"Now that you're here, we can begin," Merlin looked at me, smiling slightly. Then he looked at me again, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Thinking that I'll be training you again… I wouldn't have thought of it, not even after a thousand years."
As Merlin continued his monologue, I squinted in boredom. My eyes turned back to Merlin. "Merlin?"
Merlin paused and looked at me. "What's the matter?"
I frowned and stared at him. "When are you going to start the training? Stop wasting time with your monologues."
Merlin's eyes widened, and then he scratched his head in embarrassment. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but he quickly smiled. I must have been mistaken.
"Alright, let's begin."
Then Merlin looked at me calmly and started to speak, "If you want to improve, you must constantly increase your Spiritual energy."
My thoughts drifted to the time when Merlin controlled Spiritual Energy. Even if I didn't notice it back then, Merlin was truly a powerful man. Having enough Spiritual Energy to fill Excalibur in a short time was no small feat.
That blue energy must have been Spiritual Energy; it was tied to my soul in some way. Compared to the ordinary world I came from, the soul mattered more here. Maybe even more than the body…
To increase my Spiritual Energy, I first had to reach my limit. The limit was for my soul to evolve to a higher level. As the name implies.
"Physical training, constantly using Spiritual Energy, or taking high-quality pills can also help you grow stronger in a short time..."
"Are high-quality pills harmful?"
Merlin shook his head in denial. "No, as long as the pill is made by an expert, it's fine. Look, just like this."
Merlin then pulled a round pill out of his pocket. Strange symbols surrounded the pill, and my eyes narrowed strangely when I saw the blue rings rotating around it. Merlin continued, "This pill can increase your level four times faster. It may be a small thing for me, but it'll be useful for you."
Merlin tossed the pill lightly toward me. I caught it midair, and he smiled at me. "Good, now swallow the pill and let's get started."
As Merlin instructed, I swallowed without hesitation, and for a moment, I felt something boiling inside me. It was a strange, but familiar feeling.
"Now, I'll give you some of my Spiritual Energy. Try to resist me."
Before I could even respond, Merlin grabbed my arm tightly, and blue energy began flowing rapidly from his hands to mine.
As Merlin's Spiritual Energy kept flooding into me, I felt my heartbeat racing. My eyes squinted in pain. "Does this really have to hurt so much?"
"It's actually too little," Merlin smiled slightly. Then he squeezed my arm harder, injecting the energy even faster. As my breath became short, Merlin's eyes turned sharp. "Now, resist me!"
Seeing the sadistic and pleased expression on Merlin's face, I couldn't help but feel my anger rising. I tried to resist his Spiritual Energy, but I just couldn't feel it.
"It's not working, Merlin." I felt my heart racing, and my muscles tensed more than ever before. Merlin's expression seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then, with a merciless grin, he let go of my arm and instead thrust his hand directly into my chest.
My eyes widened. Did he just… did he just shatter my heart? I took a deep breath and staggered backward as Merlin withdrew his hand. My eyes squinted in concern as I saw the blood pouring from my chest.
"Damn it, you really did kill me…" I managed to get out one last sentence before I felt my legs give out, and I collapsed to the ground.
Merlin looked down at me with a sadistic smile, then raised his bloody hand to show me, pulling back his sleeve to reveal his delicate arm. In a mocking tone, he said, "Look, this is your blood. Are you scared?"
"Bastard—" Speaking became difficult as I struggled to breathe. Merlin maintained eye contact, growing more intense with a mix of anger and curiosity.
Why would Merlin want to kill me? It didn't make any sense.
This must be an illusion, yes. Merlin killing me was impossible. My eyes narrowed in realization, and I smirked. I started using all my willpower to resist the illusion.
"Seems like you've figured it out?" Merlin smiled in amusement, watching me. At that moment, I didn't have time to really think about it, but I laughed anyway. Then I tried to feel my soul.
After some time, I sensed something inside me, something boiling constantly. I focused on it, trying to control it. I didn't remember ever concentrating on something so intensely. It was a unique and beautiful feeling.
As Merlin examined me, I gritted my teeth and focused on my soul. After long efforts, I felt something change inside me.
My heartbeat slowed, and as I felt my vision clearing, I looked up at the sky. The more I concentrated on that boiling sensation within me, the better I felt.
With a groan, I forced myself to stand. When my eyes finally broke free from the illusion, I saw Merlin grinning at me gleefully. I then looked at my hands, which were now glowing with blue energy.
"This… is this Spiritual Energy?"
"Good, it seems we've passed the simplest one," said Merlin, with a slight smile on his lips. The previous cold and sadistic expression was gone, replaced by a soft, almost childlike innocence. It made him seem nearly harmless.
