Chapter 27

“Huff!”

Balen Ziegfried exhaled roughly after sequentially performing the movements of the Wall Force Fist.

‘Not easy.’

The Second Stage, the True Victory Fist, was not difficult to pass as he had learned it while in the main hall. However, acquiring the Third Stage, the Wall Force Fist, was not easy.

It was a difficult martial art to master as it combined advanced techniques within the basic fist form.

‘Still, I should be able to finish it by next week.’

Thanks to the solid foundation in martial arts he had built while in the main hall, his posture gradually improved. Since he had been practicing the Wall Force Fist for over two weeks, he should be able to pass it within the next week.

‘Again, then.’

Balen clenched his teeth and began practicing the Wall Force Fist again.

He straightened his posture after repeating the martial art until his mouth tasted of iron and his training clothes clung to his body from sweat.

Whoosh!

As he slowly regulated his breathing, a rough wind sound came from his right. Turning his head, he saw a girl with long black hair swinging her practice sword fiercely.

‘Marta Ziegfried.’

Marta had finished her martial arts training a while ago and was the first to move on to swordsmanship.

Perfect posture and well-established form. Her sword skills were at a level that elicited admiration. Though her personality was unbearable, her skills could not be denied.

‘However…’

There was one strange point.

Marta’s progress was faster than anyone else in the training ground, and her skills were the most outstanding. Even the instructors were shocked.

But there was no trace of ease on her face.

She wielded her sword with a look of frustration and tension, as if a hungry predator was chasing her from behind.

‘Well, she can’t help it.’

Balen frowned and turned his head in the opposite direction. There he was.

Raon Ziegfried.

With a monster who had grasped the form of the Seven Shape Fist in a day and completed the acquisition of the True Victory Fist in ten days behind him, it was impossible for her to relax.

It was absurd, but Raon was now practicing the Wall Force Fist just like him.

Whoosh!

The sound of the air bending from Raon’s punch and the ground trembling from his rolling feet echoed. His movements were clearly imbued with the essence of the Wall Force Fist.

‘A monster of a guy.’

He had grown up hearing praises like "genius" and "monster," but he never thought he would use them for someone else.

‘I don’t understand how he can do it.’

Even before becoming a trainee, he had spent a month learning the True Victory Fist, and it took him three more days of additional training to start the Wall Force Fist.

‘Even then, I was praised for being fast.’

A month of training had earned him praise, but Raon had caught up to that level in just ten days. Not only had he mastered the form, but he had also incorporated the proper essence into his martial art.

‘If he continues like this…’

He would likely move on to swordsmanship around the same time as him.

“Huff…”

Balen let out a thin sigh. In fact, he was not just surprised by Raon’s talent.

‘Effort and mental strength.’

Raon had never once slacked off during training. Cold breath escaped his mouth while his body was drenched in sweat.

Even though an outsider would see his condition as beyond normal, he never gave up on any training.

People often say they will do their best or go all the way, but few actually achieve it.

‘But he does.’

Raon always puts in his all, using every bit of his energy in training.

He was using the most efficient method to surpass his limits and improve his skills, as Remer had mentioned.

‘He always surprises me.’

Even though he considered Raon an enemy, he couldn’t help but admire him. The boy showed a demeanor that was more fitting of the Ziegfried name than anyone else in the training ground.

“Balen. Your hands have stopped. If you want to rest, go to the rest area!”

“No, I will continue.”

Balen bowed at the instructor’s call, letting out a sigh and clearing his mind.

‘Right. This isn’t the time to be idle.’

He resolved not to lose to Raon and to put in his best effort in every moment, emulating the boy’s mental strength.

Bang!

Balen focused his mind and extended his tightly clenched fist.

* * *

Whoosh!

Marta’s hand, which had been swinging her sword with a fierce look as if there was an enemy in front of her, stopped. She sighed lightly and gripped her sword tightly.

‘I’m so frustrated.’

Despite being the only one in the training ground with a sword, she felt an unbearable frustration.

‘This is all…’

Marta bit her lip and turned her gaze. She saw the boy spitting out white breath and throwing punches.

Raon Ziegfried. Seeing him made her chest feel heavy, as if she had indigestion.

‘Already practicing the Wall Force Fist.’

While she was moving on to swordsmanship, Raon had mastered two martial arts and started practicing the Wall Force Fist.

If he had known about martial arts like Balen or Ruan, it would be understandable, but to achieve such rapid progress from the start was absurd.

‘Damn…’

The chilling talent chasing her from behind made her feel suffocated, unsure when she would lose her leading position.

‘That spot was mine.’

Since being adopted by the Ziegfrieds, she had always been the pursuer.

She had overtaken the direct and collateral lines, who boasted of being geniuses, and mocked their despair.

‘But…’

This time, the roles were reversed, and she realized how terrifying it was to be pursued.

Whoosh!

Marta swung her sword to erase the increasingly dominant presence of Raon.

Her sword, filled with frustration, tore through the air.

She continued to swing her sword until the sun set on the western mountains.

“Huff…”

Marta exhaled deeply and lowered her sword. After swinging her sword all day, the oppressive feeling in her chest had slightly subsided.

But when she looked to her right, her expression darkened again. Raon’s martial art was still improving at that moment.

‘Does that damn guy never get tired?’

Maintaining extreme concentration and training all day, there was no other brute like him. He was a type of person she had never seen while living in the back alleys.

“Tsk.”

Marta confirmed that the sun had set and turned to leave the training ground.

“Good work.”

“Yeah.”

At the door, the butler Kamel bowed. She only nodded, lacking the energy to respond.

“Miss.”

Kamel quickened his pace to match Marta’s.

