The Path of Muscle and Steel
The reason I came to the physical training room instead of the sparring hall was to attempt physical conditioning using mana. Until now, I had trained solely with my bare body, devoid of any mana. In my original world, that was the standard, but in this world, it is common practice to utilize mana to enhance one's physique. By channeling mana, one can train with heavier weights and stimulate muscle growth by pulsing energy directly into the fibers during the workout. It was a method I couldn't even attempt before, as I lacked the ability to manipulate mana. But now, having acquired not only physical strength and power but also the talent for mana control, it was well within my reach.
Although I had sword training scheduled later, my experience told me that sword practice didn't consume a vast amount of mana, so I decided to prioritize physical training first. Thanks to [Regeneration (A)], my physical fatigue would dissipate quickly anyway.
“Come on, one more!”
“I… I can’t do any more….”
“Nonsense! It’s not your body that’s tired, it’s your weak heart! One more!”
“Gaaah…!”
Given the time of day, there were many students training. I scanned the room for a moment and sat down at a bench press that had just opened up. I decided to start with the weight I used to lift and loaded 165kg onto the bar. I lay back on the bench, gripped the bar firmly, and lifted it off the rack.
‘It lifts easily, as expected.’
It was partly due to my strength talent, but the proper form made a world of difference. Because of that damn [Growth Stagnation], even after two years of training, I had struggled to maintain decent form. This time, I infused mana into my muscles and pushed with all my might, just as I had practiced.
‘Whoa, almost dropped it.’
The weight felt so light that I nearly launched it into the air. I was struck once again by the sheer power of mana. At this rate, I wouldn't even get a proper workout, so I decided it would be better to increase the weight significantly all at once. I racked the barbell, stood up, and grabbed the compressed weight plates. These were items specifically crafted for the training of superhumans, possessing several times the mass of standard plates of the same volume. I loaded a few onto the bar to reach 300kg and tried lifting it with mana again. It was still too light, so I added more. It took several repetitions of this process before I found the optimal weight. I could lift up to 450kg with some effort.
I had only just acquired mana, yet my lifting capacity had nearly tripled. However, not everyone could achieve this level of efficiency. It was the result of a combination of factors that were not easy to come by: my innate talent and the pure mana circulating through my muscles. Having found my rhythm, I continued the training. With my physical talents, [Regeneration (A)], and [Flawless Mind (S)], I was able to push my body to its absolute limit.
“Wow… he’s intense.”
“His form is good, too. Who is that?”
“Isn’t that Kim Ilshin?”
“Who’s that?”
“You know, the guy ranked dead last in the school.”
“I wouldn’t know, I only ever see him here.”
“……Right. Keep living like that.”
“Thanks for the kind words.”
At first, the students had been focused on their own training, but their attention gradually shifted toward me. The training was brutal enough to draw eyes, and with my form being perfect, they couldn't help but take notice.
“Hoo….”
Having finished my set, I sat on the bench and wiped away the sweat. It wasn't too late yet, so I planned to rest, let my muscles recover, and then begin my sword training.
Thud.
“Do you have a moment?”
A massive hand landed on my shoulder. It felt like a grip I wouldn't be able to shake off easily. Thinking it might be a confrontation, I turned around, only to be met with a sight I never could have imagined. The man who had grabbed my shoulder was over two meters tall, his massive frame covered entirely in muscle. It was a level of musculature that was truly phenomenal, as if I were witnessing the reincarnation of a prime Ronnie Coleman. Even from the surface, it was clear his muscles were even denser than Coleman's. Behind him stood a group of other men, perhaps slightly less massive but still impressively muscular.
But the truly shocking part was something else.
Sniffle, sniffle.
They were all crying. They were practically sobbing. I could see the floor becoming damp from the tears streaming down their faces. Yet, even as they wept, they held their thumbs up high—a scene that radiated pure insanity.
“We are sorry!!”
As the man who looked like Ronnie Coleman bowed his head and shouted, the men behind him followed suit.
“We are sooooooorry—!!!!!!!”
It was a destructive apology that made any anger I might have felt vanish instantly. For me, having no memory of ever seeing these people before, I was simply bewildered.
“We have ignored you until now! We acknowledged your consistency, but because of your unchanging, sloppy form and the light weights you used, we thought you were just a poser, a fake-muscle guy!!”
I was dumbfounded. My form might have been questionable, but I had been lifting 165kg.
“But seeing you today, it was like a phoenix breaking through its egg! No matter how poor the form, no matter how small the muscles!! We should never have ignored that consistency—!!”
