Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.32 – The Knight is Reinforcing (1)
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"...Wow."
The girl with stunning golden hair like threads of silk and striking blue eyes let out a soft gasp of admiration.
Thud!Thump!Thump-!
"How can he wield that thing like it's nothing?"
They could only stare in a daze.
The girl and the ghostly girl had stopped by the neighbor's house to greet its owner, who had finally returned home after being away for over two weeks.
It was a rare chance to meet, so the girl had tidied her usually messy hair and even put on some makeup. Just facing him and chatting was thrilling enough.
...If they could share dinner together, that would be perfect.
But the neighbor had made a request of her upon their reunion after so long.
The girl's reaction to that request?
'Huh?'
...It was a pretty dumb response, but anyone hearing such a request would probably react the same way.
Thump!
"He lifted it again."
Irene Windler—the girl herself had created it, but she couldn't fathom how anyone could physically handle the thing. She found herself repeating the question.
A disk made of water.
It was the size of a bull... no, calling it a disk was wrong. It was just a massive blob.
It might look light at a glance.
Made of water, after all. But anyone else might not know, but Irene Windler, its creator, did.
'How many compressions did I do on that thing, and he's handling it so easily...'
She had compressed water from a flowing lake over twenty times to shape it like that.
Meaning it had far more mass than it appeared, and Irene had used up half her mana in the process.
Considering her mana reserves were double those of most mages, it was astonishing.
So that water blob was a product of magic's wonder, weighing about 800kg per blob—for two, that was 1,600kg total...
"Phew, can you add a bit more weight?"
"A-Are you sure?"
"It's still manageable."
"......"
The fact that this weight wasn't even the limit of the water blobs was more shocking than the blobs feeling too light to register.
'He was never normal to begin with, but now he feels even further from human...'
What had happened in the past two weeks?
Irene wondered.
"Ah, sorry for bothering you with this hassle. I should've treated you to dinner or given a gift before asking..."
Maybe he thought she was annoyed at the troublesome request—he looked genuinely apologetic. Irene quickly shook her head.
Absolutely not.
"I-It's fine! ...Though dinner does sound tempting."
"Then I'll treat you to something nice later."
"Hehe."
Thump!!
She happily increased the weight, and the ground cratered.
1,000kg per blob.
Plus, the pole supporting them had to withstand that, weighing a hefty 300kg.
Total barbell weight: 2,300kg...
"Add another 700kg here."
"......"
...Now 3,000kg.
Irene gaped like an idiot again, and he once more...
Krunch!
...hoisted the massive barbell.
It looked strenuous, sure...
"----."
But he silently began 'squats'.
3-ton squats.
Thirty reps, ten sets.
"......"
"...Me too."
Watching that, even ancient pyramid builders had to be human.
Just one correction.
'Instructor could stack a pyramid by himself.'
With near-certain faith, Irene dazedly watched the strongman she'd fallen for—no—
'Heracles fits better?'
Sluuurp...!
Seeing the real-life Heracles's muscles dynamically flex and breathe, saliva gathered at Irene Windler's lips.
...Was she just really hungry?
Lee Han glanced sideways at the mana chick drooling and decided not to overdo his workout.
'Hmm, next time, just call the magic slave kid.'
She was a young girl who wanted to hang out with friends—not torment her for his training. And she looked hungry, so treat her to a nice dinner. With that resolve, Lee Han resumed his barbell squats.
Sorry was sorry, but seize the chance to train!
'Heave!'
Hwooo!
Lee Han hoisted the water barbell with a mental shout.
A signal to deploy Indestructible Training in an instant. The moment the signal hit, deploy in 0.5 seconds.
But still clumsy, sometimes exceeding 1 second—and then...
Crunch!
...Screams echoed from his entire body.
"...Ugh."
Fortunately, his body was tough enough to endure 'this much weight,' and it was still bearable.
The real issue was...
'...Dizzy as hell.'
Using Indestructible Training for repeated extreme workouts was the biggest problem.
Throb!
His head hurt.
Indestructible Training normally required immense mental focus even once.
Extending qi through every meridian to armor the body—like it sounded simple, but it wasn't.
His highest-difficulty technique, and exercising while maintaining it was like...
'...Riding a unicycle with a cranky zebra on your back.'
Too many places demanding focus, nauseating, one slip and he'd fall or get hurt.
But without it, 3 tons repeatedly was too much even for him—risking injury.
And above all...
'This is the way.'
He felt the limits of his old body-building method.
Time for bolder, crazier approaches.
Especially...
'That monster of a body.'
This incident showed him a human with an even more absurd physique.
Maximus, heaven-sent golden perfect body.
His strength and reactions overwhelmed Lee Han's stats.
