LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Still at Level 1?
I’ve always thought that time flows differently for everyone.
When you’ve got nothing to do, it drags on endlessly, but when you’re busy, it flies by in the blink of an eye.
For me—
“Time flies, doesn’t it?”
I lay flat on the training ground, staring up at the sky.
In the morning, it was stamina training and strength conditioning.
Around noon, sparring with Nohr and practicing cultivation techniques in the Steel Library.
After dinner, I would head to Aiselon to beat down gang members in the back alleys.
My schedule was packed to the brim with no room to rest.
It felt like my body was on the brink of collapse, but somehow, I managed to keep going.
My Herculean Strength physique added bonuses to all physical activities.
“Recovery is overkill. My body’s ridiculously resilient.”
Even after grueling training, my fatigue vanished after a good night’s sleep.
“Stop whining! Think of it as a blessed body and push yourself harder!”
“If I do that, I’ll actually die. I’m not a machine.”
“Machine?”
“Another name for a golem.”
I answered Nohr’s curious look with a half-hearted reply and sat up. He was right, though.
If it weren’t for my physique, I’d have crumpled long ago.
-Flex.
In just a month and a half, I’d built a decent amount of muscle.
Where once I had a scrawny frame, now I had defined lean muscles.
Though calling them “lean” might be an understatement.
-Crack.
“Oh, this works now.”
The strength in my grip was beyond human. I grabbed two stones as an experiment and squeezed them until powdered fragments fell to the ground.
With more training, I might be able to crush larger rocks.
Nohr, observing me closely, let out a low whistle.
“Your strength is one thing, but your combat skills are improving daily. Are you secretly training somewhere else?”
“I’m just moving around a lot. Beating people up helps too.”
“Just don’t cause a big incident. Cleaning up after you would be a hassle.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not rampaging aimlessly.”
It wasn’t a lie.
I wasn’t going after ordinary people. The targets were illegal gang members, after all.
Despite my nightly visits, the number of thugs in Aiselon’s alleys didn’t seem to decrease. Not that I was complaining—it kept me busy.
I’d been moving so much that my appetite had grown.
These days, I was eating four meals a day just to keep up.
“Feels like I’ve gotten taller too.”
I’d measure myself when I had time.
“A bit of real combat is always good. I can feel Explosive Pulse leveling up.”
Nohr caught on.
It had been ten days since my secret outings began. In that time, I’d made significant progress with my cultivation technique.
[Explosive Pulse (1-Star) – Passive]
Mastery: 43%
I’d nearly doubled my proficiency in less than two weeks.
Of course, that was partly because it was still a 1-star ability, but it was fast progress nonetheless.
Combat experience played a role—
“It’s thanks to Herculean Strength and Mana Circuit.”
The synergy between the two physiques was beyond imagination.
Even when pushing Explosive Pulse to its limits, my body could handle it, allowing me to rapidly improve my mastery.
With any other physique, I wouldn’t have achieved even half of this.
“Still, don’t rush. The faster you run, the harder you fall.”
“If I fall, I’ll just get back up. My body can take it.”
“Heh, bold words for someone who breaks their hand with just two punches!”
“That’s… a special case.”
Breaking my hand when using Heavy Strike was a side effect of the excessive output.
I’d hoped cultivation would mitigate the issue—
“But with Mana Circuit boosting Explosive Pulse’s efficiency, the difference is negligible.”
For now, I was relying on potions to heal my hands after each fight.
It wasn’t ideal, but it worked temporarily.
As I stared at my fists, lost in thought, Nohr clapped me on the back.
“Get up.”
I got to my feet, feeling the strength return after a brief rest.
“It’s a bit early to teach you this, but you can’t keep depending on potions. So, I’ll show you.”
He adopted a basic martial stance. Though he primarily used a sword, his posture was remarkably stable.
I mimicked his stance.
“Since you’ve learned a cultivation technique, you should feel the mana coursing through your body.”
“Yeah, it’s like energy racing through my veins.”
“That’s likely due to the nature of the technique you learned. In any case—”
-Tense!
Nohr’s already thick forearm swelled further, veins bulging ominously.
His muscles expanded as raw power gathered within.
“Mana responds to your will. With focus, you can concentrate it in specific parts of your body.”
“Body reinforcement, right?”
“Exactly. You can use it once you reach 2-star mastery.”
Knights, warriors, martial artists—they all utilized mana in their own ways.
While my Mana Circuit circulated energy throughout my body, they concentrated theirs in their cores.
The levels of cultivation were divided accordingly:
– At 1-star, you could accumulate mana.
– At 2-star, you could reinforce your body.
– At 3-star—
-Hummmm.
Nohr’s fist shimmered with blue mana, forming a thin, translucent barrier over his skin.
“At 3-star, you can release mana outside your body. This is the foundation for imbuing mana into weapons at 4-star. Though for you, who doesn’t use weapons, it’s less relevant.”
With a sharp step forward, Nohr launched a clean punch at a training dummy, twisting his body to maximize the blow.
-Boom!
The dummy exploded into fragments.
As the splinters settled, Nohr turned to me.
“Releasing mana lets you protect your body—your fists included.”
The concept was simple. Just as soldiers wore armor to shield themselves, mana worked as an invisible barrier. With mana absorbing the impact, injuries like broken wrists could be avoided.
“Even at 3-star, it’s basic and not particularly durable, but it’ll suffice for now.”
Of course, there was still a catch.
I reminded Nohr of the obvious:
“I’m only at 1-star right now.”
And yet—
“If that requires mana release, I can’t even use it.”
[Physique: Unable to Release Mana looks at the old man with envious eyes.]
