Chapter 159: Once again, Spartan training

Translator: Tseirp

In the darkness where light cannot be felt, I walked while being guided by Nadia and Lydia on my left and right.

They weren’t holding my hands but were only verbally guiding me but even that helped a lot.

I walked while confirming the path ahead using my Illusionary Cane/Staff but I’ve already almost stumbled and fallen several times so I was about to get cold feet.

Thinking about it made me feel slightly depressed.

I knew that I was entering the ant labyrinth but the eerie circ.u.mstance of not entering battle at all caused me to feel anxious as I stepped forth.

All the while praying that I will somehow move intuitively if anything dangerous happens because I have the danger perception skill …

However, something I did not imagine happened.

“Well then Luciel, try to survive with your vision like that.”

After I seemingly heard s.h.i.+sho’s voice say that, I was pushed on my back and my danger perception skill suddenly began to react.

I was convinced that I was brought to some monster room by s.h.i.+sho.

“What’s the meaning of this, s.h.i.+sho?”

“Try defeating all your enemies while in that condition. Your opponent is a horde of ants so there’s no need to hold back. This is a rudimentary step taken because of what you lack. Work hard~.”

The next instant after I heard s.h.i.+sho’s amused voice that was the polar opposite to my anxious voice, I heard the sound of heavy doors closing and there was no reply even when I called everyone’s names.

” … Seriously?”

To be honest, faced with the level of poor treatment incomparable to the past, I could not believe s.h.i.+sho’s words for a moment.

For a person who can’t utilize presence perception and magical power perception well to be subjected to such poor treatment, s.h.i.+sho’s training is seriously unconventional.

Just hearing the 『Kisha Kisha』 cries and the 『Saku Saku』 sounds like the sound of legs creeping on the surface of the ground made it feel like my heart rate spiked all at once but in order to secure my safety with what I am capable of at the moment, I invoked 「Area Barrier」 and attempted to watch for the timing when I receive attacks.

I transformed my Illusionary Cane to its sword form and swung it in the direction of where I sensed a tingling sensation but not only did that attack not hit, it backfired on me as I felt a light impact on my abdomen.

I somehow flung my fist parallel to the location I received the attack and an unpleasant gooey sensation was transmitted to me.

” … I see. The opponents are weak but numerous. So I will be able to sense the opponent’s presence and magical power like this?”

Fixing my goal as I naturally did not want to die, I stored my Illusionary Sword in my item bag and took out the Holy Dragon Spear to extend the distance between me and my opponents.

While focusing on the tingling danger perception, I began concentrating in order to sense presence and magical power.

Reading the situation by relying on sound, I sharpened my senses and attacked.

If I hit, I repeatedly corrected my error in sensing and allowed the feeling to permeate into my body.

Once I was comfortable with that, I then released my magical power externally and searched for the external sensation but that did not work at all.

“I forgot that labyrinths emitting magical power.”

I felt troubled for forgetting that important point but conversely, if I am capable of searching for magical power apart from my magical power and the labyrinth’s magical power, won’t I similarly be able to grasp other presences? With that thought, I was suddenly feeling motivated.

“Shall I go at it in a positive mindset after such a long time? Well, the ants have retreated … ouch?”

The instant a presence entered my sense when I sharpened my senses with all my nerves, some liquid suddenly hit my hand and it was slightly itchy so I applied 「Heal」 just in case.

“Maybe they are able to spit something like acid? If I don’t concentrate more, s.h.i.+sho will laugh at me … that’s the only thing that irritates me so I’d hate it if that happens.”

I spread my legs shoulder width apart, lowered my hips, readied my spear and calmed my spirit with stable breathing.

The condition where I can only attack after receiving an attack was extremely vexing so my spirit seemed like it would break quickly.

Even so, because my proficiency rose ever so slightly judging by my proficiency appraisal, I was confident that what I was doing was not wrong.

It felt to me that the people connected to me in this world are sensitive to presence and magical power.

