The Indomitable Martial King

[ Chapter 4 ]

The Gym Unbreakable is among the most unique martial sects scattered across the continent, holding a distinctly unusual philosophy.

Typically, whether one becomes a warrior, a knight, a swordsman, or a martial artist, the fundamental framework of their training remains unchanged. It involves refining one’s breathing, strengthening the body, and mastering various techniques to enhance overall proficiency as a martial artist. Although the specific methods may vary greatly, leading to the emergence of different schools, the basic approach is generally similar.

However, the philosophy of the Gym Unbreakable denies these fundamentals.

“First, create a perfect body!”

Gerard shouted relentlessly as he whipped mercilessly.

“The reason humans wield weapons is that they are weak. They wear armor because their bodies are frail, and they take up swords, spears, and axes in place of claws and teeth they lack. How foolish is that!”

Even while being beaten, Repenhardt found this absurd. Why would using tools be considered foolish?

Gerard immediately answered.

“It’s an escape! A pathetic escape of those who cannot overcome their own frailty! A true martial artist should strive to train and overcome their weaknesses!”

Repenhardt was dumbfounded, having never encountered such a simplistic and brutish way of thinking in his 50 years of living as a magician. Fortunately, the gag in his mouth prevented any reaction from being noticeable. Gerard continued speaking.

“So first, one must create an unbreakable, perfect, indomitable body.”

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Even as his hand never rested from swinging the cudgel, Gerard calmly explained the philosophy of the Gym Unbreakable. He reasoned that repeating familiar stories might help his disciple recover from amnesia more quickly.

Unlike other schools that combine physical training with skill practice, the Gym Unbreakable rejects this. Given the short human lifespan and the lofty realms of martial arts to be achieved, they argue, how can one reach these heights by dabbling in this and that?

“Truly, those who focus on digging one well will eventually succeed.”

Thus, they prioritize perfecting the body first. With a perfected body, skill training becomes easier as the body is at its peak activation, allowing for quick skill acquisition and reducing the time needed to correct bad habits. This is the core argument of the Gym Unbreakable. The first step to creating this perfect body is to turn the body into steel.

“Humans are like iron. Both iron and humans become stronger and more durable the more they are forged.”

‘Why are humans compared to iron! There’s a serious flaw in your logic from the start, you!’

Repenhardt had long forgotten the fact that if his body had not been like this from the beginning, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

Gerard, upon entering the house, fetched from the storage the item he always used. It was a gigantic bathtub made entirely of marble, big enough for a fully grown man to submerge himself completely with room to spare. Then, he filled the bathtub with water.

True to his reputation as the king of strength of his era, his method of filling the tub was nothing short of impressive. While ordinary people would laboriously carry water in buckets to fill the tub, this muscular behemoth had no need for such tedious steps. He simply lifted the entire bathtub and dipped it into the pond behind the house, effectively filling it in one go. This immense object, made entirely of marble, was handled as if it were a mere washbowl by Gerard, who then proceeded to pour a drum of some liquid into it and added various herbs.

He then returned to Repenhardt. Having watched Gerard’s actions closely, Repenhardt asked with a tinge of fear in his voice.

“What, what is that?”

“What else? If you’ve worked the metal, you need to cool it down.”

With a nonchalant reply, Gerard grabbed Repenhardt by the nape of his neck. Once again, he employed the ‘mother cat carrying her kitten’ method. It seemed that this old man knew no other way to carry people. Indeed, a muscular old man carrying a muscular disciple like a princess could be considered a horror scene in its own right.

“Now, then…”

Holding his disciple by the nape, Gerard manipulated his aura. Golden aura surged and flowed before seeping into the entirety of Repenhardt’s battered body.

“Ugh, ugh?”

Repenhardt groaned at an odd sensation, but even amidst the pain, he felt his body healing at an astonishing rate. He was familiar with a similar effect from previous magic, which allowed him to recognize the activation and amplification of his body’s regeneration capabilities. Bones realigned, ligaments tightened, and swollen muscles returned to their proper places.

In simpler terms, Gerard was currently healing and massaging his disciple’s entire body with his aura. The Unbreakable Aura, unique to the Gym Unbreakable, was renowned across the continent for its exceptional ability to manipulate the physical body, possessing such healing properties.

After tending to Repenhardt’s body for a while with his aura, Gerard then stripped his disciple completely and placed a large funnel in his mouth. Of course, he still paid no heed to his disciple’s will. Repenhardt, having no energy left to resist, compliantly accepted the funnel. After all, he had somewhat anticipated this when he saw the bathtub being filled.

‘I mean, I could just undress myself, but why go through all this…’

But then again, he was in no condition to even flick a finger after being beaten to a pulp, lacking the strength to undress himself. It wasn’t as if Gerard had a hobby of undressing his young male disciples for fun.

“Alright, then. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Gerrard submerged Repenhardt completely in the bath, then covered it with a lid. The lid had a hole big enough to breathe through, so Repenhardt, floating in the water, could somehow still breathe. He blankly stared into the water around him.

At first, he hadn’t noticed, but upon closer inspection, the contents were no joke.

‘My goodness, healing potions, Gerel herb, petals of the Fetals flower…’

Healing potions are items that would cost a fistful of silver coins per bottle from any reputable Mage’s Guild. To fill a bathtub with them? Even if the water was somewhat diluted, considering the amount of healing potion used, the cost was astronomical. There was an old story about a queen who bathed in milk for skin beauty. If she saw this, she could brag about her frugality to the whole world.

Furthermore, the herbs added were also expensive, all known for their potent healing properties. Submerging in the water, he could feel his wounds healing and his body recovering at an astonishing rate. At the same time, he was acutely aware of his own resilience.

‘This training method wasn’t unfounded after all…’

After strengthening every muscle and bone in his body to the brink of death, then quickly healing with the power of aura and medicinal water, his body regenerated before any serious illness could take hold, becoming even more robust.

‘After all, if Teslon could survive up to now by doing this, it really says something. Truly, even a troll could be beaten to death with this kind of strength.’

There was indeed a logical aspect to it that warranted acknowledgment. Of course, emotionally, it was the last thing he wanted to accept. Why, after all, did he need to go through so much to become stronger? Others seemed to grow strong quite normally without such extremes.

‘Teslon must have been repeating this kind of training for years, hasn’t he?’

The depth of Teslon’s strength, to withstand his magic so, became instantly clear.

“Sigh…”

A deep sigh flowed beyond his lips. The healing spring water caressed his body, gradually easing the pain. Only now did he begin to regain his senses and the capacity to grasp the situation.

Immersed in the healing waters, Repenhardt quietly sank into his thoughts.

‘First of all, it’s clear that this is the past…’

Considering Teslon’s age, it seemed he had traveled back about 30 years. He had a hypothesis about why he was reincarnated into Teslon’s body. It was at the very moment the time regression spell was activated that Teslon’s attack pierced through the magic, causing a surge of magical power. It likely resulted from that aftermath.

‘Hold on. Then, what about me in this time period?’

Repenhardt’s brows furrowed deeply.

Does that mean a younger version of Repenhardt exists in this time period? Can two identical souls exist in the same space and time? According to the principles of magic, that was impossible.

But then, traversing time was also supposed to be impossible by the standards of magic. The moment Repenhardt traveled back in time, those standards became unreliable.

‘Then…’

The brain of a magician, who once sought the pinnacle of magic, began to spin rapidly.