Chapter 3: What was that?
Silence fell over the training ground as Nero lay motionless on the ground, his body twitching.
Then, an uproar arose.
"Wow! Did you see that? Lord Barak used a weapon clad in lightning."
"Yes, I saw it. To think he is already capable of cladding his weapon with lightning."
"He did it less than two years after receiving his blessings. He is so talented; his future is limitless."
"He is a genius, a genius, I tell you."
While people marveled at what he had done, the person in question was not happy. In contrast, he wore a troubled expression on his face. Something was not right; he was sure that he had clad his wooden sword with lightning because he was angry at Nero’s dirty trick. He hadn’t planned to use this technique, as he had only recently become able to do it. It was not yet perfect, and he was saving it for the school entrance tests next month. Still, even if it was imperfect, it could vanish like a candle flickering in a storm. Something had happened—something he didn’t understand. Definitely, before reaching Nero, the lightning had vanished.
Although he remembered Nero’s weapon passing his own before it happened, he discarded the absurd thought that he was responsible, as there was no way that could be the case. He was utterly inutile; without any trace of primordial energy inside him, he couldn’t have done it. Shaking his head, Barak thought maybe it was just Nero’s luck, as the technique was unstable.
"Bring him back, and don’t forget to throw a low-level potion at him," he ordered his subordinates to drag Nero away.
°°°°
Two hours later, in the annex building, he woke up, the bed creaking as he set his foot down. His body ached all over, and he had trouble breathing; he guessed a few of his ribs must be broken. Pain coursed through him as he stood, wobbling and nearly falling face-first, but he managed to regain his balance. Glancing sideways, he spotted a small bottle containing a light red liquid—a low-level healing potion.
He took it with difficulty and headed toward the bathroom. Although it was a low-level potion, he was grateful for it, as he planned to use it to strengthen himself. Bathing in water infused with a healing potion helped bolster his muscles and toughen his bones, which was how he managed to endure their beatings.