Ch.134134 – Training Tools

<134 – Training Equipment>

1.

After diligently making my rounds through the lower classes, good news was waiting for me.

“The training equipment prototype is complete.”

“Already?”

“Rozini and the production friends helped out. We increased the heat quickly, which greatly reduced the casting time. Money really does make everything possible. Hoho!”

Arcadia showed me the equipment.

When I tried on the gloves and shoes as a test, they didn’t fit properly—there was space at my heel, and the gloves were loose like I was borrowing an adult’s.

However, the weight felt quite similar to what I had worn at Jona’s mansion.

“This is it!”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. But is it really possible to go about daily life wearing such heavy training equipment?”

“You get used to it somehow and it becomes fine!”

This is a world with status windows to begin with.

It’s a game world with ability stats.

The Gift Academy students, who have abilities far superior to ordinary people, should greatly benefit from high-weight daily life training as they can easily adapt to their abilities.

‘Well, it’s nothing compared to what Jona made.’

It lacks an ergonomic feel.

The oversized gloves and shoes press against my skin and cause friction.

There’s no auto-balance function that adjusts the center of gravity in real-time.

Of course, expecting such features from training equipment made by first-years—and a prototype at that—would be like daylight robbery.

If I had any sense, I couldn’t complain to Arcadia, Rozini, and the other first-year production students who worked so hard!

“Is it okay if I take this to Morb?”

“Go ahead. The size won’t fit well, but you can handle that like with armor—padding it with cotton, fabric, or cloth on the inside.”

But I hadn’t thought about the inner padding, which was now becoming a concern.

‘I’m giving this to a newbie, but what should I have them wear?’

No way. The best way to hook clueless newbies is with expensive gear.

If they invest in expensive equipment for their hobby first, they’ll work hard if only to justify the cost.

Just like how Koreans typically start any hobby—hiking, fishing, cycling, whatever—by splurging on full equipment before actually beginning.

Even though most people end up storing their expensive toys carefully, passing down full plate armor to their descendants like family heirlooms.

At least I don’t have to worry about the inner padding being stashed away in some storage chest.

After all, fools who are on the verge of failing and don’t understand the urgency wouldn’t last even a semester at Gift Academy.

‘Morb is quite diligent.’

Despite his shabby appearance, Morb is quite healthy, and he’s been training hard, cutting back on sleep to the point of developing dark circles under his eyes.

Seeing such dedication, I should make sure he doesn’t feel inferior to equipment from neighboring lower classes.

‘Good. I’ll get one made for him!’

Since everyone put effort into making the training equipment, I should at least handle the inner padding myself.

* *

Professor Platton was more dedicated than anyone to developing iron men.

Due to his excessively harsh educational curriculum, he wasn’t very popular with students, and none ever visited him outside of class hours.

Most students would panic and avoid him when making eye contact, fearing he might try to feed them protein!

“Hmph. Weak ones.”

The professor didn’t mind.

The true state of an iron man isn’t something those cowards could achieve.

A bit of loneliness.

A bit of desolation.

Only those who can grind even these feelings into materials for growth and training, constantly testing their limits through physical modification, can take another step closer to becoming an iron man.

Just as he claimed there was no end to learning, Professor Platton continued his daily personal training even after achieving a statue-like physique.

“Hello, Professor!”

But today, something impossible and unimaginable happened during his usual training.

A student appeared, seeking him out personally and greeting him.

Professor Platton continued his weight training without stopping and said:

“I don’t accept grade appeals.”

“We haven’t even had midterms yet!”

“Is it about assignments then? I don’t accept appeals for assignment evaluations either.”

“I’m not here about assignments either!”

“Then why are you here? If you’re asking me to be a club advisor, I must decline as I’m already in charge of the <Monstrous Strength Smashing Club> and the <Bare-Handed Thousand Responses Club>.”

“I came to ask if you know where I can get padded armor!”

“Padded armor?”

He had thought it was a senior desperate to graduate, nitpicking about scores and grades, but now he was hearing about padded armor.

From the pure voice that didn’t sound like a senior’s, he had sensed something was off, and indeed, it was Oknodie, a first-year child who hadn’t even lost her baby fat.

“My friend’s training equipment doesn’t fit, so we need armor to pad it.”

With her shy smile and cute manner of speaking, she looked like a fox cub.

She’d probably break many men’s hearts when she grew older.

As long as she didn’t undergo a dark evolution like the Massgakki Princess with her “pathetic, pathetic~♡” teasing, her future seemed quite promising regardless of what she became!

“Could you show me the training equipment?”

Professor Platton, who wasn’t particularly kind to students, showed a soft and gentle expression to Ddidda, the first-year whose future seemed promising in many ways.

Ddidda excitedly put down the training equipment she had been carrying on her back with a thud.

The small dust cloud that rose indicated its considerable weight even to the naked eye.

“Hooh.”

When he picked it up, he felt a slight stimulation in his muscles.

Indeed, these were quite heavy shoes and gloves for a first-year.

