Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 82 - 69: Tough Training

"Behold, our new sanctuary for sharpening our blades and honing our skills, aka our training equipment ground," Carol announced, her eyes glowing with pride as she gestured towards the barren expanse before them. The space was desolate, save for the neatly arranged dumbbells that lay scattered around the area.

Aurianna and Leila gazed in awe, their eyes wide with wonder as they surveyed the training ground. They were speechless, their minds reeling with the possibilities that lay before them.

"Well the whole space is our training ground, but this is where your equipment is. So then, should we start our training with Aurianna and Leila?"Carol continued, her voice heavy with emotion. "This is where you will find your weapons, your tools, and your training equipment. This is where I would help you hone your skills and body, to become strong."

Apart from seeing nothing but dumbbells and weapons, Aurianna and Leila stared blankly at Carol with an unimpressed look, but Carol still looked proud of herself.

"Don’t let the lack of decor fool you, I’ve got more installed for you both in the other areas," Carol stated with a sly smile, "Just look at your training programs here," Carol handed them a tablet. As they scrolled through the programs, Aurianna and Leila’s expressions shifted from impressed to approving nods.

"My, my," Aurianna said, her voice tinged with intrigue. "This time your training seems well thought out. I’m quite impressed."

"Like hell, I could come up with ideas like her," Carol revealed, her voice low and cryptic. "It’s all that metal for brains idea, and she improvised all the training set."

"Eva?" Aurianna blurted out and Carol nodded.

"Who else?" Carol stated with crossed arms.

Hearing that Eva was the one who had designed their training, Aurianna smiled a bit. She knew that Eva was brilliant, even if she was a bit odd and a narcissist.

"Now then you guys should wear these," Carol immediately placed ten round bracelets on them. Two on each of their arms, legs, and neck.

"They are so heavy!! What the hell are they? I feel like I’m carrying thirty droles, I can barely move!!" Aurianna exclaimed, struggling to lift her arms.

"Indeed, how are we supposed to train with these on?" Leila asked with a worried tone, the weight of the bracelets making her feel heavy.

Carol’s response was chillingly enthusiastic. "These bracelets are one of your training tools," she declared, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Since you’ll spend four days here in your real-world time. Thirty-six times four would be one hundred and forty-four years. So, we would spend these number of years training here and also that’s how long you’ll be training with these weights on.." Carol declared excitedly.

Aurianna couldn’t contain her annoyance. "So we won’t be fighting monsters or going on quests? Just training with these damn weights?" she grumbled. "Then how would we level up?" She asked in annoyance of not doing any battle but just training.

"Don’t worry," Carol reassured her, her voice echoing with a dark tone. "You’ll level up through your training. So now our first goal is for you two to train your bodies to withstand your quick growth, and for you girls to walk normally with those weights on. Remember, only I can remove those weights," she warned, her voice sending shivers down Aurianna’s spine.

’I really hate that Death Harpy,’ Aurianna thought angrily. However, as she recalled the memory of Carol effortlessly destroying the Void Reaver Queen, the embers of her frustration began to dim. Aurianna couldn’t help but feel a deep yearning for such immense power, and the idea of achieving it overshadowed her mild hatred for the Death Harpy.

"Why can’t we just kill monsters to grow stronger? These stupid weights won’t be of help!" Aurianna glared at her, frustrated with the situation.

"It doesn’t work like that," Carol shook her head, her smile turning sinister, "If you rely solely on battles to level up without training your body, your growth will falter. Your body won’t be able to keep pace with your level, so your body would deteriorate when you unleash large amounts of your magic."

Leila nodded in agreement and muttered, "Mages are known to die young, despite their incredible magic power and levels, but their bodies simply can’t handle the magic they wield."

Carol’s smile widened as she continued her explanation. "Warriors, on the other hand, train their bodies to perfection. They are the ones who can wield immense power without fear of their bodies giving out."

"That’s why mages tend to die earlier than warriors, despite some of them being extremely powerful." Aurianna continued.

"Such is the fate of mages," Carol replied with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "Their magical abilities may be awe-inspiring, but their bodies are fragile vessels, unable to withstand the immense power they wield. Warriors, on the other hand, have honed their bodies to perfection, making them able to harness their full potential without fear of deterioration."

"It’s kind of freaky that Carol is suddenly talking like a scholar," Aurianna said as she eyed Carol nervously, and Leila nodded in agreement.

"What did you guys take me for? A mere battle brute?" Carol asked and Aurianna and Leila nodded, causing her to cry inwardly. ’They are so cruel.’

Aurianna nodded, her face now serious. "I see now. We must train our bodies as well as our skills to become stronger."

"So how would the training be like for each of us, you know we don’t have the same class," Leila asked curiously and Carol smirked.

"As for the training, Eva has already planned that," Carol said, her smile now tinged with a dark edge. "Aurianna, you will focus on leg and gun training, while Leila will do more sword and body training. However, since Leila is versatile with any weapon, she will train with them all."

