Bam!
Hilton lay on the ground, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look, his head buzzing. "Who am I? Where am I?"
Hal and Carlton exchanged a glance and quickly stepped in to stop Raymond.
"Kid! Test your attack power again!" Carlton shouted.
Raymond was just getting into the fight when he heard the captains yelling. He gave an awkward smile and pulled back his fist.
This time, he stood in front of the test crystal again and threw a full-powered punch.
- [Punch Power: Bronze Stage, Level 23]
Seeing the result, Raymond smiled sheepishly. "I swear, I gave it my all the first time!"
Hilton got up and rolled his eyes. "In less than half an hour, your attack power went from Level 22 to Level 23. That’s just too much!"
Milton spat on the ground, and his aura surged to Bronze Stage Level 23. "No problem. We’ll all raise our fighting power to Level 3 and let you feel what real pressure is!"
As soon as he said that, Hal and the other two captains also boosted their auras to Level 23.
"Then I won’t hold back either!" Raymond’s body trembled, but he couldn’t contain his excitement.
Under the four captains’ special training, Raymond was getting better and better at controlling his body’s power.
Now, he could try using the critical hit technique and the deflect force technique from Basic Swordplay.
Just then, Hal threw a punch straight at Raymond’s chest.
Raymond took a step back, moving at the same speed as Hal’s fist.
By the time Hal’s punch landed, Raymond had only leaned back, successfully deflecting 70% of Hal’s attack power.
Then, Raymond flipped around and kicked Milton, who was trying to sneak up on him.
Bam!
Milton flew back like a ball, landing seven or eight meters away.
Milton rubbed his swollen forehead and glared at Raymond. "Damn it! What’s up with your strength?! That’s definitely not Bronze Stage Level 23 power!"
Carlton pushed the test crystal in front of Raymond again and said coldly, "Use all your strength. Hit it one more time."
Raymond rolled his eyes, used the critical hit technique again, and punched the test crystal.
- [Punch Power: Bronze Stage, Level 25]
Hal saw the result, got so mad that he turned off his battle aura, and kicked a rock at his feet. "Damn it! I’m done! You’re way too crazy, kid!"
Hilton rubbed his belly and slowly turned off his battle aura too. "I’m going to the Pleasure District to find a big-bottomed lady and calm myself down."
Milton and Carlton looked at each other, sighed at Raymond, and turned to leave.
They all swore to themselves they’d never spar with Raymond again.
Who fights someone and watches their attack power jump from Level 22 to Level 25 in the middle of a fight? That’s just insane!
Raymond watched them walk away and bowed sincerely. "Thank you, captains, for your guidance!"
Hal paused when he heard Raymond’s thanks. "Remember to take first place in the assessment three days from now."
Carlton stopped too and gave him a serious reminder. "From now on, just fight with a sword. Watching you brawl is too frustrating."
...
Back in the rest room, Raymond took a shower.
He looked at himself in the mirror and noticed that his once sharp, bulging muscles had softened.
"My body isn’t so tense anymore. I guess I’ve finally mastered the power from the Giant’s Body." Raymond smiled, dried his hair, and sat back down on the bed cross-legged.
"I still have 290 days of experience cards left. I’ll use them all to train the Holy Hall Body-Tempering Technique!" With that, Raymond entered the empty space and activated all the experience cards.
Training the Holy Hall Body-Tempering Technique was extremely boring.
In the white world, Raymond had no sparring partner to practice with, just day after day of exercising his body.
He didn’t know how much sweat he’d shed, and he’d forgotten the pain in his muscles. All he knew was that his body was getting stronger and stronger.
When he opened his eyes again, he didn’t rush back to reality. Instead, he held back his curiosity and said to himself, "Let my body get used to the changes first."
Then, Raymond closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
It wasn’t until the next morning that Raymond opened his own status panel.
Just as he expected, next to the lonely [Basic Swordplay (Grandmaster)] in his skill panel, there was now a new skill: [Holy Hall Body-Tempering Technique (Advanced)].
And Raymond’s level had also gone up to Black Iron Stage Level 20.
Raymond narrowed his eyes and forced himself to stay calm.
He had trained non-stop for 290 days, and he only managed to get the Holy Hall Body-Tempering Technique to Advanced?
