Chapter 323: What Doesn't Kill You
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 323: What Doesn't Kill You
My anxiety about no longer having a place for myself was one thing, but in any case, the Cataphract—stripped of its sides and roof—was incredibly fast. Combined with the driving skills of a golem starved for speed, it tore down the road at a pace that few beasts could match.
I thought it would be a smooth and comfortable journey, aside from the harsh wind… or so I thought.
"Camarilla. Hold this steady."
"Working others to the bone without so much as a thank you! This is the only time. From now on, ask more politely!"
Clang, clang. The rhythmic sound of steel being hammered echoed. The Regressor was using Jizan as a hammer to build something.
A wide footboard. A T-shaped handle, firmly tied with a tough rope. At a glance, it looked like a sled you'd ride standing up.
The only question was, why was it necessary? The Cataphract we were on was already moving fast enough.
‘I can’t just sit around doing nothing on the way. I have to make this time count! I’m going to train that Hughes fellow!’
…Actually, I knew because I’d read her mind. The moment I did, I cursed the mind-reading ability that had let me glimpse a forbidden truth, but whether I knew or not, the cards were already dealt. The only difference was whether I’d see it coming.
I asked cautiously, "Shei."
"Yes?"
"What on earth is that?"
The Regressor lifted the sled lightly and answered, "Glad you asked. This is a device to help with your training!"
"Training?"
"Yep! I told you I'd help you train, didn't I?"
Right, but why is a sled a piece of training equipment? I desperately tried to change the subject.
"Am I supposed to just lift it with my hands? It looks a bit heavy, but I guess it could be a decent workout."
"Are you an idiot? If it were for something that simple, I wouldn't have made it into a sled."
"You're the one who called it a sled! That's what's weird! How in the world does a sled become a training tool?"
"It's simple. It's to gauge your Qi before we start training."
The Regressor set the sled down in front of me and said, "You know the basics of Qi Art—Geon, Gon, Gam, and Li, right? You even gave a smug lecture about it back in Tantalus."
"Of course I do."
Qi Art is the technique of using Qi to strengthen the body. Geon infuses Qi into all of creation, while Gon extends it beneath your feet to become one with the earth. Gam strengthens the body itself, and Li twists the laws of nature.
I know all of them, of course. I can even use all of them except for Li. The problem is that my body can't keep up.
"Usually, just mastering Geon and Gon is considered decent. If you can manage Gam, you're treated as an outstanding Qi Practitioner. In fact, mastering the Gam Qi Art was a basic requirement to become a general in the Military State. Once you get that far, it's just a matter of scale. Well, Li is another story, since individual aptitude varies so much."
"Why is Li another story? Is it because you couldn't master it, Shei?"
"Of course not! It's because the level of mastery people can reach is so different that you can't compare them!"
‘Though it’s also true that I couldn’t master it…! Tsk. No matter how much I train or broaden my horizons, I just can’t figure Li out!’
Then again, it's kind of funny to tell someone who can turn back time to envision an ideal they desperately want to achieve. She can just do it in the next timeline, right? When you can overcome death, I doubt you have much need for twisting the laws of nature.
"Anyway. From what I saw, you've definitely grasped Gam, right? I know some people learn Gam first depending on their talent or training method, but the Military State's curriculum follows the Geon-Gon-Gam-Li order. So, for a moment there, I thought you were at a general's level."
"Hahaha. I'm so flattered I don't know what to do with myself."
"Well, I still think you have more than enough potential to reach that level, depending on how you train. But to do that, I need to get an accurate read on your current state."
Shaking her head, the Regressor shoved the handle at me. "Use Geon Qi Art to grip the handle tightly, and use Gon Qi Art to stick your feet to the footboard. Get on the sled and balance yourself. Hold on for as long as you can. Think of it as training."
Ah, so. You're going to tie this sled to the back of this rattling Cataphract, put me on it, and drag me along? What a prank. Something Azzy would love. Haha.
