Upon arriving at the training ground, my first instinct was to examine Elspeth, the staff, despite already knowing its unique attributes through Identification. While the skill had already revealed all there was to know about the staff's characteristics, I was eager to personally experience its capabilities.

  Specifically, I was curious about the Magic Circle amplification property of the staff. Although Identification indicated a 25% increase in magic circle power, theoretical percentages often differ from real-world results. I was determined to see how it truly performed.

  With the staff, which despite how comfortable the grip was still felt somewhat cumbersome in my grasp due to its length, I channeled my will into the magic circle manifested by [Ice Magic,] the only magic type skill available to me and thus the only skill I could test the amplifying might of the staff.

  Unleashing a magical effect I was already very familiar with, I summoned layer upon layer of ice stalactites that hovered in midair, directing them towards an ice dummy I had conjured earlier.

  The ice stalactites surged forward with formidable force, crashing into the ice dummy with such power that it shattered into countless pieces upon impact. The remnants scattered across the room, like countless ricocheting bullets.

  Missing their target, other stalactites, relentless and uncaring, continued their path, shattering against the walls of the training ground. With each collision, more shards of ice flew, echoing a deafening sound of shattering glass. Even as the last stalactites met the wall, it took a moment for the room's echo to calm, but even when it did, I remained unsatisfied.

  Lowering the staff closer to the ground, I channeled my will into [Ice Magic] once more. This time, I summoned spears of ice that surged upward from the ground, thrusting forward with fierce determination. Like the stalactites before them, these icy lances seemed eager to impale anything obstructing their path. Yet, unlike their predecessors, as they approached the wall, they gradually slowed until coming to a complete halt halfway through. They had reached their expanding limits, leaving me with nothing but an irresistible urge to once again unleash yet another attack. But before I could do so, upon glancing at my own status via the interface in the corner of my eyes, I came back to my senses.

  "That's enough..." I muttered to myself.

  I still had other things I wanted to try with the staff, so it was best I didn't empty my MP here yet.

  Calming down, I looked at what I had done with the ice and tried to mentally compare it to how it felt compared to how I fared without the staff.

  From the moment I first used the staff, I felt it was a completely different feeling than with Wanda, my wand. I felt my magic was more potent. Right now, compared to how it felt using my magic with Wanda, it felt like it was 50% if not more potent despite the 25% displayed by my Identification skill interface. There was a very simple explanation for that, it was because it didn't just "feel" more potent, it was more potent. This was due to the fact that the staff had infused affinities to water, wind, and ice, making the staff better at these three types of magic, granting enhanced effects. This was why the two magic attacks I just unleashed felt more potent than 25%, it was because they were.

  Glancing at the staff, a satisfied smile on my face, "This is a great staff, just a shame that I only have ice magic to use it with."

  I couldn't help but daydream about it.

  The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't help but wonder, "Was having this staff blessed with three elemental affinities your last attempt at making me regret not choosing mage as my class, Old man?"

  Hehehe, I don't know, but if it is, I'll take it just fine.

  I was there, partly talking to myself when I heard footsteps approaching from the large steps leading to here, and sure enough, a tall man dressed more lightly than the usual warrior outfit he usually wore was carrying two crates in both hands.

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  "Good morning, Milady," he greeted with his usual sass.

  "Good morning, Justaff," I greeted back.

  "May I ask if perhaps I've been mistaken, believing that there would be no training today, or is my dear young lady here trying to drive me out of a job just like she did with her attendant?" He said teasingly with a hint of sarcasm.

  Giving no attention to it, I said, "I got a new staff."

  "I can see that," he said, finally reaching my level at the base of the stairs. "How is it?"

  "It's great, it's a little long, but as I said earlier to Father, I'll soon grow tall enough to properly hold onto it. But even then, it's still fine."

  He nodded, then approached to inspect but not for long; then once again nodded as if giving his approval. While he didn't say it, he clearly had already heard about the staff; its existence was clearly not news to him.

