Chapter 25

Elvin was taken to the hospital, but training didn’t stop.

His excellent assistant—and no, coach—had left, but there was still a real punching bag left behind.

Originally, a punching bag is used after practicing with meat, but given the circumstances here, there was no choice.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I punched the bag repeatedly just like Kara taught me.

Using my waist and shoulders naturally, I utilized my legs when delivering a powerful blow.

At first, it felt like I was playing separately and I struggled, but as I kept hitting the bag, I gradually adapted.

“Good. Just like that. Now, give it your all for the final hit!”

Boom!

Following Kara’s command from behind, I delivered a last blow.

A punching bag filled with sand and much harder than others.

The bag bent completely in half and flew backward after taking my punch.

Clang!

The hook that held it in place snapped, sending the bag flying off into the distance. Eventually, it lay pitifully on the ground.

I looked at the bag, which had burst open at the center, sand trickling out, and scratched my cheek.

‘Maybe I should’ve pulled my punches a bit more.’

With Elvin taken to the hospital, I was trying to control my strength, but it seemed I had my own standards.

Well, with a strength stat of 143, what good was that? I could swing most weapons with one hand like a breeze.

Moreover, having grown up in the wilderness, I’d never practiced strength control. I didn’t see the need to.

“Well done. From now on, just control your strength. It’s a hassle to clear out the punching bags one by one.”

Kara said to me while removing the bag that was spilling sand.

Strength control is essential for accident prevention. If I keep bursting punching bags during training, people will notice.

Unlike clocks, if training gear breaks, there’s no need to take responsibility. They break frequently anyway.

‘But if I break too much, I’ll probably get a warning.’

Accumulating too many warnings would lead to point deductions. So, breaking equipment out of frustration isn’t good.

As I was pondering this, Kara brought in a new punching bag.

It must have been heavy since it was filled with sand, yet she hooked it up easily.

“Okay. Let’s do this again. Always use your legs, waist, and shoulders. Like I mentioned earlier, only use your waist and shoulders unless it’s a clear opportunity.”

Legs, meaning using a running attack, generally doesn’t work.

Unless you’re truly going full power, specify that you only use your waist and shoulders. Otherwise, you risk counterattacks easily.

Thud! Wham!

As I hit weaker than before, the sound was different. My punches didn’t hurt.

It felt good to hit the punching bag with this level of power moving forward.

“Once more, use your legs!”

Punch!

A straight punch using my legs struck the center of the bag perfectly.

Just like before, it bent in half, making a whooshing sound. Thankfully, the hook didn’t break.

Whoosh—

The only problem was that sand was spilling out to the point it couldn’t be used again. I’d already lost count of how many times this had happened.

I carefully set the hooked punching bag down on the floor. If I broke it any further, I might end up getting a warning.

[Skill: Boxing acquired!]

Whoa!

Just as I cleared the bag, a message popped up.

It had been a long time since I received a message—let alone a message about acquiring a skill.

So far, the only skills I’d acquired were Throwing and Ambush. I had high hopes for this new skill.

[Boxing: F]

[The human hand is the most basic tool and weapon. But boxing isn’t just fighting with your hands.]

[Depending on the rank, the power and evasion rate of bare hands increase.]

What a great explanation. Reading it made me smirk.

It might sound unhelpful, but it encapsulates all the essence of boxing.

If I manage to learn ground techniques, it’ll transform into ‘Martial Arts.’

The path ahead is still long and winding, but I’m grateful that Kara is such a good teacher.

[Wilderness Instinct activated!]

What’s this now?

I flinched at the message stating that the Wilderness Instinct was activated.

Wilderness Instinct doesn’t activate like this. It purely depends on a “feeling.”

[Boxing rank has increased to B!]

“··· ···”

Isn’t that fantastic?

I don’t know the principle behind it, but it’s remarkable how much the boxing rank increased.

Normally, it takes countless hours to raise just one rank.

Yet somehow, just acquiring it caused an insane jump in rank. It feels like my teeth are rotting from sweetness.

‘It’s not just an empty vessel, is it?’

I can’t shake the worry. It was a facade, and the content was lackluster.

In short, it means I need to test it in real combat. I can check that gradually.

“Today’s training should probably end here. Not too tiring, right?”

