The Infinite Bk. 01 Ch. 07

Pained gasps.

A feminine whimper.

"Oh God!"

Beth collapsed, fighting for every breath with Noah standing over her, the two of them drenched in sweat.

"Come on, get up," he said.

"I can't do anymore!"

"You know what comes next."

She looked at him with eyes full of hate. "You're a monster," she hissed.

A clear, steady stream was produced, arching onto the ground with a splash.

"Oh, she broke her record!" said Oath.

"I wish my mana would grow that fast!" Mira complained.

The water spurting from Beth's fingertip trickled to a halt. She rolled onto her back, feeling like the hard road underneath her was now as soft as the king's mattress. It was the second day of Noah's training, midmorning, and he was running laps with Oath and his friends around the Fault estate. Since yesterday, this what they had been doing with most of their time, running almost nonstop. It was Noah's rule that they had to run until they collapsed or nearly threw up, and then immediately cast magic until their mana was completely depleted. Oath was exempt, but only because he had no aptitude for magic.

Noah crouched down and fed Beth a watered-down healing potion, just something to restore her stamina a bit. While she recovered, Oath, Mira, and Trevor sucked in air. This was the only break they got, when someone collapsed.

"I'm starving, can we eat lunch now?" Trevor asked.

"I can't even think of food," Oath groaned.

They all complained throughout the whole ordeal, but in truth, no one had yet given up and refused to go any further. Despite their anguish, they didn't give in. It wasn't to prove their determination, rather it was the simple fact that Noah's methods were producing results. Just the day before, at the same time, if Beth cast her spell, it would have just been a few drops falling from her finger, less of a fountain and more of a leaky faucet. Also, everyone's stamina was increasing noticeably. Thanks to the health potions, they could perform weeks of daily exercise and recovery in a number of hours, compressing the rate of improvement so it was much more obvious.

"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm on my last legs too."

Oath and the others groaned in relief and began throwing down everything they carried, as well as stripping off any armor. Noah was making them run in all of their adventuring gear with their weapons in hand, and in time, he'd incorporate weights to prepare them for carrying the dungeon crab's treasure. There was a field nearby, but they didn't care and squatted down right in the middle of the road to eat. It was on the baron's estate, so there wasn't the worry of traffic.

They each carried lunches made by the maids and were chowing down like ravenous animals. Even Noah was giving into his hunger and stuffing his face. But as he ate, his eyes swept over everyone in the group. This workout was definitely intense, shredding muscles and then immediately repairing them. In this case, the antidote was worse than the poison, according to the town apothecary. He had spoken to her the morning after he returned to Clive while on his way to pick up his ring.

---------------

"Using potions for exercise? It would be a good idea if it wasn't such a bad idea," the old woman said. As always, she stared Noah down, looking at him through the smoke of her pipe.

"I can't imagine I'm the first person to think of using them this way. What I want to know is if there are any dangerous effects. You always have them in stock, so getting the ingredients isn't an issue."

She took a deep inhale and released a large smoke cloud. "There is a downside."

"Am I going to have to pay you to find out what it is?"

"In a rush, are you? Yes, it's always people like you using this method. Mana and health potions, as well as all other concoctions used by adventurers, may seem like bottled miracles, but they are a double-edged sword. If overexposed, the body can forget how to repair and restore itself. If a wound is repeatedly inflicted on one spot and healed with potions, eventually the body will lose the ability to mend that spot on its own. Cuts will bleed ceaselessly, broken bones will become like rock, and organs will eventually shut down. The effects are even worse if the potion is consumed, rather than poured, as it spreads throughout the body."

"How long before major damage is inflicted?"

"If used for daily exercise, potions will lead to death within two weeks. Lesser damage depends on the user."

"And what about mana potions?"

"Mana potions stunt the development of magic. The more often they are used, the harder it will be to create and learn new spells."

Noah thought back to his "training days" with Tin. He had performed them every other day and with watered-down potions, multiplying his reserves countless times and giving him an edge, but there was no telling how much it had hindered him in the long run.

"And of course you decided to wait until now to tell me, despite all of the potions I've been buying for the last month."

