Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Training is Fun
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“Yeah, right? I’m a hero, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Hehe.”
Nania beamed happily at my acknowledgment.
Even with her life on the line as collateral to Rainy, she could smile so innocently.
I envied the succubi’s pure-heartedness.
How nice it would be if I could find happiness that easily too?
“So, how’s the training going?”
Nania confidently fetched a bag from somewhere and slung two over each arm.
She lifted four bags totaling a whopping 80kg, one on each arm.
Then she shouted with full confidence.
“Leave the luggage to me!”
Even accounting for the demon race’s superior physique compared to humans, I could only marvel at Nania’s effortless strength.
Maybe succubi were actually a combat race?
It seemed the demon world had been underutilizing them all this time.
***
Having tacitly accepted our hero party status, we’d thrown ourselves into training over the past few weeks.
The training content itself hadn’t changed much.
Laura still trained with me for survival.
Rainy trained Yumi in endurance.
The difference was that my own skill-building training had now begun in earnest, with help from multiple people.
Baron Devin’s estate, private training ground for the family head.
I headed to the training ground early in the morning with Rainy, her hair tied back in a ponytail for training.
Rainy, who had Mongolian-level eyesight but wore Nania’s monocle prop to look intellectual, immediately launched into a lecture on holy power.
“Think like a dragon would.”
“I’ve never been a dragon, so how am I supposed to know how they think…?”
“Ugh, what’s a dragon? Ruler of the skies! Pinnacle of arrogance! Embodiment of wisdom!”
“Right.”
“Still not getting it from those words?”
“Not really…”
Rainy thumped her chest in frustration at my lack of understanding.
Honestly, by my standards, she was the strange one for comprehending dragon thought processes.
“Think: I’m the best, and everyone else is trash. That’s the mindset. Then you can spew holy power from your mouth like a dragon breath.”
“Saintess, is that how you normally think?”
“Shut your trap.”
Following Rainy’s instructions, I closed my eyes and imagined.
I was a dragon soaring through the skies.
The strongest transparent dragon who could beat gods and demons alike.
Pathetic humans and demons alike couldn’t even hope to stand against me.
As I kept brainwashing myself like this, I vaguely started to grasp what Rainy meant by assimilating with a dragon’s mindset.
I etched this feeling deep into my memory so I wouldn’t forget.
Pew pew!
I fired a Purification Breath from my fingertip.
I’d already tried flames once, so unleashing a breath was easier than expected.
The pure white breath didn’t look all that powerful at first glance.
But its actual power was tremendous.
The training dummy I’d put some effort into making was engulfed in the breath and instantly reduced to ashes.
“Oh…”
Amazed by the power, Rainy patted my shoulder approvingly.
“As expected of my disciple. You pick it up fast.”
“It’s all thanks to Master and the great grace of holy power.”
“Heh heh, holy power is the best, isn’t it?”
I watched Rainy, who praised holy power despite her lack of faith, and suddenly thought of something.
“If I mix mana into the holy power breath, it’d be even stronger, right?”
Rainy, whose nose had been pointed sky-high, froze.
“Huh…? Not sure.”
Since Rainy couldn’t use mana herself, she’d probably never considered it.
“Hmm… Better consult the young lady on this.”
Buoyed by the inspiration, I went straight to find Laura.
She was in her dedicated magic training ground.
The grass patch in front of the training ground was frozen solid, out of sync with the current season.
“Young Lady?”
“Ungh…”
She’d apparently used Ice Age and was stuck in place, unable to move.
I helped her into a comfortable sitting position and explained my idea.
She furrowed her brows, seriously considering it.
“Give it a try. I’ll assist.”
She suggested we test it out.
“But Young Lady, you can’t move. How will you help?”
“Hold my hand. Can’t cast spells, but I can help with mana control.”
“Ah, got it.”
Since we’d already seen each other at our worst, holding hands was no big deal anymore.
I took Laura’s hand casually.
Swoosh.
The moment our hands touched, her icy chill flowed into my hand.
I accepted her mana without resistance.
Sharing mana circuits.
It was extremely dangerous—if the other had ill intent, they could wreck your circuits.
But after brushing death together, we could share circuits casually.
“Cold…”
“Quit whining, you wimp.”
“That’s sexism, you know?”
Ignoring my protest, Laura closed her eyes and focused on her mana.
Her icy mana flowed through my circuits toward where my holy power and mana were clashing chaotically.
“This is just theoretical, okay? Don’t get disappointed if it fails.”
“Yes, I won’t.”
“Good. Remember everything I do. You’ll have to handle it yourself eventually.”
“Yes.”
Laura’s cold mana slinked around cautiously.
Then it suddenly engulfed some of my clashing mana and holy power.
My mana and holy power resisted fiercely.
But Laura’s mana overwhelmed them effortlessly with its solidity.
Eventually, her mana slowly flowed to my left hand, the one not holding hers.
Hybrid energy gathered at my left index finger.
“Do it.”
“Yes!”
Vwoom.
I took control of the mana from Laura.
Then, as Rainy instructed, I brainwashed myself into a dragon.
And fired.
Fwooooosh!
A powerful energy mass shot out.
BOOOOM!
It blasted through the training ground and punched a hole in the lord’s castle wall.
“…”
“…”
Stunned by the devastating power, Laura and I gaped.
The mana and holy power consumption was immense, so spamming it would be tough.
But having such an ultimate technique made all the difference.
I’d gained something huge.
Laura, swallowing hard as she stared at the breath’s aftermath, spoke.
“Slave.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“What’ll you name it? It’s your first, so name it whatever you want.”
“The name…”
Knowing full well the importance of skill names, I fell deep into thought.
Naming a technique was tricky with so many conditions.
It couldn’t sound weak.
Had to be something you could proudly declare anywhere.
Simple and catchy.
‘Tough…’
Several candidates came to mind, but each had flaws, so I rejected them.
I was the type who spent more time naming game characters than customizing them.
Even for game chars, I agonized over names.
How could I skimp on naming a once-in-a-lifetime ultimate?
I had to make it perfect.
I pondered like a wife torn between names from a naming service and her father-in-law.
Gulp.
Laura seemed to understand how crucial naming an ultimate was, waiting patiently without complaint.
She swallowed, her cheeks faintly flushed from the excitement of the new technique.
She’d played a huge role in creating it.
Respect for her should be in the name.
Staring blatantly at Laura sparked an idea.
Laura was a genius mage.
Shortened: Heavenly Demon.
My ultimate was a condensed pure white energy mass of holy power and mana.
Simply put, a beam.
Death Beam, since it could kill any foe.
Combined: Heavenly Demon Death Beam.