Chapter 213 – Quanru
The moment Natasha signaled the end of training, the ghosts assigned to their missions fled the forest as if escaping for their lives.
Only one remained—Elton, who returned to his quarters to wait for Samuel.
Meanwhile, Natasha called me into the cave.
“The ghosts?”
“They scattered.”
“What? Where?!”
“Outside the forest. Where else?”
“They left without even saying goodbye to me???”
“They must’ve been in a hurry to leave.”
“Tch. After all the effort I put into training them, this is how they repay me? Just wait until I see them again.”
…The difference in perspective between the one delivering the punches and the one receiving them was clear.
I wasn’t sure if any of them would ever dare show up in front of Natasha again.
If it were me, I wouldn’t even want to see her shadow.
“Tch. What am I supposed to do in the mornings now? That was fun while it lasted.”
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Well, you don’t have morning training, do you? So how about—”
“Actually, Elton is still in the forest. Unlike the others, he seemed eager for more training.”
“Really? That guy has the most satisfying reactions when punched. Perfect. We’ll have after-school lessons.”
“…Is there even more to teach?”
“I stopped because they wanted time to get used to their ghost form. But training never really ends. You just keep going.”
The way she cracked her knuckles…
I could already tell she was seriously thinking about it.
Elton, I’m sorry.
Just hold on until Samuel arrives or Carl’s training wraps up.
“I’ll be heading off for my own training, then.”
As I got up, she asked,
“You’re heading to the Millennium Tree today?”
“Yes.”
For the past three days, I had been learning a new training method from Natasha using the Bracelet of Gereflam.
Now, I was at a level where I could continue on my own.
“Damn. I should’ve realized earlier that the Millennium Tree is the perfect place for spirit arts training.”
“Well, at least you know now.”
“Doesn’t help me, though. I’ve already hit my growth limit.”
The Millennium Tree was a place where mana imbalance distorted space.
At Reto’s suggestion, I had tried training spirit arts inside the tree—
And the results were remarkably efficient compared to the time spent.
“How’s your progress?”
“Still not good enough. I keep getting beaten up.”
“You’ll get it soon. The moment you reach the right state, tell me. That’s when we’ll attempt contact with Reto.”
“…Understood.”
Right now, direct contact with Reto was prohibited.
Natasha had another method in mind, but she insisted that I had to endure this training first.
Leaving the cave, I headed toward the Millennium Tree.
As I passed through the Hut Forest, I noticed something—
Even though a month had passed, this village remained completely unchanged.
A place untouched by the passage of time or external events.
But to my eyes, it felt like the eye of a storm.
‘Because the world outside is completely different.’
As long as Kamel Blazer was alive in Tobaron, the embers of war would never be extinguished.
A month was more than enough time for him. He could have already taken control of Etor.
But—
“His wings have already been clipped twice. Right now, Kamel doesn’t have many options left.”
We had collapsed the passageway connecting Hell Grime to Tobaron, cutting off his support from Demtor and the Black Market.
We burned down Wailing Hill and destroyed hidden bases, eliminating key resources for his shamans.
And in battle, we took down a significant portion of Kamel’s elite forces.
The anti-Kamel alliance was forming in Elletor Fortress, and soon, Blyer would be divided in two.
“Time is on my side.”
While Kamel’s power weakens over time, ours only continues to grow.
Soon, even Beneta alone will be strong enough to face him.
And Demtor will be kept in check by the witches.
One final strike—
If I could land that single decisive blow, this war would be ours to win.
But that one strike…
That was the unpredictable factor.
Because Kamel wasn’t just any enemy—he was the protagonist of this world’s regression.
To minimize that variable, I was strengthening my allies and deploying intelligence networks everywhere.
The Black Rose was in motion, and the ghosts had begun their information-gathering.
Before long, I would uncover Kamel’s intentions.
“There’s not much time left. I need to move fast.”
I wouldn’t return until I achieved significant progress.
My destination was the core of the Millennium Tree—the place where I had previously dropped the Elf Stone.
Weaving through the tangled roots, I reached the clearing, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed my eyes.
This was the process Natasha had taught me—establishing contact with the Bracelet of Gereflam.
Vwoom—
As I focused on the bracelet, a cold sensation spread through my hand, accompanied by a faint vibration.
Reto had explained that the Millennium Tree’s mana dissonance made it an ideal place for spirit arts training.
And just as he said—
The connection response was far quicker than outside.
The resonance and interaction with the spirit were also several times stronger.
“…Gereflam.”
The moment I spoke its name, the cold sensation turned blazing hot, and the bracelet’s vibration ceased.
Then, I felt it—
My consciousness was being drawn inside the bracelet.
This was the first step of spirit arts—
“Contact” had been established.
As my blurred awareness sharpened, I slowly opened my eyes.
I found myself standing in the middle of a vast forest.
I smacked my lips.
“…No matter how many times I see this, I can’t get used to it.”
This wasn’t the real world—
It was Gereflam’s realm.
Through Natasha’s mediation, I had received Gereflam’s permission to enter this space.
It was an overwhelming sight, difficult to put into words—
The trees, the rocks, everything here was immense in scale.
It was like standing in the very heart of the Giant Tribe’s homeland, as preserved in Gereflam’s memories.
Feeling a presence behind me, I turned around.
There, against the backdrop of the colossal forest, stood a small figure.
