Chapter 4

Mad Swordsman of the Shadow World (4)

The daily routine in this place called Hell Island was simpler than one might expect.

Piiiiiiiiii!

Early morning.

Just as the sun was beginning to rise, the piercing sound of a whistle spread throughout the dormitory.

“Everyone, wake up! We have to go!”

Perka, the room leader, said as he woke Renil and Tioren along with Theron.

Of course, Theron, who was already awake and dressed, nodded.

“Hey, Renil! You want to get beaten again today?! Get up already!”

“Urgh... my body... hurts too much.”

Perka frowned as he looked at Renil, who could not get up.

He certainly had been beaten far too much yesterday.

But that did not mean he would be excused.

“If you're late today, they'll beat you until your bones break. I'll help you, so let's hurry.”

“Th-Thanks.”

As Perka pulled Renil up, Tioren supported him from the other side.

The two bickered every day, but that did not mean they were actually on bad terms.

The four quickly passed through the corridor and headed outside.

Every morning, the first thing they did after waking up was run laps around the building.

The instructor, glaring like a demon, looked at the gathered trainees and said.

“The last five will be excluded from breakfast. And I'll beat the bastard who comes in last to a pulp, so grit your teeth and run.”

“Yes!”

The trainees answered loudly, their eyes filled with determination.

The law of the jungle, through and through.

If they came in last here and got beaten, it would interfere with their training again tomorrow.

Fortunately, the mana cultivation method had given them about two days of respite.

“...Can you run?”

“I have to.”

The problem was Renil, who had been severely beaten because he failed to memorize the mnemonic formula of the mana cultivation method.

‘...No.’

Not just Renil. Most of them had been beaten, so perhaps the conditions were about the same?

Theron quietly exhaled and looked ahead.

Sorry, but right now, he had no room to help anyone.

‘...My physical condition right now is complete garbage.’

During the two days he spent learning the mana cultivation method, Theron had checked the current state of his body.

Strength, endurance, stamina.

Not one of them was superior to the others.

Thinking back, Theron had not been a particularly outstanding trainee until almost the very end of his time here.

Rather, he had been treated as a cowardly piece of trash who survived by using the sacrifices of others as stepping stones.

‘But...’

Theron's eyes flashed sharply.

This time, he had no intention of doing that whatsoever.

The training methods here thoroughly encouraged competition by imposing risks, but looking at it another way...

‘The rewards for doing well were definite too.’

It was just that very few knew how to make proper use of those rewards.

“Run! Run, you pieces of trash!”

At the instructor's shout, the trainees began running with all their might.

Because of the places where they had been beaten, only a few of them could run properly.

Ignoring them, Theron silently ran forward.

“Huff... huff... huff...”

He had only run about one lap, yet he was already out of breath.

His body's condition was infuriating.

‘Building up my stamina comes first.’

No matter what he tried to do, there was nothing he could accomplish without stamina.

That was why Theron kept running using nothing but his raw physical strength, without using mana.

Because he knew all too well that this current pain would become the pain of growth.

And...

“Theron, first place.”

“Thank... you... huff... huff...”

Although his stamina was poor, he had managed to finish first by recalling his old memories and focusing as much as possible on his breathing and pace.

Of course, several other trainees arrived right behind him, but even as they panted, they looked at Theron with astonishment.

At that moment, Perka approached.

“You... have you been doing some kind of separate training?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It's just surprising that you're suddenly running so well. You always finished near the bottom and missed breakfast.”

“...Forget that. A lot of things are going to change from now on.”

Just as Perka said, because he had fallen behind in training at this time, he had been unable to get proper nutrition.

‘That slowed my growth considerably.’

It was a very small thing, but it was important to begin by changing even that.

Theron slowly steadied his breathing as he calmed his heart, which felt ready to burst.

At that moment...

“Huff... huff... huff...!”

Renil, who was running in last place, passed in front of Theron and Perka while gasping like mad.

Seeing that, Perka shouted loudly at Renil.

“Hey, Renil! You need to run faster! At this rate, you'll come in last!”

After all, he did not want to watch his roommate come in last and get beaten.

But...

“Huff... huff... I... fucking... know... huff... that...”

Unable even to control his breathing properly, Renil panted as he painfully ran one step at a time.

He was clearly trying desperately, but at this rate, just as Perka had said, Renil was certain to come in last.

“...”

Theron turned his head and looked at the instructor.

As though he had no interest whatsoever in watching the trainees run, the instructor was lying down with his hat covering his face.

Seeing that, Theron stood up, and Perka spoke to him with a puzzled expression.

“Where are you going?”

“To help him.”

“...What?”

How was he going to help someone else when he could barely manage his own body?

Perka remained sprawled on the ground as if he could not take another step and stared at Theron.

Tap tap tap!

Theron quickly approached Renil.

Renil looked at the approaching Theron.

“Wh-What?”

“Look straight ahead and focus on your breathing. Listen to my voice, but you don't need to pay attention to anything else.”

“Huff... huff... what?”

“Look ahead and focus. Unless you want to come in last and get beaten.”

At Theron's firm words, Renil unconsciously looked straight ahead and focused on his breathing.

His wildly heaving breaths gradually began falling into a faint rhythm.

Then Theron immediately looked around.

Renil had fallen almost ten meters behind.

The trainees running ahead were only looking forward and were not watching them.

So the moment they entered a blind spot where the trainees who had already finished could not see them, Theron placed his hand on Renil's back.

Swoosh!

“Huh?!”

Startled by the sudden sensation, Renil nearly jumped as he looked at Theron.

Because along with the warm energy entering his body, he felt as though his body had suddenly become lighter.

