Chapter 190: Book 3: Trial Run
We've moved into the nearby forest. I'm alone, at least for now—Guard is hovering nearby in case something goes wrong, but that seems unlikely. I can feel how much cleaner my Firmament is, how much more easily it flows through my body.
More than that, every skill I own resonates clear in my mind. I'm almost certain I could use those Submerged skills if I wanted to, even. Now's not quite the time to risk that, though.
I flex my fingers, watching Amplified Gauntlet shimmer over my skin, nearly invisible. It's bizarre how much more easily my power flows now. It's always felt like using Firmament was something that required effort. Now it responds so quickly that I have to be careful not to overexert the skill by accident.
Making the gauntlet invisible is a matter of will. A few rounds of testing have shown that the precision of my control has grown to the point that I can manifest it over one finger at a time if I wanted to. I can even use the skill to manifest rings of metallic Firmament around my wrist, though I can't imagine why I would want to do such a thing. Ahkelios seemed satisfied when I demonstrated it, though. Something about partial, incomplete skill manifestation.
All this is a testament to how much more flexible my skills are now, but it's not exactly what we're here to test. Considering what I've just read?
I need to see what the difference is up close. I need to see exactly how much has changed, and not just with my skills—that part's self-evident just from a bit of practice. Apparently the changes run deeper than that, and the only way to find out exactly how effective they are is to put them to the test.
Right on time, a Guilty Chimera charges toward me, herded by Ahkelios. The first time one of these attacked me, I was barely able to block in time; the only reason I could at all was because of Precognition warning me a split second before it happened.
This time, though? I can see it moving. It's not that it's moving in slow motion, exactly; rather, it just feels like I have plenty of time to react. To move, to dodge...
I frown, noticing something interesting.