Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Is Cana Really This Strong?
"Ha! Hup! Ha!"
Rhodes punched the sandbag in front of him, each blow powerful and determined. His bare upper body glistened in the faint light, covered in a sheen of sweat.
This was a newly added part of his evening training routine.
The sandbag was something he had spent a 'fortune' on just a few days ago. He believed that it would help him become more disciplined.
—After all, since the money was already spent, it would feel like a real waste not to make good use of it.
After half an hour of hitting the sandbag, Rhodes finally stopped, gasping for breath. He wiped the sweat off his face and gently massaged his sore arms.
Once his breathing and heart rate calmed down, Rhodes went to take a shower.
Before stepping out of the bathroom, he flexed in front of the mirror, bending his arm, "Looks like I've gotten a bit more muscular, right?"
He bent down and patted his calves. Compared to before, when his legs would wobble like jelly after a light tap, they had indeed become much firmer.
"Gruh!" Worm confirmed with a rumbling sound.
"Good, time to start studying." Rhodes returned to his bedroom, sat at the desk, and began writing in his notebook, flipping through a few magazines.
He had already skimmed through over 60 magazines with the help of Wind Song's glasses, sorting them into two piles.
One pile had about 20 magazines, which contained Mira's photos (not really) but more importantly, held significant information.
The other pile had over 30 magazines, which only contained ordinary information.
What Rhodes was doing now was organizing useful details, such as major guilds, famous magic users, renowned cities, and so on.
He also made note of any troublesome special magic mentioned in the news.
He needed to understand and adapt to this world as much as possible, avoiding trouble caused by basic misunderstandings in the future.
Moreover, this world was full of 'deadly first-encounter' magic spells—easy to fall for if you didn't know about them, but once you did, they were a piece of cake to counter.
Take, for example, the charm magic that had been banned by the Council a few years ago... Honestly, after learning about the effects of charm magic, he was a little tempted to learn it.
"'Red Sky Borra,' expelled by the formal guild 'Nose of the Giant' for theft, is currently wandering the border area between the Kingdom of Fiore and the Kingdom of Bosco, occasionally committing crimes..."
Rhodes jotted down this dangerous person's information, closed his notebook, and began today's meditation practice.
The guild master had said that the only way to grow stronger was through steady, hard work. No matter how powerful the magic, it needed a solid foundation of magical energy to support it.
Mira, for her part, had warned him, uncharacteristically serious, not to aim too high. Otherwise, not only could he hurt himself, but he might also endanger his companions.
Rhodes was someone who could listen to reason, especially in fields he wasn't well-versed in.
Therefore, each day, he was content to steadily accumulate magical power and train his body. Even when using his mental strength to explore the summoner's canyon shrouded in black fog, he remained extremely cautious.
If a 'beast rampage' occurred solely in the forest, that would be fine, but if it happened in the city, Rhodes felt he'd be in real trouble.
—
July 22nd, clear skies.
Today, Rhodes was supposed to face Cana, and he felt ready for it.
Cana, as usual, was guzzling a large barrel of alcohol, even though it was still just the morning.
Macao, sitting beside her, counted as one of her drinking buddies. "Cana, are you becoming an even heavier drinker?"
"Gulp gulp... Ha!" Cana wiped the corner of her mouth, gave Macao a sidelong glance, and said, "Mind your business. Aren't you drinking too?!"
Macao shrugged. "Not that I'm meddling, I just think it might be better for a girl to drink a bit less, you know."
"So annoying. I won money yesterday; of course, I should drink to my heart's content today." Cana grumbled, picking up the barrel again, though her pace slowed a bit.
"Young folks these days..." Macao sighed, sounding like an old man.
After a few more gulps, Cana slammed the barrel down, "Rhodes, are you ready or not?"
"Almost..." As a responsible worker, Rhodes had to finish his chores first. "You better not pass out from drinking!"
"It's still early!"
Since she often drank until she passed out, Cana knew her alcohol limits well. A barrel in the morning was just an appetizer for her.
Mira had once estimated that Cana alone accounted for more than 20% of the guild's total alcohol consumption.
In other words, a significant portion of Rhodes' current earnings could be credited to Cana's contributions.
Once Rhodes finished his cleaning tasks, the two headed to the backyard to prepare for their duel.
Of course, there were people watching, though not as many as usual.
As usual, Rhodes summoned a river crab to test the waters.
"Just to confirm," Cana pulled three playing card-sized cards from her waist pouch, "Will this creature die?"
Rhodes replied, "Don't worry, if it gets hurt beyond a certain point, it'll just be dismissed, and it'll be fine again by tomorrow."
And, compared to Poro, both the river crab and stone beetle didn't seem to have much 'spirit.'
"Alright, then I won't hold back." Cana smiled confidently, and the cards in her hands began to glow golden.
Was this really that drunkard? Rhodes realized that once Cana got serious, her entire aura shifted.
He even had the illusion that he was facing Erza.
The river crab charged forward, and Cana shot out her three cards, hitting the river crab right on the head.
The cards exploded in a flash of golden light, and the river crab was instantly dismissed.
"That power..." It was unexpected. Rhodes immediately summoned the ancient stone beetle.
Cana threw two cards, one transforming into flames and the other into a fierce wind. The ancient stone beetle was struck and split into two stone beetles.
It wasn't over yet. Cana shot three more cards, and three bolts of golden lightning struck the three stone beetles.
"Light element, fire element, wind element, thunder element..." Rhodes watched, eyes filled with awe at the spectacular effects. He now understood what it meant to be an all-around magic user.
When the three stone beetles were beaten and split into six mini stone beetles, Cana casually shot out six more cards.
With six explosive sounds, the stone beetles were all dismissed.
Cana rotated her wrist and smiled, "Alright, now let's get to the real fight, hand-to-hand combat."
Rhodes nodded. Though he could still summon another river crab or a lone stone beetle, there was no need.
This time, it seemed like a tactical error. In future battles, whenever he summoned stone beetles, they should burrow underground right away.
A few minutes later, Rhodes lay on the ground, questioning his life.
That speed, that power... Was Cana really this strong?
...
"Of course, Cana is very strong." Mira answered Rhodes' question.
"She's been a candidate for S-Class Mage for three consecutive years, but each time, she missed out due to a bit of bad luck.
Like running into Erza or Mystogan during the exams, for instance."
"S-Class candidate, huh..." Rhodes recalled the oppressive presence of Erza and the powerful sleep magic of Mystogan...
Suddenly, he felt much better about himself. A rookie losing to Cana wasn't shameful.
"Cana must feel quite disappointed, though?" Rhodes glanced at Cana, who had switched to drinking from a smaller cup.
On the surface, she seemed so carefree, but everyone had their own troubles deep down.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ahan5000
ahan5000 Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone