"Before we start... my new disciple, I want you to tell me the truth."
Alfia spoke with her eyes still closed.
"You ignored my warning and told Loki and the others about me, didn't you?"
Her voice suddenly turned cold, and the temperature around them seemed to drop.
"Eh?"
Belle noticed the chilling atmosphere surrounding her aunt and quickly hid behind Judas.
Judas, meanwhile, simply stared back.
He didn't flinch... from the start, he never feared her.
"An unyielding fighting spirit that never bends or bows to the strong... you'll fight anyone, even knowing they're stronger than you."
The gloomy aura around Alfia vanished, replaced by a faint nod of approval, though her expression remained neutral.
"However, from your eyes, I can see it... that self-destructive spark burning beneath the surface."
"That habit of yours... the way you throw yourself into danger without hesitation, as if you're trying to prove something... or perhaps, punish yourself."
"If you don't change, those same flames that drive you forward will one day consume you. And when that happens, you won't die in glory... you'll simply burn out, long before you ever reach the strength you're meant to have."
Alfia opened her eyes, as if staring straight into his soul.
Judas' eyes widened at her words.
He was shaken to the core... she had seen right through him.
"Hmm... it seems you're already aware of this. Looks like you've already paid the price for your recklessness."
Alfia muttered, noticing his reaction.
"Maybe I was wrong to expect more from you."
Judas stared at her for a moment before speaking.
"What are you getting at?"
He tried to hide it but his composure was nearly shaken.
But the silver-haired woman didn't answer.
Before he could react, Alfia vanished from sight.
His instincts kicked in... Judas barely managed to dodge a fist aimed straight at his ribs.
The air pressure alone from her punch shattered a section of the wall behind him.
"We're starting already?"
Judas asked, keeping his eyes locked on his so-called master as he raised his guard.
"Why are you crying about it?"
"In battle, would an enemy ever warn you before turning you into a corpse?"
Her words cut like a blade, scolding him for such a foolish question.
"First day of training... try to survive."
Leaving those words behind, Alfia's figure faded into a blur.
Each punch and kick felt like an explosion as Judas desperately dodged and blocked.
Belle, watching from the sidelines, clasped her hands together and started praying.
'Mister Judas, please live.'
Having experienced firsthand how brutal her aunt's teaching methods were, Belle silently begged the gods in heaven for Judas' survival.
'This bitch...'
Judas thought with a crooked smile as he looked down at the bruises spreading across his body.
"Were you thinking something rude about me just now?"
Alfia suddenly appeared before him, her fist flying toward his stomach.
Judas tried to move, but it was pointless... her speed surpassed anything he could perceive.
"You're slow."
Her fist connected, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Judas clutched his stomach, gritting his teeth in pain.
'Fortunately, I didn't have breakfast before coming here.'
Smoke began to rise from his body as his wounds started to heal.
"That's a useful ability you have... a self-healing skill?"
"Good. That means I can tort— I mean, train you a little longer."
Alfia said as she looked down at his kneeling form, watching the purple and black bruises fade from his skin.
'Are all first-class adventurers a bunch of sadistic bastards or something?'
The moment she stepped back into striking distance, Judas spun on his heel and lashed out with a roundhouse kick.
Alfia merely stepped aside, dodging it with minimal effort.
"Your close combat ability is decent... but you're still a beginner who's just learned how to walk."
She commented before unleashing a flurry of strikes.
A kick to the midsection that shattered his ribs.
A punch to the face that broke his nose.
A strike to the shin that nearly made him scream in pain.
Alfia was relentless with her attacks.
A one-sided beatdown.
If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would've thought Alfia bore some kind of blood feud against Judas.
"Get up."
Alfia's cold voice cut through the air as Judas lay on the ground in agony, gasping for breath.
"Do you think the dungeon would give you time to rest? By now, a pack of monsters would've spawned and eaten you alive."
She spoke before kicking him while he was still crawling across the floor.
"I'm starting to think you just want to beat me up!"
Judas barked, forcing himself upright, glaring at her defiantly.
"Disrespectful."
She muttered coldly before her figure blurred.
"That's not how you talk to your master."
With surgical precision, Alfia grabbed his arm, twisted her body, and slammed him face-first into the ground.
CRACK!
A sharp pain shot through Judas' shoulder.
He tried to stand, but Alfia stomped him back down, his face grinding against the concrete once more.
"Other than fixing that self-destructive habit of yours..."
Alfia's voice loomed over him.
"Your close combat skills need more refining."
"It seems that I have a lot of work to do."
Judas pushed himself up, spitting blood onto the ground.
His vision blurred from pain, yet he refused to yield.
"Again."
Alfia paused.
For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes... approval, perhaps? Expectation?
"Alright."
She muttered softly.
"Again."
What followed was nothing short of a brutal, one-sided beatdown.
Every strike Judas attempted was countered.
Every move, every mistake, was punished.
His legs trembled, his arms hung heavy as lead, yet Alfia refused to stop.
After nearly an hour of enduring her merciless training, Judas collapsed onto his back, chest heaving.
"That's it for today. You may rest."
Those words marked the end of the torture... but Judas knew more days like this awaited him.
His body felt like it was on fire, yet somehow...
He smiled, though faintly.
It hurt... every fiber of muscle in his body ached... but Judas was a training maniac who loved the thrill of growth.
Alfia noticed this, and the edges of her lips curled ever so slightly.
'I didn't even tell him not to use his magic... looks like he understood the assignment immediately.'
'To maximize his growth, he deliberately handicapped himself by fighting without relying on his spells.'
Yes... Judas had been fighting with a level 2 status this entire time.
Alfia turned to Belle, who had been quietly watching the sparring session.
"You'll spar against each other after he recovers."
"Also... I'm sure you already know this, but using magic is forbidden."
She stared at Judas in particular.
"That would defeat the whole purpose of your spar."
"I want to see how well you two adapt to each other's fighting styles."
Alfia ordered.
"Eh? B-but—"
Belle stammered, earning a vicious glare from her aunt.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!"
Belle straightened her posture instinctively.
Alfia's gaze shifted back to Judas, still sprawled on the ground, bruised and battered.
Smoke rose steadily from his body as his healing ability worked overtime.
"You're not half bad but you still have a long way to go."
Alfia said at last.
It was probably the only bit of 'praise' he'd hear from her for a long time.
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