»So, where do we start?«, Vern mumbled to himself, as he stood in front of the other three. He didn't feel comfortable in the role of teacher. After all, he just knew what the others would be capable of eventually, not how they would actually get there.

»Ah, right. First of all, show me all what kinds of things you can do.«

Alvyn stepped forward first and unsheathed his sword.

»So I can do this«, he said and swung his sword to strike the air. As the sword traveled an arc, a volley of flames flew out, scattering across the field they were standing on.

»Not bad«, Vern commented and waited for another move. However, Alvyn just moved back in line.

Kieran came forward next.

»So I can basically freeze anything that I touch with the tip of my spear«, he explained and demonstrated it on the grass next to him, which froze instantly as the spear touched it. »So any monster that I scratch, I can freeze and kill instantly.«

Vern nodded. »And so what about freezing the surroundings to slow them down? Can you do that as well?«

»Kind of. If I concentrate and take my time, I can control how the freezing spreads quite well. But if I do it faster, I lose that and ice up my surroundings indiscriminately.«

Vern recalled the ice carpet strategy that Alvyn and Kieran had frequently used to deal with hordes of monsters. He decided it was what they should work towards before trying anything completely new.

»The both of you«, Vern said. »I've already determined what you're going to work on for now. Alvyn, you need to control the flames you create better. I don't mean to just spam more of them or make them stronger, but that you try and keep them on your sword active. Try to manipulate them to your will. Kieran, you will try to work on your raw output. Try to increase your freezing area and how thick your ice layer gets. You don't emphasize control for now, as we will work towards a combination where you freeze everything around while Alvyn protects us from it with his flames.«

He looked at them. »Do you know what I want from you and how you can train it?«, he asked, as he wasn't entirely sure himself.

»Yeah, don't worry. I understood what you said. I am just not really sure how to achieve it«, Alvyn said.

»Yes, well, that's kind of on you to figure out, as I don't know how you handle your weapon in the first place«, Vern replied and shrugged.

»Well, the objective is clear enough, so we just have to figure it out on our own«, Kieran said. »I'll be off, then. I don't want to accidentally freeze you while I train.«

He went off taking, only his spear with him.

»I still don't really know what to do«, said Alvyn as he watched Kieran leave.

»Yes. So I think you should first try to create flames around your sword and keep them alive. If you can do that, try forming them to your will and make it more difficult for yourself as you progress.«

»Hah, I guess I'll just try and see then«, Alvyn said and left as well to start practicing.

»So … do you know anything that could help me improve?«, Irina asked, since she was the only one without any instructions.

»Perhaps. But let me first see how you're already doing.«

They walked over to where the forest started, so Irina could have targets to shoot.

After they had found a good spot, she drew her bow and a moment later, an arrow made out of swirling air appeared. After freezing for a moment in position, she released the string. The arrow rushed forward, cutting off a tree branch in the distance.

Vern watched her posture closely as she shot at different branches, never missing them.

»Well, I guess this kind of thing never has been your problem in the first place«, he concluded. »If I remember correctly, you struggle with your consistency under pressure. Your rate of fire tends to drop, and you have trouble finding your anchor. Oh, and you start over–gripping your bow.«

Irina turned around and looked at him surprised. »It sounds like you know a lot about archery. Do you have experience in it yourself?«

»No. I only watched you train a lot, and we talked about it fairly often as well. So I know a little.«

»Oh. Right. Still kind of weird to me that you know us so well. I'm curious about what our group was like, the dynamics and all. How we fought, and what we did in our free time. All that kind of stuff.«

Vern didn't know if she was asking him to tell her about it, but truthfully, he didn't want to.

»Hmm, it was a fun time, for sure. But those details don't really matter anymore since things are already so much different.«

»Oh? Do you think things will end up so much different because of that? I am wondering, though, if you didn't leave out some important details. You don't seem too fond of talking about the past or future, whatever you want to call it.«

»Err, well«, Vern mumbled, as he hadn't expected her to accuse him like that. »I did leave out a lot. But nothing important. And to be honest, it is still kind of a jumbled mess in my brain as well.«

›You, sure you don't want to tell her?‹, Velvet chimed in. ›I mean, I don't want to judge, but it seems somewhat important to me.‹

›That's none of your business! And besides, how am I even supposed to do that? It would be so awkward.‹

›Yes. Exactly what I want to see.‹

»Vern?«, Irina asked after he had been silently staring into the distance for a while. »So what do you think? How should I go about improving?«

»Ahh, yes. Sorry. That's what I just thought about. So, the most important thing for you is to practice under stress. We can do that tomorrow by starting to clear out the bailiwick a bit. Until then, you should just increase your shooting frequency. You have to try to get your draw right without even thinking. That way, you can replicate it even when the stakes are high. Just make sure not to become stiff while doing so since that will limit the mana flow in your body and slows you down.«

Irina nodded and shot a few times, increasing her speed as she went.

