Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

Kairen started to cast the spell.

Casting the spell after practicing the whole day yesterday wasn't hard at all. Kairen had even gotten a little bit faster in casting that spell after repeatedly casting it so many times.

The casting speed wasn't the problem though. Kairen was supposed to decrease the amount of mana used in casting the spell, and it wasn't an easy task at all.

He had to maintain the attack power and even increase it while lowering mana usage and at the same time being careful that the spell wouldn't break apart before it is completed.

While trying to keep all of those factors in mind, Kairen started to cast the spell. It didn't take long for a fireball to appear in his hand. The fireball was smaller in size compared to the one he created the other day, but it was burning brighter and more powerful than before.

And that bright burning fireball was shot towards the training targets. It split into numerous small fireballs as it was supposed to and hit the targets around it, burning them all to ashes.

SHHHH

After only a few seconds, nothing remained of the training targets that were hit by it. 

The attack wasn't as strong as captain Neal's, but it had surely gotten stronger compared to the one that Kairen used 2 days ago.

Kairen took his eyes off of the training targets' ashes and raised his head to look at captain Neal.

"Hmm..."

Captain Neal glanced at the destroyed targets.

"You've improved, I can say."

"Really?"

Kairen asked excitedly.

Yeah, there was no way he wouldn't improve. He had tried so hard yesterday and the day before. 

Just look at the targets, they were all destroyed in the blink of an eye.

Kairen smiled proudly.

Captain Neal continued talking.

"You've improved. The spell was stronger with a smaller amount of mana used in it. But it's only a little bit. So tiny that most people wouldn't realize if they are not professionals like me. Maybe, like 8 percent? Yeah, something like that."

"...."

Kairen's smile froze on his lips.

Captain Neal raised one eyebrow and folded her arms.

"Also, it was only one single spell. If you need so much effort to strengthen and learn how to cast one single spell efficiently, how long will it take to learn all the spells out there?"

"...."

Kairen started at the woman's face, his expression like someone who was punched in the face.

"Well, it's still good for someone like you I guess."

"...."

Kairen's eyebrow twitched.

'Someone like me?'

What do you mean by that?

Kairen took a deep breath, still looking at captain Neal's face.

'Why do you want to ruin my mood so much, huh?'

Didn't this woman not want to talk to him the first time they met? Why is she talking so much now? 

'Do you enjoy insulting people and ruining their mood? What have I even done wrong!'

The captain continued to talk, not even paying attention to Kairen's expression.

"Anyway, it's still nice. Even if it takes years, you can at least improve. You will be fine if you train hard and improve as long as you don't get yourself killed in a mission. That's good news, right? There is still hope. There is still a way for you. Good for you good for you."

She talked to Kairen as if she was trying to give hope to a near-death patient, or comfort someone who was expelled from their job recently and was now left with no money. She talked as if she didn't really believe what she said and only said those words to tell Kairen how incompetent he was while not making him feel too bad.

And, that hurt.

It hurt a lot.

Kairen thought he would feel much better if captain Neal just went on and said he sucked at doing magic and she didn't want to waste her time on him than saying it like that.

Kairen held back his tears and opened his mouth after a long silence.

"Thank you..."

He didn't have anything else to say. Kairen just thanked him with a low voice.

Captain Neal took her eyes off of the burnt training targets and started walking towards the exit.

"Then, keep training the same thing till next week. One week from now, the same time."

"Y-yes?"

Kairen was surprised after hearing those words.

'Keep training? She wants to continue teaching me?'

Kairen didn't understand the captain. She said he was bad and didn't improve much one moment, then said she would continue teaching him the other moment. 

'What is she thinking now? Why waste your precious time on me?'

Captain Neal waved her hand in the air.

"Let's call it a day."

She didn't turn back and left the gym immediately.

"...Really..."

Left behind in the gym, Kairen had nothing to do but to keep practicing.

'She said it was like 8 percent right? I can do more if I have one week this time.'

There was nothing else he could do anyway. With or without captain Neal, Kairen would still try to improve his skills. He didn't want to get hurt or killed in a mission after all.