"Each day, I understand better that Vivian was right about you, Merlin," I said, taking a deep breath. As I released the spiritual energy, the pressure within me gradually eased. The blue energy that left my body lightened both my mind and spirit. Merlin nodded, approvingly.
"Let's continue," he said, his eyes gleaming slightly. "It's time to start training your spiritual energy."
"What are we going to do?" I asked, feeling a sudden unease. When I saw the devilish grin spread across Merlin's face, I sighed. Every time he had that expression, I could guess what was about to happen.
He snapped his fingers. In that instant, the air around me grew heavy, and a sharp whine filled my ears. I heard an ominous sound from behind and quickly turned around. In the sky, a dark ring had formed, expanding as it consumed the heavens, exuding demonic energy.
"This time, you'll fight something even more impressive than Cerberus... Umargor."
"A demon?" My eyes widened as I stared at the vortex in the sky. Where was this portal connected to?
With a mocking tone, Merlin continued, "Umargor is one of Hell's mid-level demons. He rules over the vast plains of Hell—a giant ape demon. I'm sure he'll keep you entertained."
I raised my head and saw the massive shadow falling from the portal. Umargor's enormous body slammed into the ground like a sledgehammer. The earth beneath me trembled. I reached for the hilt of Excalibur, but when my hand found nothing, I froze.
"Where's my sword?" I called out to Merlin, but when I saw it in his hand, I clenched my teeth.
"Merlin! You expect me to defeat this demon with my bare hands?"
"Yes," he said, his grin widening even further. "Remember, you are Pendragon. The power of dragons flows in your veins. The real monster here is you, Arthur."
As I prepared to defend myself, Merlin vanished in an instant. My gaze shifted to Umargor. The demon's crimson skin, yellow eyes, and muscular arms glistened before me. His growl, deep and guttural, shook the very air around us. With each step, the ground quaked, and a loud roar echoed through the field. Memories of my encounter with Cerberus flashed through my mind, but this time, there was a different feeling inside me—determination.
I can do this. Planting my feet firmly, I assumed a fighting stance. Umargor was charging at me like a massive boulder. As the shadow of his fist loomed over me, I quickly dodged to the side. When his fist collided with the ground, it split the earth, shattering the terrain beneath us and shaking Avalon to its core.
"I need to avoid his punches," I whispered, glancing at the massive cracks spreading across the ground. Not even Cerberus had caused this much destruction.
Umargor roared again, preparing another attack, but this time, I didn't retreat. With a swift maneuver, I darted between his legs and delivered a solid kick to his abdomen. The demon let out a pained snarl and staggered back. Not missing the opportunity, I leaped into the air and aimed for his head.
In an instant, I soared through the sky, bringing my fist down with all my might, smashing it into the demon's forehead. I felt bones crack under the impact. As Umargor's massive body collapsed to the ground, the earth quaked once more. Landing gracefully, I took a deep breath, my pulse racing. The demon writhed on the ground, and I seized the moment. Wrapping my fists in spiritual energy, I grabbed a handful of its fur and started pounding its head.
"Die! Damn beast!" I shouted, my strength increasing with each blow. My fist came closer to shattering the demon's skull with every hit, and eventually, the creature's groans ceased. Umargor's massive body slowed and finally stopped moving altogether.
Slowly, I stood up, tasting the sweet flavor of victory on my tongue. Clenching my fists, I let out a deep, triumphant laugh. "Damn! This feels incredible!"
I had never felt this powerful. The force inside me was like a volcano, ready to erupt.
"This seems to have gone well and easily," said Merlin, his soft but mocking tone returning as he suddenly reappeared. I turned to face him, and Merlin smiled at me with a nostalgic look.
"This should be fun."
Merlin grinned when he saw my expression, I nodded and agreed. To tell you the truth, I was very afraid that I would break something while fighting.
This body is supernaturally strong. Was it the effect of being half Dragon? I didn't know, but it was a very useful power indeed.
Even a huge and powerful Demon collapsed under my power. Merlin was indeed right about one thing.
I am strong like a super beast.
Merlin chuckled as if he could sense my thoughts, then he moved closer to me. In an instant that I couldn't see, I felt Excalibur being sheathed again.
"No matter how fast you grow stronger, Arthur, your strength is still not enough to go to the real world. Without the help of the other Knights, you would soon die there."
I had to agree with Merlin. It was indeed a place where legendary kings and Emperors now ruled. I'm afraid that if I continue like this, ignorant and weak, they will try to finish me off in a short time.