Chapter 71


“The act of enhancing the body with magical power comes with more drawbacks than merely releasing it.”

Instructor Frederick sat me down in the auditorium and began a short lecture.

“The human body is far more fragile and sensitive compared to weaponry like swords or arrows. If a clueless person tries to channel magical power while moving, they risk hurting their organs, tearing muscles, or damaging nerves. There’s even a chance of their blood vessels getting tangled.”

The instructor carefully lifted my hand and pressed down on my palm.

“So, the key to body enhancement training is to find the appropriate channel for each individual and understand how much and in what way to channel the magical power. I’ll release some magical power now, so take your time to feel it.”

“Um, Instructor. This is… something my friends have done for me before too.”

Strange, I thought, could this actually be a repeat of the trial and error I had already experienced?

Sitting quietly, my friends had advised me to release magical power through my palms or back and feel it before.

“I don’t know who it is, but they probably tried to forcefully explain techniques that only apply to themselves or babbled complex theories that are nonsensical. Just listening to that and trying to follow along won’t work, no matter how many times you try. An Awakened One’s magical power moves only in their unique way and path.”

“So, what should I do?”

“It’s simple. Just do what you want.”

“What?”

“Inner peace? Enlightenment through meditation? I have no idea about such ridiculous nonsense. You need to start by observing your body’s magical power closely for anything to be possible. You may not understand it right now, but doing it your own way is the solution. Now, let’s begin.”

A strange feeling of magical power began to flow into my palm. It surged up like a stream from my wrist, appearing and disappearing.

I felt like I might understand something, but repeated it a few more times.

“Now, move your magical power. Breathe slowly; there’s no need to do too much from the start. Just think of it as going for a stroll.”

I began to move the magical power as the instructor instructed.

“Now, close your eyes. You’ll understand faster if you disregard visual information. Focus on your sense of touch. Don’t spread it through your whole body at once; concentrate on one place first. Use your left arm, little by little, and try to use the magical power like particles.”

“Uh… it’s not working.”

“That’s the basics! You haven’t just been letting your magical power flow mindlessly, have you? What a waste…”

I continued to follow the instructor’s commands. After about 30 minutes, I started to grasp something. I felt an unusual sensation in my left arm, like a bone was inside it. It felt as if another arm had attached to it.

“Slowly, slowly. Move.”

The instructor’s guidance felt different this time. What I was sensing had changed.

Strength, I felt strength!

“Whoa! Power!”

“What? Already? How long has it been since we started?”

Instructor Frederick’s eyes widened. His tone of voice showed he was surprised. Why?

There was a bursting sensation in my left arm. My forearm felt hot. Could I break a brick with my bare hands right now?

I moved again. The strength surged…!

“Stop!”

“Ugh!”

Just as I was focused, the instructor smacked the back of my head. He then grabbed my wrist and began to channel magical power. The earlier strength faded.

“Why are you doing this…”

“You fool! Are you trying to blow up your own arm?”

Hearing his remark made me look at my left arm, which to my astonishment, was swollen below the elbow!

“How recklessly did you pour out your magical power? Your arm could have been ruined! How many times did I tell you to go slowly?”

This was definitely dangerous. When I tried to move my left arm, it wouldn’t budge as if it were punished.

“Well, it stopped swelling for now, so that’s a relief. It should go down quickly. This is crazy. Why are you learning so fast…”

Even after a few more attempts, it was deemed too risky and we halted.

“That’s enough for today. I have an appointment, so I’m leaving.”

“Can I come again tomorrow?”

“…Alright.”

I stepped outside into the sunset.

***

I reflected on today’s training. As for body enhancement exercises, the instructor said I was improving quickly, but I wasn’t satisfied given the circumstances.

“It would be great if I could improve faster!”

“Is there any way to enhance skills in just a couple of days?”

I felt frustrated. The plans of those nasty folks were only three months away, yet I was still standing still.

Duel training was no different.

“Violet, you have a decent foundation, but… you’re too aggressive.”

“I told you, I won’t die. I’ve had my wrist or arm chopped off a couple of times!”

Irene’s expression crinkled at my response.