Because of this cursed physique, I couldn’t release mana, let alone throw anything without penalties.
I couldn’t even properly toss a pebble.
[Physique: Cat’s Paw smugly claims it’s all thanks to itself.]
Oh, it’s you, huh?
I swear, if I could, I’d get rid of this thing.
“Right, you’re just a 1-star grunt. A mere ant crawling in the dirt! A bug under my shoe!”
“Hey, I’m not that weak.”
“And yet, it’s possible.”
Nohr stepped forward with alarming speed.
Chills ran down my spine, and I instinctively backed up and raised my guard.
Was that teleportation? No—it was raw speed.
A monster was a monster, after all. I gulped as he grinned at me.
“Ah, see that? You’ve already taken a combat stance!”
“Well, yeah, I guess.”
If he meant my raised guard, then he wasn’t wrong.
I’d been hit so many times that my body reacted on its own.
Sure, I had good reflexes, but—
“Anyone would end up like this after getting beaten daily.”
It was mostly thanks to Nohr’s brutal training regimen.
Sparring sessions and “guidance” disguised as beatdowns had burned it into me.
“Exactly! You might not excel at everything, but learning through your body—you’re quick at that!”
The old man kept smiling brightly.
Somehow, it only made me more uneasy.
“It’s true that techniques beyond one’s level are typically impossible. But after training countless students, I know this—up to 3-star techniques can be learned through… unorthodox methods.”
-Pinch!
“Aaargh!”
With lightning speed, he pinched my side.
Did he just rip my skin off? It stung like hell.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Of course it does!”
“Exactly. Pain varies, but sharp stings don’t usually cause significant harm to the body.”
He wasn’t wrong. Painful as it was, it didn’t actually injure me.
There’s a reason why torture methods like driving needles under fingernails exist—they’re intensely painful but non-lethal.
“For a moment, your focus went entirely to the sting, didn’t it?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess?”
“That’s what you’ll do from now on. Focus. Learn to resist what you don’t want to endure. Once you build that up, you’ll be able to release mana.”
An 8-star knight’s secret tip.
It was certainly an unconventional way to train beyond your current level, but—
“I’m serious, though. I can’t release mana due to a condition I have.”
“Hahaha! Your jokes are getting better! Let’s begin immediately.”
-Poke!
-Pinch!
“Aaaaargh! I really can’t do it!”
“Whining is for the dead, boy!”
No matter what he said, I really couldn’t release mana. But that didn’t stop Nohr.
He chased me around, gleefully poking and pinching as if he’d found a new hobby.
“Yes! The more you hate it, the faster you’ll learn! You’ve already shown potential, boy!”
Thus began another chaotic chapter of my life under Nohr’s relentless “guidance.”
As the sun began to set, I emerged from my room.
“Ugh, getting dressed is such a chore.”
Since I was heading out to crack some heads, I wore a cheap robe with a hood, bought from the market.
Changing clothes was always a hassle thanks to Cat’s Paw, but I’d gotten somewhat used to it.
I stretched, wincing as my sore body protested. Thanks to Nohr’s surprise attacks over the past few weeks, every part of me felt stiff.
The old man even came at me at dawn to stab me and then ran off laughing.
“Why doesn’t this world have guns?”
If they did, I’d definitely want one right now.
At least there was a silver lining.
[Explosive Pulse (1-Star) – Passive]
Mastery: 81%
My mastery had skyrocketed.
Using the skill constantly—even in my sleep—had really paid off.
“Well, progress is progress.”
I sighed, loosening up my body.
“I’m feeling pretty good.”
It was time to move.
I was currently at the Cradle of Wolves, where the family and its retainers lived.
The place also doubled as a fortress during wartime, with a highly secure and closed-off structure.
“Oh, young master! Where are you off to?”
“Just taking a little walk.”
“Without dressing warmly?”
“The weather’s fine, don’t worry.”
Guards were stationed throughout the area, naturally.
Given how many families had been wiped out as the Bayerle Family rose to prominence, it made sense.
The security was airtight to prevent infiltration or assassination attempts.
Still, I could come and go freely, thanks to one particular reason.
“Heading out for an evening stroll, sir?”
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”
“Perfect weather for a walk. Stay safe.”
The butler, Selman, gave me his approval.
He probably knew about my nightly excursions outside the family grounds.
The Bayerle Family had a policy of non-interference.
At a glance, it might seem like indifference, but—
“In truth, it means ‘do whatever it takes to grow stronger.’”
Whether I ventured into the slums alone or fought in underground arenas, they wouldn’t care.
The family’s symbol was the wolf.
To the Bayerles, it was more honorable to fight and bleed in the wild than to wither away in safety.
“As usual, I’ll assign a shadow to follow you.”
“Not too close. It’d be inconvenient if they’re spotted. I’ll use the signal device if I need them.”
“Understood.”
Even so, the family wouldn’t leave its members unprotected.
Wolves never abandoned their pack.
The Bayerle Family’s greatest strength was its unwavering unity.
They even supported the families of fallen knights and soldiers, as well as the servants who worked for them.
That shared trust was the foundation of their survival as a conquering house.
Of course, there was one exception: Those who proved useless to the pack were left behind.
“It’s a harsh way to live, but that’s just how it is.”
Children of the head of the family, in particular, had to constantly prove their worth.
-Step. Step.
I walked through the corridors and headed outside.
By now, the carriage should be waiting for me.
The Cradle of Wolves was a sprawling fortress-city, so it took a carriage ride just to reach the gates.
Usually, only the driver would be there, but—
“Huh?”
Today, a guest was waiting by the carriage.