Thud... thud...
Brushing off gravel from his clothes, Gut summoned his strength and yanked himself out of the wall he had been embedded in.
He turned to glance at the human-shaped crater left in the stone and sighed, muttering:
"Do all elf magic users turn into the kind of teachers who like slamming their students into walls...?"
He truly hadn't expected to one day replicate what had happened to Frieren in the original story.
Fortunately, Gut's physique was vastly different from that of Frieren, the squishy mage.
This level of impact might have laid Frieren up in bed for days, but for Gut, a pat on the back and he was back on his feet.
Still, the shockwave from such instantaneous spellcasting left just as deep an impression.
Before his body went flying, Gut hadn't detected a single fluctuation in Serie's mana—no chant, no movement, not even a ripple of energy.
It wasn't a hidden casting—it simply hadn't existed.
As if, for Serie, a mere glance was all it took to cast a spell of that power.
…
"She's terrifyingly strong, isn't she... Serie-sensei," Gut muttered, watching her step out of her home.
"Hmph." Serie snorted softly. "Just a small warning from a teacher to her student."
"Go home and rest. After an all-nighter of enlightenment, you'll need proper sleep to recover."
"Lernen and Gumi can handle the exam site. Just come by before today's test ends."
"Thank you, Master."
Sensing the concern in her words, Gut nodded slightly, thanked her, and turned to leave.
Serie stood silently at her doorway, gazing at his retreating figure.
"I held back the force of that blast quite a bit. But even so, for a normal warrior, that would've been no small attack."
"And yet... it didn't even faze this disciple."
"You really are something, Gut."
Her lips curled slightly as the image of a former disciple, long gone, surfaced in her mind.
"Bodi, the regret you carried to your grave... your junior will carry it on for you."
…
Back in the city inn.
Returning to his room, Gut changed clothes and collapsed onto the bed. But after tossing and turning for a while without falling asleep, he pulled out the training journal left by his late senior and began reading.
He'd intended to glance at it just to lull himself to sleep.
But instead, the more he read, the more awake he became. From lying down, to sitting up, to eventually getting out of bed and hunching over his desk, scribbling notes and diagrams as he analyzed the text.
Truthfully, the "Body-Training Journal" left behind by his predecessor wasn't hard to understand—actually, it was quite straightforward.
The journal was divided into two parts: Body Training and Combat.
The Body Training section introduced an unusual method of mana circulation.
As described, this method would create a special wave of mana throughout the body.
And through these oscillations, the mage's body would undergo full-body tempering—far more effective than traditional warrior training methods.
The Combat section outlined another unique mana circulation technique.
This one drastically boosted the mage's physical capabilities for a short period while also greatly increasing destructive force.
Gut likened it to a blend of Lightning Chakra Mode and Monster Strength Punch from Naruto.
That was where the main journal ended.
The final few pages were reflections from the previous disciple—his thought process, and his regret at not living to see the theory realized.
Having read to the end, Gut gently closed the journal and placed it aside.
He exhaled deeply and massaged his temples.
How should he evaluate this legacy?
The principles were simple. The results—spectacular.
But...
The entry requirements were absurdly high.
This wasn't something just any mage with talent and a bit of physical training could learn.
The mana circulation for the Body Training part alone made Gut's skin crawl. Even mages with decent physique would likely faint trying to complete one cycle.
The notes demanded precise mana control throughout the body, and the use of shockwave-like resonance to forge one's physical form.
Even elite warriors would struggle to endure this.
And how many of those elite warriors are also gifted mages?
Sure, over time, warriors might build up some latent mana through passive physical training, which could be used to enhance their martial skills.
But that was nothing compared to what a true mage accumulates through focused meditation.
Moreover, unlike mages, warriors rarely manipulate mana internally. Even with enough stored mana late in life, most wouldn't be able to circulate it with the precision required.
All of which made the Body Training Method incredibly difficult to learn.
Even Gut wasn't sure if he could meet the standard yet.
Still, it was worth a try.
Gut looked over the diagrams he had redrawn. The hard part had been the research. The final form? Much simpler.
The only real challenge was memorizing the detailed mana circuits for both the Training and Combat methods—so thoroughly they became second nature.
That level of memory would normally take time. But conveniently, Gut had just the tool to skip it entirely:
The Enhanced Memory Bread.
Swish—swish—swish—
His pen flew across the parchment.
In no time, Gut had reproduced two intricate mana circulation schematics.
Thanks to years of copying manuscripts in the abandoned monastery, his reproduction skills were both fast and precise.
Once complete, he pulled a Memory Bread (Enhanced) from the [System Space] and slapped it onto the diagram.
After the bread absorbed the information, he popped it into his mouth.
A moment later, he opened his eyes.
He now understood both mana patterns on an instinctual level—like muscle memory.
Phew—
Gut exhaled.
Now that he understood it all, time to test it.
Could he, at his current level, actually qualify to begin learning this Body-Training Technique?