Combat Training

Central Black Tower, ninety-ninth floor.

"I'll say this upfront, Junior Brother—if you get hurt later, I'm not paying your medical bills."

Muttering as he spoke, Jacques opened a dust-covered door. Richard followed behind him, carrying the Two-handed Greatsword Saban had given him.

Just moments ago, he had asked Jacques to use his Chimera to help him adjust to his body and train some combat techniques.

The sudden increase in his physique left Richard somewhat unaccustomed to it, but it also filled him with anticipation.

Just how far had his strength risen?

The moment the door opened, a stale smell rushed out to meet them.

Beyond it was a room roughly the size of a basketball court. The walls and floor were covered in claw marks and dark bloodstains.

Along one side of the room was a small chamber partitioned off by crystal. Jacques entered it as soon as he came in, then tossed the bag at his waist outside.

This was a special Magic Pocket. According to Jacques, it contained three cubic meters of storage space, and after special treatment, it could even hold living creatures for a short time.

Roar!

A strange roar came from within the bag, followed by a black wolf's head poking out.

"Junior Brother, close the door. This is the room Master uses to test battle beasts. Use everything you've got here—the place can take a beating."

Richard shut the door, loosened up his muscles and bones, then carried his sword to the middle of the room.

Jacques's Chimera had already crawled out of the bag. It was not large, resembling an oversized wild wolf. Its black fur was sleek and glossy. Tongue lolling out, it stared blankly at Richard, looking utterly harmless.

"Junior Brother, are you ready?"

Richard raised his sword in guard, White Qi continuously streaming from his mouth and nose.

After the second Bloodline Alchemy procedure, the form Richard took after activating his bloodline had changed drastically.

First were Richard's muscles. Once his bloodline activated, his already brawny muscles swelled like balloons, and he grew nearly ten centimeters taller.

Then there were the black scales covering his body. They had originally been only a thin layer, but after the second Bloodline Alchemy procedure, they had become remarkably thick and solid.

If Richard had previously been a knight in plate armor, then Richard had now evolved into an armored vehicle.

"I'm ready, Senior Brother."

"Good."

Jacques gave a loud shout, and the Chimera in the arena shot toward Richard like lightning.

Bang!

Richard staggered back two steps. The arm holding his sword went numb from the impact, while two finger-deep wounds in his chest dripped blood without stop.

As for the Black Wolf, it had not lost even a single hair.

"What kind of strength is that!?" Richard stared in shock at the harmless-looking Black Wolf before him. Its strength was on an entirely different level from its appearance.

And not only was the Black Wolf powerful and fast, its claws were far sharper than Richard had imagined.

The layer of black scales on his body was like tofu before those claws.

"Hehe, Junior Brother, be careful." Seeing Richard suffer, Jacques chuckled. "Don't let Blake's small body fool you. Its physique is a genuine thirty-nine points."

"Though it can't compare to you in sheer muscle mass, in terms of quality, it surpasses you by far."

Richard's heart jolted. He had not expected such a small creature to possess such an astonishing physique.

The Black Wolf pounced again, still as fast as lightning. But this time Richard was prepared. His Greatsword shifted slightly, and a shrill howl rang out from its edge.

Wind Raven Slash.

The Black Wolf showed no fear before the blade. In the blink of an eye, it twisted its body, and the trembling edge flashed past its spine.

But Richard was not a knight who only knew close combat.

A red fireball suddenly appeared beside Richard, then shot toward the Black Wolf like a falling star.

Boom.

The fireball exploded. Scattered Fire Elements instantly blocked Richard's view, but through his mental power, he still sensed something rapidly closing in on him.

Clang!

Screeeech...

The Black Wolf's sharp fangs bit down on the blade, producing a sound that set teeth on edge. That Fireball Technique had done no more than curl its fur slightly.

"How is that possible?"

Though Richard was shocked, his movements did not pause. With a flick of his blade, dazzling sparks burst between the fangs and the sword. Looking again, he found a row of tooth marks had been bitten into the blade.

"Hehe, Junior Brother, my Chimera's defenses are pretty good, aren't they?"