And they vaguely felt the fact that I (for being a reincarnated being) am a person who does not possess that sensitivity.

They probably acc.u.mulated experience on it since young.

Since the growing up phase is the golden age for acquiring techniques.

Even so, for the sake of my dream, I can’t die here.

“Even though it’s true that people who have stacked training since young would be strong, I should be able to do so if I put in effort that exceeds that. Dear ants, you will be the food for my growth and my supporting foundation.”

I relit my motivation by thinking positive but what awaited me was not attacks but s.h.i.+sho’s attack using words.

“Then I’ll raise the difficulty slightly for the next round. Don’t mutter to yourself on your own in a place like this. It’s making the people here feel embarra.s.sed.”

“Eh? s.h.i.+sho? Since when?”

“From the start. Since I am aware that I am making you do something unreasonable. However … I think you’re putting in too much motivation for just 10 of the weakest ant monsters but … oh well. We’ll be moving to the next hunting ground.”

Suddenly attacked by intense shame, I wanted to hide in my sh.e.l.l like a sh.e.l.lfish but there’s no way s.h.i.+sho will let me do so, so I began moving forward.

I felt the atmosphere of not only s.h.i.+s...o...b..t also everyone else resisting the welling urge to laugh but I understood that they were here to cheer me on so I smiled and gave my all as I cried in my heart.

Without sparing any time for sleep, I was brought to the next hunting ground one after another and I was told by Nadia that 2 people monitored me until I defeated all the opponent while the others either took breaks or had mock battles.

“I didn’t imagine that I would be using 「High Heal」 like this countless times so isn’t s.h.i.+s...o...b..ing too excessive?”

“Everyone can sense with their skin the strength of Luciel-sama’s s.h.i.+sho a.k.a Whirlwind-sama as well as Lionel-sama.”

I heard that Nadia requested s.h.i.+sho and Lionel to teach her but she seemed like she was having quite some fun as her voice was lively.

” … Those 2 aren’t having their mock battle?”

“Yes. Since they don’t seem like they would settle for a draw once they fight, for now, all of us have mock battles with either one of them.”

As expected of rivals, they won’t settle for a draw.

Even so, Cathy, Kefin, and Estia should be quite strong too but if those 2 can still obtain a complete victory, have they always been that strong?

It’s possible that an ordinary person can’t grasp the greatness of a person over level 400 so I spat a sigh and was laughed at by Nadia.

While feeling slightly nostalgic, I requested of Nadia for just one matter going by their personality.

“Even though those 2 are strong, please tell them that I want them to come over if they get injured.”

“Yes, sir.”

Although I felt that I was slightly being laughed at, since the time they spent a.s.sisting me was long, I had the chance to talk with Estia, Nadia and Lydia so it felt like the distance between us shortened slightly.

My resting time was to be when we move to another hunting ground and the time I spend casting healing magic, as well as when we had meals and I was told that I can sleep anytime.

As I got to know the difficulty of maintaining concentration as the ants gradually became stronger and their numbers increased, I poured all my nerves into sensing presence and magical power.

Repeating that action, after the end of our 7th meal, I acquired the 「Magical Power Perception」 skill.

However, it was from that point that I felt that life was not that easy.

I moved from a level where I could roughly know where the presences were but then descended into a level where I conversely did not know where the presences were.

” … Does this mean it is equal to not being able to distinguish between the labyrinth’s magical power and the monster’s magical power?”

I was able to tell at the shallower portion of the labyrinth where the labyrinth’s magical power was weaker the magical power of the monsters but that phenomenon happened when I descended to a floor where the magical powers were almost the same.

Just as I thought that I would be able to break through the ant labyrinth when I can somehow overcome this situation, s.h.i.+sho called out for me to stop.

“This won’t really function as training so we’ll move to the next location? Luciel, take out the horses using your Hermit’s Key and the carriage from your item bag. Also, take out the food too. You can sleep a bit after that’s done if you want to.”

