"Gwen, what weapon do you favor?"
Mingal led the two men to the training grounds and gestured toward the weapon racks.
"A spear. It suits me well," Mohg replied.
Mingal nodded. He grabbed a standard long spear and tossed it to Mohg. On the other side of the grounds, Muun had already gripped his sword and shield, shifting his weight to warm up.
Mohg weighed the spear in his hand. It felt far too light for his actual strength, but under these circumstances, it wasn't wise to ask for a custom heavy weapon. He would have to make do.
By now, a circle of Guerrilla Unit members had gathered around the perimeter. Above them, leaning against the balcony railing, Shuster had appeared at some unknown moment to watch the proceedings.
"Who's the new guy? I've never seen him before."
"Word is Princess Rellana personally assigned him. He skipped the trials and background checks entirely... and supposedly has zero military merit to his name."
"Are you serious? Since when does Lady Rellana play favorites like that?"
"If it's 'Lady Rellana' doing it, then it isn't favoritism—it's a mark of her confidence. It means this guy has already passed her personal test."
"Ah, I see. Oh, wait, he's up against Muun? Well, never mind then. This won't end well for the new guy."
"Lord Gwen, are you ready?" Muun called out, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared Mohg down.
Mohg looked up and nodded. "Ready."
He took a two-handed grip on the spear, settling into a low combat stance. He didn't know if Muun's challenge was a coincidence or if the man had a specific agenda, but it paid to be cautious. Regardless, he was certain Muun wouldn't be able to force him into using Blood or Crucible incantations.
The moment Mohg took his stance, Shuster's eyes narrowed on the balcony. He immediately recognized the fighting style. It belonged to a former Carian Knight known as the "Crystal Spear"—Ligyes.
Mingal glanced between the two combatants, then slowly backed away to give them space.
"Three... two... one... Begin!"
The moment the words left Mingal's lips, both men blurred into motion.
A sharp gust of wind swept across the field, followed instantly by a thunderous boom. Mohg's spear shot forward like a lunging dragon, aimed directly at Muun's chest.
Clang!
The spear tip slammed into Muun's shield. The sound of the collision was deafening, followed by the screech of metal grinding against metal. The sheer force of the thrust began to drive Muun backward across the stone floor.
Realizing he would be pushed out of bounds if this continued, Muun's eyes sharpened. His muscles bulged, and he executed a simple but incredibly practical Ash of War.
"Kick!"
Boom!
A shockwave of white air erupted from Muun's stance. The sudden burst of force caused Mohg's momentum to hitch. In that split second, Muun's longsword whistled through the air toward Mohg's face.
Hum—
Suddenly, a brilliant sapphire light flared along the length of Mohg's spear. It was a weapon enchantment fueled by dense mana!
The sudden magical flare momentarily broke Muun's focus. Mohg twisted his wrist, snapping the spear back, and then slammed his palm against the butt of the shaft.
CRACK!
The explosive force surged into the ground. The floor, made of specially reinforced stone, finally gave way under the pressure and shattered.
Though Muun managed to dodge the direct impact, the spear's shaft grazed his waist. It tore through his armor, leaving a shallow, bleeding gash.
Watching from the sidelines, Mingal instinctively looked up at Shuster. Seeing that the commander remained unmoved, he forced himself to calm his racing heart. If that strike hadn't missed—or if Muun hadn't managed to get his shield into a partial guard—that spear would have run him through. At the very least, he would have been critically wounded.
Mohg gripped the spear and whipped it around his body, coming to a rest with the weapon held at his side.
"My apologies. I failed to control my strength properly. Perhaps we should end the spar here," Mohg said, his eyes carrying a trace of genuine regret.
The onlookers had no objections. Mohg's single thrust had already proven his caliber. To continue would seem like the unit was bullying a newcomer.
Muun, however, did not share that sentiment. He glanced at the wound on his waist, then raised his sword and shield once more, his gaze unwavering.
"Again!"
"Commander Shuster!" Mingal called out, unable to stay silent.
Shuster simply raised a hand, signaling Mingal to be quiet and keep watching.
Mohg felt a flicker of surprise. Since the man wanted to continue, he saw no reason to stop. Besides, while the previous exchange looked lethal to the observers, both Mohg and Muun knew that the strike wouldn't have actually killed him. Muun had already begun adjusting his guard before the blow landed; Mohg's "miraculous" strength had simply overwhelmed the physical defense to leave a mark.
Tapping his foot against the floor, Mohg back-stepped to put distance between them. He ran his left hand along the spear, dispelling the magic enchantment before settling back into a stance.
Muun went on the offensive. He crossed the five-meter gap in the blink of an eye.
Mohg's reaction was just as swift. His eyes remained calm as he tracked Muun's movement. He spun the spear, creating a whirlwind of white air that formed an impenetrable barrier around him.
Shuster squinted. This was another of Ligyes's techniques, though usually, it was far more complex, weaving mana and sorcery into the rotation. In Ligyes's hands, it wasn't just a defensive move—it was a mobile meat grinder.
