Chapter 69: Dreaming of Holding a Woman (2)

Encrid dreamt once again.

There were flowers, and there was a woman.

“I’ll be sticking with you for a while, just so you know,” she said.

She had a mysterious charm.

Encrid, who normally didn’t give women much thought, couldn’t seem to forget her easily.

The dream was chaotic.

One moment, it was a field of flowers; the next, there was a black river. Then there was a boatman, a woman, and suddenly, a panther appeared.

‘Why are you here?’ he thought, but the panther just shook its head before turning it away in what looked like a pout.

It was so cute that Encrid couldn’t resist scratching the top of its head with his fingers.

*Purr.*

The Lake Panther, known to be a fierce predator, was acting just like a domestic cat.

Its contented purring was a sound that Encrid found oddly comforting.

Then, for a brief moment, he opened his eyes. It was hard to tell whether he was dreaming or awake.

In front of him, the woman from the flower field and the black river was now in his arms.

And she was naked.

He blinked, and the woman vanished, replaced by the familiar sight of the panther’s head. It seemed like it had all been a dream.

‘But still…’

The feeling of something heavy and warm in his arms lingered—something he couldn’t attribute to the small panther. The scent and warmth left a strange impression on him.

‘That dream felt way too real.’

Sleep soon overtook him again, and this time, Encrid didn’t bother fighting it.

When he awoke the next morning, the panther, which never left his side until he woke up, was nowhere to be found.

“Pan—Esther.”

As he was about to call for the panther, Encrid remembered the name he had mumbled in his sleep.

At that moment, he spotted the Lake Panther, standing tall in one corner of the room.

It had hidden itself so well in the shadows of the barracks that he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t looked carefully. Its deep blue eyes, like a lake, and its sleek black fur gave it an almost regal appearance.

The panther tapped its paws on the floor before settling down on a leather mat.

Of course, it wasn’t just any leather—it was a heated mat.

‘From a life of comfort to outright luxury overnight,’ Encrid thought.

Even a panther now lounged on heated leather, grooming its claws.

There was some jerky scattered around. Who had put it there—Krys? Rem?

The panther lazily tore at the jerky with its claws, chewing it nonchalantly.

Why did something feel off?

Was it the absence of the small, warm creature that had heated his arms in the morning?

Or was it because the dream had felt so vivid?

Encrid realized that he could probably draw the naked woman from his dream, even though he wasn’t particularly skilled at art.

Her image was that clear in his mind.

‘She was beautiful.’

Her beauty was remarkable—on par with the Elven company commander, who boasted an almost otherworldly appearance.

“What’s on your mind?” Rem’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“I had a dream. It was so vivid that I can’t forget it.”

Esther, the panther, gazed at Encrid with an oddly intense look.

Maybe, when she had told him her name in the dream, the intention behind it had left a stronger impression than she realized.

For someone with a weaker will, it might have caused some mental strain.

So, what should she do now?

Should she consider using her current form to find a solution?

The panther grew serious.

“What kind of dream was it?” Rem asked, still wrapped snugly in his heated mat.

“Are you a caterpillar?”

“Yes. I’m a caterpillar—a caterpillar with nothing but a big mouth. So please feed me breakfast, or this weak little caterpillar will starve to death.”

This guy really was half-crazy.

Encrid decided to ignore Rem’s nonsense, as usual. He was the kind of guy you could easily tune out.

“So, what was the dream about?” Rem asked again, still wrapped up like a cocoon.

Encrid scratched his chin before answering.

“It was strange.”

“Strange?”

Rem tilted his head in confusion. Since only his head was sticking out of his mat, he used his facial expressions to communicate, as if it were some kind of talent.

“I saw a naked woman.”

*Cough, cough!*

‘Hmm?’

Encrid’s attention shifted to the panther.

It seemed like the jerky had gotten caught in its throat, and it was now coughing violently.

“Esther?”

The panther buried its head into the floor, ignoring his call.

This was the same panther that had been shrouded in mystery from the moment they first met.

The fierce predator of the Green Pearl, with eyes like a lake—Lake Panther.

