Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Vital Energy Recovery
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"Come here."
"Uh...!"
She grabs my hand out of the blue.
By the time I'd finished fumbling around, we were already in Roze's cabin.
"Lie down here."
She'd already laid out a mat on the floor.
Roze patted it invitingly and nodded at me.
I still had no idea what was going on, but it didn't seem dangerous, so I did as she said.
"You're not feeling well, are you?"
"..."
"Probably. I didn't go easy on you because we were rushing."
She looked apologetic, but I wasn't sure if it was genuine.
I knew she was doing it for my sake, but it was hard to feel appreciative.
Anyone would end up thinking like me after getting beaten half to death every day for a month straight.
"So from today until we arrive, I'll help you loosen up. I'll give you another massage. Hehe."
As she said that, Roze pressed her thumb firmly into my arm.
Starting from the biceps and following the grain down to my wrist.
It seemed like a simple massage, but wherever her thumb passed, it felt like blockages in my body were unraveling.
"...!"
"How's that?"
"How did you do that?"
"It's something I learned from my master and adapted my own way."
Now that I'd experienced it, I got it.
This wasn't just any massage.
It had to be some kind of secret technique, the sort passed down only to select disciples.
Roze shut her mouth and focused on the massage.
As time passed, a deep, pleasant languor settled over me along with the comfort, and before I knew it, I was dozing off.
Something tickled my face.
I tried to ignore it, but it brushed back and forth lightly.
Unable to stand it anymore, I opened my eyes—and froze.
"...Whoa!"
"You're awake? It's almost done, so just stay still a bit longer."
Roze's face was right in front of mine.
Her hair must have been what was tickling me.
Surprisingly, her face was drenched in sweat.
'Is it that exhausting?'
I glanced at the time.
Three hours had passed since the massage started.
I'd thought I'd only dozed off briefly, but far more time had gone by than I'd realized.
'...The pain's a lot better.'
My body, which had felt heavy and sore, was improving.
The kind of damage that even healing fluids couldn't fix easily.
"There. You can move now."
I sat up slowly.
After days of feeling awful, the improvement brought a strange sense of refreshment.
I looked at Roze wiping her sweat and spoke.
"Thanks."
"No big deal."
I handed her a handkerchief as she grinned back.
We pulled out water and snacks, ate while sitting across from each other at the table.
I asked what was on my mind.
"How'd you do it? Can you teach me?"
"Not yet for you, Lemon."
"But if you teach me..."
"Do it wrong, and you could hurt yourself. I'll teach you later, so hold off for now."
"...Fine, then at least give me a rough explanation."
Masters who reach a certain realm can pull off all sorts of tricks.
Even instructors rarely encounter it easily, but since I set this up, I knew the facts.
'Like how Merdi summons lightning storms or wields intense control over space in her heightened state.'
I could make my body tougher and faster.
But nothing beyond that.
Roze was the one teaching me martial arts, yet she'd never mentioned techniques like this.
She probably meant for me to focus on the basics rather than applications.
I'd held off asking until now, but after experiencing it firsthand, I couldn't contain my curiosity.
"Alright."
Roze set down her cup and nodded.
She pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Simply put, it's supplementing your damaged vital energy."
"Vital energy?"
"You pushed your training so hard with your natural recovery that you couldn't heal, right?"
"Yeah."
"A day or two, maybe not, but after thirty days like that, your body's foundational vital energy had no choice but to wear down. You must've felt your recovery slowing, didn't you, Lemon?"
"...Yeah, that's true."
At first, it was manageable.
The training was way more intense than before, but my level had risen too, so I figured I could handle it.
But after a week, then two, I realized I couldn't.
My skills were improving, but endurance was the issue.
I'd felt fatigue like never before.
"That's vital energy. If you'd just rested, it probably would've recovered on its own. It has that kind of self-replenishing nature."
"Is it different from internal energy?"
"You can think of vital energy as a type of internal energy. Technically a bit different, but..."
Roze's face scrunched up, like she was struggling with the explanation.
'A type of internal energy.'
I didn't fully grasp it.
But I nodded anyway.
Roze was a pure practitioner; I'd never expected her to explain theory smoothly.
"Anyway, to restore damaged vital energy, you have to supplement it with more vital energy."
"So what you did was...?"
"Yeah. I infused you with mine. Had to spread it throughout, so I massaged your whole body."
Roze rarely showed fatigue even after hours of brutal training.
So why was she sweating buckets after just three hours?
It took piecing together my knowledge of the original story for it to click.
Internal energy can only recover through natural rest.
Unlike external energy drawn from outside, like a core weapon's power source.
Pulling it out of the body doesn't even make sense.
One mistake, and it could go really wrong—which is why no one attempts it lightly without serious resolve.
'Her warning about getting hurt wasn't just about me.'
Roze's care stood out even more now.
"A few more days like this, and you'll be fully recovered. By the time we arrive, you'll feel like you can fly."
"..."
