Chapter 247 - Azure Wave Art

Inside the Flame Spirit Inheritance.

"Ah shit, what should I do?" Eleanor asked himself in a slight panic. Just a while ago, she was talking with the Grand Blue Master regarding the reasons why Argentum was inside his inheritance. The Grand Blue Master also asked her regarding the reasons as to why she accepted him as her student. Fortunately, with a small trick, she was able to answer his questions without a problem, but it seemed that it indirectly led to the Grand Blue Master making Argentum's next trial harder than usual.

"Ah, what should I do?" Eleanor asked himself one more time, finally remembering that she had a strong connection with Argentum through the contract. At first, she wanted to teleport to where Argentum was. But then, she thought that it would reveal their true relationship as co-owners of the Flame Spirit Inheritance. Of course, Eleanor also thought of it from an optimistic perspective, thinking that such an ability would be normal since Eleanor would be able to protect Argentum at any time. Nevertheless, she decided to not use the ability.

"Should I just talk to him through the connection instead?" she asked herself not long after, to which she shook her head after a few seconds. Although it did not seem like it, the words said by the Grand Blue Master in their conversation a while ago gave Eleanor an idea as to what Argentum was currently doing. "From what the Grand Blue Master, it seems that the next trial hasn't started yet, which means that the Grand Blue Master gave Argentum a small break."

"I presume that Argentum is currently enhancing his understanding over the multiple abilities he has," Eleanor said to herself not long after, thinking that this was the most plausible thing Argentum was doing now. In fact, she was half-correct. Argentum was indeed grinding his skills, but not all of it. Due to the limitations set to him by the Grand Blue Master for the next trial, he was only focusing on the Water skills he had just bought from the shop screen available to him.

After thinking up of possible solutions for a bit, in the end, Eleanor gave up thinking about it, letting out a sigh in the process. She then conjured a chair using her energy, which she sat on soon after. She then looked towards one of the walls and muttered to herself, "According to the Grand Blue Master, Argentum has great comprehension speed and great combat power. I'll just have to believe in that."

"No matter what, Argentum, please pass through this next trial."

…

Around two hours have passed since Argentum had started grinding all of the Water-based skills he had to greater heights. Fortunately, since he was only focusing on a few skills rather than the numerous amount of skills he would usually focus on, the rate of improvement for these skills was insanely high.

The two passive skills he had obtained from the shop screen, which were [Water Affinity] and [Water Resistance] respectively, had both reached the Transcendent level. Although he had a feeling that [Water Resistance] would not be able to help him in the next trial prepared by the Grand Blue Master, [Water Affinity] would still be able to help him out since this skill focused on enhancing the efficacy of Water-based skills.

The skills that he focused on were [Lesser Water Magic], which was given to him by the Grand Blue Master in the first trial, and [Azure Enhancement], which he had bought from the shop screen for 40 points. In his mind, these two skills were the most important skills he had to raise to improve his combat power, thus hastily making them reach the Master level of mastery before going ahead and evolving them, their names ending up as [Lower Azure Magic+] and [Great Blue Ascension+] respectively. He then went ahead and raised them to the Basic level of mastery after evolving both of them.

As for [Azure Armor], the defensive skill he bought, and [Azure Wave Art], the ultimate skill whose power is still unknown, although they were not that important compared to the first two skills, he was still able to raise both of them to the Artisan level of mastery, increasing their performance to a considerably high level.

With him feeling that the skills he had obtained were now at a sufficient level of performance, Argentum went ahead and waited for the Grand Blue Master's announcement that the third trial was going to begin. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long, only waiting for a couple of minutes or so before the Grand Blue Master's voice resounded throughout the room he was in.

"Argentum, your two hours are up," the Grand Blue Master said before a snapping sound was heard.

Whoosh!

Not long after the snapping sound, the shop screen, which took up one wall of the room Argentum was in before, was now gone. Argentum naturally noticed this and pondered whether the disappearance of the shop screen was related to the mechanics of the next trial he was going to go through. Surprisingly, his assumption was correct as the Grand Blue Master started to explain the mechanics of the third trial.

"I assume you've enhanced the Water-based skills you've bought, right?" the Grand Blue Master asked him, to which Argentum nodded and said, "Indeed, I have, Grand Blue Master. What's the reason for it?"

In response, the Grand Blue Master let out a small snicker as he replied, "I presume you've noticed that the shop screen in your room has disappeared." Argentum nodded at those words.

"If your train of thought is exactly like mine, then you already know what this third trial will be about," the Grand Blue Master continued. "This third trial…is none other than a fighting trial!"

Swoosh!

A few seconds later, the rectangular room Argentum was in…had instantly transformed into a large square room with an arena made out of ice in the center. Unexpectedly, Argentum was already inside this arena, at one end of it. Just as he was about to ask who his opponent was going to be, the Grand Blue Master was one step faster than him.

"The rules of this third trial is simple. You just have to defeat the opponent," the Grand Blue Master said. "Of course, you're only limited to the usage of Water-based skills. Once you use any skills that are not based on the Water element, you are automatically disqualified. Is that clear?"

"Understood," Argentum replied.

"As for your opponent in this trial…" The Grand Blue Master then went ahead and snapped his fingers once more, allowing a mass of Water energy particles to congregate towards the opposite end of the arena. Argentum went ahead and used [Clear Sight+], which was the evolution of [Keen Vision], to get a better look at what was happening on the opposite end. After a few seconds of staring at the mass of Water energy particles, Argentum was left at a loss for words, finally understanding why he was only limited to the usage of Water-based skills.

On the other end of the arena, which was finally uncovered by the Water energy particles, was a Pseudo-Animate that was heavily inclined towards the Earth element. Although Argentum wanted to know how the Grand Blue Master had such a being in his inheritance, he knew that it was useless for him to think about, deciding to focus on the fight itself.

