It has been around 20 days since we came to this godforsaken mountain. Throughout our entire stay here, I have not been given a single thing to eat.
I am on the brink of death. This isn't an exaggeration. I really do feel like I could drop dead any moment now.
But even then, the red-haired jerk isn't pitying me.
If I collapse from starvation and refuse to move, Leo would beat me.
If I refuse to train, Leo would beat me.
If I do train and spar with him, Leo would beat me.
I'm no lawyer or legal expert, but doesn't this qualify as some form of child abuse?
Even though I'm 18 and considered an adult, it still can be called abuse, right?!
Well, on a positive note, Leo claims that my Martial Arts skills have lately been improving.
However, I am too famished to notice any improvements or progress myself.
It's a strange sensation.
I never imagined anyone could feel this way, but here I am.
Even when I'm hungry and depleted of energy, I can still keep moving because of the stamina recovery potions I consume.
I feel drained of energy yet somehow still functional.
I long for sleep, but I can't seem to sleep at the same time.
It's as if I'm burning from head to toe, but I cannot even die.
This experience is pure torment– a torture that I wouldn't even curse my enemies to experience.
I never realized that hunger could cause such intense physical pain.
Even though my stomach has stopped growling, I can feel my belly twisting and churning as if it's trying to eat itself.
It hurts… It hurts so much.
Maybe this is karma… Maybe this is the divine retribution I'm receiving for all the bad things I did in both my lives.
"Oye, get up," Leo's voice abruptly reached my ears.
I opened my eyes and found him standing there upside down in front of me.
In reality, it was I who was upside down.
During my training, Leo delivered a punch that sent me flying through the air, only to crash onto the mountain slope in an inverted position.
I'm exhausted. Tired from the constant beatings.
I understand that this is supposed to be my training arc or something, but dear God, I've had enough!
"I can't do it!" I snapped, my voice cracking as I yelled in a whimpering tone.
Weakly, I rolled over and rose to my feet.
"I can't continue like this! It feels like I'm truly on the verge of death! Please, just give me something to eat! Or let me go on another hunt! I promise, this time I'll slay those Ice-Claw Bears!"
"No, you're still not strong enough," Leo firmly shook his head. "First, you must master your Sword Qi, and then I might consider sending you on another hunt."
At that moment, I felt tears of frustration welling up. I really was on the brink of a complete breakdown.
Leo responded by lifting his sleek black spear and aiming it at me.
"Come!" he bellowed.
I gritted my teeth and held back my tears, frustrated more than ever as I felt my belly twisting in pain from hunger.
"Arghaa!" I roared, launching myself forward.
While charging towards Leo, I enveloped my body and weapon in a thick layer of azure mana.
The surge of mana enhanced my physical abilities to the point where I closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.
Fwoosh—!!
As soon as I stepped close to Leo, I swung my spear at his neck, aiming to cleave off his head with a clean slash.
Of course, he evaded my attack easily by sidestepping to his right and countered with a swift spear thrust.
Without hesitating for even a moment, I bent my knees and exerted force on the ground using my legs.
Thwoosh—!!
Using my legs like a spring, I launched myself into the air, soaring directly over Leo's head.
"Nice one," Leo remarked as he gripped his spear tighter. "But you've left yourself wide open in mid-air!"
As he said that, Leo launched his spear forward, aiming to stab a non-lethal area of my body.
However, before his spear could connect, I swiftly twisted my body in mid-air and narrowly evaded the incoming blow as his spear brushed past me.
"Ho?" Leo's eyes widened in surprise before I used the momentum of my spin to deliver a powerful downward vertical slash, putting all my weight behind it.
Thak—!!
But to my dismay, Leo casually lifted his spear, using its shaft to block my attack effortlessly.
"Fuck off!" I yelled, my voice filled with irritation.
"Haw! Quite a rude thing to say to your master," Leo replied, visibly amused by my struggle, before easily pushing me away, sending me sprawling a few steps back.
"Arghh!" I landed in the distance, clenching my teeth even harder.
Without delay, I once again launched myself at Leo with an explosive burst of speed.
Fwoosh—!!
Rather than charging straight at him, I rushed at him in a zigzag pattern, swiftly maneuvering towards him.
Once I entered striking range, I swiftly bent my knees, getting into a low crouched position.
Since Leo thought I was going to jump, he readied himself for it.
However, instead of jumping, I twisted my body to the left, executing a low spinning horizontal slash with my spear aimed at his legs.
Thak—!!
"Nice!" Leo acknowledged, swiftly blocking my low strike with his spear.
"Tsk!" I clicked my tongue in frustration.
Raising my spear overhead, I executed a rapid and forceful downward slash towards him without giving him a chance to breathe.
Thak—!!
But yet again, Leo deftly parried my attack, using his spear to push mine aside. "Good combo!"
Swiftly pulling back my spear close to my chest after it was deflected, I unleashed a relentless fury of thrusts with all my might, aiming to overwhelm Leo.
Cling, Cling, Cling, Cling, Cling—!!
However, Leo effortlessly blocked each and every one of my attacks, as if I posed no threat to him whatsoever.
Like that, we continued to spar for the day.
And then we resumed my training the next day. And the day after that. Then the day after that again.
†
It had been nearly 4 weeks, precisely 25 days since Leo and Lucas set foot on the southern mountain range.
At present, Leo sat leisurely on a stool amidst the snowy meadow, munching on a chicken lollipop.
As he continued to enjoy his snack, from his vantage point, he spotted a figure running uphill in his direction.
It was a young boy, approximately 17 or 18 years old. He had silver hair, resembling the moon and striking red eyes reminiscent of freshly spilled blood.
His attire consisted of tattered black slacks, evidence of the hard training he had endured in the past few days.
On his upper body, the marks of healed bruises and scars were visible.
Despite consuming high-grade mana potions almost daily, concealing the aftermath of the abuse he had suffered proved impossible.
As the young boy reached in front of Leo, the red-haired instructor gazed into his hollow eyes and flashed with a satisfied, yet warm smile.
"I believe the time has come," Leo declared, standing up from his stool. "But before we proceed, let us spar once again. You can use magic, weapon arts, your unique abilities, and nearly everything in your arsenal. Come at me with the intention to kill."
