The training hall began echoing repeatedly with the violent crashes.

Shockwaves spread outward across the floor with every collision.

Torren's feet finally started sliding slightly now, but only barely.

And every time he adjusted faster.

His mana reacted quicker.

Cleaner.

More naturally.

The skill was already adapting alongside him.

Arthur watched the whole thing with clear interest.

Even he had to admit…

Torren looked insane right now.

The guy who struggled to stand properly earlier was now tanking repeated hits from Commander Lyra head on.

And the craziest part?

The heavier her punches became, the more Torren locked in.

"Again!" Torren shouted.

BOOM!

"Again!"

BOOM!

Nox stared with her mouth slightly open.

"…This idiot is enjoying it now."

Ryn crossed his arms nearby while watching carefully.

"No," he corrected calmly. "He's gaining confidence."

And he was right.

Torren could feel it himself.

Every successful pulse sharpened his timing further.

Every impact made the next one easier to predict.

The rhythm started becoming instinctive.

His body reacted before his thoughts fully caught up.

BOOM!

This time, the mana pulse exploded so perfectly that even Lyra's fist bounced back slightly from the shield.

The heavy pressure around Torren surged outward briefly.

Everyone nearby felt it.

Selene blinked.

"Okay… that looked crazy."

Althea nodded slowly.

"He feels different now."

Even Mel paused her training briefly to stare toward the commotion.

Arthur smirked slightly while rubbing the cub's head.

"Looks like the big guy finally found his thing."

Meanwhile, Lyra's grin only widened further.

Good.

Very good.

She increased the force again.

Her punches became sharper now.

Faster.

Each strike carried more condensed power behind it.

Yet Torren endured them one after another.

Not perfectly.

His arms still trembled.

Sweat poured down his face.

His legs shook from the strain.

But he held.

And every impact sent another burst of force spreading violently through the floor instead of through his body.

The hall itself seemed to shake with every collision.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The sounds alone forced everyone to stop their own training entirely.

All eyes turned toward the pair now.

Watching.

Staring.

Because what started as ordinary training had somehow turned into a monster defensive showcase.

And right in the middle of it…

Torren stood there grinning behind his shield like an absolute maniac.

"Commander," he said while breathing heavily, "I think I'm starting to get addicted to this."

Lyra snorted.

"That's because your brain stopped working after the twentieth punch."

The squad burst into laughter instantly.

Even Torren laughed.

Then he raised the shield again anyway.

"Again."

BOOM.

Commander Lyra's fist slammed against Torren's shield again and another heavy shock spread through the floor.

Dust trembled.

The nearby dummies shook.

Yet Torren still stood there.

Feet planted.

Shield raised.

Grinning like a madman.

"Again!"

Lyra laughed at that.

"You're enjoying this too much."

She stepped in instantly and another punch exploded against the shield.

BOOM.

Torren's arm trembled slightly but the mana pulse reacted at the exact moment of impact.

The force traveled downward instead of throwing him away.

Crack.

The ground beneath his boots split faintly.

But he didn't move.

The rest of the squad had already stopped their training.

Selene stared with widened eyes.

"Since when did he become a wall?"

Ryn folded his arms with a smile.

"Not just a wall. A stubborn one too."

Even Althea couldn't wipe the stunned expression on her face.

The same Torren that used to get pushed back over and over was now taking direct hits from the commander without flying across the hall.

And the scary part was that he was getting better every second.

Lyra noticed it too.

Her eyes sharpened.

Another punch.

Another pulse.

Perfect timing.

The mana condensed around Torren's arm and shield almost naturally now.

The moment impact came, it reacted.

No hesitation.

No delay.

Like instinct.

Lyra stepped back for a second and shook her arm lightly.

"This is even stronger than I expected."

Torren blinked.

"Really?"

"Don't act surprised. You haven't missed the pulse once during the last exchange."

Torren looked at his shield.

He could feel it too.

Earlier, keeping the mana steady had felt annoying.

Every pulse took effort.

He had to think before doing it.

Now?

It just flowed.

Whenever danger came, the mana reacted on its own.

Like his body finally understood what he wanted.

Lyra suddenly disappeared from in front of him.

Torren's eyes widened.

Then two punches came almost at the same time.

BANG.

BANG.

The first struck the shield.

The second came barely a moment later.

Fast enough to throw off most people.

But Torren's mana pulsed twice.

Instinctively.

His shield shook violently.

His boots slid back half a step.

But he still held.

Lyra's brows lifted.

Then she smiled.

A real smile this time.

"Alright."

She finally accepted it.

This wasn't luck anymore.

He had truly grown.

Torren laughed loudly.

"Commander... this feels amazing!"

"Good," Lyra replied.

Then her grin widened.

"Because I'm not done yet."

The pressure around her rose again.

Her mana layer thickened.

The air itself felt heavier.

Torren swallowed.

"...Maybe I spoke too soon."

Ryn burst out laughing.

Selene covered her mouth.

Even Arthur chuckled quietly from Mel's corner.

But Torren still tightened his grip.

No backing down now.

The punches started again.

Harder.

Faster.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Each impact sent another shockwave across the hall.

Torren's feet kept shifting slightly from the pressure, but every time he regained balance almost instantly.

The mana pulses became smoother and smoother.

Even the sound changed.

Earlier, Lyra's punches sounded like they were smashing into metal.

Now?

It sounded like two heavy objects colliding head on.

Like force crashing against force.

Arthur watched carefully while rubbing Mel's head.

Even he looked impressed.

The skill suited Torren perfectly.

Simple.

Reliable.

Sturdy.

Just like him.

And the craziest part?

Torren still didn't fully understand what he was doing yet.

His body was simply adapting.

Meanwhile, Nox had stopped training completely.

At first it was because of the noise.

Then because of the shockwaves.

But after watching Torren stand there again and again...

Something inside her burned.

She bit her lip.

"These monsters are growing too fast..."