Chapter 226: The Prelude
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Later the next day.
Reve is in the Devil's Cave or rather the Willow Forest.
Loud grunts entered his ear as he sat on a tree branch with his eyes closed.
Below him were the members of the former thieving gang. For days now they had been training in the same routine that Reve ordered them to follow.
The last time Reve checked their progress, he seemed to have been discontent so he prolonged their training time.
Hence, on this very day, they had been breaking their bones since morning. Being a gentleman, Reve compensated for this by giving them healing potions and five minutes breaks in every five hours.
He smirked, 'Feels good to teach. However…..this is a bit evil, isn't it? I never trained this much…Well, most of my training involved magic. I usually spend an entire day studying….but I guess the equivalent of that for warriors is physical training.'
As for which one was worse, he wasn't experienced enough to decide.
'These guys require more training since their foundation is warped. They would have remained bottom-tier if I didn't interfere. In the future, they would come to thank me for showing them a strong hand."
After a while, Reve got down and grabbed a few water sacs he placed on the ground when he came. He filled them with fresh water from the lake.
Looking at the tense group, Reve shouted, "Enough! Take this."
His words declared the conclusion of the training as all the group fell to their knees panting like beasts.
Reve took it upon himself to meet each one of them and deliver one water sac, one healing potion, and a warm steak.
This was the prize they earned from earnestly working hard.
'It is necessary to show a kind hand after training. Circe did the same for me,' thought Reve.
His format was thus: During training, act the part of a devil. After training, become a kind angel.
Afterward, Reve jumped high and landed on his favorite tree branch.
Upon closing his eyes, he felt the wind brush past him, which led him to open his eyes back, "Dorian, what is the status?"
Dorian, who was the cause of the sudden change, appeared on the opposite tree branch.
He failed to balance himself quickly. His legs shook many times but he soon managed to force a balanced state on himself.
"Kimon. There was a bit of progress during this training. Half the group can use 70% of their strength. A quarter of us can delicately produce a feat of 80% while five of us can now dish out 90%."
Reve stared at Dorian. It was unknown what was going through his head, especially to Dorian who was already nervous as it is.
He wondered if this report was satisfactory. If not, their training routine would be elongated yet again.
Kimon finally said, "Are these feats constant?"
"...."
Dorian couldn't help but speak in a low tone, "No, Kimon."
"Then, what use are they? I don't need something irregular. You can't depend on that in battle. Get the constant factor," order Kimon.
"Yes," acquiesced Dorian.
He jumped down and met with the group.
A few minutes later, he was back up with Reve.
" About half can produce 65% of their strength without fail. A good quarter is confident of yielding a 80% strength. While five of us have attained a peak 90% of their full strength."
Kimon ruminated on this piece of information, "So, not much changed, huh. Seems like only a quarter passed the hallmark."
Dorian felt a headache coming his way.
"By the way, which percentage do you fall in?"
"I'm part of the five, Kimon," told Dorian.
"Good. You should always lead the group."
Kimon went on, "Hmmm….well, we shall make do with these numbers. Tomorrow, we will expand the training so that it can cover all attributes. The singularity force doesn't just apply to strength. Pure strength does not produce the best attack force. It has to be mixed with speed and other stats."
He made sure to speak loud so that the others could hear him.
They were joyous that they were finally moving forward, but some of them feared the training that was ahead of them.
If just the strength training was this vile, how would the other training go?
Kimon said with gentleness, "The obvious factors would primarily be speed and strength. Hence, we shall focus on just that. For now, rest. The coming days will be harsh on you."
No sort of warrior would endure these kinds of training. Even talented warriors would abstain from this destructive routine.
That was because it was sure to leave everlasting internal injuries.
However, that was where Kimon came in?
With his vast wealth as Reve, he procured premium healing potions for the group. Moreover, if his relationship with Marya went as planned, she would be able to brew his potions for him….as long as he brought the material.
That was easy. Reve could simply request ingredients from Circe. After all, that old hag had lots of ingredients.
However, he wouldn't do that. Instead, he had already set his sights on the Gehenna Order. Since they gave him this mission, they should pay the required price.
Nevertheless, he had a backup plan which involved asking his contracted spiritas, Demis, to fetch the materials for him in Azea.
There were just a few issues with this plan, mainly, the attitude of Demis. One can't simply ask the esteemed King of Misery to play "garden boy".
Well, he would think about that later. Right now, he had enough money to cover the cost of premium healing potions for a month.
