MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 98: Training
The two left the dormitory. It was the afternoon, and the academy campus was bustling with boys and girls of all ages exchanging words, some playing among themselves.
The training grounds were not far, located at the edge of the campus, where large areas of land had been reinforced with magical barriers to withstand spells and artifacts.
"Did you really have to punch me that hard?" Rick rubbed the sore bump on his head as he continued walking, shooting a glare at his friend. Lian had hit him soundly just because he wanted to steal—no, closely inspect—the artifact.
Lian's blue eyes locked onto Rick's black ones. "I was going to let you try it, but you even tried to steal it! You have no shame!"
"I already told you it was a joke! And besides, sorry, but I have never handled an artifact—"
The two continued joking throughout the walk to the training area.
"You know, I heard the training grounds have new enchanted dummies. They react like real opponents, but without the risk of killing you. Perfect for testing the new artifact!" The bump on Rick's head had vanished as his thoughts focused entirely on Lian's new toy.
"Oh, and by the way," he added with a worried look, "are you really going to spend all your days with Torin? Will he become, like, your… personal teacher?"
Lian smiled, shaking his head. "Do not make me think about it… I do not know why he is so grumpy with me; I have not done anything."
The two laughed, continuing to walk and chatter nonsense.
When they arrived at the training grounds, they found the area full of boys with the same idea. Of course, none of them seemed to be using an artifact, but they were there to train and test their strength.
"There, that is where we need to go to rent the enchanted dummy. I heard it is a real artifact—"
"What? Rent? So it is not free?" Lian looked at him, concerned. He had just under 2,000 gold coins; the Dean had not sent any in the spatial ring.
He could have sold the items inside, but unfortunately, they were all marked with the academy's seal. Non-sellable material. The Dean really thought of everything… Lian thought.
"Trust me, it will be worth it! I heard they are very durable, on par with a Steel Knight. Plus, they can move, dodge, and even counterattack. Perfect for what we need to do!"
"Sure, since I am the one paying…" Lian muttered, heading toward the building that managed this affair.
A few minutes later, the two came out.
"Look, is it not really cool? It activates simply by injecting mana; it is fantastic. But I will handle it, do not worry about it!" Rick was smiling happily as he held the dummy in his arms.
It was made of a gray material that shimmered slightly. It had the size and shape of an average human and was very light.
Lian simply stared at Rick with mild annoyance. "I really spent 300 gold coins to rent that thing for just one hour?" he muttered in disbelief, shifting his gaze to the dummy.
After reaching a more secluded spot, Rick began channeling mana into the artifact-shaped dummy. "This is the first time I am handling an artifact… and it is a training dummy… I wonder if this will affect my future with girls—"
"Stop talking nonsense! Your future will not come if you keep wasting time!"
The moment Rick injected mana into the dummy, it immediately began to glow. A flood of runes shone on its body, but only for a moment.
"There, the dummy is ready!" Rick nodded toward Lian, who took several steps back. With a swing of his arm, a sword appeared directly in his hand.
"Good, I am ready. From what the Mage who rented it to us said, we just need to attack it, and it will respond to anything. It has no eyes, yet it can sense everything happening around it," Lian reflected aloud.
"Obviously, with that price!"
"Bastard…" Rick's voice always managed to irritate him somehow. But since he could not attack him without risking harm, he decided to take it out on the dummy. After all, time was ticking, and they only had one hour.
There was a slight connection between Lian and the artifact in his hands. Activating artifacts did not require mana, after all, only the will to do so. Recharging them was another story, though.
With a simple thought, the blade ignited with controlled flames, a red glow illuminating the area around them.
"WOW!" Rick let out a faint shout, visibly excited. A fire sword was the epitome of cool!
Lian only gave a small nod at the sight of the flames. The artifact in his hands seemed slightly more powerful than the one Freddy used in the Gate.
With a swift movement, Lian dashed forward, the flaming sword tracing a fiery arc in the air. The enchanted dummy reacted instantly.
Its gray body bent with unnatural fluidity, dodging the blow by a hair. Lian's eyes widened, surprised. "Damn, it is really fast!" he exclaimed, turning to face the target again.
Rick, a few meters away, was snickering. "I told you! It is not a cheap toy! Come on, Lian, get serious, or it will make you eat dust!"
Lian gritted his teeth, focusing. The connection with the sword was alive, a slight hum in his mind allowing him to control the flames with a thought.
With another thrust, this time more calculated, he aimed at the dummy's side. The flames on the blade crackled, amplifying the strike's force.
The dummy, however, did not let itself be hit easily. With a quick movement, it spun on itself, parrying the blow with an arm that lit up with protective runes. A metallic clang resounded, and sparks flew into the air. Lian took a step back, his heart pounding. "This thing is incredible… it almost feels alive!"
"That is why it costs so much!" Rick shouted, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Come on, take it down! But be careful; if you destroy it, you will have to pay for it in full. I heard its price is around 50,000 gold coins!"
Lian ignored the comment, focusing on the dummy. The Mage who rented it to them was right. The dummy could sense every movement, as if it had its own awareness. But Lian had no intention of giving up.
"Alright," he closed his eyes for a moment, taking slow, deep breaths. "Now we get serious!"
Lian was not just a Bronze 4. Within his body, the power of an Iron 5 Knight surged with ferocity.