Fang Chu started the procedure once again. The mana flew from her left hand to her right, using Ben’s body as intermediary. The amount was decreased once again, because if Ben felt pain with his temporally enhanced senses, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate at all.

Ben finally felt something. It was a tingling sensation coursing through his body. Wherever it went through, his bones, muscles and other cells would rejoice and strengthen slightly. It wasn’t like he was seeing this with his eyes, it was more of an instinctual understanding that was hard to describe. He felt his entire mind quaking with such discovery. An entire new world of understanding was slowly opening up to him.

“How was it?”

“I felt something! Do it again!”

“Okay, let’s do a couple more and then I’ll teach you the basic mantras.”

“Mantras?”

“It’s what people around here call magical spells or formulas. A way to manipulate mana through words, gestures, breathing, materials, etc.”

“Oh.”

Fang Chu circulated mana through Ben’s body a few more times. With each try, Ben’s senses towards mana grew clearer. It was a wonderful feeling, like putting on prescription glasses for the first time and noticing how blind you were before.

After that, the redhead taught him her sect’s training mantra and helped him through it. Ben sat with his legs crossed, his eyes closed and controlled his breathing. He repeated the words Fang Chu taught him under his breath and concentrated the best he could. It took him half an hour before he could get everything right and feel the first specs of mana draw into his body from his own efforts. He did a full circulation cycle before opening his eyes in excitement.

“I did it! I managed to circulate mana into my body! It was much less mana than when you did it, but still!”

“Congratulations,” she said with a smile. “I think this is obvious, but it bears saying anyway. You’re not allowed to disclose what I taught you to anyone.”

“Of course!”

“Then let’s keep going. We need to make the most of the Seer’s Plum.”

They trained for another hour and a half, with Fang Chu demonstrating things to Ben and clearing any doubts that he came across. Following her instructions, Ben did his best to concentrate on the feeling of mana and the way it circulated inside his body. According to her, this was something he needed to engrave on his mind beyond a shadow of doubt, or his chance might be lost forever. Therefore, he didn’t slack.

Finally, the effects of the magical fruit started to wear off. It was as if someone had snatched the glasses that helped Ben see clearly. All his sharp senses gradually subsided until he was back to normal. This caused him to panic a little. Humans adapted easily to something better, but they always found the hardest to go back to something worse.

“It’s gone,” Ben sighed.

“That’s normal. What? Did you want it to last forever?”

“It would be amazing if it did, not gonna lie.”

“Greedy, aren’t you?” she chuckled. “Now calm yourself and concentrate. I’ll circulate mana through your body again, see if you can still sense it.”

“I thought I already did?”

“Yes, under the effects of the Seer’s Plum. Now there won’t be any crutches to help you. That was why I told you to concentrate on the feeling of mana and the way it circulated in your body. If you can no longer sense it, then…”

Ben instantly got nervous. He thought he’d already crossed the hurdle and was feeling much more relaxed. Turns out things weren’t that easy. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

“Do it, I’m ready.”

Mana once again entered his body. Ben concentrated hard and focused on the path he knew it would take. Yet he felt nothing. Despair welled within him.

[This can’t be! I sensed it before! I know the feeling! It must be here somewhere! I refuse to accept it!]

Five minutes passed, yet there was no response from Ben. He didn’t open his eyes, nor did he confirmed or denied anything, but Fang Chu knew what this meant. At this moment, she regretted her harsh actions a little. However, since Ben hadn’t given up, she wouldn’t either.

[Come on, you can do it! Please don’t let all my efforts on you go to waste!]

Thirty minutes later, Ben sensed something. It was a hazy and ethereal feeling, almost imperceptible, but there it was, flowing through his body in an endless cycle. When he confirmed it was real and not a figment of his imagination, he let out a huge breath and flopped to the floor.

“I did it. I could feel the mana running through me. It was much hazier than before, but it was there nonetheless.”

“Great! That’s great!”

“Thanks, Fanu.”

