บท 21: Hell

"Aghhh!" James screamed in pain. He was rolling on the ground with tears in his eyes. He looked at his master with eyes begging for pity. "Master! I know my wrongs! I'll do better in the future! Let's switch to the normal training!"

"Normal training?" Skeleton smiled. "I think you're mistaken about something boy. This is just the beginning. You'll beg me to return to this training later." Skeleton sighed. "I stopped giving this training to my disciples a long time ago. They always ended up becoming masochists for some reason. Creeps me out a bit…"

*Thwack* "Gahhh!" James hoarse voice rang out for miles. The pain was unbearable. Skeleton was whacking him with an ordinary tree branch. It was covered in black mana.

"Do your best, brat." Skeleton shook his head. "This hurts me more than it hurts you!"

*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!* Bloodcurdling screams continued to echo out. Each time the branch met Jame's body it left a large bruise. Traces of mana would forcefully enter his body. The mana forced itself past his flesh and into his skeletal system. His bones were quickly growing stronger. They continuously cracked from the blunt force. Then, they used the absorbed mana to rapidly heal.

Several hours passed.

"Hmm. Time's almost up for today." Skeleton grinned. "I've saved the best for last."

*Thwack!* "AGHHH!!!!!" A scream like no other rang out. James fell to the floor hunched over in pain. He cried in a high-pitched voice, "Master, why?" Tears poured down his face. James voice sounded like he had inhaled helium from a balloon. "Why would you hit my family jewels master?!"

"Mana must be spread all over the body." Skeleton answered. "Balance is very important. Even if your family jewels have no bones, they still have skin and flesh that need tempered by mana."

Skeleton set the branch down by the tree. "Okay. Phase 1 of your training for today is complete. This was the defense phase. Next is the agility phase. Let's go." Skeleton grabbed James by the collar and dragged him to a training field in the castle courtyard. This field was barren and consisted of many wooden poles. They stuck up from the ground at different heights and distances.

Skeleton threw James on top of one of the poles. James stuck his arms out while he tried to balance on one foot. He was several dozen feet up in the air.

"Your goal is to cross the entire field without leaving the wooden poles. This will help increase your agility, balance, and body." Skeleton walked towards a corner of the field. A large white box stood there. He slammed down on top of it. "Oy! Wake up. It's time to play!"

*Buzz, buzz* A horde of red bees flew out of the box. They were five times bigger than ordinary bees. Their stingers were a deep shade of black. A mixture of black and red mana circulated around them. Skeleton pointed towards James. "Go get him, but make sure he doesn't die." The bees nodded to show understanding.

"Gahhhh!!!" James screamed and fell from the wooden pole. He hadn't even managed to jump to the 2nd one. He landed on the ground with a loud thud. His entire body ached in pain. Giant welts were all over his body. They were swollen black and red. "Aghhh!" James screamed again and rolled on the floor. A bunch of blue ants with white pincers were biting him. They were just as big as the bees!

James stood up and ran out of the garden. "Oy! Where do you think you're going?" Skeleton appeared in front of him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Master! I don't want to die! I'm sorry. I'll do anything you want. I'll even sign a slave contract!" James knelt on the floor and hugged his masters legs. "Please don't make me go back! I don't want to go back!" He cried.

"Tsk. Tsk." Skeleton shook his head. "You're too weak-willed. This is good training for your spirit as well. Don't worry. The ants and bees won't kill you. Each one is an intelligent magic beast. The blackfire venom from the bees is countered by the whitewater venom from the ants. The two types of mana venom offset each other. This will allow your body to absorb more mana and become much stronger! You just need to have the willpower to get through it!"

"Master!!! I don't have the willpower! Your disciple is an unwilling coward! I'll marry the city lord's daughter and send you offerings each month! Just let me go!" James continued to cry and beg. He offered anything and everything he could think of.

"Mm." Skeleton shook his head. "This is worse than I thought. I've never had such a useless disciple before…" Skeleton rubbed his chin in thought. He spoke, "Hmm. I didn't want to resort to this… but it seems you leave me no choice. Tell me disciple, have you heard of Holy Maiden Radiant?"

James stopped begging for a moment and thought about it. He spoke, "She's the light magus mutate from the Light Kingdom, right?"

"Mm." Skeleton nodded. "Here's the deal brat. I don't need useless disciples. They don't suit my goal after all. I only have so much time to waste." Skeleton smiled and placed a hand on James shoulder. "I'll give you a way out. You can use your system to transform into one of my maids. You'll be expelled as my disciple and will serve me as your master. I have over a hundred maids, so you'll only have to service me within my bedchambers a few times a year. What do you think?"

James entire body shivered in fear! He had never been this afraid before! "Master!" James screamed, "I didn't know you swung that way?!"

"Humph!" Skeleton snorted. "Swing what way? You'd be a woman once you transformed. You'd be the only one swinging that way."

"I won't do it!" James shook his head and backed up in fear. "I won't do the training or become your maid! I quit! I'm getting a new uniform and moving to the Earth Kingdom!"

"Oh?" Skeleton grinned. "You think I'll let you leave? We'll be going to war soon. I can't allow traitors to leave. I mentioned Holy Maiden Radiant a moment ago, right? She's a personal friend of mine. If you refuse to do your training, then I'll call in a favor from her. I'll have her brainwash you to listen to my orders with 100% obedience. Then, I'll make you become my maid and continue the training!"

"You!" James screamed. "You're a monster!"

"Gahahahaha!" Skeleton laughed. "Make your choice, boy!"