While I was looking at the message, Kara approached me to signal the end of the training.

Since I smashed the clock, I couldn’t confirm the time, but I instinctively felt a long time had passed.

From now on, I’ll be training under Kara every training session. I feel a little bad since I’m just receiving.

“You punched the bag for hours and didn’t break a sweat? You’re incredibly fit, huh?”

Kara marveled at my undeterred self, repeatedly hitting the punching bag.

She might have her own fitness level, but I’m close to 150. I rarely feel exhausted.

‘What about Luna? … Oh, I guess she’s done.’

Looking at Luna, she was sitting down resting. Given that she had even put her sword down, it must have ended.

Leaving behind the scrutinizing gaze of Kara, I walked towards Luna.

She must have trained pretty hard, as her clothes were soaked with sweat. She had long tossed aside her school uniform shirt.

As a result, her delicate figure was revealed, but I paid no mind to that.

“Hmm? Sivar? Are you done?”

Noticing my approach, she asked, glancing briefly at Kara.

I nodded to her question and quietly extended my hand.

Luna looked puzzled for a moment before she gently placed her hand on mine.

“Damn.”

No, not that.

I shook my head and added further explanation.

I gestured as if to put something in my mouth.

Only then did Luna seem to grasp what I wanted, saying, “Oh,” and opened her mouth.

“Candy? You want candy, right?”

When my wish was mentioned, I nodded.

I did create a bit of a mess, but after that, I quietly followed her training.

Luna seemed to ponder my request for a moment, then began rummaging through her pocket.

“Here. Even if it was my fault, I’ll give this to you.”

She placed a piece of candy in my palm, the same rice cake flavor as always.

I didn’t pop it into my mouth right away. Instead, I turned my body toward Kara and carefully offered it to her.

Kara looked back and forth between the candy on her palm and my face and then pointed at herself.

“You want me to eat this?”

She wore a look of disbelief; it seemed she didn’t expect this.

Since she was likely to be teaching me even after today’s duel, she couldn’t deny this possibility.

If that were so, it meant her training time would inevitably decrease. Training is very important.

Since I had nothing at the moment, candy was the best option.

“······Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Kara, who had been startled at first, began smiling pleasantly as she took the candy.

I felt Luna’s gaze on me from behind, but I tried to ignore it. She likely wore a complicated expression.

“You’re better than those civilized folks who think they’re top of the line. How come there are so many who are worse off than you, who lived in the wilderness?”

Kara mentioned while putting the candy in her mouth.

She then began savoring the unique taste of the rice cake candy.

“··· ···”

But her expression didn’t seem too great. More like she was gauging the situation.

Kara slowly chewed, then glanced at me. I just stared back.

“······It’s a bit of a unique taste.”

I thought she liked sweet things. Or is the rice cake flavor just plain odd?

But since she accepted my goodwill, it doesn’t matter. I plan to maintain a good relationship going forward.

“Did you teach her this too?”

Kara asked, slightly munching on the rice cake candy, turning to Luna beside her.

Luna alternated her gaze between me and Kara, her complicated feelings laid bare on her face.

She then began to speak in her characteristic calm voice, “This was probably taught by the Principal or Eli. I don’t know.”

“I’m sure they taught it well.”

Eli is enthusiastic in her teaching. Sometimes, she goes a bit overboard.

Rod stands a step back, enjoying watching and lending various pointers.

Especially when Eli is absent, he reads me stories or poems, making him feel like a grandpa.

“By the way, what do you think of Sivar’s skills?”

“Honestly, it’s impressive to the point of jealousy. He’s strong yet flexible; he absorbs everything I teach him. There’s nothing lacking.”

Kara’s praise makes me feel a bit embarrassed. It’s Kara, not just anyone saying it.

She doesn’t throw around compliments frivolously. Even if she lied, she’d get caught.

“What stands out most is the naturalness. Generally, you have to strike thousands of times to flow like water, and he does that right away. It truly feels rewarding to teach him.”

“That means he’ll learn other skills well, right?”

“That I can only tell after I see. If you want to······”

“I’ll pass.”

I suggested, but she sharply declined. She seems to have quite a bit of pride.

Kara shrugged and didn’t seem to mind much. It’s beneficial for her anyway.

