The next day, Leo and Helmond trained alongside Gabriel in a private training area located deep inside the castle of the City of Lucindor. The chamber was hidden within the inner structure of the castle itself, a place reserved only for the strongest warriors and confidential training.
The training hall was massive, with tall stone pillars supporting the high ceiling. Torches lined the walls, casting a steady glow across the reinforced stone floor. The ground itself had been built from thick enchanted stone, strong enough to withstand powerful attacks without collapsing.
Weapon racks lined one side of the chamber, filled with swords, spears, and training equipment. Metal dummies stood across the room, many of them already damaged from previous battles and intense training sessions.
The room echoed with the sharp sounds of metal striking metal.
After encountering the Tyrant, Leo's motivation burned stronger than ever. The memory of that overwhelming presence still haunted him. Instead of letting fear control him, he turned it into determination.
Every swing of his sword carried the weight of that memory.
He refused to ever feel that helpless again.
Under Gabriel's supervision, Leo repeatedly practiced channeling the Light within him. At first, the energy flickered along the blade like an unstable flame, glowing briefly before fading.
"Focus," Gabriel said calmly.
Leo steadied his breathing and closed his eyes for a moment. Slowly, he gathered the Light within him and directed it toward his sword.
The blade began to glow.
This time, the light didn't flicker.
It flowed steadily along the metal.
Gabriel nodded toward one of the reinforced metal targets placed across the chamber.
"Strike."
Leo stepped forward and swung the glowing blade with full force.
CLANG!
The sound echoed loudly through the stone chamber.
The metal plate cracked under the force of the strike.
Leo stared at the damage, surprised by his own strength.
Gabriel crossed his arms and nodded slightly.
"You're improving," he said. "At that level, your blade can cut through even the hardest metal we possess."
Leo tightened his grip on the sword.
He was getting stronger.
But he still remembered the Tyrant.
It still wasn't enough.
Nearby, Helmond continued his own training. His abilities were still mysterious, even to himself. He still wore his cloak, though it was now new and well-fitted, thanks to finally having his own wardrobe inside the castle.
While Leo focused on power, Helmond focused on movement.
Gabriel occasionally threw wooden spears toward him without warning. Each spear cut through the air across the stone chamber at increasing speeds.
Helmond dodged the first spear with difficulty.
The second one nearly struck his shoulder.
But as the training continued, something changed.
His movements became faster.
Sharper.
More instinctive.
Even Helmond seemed surprised by how naturally his body reacted.
Then suddenly—
A sword flew across the training hall.
It spun through the air straight toward Leo.
Without thinking, Leo turned and deflected the weapon with a quick motion.
The sword clattered loudly across the stone floor.
Leo froze.
He hadn't even realized what he had done.
At the far end of the chamber stood Eryndor, watching with a faint smirk.
"You reacted faster than you thought," he said.
Leo frowned.
"You threw that at me?"
Eryndor shrugged casually as he walked forward.
"Of course."
His footsteps echoed across the chamber.
"If you can fully unlock your potential," Eryndor continued, "you might one day fight the Tyrant toe to toe."
The words weighed heavily on Leo.
He wasn't confident enough to believe that yet. The Tyrant's strength still felt overwhelming in his memory.
But the pressure Eryndor placed on him left him with no choice.
If he wanted to survive what was coming, he would have to train harder than ever before.
Leo still hadn't conquered his fear and had yet to master hand-to-hand combat.
Seeing this, Eryndor proposed a strict plan.
"I'll train you," he said, "but only if you unleash your full power."
Leo hesitated.
Accepting Eryndor meant trusting him completely.
After a moment of silence, Leo nodded.
For the first time, Leo accepted Eryndor as his master.
From that moment on, the castle's private training hall became the place where Leo was pushed to his absolute limits.
While Eryndor relentlessly trained Leo, Helmond focused on understanding the true nature of his mysterious powers.
Meanwhile, the second-strongest warrior, Art Ryder, took responsibility for training the army elsewhere in the castle and across the city, preparing them for the inevitable confrontation with the Chainbound Lord.
Inside the castle's private training chamber, however, the battles were far more personal.
After a week of relentless training, Leo hadn't even landed a single blow on Eryndor.
Every day followed the same brutal pattern.
Leo attacked with everything he had.
Eryndor dodged effortlessly.
Leo tried hand-to-hand combat.
Eryndor countered instantly.
Leo enhanced his blade with Light again and again, but Eryndor blocked or avoided every strike.
By the end of each session, Leo's body was covered in bruises.
Exhausted and barely able to stand, he still refused to give up.
Eryndor acknowledged his determination.
But he still considered Leo weak.
"Your will is strong," Eryndor said bluntly.
"But your strength is still useless."
Desperate to prove himself, Leo gathered every last bit of energy he had left.
Light burst along his blade.
With a shout, Leo launched forward with his strongest attack.
For a brief moment—
The strike nearly connected.
But his body had no energy left.
Before the attack could fully land, Leo collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Eryndor caught the falling sword before it hit the stone floor.
He looked down at Leo.
"…Not bad."
Then he turned toward Helmond.
"Take him to the Great Wizard."
Helmond quickly lifted Leo and rushed out of the castle training chamber.
As he moved through the castle corridors, he realized something surprising.
He was faster than he had ever been before.
The wind rushed past him as he ran.
Helmond realized something important.
If he could enhance his speed even further, it might be the key to unlocking his true potential.
He realized he could become faster than anyone here—
Except for Eryndor.
Later, when Leo had been taken to the Great Wizard for healing, Helmond returned and approached Eryndor inside the training chamber.
Eryndor was resting near one of the stone pillars.
Helmond asked if he could train both himself and Leo at the same time.
Eryndor agreed but warned that they needed to understand their powers faster than expected.
Helmond hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.
His focus would be speed.
Leo would train both mentally and physically.
After Leo fully recovered, their training resumed.
This time it was even more intense.
Leo moved with greater confidence.
Helmond dodged Eryndor's attacks with incredible speed.
For the first time, Leo managed to land a small strike on Eryndor's chest.
Helmond, meanwhile, dodged nearly every attack with precision.
During the session, Leo accidentally unleashed a new power.
A radiant slash of light burst from his blade, cutting through the air and slicing into the stone floor of the training chamber.
Eryndor smiled.
They would focus on refining that power the next day.
Meanwhile, Helmond continued pushing his speed further with each attempt.
At night, Leo wandered through the city and spotted Rein hanging out with her friends, who were also magic users. Her friends were clearly smitten with Leo, which embarrassed him immensely in front of Rein. Trying to save face, he awkwardly joined their conversation.
Meanwhile, Rein was quietly thinking about the gem Helmond possessed. Leo noticed and asked, "Why do you want that gem from Helmond?"
Calmly, Rein replied, "I wanted to show you how strong I am."
Leo smiled and said, "I already know you're strong."
Rein shook her head with a small laugh. "Not enough… not yet."
To comfort her, Leo handed her a small barbecue he had brought along. They left Rein's friends behind and found a quiet spot to talk about their training, discussing whether Leo was truly ready to face the Tyrant again.
Eventually, the conversation faded, and the two of them fell asleep under the moon, sharing a calm moment amidst the chaos of their world.
The gem Helmond possessed could potentially unlock Rein's true power, allowing her to enchant her staff and greatly enhance her magic.