"Are you expecting an apology?"

"No, I just have something I want you to look at and I would prefer some honesty."

---------------

Three days, that's how long Noah was willing to use the potion method. That would hopefully leave them with enough time for the side-effects to wear off before they entered a dungeon. So far, everyone's physical stamina was continuing to rise, but if he saw them plateau or even reverse, he'd cut them off, cold turkey. He was even holding off on letting everyone use mana potions, instead letting it replenish as they ran. He didn't want to push back the date of their departure if he could avoid it. If anyone got a wound, he made sure to watch closely, to make sure their blood was clotting.

"All right, let's head back. We're doing the same routine as yesterday." Everyone groaned and cleaned up their mess, but before they could return to the manor, Noah stopped them. "Hold on, we're doing lunges."

"Please, not again!" Mira complained.

"You'll thank me later."

With their weapons in hand, everyone began doing long steps, stretching out one leg and leaning down with their other knee almost touching the ground, and they had to keep a fast pace. It was sweaty, painful work.

"This is so embarrassing, we look ridiculous," Trevor muttered. He seemed to love complaining, but since Noah beat him in a fight, he was keeping his word about following directions. "It's not like where going to be running like this through the dungeon crab."

"No, but it'll build up your strength and stamina. The most important factor in physical combat is leg strength."

"Wait, really? Even for sword fighting?" Oath asked.

"Really. If you support your body with a solid foundation, you can fight while staying on your feet longer. It doesn't matter how hard you can throw a punch or swing a sword if your legs just buckle as soon as you meet resistance. Think of it as like trying to fight while standing on slippery ice vs solid ground."

Just like before, Noah pushed them to the point of collapse. Normally, this kind of reckless training would be frowned upon, but they needed to stress and tear their muscles to the absolute limit, mend them with potions to make them even stronger, and repeat, with mana depletions after every collapse.

There was no rest for them when they returned to the manor. Under Noah's instruction, Oath and the others began stretching and lifting varying weights in various ways. To the slaves working the field, it looked like a basic workout, but Noah scrutinized every movement, from the form their arm took when lifting a heavy stone, to the precise angle of their hips when they twisted their bodies. Every movement had to be perfect, so that all the stress went to specific muscles. Had he the means, he would go even further, focusing on individual muscle threads.

In a way, Noah was grateful that this opportunity came along. Being an adventurer kept him active and fit, but it didn't build strength in the same way as this workout, and coming to this world had scrambled his routine. He had to use this chance to properly polish his physique. He had planned on teaching this workout to Tin to make her stronger and capable of defending herself, but that opportunity was gone.

Once they reached the middle of the afternoon, Noah had them move on to the next stage of their training. Oath, Trevor, and Mira stood side by side, all of them gasping for air and cursing in anguish as sweat poured down their faces. For Oath and Trevor, the workout was simple, though far from easy. They held out their weapons as far as they could and kept their arms raised for as long as possible. They had to keep doing it until they collapsed and they couldn't feel their arms, at which point, they'd take a health potion and start again.

"Ah, dammit!" Oath cursed as he dropped to his knees.

"Fuck, you're weak," said Trevor.

"For once in your life, just shut up!" Mira hissed, unable to maintain her usual polite personality.

Her training was similar to theirs, only using magic. Before her floated a lump of earth as large as a beer keg. Dirt from a bald patch underneath continuously floated up and added itself to the mass. For her training, she had to maximize the amount of earth she could lift, as well as the duration, and level of compression. She'd rotate it in the air to keep it from becoming lopsided, but every time it moved, she struggled to retain control.

Noah told her she had to be able to turn dirt into solid rock in seconds, as well as train her body to produce mana faster.

Nearby, Beth was sparring with Noah. She held a sheathed knife in her hand and was swinging and stabbing at him with reckless fury. Despite her efforts, he'd block and deflect her attacks away from his body, using various fighting styles he had learned across the multiverse. As soon as she paused her onslaught, he'd attack, forcing her to heighten her reflexes for dodging.

