As I lay on the ground staring at the sky, I thought about how shallow my strength still was.
My power had increased.
Even Siena had acknowledged that.
But strength alone wasn't enough.
My agility needed improvement.
My body's ability to adapt.
My reaction speed.
My decision-making during battle.
Everything needed work.
Most importantly—
my defense.
The new armor Duracal had made was excellent.
It would help me survive battles.
But armor wasn't true defense.
If an enemy was strong enough, they would simply break through it.
And during spars, armor wasn't even used.
That meant my defensive abilities were still lacking.
I needed to improve them.
Which brought my thoughts back to the Shield Magic book.
I took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
Every muscle in my body ached.
Limping slightly, I started walking back.
Siena noticed immediately.
"Oi, kid."
I looked over.
"Your strength increased."
"Good."
"Now focus on everything else."
I nodded.
For once, I agreed completely.
Nearby, Duracal simply stood up and returned to the forge without another word.
The day passed quietly.
I helped around the forge.
Hammering metal.
Maintaining the fire.
Sharpening blades.
Fitting handles onto weapons.
Simple work.
But useful.
As darkness slowly swallowed the sky, the forge finally fell silent.
I washed up and sat down with the Shield Magic book.
Duracal glanced over and laughed.
"Oh?"
"You actually decided to read it?"
"I thought you only bought it because the cover looked interesting."
I rolled my eyes.
Duracal chuckled.
"Tomorrow I'll explain the basics again."
"For now, try understanding the theory yourself."
I nodded and opened the book.
The first chapters explained the principles behind Shield Magic.
Mana naturally existed throughout the air.
A magician gathered that loose mana and compressed it.
The denser the mana became, the stronger the shield would be.
Different magicians used different methods.
Some focused on creating hard barriers capable of stopping powerful attacks.
Others preferred flexible shields that absorbed impacts.
The effectiveness depended on the amount of mana used and the caster's control.
As I continued reading, my eyelids gradually became heavier.
Between the injuries from the lizardmen and the beating Siena had given me earlier, my body wasn't in good condition.
Eventually, I gave up.
I ate dinner and went straight to bed.
The moment my head touched the pillow—
I fell asleep.
Normally, I woke before sunrise.
This time, my body refused.
The next thing I knew, someone was shaking my shoulder.
I opened my eyes.
Duracal stood over me.
"Bharam came looking for you."
I blinked.
"What?"
"He's outside."
"Get up."
Then he turned and left.
I slowly got out of bed.
My body still hurt.
After washing my face and preparing my equipment, I picked up my bow and arrows and headed outside.
Bharam stood waiting.
The moment I stepped out, he turned his head toward me.
Even though I hadn't made much noise.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
His senses were terrifying.
Bharam studied me for a few seconds.
Then he asked calmly,
"Kid."
"I'll ask once."
"Did you sell your soul to a devil?"
At the same time, a faint killing intent leaked from him.
Nothing compared to the death sense I had experienced before—
but enough to make my body tense instinctively.
I answered immediately.
"No."
Bharam stared at me.
Then nodded.
"Good."
"I don't need an explanation."
"I just needed confirmation."
He turned away.
"As long as no devil is involved, I don't care."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
Then Bharam continued.
"Siena told me your strength increased."
I nodded.
"But your body coordination hasn't caught up."
That made me pause.
He was right.
My strength had risen faster than my control.
The difference was becoming noticeable.
Bharam pointed toward the road.
"Run."
I blinked.
"Run?"
"Yes."
"Run."
I understood immediately.
This was training.
So I started running.
At first it felt normal.
But after a while I realized something.
Without actively maintaining Beast Breathing—
my body felt terrible.
Heavy.
Sluggish.
Almost fragile.
The difference was becoming more obvious every day.
So while running, I kept Beast Breathing active.
Maintaining the rhythm while moving wasn't easy.
But I forced myself to continue.
Behind me, Bharam's voice echoed.
"Faster."
I gritted my teeth and accelerated.
One hour passed.
Then another stretch of road.
Sweat soaked my clothes.
My lungs burned.
My legs felt like lead.
Finally, Bharam spoke.
"Stop."
I immediately halted.
For a moment I focused on catching my breath.
And that was my mistake.
The rhythm of Beast Breathing broke.
Instantly—
pain exploded throughout my body.
My muscles tightened.
My chest burned.
The familiar contractions returned.
I quickly forced the breathing pattern back into place.
The pain eased slightly.
But not completely.
Bharam watched silently.
His eyes narrowed.
At that moment, Duracal walked out carrying a wooden box.
Without saying anything, he tossed a round rubber ball toward Bharam.
Bharam caught it with one hand.
Then looked at me.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
And suddenly—
I had a very bad feeling about whatever came next.