Chapter 232 - Leads and updates
A cavalcade of elemental forces unfolded before Scarlett as she channeled her mana into her magic, with fiery whirls of concentrated flames bursting into existence only to be smothered by cascading vortexes of water. These vortexes enveloped the flames, dousing them in a dramatic clash of opposing forces that resulted in towering columns of steam. This cycle of fire and water continued relentlessly, creating a daunting spectacle for any who looked upon it.
Sweat lined Scarlett’s brow as she sat on a chair just outside the range of this chaotic fray, intensely focusing on suppressing the onslaught.
“I’ll be increasing the difficulty again,” a voice declared from the sidelines.
Suddenly, the emerging flames grew fiercer, engulfing the torrents of water that tried to contain them. The air became thick with the hiss and roar of sizzling steam as Scarlett’s magic succumbed to the fires. Eventually, the overwhelming force of the fires forced her to relent, and she slumped back, exhausted, as the last of the water and her hydrokinesis gave way. The flames died down not long after.
“Huh. Seems you’re not quite ready to handle this level yet,” the voice remarked casually.
Wiping her face with a handkerchief, Scarlett turned towards Arlene, who was observing her from a chair on top of her porch in Freymeadow, a book lying on her lap. There was not even a trace of weariness from the inferno that she had conjured up just now.
“I was already straining to contain the flames before you chose to push them further,” Scarlett said, her voice tinged with both fatigue and exasperation. “Did you truly expect me to handle twice the intensity?”
“No, but it would have been a rather pleasant surprise, wouldn’t it?” Arlene replied dryly, her eyes briefly meeting Scarlett’s before returning to her book. “Alas, life isn’t always about pleasant surprises, it seems. We’ll try once again once you’ve had some rest.”
Scarlett sighed, turning away to look out over the quiet village square, still in disarray from their ‘practice session’. As always, Arlene didn’t pull any punches in instructing her. While that was probably a good thing, she wished it didn’t have to be quite so frustrating at times.
Leaning back in her chair, she brought a flask to her lips and took a long drink from it. The water was refreshingly cool against her dry throat, a welcome relief after the intense magical exercise and the scorching heat of Freymeadow’s broiling summer.
Lately, Arlene had been focusing more on improving Scarlett’s hydrokinesis, setting up challenging ‘combat’ scenarios that pitted her hydrokinesis against Arlene’s own magic. It was tough, but she had to admit that it was a valuable experience when it came to fighting mages, despite the woman overshadowing her by leaps and bounds.
Though if Arlene’s own remarks were to be believed, Scarlett was bridging that gap faster than she herself was even aware.