"I will do my best." Theo made a weird smile as he didn't have the confidence to do something like that without offending her.
After saying goodbye, he turned around, returning to his camp.
On the way, he recalled what his master said earlier, telling him that everything she did had a purpose.
However, that soon turned into confusion again when he sensed something coming from his left that made him take two steps to the right.
"Kh! She has restarted the trap?" Theo clenched his teeth and knew that it would be another pain in the ass journey.
He stepped forward and took three steps to the left, one diagonal step, and one small step back.
He suddenly opened his mouth in surprise as he remembered this movement. "This… Isn't this the same pattern like what I have done when coming here? This… One step forward and one to the left before taking three steps to the right."
He surprisingly succeeded in dodging everything without even looking at them. It was at this moment he realized what was going on. "This is footwork? She is teaching me footwork but in a practical mode?"
He couldn't contain his smile when he realized this training, albeit the log finally hit him on the face. "Gah! I forgot this one. Ugh, I can't remember the rest too. Maybe my first step should be remembering this one and taking a note to know the pattern. Alright, let's go."
Instead of pain, his heart was filled with excitement. Even though his body was beaten black and blue, his concentration didn't decrease.
His master, who had been tailing him this whole time, smiled and closed her eyes. "That's right. You lack too many things right now, my disciple. Footwork, basic spear techniques, magic control, and so on. You need to catch up with those people if you want to participate in Grand Gaia."
After seeing that Theo had returned to the camp, she disappeared.
…
The next day, Theo started practicing like Major Sam intended.
Alea, who had become his teammate, began to be more conscious about him, so she noticed the bruises on his body. When she was about to talk to him, she remembered their agreement and decided to give up. Though, she would certainly ask it when Sunday arrived because she was worried about him.
At first, she wanted to tail him, but if Theo found her, he would be disappointed. Instead of risking the current partnership, she pushed her curiosity away for the time being.
During the day, Theo fulfilled every task successfully. Still, they ended up getting double practices every day because of the woman named Alea. She alone managed to catch five percent of the guys. And there were still other females that participated, making the boys unable to win a single time.
When the night came, Theo kept visiting his master. Although his level stagnated, his ability increased by leaps and bounds.
Saturday night, Theo finished his training with his master as he once again brought the topic. "Master. I can't go back here tomorrow. Maybe I can after the hunt?"
"You don't need to come here tomorrow. Besides, I have disarmed all the traps around here. Just think of it as your master's approval. Rest your body for tonight and hunt those monsters."
Theo smiled, thanking for her understanding.
"That's right. How is your status progress?"
Theo furrowed his eyebrows and opened his status window.
Status: Normal
Level: 46
EXP: 287/968
Blessing: God of Mischief
Skill: Pierce (F), Clone (E), Monkey Fist (F), Magic Bullet (E), 6 Slots Remaining
Attributes: Strength 70, Endurance 34, Agility 43, Vitality 32, Magic Power 66
Free Attribute Points: 0
"Hmm… I got an additional two points for Strength, Endurance, and Agility."
"I see. That's good enough with the fact that you only do basic training. I think they will step up next week."
"Step up?"
"Yep. Probably with weight or something to develop your body faster."
"Now I feel like you are related to the military." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me, you actually know about their training schedule?"
"I underwent such a thing back when I was young." She shrugged and looked away. "Anyway, you are free to think anything about me. I won't give you answers related to my background again. If you don't like it, how about you outsmart me?"
Theo shook his head helplessly. Although his master was mysterious, he never tried to get her picture in order to search it on the Internet. Besides, he couldn't squander his money for the time being, considering that his master would destroy his Skylink or any other cameras he used if she found out.
In addition, her training was very effective for him, so he decided to trust her until enough preparation.
When he returned from the forest, he saw a woman figure standing near the exit of the dense forest. The translucent blue light from the moon made it as if there was a fairy standing in this calm night.
On the contrary, Theo's heart was far from calm as he looked at that figure. Of course, for a different reason…
'Did she tail me? I thought I had—"
Before he even finished his thought, she looked at him and made a gentle smile. "You have finished your training?"
"…" Theo frowned, wondering how much she knew. But his master should know about this and she must have prevented Alea from knowing. He thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
"That's good. Anyway, I just wanted to give you the location of where we will meet up tomorrow. Open your map."
Theo took his Skylink out and opened the map.
Alea gave him the coordinate and inputted it on the map. Fortunately, the people who fought in this place updated the map, making their current map a bit bigger for other people to use.
When his focus was on the map, her voice suddenly resounded in his ears.
"I didn't follow you, alright?"
"Eh?" Theo was confused as he raised his vision. Alea already turned around and began to walk.
"At least, I will give that much respect and privacy. You can also tell me off when something is too important to you, and I will stop bothering you about it. One more thing… Just call me Alea without an honorific. This is a request because honorifics are a hassle that will delay our chain of command in the battle. Okay? If you understand, then rest your body. We will travel tomorrow after all. See you tomorrow at 7 AM." She leaped out of the forest without looking back.
Theo scratched the back of his head and made a weird smile. He just had another impression of Alea. Even though she was annoying, she didn't seem to be that bad.