And now, that same predator was sprawled out, drooling and coughing up jerky.

*Hack!*

It looked like it might choke to death at any moment.

“I’ve seen many things, but never a panther choking to death on jerky. So, was she pretty?” Rem asked.

She had been incredibly beautiful.

But Encrid didn’t bother answering. What was the point?

It had just been a dream.

“Are you moving that slowly because it’s winter, Rem?”

Encrid stood up.

Once he was on his feet, he realized that every part of his body ached.

Moving was painful.

But staying still would only make it worse. He knew that from experience.

That didn’t mean he needed to train rigorously, though. In the past, he might’ve pushed himself even harder out of impatience.

But now he knew that pushing too hard would only lead to his body breaking down. He had learned to pace himself.

He wasn’t as impatient as before.

‘Rest is also part of training.’

That was something countless sword masters had told him.

A light warm-up today would help him feel better tomorrow. Audin’s monk exercises would be perfect for that.

“So, was she beautiful or not?”

“What do you care? It was just a dream.”

Encrid gave a vague answer and stepped outside. It was cold again today. Every part of his body still ached, but he started his warm-up anyway.

His mind wasn’t preoccupied with anything. In fact, after the sparring session, his thoughts had become clearer.

There had always been a question looming over him.

‘What should I do next?’

Talented people—the so-called geniuses—could always see their next step, even without guidance.

Finding what they lacked and addressing it was just another one of their natural abilities.

But what about those without talent?

They had to try everything. Trial and error took time, and their starting point was different.

That’s why having a good teacher was so valuable.

A teacher who could point out what they were lacking was a treasure.

This time, the Elven company commander had played that role.

Now, someone else would have to help fill in the remaining gaps.

“Audin.”

Audin was always outside in the morning. The cold? He didn’t care about things like that.

People often referred to him as the praying bear. It wasn’t just because of his large frame.

“Yes, Brother. It’s a good day, isn’t it?”

A sharp gust of wind blew past them. Border Guard was located in the northernmost region of the Fen-Hanil continent.

It was one of the coldest places on the continent.

The sky was overcast, making the morning seem even gloomier, but Audin didn’t mind.

Whether the sun was shining, or the rain was falling, Audin took each day as it came.

On snowy days, he wouldn’t say, “Good morning,” but today, he seemed to feel that it was.

“Indeed,” Encrid replied. Did the weather really matter?

Actually, it was a good day. Any day you learned something new was a good day.

“Teach me wrestling.”

Encrid was always straightforward, his purpose and intentions clear.

That was how he always treated his squad members, and it was how he had forged the relationships he had now.

Audin tilted his head slightly.

This man was truly unique.

Seeing how Encrid’s skills had improved in just a few days, Audin sometimes wondered what kind of luck could lead to such results.

To Audin, Encrid, his squad leader, was like a burning flame.

A flame so bright that it lit up everything around it, perhaps even unaware of its own burning.

That was what made him warm everything and everyone in his vicinity.

Back when Audin had wanted to turn his back on everything—when he had been on the verge of giving up completely—Encrid had been the man who had come into his life.

“What are you doing?”

It was their first meeting. Encrid had been outside the barracks, swinging a thick club. Not just any club, but one made by tying together three soaked logs with rope.

“Strength training.”

Audin had been skeptical. Would swinging heavy objects around like that really increase his strength?

It might, but it wasn’t an efficient method.

He thought Encrid would give up after a few days.

But Encrid didn’t. Day after day, rain or shine, on or off the battlefield, he swung that club with relentless determination.

Audin had been reminded of his own past self.

He had been exhausted—both physically and mentally. His situation could be summed up in two words: spiritual decay.

At that time, he had asked Encrid with a bitter tone, “Your skills are mediocre at best. Why do you keep doing this?”

“It’ll get better with practice.”

There had been no bitterness in Encrid’s expression. He had answered as calmly as if he were stating a fact, then went right back to his training.

Watching him, Audin had felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

‘How can he be like that?’

What kept him going?

What belief did he have?

There was no sign of religious devotion in him.

People say effort is a kind of talent, but without a natural inclination for it, even effort cannot be sustained.

