[Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 54 hours 16 minutes.] I watched blankly as Angelina lifted her gaze toward the heavens, as if searching for Omniscient Thunder Axe. It really hadn’t been that difficult. Truly, I was far more gifted than I had initially thought. As I entertained this thought, Angelina seemed to collect herself. She stared at me again, her expression was more composed, but her eyes held a sharp intensity. “I miscalculated. I wasted an entire day teaching this lunatic nothing but the fundamentals and theory.” The compliment was appreciated, but I didn’t think her comment was entirely correct. “That’s not true. It was because I grasped the basics and underlying principles that I was able to execute Spatial Cleave.” “Fair point. What I meant to say was, I could have explained it faster and more concisely.” That I did agree with. Given my initial knowledge, she had taken the time to walk me through every fundamental principle from start to finish. Not that I minded it, however. Learning didn’t need to be rushed and was invaluable. So instead of arguing, I simply nodded. “I see.” “Regardless, I’ll be adjusting my teaching methods.” “Would you say you have a good memory?” Memory, huh? I would say mine is above average. Since entering the tower, my cognitive abilities had sharpened alongside my physical growth. Of course, I couldn’t retain and recall everything, but when it came to things that intrigued me—things I made an effort to remember—those stuck with me. “I’d say it’s decent.” “Not that it matters, actually. You’ll be ingraining everything into your muscle memory.” Angelina nodded slowly. “Once the fundamentals and principles are mastered, nothing accelerates growth like real combat. You already know that, don’t you?” “I’ll be sparring with you directly. First, I’ll demonstrate a technique, then give a brief explanation, and finally, you’ll replicate it. If anything is unclear, ask.” She observed my expression before adding, “What’s wrong? Are you hesitating?” I quickly shook my head. “No, not at all.” She was right. After all, I had learned and refined most of my techniques from real combat. I had just been thinking about how convenient it was that I hadn’t equipped my armor before entering this floor. A few serious injuries while dueling a master like Angelina would be ideal for my development. My unease had nothing to do with that, though. I was scared by how she would potentially “spar.” Angelina didn’t seem like the nice, patient instructor type, but more like the demonic drill sergeant type. What she considered sparring was probably very different from what I envisioned. “I won’t die, right?” Angelina, who had been watching me with a neutral expression, suddenly chuckled. “Everyone learns best when faced with death.” Then, after a thoughtful pause, she added, “Hmm, fine. For the first lesson, I’ll suppress my killing intent. But for the second—” Ah, fuck. As expected... A smirk tugged at her lips. “I won’t hold back.” You have got to be kidding me. She was literally going to demonstrate a technique once, let me attempt it, and if I didn’t execute it immediately, she would try to kill me. Suppressing a grimace, I forced myself to nod. “... Understood.” I hadn’t managed to mask my discomfort entirely, because Angelina’s gaze sharpened. “If you don’t want to die, immediately engrave every movement into your instincts. But don’t worry. You have the talent to do so.” Without further ado, she lifted her axe. “I gave you some time to rest yesterday. That ends now. For the next two days, forget about sleep. Forget about breaks.” She suddenly turned her head to the side. “I had planned to oversee my little goblin’s swordsmanship as well. A shame. You’ll have to manage.” Doppy, who had become far more perceptive from spending time with me, immediately shook his head and waved his hands. “N-no, it’s fine! Really!” The way his lips curled upward betrayed his relief. Ungrateful thing. He’s abandoning me to save himself. “How considerate,” Angelina mused approvingly. With a small nod, she turned back to me. I exhaled slowly and smoothed my expression. The atmosphere shifted. “Fix your stance. We shall begin.” The moment she finished speaking, she lunged. What the hell?! You just told me to fix my stance! Cursing internally, I braced myself. [Earn additional recognition from the first-class god ‘Omniscient Thunder Axe’s’ apostle, Angelina. Time remaining: 22 hours 36 minutes.] I hadn’t been able to let go of my axe for over twenty-four hours. Before this, I had foolishly assumed that I had strengthened myself to the point where I was beyond sustaining serious injuries from training—that assumption had been dead wrong. Against someone who had reached a higher level of mastery, surpassing human limits didn’t mean much. The skin on my palms had long since peeled away. My fingers were blistered and raw, every knuckle swollen. It wasn’t just my hands. Cuts from Angelina’s axe, bruises from rolling across the ground, and a multitude of minor wounds covered me. My basic leather armor had been shredded, leaving me half-exposed. With how long the training session had been, my heart had been racing nonstop for an entire day. Currently, I was midair, flung by another one of Angelina’s strikes. How many times have her attacks sent me rolling? Six? Seven? As my momentum dissipated, I found myself sprawled on my back, staring up at the ceiling. Thanks, you sadistic piece of shit. Just as she had warned, she had held nothing back. Every moment had been like a genuine life-or-death fight, and I had been forced to move solely to survive. Of course, I was growing stronger. At this point, however, I was too exhausted to care. I tried to lift my upper body, forcing strength into my core, but nothing responded. My muscles screamed in protest, refusing to obey. With a dull noise, my torso collapsed back onto the ground. I could hear the pounding of my own heartbeat, reverberating in my ears. My chest rose and fell erratically. Every breath felt too loud, like the air was flooding through my eardrums. My mind was hazy. From a distance, Angelina’s cold gaze flicked toward Doppy. “Goblin.” Doppy immediately jumped up. “I got it! Heal Wounds! Vitality! Unyielding Strength!” Damn that smug little asshole. I was suffering through hell, and he had been sitting on the sidelines, casting buffs. A small part of me resented him. Of course, it isn’t actually Doppy’s fault, but still. A warm radiance descended upon my battered and bruised skin. The wound on my forearm, carved open by Angelina’s axe, began to heal. Strength returned to my limbs, and my muscles regained their vigor. To an outsider, it would have looked like I was ready to fight again. However, this