Chapter 40: Growing Stronger

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Growing StrongerLian, Seline, and Freddy found themselves in a completely different area from the previous one. They had not encountered any worms along the way, which could only mean one thing. The monsters inside the Gate were all dead, except for what seemed to be the true boss, which, for some reason, did not seem to appear, its absence looming like a silent threat in the desolate landscape. Lian and Seline were meditating, while Freddy danced with his blade. A Knight’s training was very different from that of a Mage. While the latter had to meditate and cast spells, Knights had to cultivate according to precise techniques. It was not simply standing still and absorbing mana; it was a disciplined art form, blending physical prowess with spiritual focus. Meanwhile, Lian had finished absorbing all the mana orbs. This time, he had managed to absorb a whopping 40 orbs. This was a sign that his body could channel more mana; he would not easily go into Mana Break. "I feel great!" he murmured as he stood up, stretching. Meditation was becoming increasingly difficult, not so much because of the difficulty itself, but because of the time it took. Each absorbed orb needed time to be metabolized, and the stronger he became, the more orbs he would need to absorb to advance, a grueling process that tested his patience as much as his power. He could not perform Geometric Meditation now, or he would risk a Mana Flow like the last time. Looking around, Lian saw Seline sitting in a lotus position, deeply focused. From what she had said, her meditation technique was slightly more advanced, based on the water element. It allowed her to cultivate a bit faster, her mana flowing like a serene river compared to Lian’s fiery torrent. "She’s so beautiful..." the boy murmured, openly staring at her. "I wonder if she has a boyfriend or someone she likes..." Lian was a handsome boy, popular among girls his age, but the girls from his town were all "normal" compared to Seline and Sera, two stunning beauties. He did not have the confidence needed. "I wonder what Sera and Patrick are doing... maybe they miss me? Or have they already given me up for dead... what about my parents? Are they crying?" A series of questions filled his mind as his eyes shifted from Seline to Freddy. "Incredible!" Lian whispered after observing Freddy’s cultivation technique for several minutes. More than a cultivation technique, it was a true dance. Freddy moved with natural grace, following precise points in space as his technique dictated, each step a calculated harmony of strength and rhythm. Freddy came from the northern kingdom and followed a unique cultivation technique from that region, Fang of the Wind. He moved according to a precise rhythm and pattern, his steps sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The pattern vaguely reminded Lian of something, but he could not put his finger on it. "How strange..." he murmured with a confused expression. "Lian, done meditating?" the man suddenly stopped, sweat dripping from his bare chest. "Why don’t we train a bit? Maybe you can get revenge for the punch you took yesterday," he added with a small, mischievous smile. A forced smile came from Lian’s mouth as he merely nodded. He had too much mana; he needed to burn some off before drawing the remaining lines for Geometric Meditation. "Haha, good." Freddy laughed, tossing his sword to the ground. Unlike Mages, Knights did not have spatial rings; they could not store their items. And unfortunately, spatial rings required a connection to the user’s mana; they did not have an internal pool like the sword, for example, a limitation that forced Knights to carry their burdens physically. "I won’t hold back just because you’re weaker than me." The man began banging his fists together, making the air vibrate. "Okay, maybe I’ll hold back..." he added with a small, embarrassed smile, seeing Lian’s expression darken. "... but only a little!" Lian got into position. He had come up with several ideas during his meditation. After all, as fantastic as his fireball was, he could not rely on it for everything. There were countless other spells to use. "Geometric Spell, Circle," he said mentally, his eyes closed as he prepared to make his move. The circle was drawn in an instant, and the words came out of his mouth effortlessly. "Ignis Arde, Flamma Parva!" [Precision: 75%] He was getting better and better. On his open palm, a large, powerful flame distorted the air. Lian was imitating Sera’s fighting style. After all, he could not just keep throwing spells at Freddy, or the purpose of the training would be pointless. He had to experiment with new things, to push the boundaries of his magic beyond the familiar. "Interesting, that flame looks intense." Freddy’s foot dug into the sand as he prepared to charge. "But it won’t be enough to scratch my skin!" Freddy shot forward like a Stone Bull, each step kicking up a cloud of sand under the weight of his body, his movements carrying the force of an unstoppable beast. Lian did not back down; his flame danced on his palm, his gaze resolute as he waited for the man to approach. Freddy reached him in an instant. He threw a hook aimed at Lian’s left side, but Lian intercepted it with his forearm, using his flame-covered hand to strike at Freddy’s exposed side. But it was a trap. With a swift movement, Freddy spun around Lian’s body in a triangular motion, positioning himself behind him. The flame in the boy’s hands missed its target but remained steady in his grasp. Meanwhile, Freddy, now behind the boy, gave a light push, making him stumble forward several steps. But as he was pushed, Lian turned, hurling the flame in his hands toward the man. "Interesting—" Freddy said as he used one hand to swat away the fire. A small cloud of smoke replaced the flame, and Freddy poked his head out of it, only to see Lian smiling as he said, "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus." A larger-than-normal fireball crashed into Freddy. There was no time to dodge. Boom— "Huh?" The sound of the explosion woke Seline from her meditation. "Are they fighting? Typical guys—" she said before closing her eyes and returning to her meditation. Meanwhile, Freddy was pushed back a few steps by the explosion, while Lian used the recoil to gain distance and prepare another spell. Visualizing the usual circle, Lian modified it into several smaller circles. "Here they come," he murmured with a smirk as he said, "Ignis Arde, Ignis Serpes." Several fire snakes were summoned at once. They crashed onto the sandy ground and began slithering toward Freddy with great speed, their fiery forms weaving through the sand like living predators. The man had just waved away the smoke with a gesture, only to find four fire snakes slithering toward him. "Damn it!" he said, recalling what had happened to the Steel 1 worm. He tried to grab one of the snakes with his hands, only to discover they had no physical form. (A genius...) The snake he grabbed exploded in his hands, while the others reached his body a moment later. But Freddy would not fall for the same trick twice. Moving with speed and precision, the man deftly dodged the snakes, making them collide with each other, his movements a blur of calculated grace. The fight went on for some time before Lian ran out of stamina and mana. Freddy, on the other hand, had only minor burns. "You’re improving, kid. Keep it up." The man extended a hand to help the boy stand. Lian grabbed it, smiling. "Thanks, but know that I went easy on you. Once I reach Bronze 2, you won’t be able to compete!" Lian’s words were true. He had not used his concentric variant to face the Knight, or his fire would not have just singed his body—it would have blown him up. Maybe... But thanks to this fight and burning off all his mana, Lian was finally ready. "I can’t wait to break through successfully!" he whispered excitedly after recovering from the sparring. It had been fun and useful, and Freddy had truly gone easy on him this time. He only had a few bruises on his body. "I wonder what will happen to my system... will I get something new?!" --- Author’s Note! Hehehe, are you ready? The long-awaited Bronze 2 has finally arrived. Why did it take so long? You’ll find out!! Wait a minute, the boss isn’t going to show up right now, is it?