surshana. If weapons could be summoned, the next step was magic.
She took a deep breath and began to trace a magic circle with her mind. Keeping one eye on Surshana's movements, she gradually manifested her magic in the dim space. In that instant, she felt like a blind person who had suddenly regained their sight.
There was movement, a squirming sensation, a shifting flow. The invisible fluids that had served as the "floor" beneath her feet began rushing toward the coordinates of her magic circle. It felt like a rampaging flood; Calca felt she was on the verge of losing control over this mana.
Her innate talent warned her: this mana was fundamentally different from the energy she usually tapped into. Using this raw power to cast faith-based magic had a high probability of causing the magic circle to collapse.
Simultaneously, Surshana slowly shifted his scythe and took a step forward. His target was Calca.
Just as the girl was frantically searching for a solution, it happened!
Centered on the Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow, a faint, almost invisible—yet distinct against the darkness—ripple of light expanded, enveloping Calca. Instantly, the "flood" of mana was crushed and reshaped. It became docile, transforming into the refined energy required for her magic circle.
This anomaly caused even Surshana to pause for a fraction of a second. But he immediately lunged at Calca with even greater speed, swinging his Cross Scythe. He was like an old man who hadn't left his bed in years; with every passing second, his movements became more fluid and lethal.
Within a few heartbeats, Calca was within his strike zone. Despite the lack of sound in the void, she felt the whistle of the blade by her ear.
In that split second, she could only twist her body, falling in the direction of the scythe's swing to minimize the impact. She thrust the spear into the path of the blade to parry, while simultaneously aiming her magic circle at Surshana.
"Luminous Missile!"
A brilliant sphere of light arced toward Surshana, exploding into a burst of radiance upon impact. Surshana's body rippled like the surface of a lake after a stone is thrown in.
At the same time, a cold flash of light streaked past. Calca felt no impact against the hand holding the spear, yet the shaft was instantly severed in two. In her daze, she felt a strange feedback from the weapon.
It's not sturdy enough.
How do I make it stronger?
The question flashed through her mind, but it was immediately derailed by the Cross Scythe, which had reversed direction mid-swing. Watching the hooked blade point directly at the center of her brow, Calca vanished from the space the very instant before it pierced her forehead.
The ring of light retracted. Surshana's movements halted. He walked with a stiff, jerky gait toward the Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow, whose glow had dimmed slightly. He placed a hand on the cat's shoulder, and slowly, the radiance was restored.
Surshana then resumed his post beside the Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow, standing like a statue once more, motionless and silent.
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I'm not the Queen Greatsword. (70 Chapters, Ongoing)
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