Chapter 13
Chapter 13
The first day, I just ran.
“I won’t limit how many laps you run around the training ground, so run until you’re completely spent, as if your life depends on it.”
She poked at my chest with her finger as she added,
“Remember, both your stamina and your willpower—push them to the absolute limit. Don’t even think about using your Enhancement Technique to spin your mana when it gets tough.”
“Yes, understood!”
With that, I started running as if my life depended on it.
Ten laps.
She said to run as if for life, so I didn’t pace myself. I ran at full speed, not wanting to disappoint Eveline.
Twenty laps.
I still had enough energy to keep going.
Thirty laps.
Even as I tried to keep my strength, my limbs gradually began to weaken unconsciously.
“Aren’t you pathetic? Is that all the mental strength you’ve got, let alone stamina? You’re just a flashy man on the surface, huh?”
“Ugh… ahhh!”
Whenever she sensed I was flagging, Eveline, watching from a distance, would tease me like a ghost, forcing me to speed up.
Forty laps.
I felt like I was going to die.
My entire body had stopped responding. My mind and body felt completely disconnected.
“Hoo… ha.”
Each step felt like my limbs were wriggling of their own accord, refusing to move. I wanted to collapse and rest immediately. I wanted to quit.
“Just reach fifty laps… I can still run a little more.”
But I slammed my trembling legs down and forced myself to keep going.
[Chaos encourages you to run just a little more.]
The moment of truth: fifty laps.
Thud.
“Kuh… hrrgh… hngh.”
I couldn’t run any longer. Even if someone held a knife to my back, I was done.
“Ugh.”
My muscles were spasming uncontrollably, and my legs cramped as I gritted my teeth—it felt like pure hell.
Eveline approached me.
“Arlen, take your hands off your legs.”
I barely lowered my arms, and she began massaging them.
‘What is this feeling? Is she circulating mana through her hands to massage?’
The cool and refreshing sensation radiated through my legs, making a sound echo in my mouth.
“Hehhng.”
Thwack!
“Don’t make weird noises because it feels good! Stay still.”
I spoke out and got a light hit.
[Chaos laughs heartily at that.]
While continuing to massage, she spoke.
“Your perseverance is passable. Stamina can always grow, but fixing someone weak from the start is really difficult.”
“Willpower, determination, and ferocity have to be innate. Arlen, you’re worth the effort to train.”
Her praise made me smile.
“Now, in that sense, let’s start for real. Get up.”
Her smile disappeared.
Thanks to the massage, my body had recovered enough to move without strain.
I staggered to my feet, and Eveline waved her hand in the air.
Zjing.
‘What? Could it be… a spatial rift?’
I was right. The space she gestured at split, revealing a black void.
Seeing my astonished face, Eveline said,
“Surprised? Never seen anything like this? I barely got this after capturing a mid-tier spatial mutant and escaping the dungeon.”
She reached into the rift and pulled something out.
Truly, it could rival an inventory.
She handed me the item.
────
[Trainer’s Wrist & Forearm Guards] (B)
A set of wrist and forearm guards made by Huyton, a renowned craftsman from Orarium’s commercial district.
Created at the request of adventurer Eveline.
Made of high mana-conductivity alloy and black iron, weight-adjustable for training purposes.
─ Mana can be infused, adjusting effective weight from 5kg to 15kg.
─ Once worn, weight cannot be adjusted or removed for 7 days.
─ After 7 days, strength, agility, and stamina grades increase by one level. Does not apply to stats above D.
─ Once used, the wearer cannot use them again.
────
“Think of it like a sandbag that will enhance your physical abilities for a week.”
Eveline tapped my wrists.
“I’ve pre-set them to the max, 15kg. Put them on your wrists and ankles.”
As I placed the guards, they clicked into place automatically.
“Oof.”
Immediately, 15kg applied to each limb—a total of 60kg. I realized this wouldn’t be easy.
Even dumbbells at the gym were used for a fixed time, and this weight would stay on for a full week.
I hated gravity.
[Chaos says: Endure for seven days, and your stats will increase at once.]
[Chaos adds: Improving stats on your own is difficult; you’re lucky.]
‘Right… I have no time to be picky. I’ll endure it.’
After adjusting to the weight, Eveline spoke.
“Now, let’s eat. Yesterday, we ate at the dining hall, right?”
“Yes. The food was pretty good.”
She nodded, acknowledging it. But why did she ask?
“You won’t be going to the dining hall for the foreseeable future.”
?
“From now on, except for sleeping in your room, you won’t leave my office and training ground until all training is complete. Understood?”
“…Yes?”
Did I hear that right?
Eveline patted my back.
“The office has a bathroom. You can request two servings of food. All you have to do is train. Train, eat, rest, train. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
Her gaze was too intimidating to refuse.
Day Two.
Compared to the exhaustion from running on the first day, today’s training was nothing.
“Haht, huh!”
She tested the limits of my vision, throwing stones imbued with mana at increasing numbers.
Then, to improve focus and precision before teaching swordsmanship, she made stones fly in different directions for me to deflect with my blade.
Even in the slowed world, it was impossible to deflect everything perfectly. I took a lot of hits.
‘It would’ve been easier if only I could use Enhancement Technique.’
The small bruises recovered with potions, but my pride didn’t recover from being pummeled by tiny stones.
Day Four.
After days of repeating the routine—train, eat, rest, train, sleep—I could dodge or deflect most stones.
“Not many hits in just a few days. Good. Time to move to the next stage.”
What’s the next stage?
Eveline pulled out large bundles from the spatial rift.
Inside were logs and rocks about waist height.
“From now on, training focuses on spatial awareness and footwork.”
“You’ll move only on these structures, while I attack from random directions without pause.”
Wait, only on the structures?
“To avoid attacks, you’ll need to backstep, move forward against attacks, and maintain balance.”
Eveline smiled meaningfully.
“But what if the spaces you can step on are limited?”
So I have to move only on logs and rocks, never touching the ground, while avoiding attacks?
“I’ll set up the obstacles. Just wait a moment.”
In no time, she created a makeshift terrain.
The second training began.
Day Five.
“Don’t think enemies will fight only on flat ground!”
“Ugh.”
“Adventurers may attack in forests filled with rotting wood or fight monsters on rocky terrain!”
Shhhik─
Clatter, thud, clang.
“You just died again! Later, will you misstep on broken bridges or poison swamps and die? Focus!”
“Damn it!”
Eveline repeatedly attacked and vanished. I tried to dodge while watching the trajectory, but my footing failed constantly.
‘Let’s see who wins this—damn hellish training!’
Day Eight.
Training began at dawn, and I suddenly felt liberated.
[The guards have been removed.]
[Strength, agility, stamina increased by one level.]
[Due to consistent hits in training, durability increased by one level.]
────
[Arlen]
[Strength: D-] [Agility: E+] [Durability: E+]
[Stamina: D-] [Mana: EX] [Luck: E+]
[Owned Traits] (open)
────
“Holy… my body feels so light now?”
I had gotten used to enduring the weight over a week, but removing 60kg made me feel like I could fly.
I returned the guards to Eveline.
“Time really flew. Oh, is that why you look so confident today?”
“Yes. I’m used to this training now.”
Four days of repeated training.
Previously, I fell while watching trajectories. Previously, I got hit while watching the ground.
Now, with a lighter body and a boost in agility, my senses felt completely different.
“Let’s begin.”
Today, I would finally complete the second training.