The man shoved his tear-streaked face toward me, his hands still gripping my shoulders. His mouth was curled into a wide grin that contrasted sharply with his streaming tears, and his eyes burned with madness. If I had encountered them anywhere other than the Academy, I would have drawn my sword without hesitation.
“Your perfect form and compressed muscles!! And the diligence that forged them!! I acknowledge you. You have received the blessing of Heracles, the god of muscles. Come, let us walk the path of muscle together—!!!!”
I was about to refuse flatly, but I hesitated. Even if they looked like lunatics, they clearly possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding muscle and physical conditioning to have built bodies like that. I wondered if I could learn about the flow of mana or the secrets of muscle growth that I needed to pay attention to while training.
“…I’ll try it just for today.”
“Excellent!! I am Hwang Heracles Deok-bae, a fourth-year!! I look forward to working with you!!”
“……Are you of mixed heritage?”
“No!! I changed my name to honor the god of muscles!!”
I immediately began to regret my decision. He was truly, deeply insane. But I had already thrown away my chance to escape. Before long, I realized that I had walked into hell of my own volition.
“Ughhhhh….”
I washed up with great difficulty and collapsed onto my bed. I didn't even have the strength to move, so I manipulated my mana remotely to turn off the lights. Hell wasn't somewhere else; the training with Hwang Heracles Deok-bae was hell itself. My talent was of no use there. Having realized that my muscles recovered quickly thanks to [Regeneration (A)], Deok-bae had shortened the rest periods between routines. For himself, too. [Flawless Mind (S)] was used to endure the agony while remaining fully conscious. I couldn't even run away. When I said I had to go to sword training, he made me do bicep and tricep exercises, claiming that strong power makes for a strong sword.
“I’m going to die….”
My legs were trembling uncontrollably, and I couldn't lift my arms above my shoulders. My abs had tightened so much that every breath felt like my stomach was tearing apart. Still, I had gained something. Their training methods, contrary to their simple-minded appearance, were incredibly efficient. If I used the techniques I had learned, I could accelerate my growth even further starting tomorrow.
‘Still, I never want to do that again.’
Unable to hold on any longer, I collapsed into sleep. My muscles kept screaming, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. It had been a rewarding day, the likes of which I hadn't tasted in a long time.
The next day. I woke up early, meditated, and finished both my physical and sword training. Fortunately, the muscle soreness wasn't too severe. It seemed that increasing my sleep time had been effective. The muscle growth was certain, commensurate with the suffering. My strength had increased in just one day.
‘Still, I don’t want to do that again.’
After a short rest, I headed to the lecture hall for class. I hadn't been able to focus well the day before, but since theory classes accounted for a high percentage of my grade, I had to listen carefully. I had a knack for studying theory. Since I couldn't do practical work, I had to work hard at that. Thanks to that, most theory instructors, with the exception of someone like Mr. Park Do-hoon, viewed me favorably. Today, the morning classes ended without any troublesome incidents. Jeon Tae-yoon’s group was quiet, too. However, if there was one strange thing, it was Baek Ha-yeon, who kept casting blatant glances my way for some reason. Even stranger was the fact that Seo Ye-ryeong was also looking at me repeatedly. Though, it seemed Seo Ye-ryeong was trying not to get caught.
My senses, sharpened after my talent was unleashed, caught even that.
‘If she has something to say, she’ll come over.’
Dismissing it with that thought, I headed to the next lecture hall. A steel sword I had hurriedly purchased for the next class was strapped to my waist. The quality wasn't great. But in the next class, the quality of the sword didn't matter. The first class of the afternoon was Advanced Sword Skills. It was a class rumored to be difficult to earn a grade in across the entire Academy. The standards of the instructor, a former hero, were extremely high, so students rarely applied unless they possessed exceptional sword skills. Because of this, everyone looked surprised when I walked into the lecture hall. It was understandable, as almost everyone inside belonged to the top tier of practical performance grades.
I took a seat among those prepared for the number of students. Creak. Soon, the door to the lecture hall opened, and a woman with striking red hair walked in confidently. One could guess her strength just from the spirit and fierce gaze emanating from her stride. She appeared to have been through many battles, as small and large scars were visible even over her clothes. Most noticeable was the deep scar running vertically across her left eye, which only served to heighten her intimidating aura. Her name was Joo Chae-rin. A former hero who had retired at a young age before taking a position as an Academy instructor.
‘She’s a famous person in many ways.’
That fame was due not only to her beautiful appearance and skill but also to the impact of the assignment she gave out in the first class every year. An assignment with a huge reward, an opportunity that came only once a year. Since no one had yet completed the assignment, most of the students in the lecture hall were likely harboring expectations about it. That was true for me as well. I had applied for this class to complete that assignment, and I was confident that I would succeed.