Chapter 214 – Playing Dead
“This… S-Shit!!”
The joy of completing my training was short-lived.
The moment I returned to reality, a wave of unbearable pain crashed down on me as if it were some twisted reward.
I rolled on the ground, writhing in agony for a moment before letting out a deep sigh and sprawling out on my back.
I couldn’t even lift a finger.
As I waited for my body to recover, I glanced around.
The ground was covered in deep scratch marks—
Fingernail marks.
A record of my suffering over the past ten days.
A training cycle of endless physical and mental torment, only to recover and repeat.
Luckily, thanks to my brute of a master, Reto, my body was already accustomed to such abuse, so I could focus entirely on grasping the essence of Quanru.
If someone else had attempted this without preparation, they would have spent over a year just on physical conditioning.
“…Now I understand why witches are terrified of spirit arts.”
Any sane witch would never willingly put themselves through this.
And I finally understood why Natasha had been so desperate to take me as her disciple.
No need for recovery time.
A mental fortitude that allows me to function without sleep.
And a body already optimized for mastering Quanru.
It felt arrogant to say, but—
Natasha really picked the perfect disciple.
“…I might have set a record for the fastest training.”
I wasn’t sure how far Natasha had progressed in Quanru, but—
There was no way she had learned this much in just ten days.
Honestly, with Reto AI and the Heart of Retonicalus, my growth was completely broken.
“…I’d love to just lie here until my back aches, but I doubt I have that luxury.”
Since ten days had passed, things outside the forest must have changed at least a little.
That said, there didn’t seem to be any major crisis.
If something had happened, the Elders or Dortas would have come to find me—since only they were allowed to enter the Millennium Tree.
As the dull pain in my body faded, I got to my feet.
I had arrived empty-handed, so I left the way I came—empty-handed.
As I walked, I turned to Reto for advice on Quanru.
It was something I had done every single day for the past ten days.
Even though my training was technically complete, I wasn’t about to stop seeking guidance.
Reto’s insights had been invaluable—
His experience as an immortal gave him an uncanny ability to see through everything.
[So, have you met the conditions?]
“I’ll need Natasha’s confirmation, but I should have. She said I’d pass once I could synchronize with Gereflam’s movements.”
[Then I don’t need to advise you on fulfilling the conditions anymore.]
“Do you have any other advice?”
[Quanru is missing something important.]
“…Something important? In Quanru?”
[A martial art based on rotational force must always include one key element.]
“…One key element? What is it?”
[A finishing move. A single decisive strike.]
“A finishing move…?”
I stopped walking, lost in thought, reviewing Quanru’s principles in my mind.
A balanced martial art that utilized rotational force and limb movements to maintain stability.
And yet… it needed something more?
[Doesn’t it feel strangely stable for a Giant Tribe martial art? Their biggest strength should be their sheer destructive power.]
“…What are you suggesting?”
[To land a decisive strike, you first need a stable stance. Every movement in Quanru you’ve seen so far might just be a setup for that one finishing blow.]
“…That sounds like your preference for ‘one-hit kills’ talking.”
[I could be wrong. But doesn’t this technique feel… incomplete for something made by giants?]
He had spent the last ten days analyzing Gereflam’s Quanru and providing feedback.
If he was saying this, it wasn’t without reason.
Either he had genuinely figured something out, or—
He had some ulterior motive.
“…Doesn’t matter. I’m still not learning your fighting style.”
[…] …
Whether he was right or wrong, it wasn’t my problem right now.
***
Meanwhile, at the cave—
"Please… s-stop…"
“You vicious witch! Just kill me instead!"
“Can I?”
“…O-Of course not!!”
A lone witch stood in the dark cave, slowly approaching two men.
Her hands were drenched in crimson blood, making her look like something straight out of a horror scene.
The two men, proving their bond of camaraderie, clung to each other in terror as they stared up at her.
Just as they exchanged nervous glances—
One of them, Elton, took a look at her fist, let out a dry gulp—
And promptly fainted.
Seeing this, the other man—Karl—trembled with betrayal, clenching his jaw as he glared at Elton.
“You… you coward… passing out first—”
THUMP!
And that was the end of Karl.
A huge lump swelled on his bald head as he collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Natasha clicked her tongue as she looked down at them.
Then, with a casual snap of her fingers, a green aura filled the cave, slowly healing their wounds.
“…They have pathetically low durability.”
She frowned as she left the cave.
For all their agility, the ghosts’ biggest weakness was their frailty.
Just when the training started getting fun, they collapsed.
It left her feeling unsatisfied, like being forced to stop midway through an important task.
A while after Natasha left, Karl, who had pretended to faint, carefully lifted his head and checked the cave entrance.
Then, he glanced over at Elton.
Elton, who had also been faking it, was already peeking outside.
Their gazes met.
Karl growled.
“…Are you seriously going to keep passing out first?”
“Do you know what it’s like to get captured right after discharge and forced to redo training from scratch? Don’t mess with me. I will tackle you, master or not.”
“…You still see me as your old master? I can throw a punch now, you know.”
“…Should we use ‘Playing Dead’ on the witch? She still hasn’t figured it out.”
“…I made a mistake.”
‘Playing Dead’ was a cheap trick derived from ghost techniques.
If done right, it made them look completely unconscious, fooling even that merciless witch.
Karl had first discovered the skill during training, and Elton had copied it soon after.
It seemed that anyone above 4-star rank could use ghost form to fake unconsciousness.
Lowering their voices, the two whispered.
“…How did we end up stuck with witches?”
“This was your decision, Master.”
“…Do you regret it?”
“…I was fine—until we met that witch.”
“…Same. I was fine—until I lost my hair.”
