Chapter 224: [224] Special Training

Although it was night, Ark stood by the side of the carriage, motioning for everyone to get in.

He had no plans on spending more time than was necessary to complete the dungeon. This was a test, after all.

So if they had to travel at night to save time, that was what they would do.

Of course, rest was important, but since they could sleep even more comfortably inside the sled, their efficiency would not be affected one bit.

Ark’s party members gave him odd looks as they walked past, climbing into the sled, likely still in awe at his display.

Some of them had their eyes on the bears, suspecting that they would run wild at any given moment.

But Ark knew that it would be impossible. After all, the Frost Bears’ compliance was not solely because he had given them a few choice words...

Frost bears did not have any complex, established language, only commands. But there was one universal language that one did not need to communicate verbally to use.

Violence.

No matter what shape or form it came in, violence could be easily understood. It was a language that transcended race and even time.

Ark’s instructions to his summons had been simple: Get me enough bears to pull the carriage using any means necessary.

He did not know the details as to how they carried out their task. Maybe they had set one of them on fire as an example? Or maybe they had threatened their offspring? The bottom line was that they produced results.

Although the bears were physically stronger than the salamanders, Ark’s bonds were too fast to realistically fight. Worst of all, they could shoot fire from a distance.

The Frost Bears must have realised that they were better off following them...

’Still, aren’t they a little too many?’ Ark stroked his chin. He had already secured five of them to the sled. There was no room for more.

"I guess the rest of you can go..." Ark waved his hands at them. They did not respond at first, but after commanding them in Beast Tongue, the remaining Frost Bears dashed away, pleased to be far away from the breathing flamethrowers by his sides.

Ark then turned his eye to their rider. "Rodolph. Think you can handle this?"

He was sitting in the rider’s part of the sled, his arms trembling on the reins.

"O-of course!"

"Good!"

Ark turned to face the people who hadn’t entered. They had been rounding up their various tasks, but now, they were done.

"Get in, everyone. We are about to leave."

"Finally!" Olivia smiled brightly as she stared at the imposing sled. "We won’t have to walk through this snow anymore."

She planted her hands on her waist, her smile widening as her imagination went wild.

The journey to Alask would take two days. Considering that Tai and Kenny were guarding the sled, along with the five monsters pulling it, there was little to no chance that the monsters would even get to them...

’Which means I will be able to have uninterrupted sleep throughout the journey!’ Olivia thought.

She could already imagine it, the chilling cold around them brushing against her skin while she was encapsulated by the warmth of the cabin!

She hurriedly made her way to the door and was about to step in when Ark suddenly grabbed her by the scruff of her armour and lifted her into the air.

Olivia froze, a deep feeling of unease coming over her.

"Where do you think you are going?" Ark asked as he shut the door.

"...?"

Olivia felt sweat beginning to form on her neck, her face turning pale with fear.

Ark tapped the door twice. "You can go, Rodolph. We will be fine on our own."

"...?!"

Ark turned her around to face him, her feet still dangling above the floor. Then he pulled out a blindfold from his inventory.

"We are going to spend the next twenty-four hours training nonstop."

"No... No... NOOOOOOOO!"

<•••>

Catching up to the carriage wouldn’t be a big problem since they could both fly, so Ark decided to use the little time he had to teach Olivia a few things.

If Olivia had even a little knowledge of the Patient Ear Soo-jin had taught him, she would have been able to defend against sneak attacks.

Olivia was in no way weak. It was amazing that she was able to keep up with him and even help him in his battles.

She was also no doubt stronger than most of their peers...

But the more powerful Ark grew, the greater his challenges would be. Even if she was strong now, she would have to be much stronger if she wanted to survive.

Ark never wanted to see her in the state she had been in today, so this training was important. Olivia had to grow stronger.

As the sled vanished in the distance, Olivia held her axe forward, her eyes tied closed as she was battered by the blizzard.

"Umm... is this a punishment?! Did I do something wrong?"

Ark took a step in the snow, listening as the ice crunched below his feet. Olivia was lucky they were in such an environment. When he was trained, Soo-jin had been like a ghost.

"Do you remember what I taught you last time?"

Olivia’s wings immediately fluttered as the realisation hit her.

"You taught me to see. Wait, are you going to teach me another trick?" she asked excitedly.

"It turns out it is actually called the Seeing Eyes." Ark walked closer, his voice now almost a whisper, and each word came out cold. "Now I am going to teach you the Patient Ear..."

"...okay." Olivia’s voice became skeptical. "But why did you say it like that?"

"Because this is going to be painful."

"So very painful~"

During his training with Soo-jin, there were times when he would have to sleep on one side because he had been mercilessly beaten during their training.

For someone who relied so much on her eyes, Ark was sure it was going to take a long time before Olivia got used to his training, which meant she was going to receive a whole lot of beatings.

"...?"

"Olivia, do you know what I am holding right now?" Ark asked, caressing his weapon. He lifted it up and smiled internally as the faint light caused it to glisten.

"A-Ark, why are you sounding weird-d?" Sweat slipped down Olivia’s face, pooling on her jaw. "What are you planning to do?" She took two steps back, panic beginning to set in.

"I am holding a crowbar."

Olivia’s face went pale, and she hurriedly reached for the blindfold, but Ark had already appeared in front of her.

"Olivia, try to dodge my attacks using sound alone!" he said, almost with glee, as he brought the crowbar down upon her head.

<•••>

Alask village.

A woman was sitting next to a cottage in the bitter snow, tending to her axe. She ground the whetstone against the blade over and over again, repeatedly, watching as the iron shaped itself to a point.

Yet, she did not stop...

Shvkkkl—!!

Shvhkkk—!!

The cold winds washed over her, causing her dark red hair to flutter around her face. But she was not distracted. Her golden eyes were filled with intense focus.

The blade was polished so much that she could see her reflection on it, that comely face and the scar across her right eye that apparently ruined it.

Many said the scar had spoiled her beauty, but she wore it like a badge of honour. It was a sign of her survival, proof that she had stared death in the eye.

She continued to grind her whetstone against the axe, pouring her anger into it. And then a gentle hand stopped her.

"Yrsa, that is enough."

The hand was old and frail. She could easily snap it in two if she wished.

But Yrsa recognised those hands. As weak as they were, they were the very fingers that kept the village together.

The whetstone slid down the surface of the axe and landed in the snow, melting through it. Then Yrsa looked up at the man beside her...

"Fathe— sorry—village chief. I apologise for not recognising your presence earlier."

The old man was frail not only from age but also from starvation. They all were.

The village chief shook his head. "Tah." He made a disgruntled sound. "Don’t bore me with those traditions, Yrsa."

He turned around to face the direction of the gate. "Don’t worry, your uncle will be back in due time. Punishing your axe for it won’t bring him back any sooner."

"..."

Yrsa was quiet for a few seconds. Was it really possible that he would survive? In these conditions? As starved as he was?

"Do you think..." Yrsa knew she was being foolish to even entertain the idea...

"Do you think he found anything?"

But without hope, what else would they have?

The old man laughed, but his laughter was empty. "Who knows? Maybe we may yet see another miracle."

As Yrsa watched him stumble away, she stared at her hands and sighed.

"Two miracles, huh...?"

The first would be his survival, the second would be that he found food. Yrsa walked into her cottage and stared at her daughter.

The little girl had been sleeping since dark just to conserve her energy until the rations were given out by midnight.

Bitter rage swirled within Yrsa’s veins as she turned her gaze away from her daughter. She had already lost her husband. If things continued the way they were going, she would lose her too.

"... If the gods were that kind, then they would not have drowned the world in ice..."