episode_0072

It was the first time I had ever seen him so surprised since I met him. A moment later, Frederick, having collected himself, glared at me sharply.

“You, don’t tell me you’ve been hiding your skills until now? You weren’t playing games with me, were you?” “No! Not at all!” “Don’t lie. How could someone who couldn’t use any body reinforcement abilities grow to that level in just three days of teaching? To grow as much as you just showed, it would take at least two or three months, even at the fastest.”

My growth rate must have been too fast. In the game, everyone knew how to use magic, so there was no way to know how much or how to train.

“What kind of trick did you use? You didn’t touch any forbidden drugs, did you?” “No!”

I quickly denied it. Of course, there were drugs for Awakened Beings in this world. These drugs had the effect of causing magic to run wild, bringing serious side effects in exchange for temporary physical enhancement. Looking at the instructor’s face, he didn’t seem to be asking seriously, but rather out of sheer surprise and exasperation. Still, to prove that it wasn’t drugs or any other illicit method, I needed to show that it was purely my own power.

“Here, watch this.” I focused my magic and leaped up again. —Crash! Again, I couldn’t control my strength and slammed into the wall beside me. Ow, that hurt.

“Ugh…” I barely managed to stand up, blood streaming from my nose. The instructor shook his head.

“Alright, seeing that you can continuously activate it and your skill in handling it, it seems to be truly your own power. But, considering your magic emission ability from last time… truly, you, this is…” Frederick, unable to finish his sentence, moved his mouth a few times before finally uttering a few words.

“Fast. So fast. That kind of…” “Is that so? Ahaha…” Outwardly, I laughed as if it were nothing, but only then did I realize why the instructor was so surprised. Violet’s growth rate seemed abnormal compared to common sense.

‘Strange! All we did was practice hard all night, right? There must be plenty of people in the world better than us.’ ‘That’s thinking based on other people who only have one body.’ ‘Ah, is that so?’

Yes, now that I thought about it, our training method was incredibly effective. However, it was awkward to explain this method to the instructor. To do so, I would have to explain my true abilities. I was in a difficult situation.

Perhaps I should just pretend to be a genius? Then he might surprisingly accept it. “W-well, actually… it just worked when I tried it?” “Do you think that makes sense?” It seemed he didn’t believe this either.

Afterward, the instructor called me over and put me through various small tests for a long time. He made me catch falling sticks multiple times, lift various heavy objects, and even measured my movement speed with a stopwatch.

“Haaah… I’m tired… When will this end?” Regardless of my exhaustion, I saw Frederick muttering.

“It’s real, though clumsy, your reaction speed, strength, and dynamic vision have all improved. You’re not used to your power yet, so you can’t control it well. But to master full-body reinforcement in just a few days…”

Frederick clasped his head with one hand and pondered for a moment. I wondered what the instructor would say. As I waited, he turned his clearer gray eyes toward me.

“Well, regardless, you have grown… and there was a lot to teach… Alright, I’ll change the schedule. We’ll begin new training immediately, so you can adapt to your reinforced body. Are you ready?” “Yes!”

Frederick dragged out a batting machine from the gym storage, the kind that might be used for baseball practice. It was a machine that shot balls by placing them between two high-speed rotating fans. The training I was about to do was, simply, ‘ball dodging’.

He threw some protective gear, meant for the head and upper body. “Tie it tight! Don’t let it come off!” “Don’t I need it?” “Don’t be foolish. The balls I’m about to launch will exceed 250 kilometers per hour. At your current level, you can’t even put Aetheric defense around your body, so it’s impossible. Wear it if you don’t want to get hurt!”

If I were at home, I would just take the hit, get a little hurt, or die, but this was a proper training method. I put on the helmet, all the protective gear, and even the goggles.

“Are you all geared up?” The instructor made me stand inside a narrow square drawn on one side of the gym floor.

“From now on, I’ll shoot balls, and you try to dodge them without leaving this marked area. This is a basic training method. Absolutely do not leave this area. Understand?” The square space I was in was narrower than I expected. Wait, is this even possible?

“Alright, begin!” With a thwack, a ball flew. I immediately focused my magic into my eyes. The world slowed down, and even a speck of dust floating in the air became clearly discernible. I saw the ball spinning rapidly as it flew towards me.