If dragontail became a massive success, he might install a few healing devices here.
Noticing the constant stare that Dorian gave him, Kimon asked, "What is it?"
"Kimon, might I ask, how is the progress with finding an alchemist?"
"I have found one. The potions should be ready soon. Tomorrow is the auction."
"Oh, might I—"
"No, you can't. I understand your desire to assist me but right now, you can't be associated with me, especially after dragontail shakes Starhold."
"Is it because of my strength?"
"Yes, none of you can safeguard your lives. This might be hurtful to hear but any random henchman can defeat you. That is why I'm training you….so that when the time comes, you will be well enough to represent the Tribe of Somnia. Hence, put more effort into your training. I will cover everything else."
"Yes, Kimon."
The others chanted, "Yes, Kimon."
They had long shedded the mentality of brute thieves. Right now, they were the first generation of the Amethyst Style.
With fierce determination, they stood up and continued training.
Kimon smiled, 'Don't worry. I shall make sure no harm comes your way.'
He was a bit hesitant, but, seeing this display, he was now sure this group was what he wanted.
Just as he was about to speak, a thin voice invaded his ear, "They are fascinating, aren't they, Reve?"
Reve jittered as he recognized the voice of Marya, "What are you doing here?"
She had sneaked up on one of the branches, "What else, Reve or should I say Kimon. I am fulfilling the end of my deal. Hehehehehe."
"I didn't sleep yesterday and I was worried if I slept now that I might wake up late for the agreed meeting. So, I stayed awake.. But I couldn't wait anymore. So, here I am, surprising you!"
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Later the next day.
Reve is in the Devil's Cave or rather the Willow Forest.
Loud grunts entered his ear as he sat on a tree branch with his eyes closed.
Below him were the members of the former thieving gang. For days now they had been training in the same routine that Reve ordered them to follow.
The last time Reve checked their progress, he seemed to have been discontent so he prolonged their training time.
Hence, on this very day, they had been breaking their bones since morning. Being a gentleman, Reve compensated for this by giving them healing potions and five minutes breaks in every five hours.
He smirked, 'Feels good to teach. However…..this is a bit evil, isn't it? I never trained this much…Well, most of my training involved magic. I usually spend an entire day studying….but I guess the equivalent of that for warriors is physical training.'
As for which one was worse, he wasn't experienced enough to decide.
'These guys require more training since their foundation is warped. They would have remained bottom-tier if I didn't interfere. In the future, they would come to thank me for showing them a strong hand."
After a while, Reve got down and grabbed a few water sacs he placed on the ground when he came. He filled them with fresh water from the lake.
Looking at the tense group, Reve shouted, "Enough! Take this."
His words declared the conclusion of the training as all the group fell to their knees panting like beasts.
Reve took it upon himself to meet each one of them and deliver one water sac, one healing potion, and a warm steak.
This was the prize they earned from earnestly working hard.
'It is necessary to show a kind hand after training. Circe did the same for me,' thought Reve.
His format was thus: During training, act the part of a devil. After training, become a kind angel.
Afterward, Reve jumped high and landed on his favorite tree branch.
Upon closing his eyes, he felt the wind brush past him, which led him to open his eyes back, "Dorian, what is the status?"
Dorian, who was the cause of the sudden change, appeared on the opposite tree branch.
He failed to balance himself quickly. His legs shook many times but he soon managed to force a balanced state on himself.
"Kimon. There was a bit of progress during this training. Half the group can use 70% of their strength. A quarter of us can delicately produce a feat of 80% while five of us can now dish out 90%."
Reve stared at Dorian. It was unknown what was going through his head, especially to Dorian who was already nervous as it is.
He wondered if this report was satisfactory. If not, their training routine would be elongated yet again.
Kimon finally said, "Are these feats constant?"
"...."
Dorian couldn't help but speak in a low tone, "No, Kimon."
"Then, what use are they? I don't need something irregular. You can't depend on that in battle. Get the constant factor," order Kimon.
"Yes," acquiesced Dorian.
He jumped down and met with the group.
A few minutes later, he was back up with Reve.
" About half can produce 65% of their strength without fail. A good quarter is confident of yielding a 80% strength. While five of us have attained a peak 90% of their full strength."
Kimon ruminated on this piece of information, "So, not much changed, huh. Seems like only a quarter passed the hallmark."
Dorian felt a headache coming his way.
"By the way, which percentage do you fall in?"
"I'm part of the five, Kimon," told Dorian.
