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“Huff. Huff. Huff.”

Mason performed the barbell squat very neatly.

He had already made up his mind.

He was going to give that damn teacher a piece of his mind, no matter what.

At the same time, he had another thought.

He wanted to somehow fulfill the expectations the teacher had of him. So, he imagined that the cold smile he put on would be directed at him.

It was a complex and subtle emotion, but essentially stemmed from the desire for recognition.

“Uuuaaaagh!”

With that in mind, he put even more effort into it.

The students were taken aback as they watched Mason Yeld approach the training seriously, pouring his spirit into it.

Until now, he had been ignoring the teacher and not properly participating in the lessons. And now Mason Yeld was earnestly engaging in the training?

And it was this strenuous and simple physical training?

Despite the students’ confusion, Mason continued with his barbell squats.

Compared to the other students, Mason’s posture was rather impeccable.

“Hmm.”

Ethan looked at Mason in that state.

Mason was precisely mimicking the postures demonstrated by Ethan and his two assistants.

Naturally, he thought he would receive praise, but Ethan just passed by without a word.

“Damn.”

Was this not enough?

However, instead of cursing again, Mason did one more barbell squat. He was determined to receive compliments next time.

He was resolved to hear the words “Well done, Mason” from Teacher Ethan Whiskers.

“Posture. Your posture is off. Straighten your back accurately. Use your thighs to lift. When you rise, focus on your hips. It’s not just about sitting and standing up.”

Ethan used the Eye of Horus to delicately observe the students’ postures.

-Eye of Horus proficiency has increased.

-You can see more information with your eyes!

The Eye of Horus was originally a good, essentially an item, but it was used like a skill.

‘So the higher the proficiency, the more you can see.’

Ethan concentrated more on the skill, trying to increase its proficiency.

“Te-Teacher Ethan!”

At that moment, Yuna Garnet, who was doing barbell squats together, called Ethan.

Honestly, he found it amusing.

But when she tried it herself, that idea was wiped away. Especially, the posture was the most difficult. She understood it mentally, but it was hard to reproduce with her body.

Moreover, it was too heavy and strenuous.

“I, I think I’m going to die.”

Yuna Garnet, who had always been cool-headed and unenthusiastic, said in a desperate voice. As Ethan approached, she whispered to him in a voice only he could hear.

“I, I can offer you a little something in return. No, I can offer you something substantial. So, Teacher, could you maybe say that the count is ten? If you say I did all ten…”

“Student Yuna Garnet.”

Ethan stared at her and spoke.

“I’m wealthier than students think. Do you think there’s nothing that can’t be achieved with money?”

Yuna looked at Ethan with a pleading expression.

However, Ethan remained unyielding. As if to say that there was something money couldn’t buy, right here.

“Seven. If you don’t go down, you’ll be stuck at seven forever.”

“Uuugh!”

The classroom was filled with intense sounds.

The harsh breathing of the students who had finished one round of training and the occasional sounds of groaning.

The barbell squats continued, and now only the last group remained.

“Realize how weak you all are. Do you get it now? You imitated that great swordsman with your feeble bodies, pretending to be something you’re not. How ridiculous.”

The students felt powerless.

How powerless they were without mana.

How much they relied on mana.

But there was one exception.

There was a student whose eyes were gleaming.

The same Ron Bears who had been pushed back by Ethan’s strength stepped forward. Ron Bears had received advice from Ethan earlier.

And he had also said that this class could be a lesson for him.

“I’ve been doing foolish things until now.”

Muttering to himself, Ron adjusted his posture.

As Ethan had said.

He had forsaken his body, his greatest strength, relying on feeble mana.

He had stopped training and focused only on honing his mana and swinging his sword.

He had compared himself to someone trying to squeeze into clothes that didn’t fit and had tried to make himself smaller in various ways.

Only now did he begin to see the light.

But at the same time, no one else had told him that. Various teachers or students who tried to befriend him had all just told him to learn swordsmanship properly.

But Ethan was different.

Ethan was the only one in the academy who had told Ron that he could become strong in his own right.

“He said he would make me strong properly.”

And so, he would become strong.

He would return to the chieftain and the people of the village with his head held high. He would not be this pitiful figure anymore; he would be the best warrior of the tribe, graduating from Ivecar Academy.

So, he had to show it here.

“One!”

“Huff!”

Thus, he began the barbell squat with all his might.

Since they were the last group, the students who had trained before knew how heavy that barbell was. To sit down and stand up without mana required putting strength into the whole body.

Leg strength was crucial, especially the balance of the entire body.

If that balance was lost, improper postures would inevitably result.

Then, like ghosts, Schudlen and Yerica approached and poured out chilling words that pierced the heart.

“Oh.”

But Ron was different.

He went down steadily and rose up very lightly.

“Just once, no big deal.”

However, when he went beyond twice, three times, four times, and reached ten.

The expressions of the students froze.

“Among all the students who have done it so far, his posture is the most excellent.”

Ethan said with a satisfied expression.

“Look. This is the perfect posture for squats that I want to see from all of you.”

Ethan gestured towards Yerica without delay.

“Increase the weight.”

“Are you okay? Ron.”

“Yes. I think I can handle more. I still have some room.”

