NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Twelve Days of Training
Twelve days passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Merlin trained under Linda's guidance.
For the first seven days, his training was still simple—running thousands of laps around the courtyard. At first, it was grueling, and every night Merlin felt his body numb with exhaustion.
Fortunately, the system was by his side, so the fatigue didn't slow him down too much. Gradually, he grew accustomed to it and even began finishing faster than before.
The next day, Linda shifted his training to sensory exercises.
Using her magic, she created an area filled with monsters, wooden puppets, and artificial soldiers.
The course had four stages, each more challenging than the last. Merlin had to complete them one by one, honing his agility, survival instincts, and mental endurance.
"Damn it!" Merlin gritted his teeth, raising the sword in his hand.
His eyes locked on a wolf-like monster glaring at him with murderous intent.
The creature stood two meters tall, its fur pure white, eyes glowing red, and claws sharp enough to shred a boy like him in seconds.
"This is really tough," Merlin muttered, gripping his sword tighter.
It had been just over twelve days since he began training with Linda.
Even in so little time, he had changed, his former weakness replaced by newfound strength.
And now, he faced the ultimate test—standing before the monstrous wolf.
'This monster is incredibly strong—dozens of times stronger than the wooden puppets before,' he whispered, letting out a long sigh.
At that moment, Merlin was in the third stage of Linda's training field.
The first two stages hadn't been too difficult. The first required surviving eight hours in a large maze while avoiding guardian monsters stationed throughout.
The second stage was a battle against wooden puppets, far more challenging than the first.
It took Merlin four days to complete it—and that had already been his best performance.
Previously, he had been confident he could pass the third stage based on his success in the second. Unfortunately, that hope was nothing more than a pipe dream.
This single wolf monster was dozens of times stronger than all the wooden puppets he had ever faced combined.
Outside the training field, Linda observed everything calmly.
"That kid is finally struggling," she muttered with a small chuckle.
In truth, she was impressed by Merlin's progress. The boy was far stronger and more talented than she had anticipated.
It was worth noting that this training field was originally used to screen new students at the Saint Arena Academy. Of course, the version Linda set up for Merlin was much lighter.
Still, the rules remained the same, and the monsters' strength and difficulty were roughly 80% of the original version. Typically, new students needed three days to either complete it or be eliminated.
Merlin had taken nearly a week to reach the third stage, a truly extraordinary achievement.
After all, he couldn't even use basic magic yet—he had only been able to sense mana for just over a week.
Initially, Linda had estimated that Merlin would need a full month to reach the third stage, but he had already exceeded all her expectations.
"How interesting… It's been a long time since I've felt this way," she muttered, biting her lower lip. Her gaze on Merlin turned playful. "Merlin, don't disappoint me…"
***
"System, do you have a way to defeat it?" Merlin asked seriously.
"[Hmm… I do have a way. It's a one-time-use item that can destroy anything you want. However, if you use it, this training will be wasted. Relying on external tools won't help you grow. After all, the purpose of this training is to hone your abilities, right?]"
The system's words left him silent. It was true—he couldn't depend on external tools if he wanted the training to be meaningful. Otherwise, all of this would be pointless.
"[Even so, I understand your situation. With your current abilities, defeating it would be nearly impossible. So, I have a suggestion,]" the system continued in a playful tone. "[There's a potion in the system store that can heighten focus and perception. You can use it to anticipate the wolf monster's attacks and look for its weaknesses. What do you think? Do you want to try it?]"
Merlin's interest was piqued instantly. Yet, for some reason, sensing the system's playful tone gave him a bad feeling.
"Don't tell me there is a side effect?" he asked hesitantly.
"[Bingo! You're very smart, Master! Yes, there's a side effect. The potion boosts your focus, speed, and endurance—basically pushing your body to its absolute limits. The side effect? Excruciating pain once the potion wears off. If you want, I can buy it right now from the system shop and apply it directly, so you won't even have to drink it,]" the system explained casually.
Merlin stayed silent for a moment, weighing his options. Time was short, and finally, he nodded firmly.
"Alright, use it now!"
"[Ding! The body-limit boosting potion has been successfully purchased! Your body is now at its peak! Cooldown period: 19:59.]"
Whoosh!
Instantly, Merlin felt his strength multiply dozens of times, as if the shackles holding his body had been shattered.
"This… this feeling is incredible!" he muttered in awe.
His body felt almost weightless, as if he were walking on air.
Awoo!
The wolf's howl tore him out of his reverie.
The monster lunged at him with blinding speed. Had he not taken the potion, his body would have been shredded, and defeat would have been certain.
But now, none of that mattered. Merlin dodged with ease—something that clearly surprised the monster.
Undeterred, the creature lunged again, raising its right claw high.
Merlin didn't stand still. He dodged, spun around, and swung his sword straight at the monster's neck.
Slash!
His attack struck its mark, but it wasn't deep enough to decapitate the wolf. The creature was too agile, dodging just in time.
'Its movements are incredibly fast… just as I expected from a level-two monster,' he whispered, impressed.
On this continent, monsters are ranked in nine levels, much like humans' strength tiers.
Levels one to three are considered weak, while four to seven are strong.
Level eight—and especially level nine—monsters are terrifying.
Even a human at the First Spirit Core level wouldn't dare confront them. At that tier, monsters also possess high intelligence.
Whoosh!
Merlin barely had time to react as the wolf darted at him again—but he managed to dodge.
In an instant, the two were locked in a fierce, relentless battle.
Merlin occasionally managed to wound the monster, yet at other times, its attacks struck him.
The fight raged on for over fifteen minutes, leaving Linda, watching from outside the training field, stunned.
"This kid…" she muttered, narrowing her eyes. "His progress… it's too fast."