Torren raised his shield again while breathing heavily.

His arms looked exhausted already.

But his eyes stayed focused.

"Again," he said.

Nox clicked her tongue nearby.

"You actually enjoy suffering."

Torren snorted.

"Says the one running laps with weights."

"Fair."

Lyra ignored the side conversation and stepped forward again.

"Focus."

Torren immediately tightened his stance.

Mana gathered instinctively now.

Arthur noticed the difference instantly.

The flow looked smoother than before.

More natural.

The skill had already started settling into him.

Lyra's fist moved again.

BOOM.

This time, the result changed slightly.

Torren still slid backward…

But not as much.

And for the briefest moment, Arthur saw it clearly.

The mana pulse.

A sharp burst flowed through Torren's arm exactly at impact.

The shield shook heavily…

Yet his footing held stronger than before.

Even Lyra paused slightly.

Torren blinked.

He clearly felt the difference too.

"What was that?" Nox muttered.

Torren lowered the shield slowly while flexing his fingers.

"…That felt easier."

Arthur smirked quietly from afar.

Of course it did.

The skill was already working.

And the funniest part?

Torren himself probably thought he was simply improving naturally through training.

Which technically wasn't wrong.

The system only pushed what was already there.

It never created something from nothing.

That was why Arthur liked it so much.

The skills fit the person perfectly every single time.

Meanwhile, Lyra narrowed her eyes slightly at Torren.

Interesting.

She had noticed the sudden improvement immediately.

Not huge.

But obvious enough for someone experienced like her.

The pulse timing became cleaner.

His stance stabilized faster.

Even the recoil looked reduced.

And this happened within only a few exchanges.

Honestly…

That growth rate was absurd.

Still, instead of questioning it deeply, her lips slowly curled upward.

Good.

If they kept improving like this…

Then maybe they actually had a chance against whatever was coming next.

This was enough motivation for her, as she resumed her assault.

BOOM!

Another heavy punch crashed against Torren's shield.

The impact rang through the training hall loudly as his boots scraped hard against the floor.

"Damn…" he swore under his breath.

Even after all this time, he still wasn't fully used to it.

Every single punch from Commander Lyra felt ridiculous.

Not painful exactly…

Just absurdly heavy.

Like getting smashed by a flying boulder over and over again.

His arms trembled slightly while he pulled the shield back up.

Sweat dripped from his face as he exhaled deeply.

Still…

He straightened himself again.

"Alright," he muttered. "One more time."

He remained completely unaware of the skill already settling into his body.

To him, this was simply training finally paying off.

And honestly…

That made the next moment even crazier.

As he condensed his mana again, Torren paused slightly.

It flowed easier and cleaner.

The mana gathered around his arm and shield naturally without the usual struggle.

Still, he didn't think much about it.

After repeating the same thing countless times already, he simply assumed his body was finally adapting.

And that alone excited him.

A grin spread across his face.

"Come again, commander."

Nearby, Nox immediately clicked her tongue.

"See? This is how people die."

Lyra smirked faintly at the challenge.

"Oh?"

She rolled her shoulder once before stepping forward again.

This time, she drew her fist farther back.

The pressure behind the movement alone made Torren regret opening his mouth.

"…I take it back," he muttered quickly.

Too late.

Lyra's punch was already coming.

Torren hurriedly steadied his stance.

Mana condensed tightly around his shield arm while his feet planted firmly into the ground.

Then instinctively…

He pulsed the mana.

And this time…

Everything connected perfectly.

The pulse matched the exact instant Lyra's fist slammed into the shield.

BOOOOM!

Torren instinctively squeezed his eyes shut from the impact.

He even braced himself for the usual knockback.

But…

Nothing came.

His eyes snapped open immediately.

The punch had landed.

He felt that much clearly.

Yet the crushing pressure that usually followed simply… wasn't there.

His body didn't fly backward.

His stance didn't collapse.

His footing actually felt heavier instead.

Stronger.

The force traveled downward through his legs naturally before dispersing into the floor beneath him.

CRACK.

Tiny fractures spread across the tiles under his boots.

Torren froze.

"…Huh?"

Even Lyra looked genuinely surprised.

She had already prepared mentally for him to get shoved backward again.

Instead…

It felt like she punched a solid wall.

Her eyes sharpened instantly.

She had felt it clearly.

That pulse.

Perfect timing.

For a brief second, the mana around his shield hardened at the exact point of contact.

Clean.

Stable.

Accurate.

Then she noticed something else too.

The air around Torren's shield felt… heavy now.

Not physically heavy.

But oppressive.

Like standing in front of something immovable.

And judging from the stunned grin slowly spreading across Torren's face…

He felt it too.

A smile finally appeared on Lyra's face.

"Well done."

Torren stared at his own shield in disbelief before looking back at her.

"I actually did it?"

"You did."

The excitement in his eyes immediately flared upward.

But instead of relaxing after the praise…

He tightened his grip again.

"Again."

Lyra laughed softly.

"I was thinking the same thing."

The pressure around her body suddenly rose.

Mana wrapped around her arm thicker than before.

And the squad members nearby immediately noticed the difference.

Arthur narrowed his eyes from across the hall.

Now she was serious.

Not fully serious.

But definitely no longer holding back the same way.

Torren swallowed slightly after sensing the pressure.

"…Maybe not too hard."

Lyra ignored him completely.

Then she punched.

BOOM!

The sound exploded across the hall.

Torren's shield shook violently…

Yet he still didn't move.

His mana pulsed perfectly again.

The impact dispersed downward through his legs while his feet dug harder into the floor.

His eyes widened.

Again.

He actually blocked it again.

Before he could even celebrate…

Another punch came.

BOOM!

Then another.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The training hall began echoing repeatedly with the violent crashes.

Shockwaves spread outward across the floor with every collision.