Finally, when the sun set, Noah said the magic words. "Let's call it a day."

On cue, everyone collapsed. Even Trevor abandoned his tough guy bravado and simply went limp.

"I think I might be dying," Mira moaned, spread eagle on the ground and staring up at the sky.

"I'm too tired to eat and too hungry to sleep," Beth added.

"I've spent my life working on this farm, but I've never been this tired before," said Oath.

It seemed that their stamina had been pushed to its limit, beyond the point that potions could replenish. Now they needed food and sleep.

"I should probably head back to the inn while they're still serving dinner," said Noah.

"You guys can have dinner here," Oath said.

"Why didn't you say that yesterday?"

"Sorry, but after a day like that, I couldn't spend another minute thinking about training and the dungeon crab."

---------------

The table was old and unvarnished, hand-carved with roughly sanded planks, and lark knobby tails, though time had helped to soften its edges, and the low-quality table cloth hid its surface. On it, candles burned to illuminate the room, which smelled like the baked fish Noah and the others were eating, along with bread and some vegetables. In the modern world, not even soup kitchens would serve food of this destitute level, but after a month in these new lands, Noah had managed to calibrate his taste buds.

It was only the five youths present. The baron was not taking part. As with lunch, everyone ate voraciously, their bodies begging for sustenance to try and make up for the sudden loss in fat to burn. It was surprising that Mira actually noticed Oath had stopped eating, staring had his half-finished dinner.

"Oath? Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just trying to remember the last time I sat at this table with this many people."

'Oh my god, that is so corny,' Noah thought, drinking from his glass so as to not break his straight face.

"You're going to make me sick," Trevor muttered. Noah resisted the desire to thank him.

"What were your brothers like?" Beth asked.

"My oldest, Colt, was a soldier, serving under General Tarnas against the barbarians in Handent."

"He really served under Tarnas?!" Beth exclaimed, bolting to her feet.

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Noah asked.

"Adwith Tarnas is one of the nation's greatest heroes, and easily the strongest paladin," said Mira, trying to hide her embarrassment with a smile. "Most children are raised on his stories, and for as long as I've known Beth, she's been a huge fan."

Beth sat back down, a drunk smile on her face. "When I was young, he and some of his forces passed through my town. Watching him ride down the street, wearing golden armor... I was no longer an innocent child. I had awakened my womanly desires."

"You never heard of him? What rock have you been living under?" Trevor asked.

"A large one. Tell me about the war, I'm curious."

"Oh, well, according to my brother, it started when the barbarians began ransacking villages along the border, eventually leading to the famous slaying of High Priest Grybaen by Chief Waer. After that..."

The conversation had taken a strange turn, but Noah absorbed every detail while making his plans for the future.

That night, at the inn, Beth didn't go with Mira into their shared room, but followed Noah into his. She had been too tired the previous night, but tonight, she had just enough strength to indulge her curiosity.

---------------

The third day of training was just like the two before, including the same routine, but now with weights added. However, the consumption of potions had dropped in every activity. The growth they had gone through over just a few days would have normally taken weeks or even months. In the late afternoon, their training was changed. Now instead of simply holding out his sword, Oath was practicing his slashes like he was studying kendo. He needed to make both his attacks and his recovery faster.

Next to him, Trevor was improving his thrusts, using what Noah had taught him and incorporating his legs so he could increase the strength with less effort. He had also given Trevor the challenge of writing out the letters of the alphabet in the air with the spear tip, to heighten his accuracy.

Beth and Mira had switched places, now with Beth straining her magic and Mira staff-fighting with Noah. Unlike Mira and Trevor, Beth's spell couldn't be used for fighting and she appeared to be reaching the limit of her magical aptitude, but creating fresh water was something they'd need if they spent more than a day in the dungeon.

On the fourth day, Noah met everyone at the baron's estate as he normally would. He held out a backpack full of potions. "Today, I want you all to see if you can follow the routine on your own. Until we enter the dungeon crab, I am completely banning the use of all potions."

"That's crazy!" Beth exclaimed, with the others similarly nervous.

