You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Bang!

It's hard to imagine that someone could manipulate a human body so easily, as if wielding a warhammer. The blond youths were sent flying one by one, either crashing into walls or falling into trash cans. The one caught by Kageno Minoru was foaming at the mouth, with countless broken bones in his body.

This scene, resembling a barbarian god incarnate, left not only the delinquents but even the two rescued students pale-faced, their teeth chattering, unable to utter a word.

Finally, Minoru Kageno released the man and threw him to the ground, his deep and bright eyes fixed on the corpse-like delinquent.

"This is the tragedy of not knowing love."

-

"...So that's the nominal disciple you were talking about?"

High in the sky, Iori, who had used the barrier technique to conceal her form, stood side by side with the Flame Dragon. The Dragon King, whose body was wrapped in flames, watched the battle on the ground intently. Although it was low-level in its eyes, it couldn't help but look at Iori.

"What I'm about to say might be a bit impolite, but judging from your words and actions—is there something wrong with your apprentice's head?"

"..."

Iori was speechless!

The time I ran into him before, although he was also a serious case of chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur), he was completely different from how he is now!

Is this... this... did I just travel back from some hot-blooded fighting manga?

Could there be seven scars under that vest?

"It seems that he has also undergone a lot of changes during this period."

Iori scrutinized the muscular boy, lost in thought: "He's clearly already using magic... but where did he get this power from? And how did he learn how to use it?"

-

This feeling is the best!!!

Although the opponent was still a delinquent, the power flowing through his body brought an overwhelming force, almost to the point of being on another dimension!

Just like the guy who just happened to be passing by!

He casually dealt with the villains, leaving no name or communication with the victims, only uttering a cool but meaningless line before making a dashing exit after resolving the trouble.

I look so cool like this!!!

No one knows my true identity; I am the hero who roams in the shadows!

Even the police would never guess that I was just an ordinary (?) high school student!

Kageno Minoru felt comfortable in every one of his 36,000 pores, as if the frustration he had accumulated over the past ten years had been swept away in one breath!

This training method really works! I have mastered supernatural powers that transcend the mundane!

...I just don't know how big the gap is between me and my "master".

In his excitement, Minoru Kageno didn't go home but plunged into the mountains and forests, crossing the night at a speed that no ordinary person could do, and finally arrived at a mountain cabin.

This was originally an abandoned hunter's hideout, but after being discovered by Minoru Kageno, it was used as a secret base. He hid his biggest haul from the past month here.

Wow~

I unlocked the door, pushed it open, and pulled out a red women's suitcase (an old item my mom had discarded) from under the bed. After entering the combination, I opened it, and a red light shone from inside.

"Oh~ so it's the flesh and blood of a demon. Is this how you obtain magic power?"

"who!?"

Kageno Minoru was instantly terrified. He had been followed to his lair without even realizing it. Just who was this person?

If the secret here is exposed, he will lose his status as a "Shadow-level powerhouse"!

But when Minoru Kageno turned around and saw the person who had been following him, all the tension and hostility in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by boundless ecstasy—

"master!"

Chapter 215: Coach, I want to learn magic! (4K)

It's hard to describe how Minoru Kageno felt upon seeing Iori. For over a month, he had been frantically searching for this man with magical powers, hoping to gain an opportunity to enter the realm of the extraordinary from Iori, but he had been unsuccessful.

The only gain was finding fragments of the monster's flesh and blood in the mountains, probably the remains left after Iori killed it—though they were just scraps, they still weighed several tens of kilograms.

Minoru Kageno collected all the monster flesh he could find. At first, he had no other ideas, but because he couldn't find Iori, he had to find another way.

How can I draw power from the flesh and blood of monsters?

If it were a scientist, they would probably use various methods to study this alien creature and extract key substances to make serum.

Minoru Kageno's approach was much simpler; his first thought was simply "eating"!

This is the most primitive way to obtain energy, but also the most reckless. Since the beginning of recorded history, countless people have died from eating unknown foods. Even with the most common mushrooms, many people end up in the hospital every year because of them…

If native species are like this, let alone ingredients from another world, basically no one dares to touch them, except for a certain baby with a single arm weighing 100,000 jin.