was probably the twentieth time I had been forcibly healed. At this point, I was so utterly drained that even with the buffs, I couldn’t exert more than seventy percent of my usual strength. Angelina wasn’t particularly fond of buffs, either. She claimed they interfered with natural physical growth. Given our time constraints, however, she had deemed them a necessary evil, pushing me to my limits at all costs. My breath came in ragged bursts, my mind still hazy despite my physical body having been restored. Even my evolved and enhanced physique, strengthened by ordeals like those on the fifty-second floor, had never faced anything quite . Angelina was in a far higher realm than I was. She had been relentless, pressing me to the absolute brink without killing me. I exhaled sharply and forced my upper body upright. The moment I did, her voice cut through the air. A shiver ran down my spine. Before I could even react, Angelina lunged. She was terrifyingly fast. Instinct kicked in, and I activated Flash Strike, slowing everything around me. I threw myself sideways, rolling with everything I had. A few seconds later, her axe crashed down on the spot I had just been standing. Without thinking, I lashed out and swung my own axe at her ankle. Angelina merely lifted her foot to avoid the strike with ease. Then, she stomped down. Her foot pinned my axe to the ground, completely immobilizing it. Expending mana also consumed stamina, so I deactivated Flash Strike. As I lifted my head, I found Angelina looming over me, eyes cold and unwavering. “That technique... the one you used just now.” Technique? Ah, she meant Flash Strike. I hesitated for a split second because she had called it a technique instead of a skill. I hadn’t immediately realized what she was referring to. Still gasping for breath, I nodded. “Huff. Y-yes.” “For a while, I assumed you weren’t using it because you understood why. That was a mistake. I’ll lay out the rules again.” Angelina continued, “That technique—no, I’ll amend that. From this moment on, all of your techniques are forbidden. I’ve let it slide until now, but even those that assist your movement, like your footwork and speed, are included.” The abruptness of her declaration left me momentarily stunned. Seeing my reaction, Angelina frowned. “Why didn’t you use that technique during our earlier spars?” It was because I hadn’t needed to. I was exhausted, yes, but I hadn’t been on the verge of death. Angelina was faster than I was, but not to the point where I couldn’t keep up. Lying to her wouldn’t do me any good, so I answered honestly, “Because I didn’t think I was going to die.” She chuckled hollowly, looking down at me disbelievingly. “Then don’t use it. If you rely on techniques, you stunt your growth. You need to be able to move just as fast without them. Do you remember earlier?” I wasn’t sure what she was referring to, so I remained silent. “I countered your attack without relying on any techniques. I was able to match your speed and perceive your movements because I have trained my entire body, my entire being, to do so.” Ah. She is talking about the first exchange. “Of course, those techniques are useful. Convenient, even. But it’s because of that convenience that they are holding you back.” This was the first time in twenty-four hours that I had been allowed to stand still and listen. With this brief respite, my breathing gradually steadied. I took a deep breath before asking, “What do you mean?” She didn’t hesitate. “When faced with the threat of death, one adapts and evolves. They do so to ensure survival the next time that situation arises.” Lifting her foot from my axe, she gave a slight nod upward. It was a silent order to get up. I let go of the axe with one of my hands and pushed myself to my feet. “Your techniques prevent you from reaching that threshold. They are shielding you from the very growth you need.” Then, without warning, she swung her axe. Honestly, I didn’t see it, but just felt it. One moment, her weapon was on my right, and the next, it was already on my left. If I had used Flash Strike, I could have tracked it. However, without it, I saw nothing. She had practically teleported. “Tell me. Do you think you can match this speed without your techniques?” Reluctantly, I admitted, “No.” “I can move this fast without any techniques. Do you understand what that means?” I did. “That it’s possible to reach this level through sheer training alone.” “Correct. From now on, unless you are seconds from death, you will not use any techniques. Your priority is training your body.” “Because relying on them traps me within my limits.” “Exactly. Why would your body push itself to improve when it has a shortcut? That shortcut is your cage.” “There’s no point in refining your techniques further. If you get faster, your techniques will naturally follow. This isn’t just about my training; it applies to every battle from here on out.” Something clicked in my mind like a hammer striking an anvil. I had thought the same thing before. It was why I had removed my armor to focus on my growth. However, I hadn’t extended that logic to my skills because I had thought improving my skill level was growth. I had been wrong. If I were already strong enough, I wouldn’t need equipment—or techniques. Although skill levels did matter, ultimately, I was a warrior—the foundation of a warrior’s strength was their body. So I should only use Flash Strike and my equipment when I am truly in danger? Angelina studied my expression, then smirked. “Looks like you figured it out. I don’t need to explain further.” I dipped my head in gratitude. “Thank you.” Then, I immediately began removing the rest of my gear. One by one, I stripped away every item that enhanced my abilities. My ring, gauntlets, necklace, earrings, and shoes. Every piece of equipment that boosted my stats or granted me abilities was discarded to the side. I returned to my most basic, unbuffed state. The only things left were my T-shirt, pants, and weapon. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt I met Angelina’s gaze. This will become my standard from now on. Only in the face of death will I allow myself extraneous items. Her lips curled into a grin as if she read my resolve. “Well. That was a long enough break. Let’s resume. Now, replicate my last movement.” Pain laced every inch of my skin, every fiber of my being. Yet mentally, I had never felt sharper. It was my turn to move. 「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has gained enlightenment through sparring with a master! Axemanship is now lvl 17.」 「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok’s skills have leveled up. Indomitability is now lvl 22. Combat Focus is now lvl 24. Clarity of Mind is now lvl 5.」