It had been over a month since Jove had attained his new magic, yet he hadn't rushed to start training it or anything yet. Why was that? Well the reason was simple. In attaining this magic, he had allowed a demon to inhabit his body. The cohabitation of a human form was something that took quite a bit of time to get use to. He was lucky, as he had not offered his soul in return for the power and magic granted to him. When he died, he would not be consumed by Lucifer. Yet despite his long term safety guaranteed, there was still the immediate issue. In sharing a single body with two souls, and two mana sources, it took the body a while to acclimate. Jove wondered whether or not he took even longer due to his age. The actual acclimation process took a bit over a month to complete, so when Jove woke up that morning and felt completely different, he realized that he was ready to begin his training. It was time for him to start mastering the magic and mana within him, and that would mean developing some spells in order to channel it properly.

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Before beginning to train, Jove was going to have to loosen up his body. This meant he was going to have to stretch. There were conflicting ideas on stretching, and whether static stretching should be performed before or after a workout. However, most of the reasons to stretch out after a workout seemed to come from those who wished to work towards bulking up. The idea was that stretching beforehand wasn't actually necessary to prevent injury so long as blood could get flowing, and that in doing so one would take away from the energy of their muscles. By waiting until the end, they would be able to rid their muscles of much of the built up lactic acid. However, Jove was not here in order to workout or bulk up. He was here to train his magic, and to enhance his mana control, and learn spells. In order to do that, he'd be moving around a lot in order to get the feel of activating them down, as well as get his body use to utilizing them with little prep time. For that reason, he thought it would be best to stretch out ahead of time to keep his body more limber.

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Jove decided that the best approach to stretching would be to attack each major muscle group, one at a time, with individualized and specific focus. First he would focus on his legs, and so taking himself out beyond the city gates and into the immediate vicinity, he would find a good place to be alone. This was a place that wasn't quite in the depth of the woods, but was a clearing just beyond the tree line that offered him a few meters in any given direction without interruption. Even once the trees began, he was not in the thicket. There would be plenty of space for him to move, maneuver, and work towards the mastery of his magic. First he would start with the quad stretches. Standing still, and completely upright, Jove would kick one leg backwards just below the knee, keeping his knee pointed directly towards the ground. Then, grabbing the bend of his ankle, he would hold his leg and pull it back until he felt a gentle pull on the muscles within his leg. This would allow him to stretch out his hamstrings and lower core. He would perform this stretch on both legs before moving on.

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While this stretch would certainly work the front hamstrings on his legs and his lower core muscles in his abdomen and sides, he would still need to find a way to properly stretch the back hamstring muscles and his glutes. He had one in mind that would work wonders, not only for the thick muscles in his legs, but also for the tendons around his knee and ankle. A little known fact about tendons is that while they pretty much maintained a constant level of tension and tightness, it still did them well to be stretched lightly every now and then. That's right; Stretching wasn't just for the muscles! Having finished the quad stretches, it was now time for the standing hamstring stretch. Leaning forward while keeping his back straight, Jove would fully extend a single leg so that his heel was digging into the earth in front of him. This leg would be fully outstretched and kept straight, and Jove would gently apply pressure to his upper thigh. This not only offered his lower back support, but deepened the stretch and allow him to feel a bit more of a burn that came from his muscles lossening.

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Having finished his second stretch on both legs, it was time to move up to his lower back. This next stretch was one called the chest and shoulder stretch, and it was one that most people already knew. The movements to it were essentially what were replicated whenever anyone woke up from a good sleep, or got up from a nice long rest. When they would stretch and push their arms back, pushing their chest forward, that was the essential to this movement. Come to think of it, there was a possibility that this stretch was discovered due to how humans loosened their body after waking from a deep sleep. It made sense, but now wasn't the time to think about this or discuss it. Standing straight with his feet shoulder width apart, Jove would bring his hands behind his back and press his palms together the best he could. Interlocking his fingers, he would fully extend his arms and push his hands down, bringing them close to his butt and then away until he felt the muscles in his arm, chest, and back all being activated simultaneously. He would hold this movement for around thirty seconds before letting it go.

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Next was for his upper back. Walking over to a nearby log that just so happened to be at the edge of the clearing in which he had begun this entire process, Jove would take a seat. Before stretching, he noticed that there was a tension in his spine that he hadn't noticed before. Perhaps, in stretching his body and getting his blood flowing, he had become a little bit better in tune with his body. He knew that his spine could be cracked, and he knew of a way to do it safely while in the seated position. Sitting his back up straight, Jove would put his feet flat on the ground and hold them shoulder length apart. Placing his left and right hand on their corresponding knees, Jove would lean forward while keeping his back straight until he was at around a 60 degree angle. From there, he would push outwards with his hands until his knees went just beyond the outer edge of his arm, offering resistance against his push. Now, all he needed to do was use his arms to help twist his lower back from side to side, pushing himself only slightly when he felt resistance. This allowed for his lower back to crack with relative ease. It was important for him to remember not to force a join to crack, especially not his spine, as such a thing could be potentially dangerous and offer long term side effects on his health.

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Next up came his shoulders, which would also do wonders in stretching his central back muscles, middle back muscles, and deltoids on his arms. Standing up straight, Jove would fold one arm over his body while keeping it completely straight. This meant he was only bending the arm at the shoulder, not at the elbow or the wrist. From there, he would use his other hand to grab the back of the arm right below the elbow on the side of the deltoid and pull at his arm. Standing up as straight as he could, Jove would then allow a very slight twisting of his spine. This stretched all the aforementioned muscles, and honestly helped loosen the stiffness that had built up in his neck and shoulder muscles. He would proceed to do this with both arms, making sure to hold each arm for about fifteen to thirty seconds while trying to keep the time spend on either side consistent. With that, he was nearly finished with his stretches. There were just two more to go before he'd feel like he was comfortable beginning to move around and train the spells that he had prepared to gain mastery over his takeover magic.

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The next stretch paired well with the shoulder stretch, and it was the triceps stretch. For this movement, Jove would bend his arm as if he were about to flex his bicep, but he would relax his arm of all tension so that he obviously was not flexing. Then, he would lift his arm up so that his bicep was parallel with his head, while bring up his second hand to arch over his head and grab his elbow. There, he would gently pull on his arm to create a light straining sensation his the back of his bicep. This would allow for his muscles to get a proper stretch, and to also work the muscles just below his shoulder. Then finally was the side stretch itself. For this one, Jove would lift his hands directly above his head and interlock his fingers with his two arms fully outstretched. He would then lightly push both hands up, creating a pulling sensation in his sides. Then, without twisting his body to allow for more movement, he would bend his spine to the left or the right until he felt a pull in his sides. He would hold that stretch for around fifteen to thirty seconds, and with that all his stretches were finished.

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There were those who would question the validity of Jove's actions, however, one needed to keep in mind the world they lived in. This was not some fairytale or book about wizards. Those who used magic did not stay still and simply cast spells at one another, hoping to overcome or overpower their stationary opponent. In this world, wizards fought with their bodies and enhanced the battle with magic. Jove would be running, dodging, punching, and leaping during a fight. If he was going to properly train his spells, he would need to simulate using them the same way he would in real life.

This meant that if he was going to train them in earnest, the first thing he had to do was prepare his body through stretching. It was only now that this was completed that he could begin the process of utilizing his magic. Jove would start with the first thing that he would need to do in order to even use the magic, something taught to him by Lucifer. "Superbia." With that, Jove's body immediately glowed a bright red and transformed. He had fused with Lucifer, and had thus taken on some of the demons characteristics. Yet in doing so, he could now utilize the magic in order to create his spells.

Spells Used:

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The first spell Jove was going to utilize was one that he had come up with in order to deal with enemies who would utilize their strength to try and physically attack him. Rather than focus on the need to properly dodge or block every full force attack from an enemy, his magic offered the capability to weaken his opponents directly at the expenditure of only a little bit of his own mana. For that, the spell had been designed named Sinful Indulgence. Tapping his foot on the ground while standing still, the magic circle formed and immediately a ball of plasma exploded from Jove's body in all directions.

Rather than sustaining the spell, Jove immediately let it dissipate. Moving from his spot in a dash backwards, he would tap his foot down in order to stop his backwards momentum. As he slid back, the same ball of plasma exploded from his body in all directions. This time he would continue to supply it with mana, and even he himself felt its effects. It was an immediate addition of exhaustion to his muscles. It wasn't that it reduced his stamina, yet he could actually feel and understand that he had just become physically weaker. His breathing had immediately picked up, and the ragged breaths were a clear sign that his spell had worked.

