Hellish Training and the Divine Awakening
I tearfully gritted my teeth and used the [Skill Transfer Ticket] to pass [Sacred Heavenly Divine Art LV.2] to Leona. I figured there wouldn't be any special effects, but suddenly the room darkened, filled with countless swirling nebulae of stars.
The party members gasped in surprise, falling silent as they beheld the solemn, majestic spectacle.
"...I'll pass it on to you. I'm sure you can make good use of it."
"Y-You're really giving me a [skill] you received from a god? For real? Why me?"
".....Because I take responsibility."
And honestly, there's no one else to give it to, Leona... I swallowed those words to keep from disappointing the kid.
I'd thought about giving it to Hyacinth, but even he waved it off, saying he'd already mastered his own race's mana breathing technique and it was too much for him. Apparently, advanced mana arts like this require a solid foundation to even learn.
The fact that I had it despite having zero mana, let alone basics? I pinned my hopes on Leona, who at least had some mana affinity, and handed it over. The goddess had affirmed she could handle it too.
Thanks to her innate superior race and the genius boost from my rank-up, she could master it.
So I'm not a genius, huh... I wanted to deny it, but it wasn't wrong, so I just felt sad.
I'd considered using my new fairy transformation skill to somehow wield [Heavenly Demon God's Black Heart] and boost my stats that way.
But spitting blood with 80% reduced stats sounded like a death sentence, so I was too scared to try. And with mental corruption on top... I'd have to test it someday as a demo, but not in front of the party.
Noksu said all the info on fairies was that they were a magical race living far away in some remote region—nothing more. No real intel on the species.
I didn't want to transform and end up craving blood or something weird.
But the temptation gnawed at me... Transform, ask Hyacinth to carry me around, snag any monster, and bam—learn mana? Plus 100% stat acquisition... even a fraction would be a massive power-up.
But every time I glanced at the skill, it screamed "demonic arts," killing my greed.
"Alright, let's get to it!"
Under Noksu's direction, my training with Leona began.
Physical conditioning was straightforward enough. When I heard Leona's stats exceeded 100, it hit me hard—not even a 9-year-old...?—but she's a goddess-certified genius, so I dove into training.
A hero who can't level up by slaying monsters... I never expected easy gains, but getting skills from constellations was pretty high-scale too.
'Skills from constellations make you strong, but without basics, they're meaningless...!'
Even without mastering [skills], I could cast [magic] by studying theory and circulating mana. [Skills] come to those who strive; lacking them doesn't mean you can't do it.
In the end, what mattered was effort! Grit! The RPG basics: grinding!!
Push-ups, pull-ups on the bar, road runs. Weighted bracelets on limbs, gradually increasing the load to build muscle and stamina day after day.
Fortunately, Noksu praised my learning speed as a natural talent. I picked up Po'runga's basic martial arts faster than expected, surprising her.
"Have you trained in various fighting styles before?"
"Uh, well... I've seen them."
Thinking back, I'd watched plenty of martial arts in movies and TV. This is fantasy, so techniques from comics were feasible too—naturally, I adapted quickly.
Po'runga's stances were basically boxing, and her leg techniques... I couldn't replicate them. Lightly spinning and jumping 2 meters while kicking seven times? Impressive demo, but impossible for me.
"Physical toughness is basically strength. [Metal Skin] is perfect for you without mana."
My bare fists could shatter thin bricks now. With [Metal Skin], I dented steel plates.
It felt like becoming a martial arts master, but Leona gripped and tore steel plates with raw grip strength.
The gap in racial potential nearly brought tears... but as an adult, I held it together in front of the kid.
"Now, heighten your senses to feel the mana."
Blindfolded on Noksu's order, I assumed position. Footsteps circled, projectiles whistled—stone hit my temple, and I tumbled across the training ground.
"Use your senses, not sound—too slow." She tossed slower stones. I sensed growth hearing them, but dodging blind was tough.
"Can't handle that, and goblin poison needles will get you! Adventurers need ambush response basics!"
From now on, even eating, sleeping, or daily life—she'd strike suddenly. "Never drop your guard!" Her scowl promised hellish Sparta training.
Chopsticks flying at dinner, soap or basins mid-wash, stones from alleys on errands. My senses sharpened amid unannounced attacks in daily life.
Or rather, got so sensitive I developed insomnia. Waking to a face-full of water felt like torture.
Larirarion, sleeping nearby, flailed when doused at midnight. "Adventurers are defenseless asleep! This training's too harsh!"
"Radamu needs this intensity, or who knows what'll happen—kidnapping? Too late for regrets!"
"Urk!"
Larirarion couldn't counter Noksu a word. Hyacinth hid in the library studying C-rank stuff to avoid getting caught.
Nex got periodic water dumps, Leona colds from ice water, me bruised blocking everything.
The guild even got a violence report; investigators visited the base. Requests piled up: forest searches, F~E monster hunts.
Hunts were fine, but mid-herb gathering, Noksu ambushed disguised as grass—Leona screamed, cat-leapt up a tree fleeing. Jealous... I couldn't, took her headbutt and flew off.
"Learn quick improvisation! Prioritize your body—always ready to retreat!"
"Escape or hide from strong forest monsters too! Mana training's key for that..."
We rolled like hoops through forest grass. A treant approached at my screams once—awkward, but we survived. Shocked, Noksu switched to plains training.
"Forest treants are..."
"Knew you'd say that."
Po'runga, prior victim, grumbled Noksu hadn't believed her warning.
We trained in sunny plains—nice, but Noksu's treant trauma showed; she hated forests now. Even ex-A-rank adventurers fear treants...
Po'runga fixed our forms for basic martial arts. At base, we honed senses for mana.
Riko brewed daily mana potions by type, guinea-pigging me for research. "Studying human mana organ development will help later." He was motivated too.
"55... 56..."
Larirarion on my back for push-ups, hanging for pull-ups... Used like a weight, but she clung cicada-like, happily asking to keep going.
No major incidents during training. Guild council launched full searches? Noksu got griffon-slay rewards: elixirs bought, plaques displayed.
"Guild-verified elixirs. May grant resistance/attribute skills or toughen body. But could be poison or ineffective—use carefully."
She picked safe ones for us, splurged, and we chugged them through brutal months.
Sticking to Trust Union requests, base training, crafting sales for cash. No big events there—peaceful, like main story stalled without me.
Saving sleep, guzzling elixirs like water, enduring near-abuse for 5 months...
As trees turned red, adventurers buzzed about harvest festivals—autumn arrived. Change came.
Slice falling leaves unseen. Feel surging energy, bare fist shatters boulder.
"Incredible...!"
Noksu's awe at the absurdly massive mana aura. Party clapped, hugging like their own win—unexpecting such awakening.
Vast mana could sunder skies—truly a divine art.
After 5 months, calluses worn to nothing from blood and sweat, effort bore fruit.
"Did... I do it...?"
Yes, she mastered it... the divine art!
Leona had finally awakened [Sacred Heavenly Divine Art]!
"Lucky..."
I'd learned some mana too—just a bit pooling in my palm.
Is this the gap of talent and race...?
"...Really lucky..."
Exhausted on the ground, I teared up watching mana blaze like flames around her.
"Radamu...! Power surges through me...! This is... the divine art's might!"
"What the heck... I dunno, scary..."
Even so, cloaking in mana flames and firing Dragon Ball-style ki blasts? Too much. Someone think of my Yamcha-level heartbreak.