"I was surprised this time, too. Didn't expect your body to adapt this well. Keep building on it, and your skills will skyrocket soon."
Roze finished, then suddenly eyed me with a wistful look.
"Why?"
"...Jealous. If I were you, Lemon, I'd make the most of it. Ughhh."
"Haha..."
"This isn't funny! It's a waste of talent. If you'd realized your potential sooner..."
"Why do you care so much about me?"
I blurted it out.
Roze had invested so much time in me.
Even cutting into her own training.
That wasn't like the Roze I knew.
Usually, she'd never do that.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"...?"
"Your future's promising. I wanna have a real satisfying fight with you someday."
Her gaze, like I'd been clueless, threw me off.
'She rates me that highly?'
From my view, Roze's martial prowess was on an unreachable level.
Catching up to the Roze from when we met still seemed distant, let alone standing as her equal.
It felt absurd.
"Me? You're kidding."
"You can do it, Lemon."
Roze grinned as she said it.
That's when I realized what she was feeling.
'A thirst for martial combat.'
Roze had reached a realm beyond compare at a young age.
If my memory served, she was world-class.
Opponents on her level could be counted on one hand.
But she wouldn't cross paths with them easily.
So maybe she was parched for a worthy rival to quench that thirst.
If so, it made sense why she'd pour so much time into me.
'Me, of all people.'
The pressure hit hard.
To escape it, I changed the subject.
"Oh, do you know who's attending this time?"
"Nope. I don't even know the other superhumans well."
"You must know the famous ones."
"Hmm..."
Roze counted on her fingers, trying to remember, then gave up.
"Ah! No clue."
"What about Rhino, the heavy tank captain?"
"Sounds familiar! I think... he was super strong?"
"Rhino's a pure physical powerhouse. One of the top ten martial schools' Mad Bull's top master."
Mad Bull, like Wrecker, is among the top ten martial schools that emphasizes physique the most.
The first thing Mad Bull initiates learn is how to advance.
Once they master that, they learn nothing else.
More stubbornly, faster, more menacingly.
They charge ahead so relentlessly that others see it as reckless.
Just look at the 'mad' in the name to gauge how extreme it is.
Yet they've secured a spot among the top ten, proving the school's methods are elite.
And Rhino is the superhuman officially recognized as its pinnacle.
'One of the giants of this era.'
His skills exceeded what was publicly known.
Guarding the front lines for over forty years without major incident said it all.
"Really?"
Roze's eyes sparkled.
She reacted to the 'pure physical' part.
"Yeah. He usually stays out of the spotlight, but word is he'll definitely show this time."
"Heh..."
"Plenty more besides Rhino Captain. Darmosa, of course..."
Roze let out exclamations with every name I explained.
She'd been disinterested before, but thinking about meeting them soon had her hooked.
I hoped this gathering would temper her expectations a bit.
*
Blue Star Earth.
Humanity's birthplace and the Alliance's largest planet, home to over ten billion people.
They say every human visits Earth at least once in their lifetime.
But Earth hadn't fully recovered from past reckless development and environmental destruction.
The title of most beautiful world had long gone to Terra, and living costs were sky-high, making it tough for average folks.
Still, its symbolic weight outshone any other planet, so major conferences and gatherings were usually held there.
"But why's the conference site so empty?"
Roze peered out the window and said.
She couldn't hide her bafflement at how different it was from what she'd imagined.
"There's a reason."
Her question was valid.
We'd arrived at a building smack in the middle of a desert.
Not even a desert city.
Aside from the conference hall, there were no facilities whatsoever.
Just the lone structure standing there.
"Haha! Curious about that, eh? Must be your first conference."
Then someone approached from behind with a booming voice.
Turning around, I saw a man with a shiny bald head that stood out.
I recognized the familiar face and the emblem on his chest, confirming his identity.
'Saladian Yemef. Captain of the Desert Superhuman Unit and a powerful esper.'
His duty was guarding the rear third defense line, leaving him spare time he mostly spent on public activities.
As one of the most famous superhumans, it was good to know him.
"Captain Saladian, sir. Pleasure to meet you."
I bowed politely, and his eyes turned to me.
Asking who I was, basically.
"I'm Leonard, captain of the Golden Unit and acting captain of the temporary superhuman unit."
"...Ah, Leonard!"
Saladian nodded at my name, acknowledging me.
He offered a handshake with a smile.
"You're that Leonard. Didn't expect to meet you like this. I've heard your name so much it's ringing in my ears."
"This is Roze, our vice-captain."
"Nice to meet you."
Saladian greeted her with a smile too, then left saying we'd talk later.
We stayed put until he was gone, then spoke.
"Did you feel that?"
Saladian's face had been smiling, but behind it lurked a sticky, sharp aura like a snake eyeing prey.
I'd sensed an imminent attack vibe, so I hadn't let my guard down.
"Yeah. Super menacing."
Her voice trembled faintly.
I glanced at Roze.
A faint smile played on her lips as she spoke with concern.