When William returned to the training ground a month and a half later, his body was covered in bruises and wounds. But as if he was used to it, a slightly wry smile hung on his face. Even though the beatings he was taking were affecting him physically, he didn't care mentally.

After the first day, his grandfather said that he would not teach again until he had completed the iron body. William had also come here today to find out what would be called 'real training'. He also wanted to learn the technique his family used for those with a fire affinity.

This time as well, Pierce and Theo had arrived. They quickly staged a demonstration to deceive the soldiers. Pierce was not fascinated, but everyone watched Theo with great anticipation.

Theo first took off his long robe. Then he picked up a metal sword and concentrated for a second. What happened next could only be described as 'magical'. When William saw him too, he thought his father must be a mage. What he didn't know was that his own body was already beginning to change.

Through the meditation of the iron body, the qi power he had absorbed from nature was dominated by the metal element. He did not have the 'Eye' to notice it yet.

Theo's sword suddenly caught fire. The sword started to turn red. This heat did not affect the sharpness or durability of the sword but rather added power to the attacks.

Everyone was able to understand more clearly when Theo explained it.

"Not all fire is the same. Especially for warriors. There are more than ten types of fire, and ours is one of them. This fire is 'friendly' to the user. Some fires are even hostile to the user but more powerful. We can say that ours is relatively more 'docile.'"

He withdrew the fire from his sword and continued.

"When you study a technique, you use its meditation method. In general, meditation is a classic. It never slows you down, it just moves you forward. But it can be different from technique to technique. In general, people should choose according to their affinities. Otherwise, the progress will be very, very small. You are not yet at the level where you can see the elements in nature. When that day comes, you will know what I mean."

He took a chair and sat down, then continued the conversation.

"Two techniques at the same time is hardly recommended."

He looked at William as he said this.

"This is because your body gets used to the new technique you are using, and the more it gets used to the element of that technique, the more elements it absorbs. In other words, using two techniques means that the accustomed body is trying to get used to a different element each time. This is not completely unreasonable, but it increases the difficulty of the path for 'talented' people like us."

After saying these words, he gave them his meditation techniques, whether they understood them or not. It was also given to William, but Pierce's eyes said, 'Do not even think about it!' as he handed him the scroll.

Since William knew he was not that talented, he just studied and did not practice. Everyone else slowly began to learn new meditation techniques. Except for minor differences, there was nothing that separated the meditation techniques from each other. But those small differences changed the element they were absorbing. So the effect was huge.

To practice a technique, a meditation technique was not needed much, but since the elemental energy absorbed would be random and small, it was highly recommended to meditate with the element of that technique in the early stages. Not only would this shorten the time it took to complete the technique, but the element and the quality of the qi power within it would also be influenced by the technique. When the technique was used, the accustomed body would react faster and be more effective in demonstrating its power.

After about an hour, William began to get bored. Pierce and Theo waited patiently. After a while, Pierce told them to wake up from meditation and follow them to the armory.

William was excited now. He knew this was for real training.

Theo didn't bother with them anymore and left.

When they arrived at the armory, they were allowed to enter for the first time. The soldiers guarding the gate looked at them with stern faces. 'Could these two be Iron level?' they all thought.

The inside of the armory was aglow with all kinds of weapons and armor. There were nearly a hundred unused and completely clean leather and steel armors of an unknown number of times hardened.

Pierce looked at their excited faces and said, "Take your pick, steel or leather, they all have the same defense. So take what you like."

As if everyone agreed, those who used the fire technique chose steel armor and those who used the iron body technique chose leather armor. It was a complete set of armor. It consisted of body armor, two wrist guards, two leg guards, and a helmet. Those who chose and wore steel armor looked like a metal oven.

William also chose the leather armor. He fell in love with it at first sight. Not all opposites looked alike. It was clear that they were bought in pieces. After all, they weren't rich enough to mass produce the same armor.

William's armor was made up of pieces, like the scales of a fish. But he could feel that each piece had excellent defensive power. There was no space between the pieces. It was also very flexible in movement. The wrist guard was tied in the middle. Even the rope was made of the same leather. William put on the wrist guards first, then the leg guards. He put on the body armor and did stretches to test his mobility. He was very flexible, as he had expected. With this armor, he would not lose any of his flexibility.