"Good. You should always lead the group."
Kimon went on, "Hmmm….well, we shall make do with these numbers. Tomorrow, we will expand the training so that it can cover all attributes. The singularity force doesn't just apply to strength. Pure strength does not produce the best attack force. It has to be mixed with speed and other stats."
He made sure to speak loud so that the others could hear him.
They were joyous that they were finally moving forward, but some of them feared the training that was ahead of them.
If just the strength training was this vile, how would the other training go?
Kimon said with gentleness, "The obvious factors would primarily be speed and strength. Hence, we shall focus on just that. For now, rest. The coming days will be harsh on you."
No sort of warrior would endure these kinds of training. Even talented warriors would abstain from this destructive routine.
That was because it was sure to leave everlasting internal injuries.
However, that was where Kimon came in?
With his vast wealth as Reve, he procured premium healing potions for the group. Moreover, if his relationship with Marya went as planned, she would be able to brew his potions for him….as long as he brought the material.
That was easy. Reve could simply request ingredients from Circe. After all, that old hag had lots of ingredients.
However, he wouldn't do that. Instead, he had already set his sights on the Gehenna Order. Since they gave him this mission, they should pay the required price.
Nevertheless, he had a backup plan which involved asking his contracted spiritas, Demis, to fetch the materials for him in Azea.
There were just a few issues with this plan, mainly, the attitude of Demis. One can't simply ask the esteemed King of Misery to play "garden boy".
Well, he would think about that later. Right now, he had enough money to cover the cost of premium healing potions for a month.
If dragontail became a massive success, he might install a few healing devices here.
Noticing the constant stare that Dorian gave him, Kimon asked, "What is it?"
"Kimon, might I ask, how is the progress with finding an alchemist?"
"I have found one. The potions should be ready soon. Tomorrow is the auction."
"Oh, might I—"
"No, you can't. I understand your desire to assist me but right now, you can't be associated with me, especially after dragontail shakes Starhold."
"Is it because of my strength?"
"Yes, none of you can safeguard your lives. This might be hurtful to hear but any random henchman can defeat you. That is why I'm training you….so that when the time comes, you will be well enough to represent the Tribe of Somnia. Hence, put more effort into your training. I will cover everything else."
"Yes, Kimon."
The others chanted, "Yes, Kimon."
They had long shedded the mentality of brute thieves. Right now, they were the first generation of the Amethyst Style.
With fierce determination, they stood up and continued training.
Kimon smiled, 'Don't worry. I shall make sure no harm comes your way.'
He was a bit hesitant, but, seeing this display, he was now sure this group was what he wanted.
Just as he was about to speak, a thin voice invaded his ear, "They are fascinating, aren't they, Reve?"
Reve jittered as he recognized the voice of Marya, "What are you doing here?"
She had sneaked up on one of the branches, "What else, Reve or should I say Kimon. I am fulfilling the end of my deal. Hehehehehe."
"I didn't sleep yesterday and I was worried if I slept now that I might wake up late for the agreed meeting. So, I stayed awake.. But I couldn't wait anymore. So, here I am, surprising you!"
Later the next day. Reve is in the Devil's Cave or rather the Willow Forest. Loud grunts entered his ear as he sat on a tree branch with his eyes closed. Below him were the members of the former thieving gang. For days now they had been training in the same routine that Reve ordered them to follow. The last time Reve checked their progress, he seemed to have been discontent so he prolonged their training time. Hence, on this very day, they had been breaking their bones since morning. Being a gentleman, Reve compensated for this by giving them healing potions and five minutes breaks in every five hours.He smirked, 'Feels good to teach. However..this is a bit evil, isn't it? I never trained this muchWell, most of my training involved magic. I usually spend an entire day studying.but I guess the equivalent of that for warriors is physical training.'As for which one was worse, he wasn't experienced enough to decide. 'These guys require more training since their foundation is warped. They would have remained bottom-tier if I didn't interfere. In the future, they would come to thank me for showing them a strong hand."After a while, Reve got down and grabbed a few water sacs he placed on the ground when he came. He filled them with fresh water from the lake. Looking at the tense group, Reve shouted, "Enough! Take this."His words declared the conclusion of the training as all the group fell to their knees panting like beasts. Reve took it upon himself to meet each one of them and deliver one water sac, one healing potion, and a warm steak. This was the prize they earned from earnestly working hard. 