Encrid was that kind of person.

Someone who was betrayed by his efforts every single day.

Yet, despite the constant setbacks, he kept moving forward.

‘What kind of person are you?’

Audin had been observing his squad leader ever since.

The more he watched, the more insignificant his own despair seemed.

‘Faith does not seek reward.’

On that day, Audin had resumed his prayers.

“Brother, you’re going to wreck all your joints.”

He had then started overseeing Encrid’s training bit by bit.

Audin had a keen eye for the human body. You could say he had the ability to assess physical talent on par with the Froq.

If the Froq were known as talent assessors, then Audin was a master at reading the human body’s limits through sheer effort and dedication.

In his eyes, Encrid’s body needed twice as much work as others to develop properly.

His natural frame was lacking.

Even his muscles weren’t of great quality.

So, should he just give up?

Of course not. The Encrid Audin knew would never give up.

“We’ll have to start by building up your body. Are you okay with that?”

Audin asked. Even though the cold wind was biting, he didn’t seem bothered at all.

Since the day he had resumed his prayers, Audin had always considered it a good morning.

Except for snowy days.

“Absolutely.”

“It’ll be painful.”

“That’s fine.”

Dying was worse.

That’s what Encrid thought.

“It’ll hurt.”

“I can handle it.”

It would hurt less than getting stabbed to death countless times.

“The training I’m about to teach you isn’t the monk’s exercises. It’s a technique I developed. It’s called the ‘Isolation Method.’”

The name sounded ominous, but there was something hopeful about it too.

If he was going to learn, he wanted to learn it properly.

After all, Audin had the best combat skills of anyone Encrid had ever seen, and that meant a lot.

“The Isolation Method.”

It would be the fourth skill Encrid learned, following Heart of the Beast, Blade Sense, and the One-Point Focus.

“It’s training that you’ll understand with your mind and carry out with your body, Brother.”

“Got it.”

“Then, let’s begin.”

Audin’s voice was as calm as ever. Encrid nodded as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

And then.

“Hnnngh…”

A groan, rather than a scream, echoed from a corner of the training grounds.

“Now we begin, Brother.”

Encrid began to wonder if Audin worshiped demons instead of gods.

The exercises he had done before were just basic warm-ups.

Now it was all about the fundamentals.

“Based on flexibility, we’ll add weight to build muscle strength. Let’s begin.”

Audin manipulated Encrid’s body into bizarre positions, ones that felt like they were ripping his muscles apart.

Why was he lying down with his heels pressing against his buttocks, while his thighs felt like they were about to tear?

Audin gripped Encrid’s legs firmly and pressed down.

Encrid’s body felt like it was trapped in shackles of iron.

He lacked the understanding of body mechanics, so he had to feel the movements with his body to learn.

“Think of it as dying a couple of times. It’ll make it easier.”

That’s exactly what he was thinking. The pain was so unbearable it felt like dying might be the better option.

“Urghhh…”

A strange groan escaped Encrid’s mouth.

“It’s fine. I know your limits, Brother.”

‘How do you know my limits?’

Maybe Audin was insane.

That thought naturally crossed Encrid’s mind.

But deep down, he enjoyed it. Despite the agony, he knew that what he gained from this would be worth it. And so, even as he groaned and suffered, he smiled.

“Judging by your expression, you’re still holding up.”

No, he wasn’t.

For three days, Audin broke down, reassembled, and stretched Encrid’s body.

It was during the last stretch of the Four Seasons, in the heart of winter.

After three full days of flexibility training.

“Now, lift it.”

Came the next phase, involving lifting heavy stones while performing restricted movements.

“Take a breath. Use your abdominal pressure. Inhale through your belly, Brother.”

The Isolation Method wasn’t a combat technique.

It was a technique for transforming the body.

For a full month, Encrid endured as though he was passing kidney stones.

After some time, he began to hold out.

Two weeks passed, then another two.

“Getting better?”

It wasn’t as painful as it had been before. No pain could compare to the start. It had been excruciating at first, but it had all been worth it.

By the time the month had ended, his body had begun to change.