Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Only a Warrior Knows How a Warrior Becomes Stronger (2)

“Is there no problem with my body?”

Leon asked, his expression unusually grave.

Handling two different types of energy was dangerous. If the two forces were to clash, his body could explode from within.

Garan’s expression hardened as well. Even for him, Leon’s constitution was something he had never seen before.

He had never thought of himself as particularly knowledgeable, but neither did he think of his insight as narrow. Yet Leon’s body was something beyond his understanding—something unknown.

“First of all, I can’t guarantee the condition of your body. This is a type I’ve never seen before. Didn’t you ever think it strange? For someone your age to have attained such martial ability—there must have been a price.”

A shadow crossed Leon’s face. He had no clue what that “price” could be.

Then, in his mind, the face of Zeke surfaced—calm, expressionless, and always composed.

Leon forced his mind to settle. Agitation would do him no good. Excitement only made it harder to see the clues before him.

He steadied his breath and thought to himself.

‘First, Father must already know about my body. If so, he surely had the same concern as Garan.’

Even so, Zeke had never warned him about anything. That meant either there truly was no problem—or it was something even Zeke himself could not remedy.

The more Leon thought, the calmer he became. Soon, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Then what kind of training should I undergo from now on? You said there are two kinds of mana inside my body. Which one should I nurture?”

“…Aren’t you afraid? You could die at any moment. Even now, it’s not enough time to find a solution.”

“Then do you have a solution?”

Garan answered with difficulty. A complex glimmer flickered in his eyes.

“Garan, I’m not an optimistic man. But I’m not impatient either. What else can I do right now besides train? Time is precious. Rather than live in fear of death, I’d rather leave behind even a single trace of my existence in this world.”

“…What a fine mindset!”

Garan exclaimed. His gaze no longer carried the look one would give a child. It was the proud gaze of a warrior recognizing another.

“Good. If that’s your resolve, then we’ll begin training immediately. From now on, I’ll teach you how to wield the mana of a warrior. Think of it as learning how to move the mana embedded within your body.”

As he spoke, Garan demonstrated.

A terrifying aura surged from his entire body. The sheer pressure sent chills down Leon’s spine—it was like facing a starving beast that hadn’t eaten in days.

For an instant, Leon almost forgot this was a lesson and nearly drew his sword.

He focused carefully on Garan’s state.

Was this truly the so-called “mana of a warrior”? What Garan showed was unlike anything Leon had seen before. Ordinary mana usually emitted a bluish glow. The warrior’s mana, however—

A deep crimson, like human blood itself. But that wasn’t all. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, as if charged with an immense stimulant. The rippling muscles moved like living waves—disgusting, yet powerful.

Leon asked, “Is that the warrior’s mana?”

“Yeah. I said a warrior’s mana dwells in the body. So, to wield it is simple—you awaken the body.”

“Awaken… How does one do that?”

“Usually, warriors awaken their mana after surviving the edge of death. Most only realize this technique after becoming high-ranking warriors. It sounds grand, but it’s nothing fancy—it’s merely drawing out the true power buried within your flesh.”

He didn’t explain further, as if implying Leon would understand once he experienced it himself.

“So, for now, let’s have you die a few times.”

A blazing, overwhelming aura exploded from Garan’s body.

The pressure was colossal—enough to make one think a giant stood before him. Even the slightest distraction would mean losing consciousness.

“A warrior’s mana can only be gained by overcoming the brink of death. You probably won’t grasp it right away. It took me decades to awaken my own. But… I can shorten that time for you.”

Garan’s fist slammed into Leon’s abdomen. Leon barely managed to block it with his arm—pure instinct told him that if he didn’t, he’d die.

“That’s it,” Garan said with a sharp grin.

“Block. Dodge. I’ll attack you with everything I’ve got. If you don’t survive, you’ll never touch the warrior’s mana.”

There was no time to answer. His words had barely finished when a flurry of blows rained down.

Leon barely evaded Garan’s attacks. Ever since taking the Elixir, Garan’s control over Force had become even smoother. A single mistake here could truly cost Leon his life.

There was no hint of restraint. Every strike aimed for a vital spot—each one lethal. Yet Leon thought this training was effective.

‘After all, Garan has his own duties to fulfill, yet he’s taking time to help me.’

The method was brutal, but this training was for Leon’s sake. If he failed to endure and died—

‘It would simply mean I wasn’t worthy.’

To gain fortune, one had to pay a price. If strength was the reward, then he was willing to stake his life.

Thus, five days passed.

Leon made no progress during those five days. It was only natural. The warrior’s mana was a technique even upper-ranked warriors struggled to master. For an intermediate warrior like him, it was far beyond reach.

Meanwhile, Garan’s senses seemed to have returned completely. The man raged like a beast unleashed—his movements so fierce that the word “berserker” would have suited him perfectly. His instincts had no choice but to reawaken.

Ryan spoke to Leon, who was eating breakfast. His face had changed considerably since five days ago—his cheeks had sunk in like a ghost’s, and shadows hung down to his jawline.

