GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Chapter 13: New Instance

Think, Vel! he urged himself. What could he do to keep Graham in place?

His thoughts raced back to the principles he had learned: combining elements for a new spell. He focused on Ice for its binding properties, infused with the slowing effect from Slow Heal, and added in the focal aspect from Far Sight.

With determination, Vel summoned every ounce of remaining mana and wove together the sigils in his mind.

"Glacis Solith Feryis!"

A swirling aura enveloped his hand as he pointed at Graham's legs. A jagged ice formation erupted from the ground, spreading outward like an eager vine toward its target. The icy surface formed beneath Graham's feet, latching onto him with an unforgiving grip.

Graham's eyes widened as he attempted to shift his weight but found himself stuck. Vel felt a surge of triumph—this was it!

This is my chance, he thought, charging forward with renewed vigor, sword raised high for a finishing blow.

But then the air shifted around them. Something changed in Graham's demeanor; the playful taunts were replaced by an intense focus. He shifted into a defensive stance that sent a shiver down Vel's spine.

The warrior's hands shifted on his sword, drawing it back in a stance Vel had never seen before. His body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash something devastating.

Thunderc—

Before Graham could finish whatever powerful move was about to erupt from him, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"ENOUGH!" Lady Halen's voice cut through the air like a whip.

Graham froze mid-motion, the charged atmosphere dissipating instantly at her command. Vel stumbled to a halt, his sword still raised, heart pounding in his chest as he processed how close he'd come to witnessing whatever technique Graham had been about to unleash.

Vel's heart raced as he watched Von leap into the arena, fury etched across his father's face. The protective instinct radiated from him, like a guardian ready to shield his young.

"What in the gods' name were you thinking?" Von's voice thundered, eyes locked onto Graham with a fierce intensity.

Graham resumed his forceful smile, an air of nonchalance returning as if the tension from moments before had simply evaporated. "Relax, I wasn't going to aim at him. Just trying to scare him into place."

Vel shifted uneasily, caught between the two powerful figures. The clash of wills made his pulse quicken; he felt small under the weight of their gazes.

Lady Halen stepped into the arena slowly, her expression contemplative as she took in the scene. Questions swirled behind her calm facade, searching for answers hidden within the tension that lingered thick in the air.

Graham noticed her arrival and attempted to cover for his earlier loss of composure. "Every fighting style has its weaknesses," he said with forced ease, his voice attempting to regain some semblance of authority. "I was just about to demonstrate how pressure can reveal them."

Vel could see through Graham's facade, noting how even the seasoned warrior struggled to mask his earlier slip-up. The atmosphere felt charged with unspoken thoughts and unshed tension.

"Demonstrate?" Lady Halen echoed, her brows furrowing slightly as she regarded Graham with an unwavering gaze.

Vel stood at the edge of the arena, heart racing as the atmosphere thickened with tension. Lady Halen's arrival had shifted everything, and Vel felt the weight of unspoken questions hanging in the air. He glanced at Graham, who was still recovering from the sudden turn of events.