Chapter 98

The rest and recovery period had ended, and the 5th Training Ground was open once again.

Raon headed to the 5th Training Ground for training after a long time.

"Hmm?"

As he walked toward the training ground, everyone he met looked at him with peculiar eyes.

Previously, they had looked at him as if he were a pebble on the road, but today, their gazes were more like those of someone observing a strange creature. Some of the looks were filled with admiration or hostility.

-That's the nature of humans.

Las, who was embedded in the bracelet, slowly seeped out.

-They ignore the weak and admire the strong. Humans are as much controlled by power as beasts.

'You and I have a lot in common these days.'

Raon nodded. Las was right; the way they looked at him proved that he had power.

Of course, not all the looks were positive. There were also gazes filled with jealousy, envy, or even more intense hostility.

'What about the Demon Realm? It must be even worse, right?'

-Do you want to know? If you're curious, I'll tell you. It's different from what humans imagine. Of course, if you're weak, you won't even be treated like livestock.

Las muttered that there was no place in the world where the weak were treated well.

-You did well this time. Gathering your anger, you completely destroyed that ugly guy. You even subdued his father. It was the first time in a long while that I was satisfied with your actions.

'Really?'

-Yes. Just one thing. It's a bit disappointing that you didn't kill him. If I were in the Demon Realm, I would have turned anyone who dared to touch me into an ice block...

As soon as Las finished speaking, a message appeared before his eyes.

[<Rage> is greatly satisfied.]

[Perception has increased by 1 point.]

[Stamina has increased by 1 point.]

Las was pleased that his stats had increased.

'What's this?'

Raon's mouth formed a perfect circle. The unexpected reward made him feel good from the moment he woke up.

-This damn system! Why do you only recognize me as your master at times like this!

Las glared at the system message, which still wouldn't listen to him, and his anger rose.

'Thank you. Thanks to you, my growth is accelerating.'

-Close your mouth. Seeing you so happy makes me furious.

Las, who had said he was pleased just 10 seconds ago, was now on the verge of exploding with anger, showing what a true personality disorder looks like.

"Really? I'm fine with it."

-This guy is getting more and more...

Raon hummed a tune as he entered the training ground, ignoring Las's curses.

"Hmm?"

When Raon entered the training ground, his eyes widened. There was someone on the platform who shouldn't have been there.

'Reimer?'

The lazy elf, who usually didn't show up for morning training and was often late for morning sessions, was sitting on the platform.

"Hey! Our little treasure! Raon, you're here?"

Reimer spread his arms and grinned. His long fingers were adorned with rings of various colors.

His wrists and neck were also decorated with flashy bracelets and necklaces.

'What's this?'

This was the first time Raon had seen Reimer wearing such jewelry. They didn't seem to be powerful artifacts, just expensive gems.

'And "little treasure"?'

He couldn't understand why he was suddenly called a little treasure. Just as he was thinking that he had lost his taste after using the Sword Manifestation, Burren approached from behind.

"It's gambling."

"What?"

"That human. He apparently set up a gambling ring during the sword duel between you and Rayden. There's a rumor that he won a lot because the odds were in your favor."

Burren's face twisted in annoyance. He muttered that he wanted to gouge out his eyes for ever thinking Reimer was cool.

'So he did it again.'

Raon chuckled. Now he understood why Reimer was wearing such jewelry; he must have won it through gambling.

Gambling, drinking, and laziness. Reimer was the opposite of the elves he knew. In a way, he was an impressive person.

-That arrogant, pointy-eared guy.

Las growled at the sight of Reimer.

'Why you?'

-Seeing that guy makes me angry. If it weren't for him, your body would have been mine...

'Ah.'

Raon nodded. Thanks to Reimer, who appeared at the critical moment when he was about to die at the hands of the Blood Demon, he didn't have to give his body to Las.

Las had always disliked Reimer for being arrogant, but now he seemed to despise him.

Of course, unlike Las, Raon knew Reimer's true intentions.

Despite his lazy appearance, Reimer carefully observed each trainee and gave appropriate training instructions.

Thanks to him, Raon had survived, so he could overlook the fact that Reimer had used him for a bet.

"Pitiful."

Marta turned her head away with a cold expression, looking at Reimer's rings on both hands.

Hmph.

Raon turned his head at the snort from behind. Lunan, who had approached, was waving her hand weakly with a blank look.

Raon scanned the trainees who had gathered at the training ground.