As for the Grand Blue Master, at the very instant the Water energy particles covering the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate to Argentum, he could not help but let out a chortle as he muttered to himself, "Fortunately, I was able to make a few Earth-based Pseudo-Animates as friends while I was traveling back then. Then again, it's kind of surprising how they were fine with giving me a peak Magic-grade Pseudo-Animate for Argentum to fight with. Do they treat the weaker Pseudo-Animates of the same element as bargaining ch.i.p.s or something?"

"Either way, I'll just see what Argentum does in this fight," the Grand Blue Master said to himself not long after as he pondered over what the next trial could be.

Noticing that Argentum was incredibly vigilant towards the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate on the opposite end of the arena he was in, the Grand Blue Master went ahead and started the third trail as he shouted, "Let the third trial begin!"

Whoosh!

After hearing the go signal from the Grand Blue Master, rather than Argentum taking the initiative to make a move, it was instead the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate that made the first move, pushing out with its right palm as multiple spikes made out of earth headed towards Argentum. In response, Argentum activated [Great Blue Ascension+] as he dodged the skill, before going ahead and activating [Azure Armor].

Swoosh!

In an instant, Argentum's body was covered in a layer of blue energy. When one looked at this layer of blue energy, they would get the feeling that the chances of an attack passing through such a layer were incredibly low. Then again, Argentum was not finished with his status boosting preparations.

"[Lower Azure Magic: Aqua Burst]!"

Splash!

Not long after activating [Azure Armor], a faint blue aura covered this layer of energy, enhancing the feeling that the layer of blue energy was near impenetrable. Unlike [Zephyr Burst], which focused on improving movement speed, and [Ignis Burst], which focused on enhancing offensive abilities, [Aqua Burst] was a skill that enhanced the properties of currently activated skills. Of course, it could focus on one skill, which in this case, was [Azure Armor].

"It's time for me to make my move!" Argentum shouted as the distance between him and the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate had lessened to a great degree. Raising his right hand while a bolt of water was conjured, he then shot it towards the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate, shouting, "[Water Bolt]!"

Whoosh! Bang!

Surprisingly, the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate took the attack head-on, taking off a chunk of its body in the process. Nevertheless, it did not feel any significant pain from the attack at all, letting out a snicker as it asked Argentum, "Is that all you've got?"

"If so, that's quite disappointing," the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate continued as it clapped loudly, sending a shockwave of Earth energy particles towards Argentum.

"[Earthquake]!"

Whoosh!

In response, Argentum went ahead and dodged the attack once more, closing the gap between him and the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate in an instant. At the instant the gap was closed, Argentum positioned himself at the back of the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate as he conjured a stronger Water-based spell from [Lower Azure Magic+], only for him to hear a chuckle from the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate as it kicked with its left foot backward, sending multiple spikes of earth towards Argentum as he was sent flying.

Crash!

Fortunately, the attack was only able to send Argentum flying. Thanks to [Azure Armor] and [Aqua Burst], he had not accrued any damage from the attack at all. If anything, he only accrued a momentarily feeling of soreness from the landing. He then hastily got up before increasing the gap between him and the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate.

In response to this, the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate asked him, "What? You scared of me or something? What happened to the Pseudo-Animate I was fighting a while ago?"

Argentum did not bother responding to the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate taunts at all, deciding to mutter a few unintelligible incantations instead, which gave the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate an ominous feeling the moment it heard it.

Swoosh!

Mustering all of the strength in its body, it hastily dashed to where Argentum was before extending both palms towards him. It then channeled all of the energy in its body towards both palms before sending out a massive spike made out of earth, which headed towards Argentum at great speeds.

"[Mountain Spike]!"

Looking at the large spike that was heading towards him, Argentum, who had just finished chanting in a mutter, let out a small snicker as he muttered, "It seems that…even at the lowest grade…"

"An ultimate skill still deserves to be called an ultimate art."

Whoosh!

In an instant, he made a horizontal slicing motion with his right hand, instantly splitting the earth spike that was coming at him in two as he said, "[Azure Wave Art, First Movement]."

"[Frigid Wave]!"

Thud! Thud!

With the attack Argentum made removing the momentum from the now split earth spike, it fell onto the ground with a thud while the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate was left at a loss for words as it looked at Argentum like a monster.

"What did that Pseudo-Animate do just now?" it asked itself in slight confusion as it looked at the two halves of the earth spike that had fallen. It then focused its sense of vision back at Argentum, only to feel that the Pseudo-Animate it was facing up against was now dangerous.

Rather than flee from him, the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate went ahead and fired more earth spikes, to which Argentum cut with a [Frigid Wave]. Surprisingly, for every [Frigid Wave] he uses, the closer he gets to the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate, which made the dangerous feeling it felt towards Argentum become more prominent.

Eventually, the gap between the two was non-existent yet again. But this time, the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate radiated an aura of fear as it looked at Argentum. Incredibly anxious, it asked him, "What are you…going to do next?"

"Well, what else do you want me to do?" Argentum said with a light giggle. "The Grand Blue Master did tell me to defeat you."

"So defeat you, I will."

"[Azure Wave Art, Third Movement]."

"[Roaring Waves]!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In an instant, four waves of blue energy had been shot out by Argentum, which cut off the four limbs that the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate had. Soon after, the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate fell to the ground with a thud, with the same going for its cut-off limbs.

On the other hand, Argentum looked at the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate for a bit, radiating an aura of slight remorse before saying, "I apologize for doing this. I had to do it."

A few seconds later, as he walked away from the Earth-based Pseudo-Animate, the Grand Blue Master's voice resounded throughout the room, shouting, "You have successfully defeated the opponent!"

"Argentum, you have cleared the third trial!"