Mira, satisfied with the foundation of her new scythe technique, decided to test it further. The [Cyclone of the Frozen Moon] that she spent the last day or so theorizing was powerful, but she knew it could be more. "I need to see how it fares in real combat," she murmured, her eyes scanning the Thicket for a suitable challenge.
She didn't have to wait long. A Mid-Stage Rank 9 Ice Troll, known for its brute strength and thick skin, lumbered into view. Its massive form crashed through the icy terrain, oblivious to the danger it was about to face.
Mira readied herself, gripping her scythe with both hands. She initiated the [Cyclone of the Frozen Moon], the blade beginning to spin with increasing speed, gathering momentum.
As the Ice Troll roared and charged, Mira's technique reached its peak. She leaped forward, spinning into the air, her scythe a mere blur. She struck at the troll's massive leg, her blade slicing through its thick hide as if it were nothing.
The Ice Troll bellowed in pain at the loss of its leg, but Mira didn't stop even as regenerated in a few seconds. She continued her assault, each strike more powerful than the last, her scythe carving through the troll's flesh with ease.
"I need more force," she thought, increasing her Qi output. The scythe responded, its blade now glowing with a mix of Yin Fire and Lightning. The air around her crackled as the power of her strikes was amplified.
The Ice Troll, despite its size and strength, was faltering under her relentless attack. Mira's technique was proving too much for it. She moved around the beast, her scythe cutting deep wounds that glowed with the cold fire and crackled with electricity.
She used her [Glacial Mirage Steps] to test out how well the two techniques synergized, not allowing the troll to find her real body.
'It's quite good, but using both of them at the same time requires too much control and concentration.' Of course, this could be resolved with enough practice, but it was something she needed to keep in mind.
Using both of these techniques at the same time wasn't something ordinary people, with average meridians, could pull off. In fact, just using one of them would be nearly impossible for most people.
Her meridians were a complex network of 'roots' and 'branches', whereas most people had Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Principle Meridians, along with a bunch of smaller ones that vary depending on the person.
While the amount of actual meridians in a person's body differed between people, the layout was generally the same. The Twelve Principal Meridians were each linked to an organ, while the Eight Extraordinary Meridians bridged the gap between those 12 and carried Qi to wherever the user wanted.
This kept things simple and uniform, but there was a lack of fine-tuning and control that Mira didn't need to worry about.
Such as, if Mira wanted to encase one of her arm hairs in Qi, she didn't need to send energy through one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians up her arm and out her hand to coat that hair follicle. She could directly take a meridian, that didn't lose out in quality compared to the rest, straight to that follicle.
This allowed for a more nuanced and fine-tuned control that others didn't have.
'That's why I'm able to use multiple techniques at once while keeping their efficiency high and not lose out on power.' Mira thought as she kept swinging her scythe.
However, there was a problem with having such high variability and control, and that is, for most things, she hardly needed to utilize it!
'That's also what I want to achieve during my training sessions. I need to find a way to capitalize on the web of meridians inside my body. I feel like I'm missing out on so much untapped potential by just brute-forcing Qi through the fastest path and blowing things up. There has to be a better way.' She speculated, dodging one of the troll's random attacks.
After a few more minutes, she started to grow tired of fighting against the beast and decided to end its life.
With a final, powerful swing, she aimed for the troll's neck, her blade moving with such speed that it seemed to disappear. The troll's head separated from its body, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.
Mira landed gracefully, her breathing steady. She examined her work, noting the precision and power of her strikes. "The [Cyclone of the Frozen Moon] is effective, but I can push it further. I need to integrate more elements, maybe add a defensive aspect to it."
So, she continued her journey, her mind racing with ideas on how to improve her technique. She thought about incorporating a defensive spin, one that could deflect incoming attacks while setting up for her next strike.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the presence of a Mid-Stage Rank 9 Frost Wyvern soaring above. Its massive wings cast shadows over the icy landscape. Mira smiled; this was the perfect opportunity to test things out.
She watched as the Frost Wyvern descended, its claws aiming for her. Mira initiated a defensive spin, creating a barrier of wind and ice. The wyvern's claws met her scythe, sparks flying as the blade deflected the attack.
Mira didn't miss a beat. She transitioned from defense to offense, leaping into the air, her scythe cutting through the wyvern's thick scales. Her blade, supercharged with Yin Lightning, left a trail of electric arcs that paralyzed the wyvern's wing.
As the wyvern plummeted to the ground, Mira followed. She struck again and again, each attack fiercer than the last.
'Alright, let's see how far I can push it,' she thought, increasing her speed and power. The scythe became an extension of her body. However, she didn't want to use her Scythe Manifestation for this. Not yet.
The Frost Wyvern roared and unleashed a torrent of icy breath. Mira used her [Glacial Mirage Steps] as she maneuvered around the icy blasts leaving behind lifelike afterimages that confused the beast for a moment.
She then added a new element to her technique. She focused her Qi, infusing her scythe with Earth element, adding weight and stability to her strikes. The blade now carried a force that shook the ground upon impact, destroying all the nearby trees and ripping apart the land.
The wyvern roared in agony as Mira's scythe ripped it apart. She was everywhere at once, her movements were unpredictable, and her attacks never stopped.
"ROOOOOOAAAAR!" It raised its head in the air and released a thunderous roar, hoping to disorientate Mira.
But, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
Mira felt exhilarated. The combination of her [Cyclone of the Frozen Moon] and [Glacial Mirage Steps], along with the integration of multiple elements, was proving to be a reliable combo.
With a final, mighty swing, she aimed for the wyvern's neck. The scythe's blade, glowing with a mixture of Yin Fire and Lightning, descended with unstoppable force that utilized all the energy and momentum she had built up until this point.
The wyvern's head fell, its body collapsing in a heap on the snowy ground. However, the strike didn't stop there. A deep chasm was cut into the ground, which continued off in the distance for what seemed like kilometers.
Catching her breath, Mira stepped back, her eyes shining with triumph yet a hint of exhaustion. "This... This is what I was aiming for. A technique that is both offensive and defensive, adaptable to any situation. It's just, the consumption is a bit high, and I'll have to be careful not to unleash something I can't handle."
She collected the wyvern's corpse, a sense of satisfaction filling her. Her technique was evolving, becoming something beyond what she had first imagined.
Mira realized the potential of combining different elements in her scythe technique. "Each element brings something unique. I'll have to play around with different combinations to see how I can incorporate them and improve the technique."
Over the next hours, Mira faced various creatures of the Thicket, each encounter honing her skills and refining her technique. She battled Ice Golems, Snow Spirits, and even a pair of dueling Ice Giants, each fight pushing her understanding of her techniques further.
Quickly, another few days passed as she was engrossed in the feeling of getting stronger. She didn't just train with her scythe either, but with her other extremities like knees, fists, elbows, and her movement technique.
All the while, she pondered over what she should do next. With just these three techniques, she essentially covered all her bases. Learning any more could be a detriment rather than something that would make her stronger.
'Maybe I should start with improving some of the techniques I already know and go from there.' Mira thought as she stood over a pile of dead beasts.
Nodding, she hopped off of the corpses, collected them, and summoned her Paragon Wings. 'I'll start with these.'
