I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 951: Too Much

Arty turned toward Sylmira, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "So... what should I do first?"

Sylmira crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly.

"That depends. How much do you actually know about Magic? I mean, beyond the basics, maybe? Have you studied theory, elemental control, rituals? Or is it more instinctual?"

Arty paused and thought. Then said, "Well... I’ve trained before, but not in a formal way. I mostly focused on just attacking and putting up a barrier around myself. I’ve practiced a lot on my own, but... I wouldn’t say I’m advanced. Maybe I’m still a newbie at this."

Sylmira raised an eyebrow. "Trained with who?"

"Saeldir," Arty replied casually. "He taught me for a while. He was kind of my teacher during the time I spent at that time."

Sylmira blinked. Her posture stiffened slightly. "Did you say... Saeldir?"

Arty nodded. "Yeah. That’s his name."

There was a long silence. Sylmira stared at her for a moment, then slowly exhaled, her eyes briefly widening in something between surprise and awe.

That name... she hadn’t heard it in decades. Saeldir, the Archmage of the Elven Palace. He was considered a legend.

"This girl was trained by him?" Sylmira kept her expression composed, but inwardly, she was stunned.

Arty tilted her head. "Did I say something weird?"

Sylmira smiled softly and shook her head. "No. Nothing’s wrong. That’s just... impressive. Unexpected." She then gestured toward the center of the arena. "Before we start any structured lessons, I need to see how you actually fight. No theory yet just show me what you’ve got. Don’t hold back."

Arty gave a small, unsure nod. "Okay... but don’t laugh if I mess up."

Sylmira chuckled under her breath. Laugh? No. Sylmira was more worried she might be shocked.

"Go on. I’ll set the opponent."

She stepped to the side and pressed her palm against one of the runic stones at the edge of the arena. Magic pulsed through her fingers, flowing into the ground.

A faint hum resonated through the space as shimmering lights danced across the tiles. A moment later the air shimmered and with a growl, a giant bear materialized in the center of the arena.

It was twice the size of a normal bear, its body traced with glowing green lines like a circuit of power. Its eyes glowed the same eerie green.

"Projection beast," Sylmira explained. "Made of pure Magic power and shaped with design resembling the real thing. It’s durable, strong, and safe. At least, for the environment. Attack it."

Arty’s eyes widened at the sheer size and realism. "It looks... real."

"That’s the point. Go on."

Arty took a breath and stepped forward. She raised her hand and focused. Over the years, she had trained more on her own. Maybe without guidance but still with relentless effort.

She summoned a fireball.

In less than a second it appeared in her palm. Tight, crackling, and far denser than normal. Not just orange but with a tinge of crimson.

Sylmira’s eyes narrowed slightly. The way that Magic was compressed... "That’s not beginner-level at all."

Then Arty hurled it.

The fireball struck the bear and the world exploded.

BOOM!

A column of fire shot upward like a volcanic eruption, the impact shaking the stone ground.

The beast roared before vanishing into light in the next second. Shockwaves radiated out from the explosion’s center, rattling the air and echoing through the reinforced walls.

Sylmira’s eyes widened. She instantly raised both hands, pouring a surge of Magic into the arena’s barrier to reinforce it before the Magic’s power could leak into the rest of the Academy.

The flames faded after several seconds, leaving only a scorched crater in the arena floor.

Arty blinked. "Oh, it’s this big."

Sylmira lowered her hands slowly, still staring at the crater.

"That... was not embarrassing." She smiled faintly. "That was terrifying."

Arty looked at Sylmira and gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Heh, I guess that was a bit much." She glanced at the crater she had just created. "Honestly, I usually hold back a lot when I train. I always worry I’ll break more things than I should. But now that I’m here... I figured maybe it was okay to let go a little." She paused, then added with a nervous laugh, "Apparently, I indeed will break more things if I let out."

Sylmira raised an eyebrow, then folded her arms. "So you can conjure fire. Is fire your only elemental affinity? Or can you use others too?"

"Actually I can use most elements. Not perfectly, but I’ve practiced them all."

Sylmira’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "I figured as much. Alright then show me."

Arty nodded and stepped forward again. She took a breath and this time extended her hands outward.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet as jagged pillars of stone erupted from the arena floor, lifting dust into the air. Without hesitation she then swept her hand and summoned a stream of water, weaving it into a spiraling whip before freezing it midair.

Finally, she focused and summoned a gust of wind that roared through the arena like a miniature storm.

Each element obeyed her command but not gently. Every manifestation came with a shockwave, an explosion, or an unexpected surge.

She didn’t intend for them to be so massive but her power refused to stay small.

Sylmira raised a hand to shield her face from the wind. When the last wave of force settled, she lowered it and let out a long breath, eyes narrowed in assessment.

"I see now," Sylmira said. "The extent of your power. It’s impressive, but also dangerous."

Arty tilted her head. "Dangerous?"

"You’re basically a walking disaster if you don’t learn to control it." Sylmira’s tone was matter-of-fact, not unkind, but blunt.

Arty pouted. "Ouch. That’s kind of harsh."

Sylmira gestured toward the arena floor. "Is it wrong?"

Arty looked around at the scattered rubble, scorched stones, and pools of leftover Magic still humming faintly in the air. Her shoulders slumped. "Okay... maybe not."

Sylmira approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"This isn’t a bad thing. It just means your first lesson will be about restraint. Learning to reduce the output of your Magic. Control, precision, and purpose. Not just destruction."

Arty looked up and nodded slowly. "Right. So no more explosions for now?"

"Only controlled ones," Sylmira smirked. "We’ll make sure you don’t bring the whole Academy down in the process."

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