Chapter 75: Quick Wits (2)

Chapter 75: Quick Wits (2)

Luna is confident in certain areas, and one of them is certainly her stamina.

Shes from the countryside, where farming is practically the only thing to do, unlike in the cities where most forms of play involve physical activity.

Moreover, Luna is an orphan. She grew into a proper person with the love and care of village folks, and she helped with the work.

From basic farming chores to milking cows, repairing buildings, and more, she built up her stamina through various tasks.

Her stamina was even more enhanced through the basic physical training she received from her master, making her physical abilities decent compared to other students.

Her mental fortitude, which may seem extraordinary, is also rooted in her stamina. After all, mental strength grows under the protection of physical health.

Im dying'

But all that confidence had been shattered by Lize's training the previous day. Trudging along, these thoughts filled Luna's mind.

There wasn't a single place on her body that didn't ache. The arms and legs were a given, but the most painful area was the back of her thighs.nove(l)bi(n.)com

Push-ups and sit-ups were tough, but squats were even harder. If her posture slipped even slightly, it was back to square one.

Especially since she couldn't rush. She not only had to perform each repetition with correct posture but also ensure that each muscle was properly engaged.

At least its just a weekly training'

The notion of having to go through it again seemed daunting. She wondered how long the muscle soreness would persist.

Though she was managing to hang on for now, it was a challenge to stay focused.

"You alright?"

The fact that even Sivar showed concern, asking how she was, indicates how unusual this was. Typically, others would ask questions like this.

It meant Lunas condition was near zombielike; even walking was a struggle.

Luna gave an awkward smile in response to Sivar's question. Despite feeling like death, she assured him she was okay.

"Yep. I'm fine."

"Really?"

With a gentle poke, Sivar lightly jabbed Luna's arm to check her condition. It was a very light touch.

Regrettably, that spot had muscle soreness comparable to her sore thighs.

"Yowch!?"

As soon as Sivar touched her, Luna let out a unique cry of pain. The trouble, however, was the subsequent surge of pain.

She startled and jerked, which triggered the muscle soreness throughout her body.

If theres a feeling akin to tasting hell in a mere moment, Luna thought she experienced it as she barely stopped herself from collapsing to the floor.

"Oww"

"Looks like it's really bad. Sivar? No more jokes like that."

"Sorry."

That was enougha sincere apology.

Luna internally accepted Sivar's apology after Kara chided him.

Honestly, whether there was an apology or not didnt matter; the pain throughout her body clouded all thought. She just wished for the agony to subside.

How will I survive todays practice session?'

She could get through the morning class, but the afternoon practice session posed a problem. Would she be able to endure until then?

"Are you okay?"

A strange mans voice reached her ears. Slowly, Luna lifted her head.

Raising her head, she saw clothing with a harmonious blend of white and golden huesa garb suited for clerics.

Lastly, the man had an ordinary appearance, but his brown eyes sparkled with a clear brilliance.

He was the cleric assigned to our group. He had been introduced earlier, but I hadnt paid much attention.

"Yes Im okay"

Despite Lunas assertion, the cleric straightforwardly contested her claim. Clearly, anyone could see that Luna's condition was far from well.

In reality, shrines only differ in shape and size; their effects are alike.

Expectedly, the priest nodded to her reply and started his explanation.

"As the student said, the gods do not prefer pomp and circumstance. Whats most important is devotion and sincerity. If you all keep that in mind, you can also receive the favor of the gods."

""

Sivar wore a somewhat indifferent expression as he heard this. Some receive godly favor unwillingly and are forced to bear it, especially when it comes from Chaos.

That so-called favor was suspiciously dubious, given that it came from Chaos of all beings.

Unaware of Sivars internal thoughts, the priest smiled softly and stepped inside the building.

The rest of the group quietly followed the priest.

"Wow uh, it's huge"

"Exactly. I knew a place like this existed, but visiting for the first time is something else."

The interior of the building was as vast as the amazed reactions from Yeonhwa and Grace suggested. There were numerous relics related to mythology' placed about.

It resembled a museum, built by the academy for education and viewing purposes.

"The academy was founded long ago by heroes who repelled the demon god and their allies. The gods also aided the hero in defeating the demon god, so this place is deeply connected to mythology and history."

"Kara, have you been here before?"

"I visited a few times during my adaptation period on the weekends. There was too little to do."

While Kara responded, Luna looked around the museums interior. Some people had already arrived and were looking around.

Apparently, they were from another group. It made sense why they divided into groups; too many people would make focus difficult.

"The history lessons will start now, and they might be somewhat dull. I hope you have an interest in mythology."

After a light joke, the priest moved on. The rest of the group silently trailed behind.

The only exception was a single personSivarwhose attention was caught by something else.

While the rest followed the priest, Sivar moved on his own, heading in a different direction.

Luna, distracted by muscle soreness, didnt notice, and Kara was too absorbed talking with Grace.

"If you're interested in mythology, you may know about the rainbow that appeared at the beginning of it all. We call the colors mixed within it the Light of Life. With these colors, we are able to have life."

"What if these colors didnt exist?"

"Then we'd be like demons, neither one thing nor another. To oppose those demons, we have over there"

The priest was pointing behind when he had to abruptly halt. The group looked back in response to his reaction.

There stood Sivar, incongruously in the spot the priest indicated, holding an artifact in his hand.

It was small, a simple stick made of wood, topped with a stone shaped like the academy's commemorative tower.

Upon sighting this, the priest exclaimed with alarm.

"Hey, student! What are you doing? Put that down immediately!"

The priests voice echoed profoundly within the museum-like building, as if in a cave.

Startled by the reverberating echo, Sivar clutched the artifact too hard and crushed it unintentionally.

With just a tight grip, the hard stone snapped cleanly in two.

""

""

A hush of silence rolled through the group. Even Sivar seemed taken aback as he rolled his eyes bewildered.

He looked like a puppy that realized it'd done something wrong, checking for others' reactions. However, Sivar was no puppy.

He gently placed the broken pieces of the commemorative stone back where they belonged, carefully trying to fit them together so they wouldnt crumble again.

But the stone, already shattered, couldn't do anything even when forcibly fitted togetherit merely collapsed once more.

""

Again, Sivar began to look around cautiously.

Though he might not know exactly what he did wrong, his expression showed that he knew he'd made a mistake.