Aurianna grinned, feeling a newfound determination burning within her. "I’m ready to begin."

"Then let us commence," Carol said, her eyes glinting with a mysterious intensity.

_________

"I can’t lift it, what kind of rock is this!!" Aurianna’s muscles ached as she struggled to lift the small yet weighty rock, which seemed to mock her efforts. Sweat dripped down her face, and her breaths came in ragged gasps as she tried to budge the immovable object. Even though it was no larger than a palm, the ground around it had shattered, a testament to its immense weight.

"Same here, it’s not budging," Leila said nervously as she, too, tried to remove the strange stone before them. Its unusual color and the image of the universe and stars painted on it gave it a mesmerizing glow, but it was also a formidable challenge.

Carol’s grin was wicked as she announced the true nature of the rock. "This is an astral rock, one of the heaviest rocks known to us. From this day forth, until the end of your training, you will attempt to lift this rock. Aurianna, you will kick the rock into the air and lift it with your feet, and Leila, you will use your hands to lift it." She said, her voice oozing with a hint of sadistic pleasure as she twirled an Astral rock around in her hand like though it was a mere ball, relishing the discomfort on the faces of her two students. "It’s the same rocks your bracelets are made from but much lighter."

"I think my feet would rather break if I kicked that," Aurianna retorted, her face contorted with fear as she imagined the agony that would come with kicking the stone.

"If you refuse to try, I can take control of your body and make you do it," Carol said, her smile twisting into an expression of wicked delight. "And trust me, the pain will be excruciating."

Aurianna felt a shiver run down her spine as she listened to Carol’s words. "I think I’ll pass on that and rather train," she said with a hint of fear in her voice. The thought of Carol controlling her body was a terrifying one, and Aurianna was determined to avoid it at all costs.

Carol’s eyes narrowed, and her smile turned into a sneer. "As you wish," she said coldly. "But know this, Aurianna, there will come a time when your training will require you to push past your limits, and when that time comes, you will either rise to the challenge or crumble beneath it."

Aurianna nodded, her face set in determination. She knew that the road ahead of her was a difficult one, but she was ready to face whatever challenges came her way. With a deep breath, she turned and walked towards the training grounds, ready to begin her journey towards strength and power.

Aurianna and Leila began their grueling training, pushing their limits to the brink of breaking. Aurianna’s foot was shattered numerous times as she relentlessly kicked the astral rock, and she would heal it with healing magic and try again. Not only did she not falter, instead, she redirected her efforts towards other training exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups to strengthen herself.

In the midst of their grueling training, Aurianna and Leila were pushed to their limits. Running alongside Carol, they pushed themselves for days on end, with the heavy weight of their training equipment bearing down on their tired limbs. Even when their legs could no longer carry them, Carol would not let them rest.

They lifted heavy dumbbells made of the same astral rock that had broken Aurianna’s foot, their arms, and muscles straining with the effort. Aurianna pushed herself to the brink, sometimes feeling as though her very limbs would break off from the weight, and when she was unlucky, they literally broke off, and she had to heal herself back to normal.

Carol would always bring Leila and Aurianna some strange white liquid and stated it was milk from a monster, but when Aurianna drank it the taste was far beyond milk, but she couldn’t spit it out as she watched Carol’s scary expression. Every time she drank it, her body feels refreshed and light.

Their training even took them up treacherous mountains, where they faced attacks from terrifying monsters inhabiting the mountain. And once they reached the summit, Carol would force them to eat strange and creepy plants that left them feeling dizzy and disoriented. Occasionally they even died, only to be revived later, for some of the effects to be worn off. And then they had to climb back down the mountain, their exhausted bodies screaming for relief.

Aurianna’s training had become grueling beyond measure, with each day bringing new challenges that tested her limits. As she ran with a heavy dumbbell in her mouth and others in her hands, she watched her sister Leila fly through the air with even heavier weights. The strain was visible on Leila’s face, yet she refused to give in, determined to keep pace with Carol. Aurianna was inspired by her sister’s tenacity, pushing herself harder than ever before.

Aurianna would do push-ups with her body in the air and her hands on the ground with massive dumbbells tied to her leg. She broke her leg several times, but she didn’t give up, she continued on.

After a few years, Aurianna came before the rock and kicked it with all her strength and the rock moved a centimeter. She smiled happily about her work.

"To think she was able to move it, that rock is about the weight of a mountain," Carol smiled.

Aurianna’s training was not limited to her strength alone. She honed her foot skills by kicking against a long astral rock provided by Carol, breaking her legs time and time again due to the rock’s incredible durability. She also practiced punches and shooting skills, developing her techniques and perfecting her aim as the years passed by.

Whenever she was back in the real world, she would perform her normal duties of studying and readings and train excessively when she was in the training grounds.

During her time in the training grounds, Aurianna would sweat heavily as she performed intense sit-ups on a long floating horizontal pole of astral rock. Despite bleeding from her eyes and her body covered in slightly visible muscles, she never wavered in her determination to succeed.

