Chapter 5
The punishment room was one of the cruelest punishments in the training facility.
A special magic circle blocked every sense except touch.
No sight.
No sound.
No smell.
Nothing.
Only endless darkness remained.
It might not sound terrible at first.
But someone with a weak mind could completely lose their sanity after only a few days.
That was why punishment-room sentences usually lasted at least one day and at most four or five days.
Only the minimum amount of food and water were provided.
If I can get inside there...
What Theron needed right now was simple.
A place where he could be completely alone.
And time.
Considering the training that's coming...
Not long after learning the Mana Method, the real training would begin.
These current exercises were nothing more than children's games.
When that time came...
I need to fix this useless Mana Method... and reach One-Star.
But there was not enough time.
Theron calmly organized his thoughts while watching the argument grow more violent.
There was no reason to waste energy on something this pointless.
Especially when they needed to survive what was coming.
And to prevent things like this from constantly happening...
I also need to establish my position here.
This place followed the law of the strong.
If he wanted people to stop creating trouble for him, he needed to make an example once.
His decision was made.
"Palcoat!"
Theron shouted and rushed forward.
Unfortunately, the current difference between Theron's body and Palcoat's was larger than it looked.
Theron probably would not lose even in a direct fight.
But...
Right now, I need to leave a strong impression.
Just once.
Whoosh!
The instant Palcoat turned around, Theron kicked off the ground and jumped.
BAM!
His knee struck Palcoat directly under the chin.
The attack landed perfectly.
Palcoat's eyes rolled back.
He collapsed immediately.
THUD!
They were around the same age.
But Palcoat was more than a full head taller than Theron.
His body was much bigger as well.
Yet Theron had knocked him unconscious with a single strike.
The training ground fell silent.
"...Theron?"
Perka blinked in shock.
Theron looked around at the trainees with cold eyes.
"Anyone else have a problem?"
It was a side of Theron none of them had ever seen.
For the first time, no one looking at him thought of the words "Idiot Theron."
"...Theron?"
Berton looked at the instructor standing before him as though he had never heard the name before.
Bengle, the instructor in charge of Section Five, bowed slightly and nodded.
"Y-Yes. He's one of the trainees in my section... The one everyone calls Idiot Theron."
"You're saying Idiot Theron completely destroyed six trainees from Section Five?"
Berton's cold gaze fell on Bengle.
Bengle flinched.
The incident had happened suddenly.
But because it had happened inside Section Five, Bengle was responsible.
And Berton had absolutely no mercy.
"I-It was completely unexpected. Until only a few days ago, he couldn't even raise his voice. I never thought he'd suddenly cause something like this..."
"A hidden blade is often sharper than the one everyone can see."
Berton closed the book he had been reading and placed it on his desk.
Then he looked at Bengle.
"Explain in more detail."
"Y-Yes... Three suffered broken limbs. Two were only knocked unconscious. But... there's a trainee named Palcoat. He's one of the physically stronger trainees in Section Five."
"Palcoat? You mean that bear-like brat."
Berton knew most of the more noticeable trainees from every section.
Bengle quickly nodded.
"Y-Yes. He's big, so his stamina isn't particularly good, but his physical strength is impressive. He's one of the trainees worth watching."
"And?"
"Theron... knocked Palcoat unconscious with a single attack."
"Unconscious?"
How could that possibly happen?
Palcoat weighed nearly twice as much as Theron.
And these children had barely begun learning the Mana Method.
"Are you sure the story isn't exaggerated?"
"Almost every trainee saw it. Their testimonies all match."
"...I see."
There were occasionally people like that.
People who suddenly awakened after some unknown event.
Berton narrowed his eyes.
He lightly tapped the desk with his index finger.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
After thinking for a while, Berton spoke.
"You said his name was Theron?"
"Yes."
"Lock him in the punishment room for one week. Afterward, keep a close watch on him."
"O-One week?!"
Bengle stared at him in shock.
The punishment room could destroy a person's mind.
Normally, even the longest sentences were only three or four days.
"Isn't one week too severe?"
"Didn't you say he was an idiot? This is a good opportunity to make an example out of him."
But Berton's real thoughts were different.
If...
If spending a week inside the punishment room became another trigger for Theron...
He'll either completely change... or lose his mind.
Either result was acceptable to Berton.
With an uninterested expression, Berton reopened his book.
Bengle looked uncomfortable.
Still...
"U-Understood."
He stepped back and lowered his head.
Once Berton made a decision, he almost never changed it.
And so...
That decision was immediately delivered to Theron.
Unlike the submissive attitude he had shown in front of Berton, Bengle now glared fiercely at Theron.
"Considering what you've done, I wouldn't complain even if we broke your arms and legs and threw you out as food for wild animals..."
Bengle deliberately exaggerated his angry expression.
Even he knew the punishment was unusually severe.
"You'd better behave from now on. If any of you cause another disturbance, I'll throw you straight into the punishment room."
Bengle looked toward the other instructors.
