CHAPTER 71: SHORT PRACTICE

"No... It’s fine with me."

’Heck, Nalira’s words are surprising me.’

Shaan let out a deep sigh as he realized that Nalira didn’t reject his request. Honestly, part of him was already annoyed by the way she spoke. The way she often paused mid-sentence could easily confuse anyone who tried to understand her meaning, and of course, you must listen to it very carefully.

"Oh... Okay. That’s good to hear," Chelsie smiled upon hearing Nalira’s words. "In that case, I’ll check on Mr. Courier; maybe he needs some help," Chelsie said before walking away from the two of them.

"Alright, so... what should we do now—"

"Stance. Get into a strong stance, then focus your mind just like when you first used Mana Enchantment and Mana Spinstrike. But this time, channel all the mana in your body into your legs to activate the Dash skill."

Shaan nodded as he listened to Nalira’s short explanation. "Sounds pretty simple, and I think I can pull it off easily."

"...Good. Now show me what you can do."

"Sure, no problem. Easy peasy."

"Alright, let’s get started."

With full confidence, Shaan immediately applied everything Nalira had explained to him, and at first, everything seemed to go smoothly. However, when he tried to shift the flow of mana that had wrapped around his dual short swords into his body, things started to go wrong.

"Argh, damn it. What’s going on?" Shaan grumbled in frustration. "Why...why i can’t move it?"

"...To move your mana, you need to stay calm and focus your mind. Just imagine your mana like the blood in your body—it flows naturally, without resistance. Let it flow down to the lower part of your body."

"Alright, I’ll try it again," Shaan said as he took a deep breath. ’Just stay calm and focus, Shaan.’

He slowly closed his eyes and began visualizing the flow of mana moving gently, gradually reaching down toward his legs. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the mana had successfully wrapped around both of his legs.

"...Good. At the very least, you managed to move your mana without too much trouble," Nalira said, nodding slightly. "Now, the next step is to put it to use. Run toward that rock and destroy it with your leg."

"Got it. I’ll run at full speed and smash—wait, hold on." Shaan paused. "Did you just say... destroy the rock? Did I hear that right?"

"You did. And I’ll prove it to you."

Nalira activated her Dash skill without hesitation and shot forward toward the large rock a few meters in front of them. In an instant, she delivered a powerful kick straight into the rock, shattering it into pieces.

"Whoa... Dash is terrifying."

Shaan swallowed hard as he witnessed the scene. This was insane. He never imagined that the Dash skill could generate such force—strong enough to destroy a massive rock with ease.

"...The impact of a Dash strike works better on objects that don’t move at all," Nalira explained. "That’s because your mana focuses entirely on breaking through the target."

"Got it."

Shaan lowered his body slightly, preparing for a sprint. He locked his eyes on the large rock next to the one Nalira had just destroyed and got ready to launch himself forward.

"Time to crush this rock."

Without delay, Shaan burst forward with incredible speed, aiming a sharp kick toward the massive rock lost focus while running and, unfortunately, hit a large tree a few meters away from the rock, knocking it down completely.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new skill: Dash]

"Ow. Damn it."

"...Try to keep control over your body when using this skill. And more importantly, focus your mind on the target. Don’t let your concentration slip—or you’ll crash again," Nalira advised calmly. "Now, go again, and this time make sure your strike doesn’t miss."

"Alright."

Once again, Shaan followed all of Nalira’s advice. This time, he focused all his attention on the rock. Without a hint of hesitation, he dashed forward at full speed—and this time, he landed a direct hit.

"Boom!"

"Finally, I succeeded..." His smile vanished the moment he saw what remained. He had only destroyed half of the large rock. "Wait, but I’m sure I used all the strength I had."

"...Not bad. At least you managed to break the rock. Eventually, you’ll get used to it and crush the whole thing, just like I did. You just need to train more with your Dash skill and stay focused."

"I understand." Shaan nodded his head. "Thank you for your help. Now we should—"

"It’s not over yet. Now for the final stage," Nalira slowly drew her sword and pointed it at Shaan. "Fight me."

"Wait, what?" Shaan’s eyes widened. "Nalira, are you serious with—"

Without saying a word, Nalira dashed toward Shaan and swung her sword at him without hesitation. Shaan reacted quickly and blocked the attack just in time.

"Cling!"

"Nalira, what are you doing?"

"Fighting, of course. This method can boost your adrenaline, allowing you to quickly learn how to use the dash skill. The more you fight, the easier it will be to use the dash skill."

’It sounds pretty crazy, but... it makes sense.’

"... Now, focus because I’m not going to go easy on you."

Nalira quickly launched her attack, and Shaan quickly dodged using his dash skill. Shaan launched a counterattack, but Nalira easily dodged all of Shaan’s attacks. Damn. Nalira’s movements were much faster than his.

"If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll..."

Suddenly, Nalira landed a powerful blow on Shaan, breaking through his defense. Instantly, Shaan’s two dual short swords slipped from his hands, and he fell to the ground.

"That was a good fight, Shaan." Nalira helped Shaan to his feet. "I’m sure if you keep practicing, you’ll definitely..."

"Shaan! Nalira!" Chelsie ran breathlessly toward them. "Oh my god, thank goodness... thank goodness I found you guys."

"What’s wrong, Elsie?"

"Mr. Courier... Mr. Courier has managed to start the ship’s engine, and we... we’re leaving now."