...Are you kidding me!
A Cataphract moving at high speed. To keep from falling off, I'd have to hold onto that rope with all my might. My grip, my arms, my core, my legs—if my strength failed in any one of them for even a second, I'd instantly lose my balance and eat dirt.
They wouldn't even be able to pinpoint where I died. My body would be ground to a pulp against the earth, my remains scattered over hundreds of meters!
"What kind of training is that! It's a punishment—no, an execution!"
"It's not training if it isn't hard and painful."
"I'm not doing it! What century are we in? Who builds strength with such a barbaric method anymore?"
‘What's the big deal? I was once dragged around wearing nothing but straw sandals. If I didn't protect them with Qi, the soles of my feet would get completely torn up. This is better than that, isn't it?’
That's just hazing! Are you really going to put me through it just because it happened to you? People like you, who just repeat the bad old ways, are the reason society never improves!
"I thought you were going to give me an elixir or some treasure. Why should I go looking for trouble? Let Azzy ride the sled!"
"Woof?"
"Yeah, Azzy. Perfect timing. This will be more fun than just sticking your head out and staring into space!"
As I shook the handle, Azzy, who had been leaning out with the top half of her body and yawning with boredom, perked up and came closer.
This stupid handle can be Azzy's toy for all I care. I let Azzy bite the handle and pulled the rope to play tug-of-war. Though I called it a game, it was really just me struggling not to lose my grip every time Azzy shook her head.
"Whoa, look at how strong you are."
"Woof woof! Harder!"
"Easy, now. You're several times stronger than me. It's not like it'll make a difference if I pull harder."
The Regressor clicked her tongue at the sight of me playing with Azzy, showing no interest in the training.
‘…Of all the people I’ve met across all my timelines, he’s the most opposed to training. Isn’t wanting to get stronger a basic instinct? I can’t believe he’s actually refusing when a master is offering to oversee his training.’
Seeing my firm refusal, the Regressor changed her tack slightly. "In my eyes, you have plenty of potential."
"The instructors in the Military State said the same thing. 'This kid definitely has talent, he just doesn't try.' I resented it back then, but now I'm grateful they believed in my potential."
"I'm not being sarcastic! Seeing how you're proficient with Qi Art, mana, and alchemy, it's clear you don't lack talent. It's just… how do I put it… It feels like everything is blocked somehow."
She gets it.Right here, this is my limit! And the person who understands that so well is trying to force me into this brutish training?
"I'm sorry, but I'm a little too old to be dreaming of new possibilities for the future. Sadly, this is my limit."
"No, it's different. From what I can tell, I think your body's balance is off."
"Balance?"
"Yeah. I've experienced it myself, but when you learn techniques with different properties, like magic and Qi Art, at the same time… how should I put it? Your body gets pulled to one side? The balance gets messed up. It's important to fix that balance…"
How ridiculous. I've never experienced the kind of difficulty she's talking about. I am the King of Humans. I can wield all the knowledge and skills granted to humanity as if they were my own. The only reason I can't reproduce them is that my absolute reserves of mana and Qi are insufficient.
Then shouldn't I just increase my mana and Qi? I've thought, but no matter what I do, my power won't accumulate beyond a certain point. I don't know why. It's probably related to 'that event' that caused the King of Humans to lose his power.
And what event was that? ...I don't know. I really don't. In fact, I'd like to know myself.
I'm not lying. Azzy is the inheritor of a promise made long ago, but if I were to ask her what it was, she'd just tilt her head and say, "Woof?"
Even the most brilliant detective can't reconstruct a scene just by looking at a contract. By the same token, even if the promise is passed down, the memories are not. I'd guess it's a curse or a seal, or something along those lines. Probably related to the Saintess of Origin…
In any case, since it wasn't a 100% balance issue, I reacted with indifference.
"Is doing that really going to make me stronger? How about just giving me an elixir or some treasure? I can put them to good use."
