Grace took a deep breath as she observed the newly fused Spirit Stone sitting in her palm. The energy within it humd in perfect harmony.
A triumphant smile curved her lips as she added it into the inventory of Stones she had successfully fused so far. This one was the first Level Eight Green Spirit Stone on the list.
So far, she had fused Level Eight stones in Red, Yellow, and now finally Green.
Tired after spending so much energy in the process, she lay down on the soft grass of the front garden of the Villa, staring at the endless sky above.
Since the ti within this place flowed differently, it allowed her to train tirelessly without feeling the strain of days passing in the outside world. Still, exhaustion crept into her limbs, reminding her that even she had limits.
As her eyes fluttered closed, she felt the familiar presence of the dragon nearby. Its massive body was coiled around the clearing while its stormy eyes watched her with sothing close to amusent.
"You push yourself too hard," it rumbled.
Grace let out a soft chuckle, not bothering to open her eyes. "I can't afford to slow down."
A gust of wind swept past her as the dragon exhaled deeply. "Determination is admirable, but overexertion is foolish."
She turned her head, finally eting its gaze. "Are you worried about ?"
The dragon snorted. "Hardly. But it would be a sha if you collapsed before reaching your full potential."
She smiled. Their bond had grown stronger, even if the creature refused to admit it. It was just like 2025, always trying to get on her nerves but still thinking about her well-being all the ti.
After a few monts of quiet, she sat up, stretching her limbs before focusing her mind once more. She was ready to continue with her schedule.
The next phase of her training focused on her teleportation and barrier creation abilities. She had already developed decent control over them, but decent wasn't enough.
She started by setting up a sequence of obstacles around the space - floating rocks, energy barriers, and even illusions created through her thought-creation power. Her goal was to teleport through them with precision, landing exactly where she intended without wasting ti.
The first few attempts were rough, mostly because of the long distance she was trying to cover and also because of the obstacles. She appeared inches away from her target instead of directly on it. Sotis she reappeared facing the wrong direction, leaving her vulnerable to an attack if this had been a real battle.
She stopped for a mont and tried to focus. This ti, her attempt was smoother. She vanished in a blink, reappearing flawlessly behind the last obstacle about three kiloters from her original distance.
A smirk tugged at her lips.
"Again," she muttered to herself.
She repeated the exercise over and over, faster each ti. Soon, she wasn't just teleporting - she was weaving through space itself, moving fluidly like a shadow dancing in the wind.
When she finally stopped, she was already able to cover about five kiloters of distance through teleportation - the most so far.
Next, she moved on to barrier creation.
She raised her hands, summoning a protective shield around the fields that were spread around area as big as Greenstone. The translucent energy flickered slightly, still unstable.
She poured more power into it, reinforcing the structure. The barrier shimred, solidifying into a nearly indestructible force. But she wasn't done.
Barriers should be adaptable, not just strong. It was what 2025 told her when she was creating Greenstone's barrier.
She continued experinting with the barrier she created - adjusting its shape, manipulating it at will, expanding it, shrinking it, even reshaping it into a do, then into an angular fortress.
The dragon, which had been watching silently, finally spoke. "Your control has improved trendously."
Grace exhaled, lowering her hands. "But it's still not enough."
A low chuckle rumbled from the dragon's throat... at least, it sounded like one to her. "You are relentless."
She smiled. "You have no idea."
The dragon rose, its massive form looming over her. "Then let's see if your progress is truly worthy of praise."
Without warning, it lashed out at het.
And even though she wasn't prepared at all, Gracr reacted instantly. She teleported just as its claws tore through where she had been standing rely a second ago. She reappeared several feet away, conjuring a barrier in front of her as the dragon launched a blast of golden flas.
The flas crashed against her shield, sending vibrations through her bones. But she held firm.
"Good," the creature mused. "But can you counterattack?"
Grace didn't hesitate. She manipulated the energy around her, forming sharp daggers that shot toward the beast. The dragon twisted midair, dodging them with effortless grace.
"Faster," it taunted.
She narrowed her eyes. She wasn't just fighting the dragon... she was fighting her own limits.
She teleported behind it, aiming for a direct strike. But it sensed her movent and whipped its tail toward her.
She vanished again, appearing above its back. This ti, she reinforced her body with energy, slamming her palm onto its scales. A pulse of power surged from her hand, forcing the dragon downward.
It landed with a heavy thud, but instead of anger, its eyes glead with approval.
"Well done," it rumbled. "You are learning... to be sneaky."
Grace smirked, breathing heavily. "I told you. I don't stop."
The dragon gave her a long look before inclining its head slightly. It was a silent acknowledgnt of her strength.
And for the second ti since they ca to know each other, she felt like she had truly earned its respect.
With the training session coming to an end, she headed back to the Villa to shower and get changed before having an early dinner. Her plan was to later work on storing the harvest she picked early in the morning.
Every second that she was spending in the space was ant to make her stronger, and more powerful... and it seed like she was on the right track.
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