“There’s no need to be so anxious.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone has forgotten, but Master Raon has a significant weakness.”

Kamel glanced at the training ground, where the sound of training could be heard, and smiled.

“Are you talking about his illness? That guy is a tough one and doesn’t care about pain.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then what?”

“Master Raon has the lowest talent for aura.”

“What?”

“Miss, you might not know since you were adopted before, but in the selection test, Master Raon’s mana sensitivity was the lowest.”

Kamel pointed to the dantian and smiled.

“Currently, isn’t Master Raon the only one in the 5th training ground who hasn’t mastered aura?”

“Yes.”

Marta nodded. Two months ago, the trainees who learned the Riden cultivation method had all anchored aura in their dantian.

As Kamel said, Raon was the only trainee who hadn’t mastered aura.

“Even if the cultivation method obtained through a token is only intermediate to high, it’s slightly better than Riden. The fact that he still hasn’t mastered the cultivation method suggests that his mana talent is as low as the selection test indicated.”

“Oh!”

“Even with talent in swordsmanship and martial arts, if his aura talent is weak, he cannot become a proper martial artist.”

Kamel smiled kindly and shook his head.

“I see.”

Marta curled her lips and nodded.

‘He lacks talent in aura.’

She had forgotten because Raon’s martial talent was so outstanding, but he still hadn’t mastered aura.

A martial artist with weak aura talent is considered half-formed. Raon Ziegfried was a half-formed martial artist who had focused his talent on martial arts.

“Huh.”

A laugh escaped her. The anxiety that had kept her awake for the past few days vanished instantly.

“It was a pointless worry. I paid attention to a guy who doesn’t need to be concerned about.”

Marta headed to the direct line training ground with a light step, as if a heavy weight had been lifted, and Kamel followed with a faint, enigmatic smile.

* * *

Raon never stopped training. He continuously moved, ingraining the essence and flow of the Wall Force Fist into his body and mind.

Cold sweat trickled down his back, and white breath escaped his mouth. Anyone could see he was exhausted, but his face was as bright as the sun.

“Huff.”

Raon moistened his dry lips and smiled faintly.

‘It’s becoming more and more enjoyable.’

The movements shown by the instructor were imprinted in his mind with no margin of error, and the flow and form were reproduced through his body.

He had never known that learning martial arts could be such a joy.

‘Is it obvious?’

In his previous life, he had only learned survival and killing methods. Growth was solely about finding new ways to kill people.

Increasing his aura and practicing a killing sword were not for his own development but to cut off the enemy’s breath.

Even if his body shattered and crumpled, he only imprinted methods to kill the enemy into his body and mind.

But now, it’s different.

Whether it’s the Seven Shape Fist, the True Victory Fist, or the Wall Force Fist, even though they are basic martial arts, learning and mastering them filled his heart with excitement.

‘It’s for my own growth.’

Not to kill someone or follow someone’s orders, but to train for himself, making even the hardships bring a smile to his face.

‘The pain is bearable too.’

While the pain from the mana circuit’s coldness made his current life more painful than his previous one, the thrill of growth kept him from stopping.

The ring of fire rotated fiercely, grasping the flow of martial arts and strengthening his body.

Not just the martial arts, but the growth of his body and mind made training enjoyable.

-What use is there in learning such basic movements? If you just give your body to me, I can make you stand at the peak of the continent immediately.

‘It’s meaningless if there’s no will of my own.’

Following someone else’s orders without any meaning was enough in his previous life. The ultimate strength obtained by giving up his body was not necessary.

-You’re foolish. A weakling like you will never reach that position in your lifetime….

‘Hmm.’

Feeling refreshed, Raon laughed at Las’s barking.

Bang!

Raon used Las’s words as a rhythm and performed the movements of the Wall Force Fist in order. It seemed he was learning the emotion of joy through training.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

He threw his punches with full force and adjusted his breathing for a moment when one of the trainees approached and bowed.

“Excuse me, Chief. Can I ask you one question?”

“What is it?”

“The last posture of the True Victory Fist isn’t working well….”

“Spread your right foot a bit more. The balance of your legs is off.”

Raon immediately identified the problem upon seeing the trainee’s posture.

“Oh! Thank you!”

The trainee bowed and stepped back. He seemed to understand immediately, correcting the pointed-out issue and taking the proper posture.

“Wow, it’s fixed in one go!”

“A genius in martial arts!”

“He sees better than the instructor.”

The trainees, after checking each other’s postures, looked at Raon with admiration.

Raon didn’t care whether the trainees were surprised or not. After training in martial arts until sunset, he returned to his quarters.

He finished a simple dinner and immediately went to his room to prepare for aura cultivation.

Unlike the explosively improving martial arts, the acquisition of the Manhua Gong was slow, but Raon’s expression was calm.

‘I knew it would take a long time from the beginning.’

After reviewing the content of the Manhua Gong in his mind, he realized it.

The Manhua Gong is a legendary cultivation method like the ring of fire.

If mastered properly, it allows the use of overwhelmingly powerful aura, so it’s natural that it takes a lot of time to acquire.

‘Moreover, I’m absorbing coldness as well.’

Raon was not only using the heat of the Manhua Gong but also the coldness inside the mana circuit.

Circulating two opposing energies simultaneously, it would be strange if they easily anchored in the dantian.

‘No need to worry.’

It’s true that the immediate progress is slow.

But knowing the immense reward when he masters the Manhua Gong and absorbs all the coldness, he had no anxious feelings.

‘I’m looking forward to the first flower blooming.’

Raon closed his eyes, visualizing a single flower blooming from the flames of the Manhua Gong, and immersed himself in cultivation.