—This is a judgment based on common sense, but Minoru Kageno is not a person with common sense!

Without doing any tests, he simply referred to the plots in myths and comics and started eating it raw without any taboos... To be honest, just looking at this bloody and strangely shaped thing takes courage, and I really can't imagine what kind of determination and will it takes to put it in your mouth.

Logically speaking, eating like this should indeed allow one to acquire magic power, since the flesh and blood come from high-level monsters, and even through the inefficient conversion method of the "digestive system," it can still release quite pure energy.

However, the humans in this world have not been exposed to magic for thousands of years and have long since eliminated the tissues and organs for storing and utilizing magic.

To draw an analogy, imagine someone consuming a Nine-Turn Great Rejuvenation Pill that grants a hundred years of internal energy, but that person doesn't even have the "meridians" to circulate that internal energy!

Minoru Kageno found himself in such a predicament. His body was filled with a vast (relatively speaking) amount of magical power, yet he was unable to control it. He was like a balloon that was being constantly inflated, and sooner or later it would burst from the inside out!

If an ordinary person encountered this situation, they would definitely be at a loss and could only face the end in regret and pain...

But Minoru Kageno is an exception among exceptions!

From a very young age, he admired the powerful figures in movies and animations and made many efforts that seemed almost crazy to ordinary people. Tempering his physical body was secondary; he tried yoga meditation, Taoist Qi cultivation, mysticism, Shintoism, voodoo... In short, he tried everything he could find online.

There's even a popular martial arts novel written by a certain master surnamed Jin!

Although none of these things fulfilled his wishes, they weren't all lies; some were genuine. The fundamental reason for his failure was that this world lacked magic.

Over the years, he could only manipulate magic in his imagination, figuring out how to develop techniques and deal with enemies... He was the kind of theoretical, delusional person who would fill notebooks with settings and real names.

When he suddenly came into contact with magic, he was initially very uncomfortable, but he quickly adapted.

Incredibly, despite enduring immense physical pain and the constant threat of death, he felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, he was excited by the genuine experience of the "magic" and even had the leisure to express his thoughts—such unwavering resolve in a high school student living in modern society is truly rare.

From this perspective, it's fortunate that he has a happy family. If his childhood experiences had been any more distorted, he would definitely be a potential BOSS!

His spirit remained unshaken, and he firmly believed that he would eventually master magic. This powerful psychological suggestion even had a real impact, allowing him to break through limitations through the unorthodox cultivation methods he had learned, communicate with magic using his spiritual power, and further revive things like "meridians" or "spiritual roots" that had long been abandoned by the human body.

In short, this guy not only didn't die, but like Duan Yu who ate the toad, he also opened up his Ren and Du meridians!

...It can only be said that he is indeed the original protagonist, and his luck is so strong that even Iori has to sigh in admiration.

"So you referenced shonen fighting manga and created your own style of martial arts?"

Iori's lips twitched slightly: Calling that fighting style a "school" is really giving Kageno Minoru too much credit.

"But do you know what eating monsters means?"

"Huh?" Kageno Minoru, who had just finished recounting his experiences, was still kneeling on the ground when he heard Iori's question. He looked up with a blank expression.

"It tastes a bit awful... Is there a problem?"

"The bodies of monsters contain more than just magic. Human digestive and metabolic systems simply cannot eliminate all the impurities, which will only accumulate in your body. It's alright now, as the amount you ingest is not too much, but as you consume more and more monster meat, your body will undergo unpredictable changes."

"What...will I become?"

Even with his unusual values, Minoru Kageno couldn't help but feel nervous.

"If it's a monster transformation, I want demon horns and dragon claws. If it's a transformation like the Locust Monster, that would be even better!"

Okay, let me correct you, this guy's mental state is even more abnormal than Iori thought!

"How would I know? They say it's 'unpredictable,' but there's a good chance it's a malignant mutation."

Iori coughed lightly and looked at Minoru Kageno seriously: "So what will you choose? Will you risk turning into a monster and continue eating these pieces of meat, or will you stop now?"

Your current strength has already surpassed the limits of ordinary people. Even if you maintain this level, you can easily live an enviable life of luxury~

"Master...Does Master want me to give up?"