Following s.h.i.+sho’s instructions, I took out the carriage and food and for some reason Angel’s Pillow as well before my danger perception activated with a tingle the next instant and I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen.

“Gaba!? What?”

Following that, I felt another tingle and after receiving a shock to my neck, my consciousness faded away.

My consciousness returned with the sensation of a rattling shaking motion but because of a severe headache and sore neck, I healing myself with 「Middle Heal」.

“Where am I?”

“Luciel, you’ve awoken. I felt bad but you totally did not sleep during the labyrinth dive so I knocked you out and used that pillow to let you sleep.” (TL: Lol how’s that needed with the power of Angel’s Pillow?)

” … Thanks to that, I slept well but the sensation after waking up was the worst.”

While having mixed feelings about s.h.i.+sho’s overenthusiastic method to make me sleep, they informed me before I once again asked where we were.

“We’ll be reaching the Hungry Wolf Labyrinth soon and we’ll be having the training there this time.”

I wanted to ask if the Hungry Wolf Labyrinth was where wolf monsters appear but knowing that I have no right to refuse, I just nodded in silence.

When I opened the Hermit’s stable to herd the horses in, even though I could not see with my eyes, I could clearly identify just the presence of Fornoir.

Then, she approached me and once again play bit my head before returning to the stable.

“Fornoir … probably emits too much presence.”

I laughed at my own strangeness but because I suddenly laughed, I felt some slightly weird gazes.

We had our meals immediately after arriving at our destination, the Hungry Wolf Labyrinth, and my training began after I took a break for a moment.

Even though I was properly equipped and I had erected a 「Area Barrier」 to absorb impacts, I was unexpectedly sent flying and my balance crumbled.

Furthermore, they cooperated with each other so it was nasty.

Without being able to rely on sight, I distinguished their movements from their soft footsteps and breathing and although I sensed the presence of the wolves that charged at me and somehow cut them down, if I did not strike them optimally, the stench of their blood would attract others and I felt the number of wolves steadily increase.

Even so, without giving up, I desperately defended the s.p.a.ce between myself and my opponents no matter what happened to look for the right opportunity.

Once I strengthened that resolution, by the second meal time since we came to the Hungry Wolf Labyrinth, I acquired the skill 「Presence Perception」.

“Might I be a genius?”

When I muttered that, a grand sigh came from behind.

While thinking that I once again showed s.h.i.+sho my embarra.s.sing side, in my elation, I announced the results of my training to s.h.i.+sho.

“s.h.i.+sho, it seems like I have acquired the Magical Power and Presence skills so I have come to understand the benefits of perception and, little by little, the sense of finding the appropriate opportunity.”

“I see. It’s going quite smoothly. Moreover, you have a strong will … that’s exactly why you are my disciple.”

” … s.h.i.+sho, what’s wrong?”

I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“If you sense a strong bloodthirst, think of it as me or Sen’oni and don’t attack. If we grip your elbow then it’s to lead you to move. If we touch your right shoulder then it’s the cue for lunch break. Touching your left shoulder is a cue to apply your healing magic on us, hitting both your shoulders is the cue to take out the carriage, if somebody hugs you, use Extra Heal on yourself. Have you remembered all of it?”

“Eh? If it’s just that then I should be able to remember but … ?! Gyaaaaaa!”

I felt a sharp pain in both my ears with a 『Paan!』 and after that, there was complete silence, in that total darkness, I felt like I was in a deep sea where nothing can be heard except the rising beat of my heart.

I used 「Heal」 without hesitation but I did not regenerate my eardrums.

Because I would be able to see s.h.i.+sho turn into a demon with my eyes if I regenerate them.

While thinking that the demon inside s.h.i.+sho was having a slight conflict within him, it has become a training to rely on only magical power and presence after losing my sight and subsequently my hearing, I felt the beating of my heart throb even more than usual.

Thus, the severity of my training further increased.