Frostfire Legacy

After Physical Training, a.k.a. the warm-up, Aster would undergo intense Swordsmanship training. Practice swings were a given, but after that, he would also be taught sword styles and formations. It was complicated and hard to pick up due to Ardra's "unique" way of teaching.

Still, there was one section of Swordsmanship training that Aster looked forward to: sparring.

Learning proper postures and styles, sparring was the most effective method to ingrain the movements into his body and consciousness. But Aster had a different aim.

"DIE!"

"Ahaha! Your strikes are getting sloppy again! Fix your posture and slash like tatatan! How many times do I have to repeat it for you to understand?"

For the sparring, Ardra was using nothing but a single branch she picked up randomly. Aster wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get back at Ardra, who was basically torturing him under the guise of training.

But despite the stick looking so flimsy, it had already fended off his sword multiple times, unable to even scratch it!

After the sparring, where he was still taking a one-sided beating, it was time for magic training. This was more like one big class without any specific target to train for. Unlike physical practice, where you're forced to do things step by step, magic is something you can work on all at once.

Magic control, output practice, magic accuracy, chant speed—every possible avenue was hammered into Aster until he could do them perfectly. Of course, the training method was still no different from the rest—the Sparta method.

After a week passed, Aster had already gotten used to the training. It was weird, though, as even though he was beaten inches from death and hadn't slept at all, he never felt sleepy.

Thanks to that, his torture continued non-stop in a vicious cycle. But, of course, it wasn't all bad.

Thanks to his diligence, his abilities were improving quickly. During swordsmanship sparring, he could finally push Ardra back! It was a mix of feeling satisfied with his progress and being irritated for still being so far behind Ardra's level.

By the second week, his sword finally reached the same level as Ardra's, able to send out the same crisp sound she made during her initial demonstration. His physical stats were also increasing from the endless torture, making him feel like his hard work was paying off.

Crysta and Ardra, thanks to magic training, also improved their control over their elements. With Aster's increased WIS and INT, the twin spirits could enjoy some improvements. The output they could achieve without using up Aster's remaining lifespan also increased.

*KIIIIN!*

"...!"

Finally, during the third week, Aster landed a clean hit on Ardra's side. It was a beautiful execution, taking advantage of the delay when she shifted her center of gravity.

"I did it!" Aster cheered, smiling. "I...!"

*BAM!*

But in his elation over landing a hit, he lowered his guard. Ardra's punch landed in the pit of his stomach, sending him rolling across the ground, making him feel like throwing up his innards.

"Just because you landed a hit doesn't mean you can lower your guard," Ardra lectured as she played with the stick in her hands. "After all, the moment your attack lands is also the biggest opening your enemy can take advantage of!"

She crouched before Aster, who was crawling on the ground, struggling to breathe. Ardra watched him squirm before a sadistic smile, unfit for her youthful appearance, crossed her face.

"Ah, since you landed a hit on me, I guess it's time to increase the training's intensity~!"

"..."

To Aster, her words were like the Grim Reaper's proclamation.

Just as she declared, the intensity of the training was increased—by more than double. Rather than increasing the amount he had to complete, the burden on his body was intensified. A constant weight of about a hundred kilograms was applied to his entire body, making it more difficult to move!

It took him a full day to get used to it before he returned to his usual pace of training—or so he thought. But whenever he got used to the burden, it was increased. It became so hard that he almost wished he could just drop dead and rest eternity.

But still, he persevered. Thinking of Cassy, who was waiting for him, he pushed forward with his iron will.

And just like that, amidst suffering and torture, one month passed.

"Hmm! Finally, you're starting to look like a fine warrior!" Ardra praised Aster, who managed to survive her hellish training in one piece. "With this, the foundation is set~! My job here is done!"

"One month..."

Aster stared at the sky, his expression solemn. He thought back on how he had spent the entire month and could only recall how torturous it was. If his tears hadn't dried up long ago, they would have started streaming down his face right then.

Still, his suffering bore fruit. After the tough training, his stats increased naturally through hardship. Overall, he gained 10 extra stat points across four stats: 1 STR, 4 CON, 2 DEX, and 3 INT.

From the shocking 4 CON increase, it was obvious how much suffering he had endured. And to top it all off, he hadn't even managed to get back at Ardra in the end. Other than the lucky hit he landed once, his sword never reached her again.

"With this, the training is over," Ardra announced, smiling. "I'll be sending you back to your world now, so stay still!"

Aster stood up, staring straight ahead like a seasoned veteran returning from a battlefield. Despite all the suffering he endured, he was sure to remember this training in the depths of his mind—and hoped that someday, in the future, he could repay Ardra for it all, suffering included.

"Alright, let's go~!"

After she finished chanting, a large magic circle appeared under Aster's feet. It was so bright that he had to close his eyes for a moment. But then, when he opened them, the scenery had changed.

"..."

Looking left and right, cells with special glass walls were arranged, sealing powerful criminals within.

Just as he was looking around in wonder, a familiar voice echoed from behind him. "Did you reach level 100 successfully? Or do you need one more?"

Turning to the source of the voice, a familiar face appeared. It felt like it had been a long time since Aster last saw Magnus.

Still, his sudden return made him wonder if everything that had happened was just a fantasy. To check, he took a step forward and swung his blade down, followed by a seamless horizontal sweep.

*KIIIN!* *KIIIIN!*

Both strikes released satisfying high-pitched sounds as they cut through the air, confirming that his experience was real. Right, it wasn't a hallucination, but something that had actually happened!

'I really made it back.'

Aster smiled and looked upward, as if seeing through the thick slabs of the underground prison, peeking toward the blue sky.

'Cassy, wait for me. I'm coming to save you now!'