CHAPTER 124: A MAJOR EVENT

"You’ve rested enough now. Pick up your sword again, Louis!"

...Eh?

Lycan barked the order just as I barely managed to stand upright.

Was... was he serious?

Today’s training wasn’t over?

My arms were trembling from overuse, my legs felt like wet noodles, and my insides were still buzzing from the aftermath of awakening my dantian.

Every muscle screamed in protest.

Forget walking tomorrow—I wasn’t sure I could walk now.

My magical power was down to fumes, my physical strength was drained, and he expected me to train more?

I opened my mouth, ready to beg for mercy or at least ask if he was joking, when—

"Enough, Lycan."

A calm yet firm voice cut in from the doorway.

Dominic stepped inside, brow furrowed as he looked between me and the training field.

"What if the boy’s dantian collapses from overexertion? Why are you pushing him like he’s made of steel?"

Lycan scoffed and waved a hand dismissively.

"That’s what training is, Dominic. And a dantian doesn’t break from just a bit of effort."

A bit?

If this was "a bit," then I didn’t want to know what he considered "intense."

Dominic shot him an exasperated glare.

"That’s because you’re an orc. Humans are different."

"Tsk. Human bodies are fragile."

"You’re just unnecessarily tough," Dominic added flatly.

At Dominic’s calm but pointed intervention, Lycan finally backed down with a grunt.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Phew... I’m saved.

Or so I thought.

Because the very next words out of Lycan’s mouth made every drop of blood drain from my face.

"Then we’ll train the body instead of swordsmanship."

...Hold on. What?

I could barely move right now, and he wanted physical training?

I immediately turned toward Dominic, silently begging him to stop this madman from crushing what little remained of my mortal frame.

But.

"That’s fine."

Ah... damn it.

I stared at Dominic, betrayed, pleading with my eyes for him to reconsider.

But instead, he nodded again—firm, merciless approval.

"Follow me, Louis."

I exhaled weakly. "Haah..."

Lycan’s ear twitched.

"Did you just sigh? How insolent. That’s one more set."

"..."

I didn’t dare say another word.

With the hollow expression of a condemned man walking to the gallows, I quietly followed them into the physical training room.

The moment we stepped inside, the thick smell of iron and sweat hit me. Racks of weights, sandbags, chains, and equipment I didn’t even recognize were neatly arranged... or rather, ominously displayed.

Lycan rolled his shoulders, cracking each joint like thunder.

"Alright, human. Let’s see how much your body can endure."

I swallowed.

Dominic patted my shoulder.

"Don’t worry. We’ll go easy."

Lycan raised a brow. "Easy? I thought you said we were training."

Dominic nodded. "Yes. Easy by our standards."

My heart dropped straight to the floor.

...Yeah. I wasn’t surviving this.

Still keeping my mouth shut, I stepped inside fully—accepting my fate.

----

As the midterm exams approached, the academy’s atmosphere settled into an unusual calm.

Even in the classroom—where I’d arrived earlier than usual—students who normally wouldn’t crack open a book unless forced were now hunched over their desks, muttering formulas or flipping through notes with desperate intensity.

Stress had finally united them.

"Hello! Louis!"

"Good morning."

Lisa greeted me the moment I stepped inside, waving with her usual bright energy.

She’d blended into the class so naturally that it was hard to believe she had once been trapped underground in a glass tube.

Now she was chatting happily beside Elena, the two of them completely absorbed in something.

"Have you seen this? It’s a new menu item that just came out!"

"What is it?"

As soon as I sat down, Lisa thrust a piece of paper into my hands.

...A flyer?

I blinked.

The paper was filled with colored drawings—sundaes, cakes dripping with syrup, parfaits stacked to the heavens.

Someone had put way too much effort into this.

"Let’s go eat this together after class today!" Lisa said, eyes sparkling.

"It’s new? It does look delicious." Elena leaned in beside me, pointing at one of the pictures. "But the price is kind of scary..."

"I’ll treat you! Let’s go together!" Lisa announced proudly.

"...Really?" Elena asked, eyes widening.

"Yes! Are you all free today?"

Lisa looked between the two of us, almost bouncing in her seat.

It was hard not to laugh at how excited she looked—like a child who had discovered a treasure chest made of sugar.

I glanced at the flyer again.

The desserts were ridiculous... but strangely tempting.

And honestly, after everything that had happened recently, something simple and sweet sounded... nice.

Seeing Elena’s bright smile, Lisa

immediately latched onto her arm like a baby duck imprinting on its mother.

She started whispering and persuading her with that innocent, almost childish enthusiasm of hers.

Considering Elena’s love for desserts, it’s basically guaranteed the two of them will end up in a café after school.

Probably ordering the sweetest thing on the menu, maybe even two.

Watching the two of them chat and giggle together...

Yeah.

They look less like elite academy students and more like energetic high school girls gossiping after class.

Meanwhile, some of us—namely me—are stuck sweating in the gym with instructors who look like they’ve been wrestling bears since birth.

’Not that I’m complaining...’

I mean, technically, I chose this path.

It’s just... sometimes the difference in our daily lives is too obvious.

Even though Lisa and I attend the same academy, it feels like we’re living in completely different climates.

She’s in spring.

I’m in... manual-labor summer.

But seriously—where is she getting all that money for snacks and desserts?

Her allowance shouldn’t be that big.

"Midterm exams..." I muttered under my breath.

And then it hit me.

In the original story, there was a major event before midterms.

A pretty important one, too.

But... that was an incident centered around Class E.

Edmund’s class.

It didn’t involve me even in the slightest.

I exhaled in relief.

Good.

Not my problem this time.

Work hard, Edmund.

You’re the protagonist, after all.

As for me?

I’ll be taking it easy until the midterms roll around.

For once, it feels like things might actually stay peaceful.

...Hopefully.