"Simulated training?"
"What's that?"
"Is it the kind of simulated magic circuit Klein mentioned before?"
"Didn't he say… my magic control wasn't good enough to do that?"
"Simulated training is a great thing." Klein's tone became cheerful again. "For a young girl like you, with insufficient magic control but astonishing talent, simulated training can not only train your mastery of magic but also allow you to accumulate combat experience."
"Sounds good." Lux blinked. "But I still don't know how it's simulated."
"Simulated training is a series of illusion magic." Klein didn't keep her in suspense. "Specifically… under the influence of the illusion, you will face certain fixed scenarios, thereby training your spellcasting and combat."
"I know about illusions." Lux recalled the basic courses she had taken. "By definition, it's magic that interferes with senses and judgment through the flow of magic—but I remember illusions are difficult to affect reality. If I train spellcasting within an illusion, won't I also be using magic in reality?"
"Theoretically, yes."
"Then isn't that very dangerous!" Lux couldn't help but raise her voice. "I can't fully control my own magic yet, and Light Magic is so conspicuous…"
"But you have me!" Klein chuckled, seemingly prepared. "Although I said your talent is good, compared to me, your bit of magic is really not much to look at—don't worry, I can absorb all the magic you cast and, based on how you use your spells, give you correct feedback within the illusion!"
"What if I cast a spell whose result you don't know?" Lux still felt it was unreliable. "Then wouldn't the feedback in the illusion be wrong?"
"If the spell you cast can exceed my knowledge, you won't need simulated training." Klein sounded a bit helpless. "Although spell models are ever-changing, and their combinations are endless, the basic magic theory is still very stable. Once your spellcasting ability exceeds this scope, then you'll be qualified to cast spells freely."
"What if I decide that the situation is more suitable for swinging a sword?" Lux continued to ask. "If I choose to swing a sword under the influence of the illusion, won't I look like an idiot in reality, foolishly performing the same synchronized movements?"
"It seems your theoretical knowledge of illusions isn't solid enough, Lux." Klein snorted at her words. "The only true characteristic of illusions is that [the caster will receive real feedback and magic flow from the subject]. As for whether the subject's actions will be consistent with the reactions in the illusion, that is under the caster's control!"
"…"
Upon hearing this, Lux instantly froze—fortunately, Klein seemed to be in a good mood today and didn't delve further into the illusion issue.
And Lux decisively changed the topic, starting to inquire about other aspects of this training.
Even Sona, who had been independently carving Petricite magic circuits, came over, listening with great interest to this new method of learning magic.
Half a day later, Klein finally finished explaining all the learning features and precautions, and Lux and Sona were greatly shocked after understanding.
"…It still feels a bit unreal." Although Lux understood Klein's meaning, she still felt something was off. "Also, what do you mean by 'certain fixed scenarios'?"
"Oh, these are some memories and fragments from my long life. Haven't you always said I'm unwilling to tell my own stories?" Klein explained carefully. "In these stories, you will see it all…"
"Sounds really good." Lux nodded again. "Last question, why are you only starting this training now?"
"Because I didn't have the magic to construct illusions for you before, of course." Klein sounded like he was working very hard. "Teaching two little girls isn't a simple matter, and to avoid affecting your development, I haven't absorbed too much of your magic, just a tiny bit."
Lux apparently didn't realize what Klein meant by "a tiny bit." After clarifying all her doubts, she finally happily expressed her willingness to accept simulated training.
And Sona nodded at the same time.
Seeing that her friend also agreed, Lux immediately said, "We can actually train together."
However, unfortunately, for joint training, Klein still needed magic to connect the resonance circuit, and that circuit was simply too complex. At least for a short time, Lux and Sona would not be able to master it.
At Lux's current level, carving simple magic absorption and amplification circuits was already her limit.
In other words, the two could only train one at a time, taking turns—one trains, one keeps watch.
Playing Contra online was out of the question; with the current support of the magic circuit, Lux and Sona could only play Super Mario.
...
Soon, Sona and Lux, having packed their things, left Crownguard Manor with the painstakingly carved, one-foot-square magic circuit.
