Lug recovered much more quickly from his excessive reinforcement than when he had first started. However, the day after the battle was tough. His body ached all over, but he still managed to arrive at the circus on time.

On his way there, he made a particular effort to ensure the coins in his pocket didn't jingle. He had finally realized that the key lay in mastering control.

Lug was determined to train every day to prevent the coins from making noise.

At the circus, he began his training with Bastia, his fellow clown. Bastia explained that he would train Lug for a few hours before each show in juggling, various acrobatics, and magic tricks. The clown had been very impressed by Lug's performance and had become more amiable towards him.

Bastia even introduced the idea of teaching Lug boxing—but not just any boxing. He wanted to teach Lug several styles since Bastia had traveled extensively thanks to the circus. He had visited the Orient, volcanic islands, the stone continent, and many other exotic locations. The boxing styles he had learned were etched on his body in the form of scars and strange tattoos. This man bore the marks of a rich life experience on his skin and in his flesh, and he offered to share it all with Lug.

Lug trained three days a week with Bastia between shows, and three days a week with Xam, with one day dedicated to military maneuvers and battle. He progressed rapidly.

The circus provided refreshing flexibility, both in terms of training and overall atmosphere, unlike the highly organized military camp that instilled the discipline necessary for a good soldier.

However, roles reversed when it came to combat training. Bastia demanded the utmost discipline and strict adherence to techniques and methods, while Xam taught techniques derived from an ancestor of mixed martial arts: Pankration. Thanks to these sometimes-violent techniques, based on speed, movement, vision, and especially killer instinct, Lug learned to accept the most violent part of himself.

Between the flexibility offered by the circus and the discipline required of a good soldier, Lug became a better fighter day by day, and he felt more comfortable in his skin.

He rarely saw Hannah, who spent most of her time training in the mountains. When she wasn't training, she worked as a waitress in a small café in town. Lug saw her one evening on his way back from the circus. She looked sad, and her blonde hair had darkened. Lug didn't dare approach her. It seemed their respective training had led them to very different results.

Lug continued to strive to stop the coins from making noise in his pocket when he moved.

After three months, he finally succeeded. In fact, Lug felt ready to face and defeat the commander in single combat, but he decided to wait. He wanted to train longer with Bastia and complete his training with Xam.

Each week, his reflexes, strikes, speed, and flexibility improved. Initially, during his training with Xam, Lug had struggled to sit on the poles at the back of the camp, but now he could balance on one hand for several minutes. Even more astonishing, he had learned to bypass his body's intelligence, which prevented him from injuring himself in combat against a phantom. This allowed him to get used to taking hits, and it was then that he realized how hard Xam could hit.

Six months passed before Lug finally felt ready to admit that his training was complete.

Bastia and the troupe had given their final performance before leaving for the capital. Lug felt a void upon seeing the now-empty space where the circus tent had stood. It was the same feeling he experienced when cutting off his psychic energy, which made the military camp near the cemetery vanish from his sight. It gave him the impression that everything was unreal. However, the body he had developed over six months was very real. He felt as though he had grown. He could run without getting tired, and his clothes had become too small, so he had to change them several times. He also felt that his vision had improved, and even his sense of smell and taste had become more refined.

The Wise One explained to him that the more he used reinforcement and received psychic blows, the more his body would change accordingly. He had used strong words:

"The frail and weak boy who descended the steps of my crypt a few months ago is no more. In his place, I see a man who has surpassed his limits and transcended his own nature. You are now sculpted from marble, and your stature recalls the most glorious days our world has known."

These words were accompanied by some emotion, which was unusual for the Wise One. He saw Lug as the culmination of all his theories and his masterpiece. Six months had passed since Lug's introduction to the military camp and the circus and his conversation with the Wise One. All that remained was for him to face the most imposing man he had ever seen. But, strangely, it seemed no more than a formality, both in the eyes of the Wise One and Lug himself.