“I’ll go wash up now. See you tomorrow.”

“Take care.”

“What do I have to be careful of? Oh, but wait, Sivar.”

“?”

Just as Kara was about to leave, she called me. I faced her with an expression asking if she had something to say.

Then she smiled gently, offering me a piece of advice with emphasis.

“I can’t stress this enough: fighting with just your bare hands is foolish. Remember that martial arts are just tools for combat. Keep that in mind. Got it?”

I widened my eyes. She had said the same thing in the Soul World.

The condition to hear that advice was to become friends. I needed to steadily increase my favorability.

We had only known each other for a day, but we seemed to have gotten closer. It must have been due to the candy I just offered.

“Damn. I shouldn’t be acting this cozy with someone I’ll expect to fight against.”

She seemed to think it awkwardly herself, scratching her head as if in annoyance.

Regardless of the favorability level, she’s always sincere when it comes to fighting like in duels.

That kind of nature is probably why people call her a barbarian, but it can’t be helped. It’s part of Tartar’s culture.

“I’ll only teach you defensive ground techniques. To learn offensive ones, you’d need a more skilled practitioner, and based on how things look, that’s out of the question.”

“Oh, right. By the way, Sivar? Let’s visit Elvin soon to apologize.”

“··· ···”

That sounds annoying. Still, I nodded without saying a word since I must build favorability.

Some might question why I’m trying to curry favor with a male character, but he had been a magnificent “benefactor” in the Soul World.

Just like how he fetched fairy tale books or dictionaries as Rod asked, he excels in various areas.

As the story progresses, costs will rise, so as long as Elvin is around, I can worry less.

‘Grace is more of a different kind of benefactor.’

After Kara left to wash up, Luna and I headed toward the hospital where Elvin was.

Fortunately, when consulting with the doctor, it turned out the extraction was so clean that reinsertion was not difficult.

However, there was a strong warning against intense activities for the time being, and he said he wouldn’t be able to participate in upcoming duels.

“Luna.”

“Yes, Elvin.”

“I’ve come to realize what it’s like to teach combat to an ogre today.”

“··· ···”

His arm must have been dislocated, but his brain must have gone fried too.

******

Luna thought to herself that it had been an eventful day.

Bringing Sivar out of the Chaos Forest and later dueling with Elvin had been fine.

Since she was merely an observer from a distance, it didn’t matter if Sivar caused trouble.

However, after becoming a guardian, she realized how irresponsible that thought was.

A moment of distraction or a wrong word could lead to an accident. But she didn’t suffer only losses.

Thanks to realizing the possibility of demons attacking the Academy from the cave paintings, she earned time to prepare.

Of course, it was still insufficient for her to single-handedly thwart the demons’ plans. Therefore, she needed companions.

“Good work. Anything happen today?”

“Nothing important… just some equipment was damaged. Elvin’s shoulder was dislocated, though.”

“I can understand the first part, but I’m curious about the latter.”

“Yes. What happened was······”

After all lessons were over, they returned to Rod’s lodging for a report.

Fortunately, Rod was inside, saving them the trouble of searching for him.

“Sivar, what did you learn today? Write it down here.”

Eli had arrived ahead of time at the lodging. As always, Ratatosk stood by her side.

Luna watched Sivar write his answer in the notebook after hearing Eli’s question, turning her head away.

Rod was sipping herbal tea as usual.

“Kara? The student who wants to become a guardian while teaching Sivar.”

“Yes.”

“Can you bring her over this weekend? I’d like to talk to her.”

Luna smirked inwardly. It seemed Kara would also become Sivar’s guardian.

At least it was reassuring that despite her aggressive demeanor, Kara had a kind nature.

As long as she prevents imparting wrong knowledge to Sivar, it would be sufficient.

“Understood. I’ll convey that to Kara.”

“Great. What else?”

“Other things······”

Luna trailed off, stealing glances at Sivar. He was learning a language from Eli.

Discussing in this environment wouldn’t be appropriate. However, it was challenging to shift the subject, given it was Rod.

*Snap!*

Then Rod snapped his fingers lightly. Luna flinched, looking at him.

Rod took a sip from his cup and explained in a calm tone.