He remembered how they had cheered and supported him in the training ground. When he heard their voices, his heart had warmed up as if he were sitting in front of a fireplace in the middle of winter.

Not just the annex, but the people of the 5th Training Ground were becoming meaningful to him.

"Alright, are we all here?"

Reimer, who had been showing off his jewels like a nouveau riche, clapped his hands.

Raon thought it was just a gesture to gather everyone's attention, but the instructors behind him brought a metal box.

Thud!

When the box was placed in the training ground, sand flew up.

"What do you think this is?"

"Did you win it through gambling?"

"Ooh, correct!"

Reimer nodded proudly in response to Burren's comment.

"Ah, I've had enough of the show. Stop showing off and let's start the training."

"These are for you."

Reimer grinned and came down from the platform. He approached the box and placed his hand on it.

"Really? For us?"

"This box?"

"What do you mean...?"

The trainees tilted their heads, looking at Reimer and the box.

"The Gambling King made two bets. The first one is this money! This huge amount of money! These jewels! Hahaha!"

Reimer called himself the Gambling King and once again showed off the rings on his fingers.

"And the second one is..."

He giggled and opened the box, releasing a fresh, calming medicinal scent.

Raon narrowed his eyes and looked at the box. Inside the large box were dozens of small wooden boxes.

'Are these elixirs?'

The elegant appearance of the wooden boxes and the bitter scent suggested that they were indeed elixirs.

"These are elixirs."

Reimer immediately answered the trainees' curious looks.

"Elixirs?"

"All of them?"

"About 40, I think..."

The trainees opened their mouths wide as they examined the boxes containing elixirs.

"Right. And they contain Deca-Leaf Grass."

"Deca-Leaf Grass!"

"Are there really that many?"

"Wow..."

Deca-Leaf Grass is a rare elixir that can purify the body, dantian, and mana circuits without favoring any particular attribute, as its leaves are divided into ten parts.

Elixirs made from Deca-Leaf Grass are well-balanced, expensive, and hard to come by. With over 40 of them, it was no wonder everyone was surprised.

"These are for you."

Reimer lifted his chin proudly, pointing to the box with a satisfied look.

"Exactly 43. Take one each."

"Huh?"

"R-Really? Are they really for us?"

"Huh?"

"Um?"

The trainees, including Burren and Marta, were so surprised that their mouths dropped open. Lunan stood there, sniffing the scent of the elixirs like a dog.

"Ah, do you think I've been living a lie?"

Reimer clicked his tongue and threw the top elixir box to Raon.

Thud.

Raon caught the elixir box in surprise and opened it. Inside was a green pill the size of an adult's thumb.

"It's a Ten-Fortune Pill. It doesn't contain a lot of mana, but it's as pure as raw mana. It will be helpful to all of you."

Reimer explained about the Ten-Fortune Pill and threw elixirs to the trainees.

"Where did you get these?"

Burren narrowed his eyes as he examined the Ten-Fortune Pill. Elixirs are not something you can easily buy with money. It was hard to imagine where he got 42 Ten-Fortune Pills.

"I won them."

"R-Really? You won them through gambling?"

"Not gambling, but a bet. A bet."

Reimer closed the empty box with a spin of his finger.

"Who did you bet with?"

"Jinmu Zhanzhu."

He answered casually as if it was nothing.

"Huh?"

"Jinmu Zhanzhu...?"

"Valder Zighardt!"

"Wh-What!"

The trainees' faces turned pale at the mention of Jinmu Zhanzhu's name. Some of them dropped their elixirs in shock.

"Ah, don't worry. He's not paying attention to this right now. He probably thinks I'll sell them all, so he won't harm you."

Reimer reassured them and instructed them to go back, take the elixirs, and practice their aura.

'Hmm...'

Raon let out a sigh. To openly bet with Valder, the son of Glen and Jinmu Zhanzhu, and win 43 elixirs, this elf was as crazy as he was.

"Thank you."

Still, he was grateful. Raon bowed to Reimer and said thank you.

"Thank you, Instructor."

"Thank you, I'll take it."

The trainees followed Raon, expressing their gratitude with excited faces.

"Sure, sure."

Reimer waved his hand and smiled.

"I'll take good care of it."

"Thank you."

Burren, who usually had a stern expression, bowed, and Marta, who was fiddling with the elixir, also lowered her head.

To see such distinct individuals react the same way, the power of elixirs was truly remarkable.

