Before long.
One after another, shadows emitting an eerie blue glow converged from all directions.
These shadows had no physical form, no intelligence—they simply gathered naturally under so command, floating midair like specters.
And indeed, they were ghosts—ghosts summoned by Scáthach.
Hordes of ghosts appeared, swarming toward Aoko Aozaki from every direction.
Aoko's expression turned extrely grim.
It wasn't that she feared ghosts—she was the type to laugh heartily while watching horror movies, critiquing the actors' performances and the quality of the props.
But with such a massive group of undead monsters, a single careless touch would drain her body temperature and vitality. If entangled, she'd undoubtedly suffer a slow, unnoticed death!
"I don't think this kind of training is useful at all!"
She shouted indignantly before turning and fleeing.
It was true that she excelled at destruction, but her magical energy wasn't abundant enough to face an army of the undead head-on!
Was this woman just toying with her?
As she ran, a furious question arose in her heart.
...
Ever since Scáthach had agreed to train the two of them over a month ago, they had skipped school every day to enter the barrier she created, where they trained from dawn till dusk.
Aoko aside, Eiji had benefited greatly.
Though Scáthach was more skilled with the spear, her insights had still significantly advanced Eiji's swordsmanship.
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, a figure was violently hurled backward, smashing into the rocky cliff.
"Ugh…"
Eiji groaned, his head spinning as nausea threatened to overwhelm him. Every inch of his body ached.
He had been getting beaten for a long ti.
How long exactly? Engrossed in battle, he hadn't spared a thought for it.
The only thing occupying his mind, the only thing he obsessed over, was one goal—surpassing Scáthach!
And to surpass Scáthach, he had to fully comprehend her spear techniques, stealing the essence of her skills.
This, Eiji had already achieved.
He had even assimilated the core of Scáthach's spear techniques into his own swordsmanship.
Yet, despite this, he had never once defeated her.
Not just because of the gap in their strength, but also because her ultimate move was utterly unfathomable!
—Gáe Bolg: Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death.
That was the na of the technique.
A move that pinned the enemy in space—once struck, movent beca impossible!
During their battles, though he could sense the danger, he had still been immobilized multiple tis. Fortunately, Scáthach had no intention of killing him, or he would have died countless tis over.
He had been trying to adapt this technique into his own, but success remained elusive.
As much as it frustrated him, the disparity between them was staggering.
Eiji pulled himself free from the cliff and reassud his stance, battle spirit blazing.
"That's enough for today."
But Scáthach lowered her spear, the fighting spirit in her expression gradually fading.
"Your strength has multiplied several tis over compared to yesterday. What happened?"
She asked with keen interest.
The mont they clashed, she realized Eiji's strength, speed, reflexes, and more had improved significantly compared to yesterday—almost a qualitative leap. There was no way such progress could be achieved overnight.
This kid had plenty of secrets even she wasn't privy to.
Scáthach was deeply intrigued.
"I leveled up."
Eiji lowered his sword.
Having been thoroughly beaten without getting a chance to retaliate, he wasn't in the best mood, but he still answered Scáthach's unspoken question.
"The hell does that an?"
Scáthach tilted her head, utterly baffled.
"Wouldn't make sense even if I explained."
Eiji waved a hand dismissively, too irritated to elaborate.
"Bold words."
Scáthach scoffed lightly.
To claim she wouldn't understand—in front of her, the wielder of the Mirror of Wisdom—whatever he ant had to be of extraordinary significance.
"Fine. Keep your secrets if you must. Everyone's entitled to a few."
Scáthach abandoned further inquiry.
With a thought, her revealing purple bodysuit vanished, replaced by her usual instructor's attire.
"Tch."
Eiji clicked his tongue in annoyance. The light had blocked everything—he hadn't seen a thing.
"Hmph."
Scáthach snorted but paid no mind to his blatant staring.
After over a month together, she'd long since figured out this brat's nature.
"I have a class this afternoon. I'll be back in an hour. The barrier will remain active—do as you please until then."
She approached, tracing a few healing runes onto Eiji's body.
Then, she opened the barrier's exit and stepped out.
Bathed in restorative light, Eiji finally plopped onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Fighting nonstop for hours—and getting pumled the entire ti—even his Level 5 stamina had its limits.
That's right.
During his month-plus of training under Scáthach, his other self in Rakudai had already cleared the school selection matches, clashed briefly with Akatsuki Academy, and been utterly crushed by the world's strongest swordsman, Edelweiss. Now, he'd just returned to DanMachi's world, updated his status, and beco a Level 5 first-class adventurer.
Though freshly promoted, his speed already surpassed ordinary Level 6s. Combined with skills like Ten Years of Honing, Fierce Sword Heart, and Charm, even Level 6 adventurers stood no chance against him.
His power had indeed surged dramatically—Scáthach hadn't misjudged.
The only downside? He'd only just stepped into the realm of Twin Wings Style, mastering Instant Maximum Acceleration but not yet Instant Absolute Stillness. To truly reach the level of Twin-Wings, he still needed considerable refinent.
"Wait—Aoko!"
Eiji snapped back to reality, hastily scanning the area for Aoko.
Not far away.
Likely on Scáthach's orders, the specters had dispersed.
Aoko Aozaki lay sprawled on the ground, her face ashen, covered in dust—utterly disheveled.
"You okay?"
Eiji rushed over and scooped her up.
In terms of gri, they were equally filthy—neither was in a position to judge the other.
"N-n-n-no p-p-problem…"
Her entire body was stiff, her lips trembling uncontrollably, teeth chattering violently.
So cold!
The mont Eiji touched her hand, he recoiled at the icy chill.
The ghost wouldn't kill Aoko, but it would slowly drain her body heat, gradually pushing her to the brink. Thanks to this, Aoko always ended up like this after each day's training.
"W-w-w-w-what are y-y-y-you d-d-d-doing?"
Aoko suddenly jumped in surprise.
Eiji reached out and unbuttoned her school uniform, then proceeded to undo her shirt buttons too, revealing the undershirt beneath. Even the straps of her underwear were exposed to this guy's sight!
"Warming up!"
Eiji also opened his own school uniform before pulling her tightly into his embrace.
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