"You can't properly wield power you didn't work for! I told you, I've had a similar experience! If you do this right, you could break through your limits!"
‘The way you handle Qi and the way you handle mana are completely different. Qi is the power to move your body and create change in the world, while mana is the power to reproduce the world's changes within your body. From inside to out, and from outside to in. They have opposing properties, so if you try to use both at once, they just spin their wheels… Ugh. How do I explain this?’
Hmph. Nothing to lose? The moment I put in the effort, I've already lost something. Just watch me not do it!
‘Ah, screw it. I'll just make him do it and see what happens.’
The Regressor gave me a shove. It happened the instant the thought crossed her mind, so I didn't have time to react, muttering stupidly, "Huh?"
She'd pushed with Qi, so my body flew back helplessly. I stumbled backward onto the sled, which then slid right down the sloped rear of the Cataphract. Before I knew it, I was scraping along the ground.
Whoa, wait a minute. She just pushed me?
"Here."
The Regressor snatched the handle from Azzy's mouth and threw it to me. A drowning man will clutch at a straw. I quickly grabbed the handle as it flew right in front of my face.
"Hold on tight. If you don't want to fall."
The rope went taut before my eyes. I reflexively gripped the handle with all my strength. A moment later, I felt a sharp tug on my hands, arms, legs, and core.
When I came to my senses, I was riding the sled, just as the Regressor had planned. Steadying my wobbling body, I yelled frantically, "Aaaargh! What-what are you doing!"
Crazy! She just pushed me off? Without a second thought? I've seen a lot of people in my time, but I've never met anyone as impulsive as this Regressor! She moved reflexively, the moment she thought of it, so I couldn't even react!
Even as I screamed, the Regressor silently pulled the rope and replied, "Hm. You're doing well. Just hold on as long as you can. It'll hurt if you fall, so try your best not to."
"You call that advice?! Of course it'll hurt!"
‘Well, I'll catch you if you're about to fall. But if I tell you that, it'll ruin the tension, so for now, just hold on for dear life.’
I can read your thoughts, you know!
But it's not like I could let go. Even if someone swears they'll catch you, and even if they mean it, it's hard to trust them enough to fall backward.
No matter how sincere she is, what if that unreliable Regressor fails to catch me! I'll die!
Tsk, I have no choice! This is so embarrassing, but…
"Tyr! Pull me up!"
I shouted desperately, but Tyr paid me no special mind. In fact, she seemed to welcome the sight.
"It is good to see you striving."
"You think this is good? I'm on the verge of death every other second!"
"What does not kill you will make you stronger. And if you become stronger, will you not be able to overcome even greater threats?"
"That's only if I don't die right now!"
What am I, a poker chip? Does taking a bigger risk and betting more increase the payout? What happens if I fail and lose everything in one go!
"It is fine. I shall continue to watch over you so that you do not fall into danger. And…"
‘You will not die even if you fall here. Should you be injured enough to require my power, I shall grant you my blood without hesitation. Perhaps… the King of Humans could even become the King of Vampires.’
Like hell I'll fall. I'll hold on through sheer grit and spite.
To be honest, the Regressor wasn't entirely wrong. I'm a mind reader. I'm the type to read my opponent's hand and play around it, rather than strengthening my own.
If I can't win, I don't face them head-on; I win them over. If they force a strategy on me, I use it against them. My way of winning is to walk a tightrope, never aiming for an overwhelming victory. That's why I've always increased my power by adding more cards to my hand.
However… in the face of overwhelming power, the number of cards in your hand is meaningless. They say paper beats rock, but a palm-sized piece of paper can't wrap up an entire landslide.
This training might not make me stronger, but if it means getting even a slightly better hand, I'll endure it!
"Fine, do your worst! I'll be watching to see just how much stronger I get from this pathetic excuse for training!"
"You're the one training, so why are you the one grinding your teeth…?"