It seemed like this Holy Hall Body-Tempering Technique was way harder to level up than Basic Swordplay.
"No wonder those Holy Hall warriors are all so tough and hard to hurt," Raymond muttered as he stood up.
Now that he was at Level 20, if he wanted to go higher, he would have to pass the Black Iron Stage trial and break through his body’s limits.
Raymond searched his memories carefully, but he couldn’t find anything about the Black Iron Stage trial.
"Looks like I’ll have to ask someone when I get the chance." Raymond sighed and pushed the door open.
Down in the basement prison area.
Raymond slowly pushed a food cart forward.
He was now at Black Iron Stage Level 20, so none of the prisoners here could threaten him anymore.
It was time to turn the remaining twenty or so prisoners into cards.
Raymond stopped the cart in front of Koby’s cell.
He glanced at Koby, who was curled up in the corner. Koby screamed in fear, "You freak! Stop torturing me!"
Raymond ignored him and turned to look at the nameplate on the cell door.
- [Otto, Level 18, Underground Arena Officer. Forced teenagers to fight in arena matches, causing hundreds of families to lose their loved ones].
Seeing that, Raymond’s face darkened.
These sinners deserved to die.
He unlocked the door, picked up a food tray, and walked into the cell.
In the dim light, Otto, with a messy beard, glanced at Raymond’s waist and sneered, "Who gave you the guts to open my cell door?"
Clang!
Raymond dropped the tray at Otto’s feet and said coldly, "You’ve got five minutes. Eat it all."
Otto slowly stood up, his eyes cold as he stared at Raymond. "Looks like you really enjoy watching prisoners eat. Too bad I’m not that idiot Koby. You’re going to regret opening my door!"
With that, Otto lunged at Raymond and wrapped his iron chain around Raymond’s neck.
"Die!" Otto pulled hard, trying to choke Raymond to death.
Crack!
Raymond just gave a light tug, and the chain around his neck shattered into pieces on the floor.
"Damn it! That was easier than ripping a woman’s clothes!" Otto yelled and turned to run out the door.
But he underestimated Raymond’s speed.
The moment he darted out of the cell, Raymond grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back inside.
Slap!
Raymond slapped Otto across the face, knocking out two of his back teeth.
Otto struggled to his feet, ready to take whatever punishment Raymond had in store.
But Raymond just walked out of the cell and locked the door again.
"Finish your food. I’ll be back to check," Raymond said, then pushed the cart away.
Otto watched Raymond disappear down the hall and shook the iron bars in anger.
Just then, Koby from across the way slid his empty tray through the bars.
Otto looked at the clean tray and snapped at Koby, "Where’s your spine? It’s only been a few days and he’s already turned you into a gentle sheep?"
Koby rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest. Master Raymond is trying to reform you. He just wants you to eat well and repent."
Otto froze. "What did you say?"
Koby pointed at his own cheek and said proudly, "See this? Master Raymond just hit me. It didn’t hurt at all."
Then Koby’s face lit up with admiration. "As long as you eat your meals and truly repent, Master Raymond only gives you one symbolic slap a day. It’s weaker than the beatings your wife gives you at home."
Otto’s jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
"Of course!" Koby leaned closer to the bars and lowered his voice. "Otherwise, with Master Raymond’s strength, why would he bother delivering food? He’s watching us eat, watching us confess our sins. That little slap he gives me? It’s just to remind me never to forget the wrongs I’ve done!"
Otto’s whole body trembled as he heard this.
He sniffled, his voice cracking. "Master Raymond... was trying to reform me just now?"
Yes! That had to be it!
No wonder that slap reminded him of the way his father used to hit him when he was a kid.
With that thought, Otto grabbed the tray of food and started wolfing it down.
Raymond had no idea the prisoners were making up all these stories in their heads.
He pushed the cart through the rest of the block and finally managed to register all the sinners as cards.
Now, in his empty space, thirty-seven cards floated quietly. Every day, they would give Raymond thirty-seven chances to draw.
With less than three days left until the junior guard assessment, Raymond stopped in his tracks and said to himself, "I’ll save up all these draws and use them during the junior guard exam, just in case."