“Whoever it is, I’d like to praise the student who’s already practicing wearing heavy armor.”

A sword wielded without armor and one wielded while wearing heavy armor are completely different—from the weight, required strength, trajectory of the blade, to stamina consumption.

For a student with great ambitions, preparing and adapting through training like this was the right answer.

Of course, students don’t usually do this.

Using the excuse of busy academy schedules, they play all they want, eat all they want, rest all they want, and waste their precious first year like garbage.

“It’s Morb from the lower class, and he’s super diligent!”

“Is that so?”

If Ddidda praised him this much, he must certainly be no ordinary student.

“I don’t have any lectures right now, so tell him to come here.”

“Yes!”

A moment later, a skinny young man appeared.

He had no bad postural habits, and while his muscle quality wasn’t exceptional, he showed signs of having trained hard in his own way.

He seemed to have some talent in mental cultivation as well, instinctively manifesting magical power to compress his muscles.

“You have talent.”

“Th-thank you…?”

Professor Platton’s hands lightly tapped Morb’s forearm, abdomen, and thigh.

Morb fell into fear, wondering what was happening—could Ddidda have sold him to the professor for grades?—but of course, that wasn’t her intention.

‘His physical fatigue is worse than it appears.’

The recovery time for muscles destroyed by exercise couldn’t keep up with the accumulating injuries from repeated workouts.

Despite dividing his routine into upper and lower body parts with different fatigue levels, this level of strain meant he had been pushing himself incredibly hard.

“I like you!”

Promising talent for a lower class student and unusual determination uncharacteristic of a first-year.

The professor saw in him a reflection of his distant past self, who lived each day with a blood-draining feeling, dreaming of reviving his homeland, the Kingdom of Florence.

Such a student was certainly worth helping.

“I’ll give you cotton made from the Barometz plant.”

Barometz is known as the first cotton plant, a “mythical plant” that originated in the spirit realm. The cotton species was born when the native Barometz from the spirit realm was planted in the middle realm.

Even degraded cotton that adapted to the harsh soil of the middle realm proved useful for clothing, so one can imagine the value of the original Barometz cotton.

It was doubtful whether first-years would understand its value, but surprisingly, Ddidda looked like she was dying of envy.

‘Unless she’s exceptionally wealthy, she shouldn’t easily recognize the value of this cotton…’

Looking at the white gloves that reached up to her elbows, which she always wore regardless of her pretty appearance or uniform, he understood.

She must be a child from an extremely wealthy family.

Professor Platton was so dedicated to physical training that he hadn’t even heard the rumors about Ddidda that were rampant throughout the academy.

* *

[Professor Platton is satisfied with Morb’s level.]

[Morb receives cotton made from Barometz plant.]

[The prototype weight training set is upgraded to <Superior(3)> grade with Barometz cotton padding.]

[Shock absorption function added.]

[Heat absorption function added.]

[Equipment durability greatly improved.]

Professor Platton is often perceived as a dangerous professor who frequently offers protein soup to students, but he’s actually quite generous.

He willingly serves as a club advisor and provides various forms of help to anyone interested in physical development.

<Monstrous Strength Smashing Club>.

<Bare-Handed Thousand Responses Club>.

These two clubs are prime examples.

Out of curiosity, I once joined and found they were basically strongman and fitness clubs.

“Morb is so lucky!”

“Huh? Me?”

“That’s incredibly expensive.”

“How much?”

“Hmm…”

After recalling its value in the game and calculating:

“The price of a full set of magic armor!”

“Gasp!!”

Magic armor that even nobles couldn’t afford the points to get permission to wear.

Morb was shocked to the point of nearly fainting at the existence of cotton padding that was more expensive per weight than gold.

“What if I drop some? When I take it off, cotton will stick to my hands and feet, and dropping even a single strand would be like throwing away something more valuable than gold!”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. Just try it on first.”

Professor Platton laughed heartily as he stuffed the cotton into the boots and gloves and pushed them toward Morb.

I thought I heard a crunching sound in the middle, but hopefully I misheard.

“Ugh… it’s heavy.”

“But the fit is better, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It feels much better thanks to you, Professor. Thank you.”

“This is nothing. The real thing to be thankful for comes now.”

“Pardon?”

“You were worried about dropping the Barometz cotton, weren’t you?”

Surely he’s not going to eliminate the worry by taking away the surprisingly desirable training equipment?

I was anxiously watching from the side, but fortunately my concern was unfounded.

He wasn’t taking it away—he was modifying it.

Crunch

Professor Platton, with absolutely no malice and purely out of goodwill, crushed the wrist and ankle parts of the shoes and gloves with his strength to make them fit perfectly.

“Ack?!”

“I’ve eliminated one of your worries.”

Professor Platton said with great satisfaction.

“If you wear shoes and gloves that absolutely cannot be removed, you won’t drop any cotton. Now you can never take off these shoes and gloves with your own strength.”

The professor didn’t steal the training equipment.

Instead, he made it impossible to unequip, like a cursed item.