Samael found himself standing before Acheron once again.
The ground beneath the Master's feet was still devastated by the impacts of their training.
Broken stones.
Cracks.
Deep scars spread across the terrain.
He remained motionless for a few seconds, staring at her.
Apparently, he was catching his breath.
But in reality...
He was trying to do exactly what Acheron had explained.
Feel his essence.
Merge his spirit with it.
Guide it throughout his entire body.
The problem was that it seemed impossible.
The harder he tried, the farther away it felt.
"Time..."
Samael clenched his teeth.
"Damn it."
He blinked.
That was a mistake.
In the next instant, a purple scabbard appeared before his eyes faster than lightning.
Samael raised his arms instinctively.
Too late.
THACK!
The scabbard struck his temple.
The world spun.
The sky became the ground.
The ground became the sky.
Samael crashed heavily onto the earth while trying to understand where he was.
— The second stage of our method is called Depth. — Acheron explained calmly.
As though she hadn't nearly knocked him unconscious.
She waited a few seconds for him to regain the bare minimum of balance.
Then attacked again.
Her foot shot toward his head.
That kick carried enough force to crush bones.
Samael had barely recovered his vision when he saw the sole of her boot approaching.
Instinctively, he raised his arms.
BOOM!
The impact sent him flying backward.
A brutal pain surged through his forearms.
They trembled.
Burned.
For a moment, Samael genuinely believed they were broken.
Using the momentum, he rolled across the ground and got back to his feet.
— The Depth stage allows you to minimize the waste of soul essence as much as possible, keeping it flowing throughout the entire day. — Acheron continued.
She advanced again.
Folly had fallen to the ground after the previous strike.
No weapon.
No distance.
No advantage.
Samael realized that retreating would only make things worse.
So he advanced.
The scabbard brushed past his face.
He answered with a straight punch.
Acheron tilted her head slightly.
The attack passed through empty air.
She responded with a kick to his ribs.
Samael blocked with his arm.
CRACK!
A sharp pain shot through the limb.
His arm felt like it was reaching its limit.
— The third stage is called Integration.
Acheron appeared in front of him.
Too close.
Her face was only inches from his.
Then she punched him in the stomach.
BOOOOM!
All the air left his lungs.
Samael doubled over immediately.
His stomach churned.
For a second, he was certain he was going to vomit.
Old wounds began to ache again.
Parts of his newly formed scars reopened.
His body began to heat up.
A clear sign that he still hadn't fully adapted to the illness.
Samael dropped to his knees.
Panting.
— At this stage, the user learns to enhance their senses and reflexes using soul essence.
Acheron observed everything calmly.
— It's much more difficult than the previous stages.
— After all, senses and reflexes are abstract concepts.
She crossed her arms.
— Ah.
— I'm at this stage myself, by the way.
Samael wanted to answer.
But only managed to cough.
— Get up.
The order came coldly.
Undeniably.
— Ughhh...
Groaning in pain, Samael got back to his feet.
Then he charged.
This time, trying something different.
As he punched, he tried to merge his spirit with his soul essence.
Tried to feel both as one.
Tried to reach the first stage.
Acheron caught his fist effortlessly with a single hand.
As if she were holding a child.
With her other hand, she threw a punch at his face.
Samael tried to dodge.
But his arm was trapped.
With no alternative, he used his other arm to block.
BOOM!
A searing pain shot through the limb.
It was the third hit that arm had taken.
Something finally gave way.
Samael completely lost strength in the arm.
Acheron released his fist.
He immediately grabbed the injured limb.
His face twisted in pain.
— I think it's broken.
— It's only dislocated. — Acheron replied.
As though it were nothing.
Then continued her explanation.
— The final stage is called Apex.
For the first time since the training began, she didn't attack immediately.
— Unlike the others, there are three different Apexes.
Her violet eyes met his.
— The Apex of Strength.
She raised a fist.
— In it, the user learns to concentrate all of their essence into their muscles at the exact moment of impact.
Even though his entire body hurt, Samael paid close attention.
This information was far too valuable.
— There is also the Apex of Speed.
— Where all of the essence is used to generate explosive speed for a brief instant.
She paused.
Then looked toward the house.
Bel was watching them through a broken window.
Clearly keeping watch.
Acheron completely ignored him.
— And finally...
— The Apex of Endurance.
Her voice became more serious.
— In it, you concentrate all of your essence at the point that will receive the impact.
She took a deep breath.
— This stage allows someone to temporarily surpass the limits of their own Rank.
Samael's eyes widened.
That was absurd.
Even by the standards of this insane America.
Then Acheron looked up at the sky.
— Ah.
She seemed disappointed.
— It's over already.
Samael felt it immediately.
As though an invisible chain had latched itself onto his mind once more.
The weight returned.
The distraction.
The confusion.
The memory of that impossible mountain.
His focus vanished.
His concentration was dragged back to the previous night.
"What a shame..."
Samael thought.
The training had been brutal.
But for the first time since encountering the Cursed Creature...
He had been able to think normally.
Acheron began walking back toward the house.
As though nothing had happened.
Samael slowly got to his feet.
His entire body hurt.
Old wounds had reopened.
His arm was dislocated.
And yet...
His attribute had already begun repairing the damage.
— She really doesn't hold back...
he muttered.
Not with the sick.
Not with the injured.
Not with anyone.
As he walked back toward the house, Bel continued watching from the window.
Honestly?
He didn't care much about what Acheron was doing with Samael.
But Liu had asked him to keep an eye on things.
And for some reason he didn't fully understand himself...
He couldn't refuse.
So there he was.
Watching a training session that looked far more like attempted murder than a lesson.