First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System
Chapter 157: Next Tier of Swordsmanship?

Orion looked at him with a speechless expression, "I'm not yet good enough that all the girls of my club would come after me."

Lucan held his chest theatrically, feigning hurt. "Ah, Young Master, your humility wounds me deeply. How can someone have such impeccable skill with swords and yet remain so oblivious about the swordplay of the heart?"

Orion rolled his eyes, chuckling at Lucan's dramatics. "Brother Lucan, are you sure you haven't been reading too many romance novels lately? You're starting to sound suspiciously like a certain princess I know."

Edgar shook his head with a soft, amused smile, stepping aside to allow Orion into the carriage. "If Lucan spent as much time on his swordsmanship as he did reading those frivolous novels, perhaps he would have advanced another tier by now."

Lucan gasped loudly, dramatically staggering back and gripping the side of the carriage for support. "Even you, Sir Edgar? The betrayal runs deep!"

The corner of Edgar's lips curled slightly upward, a rare sign of amusement. Orion chuckled warmly, settling comfortably into the plush velvet seat. "Brother Lucan, at this point, you should consider becoming a playwright. You'd make a fortune."

Lucan grinned, regaining his casual composure as he climbed atop the carriage. "Maybe I'll write a tragic tale about a certain genius young master, whose prodigious skill with the sword could conquer kingdoms—but whose heart remained oblivious to the dazzling beauties surrounding him."

"Please don't," Orion replied dryly, feigning dread. "I fear your writing may scare away all potential club members."

Lucan laughed heartily as Edgar took his seat opposite Orion, gently closing the carriage door. "Enough teasing, Lucan. Let's get back home. The young master still has training to complete."

"Yes, yes, of course," Lucan replied, still smiling broadly as he tugged the reins lightly. The carriage wheels began rolling smoothly over the paved road, heading toward the Helstorm estate.

The journey home was quick and pleasant, the streets becoming progressively quieter and lined with beautiful trees and flowers as they approached the Helstorm Estate. Upon their arrival, the grand estate gate swung open smoothly, welcoming them back with its familiar elegance.

Edgar stepped out first, holding the carriage door open as Orion walked down calmly. Lucan cheerfully waved goodbye, taking the carriage around back to the stables, leaving Orion and Edgar standing before the mansion's grand entrance.

"Shall we head straight to the training grounds, Young Master?" Edgar asked calmly.

"Yes," Orion nodded resolutely, adjusting his grip on Realm Guardian. "I want to refine the insights I gained during today's spar."

Edgar inclined his head approvingly, a faint pride flickering in his elderly eyes. "An excellent mindset."

Together, they walked calmly toward the mansion's private training ground located inside of it.

Drawing his sword, Edgar smoothly assumed a stance. Orion followed suit, his expression focused as he mirrored Edgar's stance perfectly. With a nod, their training began.

Edgar's style emphasized efficient movements—precise, sharp, and without unnecessary flourishes. Orion quickly adapted, absorbing each subtle correction Edgar offered.

Their swords clashed repeatedly, the rhythmic sound of steel echoing softly throughout the quiet grounds, a beautiful display of discipline and skill.

Hours flowed by, yet Orion showed no signs of fatigue. Sweat lightly glistened on his forehead, muscles flexing smoothly beneath his clothes with each calculated movement.

Edgar, too, appeared as calm and unruffled as ever, though Orion caught a faint glimmer of approval in his warm eyes.

Eventually, Orion stepped back, sheathing his blade and breathing deeply. "I'll stop here, Uncle Edgar. Thank you for your guidance. I feel clearer now."

"You've improved remarkably in such a short time, Young Master," Edgar praised calmly, nodding his head respectfully. "Few can improve as swiftly as you. Especially today, your improvement has been the greatest. If this continues, then you might reach the next level with the sword even before the 4th Tier."

Orion tilted his head in confusion, "Next tier? What's that?"

Edgar chuckled, "Well, you will know once you reach there. It shouldn't take you long."

"You…" Orion lightly shook his head with a smile, "You really like to keep suspense, huh."

"Life would be too dull without surprises, Young Master." He calmly said with a smile.

Orion smiled, then glanced toward the exit. "I'd like to practice my Fireball spell a bit before nightfall. It won't take long."

"Very well. Practice safely," Edgar advised, giving a final respectful nod before heading out, leaving Orion alone. Orion also left the mansion and headed to the back of the mansion.

***

The rear training grounds behind the mansion were distinctly more open and expansive, designed specifically for spellcasting as Orion observed before. Several sturdy, mana-reinforced targets stood ready, spaced evenly across the vast field.

Orion calmly stepped into the training area and stood 15 meters away from a training dummy with a thoughtful expression. 'I need a training method for my physique. Even if I'm naturally stronger than those on the same level, the gap will slowly close before I'm behind them.'

[Is it GACHA time, Master!!

Orion looked at the floating window with a speechless expression, 'You're really addicted to gacha, huh? I thought I would be the one addicted. And no, I've done gacha over a hundred times but never got it. I'll ask Grandma if she can get me one later.'

[Booo, boring! (๑>؂<๑)۶]

'Well, anyway, let me test out my spell for now.' He calmly said before extending his palm outward.

"[Fireball]," he whispered softly, smoothly channeling mana through his body.

Instantly, a blazing sphere of flame ignited in front of his outstretched palm, illuminating the training ground around him. He aimed his hand steadily toward the target dummy, releasing the fireball.

With a sharp hiss, the sphere streaked through the air and collided squarely with the reinforced training dummy. A burst of flames erupted briefly, charring the surface and leaving a clear scorch mark. Orion watched calmly, evaluating the spell's accuracy and power.

"Not bad," he murmured softly, stepping slightly to the left to change his angle of attack. Once again, he extended his palm and summoned the spell. "[Fireball]."

This time, Orion attempted to experiment. As the fireball appeared, he visualized compressing the spell slightly more, aiming for greater explosive force upon impact. However, the spell resisted his attempts at manipulation, stubbornly maintaining its original shape and power.

'Hmm… it really refuses to change,' Orion thought with mild annoyance. He launched it anyway, observing as it impacted the dummy with the same predictable outcome.

Determined to push further, he repeated his spellcasting, attempting subtle variations—adjusting the spin of the fireball, altering its trajectory, even trying to divide it into multiple smaller flames mid-flight. Each attempt proved unsuccessful, revealing the inherent rigidity of the spell structure.

He frowned softly, considering his earlier training in spell formation. 'Spells are really far too rigid. I can't even make minor changes in them during casting. Else the spell will either resist it or fail,' Orion concluded thoughtfully.

Lumi's energetic voice chimed sympathetically, sensing his mild frustration.

[Master, I think instead of altering it, you should focus on perfecting what it can already offer.]

Orion thoughtfully rubbed his chin, 'You mean speed and efficiency, right?'

[Exactly! If you can cast Fireball almost instantly, it becomes a far deadlier weapon, even if its destructive power remains limited. Your incredible reflexes combined with instantaneous spellcasting could dominate most battles!