Chapter 36: Is Kana That Strong?
Chapter 36: Is Kana That Strong?
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Rod punched the heavy bag in front of him, his bare chest glistening with sweat. This was a new evening training routine he had added to his regimen. The heavy bag, which he had purchased at a considerable cost, was meant to help him become more disciplined.
— After all, spending so much money, he felt it would be a waste if he didn't use it properly.
After about half an hour of intense punching, Rod stopped, panting heavily. He wiped the sweat from his face and gently massaged his aching arms. Once his breathing and heart rate had mostly returned to normal, he went to take a shower.
Before leaving the bathroom, he flexed his arm in front of the mirror. "I think I'm getting a bit stronger, huh?"
He bent down and patted his calf. Compared to the wobbly, fat legs he used to have, they were now much more solid and firm.
"Snore!" Worm gave him an affirmative nod.
"Good, time to get to work." Rod returned to his bedroom and sat at his desk, opening his magazines and notebook to start writing and drawing.
He had already skimmed through over 60 magazines using Wind's glasses and divided them into two stacks. One stack of about 20 contained important information, while the other stack of about 30 had more general news.
Rod was now organizing the useful information, such as details about major guilds, famous mages, and notable cities. He also noted down any special magic mentioned in the news that could cause trouble.
He wanted to understand this world as much as possible to avoid making common mistakes that could lead to problems in the future. Additionally, there were many "first-encounter killers" in this world—magics that could easily catch the unwary but were simple to counter once you knew about them.
For example, the enchantment magic that had been banned by the Council a few years ago. Honestly, after learning about its effects, he was a bit tempted to learn it.
"Red Sky Bolle, expelled from the Regular Guild Giants' Nose for theft, has been seen roaming the border between the Kingdom of Fiore and the Kingdom of Bosco, occasionally committing crimes..."
Rod jotted down the information about this dangerous individual, closed his notebook, and began his daily meditation practice.
The Master had told him that the only way to become stronger was through hard, consistent effort. Even the most powerful magic required a corresponding amount of magical power to support it.
Mira, in a rare display of seriousness, had warned him not to be overly ambitious. Doing so could not only harm himself but also endanger his companions.
Rod was someone who generally listened to advice, especially in areas he didn't fully understand. So, he focused on steadily building his magical power and physical strength every day. Even when exploring the Summoner's Rift shrouded in black mist using his mental energy, he did so with extreme caution.
If the "Beast Rampage" occurred in a forest, it might be manageable, but if it happened in a city, Rod knew he could face severe consequences.
---
July 22, Sunny
Today's sparring partner was Kana, and Rod felt confident he could handle it.
Kana, as usual, was already chugging from a large barrel of alcohol early in the morning.
Macao, one of her drinking buddies, sat beside her. "Kana, are you drinking more than usual?"
"Gulp, gulp... Ha!" Kana wiped her mouth and glanced at Macao. "None of your business, you're drinking too!"
Macao shrugged. "Not trying to lecture, just think it's better for girls to drink less."
"Stop nagging, I won some money yesterday, so I'm going to enjoy my drink today." Kana grumbled and picked up the barrel again, but her drinking pace was a bit slower.
"Young people these days..." Macao sighed, sounding like an old man.
After a few more gulps, Kana slammed the barrel down. "Rod, are you ready?"
“Coming… coming…” As a dedicated guild member, Rod needed to finish his work first. “Don’t pass out again!”
“Still early!”
Kana, who often drank to excess, knew her limits well. A barrel in the morning was just a warm-up.
Mira had roughly calculated that Kana alone accounted for over 20% of the guild’s alcohol consumption.
In other words, a significant portion of Rod’s salary could be attributed to Kana.
Once Rod finished his cleaning duties, the two headed to the backyard to prepare for their match.
There were naturally onlookers, but not as many as usual.
Following his usual routine, Rod summoned a River Crab to test the waters.
“Just to be safe, let’s confirm this one more time.” Kana took out three card-sized cards from her waist pouch. “Will this thing die?”
Rod replied, “Don’t worry, it will be sent back once it’s injured to a certain extent and will be fully recovered by tomorrow.”
Compared to the Poro, the River Crab and the Ancient Stone Scorpion seemed to have less ‘spirit.’
“Then I won’t hold back.” Kana’s expression turned confident as the cards in her hand glowed with a golden light.
This was the same drunkard? Rod noticed that when Kana got serious, her entire ‘aura’ changed.
He even felt like he was facing Erza.
The River Crab charged forward, and Kana shot the three cards, hitting the River Crab’s head with perfect precision.
The cards exploded, and in the golden glow, the River Crab was sent back.
“This power…” A bit unexpected, Rod quickly summoned an Ancient Stone Scorpion.
Kana threw two cards, one turning into flames and the other into a gust of wind. The Ancient Stone Scorpion was hit by these two spells and instantly split into two smaller Stone Scorpions.
But it didn’t stop there. Kana shot three more cards, and three golden lightning bolts struck the three Stone Scorpions.
“Light, fire, wind, lightning…” Rod’s eyes were filled with the dazzling effects. He now understood the meaning of an all-rounder Mage.
When the three Stone Scorpions split into six mini Stone Scorpions, Kana casually shot six more cards.
Six explosions rang out, and the Stone Scorpions were sent back.
Kana flexed her wrists and smiled, “Alright, the close combat is the real test, right?”
Rod nodded. Although he could summon another River Crab or a single Stone Scorpion, it wasn’t necessary.
This was a tactical mistake. In the future, when facing enemies, he should make the Stone Scorpions burrow into the ground right away.
A few minutes later, Rod lay on the ground, questioning his life.
This speed, this strength… Is Kana really that strong?
…
“Of course, Kana is very strong,” Mira answered Rod’s question.
“She has been listed as an S-Class Mage candidate for the past three years, but she’s always just a little short of the mark.
Like encountering Erza or Mystogan during the exams…”
“S-Class candidate…” Rod thought about the oppressive presence of Erza and Mystogan’s powerful sleep magic…
It made him feel a lot better. Losing to Kana as a newbie wasn’t embarrassing.
“Kana must be really upset, right?” Rod glanced at Kana, who had switched to a smaller cup.
Underneath her carefree exterior, she had her own troubles.
Mystogan - Mystogan
Erza - Erza
Mira - Mirajane
Laki - Laki
Different translations of anime character names are common, so please bear with them.
(End of Chapter)
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