Now all I had to do was dodge. Easier than I thought, right? My body wouldn’t move. Oh, snap! I was so focused on my vision that other body reinforcements weren’t being applied!

“Agh!” I was hit by the ball. Thanks to the protective gear and damage dispersion, it didn’t hurt, but it was disappointing.

“You couldn’t even dodge that? Again!” A ball flew in, and I dodged. This time, I moved outside the square.

“You idiot! Don’t focus too much on seeing! Relax your body, and this time, it’s continuous!” —Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Balls rained down without pause. I screamed as I dodged, twisting and contorting my body.

The genre of my life had changed to a bullet-hell action game. It was too difficult!

***

At the same time, in a different place. I showed my body reinforcement to Irene in a private training hall. Her reaction was largely the same.

“Violet, it’s true you’ve never learned this anywhere else, right? It took me several weeks to reach your current level, you know.” “Really?”

Irene, Frederick, they all said the same thing. ‘Should I explain it to Irene?’ ‘It doesn’t matter, does it? She knows our ability.’

I explained my secret. When I told her that I trained 24 hours a day using my unique ability, quickly skipping over difficult parts with the power of numbers, she let out a light gasp.

The problem arose when I mentioned the minor trial and error—permanent body loss, paralysis, blindness, bleeding. I tried to gloss over this part, but Irene sensed something strange and pressed me for details, and I had no choice but to reveal some of it.

The girl’s golden gaze, which had been full of curiosity and admiration, instantly filled with horror and fear.

Irene approached anxiously and touched my forehead. “You’re not sick, are you?” “Why? I’m fine.”

“This won’t do. I need to call Daphne. I have to tell her your friend isn’t well and ask her to help immediately…” “What’s wrong? I’m not crazy!”

Irene looked somewhat frantic, like someone trying to stop a colleague from driving drunk. I didn’t understand why this was a problem.

“Violet, even if your unique ability lessens pain, good heavens, you trained by getting injured dozens of times just to find an optimized way to use magic? You’re not in your right mind. That’s insane!” “But it’s true that the results are fast, isn’t it? If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have gotten this far in three days.”

Before she could say anything, I immediately used my magic to leap and bound around the training hall at high speed.

“See! I got faster!” “Ah…” Seeing Irene speechless, I became triumphant.

“Alright, Violet. Since it’s your choice, I can’t really say anything. However, don’t overdo it too much. A human body isn’t meant to be broken. I don’t know if this is an apt analogy, but just as no one exercises while taking painkillers, don’t abuse your ability too much in training. Otherwise…” “It’ll be dangerous? Got it. I’ll hold back for now.”

It was a lie, actually. For now, it was the fastest method, so I had no choice but to keep using it.

One way or another, we started sparring again. Thanks to my rapid growth, the sparring also changed. Irene also decided to reinforce herself and fight me, albeit with reduced strength.

While the Violet at school was struggling to dodge incoming balls, the Violet at the training hall twisted her body to counter incoming sword attacks.

“Aargh! Aargh!” “Your movements are too big. Try to be more concise!” —Thud!

Again, I couldn’t control the strength in my legs and hit the wall. My head hurt.

***

While the external Violets were training, this multi-clone training technique also evolved to match it.

‘Will this truly be appropriate? We can read each other’s thoughts. It seems like it’ll be easier to dodge.’ ‘This is faster than a ball!’

Outside the workshop obtained for manufacturing explosives, a wide open field stretched out, dotted with large and small earthen mounds and pits.

While the Violets on one side of the field diligently ran around using body reinforcement, on this side, Violets holding crossbows lined up for evasion training. Opposite them, Number 89 leaned against a wall. At first glance, it looked like a firing squad execution site.

“Number 89, begin!” “Begin!”

For efficient and safe training, they didn’t infuse magic, and the arrowheads were removed, but it still hurt if you got hit.

—Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Number 89 twisted her body, diligently dodging and running. After the firing ceased, several bolts were embedded in her flesh.

“Next time, let’s try to be more careful. Next! Number 96!” They continued training, pushing their bodies to the breaking point. Of course, accidents naturally occurred during such rigorous training.