“It’s too early for that,” the redhead laughed. “We got a long road ahead of us, you and I.”

Ben could only smile weakly in response. He felt mentally exhausted after this long training session. Fang Chu patted him on the shoulder and sprawled herself onto the ground as well. She also felt tired, especially after how tense the last moments were for her.

Hours later, when Liza, Eliot and Boro returned, they found the two of them sleeping on the ground. Liza put her fingers against her lips, exhorting the others to not make any noise and distributed some leftovers for they to eat. They dinned and went to sleep too. There was no longer the need to make lookout shifts, as they weren’t attacked by anything in the two weeks they had been here.

Fang Chu and Ben woke up early the next day. The redhead signalled for Ben to follow her and went to the next room. He went after her, making sure he didn’t step on anyone on the way.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. After yesterday I feel energized!”

“That’s great. Time to put that energy to use! Give me five hundred crunches, five hundred push-ups and then you can rest for a bit while planking.”

“That’s too much! No way I’ll be able to do all that!”

“All that? That’s just the beginning! You must do as I say, remember? Come on, get to it, chop-chop.”

Left with no other alternative, Ben had no choice but to get started on the exercises. He used to go to the gym back on Earth, but he was casual about it. He was not hardcore like other people there. Asking him to do five hundred repetitions of any exercise was way over what he could really achieve. As he did his workout, Fang Chu would watch his form and correct him whenever it was needed.

“Remember, a strong and healthy body can hold more mana and with more mana your body grows stronger and healthier. It’s a virtuous cycle. That’s why being fit is paramount!”

Every time Ben showed weakness, stumbled on the floor, slowed down or did anything of the sorts, she would whack him with a rod she took out from her ring. The first time he was struck was a calamity. It hurt like hell and made him slow down, which in turn got him wacked again. This turned into a vicious cycle, until a point he was basically being beaten.

“Creating resistance is also important! In combat it’s not a question of if you are going to get hit but a question of when you’re going to get hit! No one can dodge forever. Your body needs to be resistant to blows and your mind used to the pain! Only this way you’ll be ready to face your enemies head on!”

For a moment, Ben thought of getting up and say to hell with all of this. He didn’t do it in the end. The gift he received was too heavy and he agreed to her conditions. Plus, what she was doing right now was beneficial to him, or at least it was going to be beneficial in the future. It’s just that it hurt like hell and it was infuriating at the same time.

[Spartan! Totally spartan! The mad woman! No wonder all her students ran way! How well she hid! She may look graceful, but inside she’s a brute!]

The torture only stopped when Fang Chu was sure he’d reached his limits. Her plan was a simple one. To push Ben to the brink of collapse every time, wait for him to recover and do it again. It was like forging. The metal needed to be struck again and again until it got in its desirable shape. It needed to be tempered. Only then would a strong and durable weapon be created.

The devil watched the whole thing from his chamber and was left speechless. They now had time to waste in things like this? Working out and torturing? It didn’t make any sense!

[What the heck is wrong with these people!] he cursed inwardly.

When the rest of the group woke up and went to the next room, they found a shirtless Ben soaked in his own sweat sprawled on the floor. He was breathing roughly, his eyes were out of focus and his skin was red in many places. Fang Chu on the other hand was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, eating a piece of jerky leisurely.

“What happened to Ben? Is he okay?” asked Eliot.

“He’s fine, he just passed out. He’ll wake up in a bit.”

“What did you have him do? It’s the first time I see him so… spent,” said Liza.

“Just some basic training that’s all.”

“Right… basic…”

“Sorry about yesterday, in the end we ended up sleeping and you guys did all the work. It’s time we pick up our slack,” she said as she got up and approached the pillar. Grabbing her maul from inside the ring, Fang Chu activated her inner power and got to work, slamming it hard against the metal structure.

The metallic clangs once again reverberated underground. Eliot joined Fang Chu and they alternated their strikes for a bit. In the end, it all came down to this. If they weren’t able to break the pillar down, all their efforts would go to waste.