Muun felt the immense pressure. He stared at the spinning spear, searching for a gap. Suddenly, he moved. Cerulean mana began to pool within his blade.
If he couldn't find a gap, he would force Mohg into a head-on collision!
"Carian Grandeur!"
A gargantuan blue blade materialized in the air. Though he only charged it to the first stage, it was still a massive construct. He swung it down toward Mohg's position.
BOOM!
Mohg's eyes narrowed. He stomped his foot, concentrating sapphire mana into the tip of his spear. For a fleeting moment, the spear transformed into a glowing sword-spear.
With a flick of his wrist, the blue blade of light traced a brilliant arc through the air, clashing directly with Muun's sorcery.
CRASH!
Blue light flooded the training grounds. As the brilliance faded, Mohg's figure moved like a ghost, appearing directly in front of Muun.
The blue sword-spear thrust forward.
Having just expended a large portion of his mana on Carian Grandeur, Muun struggled to react. He hurriedly raised his shield.
In a flash, blood splattered the floor. The spear tip pierced clean through Muun's shield and buried itself in his shoulder. This was only because Mohg had dispelled the mana enchantment halfway through the thrust; otherwise, the blade of light likely would have severed Muun's arm entirely.
"Muun!"
Muun's teammates rushed forward, but he waved them back. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder, he looked Mohg in the eye.
"This time... I lost. But next time, I will win it back!"
Mohg didn't say much in response. He simply released his grip on the spear.
"I look forward to it. You should go have that shoulder treated."
As Mohg walked away, Mingal stepped forward. With a single sword stroke, he cut the spear shaft to free Muun and caught the man before he could collapse.
"You lot, get him to the infirmary. Now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Once they were gone, Mingal turned his attention back to Mohg, his eyes filled with shock. He had expected "Gwen" to be capable, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong.
From what he had just seen, Mohg's strength was already on par with a veteran Carian Knight. He might even be a match for Shuster.
"Don't worry about it. Muun was too reckless. This won't reflect poorly on you," Mingal said, perhaps worried Mohg would feel alienated.
"I'm fine. I was more curious about the man himself," Mohg replied, his expression neutral.
Seeing that Mohg truly didn't hold a grudge, Mingal breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain.
"Muun is a Carian prodigy. At a young age, his mastery of martial arts is exceptional. In terms of raw skill, he's my equal, perhaps even slightly superior. But he is far too impulsive."
"Because of that, his progress in sorcery is stagnant. Take that Carian Grandeur just now—he had time to charge it to the second stage, but he didn't. Do you know why?"
"He ran out of mana?"
"Exactly. Rashness, impulse, and a shallow understanding of sorcery. These flaws are why he hasn't been officially knighted yet. Since his martial arts hit a bottleneck, Princess Rellana assigned him to our unit to temper his temperament. He's actually improved quite a bit compared to before." Mingal sighed.
"He isn't a bad man. He's just competitive. Most of us are much older than him, so he's got a bit of an ego. Seeing you today clearly triggered his old habits."
Mohg nodded. Based on the combat, that assessment seemed accurate.
Just then, Shuster approached them.
"Commander Shuster."
"Mmm." Shuster acknowledged their salutes and focused on Mohg. "It seems you've learned Ligyes's techniques and sorceries quite well."
"You knew that knight?"
"Yes. He was a senior I once admired. Sadly, he has fallen. But it seems you, the heir to his techniques, have not dishonored his name." Shuster looked at Mohg with genuine appreciation.
"You overpraise me, sir," Mohg replied with a modest bow.
Ligyes's techniques were indeed useful, though he didn't need the man's physical training methods. He could feel his current body entering a growth spurt. If it weren't for the Larval Tear disguise, he suspected he would have grown significantly taller by now. Another power was also beginning to stir within him, nourishing his physique.
In other words, both he and Morgott were currently at the peak of their physical development!
"Alright! Everyone, disperse! There's nothing more to see today," Shuster shouted to the crowd. "Tomorrow night, we hold a welcome party for our newest member, Gwen!"
"OHHHH!!!"
The atmosphere within the unit shifted instantly. The suspicious glares from the other soldiers turned into looks of respect. In the military, strength was the fastest way to earn a place.
"Go on then. The grounds are a mess thanks to you two. Go back and rest; I'll have your squad assignment ready by tomorrow."
"Understood."
Mohg accepted Shuster's goodwill. If the opportunity arose, he wanted to spar with an actual veteran Carian Knight. Muun was talented, but he was still leagues away from an "old fox" like Shuster.
Those veteran knights were masters of multitasking—weaving sorcery and martial arts together seamlessly.
There was one specific Carian sorcery Mohg had been eyeing for a long time, but he'd never had the chance to learn it because Ligyes favored spears over shields.
The name of that spell... was Carian Retaliation.
Rubbing his shoulder, Mohg left the Guerrilla Unit headquarters and headed straight for the mages' sector. He intended to find Professor Bonata and begin his magical education. He wanted to learn Carian Retaliation, Carian Piercer, Carian Greatsword, and Carian Slicer. These were the essential tools for any practical combat sorcerer.
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (445 Chapters – Full)
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