»Go even faster«, Vern encouraged her as he watched. »Don't worry too much about missing a shot. And don't lean your face in that much.«

He kept improving her posture until it was a copy of the Irina from his memories.

Time passed by quickly, and the sky was turning red.

Vern had visited all their training spots and saw that each gave it their best.

»That was good work«, he praised as they walked back to the manor after calling it quits. »Tomorrow, we will start reducing the numbers in the bailiwick so that we can explore it without being constantly attacked later.«

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»Do we even want to spend time exploring it?«, asked Alvyn. »Personally, I think we should focus on training alone so that we can eventually destroy that thing in the north.«

Vern was pleased to hear Alvyn was so motivated. He figured that he probably still felt bad, as he turned out to be the one that ended up possessed.

»Well, there is actually some treasure I want to get my hands on«, Vern explained.

»Oh really?« Alvyn's interest was piqued. »What is it? Is it valuable? Something that will help us become even stronger?«

»Hahaha, well. I don't want to spoil all the fun by telling you every detail beforehand«, Vern replied and walked faster to catch up to the others again.

The next day, they rose early, making sure to be as productive as possible.

After breakfast, they immediately headed out to train again.

Vern told them he would see how they would fare against monsters individually and took Irina first to the bailiwick.

As they walked through the forest and approached the border, Vern noticed that she tensed up more and more.

They passed the barrier and waited just a few meters behind it for monsters to appear.

›We should also use this opportunity to work on our communication‹, Vern said to Velvet as the fox moved out of his body. ›Try to give me better directions and other specific information such as movement pattern and speed.‹

›I will see what I can do.‹

The three of them waited silently for a minute before Velvet spoke up.

›One is coming from the left on the ground. Fast. Should appear between the rock and the tree there.‹

Vern repeated Velvet's words to Irina and pointed in that direction.

As they audibly perceived the threat, Irina drew her bow and an arrow materialized. She held this position, the bow string barely touching her nose, ready to shoot.

A brown bear came forth, running straight at them on all fours.

Irina let the string loose, and the arrow darted through the air at its target. On impact, the bear was ripped to shreds, and a breeze brushed the leaves behind.

›Two are coming from the left‹, Velvet reported, leaving Irina no time for a breather.

The monsters increased their numbers quickly, forcing Irina not to spend much time on each shot.

When five appeared at once, she didn't know which to focus on first.

Even worse, her panicked reaction made her miss, cutting down a tree instead of the monster next to it.

»Don't worry so much«, Vern said and drew his sword. »Just focus on one at a time. I'll deal with anything that comes close.«

She nodded as she drew her bow once more.

Meanwhile, Vern threw a shuriken at a squirrel that flanked them by jumping from tree to tree.

Since Vern timed the throw on its next leap, it hit the squirrel mid-air, making any evasion impossible.

Irina had taken down three of the five monsters in front, so Vern had to intercept one of the remaining.

He pushed himself off the ground, flying several meters up.

His target, the boar running at them, didn't even know what happened, as Vern landed on top of it with his sword first, cutting straight into its head.

The next wave, they could still handle working together but decided to move back into safety right after.

Vern had taken the dead boar with him, and so he marched along Irina, dragging its corpse through the grass.

»It's unfortunate that anything I hunt down is slashed into pieces«, Irina commented.

»Well … I guess that is a downside of your weapon«, Vern replied. »So, how did it feel back then?«

»Hmm … it was alright, I guess. I just can't handle so many at once. When they're coming at me so fast … I'm afraid of missing.«

»Yes, I noticed. I think you should come to terms with the fact that you could die out there.«

Irina looked at him skeptically, so Vern clarified further.

»I mean, you shouldn't worry so much as you'll eventually die anyway, and it just gets in the way. When adrenaline and mana surge through your body, you can't allow it to tense you up. Instead, let it enhance your body and mind. I think Rewalt has a similar take on it, considering he constantly talks about being killed in the most gruesome way imaginable. He does it to remind you and probably himself that it can happen at any time.«

Irina nodded but didn't comment further on it. Therefore, they just walked silently beside each other until they reached the manor.

Vern dumped the prey in a shadowy area for later processing. He cleaned up his hands and turned to Irina, who just stood there and still seemed a little dejected.

»You're doing great«, Vern said and patted her on the shoulder. »Don't trouble yourself that much.«

She looked up, straight into his eyes.

»I don't feel like I am. It's just … I've never had any choice.« She sighed. »I don't know if I deserve this weapon that was just given to me by being born at the right time in the right place.«

»You'll become worthy of it, don't worry. You'll also start enjoying it a lot more. Just hang in there for a bit longer.« He winked. »I know for sure, after all.«

She smiled. It was a little forced but still genuine.

»I'll try not to disappoint your expectations«, she said. »I am off to train and try to implement what you told me.«

As she left, Vern watched her, unsure if he was actually helping her improve with what he told her.