The last thing he had to put on was the helmet. But he didn't want to wear it because it would affect his charisma. Then, in his mind, his scarred face came to life as his head still lacked muscles. He put it on immediately, fearing that his appearance would become ugly. Pulling the string on the side, it snapped onto his head like the hood of a hooded sweatshirt in a previous life. He felt no discomfort. He was pleased to see his reflection in the warehouse in the drawn armor. 'Now you look strong!' he said to himself.

He felt like the charismatic knights he always read about in books. He also knew he was stronger than them.

After everyone was done choosing armor, it was time to choose a weapon. All the weapons glowed with a light that seemed to be of good quality. Everyone chose the best one that could fit them, just like the choice of armor.

William had chosen a relatively thin sword. Certainly not as flashy as his father's sword. It was even a bit simple. In his previous life, he had always envied such sword-wielding people and martial arts. He would hold on tight if he had the opportunity to realize his dream in this life.

The sword he chose was one and a half meters long and one hand thick. It was slightly curved at the tip. He thought it would be perfect for cutting.

As William took the sword and tied the scabbard to his belt, he realized that Godo was beside him. Spears were displayed after his sword. There were over ten spears. Godo first chose an all-metal spear next to William's sword. It looked 'heavy'. The size of the spear was close to Godo's size, which was almost 190 cm.

Godo put the spear on his back and looked at William. He saw that he had chosen an average-looking sword.

He looked at the other swords and said, "I wish we could choose more than one. They all look so nice."

William saw Godo's greed.

"Bald donkey, don't even think about it. If even I can't get more than one, you don't stand a chance!" he said.

"Heh, actually it's all yours." He said, laughing.

"Not for now." William was also hopeless. Even as the son of a baron and a future baron, his father would not give him a penny. Whenever he wandered through the town, the shopkeepers treated him well and offered him something for nothing, but he knew that he would never get anything for nothing.

That's why he would feel just as poor as in his previous world when he enjoyed something.

All he could get were books, which were probably still on their way.

Pierce told them to follow him when this choice was over. Horses and bags were waiting for them outside. These horses were the same ones they had used in training.

Pierce mounted the first horse and began to ride slowly. Everyone copied his movements and began to follow Pierce on horseback, carrying the bags on their backs.

The Ruby Horses were indeed fast. By noon they had reached an outpost two days away at walking speed. They had passed the edge of the Black Forest on the way.

This outpost was surrounded by a trench of stakes. It was just an outpost with a few huts inside. When they entered, they encountered about ten strong soldiers. They were iron-level or close to it.

Pierce and the soldiers who came with him had nothing to do with the outpost guards. Pierce entrusted the horses to one of the soldiers and waited for the others to settle down.

When the last soldier finished tying up the horse, he said, "Get your bags, we are going to the Black Forest!"

Everyone lined up behind Pierce. William was the last. Fortunately, Godo was ahead of him.

When they were at the edge of the Black Forest, they heard Pierce calling to them.

"Follow me, do not leave the group. If you leave the group, the only way out is death!" he said.

Everyone nodded silently.

As they walked for a few hours, they noticed that the atmosphere was slowly warming up. Pierce stopped them in a small open area. He told them to take out their bags and eat the food inside. Everyone was really hungry. Inside the bag was enough dried meat and water for a few days. While everyone was quietly eating, Godo asked.

"Sir! Why didn't we see any creatures? Isn't this the Black Forest?"

Pierce answered patiently.

"Don't worry, we've pretty much cleared all the creatures to where we're going. It's a relatively safe route, but just in case, you shouldn't leave the group." He said and continued to eat.

After everyone was fed, Pierce continued on his way.

This trip took three full days. It wasn't because of the distance that it took so long. Some of the roads were so thick with plants that they had to walk slowly, cutting through, not knowing what to expect. The roads were not good enough for an ordinary person to cross. An untrained ordinary person would either get lost or die of exhaustion. The weather was getting warmer. By the second day, the heat had become so intense that the entire crew, except Pierce, was drenched in sweat.

They also encountered several powerful creatures along the way. One was a thorn-backed hyena. William nearly lost his mind when he saw it. This creature was as big as a car. Its entire back was covered in hedgehog-like thorns, but these thorns were all shiny metallic gray. Pierce had fought alone, saying the creature was too strong for the others. The battle between the two had lasted nearly twenty minutes.