"Alright, everyone, go back. I'm not hungover, but elixirs are best taken immediately."

Reimer clutched his chest and waved his hand. It seemed the hangover was catching up with him after the show.

Although he usually looked pitiful, no one said anything to Reimer. Today, he was the hero of the trainees.

"Thank you!"

The trainees bowed again and left.

"You stay."

Just as Raon was about to follow them, Reimer, whose face had turned pale, grabbed his shoulder.

"You don't look well."

"Ah, I partied a bit last night."

Indeed, not just Reimer, but the instructors' faces were also pale. They must have had a lot of drinks together.

"Give that back."

Reimer pointed to the elixir box in Raon's hand.

"This one is for you."

He took out a new elixir box from his robe and opened it. A more intense bitter scent wafted out compared to the Ten-Fortune Pill.

"This is..."

"A pill with two Deca-Leaf Grass. It was originally for Rayden, but it's amazing that you're getting it."

"Can you really give it to me?"

"Because of you, I became rich. It seems I have a talent for gambling."

Reimer shook his hands again. The rings and bracelets clinked and made a jingling sound.

'He won't last long.'

Raon was sure that Reimer would soon lose this wealth through gambling.

"The Ten-Fortune Pill is an efficient elixir. You can absorb 50% of the mana it contains. However, the mana in the elixir itself is minimal. For someone like you, who has two elemental auras, it won't make much of a difference."

Reimer lowered his voice so no one else could hear when he mentioned the two elemental auras.

"But this one has about twice the mana compared to other Ten-Fortune Pills, so it can help you cultivate both cold and fire auras."

"...Thank you."

Raon bowed. Even if he had just given him an elixir, the extra consideration made him feel genuinely grateful.

"Go. See you tomorrow."

Reimer waved his hand.

"Instructor, don't drink too much."

"Ooh, worried about me? I have at least ten more years to go!"

He patted his shoulder and walked to the head instructor's office.

"Hmm..."

Raon fiddled with the box containing the Ten-Fortune Pill as he watched Reimer's back.

'Is this what a teacher is like...?'

In his previous life, the person who raised him was an instructor. Their relationship was more like that of a trainer and a dog or a tamer and a wolf.

The instructor had no feelings for him, and he had only harbored the desire to kill him.

'I thought it would be the same here.'

The Zighardt family was notorious across the continent. He had expected them to train the trainees like dogs, but they treated them like humans, maintaining each child's individuality.

Even the trainees who failed the previous exams were not abandoned but trained in the 6th Training Ground. The Zighardt family was much more human than he had expected.

Especially Reimer, who was more of a teacher than an instructor. Thanks to him, he had achieved a lot and grown faster.

Raon bowed to Reimer one last time as he left the training ground.

* * *

Reimer took a three-hour nap in the instructor's office and visited the head of the family's hall around lunchtime.

"It's been a while."

Roan smiled and opened the door to the audience hall.

"Yes, it has been a while."

Reimer grinned and raised his ten fingers. Roan entered the audience hall with a faint smile, seemingly uninterested.

"Hmm..."

Reimer's mouth dropped open in disappointment that Roan didn't appreciate his shining jewels. He sighed softly and followed him inside.

Glen was the same as always. He sat on his jade throne, looking down at the world with a bored expression.

"Greetings, Head of the Family!"

Reimer bowed with his ten fingers and wrists raised.

"You only do more pitiful things as you get older."

"Huh..."

Reimer stood up, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"No, shouldn't you praise a subordinate who has made some money? I haven't had a good time in a while."

"Are you asking for praise for robbing my son?"

"If you get robbed by me, you won't get scammed by real con artists later."

"You talk well."

Glen's eyes turned cold as he tilted his chin.

"So, what brings you here today?"

"I gave the Ten-Fortune Pills to the children."

"I expected as much, but you're giving away such elixirs so easily."

"What can I say? The children are growing more than I expected. I wanted to give them as much as possible. Maybe it's a parent's heart."

Reimer giggled, and Glen watched him with a peculiar look.

"First, it's partly due to my excellent teaching, but the trainees have become stronger than any other generation of children through various experiences."

Glen nodded slightly in agreement.

"That's why I have a proposal."

"Proposal? I've entrusted all the training to you."

"It's not about training."

Reimer's playful voice was filled with intense passion.

"Please allow me to change the content of the trainees' graduation exam."