It was Gereflam—
A member of the Giant Tribe.
But at first, I didn’t recognize him—
Because, for some reason, he was the same size as me.
According to Natasha, certain chosen giants possessed the ability to adjust their size at will. Gereflam was one of those giants.
Swoosh—
He looked like a middle-aged tribal chief, with a powerful and commanding presence.
His bare chest revealed a rock-hard physique, as solid as carved stone.
Raising both fists, he took a stance.
It was the fundamental position of Quanru.
I mirrored him, assuming the same stance and facing him directly.
“I look forward to today’s training.”
[…] …
I wasn’t sure if he actually understood my words—
But at the very least, my intent was conveyed.
BOOM!
Gereflam’s massive spectral fist came hurtling toward me with blinding speed.
I gritted my teeth.
This wasn’t reality, but—
It still hurt like hell.
And so, the training began.
***
“—Ghhkk!!”
The moment my eyes snapped open, I coughed up blood.
At the same time, deep red bruises bloomed all over my body.
This was the result of spirit-world injuries materializing in reality.
The process of transitioning back from the spirit realm to the physical world was brutal—
The accumulated impact and pain from my training were transferred all at once.
It felt like thousands of fire ants gnawing at my entire body.
No matter how many times I experienced this, I never got used to the pain.
After a while, I caught my breath and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
Letting out a dry laugh, I collapsed onto the ground.
A sharp, woody scent filled my nostrils.
The familiar air of the Millennium Tree’s interior welcomed me back.
I had returned to reality.
“…That last hit almost killed me.”
Gereflam’s final punch had completely knocked me out—
And as a result, I had been forcibly ejected from the spirit realm.
The moment my defeat was acknowledged as death, the training ended.
And then came the real suffering—
Waking up to the excruciating aftermath.
Natasha had endured years of this kind of training.
I respected her for it—
But at the same time, I could sort of understand why her personality had turned out this way.
“…Reto, how long was I out?”
[It’s night now.]
“I lasted longer than yesterday, but I still failed to counterattack. His fists are too fast.”
[At first, you couldn’t even see his punches. But now, you’re able to perceive their speed. Soon, you’ll be able to strike back—while taking the hits.]
“…Why would I take the hits? I should be dodging them.”
[Dodging is for cowards.]
Typical Retonicalus-style thinking.
In Reto’s philosophy, evasion didn’t exist—only attacks.
“…What was my biggest mistake?”
Even so, I continued to ask for Reto’s guidance—
Because his advice was practical and extremely effective.
For some reason, he could observe Gereflam’s Quanru techniques through my own senses.
With Reto analyzing my flaws from an outsider’s perspective, my training efficiency skyrocketed.
The more I clashed with Gereflam, the longer I lasted in combat.
Hoo—
Sitting cross-legged, I exhaled and checked my body.
My bruises faded, and my fatigue vanished.
Unlike in the spirit realm, my recovery speed in reality was beyond human limits.
I healed dozens of times faster than normal, and under the Millennium Tree, my training efficiency reached its absolute peak.
“…Let’s go again.”
I had pinpointed the flaws in my Quanru techniques and adjusted my approach.
Now, it was time to put it into practice.
Vwoooom—
The bracelet hummed once more.
Training with Gereflam wasn’t just about physical combat—
It also involved communing with his spirit and engraving the essence of Quanru into my body.
The more I fought, the deeper my understanding of Quanru’s principles became.
It was a refined lesson in martial arts, delivered through the language of spirits.
Tatatak! Tatak!
A heavy impact rang through the air.
The clashing of fists—each strike generating a resonant shockwave.
Quanru resembled a spinning top in its movements.
A martial art designed for the Giant Tribe, utilizing their immense physical strength to maintain a stable center of gravity—
And amplifying their rotational force for destructive power.
It was an incredibly well-balanced fighting style.
As long as one’s core remained stable, Quanru could be executed from any stance.
It wasn’t a martial art designed for instant kills, but—
It was virtually impervious to most attacks.
Hoo—
I steadied my breathing, re-entered the spirit realm, fought until I died, and then returned to reality.
Over and over.
Every day was the same brutal cycle.
Under the Millennium Tree, I even skipped meals—
Training consumed my every waking moment.
Second day: I dodged one out of every three punches.
Third day: I began counterattacking while dodging.
Fourth day: I redirected his punches, exploiting openings in his form.
With the Millennium Tree, Gereflam, and Reto all aiding me—
My progress became monstrous.
I forgot about hunger.
I forgot about sleep.
I devoted myself entirely to training.
On the fifth day,
[Reto: Quanru’s weakness is the torso.]
“…I’d be torn to shreds before I even get close.”
[Reto: Then break through. And hit it.]
“…You make it sound so easy.”
But by then—
I had reached the point where my fist could at least graze Gereflam’s torso.
Crack—
“…Shit!!!”
On the sixth day, I hit a wall.
His constantly moving, rotating body made landing a direct hit on his torso nearly impossible.
Three more days passed.
And then—
Thud!
For the first time, Gereflam was sent flying, his back slamming into the ground.
Hoo—
I let out a long breath and assumed the Quanru stance once more.
Slowly, Gereflam rose to his feet.
Then, he raised both fists—
And bowed to me in respect.
That was the sign—
The moment Natasha had spoken of.
The training was complete.