Chapter 15

After completing his regular training, Raon immediately headed to the indoor training hall. While the other children were panting and collapsing, he took a deep breath and sat down on the equipment to train his chest muscles.

‘It’s no wonder this cultivation method has been passed down as a legend.’

Despite his body being exhausted, the ring of fire swirling around his heart restored his physical and mental strength. It had been only a short time since he had pushed himself to the limit in training, yet he was already able to move at full power again. There was a reason it was called one of the continent’s greatest treasures.

“Huff….”

Raon increased the weight by 5 kg compared to yesterday and lifted the equipment. He moved slowly to ensure his pectoral muscles were properly stimulated and maximized the range of motion.

Thud.

When he got up after completing six sets, he heard someone sit down on the adjacent equipment.

‘Who is it?’

Usually, the only person who came around was a strange green-haired individual with a bag attached to his stomach. Thinking it was odd, he turned his head.

‘Runan?’

The person sitting on the adjacent equipment was Runan Slieron, brushing her long silver hair.

Runan set a much heavier weight and began using the equipment.

Whoosh!

Her posture for lifting the equipment was almost identical to Raon’s. It wasn’t about the number of repetitions or the weight, but about stimulating the muscles.

-What is that?

‘I don’t know.’

Raon glanced at Runan for a moment and then left his spot. He sat down on another piece of equipment to give his muscles a more detailed stimulation.

“Huff!”

After adjusting the weight, he lifted the equipment. He turned the ring of fire while lifting a weight beyond his maximum capacity.

“Huff!”

Normally, he would have to reduce the weight by 10 kg, but thanks to the ring of fire, he could lift the current weight and perform more repetitions.

After exercising to the point where his arms and chest were trembling, he put the equipment down and heard someone sit down next to him again.

‘Could it be?’

He turned his head while lying down. As expected, it was Runan. She set an even heavier weight and began lifting the equipment.

‘Why is she doing this?’

Raon narrowed his eyes. Runan, who usually paid no attention to trainees or even to Remer, was now following him and moving the equipment in the same posture.

‘Am I imagining things?’

On second thought, it’s natural to train smaller muscles after the larger ones. He decided it was just a coincidence and got up.

Just in case, he headed to the shoulder training equipment this time.

Creak!

After adjusting the weight, he lifted the equipment, feeling the stimulation in his shoulders. When he finished a light set, Runan walked over.

She stared at him intently and then sat down next to him, adjusting the weight. This time, it was even heavier.

“Huff!”

She then started lifting the equipment, looking straight ahead as if it were nothing.

-How can you just stand there after such provocation! How long are you going to keep your tail between your legs like a mouse?

‘Provocation…’

Raon turned to look at Runan. She used the equipment as if she had no interest in him, looking straight ahead.

‘What is she thinking?’

At first, he thought it was just a coincidence, but now that she was following him even to shoulder training, it was clear she was doing it on purpose.

He couldn’t read her thoughts. Her eyes were as cold as ice, and their light was wild, making it impossible to discern her intentions.

-Don’t you know? You’re better than her, so why not challenge her! Punch her in the face right now!

Ras didn’t care about age, status, or gender. True to his name, he was angry at everything.

‘Just calm down.’

Raon ignored Ras’s anger, got up, and started doing squats. As expected, Runan followed and bent her thighs with a heavier weight.

“What, what is this?”

“Why are those two together?”

“Why is Lady Runan paying attention to that weakling?”

The children training in the hall gaped at Runan training next to Raon.

Grind.

Baren, who had finished sword training and entered the hall with the younger generation, gritted his teeth at the sight.

“Ugh!”

“Why is Runan there….”

The younger generation stared at Runan training next to Raon.

“Hmm.”

Raon looked at Runan, who was receiving everyone’s attention.

Her silver hair shone like moonlight, and her skin was snow-white. Her features were thin yet distinct, and her face was as beautiful as a painting, but her eyes looked wild, as if something was wrong with them.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

When Runan finished a set, she approached and asked.

“……”

Runan looked at him for a long time, as if observing a strange creature.

“No.”

She then started lifting the equipment again, this time with an even heavier weight.

‘I don’t know either.’

Raon shrugged and got up from the equipment. He decided to let her be and focus on his own training, thinking she would get bored soon.

While pondering what to do next, he heard small footsteps behind him.

Turning around, he saw Runan looking at him with her purple eyes.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

“……”

Runan didn’t respond, only meeting his eyes. Her eyes were like those of a cat taking a nap.

“Huh.”

Raon exhaled and approached another piece of equipment. Runan followed and used the same equipment.

* * *

It had been a week since Runan Slieron started observing Raon Zighardt.

“Hmm.”

As soon as she entered the indoor training hall, she looked for Raon. He was, as usual, the first to enter the training room and was lifting equipment.

‘The weight is even higher than yesterday.’

The weight Raon was lifting was 5 kg more than yesterday. Actually, this wasn’t unusual.

If you train hard, increasing the weight isn’t strange.

But if the weight increases every day? That’s not normal growth.

‘How is he doing this?’

Most people wouldn’t know, but Raon Zighardt had increased his weight by over 10 kg in the past week. Even for a child growing quickly, this was an unrealistic figure.

‘Is it because of his posture?’

Raon’s posture for lifting equipment was slightly different from others. It made him wonder if this unique posture was the reason for his growth.

Deciding to try, Runan sat down on the equipment next to Raon, who was doing chest exercises. She lifted the equipment in the same posture as Raon.

