Chapter 106 (2/2)

“His close-quarter combat.”

The two of them had been watching Seol Jihu's battle the whole time. The youth was thrusting, striking, and cutting to his heart's content. Although no one would call the fight a slaughter, it was easy to see that Seol Jihu was overwhelming the Cave Ettins.

“I'm not sure…. Well, compared to others his level….”

“I'm not asking you to compare apples and oranges. Compare him to you.”

Kazuki raised his brows.

“Compare him… to me?”

“That's right. He's amazing, isn't he?”

Was Master Jang trying to show off his disciple? Kazuki tilted his head. He put down his crossbow and glanced to the side. Jang Maldong's face was frighteningly stiff.

“…Yes.”

Noticing the grave atmosphere, Kazuki quietly agreed. He observed Seol Jihu more closely before making another evaluation.

“He's amazingly bad.”

The corners of Jang Maldong's mouth twisted up.

“Right, if he partic.i.p.ates in the Banquet like this, he'll be killed in an instant”

“But only as a Warrior. He will be fine if he uses that spear-throwing ability. As long as the team protects him properly, he should be able to contribute until Stage 2.”

Kazuki explained, not knowing the stubborn request Seol Jihu made.

“I already told him that, but he said no.”

“…Pardon?”

“He was adamant about taking the position of a Warrior, that d.a.m.ned brat. He said he didn't want to just throw spears.”

Kazuki doubted his ears.

“I, I mean, it's important to have close combat skills… but how is it strange for a spearman to throw his spear?”

“That's what I want to ask.”

Jang Maldong smacked his stifled chest. Hugo pouted his lower lip from the side.

“Why did we come here anyway? When Chohong and I were being stubborn, you'd just beat us up until we were convinced.”

“I would have done that if that guy was as stupid as you two.”

Jang Maldong snorted and crossed his arms.

“But he's someone who uses his brain. He seems to have some level of insight too. When someone like him is being stubborn, it means he has something pent up inside him.”

“Then… what will you do?”

“I'll make him realize it by himself. That's the only way. He needs to face reality and give up.”

Kazuki finally realized why Jang Maldong allowed outsiders to join them.

“It'll be a day, maybe two, at the longest.”

The battle was coming to a close. Jang Maldong clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, he's still not done against a bunch of Cave Ettins….”

Seol Jihu took care of all the Cave Ettins living in the hideout. He was satisfied with his Mana Spear and considered his following battle stable.

He felt like he made great strides forward from the first expedition he went to. Thinking everything went well, he was certain Jang Maldong saw him in a different light as well.

Once the battle was over, the five of them went into the cave. The hideout was a wide tunnel set up with basic living necessities like a table, a drawer, and a bed.

One thing Seol Jihu was glad of was that the Cave Ettins didn't damage the place. After collecting all the books the village head had asked for, Seol Jihu searched the place carefully. Since the village head mentioned the payment would be inside the hideout, there had to be something worthwhile here.

However, he didn't notice anything special on the table or in the drawer. But when he opened the storage closet installed on the cave wall, his mouth opened wide.

The 80-centimeter-long 4-level storage closet was filled with all sorts of colorful gla.s.s bottles. The entire closet almost looked like a jewelry shop displaying its prized accessories.

Kazuki carefully picked up an orange bottle.

“This looks like an explosive reagent.”

“Wait, isn't this an aphrodisiac?”

Hugo looked at a pink bottle with sparkling eyes.

Seol Jihu was quite distracted by the whole thing. A high-quality healing potion, a bottle filled with salt, a strange bottle s.h.i.+ning in five-colors…. There were so many of them that he didn't know what was what. However, the bottles containing a milky liquid felt somewhat familiar to him.

In any case, the group decided to check their effects at a later time and began to unpack. Since they were planning on staying here for a long time, they immediately began to clean up the place.

It went without saying that everything in the hideout belonged to Seol Jihu. Hugo was envious since many of the bottles looked expensive and valuable, but he didn't dare to touch any of them under Jang Maldong's strict orders.

It was the same for Agnes and Kazuki. There was a reason Jang Maldong made Seol Jihu fight by himself.

The group took about an hour to clean the place thoroughly. When they went outside, the sun was slowly setting on the western horizon.

After ordering Agnes, Kazuki, and Hugo to train by themselves, Jang Maldong turned to the dazedly-standing Seol Jihu and asked.

“Tell me the spear techniques you've learned so far.”

When Seol Jihu answered 'Thrust, Strike, and Cut', Jang Maldong nodded his head.

“Perform them for me while wearing twelve sandbags. You can use as much mana as you want. You can even use Aura if you need to.”

“Um… here?”

“Don't make me repeat myself. You can go wild, so show me everything you've got.”

“How many times should I do it?”

“Until I tell you to stop.”

It was a truly random request. Why was Jang Maldong telling him to show his spear techniques?

Although Seol Jihu was curious, he quietly picked up his spear and took his stance.

“Start.”

Swis.h.!.+ A spear full of mana cut through the air. Seol Jihu repeated the three techniques with care.

'It's been a while since I've last done this.'

He suddenly remembered desperately striking the target in the Neutral Zone. As he had practiced these three techniques a thousand times every day, he was well accustomed to doing them.

Jang Maldong didn't say much. 'Quicker', 'more accurately', 'harder', he only said these three words and watched Seol Jihu silently.

After about two hours of nonstop thrusting, striking, and cutting…

“Haa…! Haa…!”

Seol Jihu felt his breath getting short. With three sandbags on each of his arms and legs, his limbs felt heavy. Because he had been using his mana since the beginning, he was running low on stamina as well.

He wished he had some sort of a goal to work towards, but that unfortunately wasn't the case.

Seol Jihu shook off this thought and focused on brandis.h.i.+ng his spear.

'There must be a reason.'

Jang Maldong was praised as Paradise's greatest trainer. Thinking he must have a reason for making him do this, Seol Jihu quietly thrust his spear.

How much time went by?

He felt something rising from his stomach. His arms felt like they were falling off. The perfect posture he once had was nowhere to be seen, and the movement of his spear became noticeably dull. It was then that Jang Maldong finally told him to stop.

“Haak…! Haak…!”

Seol Jihu fell on his b.u.t.t and gasped for air. His body was drenched in sweat. Still, he smiled, relieved that he was told to stop before his stamina ran out.

'Did I pa.s.s the first training?'

Perhaps because of his regular training, he felt like it was doable. However, he soon shook his head. It was unlikely that this was the end of the training, and he most certainly couldn't be satisfied with himself yet.

As such, he set his will ablaze and asked Jang Maldong.

“Master, what's next on the training regime?”

“…Hm? Next?”

Jang Maldong, who was looking around the area, raised his eyebrows.

“Huh? Is this it for today's training?”

“What nonsense are you blabbering. Get up.”

Jang Maldong spoke as if he had no clue what the youth was talking about. Seol Jihu tilted his head but still got up quickly.

“Since we got your stamina low… that should be enough to get your blood flowing. Ah, you can take the sandbags off now.”

A look of confusion flashed across Seol Jihu's blinking eyes. Perhaps he was mistaken, but he made it sound like he didn't even start the warm-up, much less the training.

“Oh right, you said you liked running, yes?”

Seol Jihu looked around his vicinity and swallowed hard. It was true that he liked running, but running on a flat track was completely different from running on a rugged mountain.

Moreover, the Huge Stone Rocky Mountain's topography required more jumping and climbing than running.

'Don't tell me….'

“Let's start with a light warm-up.”

An unknown sense of nervousness surged through him. Then….

“Before we start the real training, let me give you a piece of advice. Think of the training that is about to start as a battle.”

When he heard the word 'start', his nervousness transformed into anxiety. Jang Maldong continued calmly.

“I mean you should treat it as if your life is on the line. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to finish it.”

Hearing him say this with a straight face, gooseb.u.mps shot up on Seol Jiho's arms.

'What…?' It seemed like he was gravely mistaken about something.

“Don't forget. Training is a battle.”

Jang Maldong didn't seem to be joking. It didn't even sound like he was trying to be intimidating. He was simply being honest.

“Let's see…. Ah, that place looks good.”

Jang Maldong raised his cane and pointed at a spot in the distance. Past the rugged terrain, Seol Jihu could see a mountain peak standing tall in the sky.

'No way!'

If he was in his normal condition, he felt like he could travel back and forth at least eight times. But with his exhausted body, just making two rounds seemed difficult.

However, to Seol Jihu's dismay….

“Back and forth, fifty times. You can use mana, so make sure you complete it.”

A bolt of lightning struck him from the clear sky. He was made to use all his mana and stamina, so what did he just say?

“Also, you're prohibited from using that earring.”

A look of disbelief spread across Seol Jihu's face as he looked up at the mountain peak. However, Jang Maldong didn't even bat an eye as he opened his mouth.

“Since you were so stubborn, I trust you'll demonstrate with your actions.”

Seol Jihu grit his teeth. Thus….

“Now start.”

The curtains were drawn to the first of Seol Jihu's four most difficult and tortuous battles.