Training (2)
'Fastest growth.'
The answer was obvious.
Stats. Of course it mattered.
But my question was about what drove stat growth, so that was off the table.
Good environment?
Obviously it had a huge impact on fast growth.
Running in good conditions versus harsh ones... there would be a difference. Overall, good conditions were more efficient.
But only up to a point.
To truly clear this world and reach the position I aimed for, good environment would stop mattering at some point.
So what was the fastest way to grow, in my mind?
'Real battle experience.'
Stacking experience.
No other method beat real battle experience for speed. It was an undeniable fact.
And through my previous timeline, I could now fill the missing real battle experience that my current self lacked.
In other words, mentally I was already a veteran, but physically I was still a little baby.
And the fastest way to fill that physical side here in this world was...
"Please take good care of me."
Receiving Elcia's personal guidance.
I had originally planned to aim for Elcia's personal guidance within the first semester, but the situation had taken an unexpected turn, so as the semester began, I had become her disciple right away.
I approached the private training grounds designated for the top professor and greeted Elcia, who was waiting for me, with perfect respect.
Elcia stood there with her usual dry expression. She looked at me after my greeting and silently nodded.
She was a character that was hard to pin down.
Back then she had been madly trying to take me as her disciple, as if possessed by something. Now she was showing the serious demeanor of a master.
'It's like she's trying to lock in a concept.'
...No way.
If Elcia was truly the master, she had to act serious...! I couldn't be thinking such a rigid thought and displaying that kind of behavior.
Probably...
In any case, Elcia possessed exceptional talent in the sword.
It was so immense it was embarrassing to compare her to the golden generation of academy students.
In other words, she was a literal genius.
Elcia had been born with not only sword talent, but also talent as a master.
'Growth buff.'
In games, it was vague, but receiving Elcia's instruction was said to accelerate growth dramatically. In my previous timeline, I hadn't had the chance to receive her guidance.
I hadn't understood what it truly meant, but now that I was receiving it...
'I expect great things.'
What kind of education did Elcia give that allowed players to grow so fast?
I couldn't help but expect it.
@
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Why was Elcia's education making my growth speed so high?
Honestly, if I thought about it for even a little... or looked at it realistically, I could easily see the reason.
It was because...
"I can do one more lap."
It was running the hell out of me.
There was no other way. Elcia had an endless supply of elixirs. I wasn't eating them every meal like some player.
My breath reached the limit of my throat. Sweat poured like rain.
My lips were parched. My throat burned painfully. A sweet taste filled my mouth. My vision blurred. But Elcia calmly demanded one more lap.
The exclusive training ground given to Elcia wasn't for her.
It was a peak among peaks.
Taking the student with the most outstanding talent among the academy students, who were already called geniuses, as a disciple was considered routine for professors.
The private training grounds were prepared specifically for those professors who raised disciples. So in this case, this ground was meant only for me.
How many laps had I run on this insanely wide training ground? I had no idea.
Honestly, if all it was was running the training ground, I could have kept going all day.
Anyone using mana had excellent physical ability. I was no exception.
"Don't think about anything else. Run."
Elcia's words, delivered with one steady breath and matching my pace, forced my unmoving legs to move.
Mana control. Twenty kilograms of weights on my legs.
"You said not to worry about the basic physical ability test... right?"
"Your breathing isn't even rough. You still seem capable? More laps."
I had forced my breathing to calm and asked calmly. But the reply was merciless. I exhaled a small sigh and pushed my legs with all my strength.
'This is hell...!!'
My physical ability without mana was objectively better than a normal person's.
Running the training ground dozens of times with a body like that would drive anyone insane. I ran the training ground in a hazy mind, breathing heavily.
"...Up to there."
"Uwaaaaa...!!"
The moment I heard Elcia's voice, I collapsed on the training ground floor and let out a scream.
My whole body hurt so much...!!
Elcia simply watched silently. Even after hours of running, her breathing remained completely steady.
Staring at that monstrous figure, I adjusted my ragged breathing. Then I exhaled deeply and slowly blinked my eyes.
"Your stamina isn't bad."
Elcia looked at me and gave a cold evaluation.
Stamina isn't bad.
If I could run like this and stay alive, wasn't that enough?
Where exactly were this monster's evaluation standards set? I exhaled in defeat and collapsed on the training ground floor.
@
'Not bad.'
Elcia looked at me, sprawled on the ground, and smiled with satisfaction inside.
As a true master, she couldn't show it on the surface, but Elcia was in an extremely satisfied state right now.
In my previous life, I had only seen that final strike. Yet even that alone had allowed Elcia to guess my potential.
'In fact, it was a soul-stirring strike that gathered everything.'
Elcia had realized it the moment she saw it.
That it was Allen's all-out final attack, scraping his life force together.
Even so, the courage to step forward alone in a situation of total despair. And the power to show that level of strength... there weren't many people like that.
That's why Elcia had valued Allen highly.
He had done what even the golden generation couldn't. If I could help him grow early, the result would definitely change.
'Mana amount is good. Basic stamina isn't bad. This is quite decent.'
Elcia, who had judged basic ability just by running the training ground, smiled happily inside and nodded.
The baseline wasn't low.
In my previous life, I probably wouldn't have pulled out his peak.
'No proper master. Growing alone would have been impossible.'
Originally, Allen would have been in the bottom half.
No matter how prestigious the academy was, the top and bottom halves differed enormously in education.
Naturally, in the bottom half, Allen's potential couldn't have been fully drawn out.
'But things are different now.'
I couldn't say it out loud, but now I had Elcia.
There was a master who could fully draw out Allen's potential. Elcia was certain it would be completely different from my previous life.
"Ha... haa... haa..."
Watching Allen sprawled on the training ground floor, breathing deeply, Elcia smiled with satisfaction inside.
'This time.'
She hadn't planned to make him shoulder that painful burden alone.
Elcia made up her mind and exhaled slowly. It was about growing him, yes, but she wouldn't let him carry the weight alone.
"...That's enough for today."
"I... survived..."
I wanted to grow fast. But rushing too much could make it unbearable. So Elcia calmed her hurried mind.
Of course, even so, Elcia's mind was spinning rapidly.
How to raise a disciple most efficiently.
Something she had never thought about before.