Ron’s statement that he still had room left bewildered the expressions of the students.

He had room for more of this demanding exercise? Adding more weight?

Among today’s students, none had increased their weight and done the barbell squats.

Using the heavier barbell, Ron Bears began the squats again.

It was heavier than before, but his posture remained perfect, and the process of squatting and standing up was still smooth.

He lifted the weight as if it was nothing.

Witnessing this spectacle, the students looked at him with expressions of reverence.

For Ron Bears to repeat the barbell squats with the increased weight multiple times meant that his physical strength was tremendous.

But didn’t Ethan just demonstrate that?

His power struggle against the monster-like strength of Ron Bears.

Ethan had overwhelmed Ron in that power struggle.

This meant that Ethan’s body was even stronger than Ron Bears’, who was squatting like a monster.

“Ugh.”

After getting scolded by Ethan once, Chen, who had been quietly listening to the lesson, covered his mouth with his hands.

His body was trembling.

“What on earth is Teacher Ethan…”

“How strong is he? No, how did he manage to beat Ron Bears with his own body strength?”

They just couldn’t comprehend it.

Ron, who had finished the barbell squats in one go, looked at Ethan.

“Well done. Today, you’re the first, Ron Bears.”

Ethan nodded approvingly and then looked at the students.

“Those of you without mana are worse than the last in the Swordsmanship Department. Right now, the first in the Swordsmanship Department is Ron.”

“Damn it.”

Mason Yeld didn’t bother to hide his frustration, his rough breaths evident.

The other students also looked impressed as they watched Ron Bears return to his spot with confidence.

It was humiliating.

To lose to the last place.

“Now you all understand. Understand how important your physical bodies are. By the time the training we did today no longer feels difficult, the sword path you can tread on will change.”

Now Ethan’s words hit home with a bone-chilling clarity.

But at the same time, fear crept in.

The pace was too fast.

Although it was a class for Ethan, for the students, it was just one among several. What if the other classes suffered because of this?

“Everyone.”

Ethan gave a reassuring smile to the exhausted faces of the students.

The idea of increasing the Eye of Horus’ proficiency was a good one that had come to him.

“Are you worried about next week’s class?”

His words seemed to pierce into their minds, and the students looked puzzled.

“You all came expecting to see the sword path I modified, right? Since you practiced pushing your body to its limits with it all week and today we had a different class.”

It was like having two assignments.

One was physical training, and the other was to fully internalize the modified sword path.

But both of these assignments required hard work and a substantial investment of time.

It meant that these problems couldn’t be solved through passion alone.

“I’ll relieve your fatigue for the next class.”

“Yes?”

It was the stern and cold Ethan, the kind of teacher who would sternly educate as he did with Chen Garcia if you didn’t keep up with the class.

But he said he would help with their fatigue.

Some of the students looked surprised.

Did saying he would help with their fatigue mean he would give them an even bigger assignment?

Would he give them a bigger task to create more fatigue so they could forget the previous fatigue?

Or was he literally just going to help them relax their fatigue?

It was impossible to guess.

The two guards understood Ethan’s words about relieving fatigue, but they didn’t reveal any expression to indicate that understanding.

“Lighten your fatigue. Your body will likely feel relaxed almost instantly.”

Saying this, Ethan conjured a long needle strand in his hand.

“…!”

“T-That’s…”

“I’m sorry, teacher! I apologize for showing a pathetic appearance!”

Chen Garcia abruptly stood up and bowed at a 90-degree angle.

With this scene, the two guards could quickly understand what the students had misunderstood.

Ethan slowly raised the needle strand, looking at the students.

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to kill you.”

“Eep.”

With Chen’s gasp, a strange situation unfolded.

Ethan chuckled and gestured to Chen.

“Chen Garcia. You’re probably the most fatigued, right? I gave you pretty intense training before. There’s a saying that goes, ‘Give the hater another piece of steak.’ I’m going to help with your fatigue.” (+)^[1]TLN: Roughly translates to “giving an extra piece of steak to someone you don’t like” in English. It’s a metaphorical expression that implies offering a reward or benefit to someone who is disliked or treated poorly. In the context of the story, Ethan is referring to the fact that he had given Chen Garcia intense training previously, and now he’s metaphorically “rewarding” Chen by helping him relieve his fatigue. It’s not meant literally with a steak; rather, it’s about providing something positive to someone who might have faced challenges or difficulties.

Chen, his expression a mix of fear and caution, walked forward slowly.

Watching him, Ethan chuckled inwardly and said.

“Relax.”

Then, in an instant, he placed five strands of needles simultaneously. He concentrated them mainly on Chen’s most fatigued thighs.

“Huh?”

Chen’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The fatigue is… gone.”

Ethan gestured as if telling him to keep talking.

“It’s completely disappeared.”

• 1. TLN: Roughly translates to “giving an extra piece of steak to someone you don’t like” in English. It’s a metaphorical expression that implies offering a reward or benefit to someone who is disliked or treated poorly. In the context of the story, Ethan is referring to the fact that he had given Chen Garcia intense training previously, and now he’s metaphorically “rewarding” Chen by helping him relieve his fatigue. It’s not meant literally with a steak; rather, it’s about providing something positive to someone who might have faced challenges or difficulties.

Author's Thoughts

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