There were even times when Aurianna felt as though she could go no further, that the pain was too much to bear. She wanted to give up and stop training, but when she remembered her goals she got back up, always keeping her goals in mind and pushing herself to the limit. When she returned to the real world, she never neglected her studies and readings, dedicating every moment to her training.

Aurianna spent her next thirty-six years, a third day, in the real world in a strange forest, which Carol left her in.

The forest had a gloomy look, but what made it more ominous were the branches, which appeared to be twisted into various weapons, some resembling guns.

"This is the forest of combat weapon trees," Carol’s warning echoed in Aurianna’s mind as they stood together, "When they consume any form of weaponry, their body metamorphoses into that weapon, and they attack anyone who dares to enter their territory."

Carol’s words sent chills down Aurianna’s spine, and she looked around apprehensively, notching the trees were snoring. The forest seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, and Aurianna’s heart raced with excitement at the thrill of a new upcoming battle.

"Today, you will fight these trees. Be warned, there are over a hundred thousand of them, and Eva fed them all manner of weapons. If fortune favors you, you may discover a new weapon to wield," Carol explained, her tone laced with caution.

"Shouldn’t Leila be the one doing this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, and Carol shook her head.

"Oh she is in a different and much stronger forest, you’re here to train your gun skills and feet skills," Carol stated.

"Your feet must become durable to withstand the blow of any weapon, and so must your body. Your shooting skills should be precise and accurate, and you should learn how to manage your magic," Carol explained as she held Aurianna’s hands and added an extra set of three more bracelets on each of her arms and feet.

"I think I’m fine with my shooting magic," Aurianna said as she summoned two revolvers into her hand.

"No, you shoot like an idiot," Carol criticized and Aurianna glared at her.

"What do you mean?" Aurianna asked and Carol grinned.

"You’re always blasting large outputs of your magic, not taking notice of your huge mana depletion. If you don’t take care, and you’re in a battle with a group of people, your mana would run out faster than you can kill them," Carol explained.

Aurianna nodded thoughtfully as she knew what Carol meant, ’So my feet and body would need to be as resilient as steel to endure the blows of these weaponized trees. My shooting skills would need to be precise and accurate, and I would have to learn how to wield my magic carefully in order to survive.’

"Remember," Carol’s voice whispered ominously, sending a shiver down Aurianna’s spine, "These trees will show no mercy. You must fight with every fiber of your being if you hope to survive, and not just keep dying like an idiot."

Aurianna gazed around the eerie forest warily, her eyes darting to the twisted branches that resembled deadly weapons. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched, and the faint rustling of the leaves only added to her unease.

"Now then, with that out of the way, good luck," Carol’s tone was almost mocking as she soared up into the air and bellowed, "Wake up you stupid trees!!!"

Carol’s voice echoed through the entire forest, causing it to tremble, before she flew away.

A deafening roar filled the forest as the trees stirred, their gnarled limbs transforming into a myriad of weapons, ranging from swords to guns. Aurianna’s heart raced as she noticed the trees opening their eyes, each one more menacing than the last. Suddenly, a sword slashed towards her, but she swiftly dodged it and retaliated with a shot from her revolvers.

She noticed a particularly fearsome tree approaching her, the tree running on two feet which made her dumbfounded for a moment, its eyes glinting with malice as its sword-like branches scraped against each other. Summoning all her courage, Aurianna summoned an arsenal of guns around her and charged at the trees.

Aurianna’s heart raced as she unleashed a storm of bullets upon the twisted trees, the sound of gunfire filling the gloomy forest. She deftly dodged their attacks, her body moving with fluid grace. Despite the danger, she felt a rush of excitement coursing through her veins.

"This is too easy," she smirked, relishing the power she felt with each shot. The trees writhed in pain as her bullets tore through their twisted bodies, rendering them motionless and some weapons being dropped on the ground.

But as she continued to fight, Aurianna began to sense that something was amiss. The trees seemed to be laughing at her, their twisted branches writhing in a macabre dance. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that she had underestimated the true nature of this forest.

Undeterred, Aurianna summoned her hover gun and unleashed a barrage of blasts upon the trees. But to her surprise, the trees dodged her attacks with ease, moving with an unnatural speed and agility. She knew then that this was no ordinary forest, and that her powers alone may not be enough to overcome the malevolent forces that lurked within.

Aurianna’s heart raced with fear as the trees laughed at her, their dark and twisted amusement echoing through the forest. She had thought she could defeat them easily, but they were proving to be more formidable opponents than she had anticipated. Her head became dizzy every time she heard their laughter, so she gritted her teeth and shot her hands several times for her senses to return back to normal.

But before she could fully recover, she noticed a huge blast heading her way, but she was too late. She got hit by the blast that burnt her skin immensely and made her unable to move. She gritted her teeth and healed herself back to normal.