Silence followed.
Then—
Footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Both men immediately went limp, pretending to be unconscious.
A moment later—
“Oh? Karl? Looks like you made it out of the forest.”
“…Die.”
The moment they heard that voice, they sprang to their feet and bolted toward the exit.
Even with their eyes closed—
They recognized that silhouette standing at the entrance.
Arthur Clayton.
The man who handed them over to the witches, forcing them into insane training.
The man responsible for them becoming nothing more than punching bags for an even crueler witch.
And the man who took his hair…!
“…Wait, what? S-Shit, ughhh!!”
Karl, who had been charging at me in rage, suddenly froze in place.
Then, clutching his stomach, he collapsed onto the ground, writhing in pain before going limp.
It was obvious what had happened.
I glanced behind him—
And saw Natasha standing there.
Just a moment ago, I had seen Karl lock eyes with her.
Natasha let out a mocking chuckle, staring down at the unconscious Karl.
“…What an entertaining little brat.”
Had his ‘Playing Dead’ trick been seen through?
I held my breath, watching the scene unfold.
But instead of focusing on Karl, Natasha turned her attention to Elton—
Who had been playing dead from the very beginning.
“The courier has arrived.”
“R-Really?!”
At the mention of Samuel’s arrival, Elton immediately jumped to his feet, his face lighting up.
Natasha furrowed her brows, glancing down at her fist as if questioning whether it had gotten weaker.
Even I was a little shocked—
Elton’s breathing and energy had been completely indistinguishable from someone unconscious, yet the moment Samuel was mentioned, he reacted instantly.
“…You weren’t actually unconscious?”
“I regained consciousness just now after hearing about Samuel.”
He had definitely unlocked some strange new skill.
It seemed like people kept developing bizarre abilities around here.
Natasha eyed Elton for a moment before waving him off.
“You’re free to go. As promised, your escort has arrived.”
Elton bolted out of the cave without a second thought.
Natasha then turned to me.
“We’ll check your training results tomorrow.”
“See you then.”
The look in her eyes said everything—
She had been extremely curious about my progress.
But even that curiosity had been overshadowed by what had just happened.
As I left, only Natasha and Karl remained in the cave.
Moments later, Karl groggily lifted his head, looking utterly confused.
“…I just woke up.”
“I know.”
“…You don’t sound like you believe me.”
“That’s because you’re full of shit.”
“Aaaaaaagh!!”
A fresh scream echoed from the cave.
***
While Elton went to gather his things, I went to meet Samuel.
I found him at the same inn he had stayed at last time—
Enjoying a steaming cup of Twilight Leaf Tea.
“…Did you finish your mission?”
“Has no one told you my success rate yet? I’ve never failed a mission.”
“Can I ask what the mission was about?”
“Before that—”
Samuel pushed a steaming cup of tea toward me.
The sacred power-infused Twilight Leaf Tea…
Had something gone wrong with it?
Judging by his expression, it wasn’t good news.
“…It’s about the tea you gave me.”
“Was there a problem?”
“It does aid recovery… to a certain limit.”
“A limit?”
“It’s like… scraping gold flakes off a cracked porcelain vase—the surface looks better, but the deep fractures remain.”
It wasn’t the sacred power’s limit—
It was my limit.
My 4-star sacred power wasn’t enough to completely heal the Curse of Fractures.
That meant I wouldn’t be able to fully win Samuel over to my side—
Since other factions could offer him similar healing alternatives.
“If my power strengthens, the curse recovery will speed up as well.”
“…Sounds like you’re asking me to help you get stronger.”
“Well, having insurance always comes in handy, doesn’t it?”
“…Kid, you may look like an innocent flower bud, but you’ve got a dangerous side to you. Just like him.”
“…‘Him’?”
“…Sorry, kid. I keep my promises—I can’t talk about that.”
I had planned to ask about his mission when he arrived,
But it seemed he wasn’t going to spill anything easily.
If my sacred power had been stronger, I could have completely recruited him…
But now, it would take more effort.
“…I thought you came here to meet me, but I guess not.”
Samuel’s behavior was different from usual.
Less nonsense, more unease.
I smiled and infused fresh sacred power into his tea, handing it to him.
Giving something for free was sometimes the best way to earn trust.
“…I have a favor to ask.”
“For me?”
“I need a bodyguard. Can you recommend someone?”
“…Aren’t the witches available?”
“I’m heading into Demtor. There’s something I need to see with my own eyes—but I need someone reliable with me.”
“Hmm… A bodyguard, huh…”
I covered my mouth, pretending to be deep in thought—
But in reality, I was holding back laughter.
I even let out a sigh to make it more convincing.
Samuel seemed to take it as a sign that I was seriously considering it.
“…I know someone. A blooming trait holder, with 4-star combat skills. Plenty of experience, great at thinking on their feet—”
“…But?”
“They don’t know anything about Demtor.”
“Th-That’s fine! I’ll teach them everything they need to know!”
“Are you sure?”
“This is about my life—of course, I’m sure!”
“Then how about sharing some details about your mission?”
“…And what’s your price?”
“What can you offer me? Money is useless—I already have more than I need.”
“…Hmm…”
Samuel hesitated for a moment—
Then clicked his tongue, pulling his hat down slightly.
Taking out a piece of paper, he quickly scribbled something down before handing it to me.
“I wrote down everything I could while still keeping my client’s trust.”
“…Thanks.”
“…If I had more time, I’d love to sit and discuss dreams over tea… but I don’t have that luxury right now.”
“When you leave, your escort will find you.”
“…Efficient. I like that.”
“They’ll want to leave quickly, too.”
I smirked and extended my hand for a handshake.
I had just secured a valuable piece of information.