Spells used:

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Jove would never be able to get by with just spells to weaken his opponents. This wasn't to say that he was unable to fight hand to hand, but unless he was somehow able to better master his magic, he would still be weakened by it as well. This meant any sort of disadvantage his opponents suffered would be shared by him, and that was extremely dangerous. Jove was stronger and more durable than the average person, and his last tournament proved that, but that by no means meant that he would outdo his opponents in the wizarding world. This was especially true since his already doubtful physical abilities were effected by the same spells he was using.

So as he released the debuff he had just used, he turned and began to dash through the trees. He moved quickly, dodging between the thick trunks before leaping and spinning his body. As he faced backwards he clenched his fist, and as his momentum spun him around he opened his fist and slammed his open palm into the thickest tree in the surrounding area. His strength, paired with the explosion of fire from his palm, made any resistance from the tree disappear entirely. He felt as if his hand had blown through Styrofoam, and as the bulky tree fell he continued to sprint through the forest.

Further away he moved from the opening in which he had begun his training, and as he moved he continued with a series of the attack he just used and the debuffs, tapping either foot on the ground while he moved in the form of the very steps he was taking to move. This sort of training was one that had begun quickly exhausting him, but this wasn't combat. The rules that would normally dictate how he moved and carried himself did not apply here. Instead, he would continued this practice for a short while until he was prepared to sprinkle in the next spell.

Spells used:

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As Jove darted through the forest, he had made a sharp turn and stopped abruptly. With the surface being that of the forest floor, his momentum did not stop as quickly as his feet had. Firmly planted on the ground, his soles skid across the grass and leaves for around a meter before bringing him to a full stop. He had gone rather deep into the woods, and had long since escaped the site he had found, or the watchful eyes of the city. This meant not only that he was further away from civilization, but that the creatures whom he might run into had increased in danger and likelihood.

He sighed deeply, conflicted with what to do. On one hand, if he stayed out here he would likely be put into a dangerous situation for which he did not have the energy to tackle. On the other, he had come out here specifically in order to train his spells. Was he really going to go back now when the perfect opportunity for him to learn and grow likely existed in the emptiness before him?

Instead, Jove decide that he was going to embrace this head on. Sprinting forward, and reaching full gait in a matter of seconds, he was propelling himself away from the city faster than some merchants mounts. He continued like this for several minutes, his breathing and heartrate accelerating, but soon hitting a stride that would allow him to continue on like this for quite a while without too much issue. He would maintain this full sprint through the woods for a total of five minutes before finally reaching an area that he felt would satisfy what he was looking for in the woods. Coming to a halt once more, he began to walk slowly and catch his breath. It was now just a matter of time before the circumstance arose that he would be able to train himself.

During this time, Jove continued to work on circulating his mana. He was in takeover form, and the creatures of the woods very well may not have identified him as human. What sort of human had they seen with horns and wings? Perhaps they had encountered demons out here before, but then it all depended on the quality of demon. That would determine what would happen from this point out. Would the creatures of the woods avoid him as a dangerous predator, or come to him as an unknown, yet weak, prey?

As he continued forward, he seemed that he wouldn't have to wait long to get his answer. He had made his way to a spot that was a bit denser than the rest, surrounding him on all sides by bush and tree and all sorts of growth in between. He had made it here before he froze and listened intently, straining his still humanlike hearing in order to verify his suspicions. It was during this time that he realized he needed to come up with ways to better his sensory abilities, but that would have to wait.

What he heard was a roaring silence. The bugs had grown silent, the birds had stopped their singing, and the occasional rustling of leaves and snapping of branches had disappeared entirely. This meant one of two things. Either Jove was identified as a dangerous predator and forced the forest to grow silent in anticipation, or the dangerous predator had entered the area and the animals grew silent as to not draw its ire. If that was the case, then the only one who had been making noise was Jove, and that meant that he was soon going to be targeted.

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Jove waited for but a few moments, eyes closed and ears strained against the silence for any ripples in the stillness. His wait came to an abrupt end as his eyes snapped open and he leapt backwards, going back a couple of meters in time to barely dodge a massive club made of a fallen tree which slammed into where he was once standing. His eyes had immediately locked onto the creature holding it, a massive blue troll with the furs of creatures it had likely previously hunted covering its body. What this told Jove was that this creature was not only intelligent enough to find a weapon and to skin and tan its prey, but it likely had a sort of culture. A culture meant more of whatever this was.

