Chapter 172
For the next two weeks, the group focused intensely on training. They threw ourselves into workouts, sparring sessions, and endurance drills, pushing their bodies to their limits and exhausting their aura and mana as much as possible.
"Huff! Huff!"
Heavy panting filled the empty area in front of the abandoned building as they exerted theirselves. Nearby, Rex was locked in a sparring match with Cypher. The two of them moved like well-rehearsed dancers, exchanging blows with a rhythm that had developed over a week of training.
Clang!
Clang!
Swoosh!
The sharp, metallic sound of their swords colliding echoed through the makeshift training ground. Rex felt like his hands were going to explode from the effort, but he didn’t lose focus. Cypher, with a fluid motion like flowing water, struck low and then followed with a swift crossway slash that left Rex barely able to react.
"Huk!" Rex gasped as Cypher’s blade found its mark, pushing him back and off balance.
"Ha... Ha... I lost," Rex admitted, raising his hands in surrender and collapsing onto the ground, his breath coming in heavy gasps.
Whitney, acting as the referee, brandished a small piece of cloth that she had transformed into a white flag. "Rex 0, Cypher 10!" she declared, her voice carrying authority.
"... Since when did you become a referee?" Rex grumbled as he got up, dusting off the dirt that clung to his clothes before stepping back to catch his breath.