Linda heard the sound and opened the door at once. “Laura.”
Laura’s hand paused mid–knock. “You’re up early.”
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Laura tilted her head and looked Linda over. Seeing that she was already dressed in her clothes and looked alert, she nodded with satisfaction. “Come on. I’ll take you to morning training.”
Linda had already prepared herself to listen to teachings today.
But the First Unity Coven’s morning training was different from the High Sanctum of Archmagi.
Instead, it was fellow students beating on each other.
Linda thought, ‘Yes. It’s special, as expected!
Craig laughed. “Linda, you’ve got the wrong idea. This is sparring. Friendly sparring.”
Rafael had already been dragged into the training field and thrown into his second round.
His eyes were full of desperation and silent cries for help as they landed on Linda. He even reached out a hand toward her.
But Craig pressed that hand right back down.
One finger at a time. Each joint forced back into place looked like Rafael’s last shred of hope being extinguished.
Craig said, “I’m an Apothecary, not a body cultivator. If you can’t even take my punches, how do you plan to keep cultivating? You need more training, Rafael.”
Rafael started sniffling, looking utterly miserable.
Linda watched for a moment before Craig led Rafael into exchange. Rafael dodged in panic. After just two moves, he was hit square in the cheek.
After three or four desperate attempts to respond, Rafael was completely defeated. It was obvious he had no foundation at all.
“He won’t die.” Laura’s voice came from the side.
Hearing this, Linda snapped back to attention and saw Laura had changed into training clothes as well.
Laura said, “I’ll test your skills first.”
Linda nodded. “Alright. Please go easy on me.”
Laura and Linda separated and faced each other. The winter morning air still carried a bite of cold.
But when their eyes met, sparks seemed to flicker between them.
The training field warmed, not with hostility, but with shared intent to fight.
They moved at once. Their fists collided.
With a sharp bang, the impact rippled from Laura’s knuckles, through her wrist, and slammed right into Linda’s arm.
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Chapter 12
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Linda felt clearly how strong Laura was. For a brief moment, she almost couldn’t hold her ground and had to step back.
Linda retreated half a step, then steadied herself. She said, “You’re strong.”
The look Linda raised afterward was full of excitement.
Laura also looked eager. After testing each other with that first exchange, they launched into a second.
The wind from their fists whistled as they brushed past one another.
As Linda continued to evade, she still managed to catch Laura’s sudden attacks.
And Laura’s movements were simple but filled with unpredictable angles.
Under these conditions, Laura and Linda traded move after move. Three. Four. Five.
Their figures grew faster and faster. Fists struck flesh. The solid sounds of impact made Craig and Rafael completely stop on their side.
Rafael sat on the ground, eyes vacant. Only blurred afterimages filled his vision.
He sighed. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone last more than ten moves with Laura without getting sent flying.”
Craig was equally shaken. Laura’s raw strength was unmatched among their peers. Only Arthur could truly challenge her.
Arthur even had once admitted that at the same level, without spiritual protection, he wasn’t as strong as Laura. And now there was a new member.
Craig thought, ‘A genius. Good. Truly worthy of the First Unity Coven.‘
By the eighteenth exchange, Linda conceded. “Stop.”
Laura’s fist halted an inch from Linda’s chest. Her eyes were still bright, but confusion showed. ‘Why stop now?‘
Linda curled her lips into a smile. “I give up, Laura.”
Laura tilted her head. “Why?”
Linda held out both fists. Only then did Laura notice that her hands were shaking.
Linda replied, “My hands hurt.”
Craig rushed over and sucked in two sharp breaths. “Bone fracture, Laura.”
Instantly, Laura’s expression shifted.
Linda smiled. “It’s fine. I just need some rest.”
Rafael coughed weakly. “A fracture and you say rest? Who do you think you are? You’re only in the Mana–Stoking Phase. That injury needs at least two weeks.”
After saying that, Rafael fell into thought. ‘Wait. That’s smart. With a fracture like that, she doesn’t have to come to morning training for two weeks.
‘Why didn’t I think of that? I should’ve pretended to be seriously injured.
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4:35 pm PPD.
Chapter 12
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Craig cut off his fantasy with a chilling tone. “Don’t even think about it, Rafael. Your constitution is different. You could die and still come back.”
Rafael went silent.
Linda wondered, ‘Die and still live? So he really can’t be beaten to death?”
Then Laura took Linda to apply medicine. Craig dragged the sobbing Rafael back to continue morning training.
Laura said. “I didn’t control my strength well.”
Linda looked at the regret in her eyes and said gently, “It’s alright. Laura. It’ll be fine soon.”
Laura glanced at her and asked carefully, “Then when you’re healed, will you still fight me?”
‘So that’s it. Linda smiled. “Yes.”
Laura let out a breath of relief. She thought, The only person who could spar with me is Lucien, but he’s away.
Without an opponent, morning training is miserable.’
Since Linda was injured, she rested on the side and watched Laura and Craig train Rafael. As Linda observed, Rafael’s constitution truly was unusual.
No matter how hard Craig and Laura hit him, Rafael’s injuries healed quickly. His stamina never dropped.
The faster Rafael fell, the quicker he climbed back up. His progress was also obvious.
At first, Rafael could only take three moves from Craig. Then four. Then five.
Each improvement was small, just one or two moves. But he never showed signs of exhaustion.
Linda began to think. ‘It seems I didn’t understand Rafael well enough in my past life.‘
After an hour, morning training ended. Laura led everyone to the dining hall, but Byron wasn’t there. The kitchen was cold and empty.
Craig said, “Looks like Byron went down the mountain to work. There are still sandwiches from before. We can eat them.”
Laura went into the kitchen to help. Linda wanted to step forward as well, but both of them refused, saying she was injured.
Rafael collapsed on the table and didn’t move. The last bit of breath he had left came out weakly. “Sandwich. Sandwich.”
Craig stacked 15 sandwiches on the stove and said to Laura, “These 12 sandwiches are yours. The top one is ours.”
Laura nodded and squatted to tend the fire.
Linda looked at Laura and recalled the fleeting image that had once appeared in her mind. ‘With Laura’s ability, how could she have died so horribly?
With her personality, who could she possibly offend? She’s only two or three years older than me, yet her mind seems frozen at eleven or twelve.
Why would someone like Laura meet such a brutal end? Did no one in the First Unity Coven care?‘
Thinking this, Linda looked toward Craig.
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4:35 pm PPD
Chapter 12
“Linda, you must be hungry. Eat this first,” Craig said as he handed her a cookie.
Then Linda reached out and took it.
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The moment her fingers closed around it, a new vision appeared. Craig hacked to death under a storm of blades.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