Whether that meant this was just one of many that Jove would have to contest with, or whether that meant that this creature had others it had to protect and provide for, that meant that he was at a greater risk than if this was just a loan monster driven by hunger. Clicking his tongue in frustration, his action contrasted entirely with the grin that had spread to his face. It seemed that the threat excited him, though whether that was him or the influence of Lucifer was up for debate.

As he landed, his foot came into contact with the ground and a ball of plasma erupted from his core. The plasma quickly engulfed the troll as it had turned its focus to him again, and as it went to swing the club it immediately noticed that the attack became much sloppier. The club didn't swing nearly fast or strong enough, and so as it swung Jove twisted his body into it. His fist had closed tight, a second magic circle appearing, and as he propelled his hand forward his fist opened into a palm strike. His hand struck the club, and the explosion of fire blew the club backwards and out of the trolls weakened grasp. Since this threw the trolls arm back, the creatures entire balance was off. This was something Jove couldn't let slip by.

He had already reentered his martial stance, and due to that there was nearly no delay. Lifting his foot and sending a traditional taekwando kick to the creatures midsection, the weakened mage was not nearly strong enough to cause serious damage. However, the true goal was the next spell which he had used in conjunction with the kick. Since the kick landed directly on the troll, there was no room to block. The debuff exited his foot and immediately entered the massive frame of the beast. Rather than focusing on its strength, which had already been dealt with and was being sustained, this one attacked the creatures constitution. This was such a powerful spell due to the fact that while the troll would feel damage the same, due to its endurance remaining untouched, it would collapse much sooner than it would otherwise.

Also, unlike the area of effect spell he had used first which effected himself, this one was single target. Rather than both suffering the drop in constitution, it would only be the troll.

Due to the weakened state of his kick, however, the troll suffered minimum damage. It had taken a step back, but it had also sent a mighty underhand punch at Jove's midsection. This creatures fist was easily as big as his head, and so when the massive closed fist of the troll collided with his chest, Jove was lifted from his feet and flung back a meter. Landing and rolling backwards to minimize damage and quickly get back to his feet, he stood still and stared at the creature. He had suffered damage, but it was now in a weakened and vulnerable state. The fight would be settled soon, and with his final spell which he needed to train.

Spells Used:

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The troll made the biggest mistake of the fight, but it was one which made sense. Before reducing both of their strengths, Jove was the weaker of the two. This obviously didn't change after the debuff, even if Jove was slightly less effected. Which, by the way, was a good learning experience for Jove. He learned through multiple uses of the debuff that he was no where nearly as effected as he should have been, yet the troll confirmed the spell was as potent as it was intended to be. This meant that he had a resistance to fire, even if it was minimal.

Still, back to the point, the troll was stronger. This meant it didn't feel the need to turn away from Jove and grab its weapon. Rather, due to the difference in strength, it'd be shameful to turn its back on an enemy in order to rush for its weapon. It was far more impressive to continue fighting like this, continue to brush off the strange techniques of the not so human humanoid, and to win the battle with its bare fists. This made complete sense to the troll, but would be its downfall.

As it moved forward on Jove, it grabbed at him in what appeared to be an attempted bear hug. Jove easily was able to shoot around the side of the troll, dodging the slow grab and utilizing the fact that the creature was much larger than he was. At this point, nearly point blank, Jove opened his jaw wide. A magic circle formed, and an orb also appeared in the middle of his mouth which was small, condensed, and bright red. Without any sort of delay, a massive two meter in diameter orb appeared in front of Jove, shooting outwards. It did so in a way that avoided contacting him at all, and yet formed with such speed that it must have grown as it moved away from his body in a nearly perfect 1:1 ratio, ensuring full size and the safety of its user.

This sphere collided with the troll and immediately blew a major hole in its side. It was a powerful creature, but it neither used magic nor possessed any resistance to fire. On the contrary, it seemed possible that it was actually more susceptible to the flames. Perhaps it was an elemental advantage?

The creature fell to its knees, then forward onto the ground. It looked back, over itself, at Jove standing above it. Its eyes were not sad, and through the pain it looked to have a sense of respect. This creature was, at the end of the day, a warrior. It respected the one who bested it in combat, and Jove knew the only way to honor it was by treating it as a warrior. He would nod towards it, and as the creature smiled, it drew its final breath. It died so that Jove may continue to grow, and for that, he would remember the troll.

Spells used:

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EXIT