Makkel's chills every time Ackster smiled weren't unfounded. And he quickly found out why he was so scared. Ackster seemed to derive pleasure from torturous training. The only problem was that he didn't have to be the only one suffering through that torturous training.
At first, the training had simply been Makkel trying to conjure flames hot enough to affect Ackster since they couldn't afford to expose themselves in the center of the Vider Empire, even if Ackster was confident there weren't many who could halt their escape.
But as soon as they escaped the Empire's surprisingly advanced border security, Ackster pulled out all the stops. Without a single break, he forced Makkel to exercise his body and squeeze his mana dry by using fire magic from dusk till dawn. And when Makkel somehow got used to that by eating beasts and monsters rich in mana and existential power, Ackster increased the intensity and duration of the training.
