The Devil Who Grants Wishes - Chapter 196



196 – Training (4)

Continuing training seemed like a very simple task to hear or see, but in reality it was not at all.

Every day is full of new possibilities.

The overall context of swinging a sword and engaging magic with magic is exactly the same, but the details are different.

That’s right, if you use the same method that didn’t work, you’ll never be able to defeat Faust.

At first, I did a simple top cut, but now I’m using a lot of skill, pretending to cut the bottom and cutting up vertically. At first, I used only simple shields, but now I summon only a small part of the shields by condensing them to increase the strength and increase the speed of the shield construction. Something like making it very quickly.

As it is not a simple repetitive task, there is no way you will get bored or get used to it.

It’s not just that.

Training is similar to physical labor, and unlike intellectual labor, physical labor makes living things feel like time passes quickly.

So, the warrior party was bound to be quite surprised.

“…It’s already been a year?”

“Time flies…”

“You’re one year older…”

They didn’t really notice the passage of time that much, but it’s already been a year since they started training.

The party of warriors who heard Faust’s declaration that one year of training ended today reacted in various ways, such as frowning, tilting his head, or putting his hand to his mouth in surprise.

“Is it really necessary to react like that? It’s only been a year.”

“That’s right.”

Lena and Irene are just dumbfounded as they see the reactions of others.

Of course, one year is a time that cannot be ignored. However, for the two elves, it felt like a week, not a year. It’s not something that should be that shocking.

“…Because you are so old, you no longer have the joys and sorrows of one year old.”

“What?”

“What did you just say-“

“Stop, stop fighting. Really.”

After hearing Lucia’s harsh words, Lena and Irene roll their eyes and try to interrogate Lucia, but soon break away due to Celestine’s dissuasion.

Of course, the dissuading Celestine is also thinking the same thing as Lucia, but she does not dare to say it out loud.

It’s not that Celestine is particularly merciful.

So, to give an analogy… If you look at a normal person and call them an asshole, it is a simple swear word, but if you look at a person who is truly physically uncomfortable and call them an asshole, it is similar to something that goes beyond an insult.

You can’t make fun of really old grandmothers and call them grandmothers. Isn’t that too much?

“It’s not like I wasted a year meaninglessly in the first place. Just a little more… I think I can get there if I try a little harder.”

While the others around her are fussing, Iris clenches and unclenches her hands to gauge her own strength.

During the long period of one year, many of the hero party’s attacks reached Faust. Didn’t you get it right from the first training?

However, making contact and delivering an effective hit are completely separate issues.

Even if the sword touches the opponent’s armor, it is of no use if it cannot pierce the armor.

Of all the hero party’s attacks so far, not a single one has resulted in a significant hit to Faust.

Although many times the exoskeleton covering Faust’s body was cut, the exoskeleton never once bled.

However, this is only the warrior party’s illusion.

‘…How much stronger are you trying to become?’

From the perspective of Faust, who has dealt with the hero party so far, effective hits are just a play on words.

Faust is the devil, and the exoskeleton that covers the devil’s body is also a part of the devil’s body.

Magic energy and vitality flow through the exoskeleton, and of course demonic energy and vitality are needed to repair the exoskeleton. In other words, the fact that a lot of the exoskeleton was cut off or fell off is no different from the fact that an invisible effective blow was inflicted that the warrior party could not feel.

The warrior party also knows this very well. This is because Faust once spoke to a party of warriors who mistakenly thought that they had not been able to land a valid hit a long time ago.

But not a single person agreed with Faust’s words.

In their view, it is only effective if you bleed and suffer. There is no one in the hero’s party who has a small vessel to be happy that they just carved out an exoskeleton.

“I would rather praise him. I think he saw the possibility of completely defeating me in just one year.”

“…The current Faust only has half of his original strength. The other Faust even has divine status. This is not something that should be praised at all.”

“…If you think that way, I don’t know what to do.”

These words were meant to comfort Iris, who was a bit disappointed in her own strength, but Iris answered with great honesty and dignity. On the contrary, it was to the point where my face got hot for hastily comforting her.

Wow, he’s a crazy guy who usually tries to overpower me and crush me with his ass whenever he gets the chance… No, he has a bit of an extreme personality, but I wonder why he only acts like an adult at times like this, really.

I don’t know why the hero party is so sad in the first place.

‘The hero party becomes accustomed to my attack method, which means that I also become familiar with the hero party’s attack method.’

I can be sure that if it were me at the beginning, that is, when I just started training with my strength cut in half, I would be completely defeated by the current warrior party.

I just have a strong memory of the warrior party’s attacks that I saw in previous training, so I can see clearly in my mind what they will do and attack in the future, and my body is moving on its own according to what I see. .

If you are attacked by another Naga hero party, there will definitely be a lot of effective hits, that is, based on the hero party’s standards, a lot of effective hits will be made. When it comes to an attack, the success or failure of the attack is determined by whether the target receiving the attack is familiar or not.

However, the fact also applies backwards. Also, a party of warriors who are not familiar with the attacks I will use using my divine power may be defeated in an instant.

‘So, I guess I should go.’

For example, I can block an attack that uses divine power… Or, rather, hit it.

You have to do one of two things to prevent something terrible from happening.

“We will resume training. Everyone, prepare for battle.”

Cheolkkeun-

The warrior party, who had been chatting noisily just a moment ago, closed their mouths as if they had never done so at my order to resume training and entered a battle stance.

The changes in behavior and posture are so rapid that it feels extremely uncomfortable.

Everyone is only mature when things like this happen.

**********

“Everyone, let’s praise.”

And one year is a long time, not only for the warrior party but also for others.

Representatively, the Holy Empire, once called the Aquileian Empire.

Despite its name being an empire, the country is run only by priests without an emperor, but so far there has never been a problem due to that.

“We bow to Faust, who has enriched our lives.”

Clearly, what Faust wanted was carried out exactly as it was.

In order to erase the color of fanaticism, everything that had previously been practiced by the Church of Faust was reformed.

Under Faust’s notion that fanaticism disappears as people’s lives become richer, the state affairs of the Holy Empire were conducted with the priority of enriching the lives of the people of the empire.

In this process, the budget for military power was completely evaporated, but no one thought carefully about it.

Military power? Why do you need that? Master Faust and his family protect the empire?

“I bow to Faust, who taught me how to catch fish, not just give it away.”

In the past, anyone who went to a church would give out bread without even asking, but the current denomination, having heard Faust’s orders, does not do that.

First of all, those who wanted bread were made to work and bread was given as compensation, but none of the people of the empire disliked the treatment of the church.

No, rather, I liked proving my own worth.

Receiving a generous portion of bread makes the recipients think that they are poor and weak, but working and receiving bread increases their self-esteem.

“Rather than a blind faith that falls into madness, a clear faith achieved under a thoroughly enlightened perspective is what Faust only desires.”

And all of this instilled a new form of fanaticism in the people of the empire.

This is worship that is not blind, but is conducted under a thoroughly logical way of thinking.

In the eyes of the people of the empire, Faust’s actions of overcoming poverty in one year and thinking only of the people of the empire without any authoritarian aspect are enough to be considered a living wise god.

“Please answer me, how can this person not be God?”

A worship based on cold reason and rationality, not fanaticism.

This type of new faith gave the divine power a new type of power. Faust’s plan to weaken the power of the gods by eliminating fanaticism failed.