›Well, that was interesting‹, Velvet said. ›You really should tell her.‹

›Don't tell me what to do‹, replied Vern. ›You're just a fox. Don't get me wrong, but that's how it is.‹

›That's right. But I also have your memories. So you should maybe listen to this inner voice of reason for once.‹

›Reason? I don't know about that … but let's not fight. We still have to work together for today.‹

›I didn't want to start a fight. Just tell you my opinion.‹

Vern didn't continue the argument with Velvet and picked up Kieran instead.

»So we're going to do the following«, Vern said as they stood at the barrier. »We will lure the monsters over, and as soon as there is a good amount, you will use ice carpet. What do you say?«

»Sounds good. But what about you? I don't want to accidentally hit you.«

»I'll just hide in a tree above beforehand, so there shouldn't be a problem.«

»Alright.«

They passed the border and alternated on killing the approaching monsters.

After a few minutes, Velvet reported that a larger group closed in.

Preemptively, Vern leaped onto a tree and waited for them to get in range.

»Do it now«, Vern shouted, and Kieran stabbed his spear into the ground.

Instantly, ice appeared on the ground, rapidly spreading in all directions.

It hit the monsters that ran at them, freezing their feet. They tumbled, fell to the ground and many broke their legs.

Vern took out one that had fled up a tree while Kieran finished the incapacitated ones on the ground.

Afterward, they met up outside the border so they wouldn't constantly get interrupted.

»That was pretty good«, Vern said and looked at the ground. Even back here, there was a thin layer of frost around. »How did it feel? Do you think you could repeat it?«

»Yeah, it wasn't too bad, and I didn't use up all my mana. We can go in again, but are you alright mana-wise? You've also spent a lot jumping around and killing them.«

»Oh me? I have plenty left. I have all that I had in my previous life in addition, so that isn't a problem.«

Kieran looked at him, impressed. »Oh wow, I didn't know it worked like that. So you don't even need something like this.« He lifted his spear.

»Well, these monsters here aren't a problem. That is certainly true. However, if we encounter stronger ones that can use mana, my attacks won't be effective anymore. Your weapons can easily break through that, so eventually, I will be pretty useless in comparison.«

»Ah, don't say that.« Kieran smiled. »Teaching us is great in itself, and your input helps us a lot. Much better than our instructors, as they just keep telling us to find out how to use these weapons on our own. They only teach us how one would use a bow, spear, or sword in a standard way.«

»I guess that is usually how it works, as the previous wielders must be already dead before a new one is born. A bit unfortunate, since they can never teach the next generation themselves.«

»Yes. But now we have you, so we should be able to progress much faster. So, how about another round?«

Vern nodded, and they went back into the bailiwick. They repeated this procedure two more times before Kieran had no mana left.

Consequently, Vern dismissed him, and it was Alvyn's turn. He picked him up, and they walked to the bailiwick, a bit away from the still frozen area.

»How did it go so far?«, Vern asked.

»Well, I don't know. Guess we will see. What are we going to do exactly, anyway?«

»Just clearing out the vicinity a little.«

He stopped before they entered the forest. »Show me how you can handle the flames on your sword.«

Alvyn nodded, stepped to the side, and drew his sword.

Vern watched as flames appeared around it. They fluctuated a lot. Becoming stronger and weaker, never staying constant. Alvyn's face, however, became increasingly tense.

»Oof«, he said after a minute of lighting up his sword. »That's way too exhausting.« He put it back into the scabbard.

»Hmm? Does it cost a lot of mana?«, Vern asked, surprised.

»No. Not at all. But it mentally exhausts me. I just can't move the mana around in it like that. It's much easier to burst it out all at once.«

»I see«, Vern said. »Then you know what you have to focus your training on. Try again.«

Alvyn gave his brother a tormented look but didn't object. This time, he even lasted a little longer.

»You see? With training, you can improve it easily. Try again.«

Subsequently, Vern pushed Alvyn to repeat the process many times. On the twentieth iteration, Alvyn finally spoke up again as Vern was about to say something himself.

»No, no! I don't want to do it anymore. I just want to relax the rest of the day in the manor.«

»You sure? I was about to suggest we go into the bailiwick now and have some fun together. But if you don't feel well, I can do it al–«

»No, wait!«, Alvyn interrupted, and his face lightened up. »I was just kidding, you know. Let's go.«

Vern smiled and took the lead as they marched into the forest.

The rest of the morning, the two of them hunted down the monsters near the border until they ran low on mana.

Afterward, they gathered Kieran and Irina and headed back to the manor as the sun crossed its zenith.

»Great work«, Vern said to all of them half an hour later in the living room. »We will continue doing this for a couple of days. Training in the morning and leisure the rest of the day to recover our mana. Then, we will head in there for real.«

The others nodded in agreement.