“I expect a rather complicated subject to arise, so I’ve blocked our sound. So don’t worry; our conversation will not reach their ears.”

Luna nodded at that explanation. Anyone like the Sword Saint could probably handle this.

She glanced once more at Sivar, who was keenly communicating with Eli, and then brought up the topic in a serious voice.

“Principal, do you believe the demons are planning an attack on the Academy?”

“Demons?”

Rod raised one eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the unexpected nature of the inquiry.

He presumed it was only going to be a discussion but was suddenly confronted with the notion of demons attacking the Academy.

While Rod paused momentarily, Luna referred back to the magic circle she’d discovered.

“Yes. In fact, a magic circle was found among the objects Sivar destroyed. It’s an invisible one.”

“Uh-huh······”

“The demons have lost their colors, rendering them colorless. They can only maintain their forms in black and white, unable to utilize anything else.”

Rod nodded as Luna relayed this information. Colorlessness is a typical trait of demons.

“You’ve got that right. Demons cannot possess or use colors other than black and white. But it’s half true and half false.”

“It sounds like you’re saying demons can have or use colors…”

“Rainbow colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, just like that. Red is the lowest, and purple is the highest.”

“Why the rainbow colors?”

“I’m not sure myself. However, there’s a saying that the rainbow was first to appear when this world was born. It could be connected to that.”

I guess I’ll need to look for related books later, Luna resolved.

Rod, meanwhile, seemed to have a lot on his mind as he pulled on his mustache. It wouldn’t be easy accepting the fact that a legend like demons would suddenly attack the United Academy—a reason for its establishment long ago, now dulled with time.

If demons truly do plan to attack the Academy, it is not something to overlook. Yet, at the same time, she questioned the motive.

Why would the demons attack the Academy? What do they hope to gain?

They could easily become public enemies and be thoroughly crushed.

“Hm······”

Rod, who had been squirming with his mustache, looked back at Luna. Her bright blue eyes shone with honesty.

He didn’t believe she was lying. The subject was just too outrageous to feel tangible.

“About that magic circle you mentioned?”

“I tossed it into the trash. I thought if I dumped it straight into the incinerator, questions might arise.”

“How careful of you. But how did you know that it was a demon’s magic circle?”

“··· ···”

Luna shut her mouth at that question. It wasn’t a matter of secrecy; she just wondered if Rod would believe her.

Having possessed those special eyes from birth; she didn’t understand how or why she had them.

Rod seemed to notice the complexity in Luna’s expression and nodded.

“Everyone has their secrets. I trust you.”

“Then······”

“However, I can’t trust you completely.”

At his firm words, Luna almost brightened but paused. Following that, Rod crossed his legs and revealed his reasons.

“It sounds so outrageous that there’s no way around it. So I would like you to show me proof.”

“Proof? Like what?”

“The colorless magic circle you found today. Or anything related to demons. That should suffice.”

That’s going to be tricky. Luna forced a wry smile.

The thing they discovered this time was stumbled upon by coincidence. Had Sivar not thrown the sword at the clock, they wouldn’t have known at all.

But starting now, they’d have to seek it out on their own. It was bound to be a tough adventure.

“If you give me the confidence, I’ll lend you as much strength as I can.”

“Are you going to keep it from everyone? Would you siow personally investigate this, Principal?”

“If I do, the demons might catch on and delay or abandon their plans. It could also go the other way. What’s important now is not ‘why’ but ‘when.’”

It didn’t matter what purpose the demons had for attacking the Academy. The issue was when they would do it.

Even if she prepared thoroughly, if she didn’t know the timing, it would remain troublesome. Thus, knowing when was crucial.

‘Sivar······’

Upon hearing that timing was essential, Luna looked over to Sivar. He was still learning letters from Eli.

Given that he had drawn on the mural, wouldn’t he also know the timing? She thought.

Of course, that was merely conjecture. It would be necessary to bide the time when she was alone with Sivar.

*Clearing throat!*

Suddenly, Rod let out a dry cough. Luna startled at that sound.

Considering his age, he typically coughs, but it seemed a bit worse than usual today.

“Are you alright?”

“Um, don’t worry about me.”

Rod held his hand up to calm Luna down. Then he reached for the teacup again.

Actually, more accurately, he was about to bring it to his lips.

