Chapter 32: Training [1]

"When the time comes, who enters and who stays behind will depend on strength."

Everyone’s expressions immediately became serious.

The Inferno Prison Secret Realm.

Even those who did not cultivate fire attributes knew what those four words represented. It was a small secret realm controlled by the imperial family that opened only once a year. Even the most ordinary resources inside were enough to make countless Second Rank professionals fight over them in the outside world.

And Victor’s meaning was obvious.

They might be able to enter as well.

"And the freshman assessment three days from now."

Victor looked at Leah.

"You’re participating."

Leah nodded. "I’m a first year student anyway."

"I know. But you’re not going there just to scrape through the assessment," Victor said calmly. "Three days. I want you to train both of your skills until you can use them consistently. And your level... Seventeen."

The people around them suddenly fell silent.

From Level 15 to Level 17 in three days?

Even Leah herself was visibly stunned. For an ordinary student, that kind of speed could no longer be explained by mere hard work.

But Victor remembered very clearly that Leah possessed [Astral Conversion]. In theory, she could cultivate using other forms of elemental energy.

And he possessed [Mana Devour].

As long as he could find a suitable source of high purity energy, it might actually be possible.

Leah looked at him and then said anxiously, "What if I can’t do it?"

"Then it means I overestimated you," Victor answered without hesitation.

Those words clearly provoked the young woman. She remained silent for two seconds before finally speaking.

"I’ll do it."

...

That night, inside Victor’s detached dormitory, a crimson token rested quietly on the table. A burning volcano was engraved on the front, while the back bore the golden griffin emblem of the Saint Laurent Imperial Family.

[Inferno Prison Secret Realm Entry Token]

[Time Until Opening: 11 Days, 17 Hours, 42 Minutes.]

[Level Restriction: Below Level 30.]

Victor stored the token inside his storage ring, then looked at the status panel before him.

After Leah’s status had risen during the day, the system had rewarded him with twenty free attribute points. He had not used them yet. Now was the perfect time.

[Host: Victor Alves]

[Level: 21]

[Profession: Magic Swordsman]

[Life Rank: Tier 1]

[Strength: 42]

[Constitution: 39]

[Agility: 77]

[Spirit: 51]

[Mana: 639]

[Free Attribute Points: 20]

[Talents: High Level Fire Element Affinity, Mana Devour S+, Infinite Evolution SSS]

[Skill: Heaven Burning Sword Art]

His attributes were somewhat unbalanced. Because of the investment return from Evelyn, his Agility had increased by forty points in one go, reaching seventy seven, while his Mana was also continuing to increase. In comparison, his Strength and Constitution were clearly falling behind.

For a Magic Swordsman, that was not a good thing.

"Ten points into Strength. Ten into Constitution."

[Allocation Complete.]

[Strength: 42 → 52]

[Constitution: 39 → 49]

A wave of heat instantly surged from deep within his body. It was not as overwhelming as when his Agility had suddenly increased by forty points, but it was far more direct.

Victor could clearly feel his muscles, bones, and even internal organs rapidly strengthening. He clenched his fist, and the difference in strength was obvious.

Then he looked toward [Crimson Flame Fang] resting nearby.

There was still one thing he had not done today.

Test the [Heaven Burning Sword Art].

Victor picked up the sword and headed toward the private underground training room beneath his dormitory. One of the greatest advantages of the detached dormitories in the noble district was having completely independent training spaces like this.

Tier Two defensive formations had been installed inside the walls. Even if an ordinary Tier Two professional attacked with their full strength, it would be difficult to damage the main structure.

It was perfect for testing his abilities.

Victor stood at the center of the training ground. Twenty meters ahead, a standard Level 25 combat puppet slowly rose from the floor.

[Training Mode Activated.]

[Target Level: 25]

The puppet was four levels higher than him, but Victor did not panic.

He gripped Crimson Flame Fang in his right hand. The mana inside his body began flowing along extraordinarily complex pathways that it had never traveled before.

A large amount of fire elemental mana rapidly compressed. There were no overwhelming flames. Quite the opposite, the crimson flames originally covering the blade rapidly contracted until the entire sword became calm again.

Only at the very edge of the blade, a crimson line appeared, so thin that it was almost impossible to see.

[Heaven Burning Sword Art.]

[First Form.]

Flame Line.]

Victor stepped forward with the might of seventy seven Agility!

Boom!

A ring of air exploded where he had been standing, and his entire body appeared twenty meters away.

His arms shook as the sword slashed horizontally. There was no deafening explosion, only an extremely faint cutting sound.

Shhk.

Victor passed beside the puppet and stopped.

Several seconds later.

Crack.

The metallic armor covering the Level 25 training puppet’s chest suddenly split open. A perfectly smooth crimson cut stretched from its left shoulder all the way to the right side of its abdomen.

More than four internal mana transmission circuits had been completely severed.

[Target Damage: 41%.]

[Single Attack Rating: Advanced Second Tier.]

Victor stared at the result, and his gaze slowly changed.

One sword strike against a Level 25 puppet with Tier 1 defenses had dealt forty one percent damage.

And he himself was Level 21.

Was this the power of a King Rank skill?

No. More accurately, this was merely the first form of a King Rank skill at Beginner mastery.

If his proficiency continued increasing...

[Detected Host’s First Complete Use of Heaven Burning Sword Art.]

[Proficiency +3.]

[Current Proficiency: Beginner 3%.]

Victor was preparing to attack again when he suddenly remembered another ability.

[Mana Plunder].

...

A big thank you to everyone who supports this novel! I appreciate it. Power Stones bonus Chapter coming up next!