"Where should we look for Petricite that has already absorbed some magic?" With her backpack on, Lux gripped the hilt of her sword. "You said it's very difficult to tell by eye whether Petricite has absorbed magic."
"But I also said that Petricite itself has strong magic conductivity." Klein seemed to be preparing something, her reaction uncharacteristically slow by half a beat. "Therefore, the larger the piece of Petricite, the more likely it is to have absorbed magic—and because connection means connection, the entire city wall of Demacia Capital can be regarded as one whole piece of Petricite."
"So, we just need to find an unpopulated corner of the city wall, then connect the magic circuit to the city wall, and place you in the groove?" Lux confirmed the training method one last time. "Then, all I need to do is hold the sword hilt, right?"
"Exactly, that's it." Klein wasn't impatient. "When you train, Sona helps keep watch, and when she trains, you keep an eye on the surroundings—no problem."
Just like that, Lux and Sona quickly found an empty alley. The two entered the deepest part of the alley, and then, following Klein's instructions, pressed the magic circuit carved from Petricite tightly against the city wall of Demacia Capital.
Then, after embedding her sword into the groove at the end of the magic circuit, Lux finally reached out and gripped the sword hilt.
"Now." Klein's voice reappeared in Lux's ear. "Close your eyes, simulated training officially begins!"
...
As Klein requested, Lux closed her eyes.
The next moment, she felt a sensation of weightlessness.
No, not just weightlessness.
It should be described as losing all sensation.
With her eyes closed, Lux couldn't hear any sound, her sense of touch seemed to have completely vanished, she even lost track of time, and her consciousness fell into a state of stagnation.
When she finally regained her senses and opened her eyes as Klein guided her, Lux felt as if she was already in a Desert.
Beneath her feet was firm sand, and before her were vast dunes. Lux looked around, then bent down and picked up a handful of sand, finding the sensation so real, as if she had truly arrived in a Desert.
"This is a fragment from my memory." Just as Lux was curiously examining the unfamiliar robe she was wearing, a cloaked figure suddenly appeared beside her. "Familiarize yourself with the environment; the trial is about to begin."
"Are you… Klein?" Lux turned her head to look at the person who had appeared beside her at some unknown time. "Is it really you?"
"It's me." Klein shook his head, seemingly a bit helpless. "It's me from my memories—"
"Let me see what you look like!" Lux lunged forward, intending to pull off Klein's hood directly. "I haven't seen your face yet!"
However, just as Lux was about to touch Klein, an invisible barrier stopped her—it seemed Klein didn't want Lux to remove his hood.
Undeterred, Lux crouched down, trying to see Klein's face from below. However, the neatly arranged feathers on the cloak's hood cast a shadow, completely obscuring Klein's face. Even though Lux was directly facing Klein, she still couldn't see what he looked like.
"I told you, this is a fragment of my memory." Klein shook his head helplessly. "My memories won't include my own face—so, you can't see what I look like through the trial."
"Tch." A disappointed Lux stood up and kicked the sand. "What's with this, so mysterious. We're all on the same side now, and you still don't want to show your face… It's not like I'd dislike you for being ugly."
"No one in all of Shurima dares to say they are more handsome than me." Klein chuckled at her words, completely seeing through Lux's provocation. "Alright, maintaining the simulation is very draining. Save the chitchat for after the trial. Now, go to the bottom of this dune and prepare for your training."
As he spoke, the dune beneath Lux's feet seemed to come alive, "flipping" her over and sending her tumbling down to the bottom of the dune.
"You haven't even told me the training content yet!" Lux scrambled to her feet, shouting. "And… there's no weapon either?"
"The training content is to last for ten minutes." The surrounding space seemed to begin twisting, and Klein's voice also started to Slipstream. "As for weapons… here's a sword, take it!"
As he spoke, a sword descended from the sky, plunging directly into the sand at Lux's feet.
Lux bent down, picked up the long sword, and pulled it out—before she could even get a feel for the sword's balance, the surrounding sandy ground began to churn as if boiling.
The next moment, countless dog-sized beetles crawled out of the sand, squeaking and rushing towards Lux.
And Lux, who had never seen such a sight, opened her mouth and let out a desperate scream.
"Ah ↑ ah ah—"
Hmm, still the familiar rhythm.