James trembled. He turned around and ran towards the wooden poles as fast as he could. He climbed one and tried jumping to the next. "Gah!" He screamed as he slammed his head against the pole he jumped towards. He hugged to the pole tightly and began to climb. Bees were continuously stinging him. "Ugh!" he fell from the pole and the ants quickly bit him. He continued to climb and fall repeatedly.

"Master?" Little Red spoke as they watched from a distance. "I thought Holy Maiden Radiant hated you? Isn't it one of her life's goals to kill you?"

"Mm." Skeleton nodded. "She hates my guts. Dark and light don't mix. All that mumbo jumbo from the Light Church." Skeleton laughed, "However, James doesn't need to know that. Gahahaha!"

"Mm. So that was the case." Little Red nodded.

"Master?" Little Blue spoke next. "Would you really have allowed him to become your maid? What if he had agreed?"

"If he agreed?" Skeleton stood silently in thought for a moment. "Then I suppose I'd have a new maid. Haha! He would have become a masochist either way! I love the irony!"

Little Blue nodded and looked down. Her cheeks were completely red. 'Master is even more perverted than I thought…'

Several hours passed. James dragged his tired body towards Skeleton. His entire body was covered in reddish-black and blueish-white welts. It was like his body was covered in tumors. He didn't even look remotely human anymore.

"Good work!" Skeleton slapped James on the back. "Time for phase 3!"

Skeleton dragged James to the castle basement. Bright lights shone from the ceiling. "Go ahead and pick a weapon." Skeleton pointed towards a wall lined with weapons. "Phase 3 is offense. Pick carefully."

James dragged his body towards the weapon rack. He lazily looked at the various weapons. Swords, spears, whips, and more. He was dizzy and tired. He didn't even care what he chose. 'Eh?' James looked at a pair of gauntlets. They were dark black. Each gauntlet had a large blade sticking out the top. When James tried a gauntlet on, he found a mechanism he could press to cause the large blade to split apart into three smaller blades. He pressed the mechanism again and the three blades combined into one.

Skeleton spoke, "Those are custom katar gauntlets. They're a type of claw weapon. The blade can retract into the gauntlets. The blade can also stay as one large blade or split into three smaller blades."

James looked at the gauntlets and smiled. 'I always loved Wolverine. I might as well choose claw weapons. I don't really have a preference for anything specific anyways.'

James wore both gauntlets. He shot the blades out and used the three-clawed form.

"Mm." Skeleton nodded. "It's an unusual weapon choice, but it's one of my favorites." Skeleton waved his hand and another pair of katar gauntlets appeared. He put them on his own hands. "Let's begin then. I'll train you how to use the katar."

*Bang! Thud!* James slammed into a wall. He coughed out some blood and fell to the floor. "Master! I thought you were going to train me to use the weapon?!"

"I am." Skeleton smiled. "What better way to learn than with your body? Claws are a short-range weapon and I'm going easy on you. Improve quick enough and you'll be able to defend yourself. Remember, the best defense is a strong offense!"

Hours passed. James body was covered in slash and stab wounds. Blood poured everywhere. A light breeze could easily finish him off.

"Good job today!" Skeleton praised him. "You improved a lot. That completes our 12-hour training today. You can return to your dorm. We begin again tomorrow. We'll do this every day until you become a 1st grade knight."

James walked out of the castle like a wooden puppet. With each step, he tilted back and forth like a blade of grass in the wind. A small trail of blood was left behind him as he walked towards his dorm. 'Master is a monster… Should I run away? No! He'll catch me and get that light magus to brainwash me! I refuse to swing that way! I'm shocked master does… should I introduce Adam to him? No. Adam deserves better. I can't ruin my friend's life like that.'

James continued to walk for several minutes in the dark night. Then, he passed out in the middle of the mountain path.

...

James awoke to a bright and sunny day.

'It's already morning?' James questioned. He slowly stood up. He yawned while stretching. 'My body feels amazing!' James could feel strength coursing through his body. He felt like he was at least twice as strong as yesterday. 'To think a single day of training could change my body this drastically… Ah. It's almost time to begin again.'

James returned to the castle. The hellish training repeated. He got better at withstanding the tree branch blows. The bee and ant bites started to hurt less. He occasionally managed to block a claw blade from his master and return an attack. Though the attack always missed…

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

"Harder!" James screamed as the tree branch slammed into him. "I'm close to my breakthrough! I can feel it master! Hit me harder!"

Skeleton swung the tree branch faster and harder at James. A look of disgust was evident on his face. 'It happened again…' Skeleton sighed. 'Why do my disciples that do this training always become masochists? It's so creepy. They should have more self-respect like me.'

Little Red and Little Blue had watched the training over the past few days. Little Blue watched with glimmering eyes. "Hey, Little Red. Do you think master and Yale will become…?" A trail of blood dripped down her nose while her face blushed with excitement.

"No." Little Red shook her head. "Only your sick mind would think of that. Master would never be with another man."

"Oh." Little Blue looked down in disappointment.

James was currently being hit by the branch. He could feel the mana coursing through his skeletal system. His body was hungry for more. The mana kept increasing. Finally, James reached his limit. It felt like a chain had unlocked on his body. His strength surged drastically.

Skeleton stopped swinging the branch. "You finally broke through. Several days is very fast. Be thankful to your hardworking master." Skeleton smiled, "You're now a peak 1st-grade knight. I might as well train you to a 2nd level knight while I'm at it. Go get some rest. Tomorrow, we begin the real hellish training!"