Jacques chuckled again from inside the small chamber. This Chimera was the pinnacle of his current craftsmanship. Its muscles and bones had all been carefully cultivated by him, and its defenses were enough to ignore elemental damage below Energy Level thirty.

With Richard's current capabilities, unless he used a Fireball Technique Staff, not a single spell could harm this Black Wolf.

"Still want to continue, Junior Brother? You can't win. How about spending some money and having your Senior Brother customize a training Chimera for you?"

"It really is impressive." Richard offered praise, but a confident smile curled at the corner of his lips. "But Senior Brother, you're underestimating me a little too much."

If wizards relied only on brute force in battle, they could never have become a colossal power that conquered countless worlds.

Jacques shook his head. Richard truly would not turn back until he rammed into the southern wall.

Richard's strength had not even reached that of an Intermediate Apprentice, and he carried only a Greatsword. Under such circumstances, there was not the slightest suspense in a battle between him and Blake.

"Sigh, then I'll continue."

With that, Jacques continued controlling the Black Wolf to attack Richard from every angle.

Because he still had not fully adapted to his body's sudden increase in physique, Richard was forced back step by step by the Black Wolf. Even its simplest pounces were extremely difficult for him to block, and its sharp claws frequently left several bloody marks on his body.

But the bloodline Richard had fused with for the second time was that of a Two-Headed Troll, a creature famed for its recovery ability. These bloody marks lasted only seconds on Richard's body before beginning to heal at a visible rate.

It was even more powerful than his pair of Arm Guards.

Amid those repeated pounces, Richard gradually began adapting to his body.

Clang.

Richard blocked the Black Wolf's pounce again and, at the same time, used the flat of his blade to stop its claws.

In only a few minutes, Richard had completely adapted to his body under the crushing pressure of battle.

"Junior Brother, do you still want to continue?" Jacques's voice came from the other side of the room.

A faint smile tugged at Richard's lips. "Mm. It's about time to end this."

As he spoke, two fireballs abruptly appeared beside Richard. Seeing this, Jacques could not help shaking his head in disappointment.

Damage below Energy Level thirty was useless... Hm?

One fireball flew toward him and exploded with a roar. The scattered Fire Elements instantly obscured Jacques's vision.

"Something's wrong!"

Alarmed, Jacques hurriedly shared the Black Wolf's senses. But as the other fireball exploded, all the Black Wolf saw was a sheet of blazing red.

The next instant, a Greatsword came crashing down onto the Black Wolf's head.

Bang!

The thick blade instantly smashed the Black Wolf flat against the ground. If Richard had used Wind Raven Slash, that blow might not have cut off its head, but it would at least have severed half its neck.

"Senior Brother, what do you think of that move?" Richard carried his sword over to Jacques, a smug smile on his lips.

Wizards did not fight with spells and brute strength alone. Wisdom was a wizard's greatest weapon.

Because Jacques was inside the small chamber, his field of view was extremely limited. And since he was controlling the Chimera to attack, Richard had found an opening.

If Jacques and the Black Wolf both lost their vision, and the battle took place beyond the range of mental power, Jacques would be unable to determine Richard's location and would lose the initiative.

Although this method would be difficult to use on a real battlefield, no method was universally applicable.

"Sigh, I was careless." Jacques somewhat irritably controlled the Black Wolf back into the bag. "I didn't expect you to pull something like that, Junior Brother."

"Haha, how else was I supposed to win?"

Richard laughed, then began taking stock of what he had gained from the battle.

He had gained quite a lot from this fight. Besides adapting to his body and improving his combat skills somewhat, he had also discovered a huge flaw of his—

As an apprentice studying the Alchemy School, his equipment was simply too shabby.

He only had a few pieces of Magic Armor on him, most of which he had obtained during the entrance examination. Though the Greatsword in his hand was made of excellent material, it did not even bear a trace of alchemy. It was utterly plain.

If word got out, people would think Gerald did not teach even his formal apprentices anything.

Richard stroked his chin.

Looks like it's time to upgrade my equipment.

Thanks to Busy Man, Lost Hope in Life, and VdioeyNight for their Monthly tickets.