Minoru Kageno shook his head fiercely: "No, the current state is still far from my ideal of a 'Shadow-level Strength User'. I've finally seen a glimmer of hope, and now you want me to give up... that's absolutely impossible!"

"An answer I expected. So you're prepared, aren't you?" Iori's eyes turned cold.

Minoru Kageno raised his head in confusion, only managing to utter a "Huh?" before a tremendous impact swept over his entire body, lifting him off the ground as if he had been hit by a tank, sending him flying through a wooden wall!

Amidst the flying wood chips, the muscular boy landed on the ground more than ten meters away, rolling five or six times before finally stopping. He then nimbly flipped over and landed half-lying on the ground, staring at the hut not far away like a wild beast about to pounce on its prey.

He didn't know why Iori attacked him, but his fighting instincts had been honed through countless trials, and his body reacted automatically.

"master?!"

"Don't call me that so affectionately, kid!"

Iori emerged from the hole, his eyes cold and his expression indifferent, a stark contrast to his previous carefree and sunny demeanor, which sent a chill down Kageno Minoru's spine.

"There are countless examples of people who think they can control their power well, so they let it devour them and then lose control and become monsters. You will be no exception."

"Originally, if you had stopped here, I might have spared you out of consideration for our past relationship. But since you've refused... then I have no choice but to kill you!"

"kill--"

Minoru Kageno's pupils suddenly contracted, reflecting Iori's figure and a white flower radiating dazzling light in his dark eyes.

"Oops!"

Zheng!

A bolt of lightning flashed from where Kageno Minoru stood, illuminating his disheveled figure as he fled.

call out!call out!call out!

For Iori, amplifying the simplest No. 1 Destruction [Rush] into the destructive power of a sniper rifle was as easy as snapping his fingers. In an instant, three invisible bullets grazed Minoru's body, tearing his bodysuit apart and threatening to rip it into shreds.

Is this the usual tactic?

After figuring out the situation, Minoru Kageno was not frightened at all; on the contrary, she was overjoyed, as if she had finally found an opportunity.

"A clash of ideologies, a breakdown of bonds, and a master and apprentice risking their lives for their respective principles and dreams!"

Yes, yes, yes! That's it!

boom!

Overjoyed, Minoru Kageno launched an attack on Iori, a patch of grass flying up from the ground beneath his feet as he covered the distance with speed surpassing even Usain Bolt.

"I'll give you a compliment for your courage."

Faced with the aggressive young man, Iori did nothing, only slightly opening her eyes to fully unleash the magic power within her, allowing the immense energy to expand outwards—

boom!

Without any power to resist, like autumn leaves swept away by the wind, Minoru's body was blown away and crashed heavily to the ground.

Most people probably wouldn't have been able to stand up by now, but his sturdy body made him exceptionally resilient to blows. He rolled over and stood up in a flash, though his face was full of disbelief.

"No way, is the difference really that big?"

He thought he had also mastered magic, and that at least he was on the same track as Iori, so even if he couldn't defeat her, he could at least exchange a few blows.

He may be destined to fail, but as long as he can complete a respectable battle between superhumans, the biggest regret of his life will be fulfilled.

Unfortunately... it seems they chose the wrong opponent.

The opponent didn't even make a move; the shockwave from unleashing magic alone caused him to stumble and fall as he charged at full speed. If it had been a more offensive spell or a ranged attack—

If they were to fight head-on, Minoru Kageno probably wouldn't even be able to withstand a single blow!

"It's not too late."

Iori took a step forward, his imposing aura almost tangible, causing the surrounding atmosphere to become heavy with each step, as if frightened by the movement.

"Give up the magic, be an ordinary person. Whether you become a bodybuilding star or a professional athlete, it's up to you. That kind of ordinary yet wonderful life is beckoning you~"

Upon hearing the word "ordinary," Minoru Kageno took a deep breath, grinned at Iori, and replied without hesitation: "Rather than sending me back to that muddled world, it would be better to just kill me!"

At the very least, if one dies at the hands of their own master, they can still exist as part of a legend.

[To inherit this school of thought requires the resolve to die; some have died because of it...]

—In such a story, a character appears as a nameless passerby, but is actually a genius disciple who has independently discovered magic and was killed by his beloved master!

"Ugh, this is bad, he looks so handsome!"