'It is necessary to show a kind hand after training. Circe did the same for me,' thought Reve. His format was thus: During training, act the part of a devil. After training, become a kind angel. Afterward, Reve jumped high and landed on his favorite tree branch. Upon closing his eyes, he felt the wind brush past him, which led him to open his eyes back, "Dorian, what is the status?"Dorian, who was the cause of the sudden change, appeared on the opposite tree branch. He failed to balance himself quickly. His legs shook many times but he soon managed to force a balanced state on himself."Kimon. There was a bit of progress during this training. Half the group can use 70% of their strength. A quarter of us can delicately produce a feat of 80% while five of us can now dish out 90%."Reve stared at Dorian. It was unknown what was going through his head, especially to Dorian who was already nervous as it is. He wondered if this report was satisfactory. If not, their training routine would be elongated yet again. Kimon finally said, "Are these feats constant?""...."Dorian couldn't help but speak in a low tone, "No, Kimon.""Then, what use are they? I don't need something irregular. You can't depend on that in battle. Get the constant factor," order Kimon. "Yes," acquiesced Dorian. He jumped down and met with the group. A few minutes later, he was back up with Reve. " About half can produce 65% of their strength without fail. A good quarter is confident of yielding a 80% strength. While five of us have attained a peak 90% of their full strength."Kimon ruminated on this piece of information, "So, not much changed, huh. Seems like only a quarter passed the hallmark."Dorian felt a headache coming his way. "By the way, which percentage do you fall in?""I'm part of the five, Kimon," told Dorian. "Good. You should always lead the group."Kimon went on, "Hmmm.well, we shall make do with these numbers. Tomorrow, we will expand the training so that it can cover all attributes. The singularity force doesn't just apply to strength. Pure strength does not produce the best attack force. It has to be mixed with speed and other stats."He made sure to speak loud so that the others could hear him. They were joyous that they were finally moving forward, but some of them feared the training that was ahead of them.If just the strength training was this vile, how would the other training go?Kimon said with gentleness, "The obvious factors would primarily be speed and strength. Hence, we shall focus on just that. For now, rest. The coming days will be harsh on you."No sort of warrior would endure these kinds of training. Even talented warriors would abstain from this destructive routine.That was because it was sure to leave everlasting internal injuries. However, that was where Kimon came in?With his vast wealth as Reve, he procured premium healing potions for the group. Moreover, if his relationship with Marya went as planned, she would be able to brew his potions for him.as long as he brought the material. That was easy. Reve could simply request ingredients from Circe. After all, that old hag had lots of ingredients. However, he wouldn't do that. Instead, he had already set his sights on the Gehenna Order. Since they gave him this mission, they should pay the required price. Nevertheless, he had a backup plan which involved asking his contracted spiritas, Demis, to fetch the materials for him in Azea. There were just a few issues with this plan, mainly, the attitude of Demis. One can't simply ask the esteemed King of Misery to play "garden boy".Well, he would think about that later. Right now, he had enough money to cover the cost of premium healing potions for a month. If dragontail became a massive success, he might install a few healing devices here.Noticing the constant stare that Dorian gave him, Kimon asked, "What is it?""Kimon, might I ask, how is the progress with finding an alchemist?""I have found one. The potions should be ready soon. Tomorrow is the auction.""Oh, might I""No, you can't. I understand your desire to assist me but right now, you can't be associated with me, especially after dragontail shakes Starhold.""Is it because of my strength?""Yes, none of you can safeguard your lives. This might be hurtful to hear but any random henchman can defeat you. That is why I'm training you.so that when the time comes, you will be well enough to represent the Tribe of Somnia. Hence, put more effort into your training. I will cover everything else.""Yes, Kimon."The others chanted, "Yes, Kimon."They had long shedded the mentality of brute thieves. Right now, they were the first generation of the Amethyst Style. With fierce determination, they stood up and continued training.Kimon smiled, 'Don't worry. I shall make sure no harm comes your way.'He was a bit hesitant, but, seeing this display, he was now sure this group was what he wanted. Just as he was about to speak, a thin voice invaded his ear, "They are fascinating, aren't they, Reve?"Reve jittered as he recognized the voice of Marya, "What are you doing here?"She had sneaked up on one of the branches, "What else, Reve or should I say Kimon. I am fulfilling the end of my deal. Hehehehehe.""I didn't sleep yesterday and I was worried if I slept now that I might wake up late for the agreed meeting. So, I stayed awake.. But I couldn't wait anymore. So, here I am, surprising you!"
