Chapter 166: Yesterday's Enemy is Today's Teacher, Part 1

"T-time out," I gasped.

Seriously, we'd been at this for so long my sweat was pouring over the perspiration that had already dried on my jacket. My sword arm was so tired I couldn't keep my hand from shaking. Meanwhile, the number of times I summoned fire into my left hand had left an almost permanent soot mark on its palm. 

"Tired already?" Lorias asked as he hefted his fancy spear over his shoulder. "I expected more grit from the apprentice of the famous Dragoness." 

Yeah, I shouldn't have bragged about that. I'd done it in a moment of pride as I'd cut his cheek after long minutes of failing to cause him a single injury. In my defense, Lorias freaking Löwenthal was a seasoned adventurer and guild master of a famous guild on top of being a ljósálfar elder with hundreds of years on me. Despite my recent successes with named monsters, I was nowhere near Lorias' level… yet. 

"I'm just… getting warmed… up," I managed to say in between gasps of air.