"If you can't do the day's workout without potions, then you simply aren't ready for the dungeon crab, and the longer we wait, the more competition will have. I don't want to reach the bottom of the shell and find all of the avenium already taken." He put the backpack down and put on a jacket with all of its pockets filled with rocks. "Come on, time to start running."

The workout proceeded as planned, but with no less complaining. Now without potions, they could only gather their strength during breaks, but the number of times they had to stop and rest was as Noah predicted.

On the fifth day, Noah faced them with the morning sun burning away the mists clinging to the baron's estate. For Oath and his friends, this was the last day of training and they all felt confident. They weren't blind to their own growth. They now stood with bodies covered in weights, ready for Noah to give the signal to start their morning run.

"Since today is the last day, we're going to do something different. Trevor, I want you to hit the ground with a downward strike and your strongest spell."

"What for?"

"Just trust me. Pour as much mana as you can into the axeblade and give it a shot."

Trevor grunted and held out his halberd, and from the moment he began channeling his mana, everyone noticed the difference. These past several days, whenever he, Beth, and Mira practiced with their magic, it was always in a state of exhaustion, forcing their bodies to squeeze out every last drop of power. This was the first time in days that Trevor was using a spell while at full strength. What would have a shimmering aura around the blade was now like a great colorless flame, causing his friends to instinctively step back.

"Whoa," Trevor said, unable to pick any other words. He held his halberd with trembling handles, feeling like something bad was about to happen. He raised it above his head like a blinding torch. "Execute!" Apparently, saying the name of the spell helped focus the mind and increase the potency of the spell. To Noah, it seemed a bit ridiculous, but it did make things a bit more entertaining.

As per the name, he swung down with the halberd like he was performing a beheading, and the moment the blade touched the ground, it was like a mortar round had gone off. A chest-thumping explosion was heard and dirt and rock were sent flying in all directions. Originally, what would have simply buried his weapon in the dirt, had now opened up a crater the size of a bathtub. Just as incredible, the intensity of the mana flowing from the halberd had not lessened in the slightest, nor did Trevor appear fatigued.

Everyone was stunned, with Noah flashing a rare smile. "Mira, your results would probably be similar if I asked to use your strongest spell. Now that you have all this mana to work with, think of it as a resource for experimentation. I don't know how the two of you develop magic, whether you just create new spells yourselves or learn by watching others, but I want you to devote yourselves to improving your skills. Show me something new. Today, we're forgetting about strength and stamina and focusing entirely on technique.

Beth, I want you to practice your archery until your fingers bleed and you can shoot the wings of a fly. As for Noah..." Oath drew his longsword. "You're going to be fighting me."

---------------

Beth's chest heaved with each movement, and her nipples, chilled by the evening, pointed out and drew arcs in the air. Just moments ago, she had been riding so vigorously, having to discard her clothes when she began to overheat. It had been a struggle for her to keep her moans contained, especially with her hips refusing to obey her commands and slow her bouncing.

She now took a gentle pace, rolling her hips from side to side while she regained her strength. Her pretty face was one of intoxication, her mind overtaken by lust and endorphins. Her smile was lewd, her face flushed, her lips wet, her pupils dilated. Noah could see the fresh sweat on her body with the light of the night sky. What was just supposed to be a quick tryst to scratch the ol' itch had turned into something a little more intense.

Sitting up, Noah kissed her breasts and grabbed her ass, kneading it like dough. Beth had a nice athletic figure, not much fat on her, but the ass of a volleyball player. Noah's lips on her nipples, his manhood stirring her up, and his hands massaging deep into her muscles, these stimuli combined into a force that Beth was struggling to withstand. They were out in the woods, so Beth's moans could attract monsters, or even worse, the ears of her friends.

Mira knew about them, so Oath and Trevor were probably aware as well, but still, it would be a bit rude make them hear the sounds of moans and flesh against flesh. That was Beth's thinking, but Noah didn't care either way. His only fear was getting stuck in an awkward conversation with everyone because of this. That, and the fact that he and Beth were breaking the rules of every horror movie and having sex in the woods. The flag they were raising could have been visible from space.