—Thump! “Ugh! Gak!” Number 101, who was practicing jumping, accidentally misjudged her strength and slammed her head into the workshop wall. Her neck broke.

Besides this, various minor and major accidents occurred, such as running wild and falling into pits or crashing into piles of dirt. Some Violets even lost consciousness due to bleeding while dodging arrows.

However, as long as there was something to gain, the training could not be stopped.

Time flowed on.

“Alright! You dodged six times now. Are you getting a feel for how to dodge the balls?”

Little by little, through trial and error, I began to grasp how to move my reinforced body.

“Don’t swing too hard; a sword isn’t swung with brute force. There, that’s an opening!” “Ugh!”

For 24 hours, all day, for several days, the Violets endlessly ran, fought, got injured, and died.

If you can’t clear it with one coin, just keep pouring in coins. If a single drop of water can’t bore through rock, just keep drilling until it does.

Reminding ourselves that what matters is an unyielding spirit, we continued to devote ourselves to training.

Because our Violets grow stronger the more they are used.

***

How many days had passed since then? Before I knew it, the first week of October had arrived.

As I gradually became accustomed to body reinforcement, I realized why Awakened Beings were considered monsters.

A ball that had been flying by in the blink of an eye now appeared to float slowly, like a balloon hovering in the air. I felt like I could even catch it with my hand if I wanted to.

“Alright, are you getting more used to the sensations of your body now?”

Balls rained down one after another. Now, I felt like I could barely dodge them.

Progress was made in sparring as well.

That sharp sword attack, flying with a tearing sound of air, I felt like I could read it to some extent now.

Of course, directly countering it was still too much. Irene’s swordsmanship might not be as good as her spear skills, but from my perspective, it was quite sharp and fierce. In contrast, none of my attacks landed even once.

I understood why I almost lost when fighting Martina in the last duel. The world where superhumans lived was different from the world of ordinary people.

Muscles reinforced by magic became as tough as steel wire, and reinforced eyeballs and optic nerves could see things others couldn’t, more precisely and quickly. Nerves sent crisis signals like lightning strikes. Blood flowed like a raging torrent within.

These were my impressions as I slowly adapted to body reinforcement. I was growing rapidly, but the more I grew, the clearer my position became. I was still lacking.

‘I don’t know what’s what! I need to properly learn swordsmanship quickly.’ ‘I need more sparring partners. Let’s ask Kalia too!’

More, more training is needed. I’ll need to get injured and die a few more times.

I had been lost in thought and forgotten that this was a sparring session.

Irene’s sword moved smoothly towards the crown of my head. What should I do?

Normally, if it seemed dangerous, Irene would stop her movement first and withdraw her sword.

No, I should dodge.

But my body wouldn’t move. My concentration had broken, and the flow of magic had stopped.

Was there another way? There must be a way to parry that head-on.

I observed the trajectory of the slowly descending sword. My mind raced. I don’t know, but there must be another way,

I recalled a certain image.

The image of a cruel and violent, yet precise and regularly moving machine.

Suddenly, my body moved on its own.

—Clang! “This is…!” “Eh?”

A sharp sound, piercing to the ears, echoed through the training hall. With a force I didn’t even know I possessed, I unconsciously parried the sword Irene had swung vertically. How did I do that?

Irene stepped back.

“That defense just now, how did you do that?” “I don’t know.”

The bewildered Irene looked at me, and her expression changed as if she had noticed something. Her face lit up.

“It seems you realized something too. Your body moved on its own, didn’t it?” “Yes! It did. How did you know?” “I used to be like that too! It’s a sign that you’re getting used to sparring. That’s great! It’s break time now, so rest and think about it.”

I returned to my spot and gulped down water. I picked up the one-handed sword again and swung it.

What was it? That sensation from earlier was definitely unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar. As far as I could remember, I had never swung a sword like that before.

It was a posture I’d never tried before, but it felt like I was on the verge of remembering something. Perhaps I really had gained some insight.

Before I could fully collect my thoughts, the break ended. We started sparring again.

By the way, swordsmanship is one thing, but I should probably learn some magic too.

Who should I learn from?