Believe he matched Divine Arrow Flight just by kicking off?
'...Insane human.'
But that's why his body inspired Lee Han endlessly.
Fighting him firsthand sharpened that inspiration, giving Lee Han a new direction for his body.
Increase muscle density.
Old habit.
Key was deeper.
Integrate techniques.
Run Divine Arrow Flight effortlessly.
Maintain Indestructible Training in daily life.
Refine senses so Full-Body Destruction Exercise feels like new limbs.
In short...
'Time for a full-body shed.'
Induce 'artificial shedding' in himself.
Turn active basic techniques into passive body mods.
His answer. Make those techniques always-on attachments.
Impossible before, but Lv.8 level-up expanded his vessel—he knew it.
Not reckless; limits grew, so new challenges.
'Target: 10,000 squats.'
Build strength for free 10-ton lifts.
Then...
'No one'll call me frail anywhere.'
No lagging in physical specs.
Boom!
Finish 10 sets, carefully lower barbell.
Ground shakes—yeah, it's heavy.
Sorry weak soil.
"Phew, next: barbell lunges."
Workout not over.
Weight...
'Add 500kg.'
How much with Indestructible Training? Ultimate challenge—
"Knight!"
"...Maid?"
Thud.
Lee Han quickly lowered the barbell as a woman approached.
No brushing accidents—could hurt someone.
'Hmm, Maid might be fine?'
Her mysterious toughness... but he shook his head.
Not her, anyway.
Leira Winter approached, radiating vibrant energy and a smile that freshened everything, politely offering a newspaper with both hands.
"Hehe, you said you needed the paper, so I brought it!"
"You brought it?"
"Yes! Straight from the capital press the moment it was issued!"
"No need—you could've waited for delivery."
Paper's office to home: 10km.
How'd she buy and carry it?
Ink still warm—issued under 5 minutes ago...
'Can I cover 10km in 5 minutes?'
Possible? Without a drop of sweat? No.
But maybe her... Lee Han stared.
Actually... maybe my real goal isn't that Black Lion guy, but the maid...
"Why stare like that?"
"Just... random thoughts."
"You're tired! Here, lemonade and lemon tart! It'll ease the fatigue."
"...Sure."
Lee Han admitted he was tired, silently gulping cool lemonade.
Her oddities feeling normal now—weird?
"Hm?"
...This is delicious.
...Obviously, much had happened in the capital meanwhile.
The Southern Continent's largest fertilizer plant had collapsed overnight.
Food production would plummet—obvious next step.
Riots from panic? Not surprising. Capital papers churned out dozens daily.
Journalists bet lives on scoops, anywhere.
Capital's doom? Just fodder.
But...
This flipped the despair instantly, swaying opinion. Reporters predicting doom pelted with stones.
The royals—no, she—acted.
As if wanting the chaos to peak, she released new fertilizer.
Better, cheaper than old.
"Long live Crown Princess Isis!"
"No, call her Crown Princess."
"Right, she's the heir."
"Heh, Pendragon's future shines."
"That reporter! The one who trashed Her Highness!"
"Stones! Traitors!!"
Farmers—no, commoners—praised her endlessly.
Learning old fertilizer was monster guts? Gross.
Better not know; now, who uses it?
Spare fertilizer? Too creepy. Then princess hands out easy potion fertilizer.
Matching performance, her swift action brilliant. Pilgrimage to aid farmers personally...
How noble, great...!
Fanaticism natural.
...Well.
"But royals hid the fertilizer truth, right?"
"All in cahoots."
"Too quick."
"Royals staged it?"
Sharp few eyed suspiciously.
Crucial: royals allowed tunnels.
Criticize? Obvious—but...
"Look at these traitor scum!!!"
"Ever starved!? You haven't, so you spout crap! Monster or not, fertilizer grows crops!"
"Royals knew, ate tunnel crops too? Palace farms used it—what's the issue?"
Public opinion: results trump lies, agitation.
Especially felt personally.
Century ago, hundreds starved daily—what's fertilizer source?
"S-Still!"
Stubborn held firm.
Need royal apology? Then...
"You telling the War God who left for Avalon to take responsibility?"
"!!!?"
"If so, prepare. I won't forgive insulting Him, even if others do."
"Uh, uh, th-that's..."
Yes.
Tunnels from War God's era—criticizing meant insulting him.
Insult humanity's god-king?
That's...
"Kill him!!!"
"Burn him!"
Begging death.
Stoning fine, burning? No pity.
Situation quelled fast. Crown Princess Isis's heir status solidified.
Truly...
"...Scary auntie vibe. Toying with everyone."
Terrifying.
Imagining the woman orchestrating all from her desk, Lee Han's sweat went cold.
...Chills.