  Glancing at the box he was carrying, I asked, "And these?" Having seen such boxes plenty of times before, I knew exactly what was caged within them, it was an animalistic monster called a Zephyrclaw, a cat-like monster.

  "You see, the thing is, when I heard that Milady got a new staff, I assumed she might want to try it later in the Dungeon. I was right; she indeed did, but I was wrong because I believed she might come later as I've heard she was reading in the library."

  "I was already almost done reading when he came to give me the staff."

  "Of course," he said, raising an eyebrow before putting the two boxes on the ground. "So, Milady, do you still wish to try your new staff, or did you already empty your MP?"

  "I just got here; let's do this."

  I was as much a cat-guy as I was a dog-guy; in other words, I was not a pet guy at all. Yet, I still felt weird about killing something that looked so much like a cat. At least, that's what it felt like at first. Once you get used to it, it's no different than stepping on an ant.

  In the now once again frosty training arena, I squared off against two Zephyrclaws. Gripping my staff, which had slowly but surely become infused with a chill through my repetitive casting, I casually battled the Zephyrclaws brought about by Justaff. Agile and fierce with their wind-based skills and abilities, they lunged at me with vicious intent.

  I began by holding back, using my ice magic defensively to shield myself from their gusty attacks. My goal was to figure out what this staff was worth, not to defeat these monsters. However, as the battle progressed, a stray icicle I'd summoned injured one of the Zephyrclaws more severely than I'd intended.

  Realizing that I had done enough, I decided to put an end to this. But just as I made that choice, one of the Zephyrclaws charged at me with absolute desperation. It unleashed a wind-based skill that I blocked by summoning ice. As it charged through the ice, not having time to readjust myself and my staff to attack, my instincts took over.

  Acting out of an old but not forgotten reflex, very uncharacteristic of a sorcerer like me, I swung my staff like a seasoned monk, slamming it into the oncoming creature. Despite me having 0 attribute invested in strength and despite the creature being equivalent to a level 3 to 5 human, the force of my strike was unexpectedly powerful enough to send the Zephyrclaw tumbling several meters away, yelping in surprise and pain.

  I couldn’t help but internally scream.

  Despite being surprised by my own actions, I quickly regained my composure. Adjusting my grip on my staff, I summoned a magic circle beneath the remaining Zephyrclaw. With a swift mental command and adjustment in the magic circle, ice spiraled up around it, encasing it in a frozen prison.

  Taking a deep breath, I watched as the ice encased the Zephyrclaw, knowing that its time was limited, its fate sealed by my own hand. Casting a glance at the other Zephyrclaw, I saw it lying motionless, two icicles piercing its body.

  I closed my eyes briefly, trying to steady my thoughts. At my current level, creatures like these posed little threat to me. I could easily defeat them with my ice magic alone. No, it wasn't the challenge they posed that troubled me; it was the sudden reaction I had just experienced.

  It reminded me of the dream I had earlier in the day, a dream that had left me unsettled. In that dream, I had found myself in a similar situation, facing creatures, that time dog-like, with those kind of instincts to rely on. And now, here I was, acting on those very same instincts.

  I was still in my mind, trying to reign over my thoughts when Justaff approached, commenting, "Well done, Milady, but that earlier... I don't think that's the way someone is supposed to use a staff."

  "It's a sturdy staff," I commented, pretending that I had done it for the sake of checking the staff's durability. But a mere glance revealed to me that he did not believe my words. "... You're right. I shouldn't have done that...."

  Justaff responded to me, but for a moment, I wasn't able to focus on what he said. As he spoke, I felt the death of the Zephyrclaw in its icy prison.

  Now, my Identification skill didn't have features that could give me such feedback, nor did I have a skill that did. What allowed me to know the creature's death was a system notification, one that informed me of a new skill I had just obtained along with a little additional something that completely abducted my attention.