Clyde glanced at the man and woman. They didn't look much older than him. However, they were probably already in their twenties.
It only shows from their appearance. In a place like this Clyde couldn't tell if someone's appearance really suited their age.
"It's fine. I'm not really dead," Clyde said in an even tone.
The two of them still had guilty faces. But a moment later they tried to lighten the mood and change the subject.
"So uhh... your name is Clyde?" said the man. "I'm Wayne. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Lahn," said the short-haired woman. "I hope what happened earlier doesn't affect our further friendship."
Lahn glanced at Clyde with a warm smile. Filled with the hope that her words just now would come true.
However, Clyde could not immediately answer her words. The bitter feeling of having just experienced a cruel betrayal suddenly felt like a sting in his chest.
That made Clyde's eyes sharpen as he looked at Lahn. He immediately looked away from the woman so as not to offend her.
Clyde realized that the woman was not at fault. At least until proven otherwise. Clyde only felt traumatized when he saw someone kind to him.
"Sure," said Clyde. Once again, in a cold tone.
Lahn immediately lost her smile. But she and Wayne had also heard from Samuel about Clyde's story.
Lahn and Wayne looked at each other. Through their eyes, they both seemed to say that they understood Clyde's attitude.
"Hey, Clyde. Maybe you can't do anything yet. But you can see they're practicing to get a sense of what we're doing here," Samuel said.
Clyde who had controlled his feelings looked at Samuel. "Maybe that's a good idea."
Hearing that, Lahn and Wayne exchanged glances and nodded. Wayne then goes inside the portal. Possibility to pick up a new sword.
"Here if you want to quickly restore your strength, you have to train hard," Lahn said. "Without the power that the system gives us, we are nothing."
Clyde wasn't sure if he had lost his system powers. But he didn't say that.
"I'm sure Samuel already told you about Mana. To control it I need a lot of time and hard work. Even for someone like me."
Clyde glanced at Lahn. She reminded him of Sonya, somehow.
Clyde knows that Sonya and Asqa were already inside the portal before he was stabbed in the back and probably has no idea what happened.
'I don't want to think about them now.' Clyde shook his head.
Supposedly, the two of them were fine with all the achievements they got because of him.
But clearly, they wouldn't be higher than Rodney and his Regressors friends. Who has basically stolen whatever achievement he got.
"With your injuries, you should probably rest for another month to be able to train. Or your body will be destroyed and you will become a Phantram."
Clyde turned to her. "You talked a lot."
Lahn blinked her eyes a few times, looking taken aback.
"Ha ha ha!" Samuel laughed.
Lahn clenched his jaw. "You should be thanking me since I talk a lot. You are new here, you won't know many things so I explain it willingly to you."
"Samuel has been doing that for a while," Clyde replied.
When Lahn almost opened her mouth to say something more, Wayne came out of the portal carrying five swords.
"Alright! Let's start again," Wayne told Lahn.
"Yes," Lahn replied with his eyes still glued to Clyde.
Clyde was not looking at her again but instead looked at the people over there who were practicing their Magical attack.
After a while, Clyde noticed that several more other groups were practicing quite a distance from where they were.
Flashes of lightning and fire shot out from them. Indicates that they are also fighting with Mana.
Another group trains with melee weapons like spears, swords, and possibly a quarterstaff.
When Clyde saw them, Lahn and Wayne had already walked away and got into a stance to start fighting.
Meanwhile, Samuel was back behind Clyde. he said. "Lahn and Wayne have been in this place for years. It's been a long time since they trained but they are still quite far from their strength when using the power of the system."
"Why is that?" Clyde asked.
"Basically, they are ordinary humans who touch Mana for the first time. So, they need to adjust for a long time."
For now, Clyde chose to pay attention to them first. He also wanted to see how the others practiced using Mana and casting magic attacks. But they are quite far away so he put that aside for now.
Lahn and Wayne shot toward each other. Then their blades clashed in a quick clash.
*CLANG!*
The sparks from their clashing blades looked like fireworks. Even under this bright sun, Clyde could see that clearly.
They had only been fighting for a few moments, but Clyde already knew who had the upper hand there.
Lahn definitely mastered the sword better than Wayne. It's only natural that she was able to break Wayne's sword several times.
Lahn seemed to have the basics of sword mastery. Clyde thought maybe she had been practicing since childhood, judging from her stance and movements.
While Wayne may have just wielded a sword during the apocalypse. So he only knows how to swing it as hard as he can to slash the enemy.
Clyde realized that his condition was the same as Wayne's.
He could use the sword so easily because of the power of the system. Because of that Clyde hopes that his power of the system will return.
He spent there forty minutes until finally Samuel said he had to go back. Clyde could only comply because he felt he had finished seeing the big picture of what he was going to do next.
After returning Clyde to the infirmary, Samuel returned to the vast plains. This time he brought his spear.
"What do you think?" Samuel asked Lahn and Wayne who were resting.
"I don't feel any Mana in him," Wayne said. "Looks like he'll have to be patient a bit longer so he can get his revenge."
"I agree," Lahn nodded. "He's also quite annoying. Do you think it's worth sacrificing so much of our resources to save him?"
"I have a good feeling about him." Samuel looked at Lahn. "Just like when I saved you from Asmodeus."
Hearing that name, Lahn's body suddenly stiffened. Her body reflexively felt a sudden pressure coming from her memory.
"Sorry." Samuel genuinely felt guilty.
"I-Its okay. I understand what you mean," Lahn said after trying to hold back her mixed emotions.
Wayne who was in front of her looked at Lahn with a sympathetic look.
He knew what Lahn was going through and all of that made him shrouded in rage. Every time he recalled it, the rage he felt towards that Demon King grew bigger.
"Anyway, let's get back to practice," Samuel said.
Lahn and Wayne were back on their feet. This time the two of them will be together against Samuel.
"Are you ready?" asked Samuel as he spun his spear with an easer.
Wayne and Lahn had fought Samuel many times. And they have never won once. Yet, they also never give up because they know, the moment they succeed in defeating Samuel is the moment when their strength is sufficient to fight at least a servant of Celestials.
Wayne and Lahn looked at each other, then they shot toward Samuel simultaneously. They stepped on the grass pulling them from the ground and sending them flying.
*CLANG!*
Samuel blocked their sword slashes with his spear. Lahn spun her body quickly and directed her slash from the bottom up.
While Wayne only raised his sword and then slashed it with even higher strength.
Samuel avoided Lahn's slash by shifting his body to the side. Then hit Wayne's sword which was still in the middle of the slashing.
Samuel kicked Wayne in the stomach, sending him flying several meters back. He wanted to hit Lahn with his spear, however, Lahn was able to move fast enough to avoid that and attacked from the side.
Lahn confronted Samuel in a swift move. Wayne who saw it from the side once again regretted his lag.
He gritted his teeth. Then shook his head as if to drive the thought away. Wayne shot up to them and joined the fight again.
And then, the three of them engaged in a fierce battle for hours.
But that wasn't over yet, even though they were already out of breath, to reach the level of strength they hoped for, there was no other way but to keep practicing.
~~~
While they were all undergoing training in a harsh and merciless fight, Clyde was lying on the bed.
He looked at the shackle in his left hand which was continuously emitting a blue glow in a steady rhythm.
"A month? Does it really have to be that long?"
~~~