‘Hmm.’

She didn’t feel anything special. Maybe the muscles were slightly more stimulated.

‘Nothing special.’

Thinking it had no significant meaning, she was about to lift the weight in her usual posture when she inhaled a refreshing scent from Raon.

‘What is this?’

Suddenly, the equipment felt as light as a feather.

‘What?’

Her strength and agility seemed to have increased dramatically. The weight, which should have been difficult to lift, felt light.

However, the strange sensation disappeared as soon as Raon, who had been looking at her for a moment, left.

“Ah….”

Runan looked at Raon’s back, heading to the next equipment, with a regretful expression.

‘Maybe…’

Runan immediately moved to the seat next to Raon, setting a heavier weight than usual and lifting it.

“Ugh….”

It was too much, and lifting the equipment was very difficult. But as Raon started his training, the refreshing aura made the weight feel lighter again.

‘It’s real.’

Lifting a weight 10 kg heavier than usual, it wasn’t just a feeling; her abilities seemed to have genuinely improved.

“Huff!”

Despite lifting a weight beyond her capabilities, there was no strain on her shoulders and arms.

Feeling good after finishing the exercise, she saw Raon standing in front of her.

“Do you have something to say?”

The boy with golden hair and red eyes, a clear sign of the Zighardt lineage, asked.

“No.”

Runan shook her head. Raon glanced at her for a moment and then moved to the next equipment.

‘I need to keep following him.’

Runan’s long eyes gleamed like a cat’s as she followed Raon.

Being able to train with heavier equipment was good, but the refreshing scent from him was even more attractive.

* * *

Remer climbed the mountain behind the main hall of Zighardt.

“Tsk.”

He shook his head and clicked his tongue as he tried to climb a flat rock halfway up the mountain.

“Coming to my nap rock every day, it seems you’re quite worried about your grandson.”

At his words, an old man with a sharp, sword-like appearance, Glen Zighardt, came down from the rock.

“……”

Glen said nothing, only looking at the faint mountain ridge.

“Hmph.”

Remer snorted and leaned against the rock. The two of them watched the setting sun in silence for a while.

“Sigh. Just ask. Do you really have to be so formal?”

Remer sighed and jumped onto the rock where Glen was sitting.

“The children are doing well. Honestly, I’m surprised by how intensely they’re training.”

“Surprised?”

“I left the training to the children’s discretion.”

“I know that.”

“Really, how much willpower can 12- to 13-year-olds have? I thought most would slack off after a week. But!”

It wasn’t just talk. When he decided on this training, he planned to select only 20 out of 160.

“I think more will remain than expected, thanks to the head of the family’s grandson.”

“Grandson? You mean Baren?”

“Stop pretending you don’t know. I mean Raon.”

“I don’t know what’s happening in the training hall. I told you to handle it and not to worry about it.”

“Ha, really.”

Remer scratched his red hair. It was frustrating to see the old man, who was waiting out of concern for his grandson, pretend to know nothing.

“That kid. He’s different from what the head of the family and Sylvia expected.”

“What do you mean?”

Glen’s eyes remained the same, but his voice changed noticeably.

“He’s weak in both body and mind, so you wanted him to drop out quickly, right?”

“I never said that. I only told them not to discriminate.”

“Regardless, I tried to make Raon drop out as quickly as possible.”

A cold wind swept through Remer’s blue eyes.

“But that kid was a monster. His mental strength is not that of an ordinary human. It’s better than that of a warrior who has been through dozens or hundreds of battles.”

Raon was special among the many talents he had seen. He had to rub his eyes and look again every morning.

“When the training started, Raon was in the lowest tier among the 160, but now, after three weeks, he’s in the middle tier. Do you think this is possible?”

“……”

“Honestly, I even imagined that Raon wasn’t actually sick but was hiding his strength. But that’s impossible. The intense cold still flows through his body.”

These days, his eyes are only on Raon during training. The child pours all his effort into every moment of training.

“I’m even considering giving Raon personal training separately.”

He couldn’t help but feel more affection for Raon, who put in more effort than anyone else in the well-prepared training.

“Is it that serious?”

“That kid doesn’t stop even when frost covers his body like a winter tree. The other kids are also more passionate in their training, inspired by him. He’s like a stimulant for the 5th training hall.”

“Hmm….”

Glen scratched his chin expressionlessly, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t hide a slight smile.

“Contrary to my expectations, a considerable number of children will pass.”

He muttered that it was becoming troublesome, but his eyes were smiling.

“Is Raon’s body not under too much strain?”

Glen, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“Hmm….”

Remer swallowed quietly.

‘More than I expected.’

He knew Glen thought highly of Raon, but he didn’t expect him to ask about him separately.

It seemed the affection he couldn’t give to his youngest daughter had been transferred to Raon.

“That’s a bit strange. He’s definitely overworking himself, but he recovers surprisingly quickly.”

“Can’t you properly assess it?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Avoiding my eyes is the first time since the Ten Thousand of the Continent.”

Remer answered, tilting his head. He had seen the potential and condition of others better than anyone, but Raon was an exception.

Honestly, Raon was more mysterious than Glen, who had reached the ranks of the continent’s strongest.

“Remer.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not just Raon’s instructor, but the chief instructor of the 5th training hall. Don’t just focus on Raon; pay attention to all the children who can contribute to the family.”

Glen said with authority and then descended the mountain.

“Ha.”

Remer let out a breath, looking bewildered.

“Why are you saying that after only talking about Raon?”