Chapter 6
"How many days has it been?"
"It's already the fifth day."
Bengle answered Berton's question.
It had already been five days since Theron entered the punishment room.
An ordinary trainee would start screaming after only three days.
But strangely...
"We haven't heard a single sound from inside. Could he... be dead?"
Bengle's voice trembled slightly.
They treated the trainees like animals, but it would still be troublesome if one of them died like this.
"Should we go inside and check?"
"The punishment is one week."
Berton had no intention of changing a decision he had already made.
If Theron died inside, then that simply meant his life had only been worth that much.
"But..."
Bengle hesitated.
Berton merely gestured toward the door with his chin.
It meant, Get out.
"...Understood."
After Bengle left, Berton closed the book in his hand and placed it on his desk.
"..."
In a harsh environment like this, there were times when a person suddenly changed.
Berton called it an "awakening" or an "opening of the eyes."
It was extremely rare, but he had seen similar cases before.
"Was I wrong?"
Berton muttered quietly.
But soon, he turned his attention elsewhere.
There was no point thinking about it now.
They would only know the answer once the door opened.
Still...
"..."
For some reason, it bothered him more than usual.
...
...
...
How much time had passed?
Theron's lips were so dry from not drinking water that they had cracked and were almost bleeding.
But...
Fsssssssssh!
The violent mana swirling inside his body gradually settled down.
Slowly, it gathered toward his lower abdomen.
"Haaaaah..."
Theron released a deep breath.
Of course, he could neither see nor hear anything.
But even the punishment room could not block the powerful sensation moving inside his body.
Feeling that clear energy, Theron unconsciously muttered,
"It worked."
Many emotions were contained in those two words.
But there was no time to become emotional.
He did not know exactly how long he had been sitting there.
The moment he moved his lips, he felt something run down his chin.
Probably blood.
His dried lips had split open.
Theron reached around and grabbed the water container beside him.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
He had eaten and drunk nothing while fusing the two Mana Methods.
His body had already reached its limit.
The water going down his throat felt as if his entire body was absorbing it.
Then Theron immediately stuffed food into his mouth.
Chew, chew.
He ate without stopping, like someone desperately preparing for something.
Because now he had to focus on the time that remained.
I can do this.
Theron concentrated again.
He had no idea how much time passed.
He focused only on stabilizing the newly fused Mana Method and accumulating mana.
Fsssssssssh!
Ironically, the magic formation meant to torture prisoners by blocking their senses was helping him.
Because of the formation, the concentration of mana inside the punishment room was higher than in normal places.
Theron seized every bit of mana he drew in through his breathing.
He refused to let even the smallest amount escape.
He sank so deeply into practicing the Mana Method that he almost entered a trance.
Then...
Creeeak.
The punishment room door opened.
Light leaked through the gap.
Theron flinched and slowly opened his eyes.
If the door had opened...
Has a whole week already passed?
He had completely lost his sense of time while training in the Dark Tempelst Mana Method.
"Come out."
Hearing a voice from outside, Theron slowly stood.
But...
"Urgh...!"
After sitting in the same position for a full week, his body refused to move naturally.
It felt completely stiff.
The instructors impatiently dragged him outside.
"...?"
"W-What the hell?"
Theron had already been thin before.
Now his cheeks had sunk in, leaving him looking almost skeletal.
Yet there was something strange about his eyes.
They seemed sharper than before.
The instructors instinctively flinched.
However...
A tiny smile appeared on Theron's lips.
It had only been one week.
But...
I completed it.
A new Mana Method.
The Dark Tempelst Mana Method.
And he had already raised it to One-Star.
He had barely managed to finish it in time.
The mana he possessed after one week was nothing compared to what he had held in his previous life.
But for the Theron of the present, it was an enormous amount.
It was also why he had been able to survive for four days without food or water.
"...What a stubborn bastard."
"He spent an entire week in that punishment room without screaming even once."
It had been so quiet that the instructors had thought he was dead.
When Theron finally returned to his room...
"Theron!"
His three roommates shouted.
"You'll be allowed to rest for today. Return to training tomorrow."
Theron's appearance had become terrible in only one week.
Yet the instructors showed not a shred of sympathy.
After telling him when to return to training, they walked away.
"Theron! Theron!"
Renil grabbed Theron and shook him.
Perka immediately spoke.
"Stop shaking him. Get some water and food. Right now."
"O-Okay."
Renil brought out some dried jerky and water he had hidden near his bed.
Gulp, gulp!
The hard jerky was difficult to eat immediately, but just drinking water was enough to make Theron feel more alive.
"Haaaah..."
"Theron, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry."
Theron straightened himself and lightly moved his neck and waist.
After staying in one position for a week, his entire body felt stiff.
"...Did something happen?"
Theron noticed Renil's unusually serious expression.
Tioren clicked his tongue.
"Seriously? He just came out of the punishment room."