. . . . . . 

[Thieve that weren't satisfied with what they've earned so far, target the mines of another country.]

The newscaster read the news with an emotionless face.

[This morning, three mascry mines in Bordkly, the neighboring country of Hainston, were looted with the similar methods used by the famous mascry thieves that have been robbing mascry mines and stealing all of the ores of mascry mines in Hainston in recent few weeks. It is highly likely that the culprit is the same thief or thieves that had been going on a rampage in Hainston. It is said that the methods used to steal the ores are exactly the same ones used to loot Hainston's mines. Bordkly has demanded that those thieves get captured as soon as possible and be handed to them.]

Crunch Crunch

Pat Pat Pat

Crunch Crunch

Kairen took another piece of potato chips and pushed it into his mouth with one hand and patted Ariyan's head with the other while listening to the news. 

Ariyan glanced at the packet of chips in front of Kairen for a moment, then looked at the one in his father's hand. He picked up another potato chip from the packet in Kain's hands. The father and son were sharing one packet while Kairen had a whole packet for himself. Ariyan looked at Kairen with envy and put the potato chips in his mouth.

[The police, unable to solve the problem, had handed the case to Special Military Forces. Special Military Forces have started the investigation immediately. There are now agents guarding every single mine in the country. Special Military Forces are searching...]

Crunch Crunch

Kain took another potato chip.

"Papa, don't eat all of it. I want to have more!"

Finally unable to resist any longer, Ariyan snatched the chips packet out of Kain's hand and hugged it like a treasure chest.

"Uh?"

Kain was surprised because of the sudden protest for a moment, but he soon smiled and reached out to take back the packet.

"But you can't have it all. It's not healthy for you."

Ariyan hugged the packet tougher while pointing at Kairen with his tiny finger.

"If it's unhealthy then why don't you say that to uncle? He ate one whole packet!"

"Eh?"

Kairen turned to look at the kid that was pointing at him with his finger as if he had found a criminal red-handed.

"Kid, I'm much older than you."

"Uncle can eat more chips because he is older?"

"Of course!"

"That's not right! If chips are bad for me then they are bad for uncle Kairen as well! Uncle, you shouldn't also eat them if I can't!"

Ariyan then grabbed and pulled Kain's sleeve.

"Papa, don't let uncle its chips from now on!"

"Wha-"

Kain chuckled and pulled Ariyan's two cheeks.

"Pfft! Ahem- I've told you not to bully my Lil' bro, Ariyan. Why are you so upset about him eating potato chips, huh?"

"OOWWIIE!"

"Hahaha! Tell me, why?"

"THWIS HUWTSS!! PAPAAA!!"

Kain ignored the kid's pained scream and continued to pull his cheeks. 

"OWWIEE!"

The kid eventually let go of the precious potato chips packet and grabbed his father's hands with his small hands, trying to separate them from his cheeks. Of course, he wasn't successful.

"Alright, I won't let your uncle eat a lot of chips anymore! Are you happy now?"

"Owwie!"

Kairen crumbled his empty chips packet with two hands. 

"Are you now making fun of me?"

Finally letting go of Ariyan's cheeks, Kain raised his head to look at Kairen with a smile. 

"Oh? Of course, we are not."

"It still hurtssss bad papa!"

Ariyan groaned while massaging his cheeks with teary eyes. Kain looked down at his son, then suddenly smiled mischievously.

"Come to think of it, I used to pull your cheeks like this when you were younger, Kairen. Do you remember?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Well, you don't. How bad. Hmm, Hehehe! Kairen~ Lil' bro~"

Kain said those and raised his hands in the air with a scary smile on his lips.

"...."

Flinch

'Oh, no!'

Kairen hurriedly got up from the sofa.

"I'm tired. I'll go to sleep."

"No, wait. Kairen~ My cute Lil' brother~"

"Good night."

Kairen didn't know what Kain was planning to do. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be something nice.. Kairen felt that he had to run away from him at any cost.