Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Real Combat Training
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The same day repeated itself.
In the mornings, I researched magic. In the afternoons, I trained my body. In the evenings, I gathered information at the tavern.
Then, on the fourth day, things changed.
“Huff! Huff!”
As usual, I was diligently building my strength when Barundel suddenly came over, kneaded my body, and gave a satisfied smile.
“Hmm, your body’s just about ready.”
“Is that so?”
“The potion you drank at the start definitely helped. Time to wrap things up.”
“Wrap things up...”
“Now it’s real combat.”
Thud, thud.
Barundel headed into his room.
When he emerged, he held a iron hammer as big as my torso.
“What’s that?”
“Body training isn’t much different from forging a sword. The more you hammer it, the tougher it gets.”
“You’re saying you’re going to hit me with that right now...?”
“Depends on how you look at it.”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“It’s been a while.”
Barundel swung the iron hammer around to loosen up, then turned to me.
“You’ve got thirty minutes. Treat it like real combat and dodge with everything you’ve got. Feel free to attack, too.”
“Wait, just like that...”
I didn’t have time to argue.
Whoosh!
Barundel was suddenly right in my face.
The distance closed in an instant.
‘What kind of speed is that...!’
It was like he’d cast an advanced spell, [Blink].
How was this possible with those short legs...?
The dwarf’s surprises didn’t end there.
A intimidating roar echoed from the hammer as Barundel swung it with full force.
Boooom!
It was just a simple swing, but in terms of speed and power, it rivaled the silver sword.
‘If that hits... it’s dangerous.’
My judgment was swift.
Thump! Thump! Thump...!
> Entering awakening state.
Crackle!
The moment my heart pounded, yellow currents sparked around me.
My dormant senses and nerves awakened.
Just before the hammer struck, I twisted my waist in response.
My body, now flexible from training, was already showing results.
Whoosh—!
The iron hammer, boasting terrifying wind pressure, grazed past my chest.
I immediately kicked off the ground to create distance.
Taat.
“...Isn’t this progressing too fast? I nearly crushed the body we just built.”
My complaint was brief as our eyes met.
For some reason, Barundel looked extremely flustered.
“...You’re a mage?”
...Come to think of it, I hadn’t mentioned it.
I nodded in affirmation.
“Yeah, well... I don’t even have a circle yet.”
“...Hah, why the hell is a mage building up his body?”
Barundel asked as if he truly couldn’t comprehend.
Fair enough—it must look strange to him.
In [Devil Fantasy], mages devoted every spare moment to magic research.
But from my own research, pairing body training with magic was far more efficient, provided you met the conditions.
Of course, explaining that would be too complicated, so I brushed it off.
“Casting spells with a scrawny body just doesn’t look cool.”
“...You’re a weird one.”
Changing the subject, I dropped into a combat stance.
“You said attacks were allowed, right?”
“Of course. I’m not so frail that I’d lose to some mage wannabe.”
“Bold words.”
Barundel exuded confidence, and I extended my palm.
‘Since we’re at it... might as well test how much stronger I’ve gotten.’
A sphere soon formed above my palm.
Siiiigh—.
[Mana Compression].
The first skill I’d learned in this world.
But this sphere was incomparably larger and more refined than before.
“Fuu...”
I steadied my breathing and infused the sphere with my will.
The image I conjured was...
‘Flame.’
Roar!
A massive flame bloomed over my hand.
It felt entirely different from Kayla’s flames.
Far more fluid and gentle.
This must be the unique property of my mana.
“...A beautiful flame.”
“You’ll feel the difference once it hits.”
“Heh.”
With those words, Barundel and I clashed once more.
Boom!
Seasoned hammer strikes infused with experience met attribute magic I’d mastered on the fly.
Dodge, attack, parry, block...
How much time passed like that?
“Hah... hah...”
“Hmm...!”
We collapsed from exhaustion at the same time.
The result... a regrettable defeat.
No, nothing regrettable about it.
“...That wasn’t just bravado.”
Ten matches, zero wins, ten losses.
A total rout.
As I caught my breath, Barundel consoled me.
“...Don’t be too down. You had some dangerous moments for me.”
“...”
“I mean it. Fighting a mage is exhausting.”
“Did you do mercenary work before opening this place?”
“Something like that... a long time ago.”
“I see.”
Something like that...
I had questions, but he didn’t seem eager to talk.
Instead of prying, I brushed myself off and stood.
“One more round?”
“...Your mana doesn’t run out?”
“I recover pretty fast.”
“...I’m done. This old body’s had enough.”
Barundel waved me off.
His expression showed he was truly spent.