Thud—

Before he could reach it, Sivar, who had appeared without a sound, grabbed the teacup.

Luna and Rod were taken aback for a moment at his silent appearance, but they couldn’t help but open their mouths at what came next.

Crash!

He swiftly snatched the teacup from Rod’s hand and hurled it against the wall.

The teacup shattered upon hitting the wall, with the contents flowing down in a stream.

It was such a sudden act of mischief that even Rod couldn’t contain his surprise.

Besides, even though he had put some strength into it, he lost the cup without intending to. Though the cough had weakened him, it was still impressive.

“What the hell, Sivar! Why on earth did you do that?”

Elly seemed even more startled than Rod. She had been studying until Sivar made his impulsive move.

At that moment, nobody could comprehend his actions, but Sivar took to writing in his notebook.

Then, he showed them the message he had written.

[Drinking. Medicine. Hurts.]

He was showcasing his hopeless sentence structure once again. However, this was still a significant development.

Luna narrowed her eyes at the written message, questioning him in a baffled tone, “You drink something and it hurts? What do you mean by that?”

“It would be wise to explain in detail. I hope I’m not the one getting scolded.”

Rod chimed in sternly after Luna. If Sivar only did it once, it would suffice, but beyond that, an explanation was necessary.

Sivar blinked at their reaction and checked his notebook.

“Damn?”

Realizing he had written it incorrectly, Sivar widened his eyes.

He swiftly corrected the words with his pen and presented it again.

[Drinking. Poison. Hurts.]

The sentence was identical; the only change was from “medicine” to “poison.”

Luna read the words and looked toward Rod. He would know since he was brewing the herbal tea himself.

But Rod only rubbed his forehead in distress.

“Ha······ Sivar. Just because it’s bitter doesn’t mean it’s definitely poison. In fact, there are sayings about how bitter medicine is good for you.”

“··· ···”

“It seems you couldn’t block out the scent. It’s usually such a technique······”

Although he could block out sound, it seems he couldn’t eliminate the scent. Sivar mistaking the smell for poison had led him to throw the teacup.

But unlike Rod, Luna was anxious. What if that herbal remedy truly was poisonous as Sivar claimed?

As that thought crossed her mind, she ventured to ask Rod a cautious question about the source of the herbs.

“Where did that herb come from?”

“It’s from a physician in the local hospital in our town.”

Then it could be trusted. Most of the academy’s personnel were reputable figures in the country.

If someone like that were merely a pawn of the demons, the Academy would have collapsed long ago.

“Damn······”

Sivar, noticing the vibe of things getting too complicated, scratched his head. He was wearing a disgruntled look.

Just as he was trying to write down an explanation once again, someone spoke up.

“Hey. That’s definitely poison.”

The unfamiliar voice pierced through their ears. It was a tone flat, but otherwise reminiscent of an ordinary man’s voice.

It wasn’t Rod—the baritone voice he had was impactful—and certainly not Sivar.

So, who could it be?

“Chewing and tasting it. Yup, definitely poison. Even if it looks like an herb, my tongue won’t be tricked.”

“······?”

The voice was coming from the wall where Sivar had previously thrown the cup.

In response, they turned their gazes that way, discovering an all-too-familiar, large squirrel.

“······Ratatosk?”

Porori—better known as Ratatosk—was nibbling on the herb hanging limply.

After chewing a bit, he spat it out, wiping his front legs across his mouth.

“Unless you want to die, you should skip that one. The only reason you’ve survived so long is just because you’re strong.”

With that, he delivered his message.

It was undoubtedly Ratatosk’s voice. A creature was speaking.

As everyone stood there dumbfounded, processing the unusual situation, only one person voiced their shock.

“······Damn?”

It was Sivar.

The expression on his typically expressionless face was something to behold. The surprise was evident.

It was only natural, given Ratatosk managed to say something even he couldn’t.

“Yeah. You dumbass. I can talk.”

Seemingly understanding Sivar’s words, Ratatosk boldly responded.

Then, he confidently walked up to Sivar and asked a question dripping with sincerity.

“But why can’t you talk? I can do it in just a few days, you know.”

Today, Sivar faced another kind of defeat—not from a miscalculation like before in the forest, but from Ratatosk, aka Porori.

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