He looked no different from a corpse.

Leon asked, “What happened to you?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much. I was just too lacking to endure my senior’s training completely.”

“What kind of training did you go through?”

“They said the most important thing for a swordsman is not to fear death. So I just crossed the line between life and death hundreds of times. You know Kazan’s sword? It can show you nothing but your life flashing before your eyes. Hard to believe, huh?”

Ryan’s appearance was proof enough—he looked as though he had been through hell itself.

Leon couldn’t even imagine what kind of ordeal he had faced.

Ryan began eating across from Leon. At that moment, Leon noticed that Ryan had changed in a subtle yet clear way.

‘His aura feels far more refined… it’s as if he’s reached enlightenment.’

Despite his deathly appearance, Ryan’s eyes were very much alive—burning with energy and intensity.

They carried the fierce resolve of someone desperate to grow stronger.

‘So the training really is helping him.’

His progress was rapid.

Unlike Leon, Ryan had natural talent—that was likely why.

Before long, Leon knew he wouldn’t be able to beat him in swordsmanship.

But Leon felt no impatience. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel·fire·net

Ryan’s rate of growth was roughly as he had expected. There was no reason to be flustered. He simply needed to move forward at a pace suited to himself.

Ten days passed like that.

His training went smoothly. Every day, he survived Garan’s assaults, rested, and repeated the cycle.

After finishing his training, Leon went to find a back-alley apothecary. Retina had sent him on an errand.

She had run out of ingredients while making an Elixir. It wasn’t a difficult task, so Leon gladly agreed to help her.

It was on his way back, after buying the herbs.

Leon caught sight of Lenel.

“Lenel, what are you doing here?”

The back alleys were poorly guarded—it was no place for a woman of such beauty to walk around alone.

Surely, Lenel knew that too.

Was she caught up in some kind of trouble? Leon stared quietly at her.

Then, his senses picked up a familiar presence—Rahan. Were the siblings out on a walk together?

Leon asked, “Were you out with Rahan? You’re not in some kind of trouble, are you?”

Lenel replied, looking troubled. Was she hiding something? Leon didn’t press further. He had his own secrets—why should another’s be any less important? Considering her situation, he spoke gently.

“If you need my help, tell me. I’ll lend you a hand.”

No answer came. But Leon could feel it—Lenel was wrestling with something in her mind.

He waited quietly for her to speak.

A powerful energy surged from behind Lenel. Leon immediately set his herbs down on the ground and said,

“Lenel, step back. I sense something—it’s no ordinary energy.”

At the same time, he drew his sword. After his grueling training, his senses had become razor-sharp. His instincts screamed that something was about to happen.

A crack suddenly tore through the air. Leon’s vigilance spiked. There was no trace of mana—it wasn’t a magical phenomenon.

Just as he was about to move away from the rift—

A voice came from within it. Rahan’s voice.

The rift split open wide, and inside stood Rahan.

Leon’s eyes widened. It was an astonishing sight. There wasn’t even a hint of magic at work—could this be Rahan’s own ability?

Rahan noticed Leon as well, his expression turning to surprise.

“Leon? What are you doing here?”

“Lenel was standing in the middle of the street. I was speaking to her out of concern.”

Rahan sighed, realization dawning on his face.

Closing his eyes tightly, he said,

“I guess there’s no helping it. Come in, Leon. It’s my first time bringing a human here, but… since you’ve seen it, I can’t just let you go.”

Leon looked at him silently. He didn’t sense any hostility. In fact, Rahan seemed almost… worried for him.

Leon nodded. He could ask questions later. For now, Rahan seemed to be in a hurry. Leon stepped into the rift where Rahan stood.

“You’re not even suspicious, huh? What if I were taking you somewhere like the Demon Realm?”

“The Demon Realm? That’s something I’ve only heard about in stories. It’s actually real?”

“So you didn’t know. I’ll tell you later. Right now, there’s something urgent.”

Rahan snapped his fingers, and the rift began to close once more. Just like when it appeared, a jagged cracking sound filled the air.

Inside the rift was pure darkness.

Leon asked, “What were you doing in a place ?”

“This is a passage leading to where I come from. Just walk a little farther and you’ll see a different view.”

Leon followed Rahan forward. Lenel did the same. The path was pitch-black—he could see nothing and had to rely entirely on his senses.

For a while, he simply followed Rahan’s presence.

Then suddenly, a strange sight unfolded before Leon’s eyes.

The first thing he saw was a sky showered with meteors. In the north, one might see auroras, but here, brilliant constellations floated and drifted like they were swimming through the cosmos.

Below lay a lake so clear it reflected his own face. The water was impossibly transparent—so deep it seemed to reach eternity.

Leon murmured, “This place… it’s unbelievable. Am I dreaming?”

“It’s not a dream,” Rahan said, pride subtly woven into his voice.

“This is our ancestors’ treasure—the Prison Forest Ground.”