Both had excellent defenses. In the end, Pierce took advantage of an opening with his piercing technique and killed it by plunging the spear into the creature's mouth. It was a bloody scene. Most of the soldiers wanted to vomit, but they held back. They didn't want to look weak.

Pierce cut off a large piece of its tough flesh, four claws, and two molars. He said these were the most valuable parts of the creature. They could be sold for a good price.

He took the meat with him, saying that it would be very useful for people who cultivate metal techniques. Then he distributed it to the soldiers.

During the first break after that, William tasted the meat of the hyena. It didn't taste very good and was a bit tough, but he could feel that it helped him improve his technique. He had started training before any of the soldiers here. He already felt that he was somewhat successful and that his defense was better than before. He thought, "If I eat this meat every day. It would be nice!'

After the group continued on their way, they encountered two more creatures. One of these creatures was a small firefox, but it could spit fire. Fortunately, it wasn't strong enough to break through Pierce's defenses. It was easily handled. They took the whole body of this creature to eat. He said that this was also a feast for those who cultivated the Fire Element technique.

The last creature was very special. William fell in love with it when he saw it. He thought, "How could such a beautiful creature be so ferocious?"

It was a Flame Mane Horse. It had the perfect appearance. Its mane, hooves, and tail were on fire.

Pierce fought it for half an hour. Both received wounds from the other. But after a while, the horse pretended to lose interest and fled. The war was not over. Pierce's iron body was covered with burns in several places.

The day they finally felt their hellish heat, Pierce told them they had come.

They emerged into a clearing among the large trees and tall plants that covered the sky. They realized that they were now at the bottom of a mountain. This mountain was so huge that it was comparable to Mount Everest, which he had only seen online in his previous life. But this mountain was also a volcano. The red color reflected from the lava in the sky and the lava slowly flowing down from the top made it look extremely scary.

He could see birds flying on the top of the mountain. They looked small, but considering that they were so far away, he realized that they must be at least as big as a house.

At the foot of the mountain, a kilometer away, they came to a huge cave, the entrance of which was surrounded by large metal barricades. A bare-chested soldier greeted them through a small door-like opening.

"Pierce! Welcome, my friend!" he said with a smile.

Although he looked like a very hot-headed man with his large, coarse beard and bald head, it was clear from his speech and tone that he was very gentle.

"I have received no word from the Baron about your coming." He said in a questioning tone.

"We did not plan to visit for another year. But these brats learn fast." He pointed at the soldiers behind him. Then he took a metal plate out of his pocket. "Here, will you let us in now? We're so tired, George." He said.

George took the plate from his hand and looked at it. Then he smiled again. "Welcome to your new home," he said and looked at the soldiers.

When they entered, they realized that this was a very large camp. The inside of the cave was very wide, as was the entrance.

It was almost like a small town. William could not see the end of the cave because of the darkness. But next to the fires, he saw the same metal barricades going into the depths of the cave. That meant this place was not safe.

As they sat down to rest by the fire, Pierce approached them and began to explain about this place.

"This mountain is our training ground. It is an excellent place to train your fire technique. You can also hunt fire creatures here, and you can become stronger by eating their flesh. Now there are more than seventy soldiers here. And all of them are stronger people with more experience than you. Try to learn from them. Starting tomorrow, you will be divided into groups and go hunting. From now on, your trainer will be George, not me," he said.

Then, pointing to William, Godo, and two others, he said, "You also have a good rest today. Our journey is not over yet. We'll leave at dawn tomorrow." Then he left to talk with George.

William's mind was full of questions. He knew that their barony must be strong. There were almost a hundred strong soldiers he saw in his castle and town, but he tried to think about why his father had hidden so many more soldiers. 'Most likely it has to do with the opportunity he wanted to seize,' he thought.

Still, it was good news. He felt safer now.

Still, all the questions in his mind were not erased. Was the place they were going to tomorrow a place rich in metal elements? 'Most likely,' he thought.

'I wonder how many soldiers are there?

These questions would not be answered. He would have to find out tomorrow.

Humming a song he remembered from his former world, he entered the tent they had been given. 'It will be very crowded tonight,' he thought as he entered. He fell asleep in the small space he found between the huge men.

...

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