“That’s the problem; I understand why your movements are too reckless and hurried. Think about saving your body while you move. What good is it to not die if you still get hurt?

You have no way to land an attack. If you want to properly utilize your unique ability, you need to hold your opponent for just a bit longer. For that, you need to pay attention to your defense!”

Hearing her insights made me realize why I had been pushed to the brink of defeat in the last duel.

All of it was valid criticism. We, lying on the floor, pondered hard.

However, in all honesty, there was no way to improve skills in just a few days.

No, thinking again, there was one idea.

We’re a group, right?

“Right, why didn’t we think of this?”

“Let’s try it right now!”

After dinner, the Violets, who were resting at their respective locations, quickly sprang into action.

“First, let’s try body enhancement training.”

Dozens of clones waiting outside the school sat down, each channeling magical power into their limbs as they began to move.

Our idea was simple.

Using magical power recklessly could be dangerous. It could lead to death.

But we wouldn’t die. Any injuries could be resolved through regeneration.

Thus, dozens of us could simultaneously explore optimal body enhancement methods using different approaches!

Almost minutes into the training, injuries began to occur.

Clone 78’s arm swelled grotesquely and then twisted.

“Ah! My arm!”

Soon, multiple clones began to writhe and fall over. The causes were simple: difficulty breathing, paralyzed bodies, cardiac arrest.

“Gah…!”

Clone 89 bled from its eyes, nose, and mouth before collapsing dead.

“Ahhh! I can’t see!”

Clone 23 went blind from improperly channeling magical power.

“I’m seriously hurt; my arm exploded!”

There were even incidents where bodily parts exploded due to pouring out too much magical power, too quickly.

But it was fine.

It didn’t hurt as much as I thought; the pain could be dispersed to others. Even if I died, I’d come back to life.

Endlessly repeating, summoning clones, regenerating, repeating.

We practiced and trained simultaneously.

***

And we repeated that for about a day.

“Ahh… it’s moving!”

Through the countless sacrifices, we gradually began to understand how to control magical power.

As I channeled magical power into my legs, I moved faster than usual. As I channeled it into my arms, I felt my strength increase compared to before.

The 24-hour learning through the repeated activities of numerous clones was effective.

To be more precise, it might be more accurate to say 25 hours. The regenerated clones felt no exhaustion. They could train day and night.

After about two days, our repeated learning through clones extended into the realm of swordsmanship.

“What’s this, Violet? You fixed it quickly. How did you do that?”

“Well, Irene was right. Focus really helps.”

“…?”

As two Violets swung their swords and moved in the school gym and a private training ground, the Violets at home imitated their movements exactly.

To the outside, it looked as if they were swinging a sword in thin air. But I felt it. Something inside me piled up rapidly. Though faint, the movements were becoming increasingly precise.

“Ugh! My leg swelled again!”

“I can’t feel anything below my waist…”

Now, the body enhancement time through magical power began to gradually lengthen. The instances of injuries due to mismanaging magical power decreased.

If one person’s practice time was insufficient, ten could practice together; if ten was not enough, a hundred could practice simultaneously. From those hundred, we’d extract the best results, then mimic, modify, and repeat.

Three days passed.

***

“Look at this!”

“…?”

In front of Instructor Frederick, I moved my magical power throughout my entire body.

The magical power spread quickly, coursing through muscles, joints, and moving to where it should be. It penetrated the necessary body parts, stabilizing and holding up the lacking areas. The Ether flowed into major organs and sensory organs such as eyes and ears, stimulating them.

As I put my foot down, the world slowed down. Turning my head, I could see things I previously couldn’t. I felt like my whole body was going to burst, but I managed to keep it under control.

“Wooaah!”

I dashed at full speed. At that moment, I realized I had successfully enhanced my entire body.

In excitement, I turned my head.

-Bang!

“Ugh!”

I collided with the wall due to misjudging my speed in power control.

Ah, I messed up.

Bracing for a scolding, I turned around, only to see Instructor Frederick’s jaw dropped. It looked like someone had dislocated it.

“Uh… I’m sorry!”

His eyes stared blankly at me.

“Y-You did it in just three days…!”

“…?”

What did I do wrong? His reaction was odd.