“Y-You...!”

But Theron.

“Look ahead and focus on your breathing!”

“Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”

Renil quickly looked forward and focused on his breathing.

Seeing that, Theron gave a faint chuckle.

“Imagine sending the energy I just injected into your legs. You moved it once yesterday, so it should be easy.”

Nod.

Renil immediately moved the mana Theron had injected toward his legs.

The best method would have been to spread it evenly throughout his entire body.

‘But that's probably too difficult right now.’

For now, it was important to focus on what he could do.

Once the mana moved into his legs, Renil's running speed increased noticeably.

And the moment they left the blind spot where the trainees who had finished could not see them.

“Run, Renil.”

Theron stopped running and spoke to Renil.

If he continued running beside Renil from here, they might be discovered.

“Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff!”

Just as Theron had told him, Renil maintained his breathing and put strength into his legs.

And...

“Huh? Huh?!”

Renil began overtaking the trainees ahead of him one by one.

The trainees who were being passed could not hide their bewildered expressions as they looked at Renil.

How could someone who had been staggering along just moments ago suddenly run so steadily?

Thus, Renil safely entered the secure range and completed the run.

“Huff! Haaah! Haaah! Huff!”

Having completed the required distance, Renil lay sprawled on the ground, his chest heaving violently.

But before long, he looked at Theron standing in front of him and raised his upper body.

“Th-Theron... tha... thank... you. Haaah...”

He painfully extended his hand and expressed his gratitude.

With this.

‘Have I... repaid a little of the debt I owed from before?’

With a faint smile on his lips, Theron looked at his three roommates.

But...

“Everyone, assemble!”

The training was not over yet.

At the instructor's shout, the trainees assembled in perfect order like ants.

As announced beforehand, the bottom five were excluded from breakfast, and the large trainee who came in last had to endure a beating for the second day in a row.

And during mealtime.

“...Theron, that bastard's been glaring way too openly since earlier.”

The trainee who had come in last during the run and been beaten was glaring at Renil as though he wanted to kill him, his face swollen beyond recognition.

There was no evidence, but the look in his eyes suggested he suspected something.

But Theron did not even glance at him and focused on his meal.

“Ignore him. There's nothing he can do anyway.”

“Y-You don't think he noticed what happened earlier, do you?”

“Don't worry. No one saw.”

“...What are you two talking about?”

Tioren, who had been listening beside them, asked. But Perka merely shrugged as well.

“Be careful. That bastard has a vicious temper.”

“What did you do to get Palcote of all people after you?”

He was notorious even within Section 5 for his foul personality. But Theron paid him no attention and finished his meal.

Immediately afterward, training resumed.

It was a systematic method for strengthening the body, but the suffering belonged entirely to the trainees.

“The lower body is the foundation of all foundations. You should be able to sleep in this position.”

It was sometimes called the horse stance, and sometimes the invisible-chair stance.

They bent their knees to nearly ninety degrees, holding a posture as though sitting on a chair.

And on top of that, bowls of water were placed on their thighs.

‘Endure... endure... endure...!’

Theron bit down hard on his lip and endured with all his might.

Training as trivial as this.

‘Compared to the training that comes later... this is practically bliss.’

Because Theron knew everything that would happen in this place, he gritted his teeth even harder.

If he could not raise himself to at least the minimum level, everything would become meaningless.

‘When that time comes...’

He would not even be able to make excuses about lacking strength or stamina.

Theron finished the training without his posture wavering in the slightest.

He still had a long way to go, but at least it felt as though he had taken one step forward.

But then.

“Hey!”

During the short break given after the morning training ended.

Palcote, who had come in last during the morning run and been beaten, approached Renil with an enraged expression.

“Hey, you fucking bastard. What kind of cowardly trick did you pull?”

Palcote glared at Renil.

Renil looked flustered.

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

“You fucking bastard! I saw this bastard approach you this morning, and you're still playing dumb?!”

Palcote was notorious even within Section 5 for being strong and having a filthy temper.

At his threatening outburst, the nearby trainees gathered around.

“What's going on?”

“That bastard Palcote. What's he making a fuss about now?”

The surrounding trainees murmured one comment after another. But Palcote pointed at Renil and Theron and shouted.

“During the morning run, this bastard helped him! Otherwise, how the hell did someone who looked ready to drop dead while running in last suddenly shoot forward like that?!”

At Palcote's words, those who had received low rankings nodded as though they agreed.

“Come to think of it, Renil, that bastard... definitely was in last place.”

“He was way behind too.”

“It was a little strange how he suddenly surged forward... Did he really get help?”

As public opinion formed in an instant, Renil spoke in panic.

“N-No. That's not...”

“What do you mean it's not?! This bastard definitely gave you a push!”

Palcote grabbed Renil by the collar and hoisted him up.

Even after all that training and the beating, he still seemed to have strength left.

But seeing that, Theron spoke quietly.

“All I did was tell him to maintain his breathing. Can't I even do that much for my roommate?”

“Don't lie, you cowardly bastard!”

Palcote stared at Theron with murderous intensity.

At that, Perka hurriedly stepped in front of Palcote.

“Palcote, calm down. It's already over, and all Theron did was advise him to control his breathing. Don't you know you'll end up in the punishment room if you cause trouble for no reason?”

“Shut up! Those bastards are the ones who cheated first!”

No words could get through to the thoroughly enraged Palcote.

Seeing him half out of his mind from having been beaten, not only Perka but the other trainees also became flustered.

But then.

‘...Ah, the punishment room.’

Something suddenly flashed through Theron's mind.

Once that thought came together.

‘Maybe things could work out faster than I expected.’

A small smile curved across Theron's lips.