What is needed to become strong? If asked that, the first thing that comes to my mindā¦ itās āeffortā.
Itās definitely not ātalentā. Talent might be something that can leapfrog oneās efforts to tenfold results, but no matter how much talent one might possess, if you donāt take action to turn zero into one, itās meaningless. Hence, the absolute necessity was undoubtedly effort.
Therefore, I strive to become stronger. However, the problem here was that I had been making normal efforts up to now.
Thatās obvious, isnāt it? Whether itās a mercenary or an adventurer, since Iām risking my life doing work outside a town infested with demonic beasts, thereās no way Iām neglecting efforts and training to become stronger.
Moreover, if I continued to work for my livelihood, I wonāt rest enough to dull my body or skills. You may die from underestimating your own strength and challenging a powerful enemy, or die from a little carelessness or pride, but itās impossible to die because your body has become dull.
In short, my current state is āaverage strength that an ordinary person can reach through normal effortā. I needed to break through this to keep up with Alexis and the othersā¦ but honestly, it was difficult on my own. Thatās why I didnāt hesitate to ask that person for help.
āAlright, letās start training!ā
āYes! Thank you, Gonzo-san.ā
I energetically responded to Gonzo, who was smiling as if heās enjoying himself. Gonzo gladly accepted my request to become stronger as soon as possible, at least not to be a burden on Alexis and the others. Thatās why Iām out of town with him, just the two of us, on our rest day after completing the request.
āSo, what kind of training will we do specifically?ā
āHahaha, donāt rush. And sorry to disappoint, but the training itself is very ordinary. Running, punchingā¦ in your case, swinging a sword, lifting heavy things. Just repeating such obvious things.ā
Gonzoās eyebrows twitched slightly at my slightly disappointed but easily accepting response.
āThose who know my muscles, think that Iām doing some special training. But youāre not?ā
āI indeed hoped there would be some amazing training method, but from the perspective of an ordinary person like me, isnāt that how the world works?ā
If youāre a chosen one like Alexis or a genius like Rouge, itās probably different. But Iām just an ordinary person. If I donāt have anything special, all I can do is stack up the obvious.
āHmm. But if you understand that, why did you ask for my help?ā
āWell, you know, with this kind of training, if you do it alone, you tend to slack off, donāt you? I thought Gonzo-san would push me just right.ā
Unless itās a life-threatening situation, itās difficult to push yourself to the limit. The limit that one is aware of is about three steps short of the real limit.
On the other hand, if you push too hard and get injured, everything will be ruined. Therefore, itās important to accurately determine the limit point, and thereās no doubt that Gonzo, who was undoubtedly working out, was perfect for that. Thereās also the peace of mind that thereās recovery magic in case of emergency. Heās just the right person to ask for training.
Gonzo smiled as if he understood my thoughts.
āFufufu, I seeā¦ if you have such a down-to-earth mindset, you might be able to do it.ā
āā¦ What do you mean?ā
Feeling a slightly chilly thing behind his smile,
I nervously asked. Then, Gonzo placed his hand on my shoulder with a serious expression.
āListen, kid. I certainly said I donāt have any special training. But I didnāt say thereās no special way to train. There is a way to become explosively stronger in a short period of time.ā
Gonzoās hand on my shoulder tightens.
āItās going to be tough, tremendously so. Iām going to teach you that method now.ā
āSure. After hearing the story, itās up to you whether to do it or not. The method of training isā¦ to use rough recovery magic after intense exercise.ā
āRough!? And recovery magicā¦?ā
āYour reaction indicates that you know it. Recovery magicā¦ it returns the body to its original state. Muscles increase by enduring the pain after exerciseā¦ Itās a change called growth. Therefore, if you use recovery magic, the muscles will not grow. Are you following?ā
What Gonzo said was common sense to anyone who has ever thought about training their body. Therefore, Gonzo continued the conversation, as I nodded in understanding.
āThatās where the rough recovery magic comes in. The āroughā part is important, for example, something like thisā¦[Healing Aura].ā
Gonzo displayed his healing power on my shoulder. Of course, I was not injured, so I didnāt feel any effects, but I did sense that the light was subtly weaker.
āThatās recovery magic without an incantation. In my case, it heals about 80 to 90 percent, but the remaining 10 percent stays as isā¦ in other words, even if you use recovery magic, about 10 percent of the muscle growth remains as if you didnāt use it. Of course, thereās no point in recovering just for that. In fact, it would be a loss just to recover. But by doing so, you can start training again immediately.ā
āImmediately? Wait, you meanā¦!?ā
āCorrect. You can train as many times a day as you want, which normally you could only do every other day! As long as your spirit doesnāt break, you can do it tens or hundreds of times!ā
At that answer, I was speechless. No, I understand. I get what heās saying, but thatāsā¦
āHeh, I thought youād make that face. Of course. In this training, the pain during the training is not reduced at all. And yet, the effect is only a tenth of the normal. Itās meaningless unless you train at least ten times the normal amount, and even if you train twenty times as much, you only get twice the effect. No sane person would do it.ā
āā¦But you did it, didnāt you, Gonzo-san?ā
When I asked, half in conviction, Gonzo smiled wryly.
āThatās right. Didnāt I say it? Faith and muscles, an unbreakable spirit, thatās the secret to strength.ā
My hesitation was momentary. Crushing the budding doubts, I put my determination into words.
The only way for an ordinary person to catch up with a genius is to keep trying. But if time flows equally for everyone, an ordinary person can never catch up with a genius.
So, what should I do? Ah, the answer was right here. A method to compress time, not with talent, but with effort, turning two days into one, two years into one, has been presented to me.
Thereās no reason not to jump at it. As I gazed straight at Gonzo, he, too, returned my gaze.
āItās a tough, painful, and long road. Thereās almost no point in giving up after doing twenty times the work for a month or two. Are you still going to do it?ā
āI will. I haveā¦ a reason why I absolutely canāt be left behind by everyone.ā
My desire to return homeā¦ that thought drives me strongly. To that familiar world, to the friends I left without saying goodbye. And above allā¦ for the promise we made somewhere, someday, āSee you again.ā
āThatās the spirit! Then I will devote myself to training you! Even if you cry and apologize, I wonāt forgive you, so be prepared for that!ā
āYeah! Thatās what I want!ā
Thereās no easy way. But if thereās a future ahead of the hardship, I can keep going no matter how far. While inwardly laughing at how Iāve become such a passionate guy, I started moving towards transcending being ordinary.