Makes sense—he’d been moving his body directly, unlike me firing ranged spells... probably twice as tiring.
After lying sprawled for a while, Barundel suddenly spoke.
“Dwarf training can’t be rushed in a short time. It’s divided into several stages.”
His voice was unusually serious.
I nodded slightly.
“Yeah, I know. Five stages, right?”
“No idea how you know, but yes. From building the foundation... to completing the body. Five stages total. And with that real combat training, stage one is done.”
“...So the foundation’s set?”
“Touch the spots where my hammer hit.”
Following his words, I felt the struck areas.
What was this?
No pain—instead, the knotted muscles felt loosened.
Like I’d drunk a potion.
“How is this...”
As I stared in shock, Barundel continued.
“This isn’t just any hammer.”
He said, raising it with a swipe.
Then.
Shhh...
Golden dust scattered from the hammer, transforming it.
From a plain iron hammer to one etched with ornate patterns.
I recognized it instantly.
“...An artifact.”
“That’s right. It has the property of straightening the body’s imbalances. A heirloom passed down in my family.”
In simple terms, it was a freebie...
Looking closer, it was a familiar design.
Something I knew.
‘Hammer of Balance.’
An artifact mainly used for repairs rather than combat, with a ‘Dwarf-Exclusive’ restriction.
‘...It works on others too?’
No, the real surprise was elsewhere.
“You used that to fix my body? While fighting me?”
“If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t have opened this gym.”
“...Hah.”
His matter-of-fact tone drew a dry laugh.
Why was a dwarf of this caliber running a rundown gym like this?
“Anyway, stage one’s over. All imbalances in your body are corrected. ...You’ll feel it soon. Oh, the next stage starts in two months...”
I didn’t know why he was going this far, but...
I approached the lying Barundel and bowed politely.
“Thank you.”
It was sincere.
This dwarf had helped me more than I deserved.
Barundel sat up and tapped my leg.
“...If you’re grateful, bring customers next time.”
“Haha, tough times?”
“No one’s come by in days—you think? Just keeping this place open is breaking my back.”
“Trust me. You’ll feel like you need two bodies then.”
“...We’ll see.”
Barundel smirked.
I grinned back.
“Two months, right? See you then.”
“Leaving already? You’re heartless.”
“Got places to be.”
“Fair enough... See you. Next time, drinks.”
“You got it.”
Thud, we bumped fists.
Our farewell.
No regrets.
We’d meet again soon.
***
After Yoo Han left, Barundel lay sprawled on the gym floor and let out a deep sigh.
“Fuu...”
His face was strangely complicated.
His mind swirled with thoughts.
After wriggling for a while, Barundel extended his arm while lying down.
An arm honed over decades of training, near perfection.
Yet now.
It trembled faintly.
Not just the arm.
Muscles throughout his body ached and throbbed.
Soreness.
“Hah, haha.”
A wry laugh escaped.
The guy hadn’t even trained for a full week.
Yet fighting him had sent his body distress signals?
Even with the [Hammer of Balance] draining his mental strength for real combat, this was impossible.
And moreover.
The opponent was a mage.
“...How is this a mage?”
Barundel was a dwarf who’d fought mages countless times.
He knew how to handle them.
Get in close, deny them distance.
But this guy was different from any mage he’d seen.
Even while unleashing spells relentlessly, he always sensed when the distance closed.
And when it did, he’d wrap himself in electricity to boost speed and handle close quarters.
His mindset was worlds apart from other mages who desperately avoided melee.
Barundel vaguely recalled the man’s words.
>-Casting spells with a scrawny body just doesn’t look cool.
The answer he’d given when asked why a mage would train his body.
But was that really it?
“...No way.”
The man wielded magic and body in perfect harmony.
As if he’d planned this from the start.
Other mages would scoff.
Magic and body? What nonsense.
But having faced him, Barundel thought differently.
“A completely new fighting style.”
Combat was a fight for survival.
In such fights, even slightly unnerving your opponent had real value.
Especially when that absurd combo proved unexpectedly efficient.
Barundel shuddered at a sudden thought.
>-Yeah, well... I don’t even have a circle yet.
If the man reached higher circles in magic.
And completed his body through upcoming dwarf training.
What kind of mage would he become?
“Hmm, this...”
Barundel’s eyes held various emotions.
Anticipation, curiosity, excitement... and a hint of fear.
“...I think I might’ve let a monster in.”
The quiet gym.
Barundel rose and swung the hammer.
A sharp whoosh cut the air.
Whoosh—!
“Can’t be a burden.”
It had been a decade since he quit hunting and training.
Training resumed after ten years.