Chapter 31: Storm Warhammer Technique

The next morning, without needing to be woken by the intelligent housekeeper Emma, both David and Myron appeared in the dining room promptly at six o’clock. For two young men aspiring to become armored warriors, being able to receive Garen’s guidance was already exhilarating, so naturally, they would follow his instructions to the letter.

When Garen entered the dining room and saw the two of them having breakfast, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. To become strong, it was impossible to succeed without a diligent and earnest attitude.

“David, come here!” he called, pointing at David who had just finished his meal.

David walked over, and Garen gently patted him on the back. David felt a small but strangely penetrating force spreading through every muscle and bone in his body.

“Not bad. Your strength has already reached the entrance standard for Naan University. Judging by your muscle condition, your speed shouldn’t be an issue either. As expected, mastering skilled-level body techniques at this stage leads to rapid improvement. As long as the supply of enhancement meat keeps up, I believe you’ll reach the minimum standards for strength and speed of an armored warrior by the college entrance exam.” Garen smiled in satisfaction as he spoke.

“Uncle Garen, can I reach David’s level of mastery in body techniques?” Myron couldn’t help but ask upon hearing Garen’s words.

Although with Garen’s guidance he had hope of getting into Naan University, there was still no way for him to meet the armored warrior standard before the exams.

Once strength breaks through 200 kilograms, every additional increment becomes extremely difficult—especially after 500 kilograms. Most students get stuck at that level; only those who have taken enhancement meat for years, or who are exceptionally talented, can break through.

Now, every improvement Myron made was painfully slow. Yet David’s strength had jumped from 600 kilograms yesterday to 800 kilograms today—a leap that made Myron yearn for the same.

“I can guide you through the body technique movements, but the coordination of bones and muscles is something you must find for yourself. There’s no shortcut—only hard practice. David’s case is highly unusual; when his physical development plateaued, he used his innate talent to force his body techniques to the peak of the beginner level. He was just one step away. All I did was give him that final push.” Garen shook his head, shattering Myron’s illusions.

“Ah!” Myron sighed in disappointment.

“Myron, your foundation is already very good. Go practice!” Garen knocked him lightly on the head, scolding him with a smile.

“I’m going right now!” Myron quickly covered his head and ran toward the basement.

“David, we’ve found the hiding place of the four mercenary armored warriors from the Sirius Mercenary Group. Once the area clears out during the day, we’ll take care of them.” Garen turned to David, who was about to follow him to the gym, and spoke with a smile.

“Uncle Garen, can I come along and watch?” David’s heart leapt at the opportunity. If four armored warriors were to be killed on the spot, his gains would be significant. He hurried to make his request.

“Very well. It’s good to let you see how armored warriors fight early on—it will benefit your future growth.” Garen considered it and nodded in agreement.

If it were any other student, he wouldn’t have allowed them to witness such a battle, since it could cause psychological pressure and hinder their development.

But David was different. With his skilled-level body technique, he would advance rapidly in the coming days. Becoming an armored warrior was no longer a barrier for him; only by witnessing the power of such warriors in advance would he not become arrogant.

David and Garen entered the gym together. As soon as they stepped inside, David saw two war hammers, each about a meter long, resting on the floor.

He resisted the urge to pick up the hammers and obediently began practicing the Eighteen Forms of Body Technique.

This time, as he practiced, he didn’t feel fatigued but rather refreshed. All his muscles seemed to open up, and the energy from the rank-one enhancement meat he’d had for breakfast was being steadily absorbed by his body.

After just one round, he sensed a noticeable improvement in his body—a clear and obvious advancement.

“David, from now on, the optimal number of body technique practice sessions a day is two. Any more could have negative effects. Practice once in the morning and once in the evening, which will leave you more time to work on other skills,” Garen reminded him, noticing David’s look of enjoyment.

Myron, meanwhile, had also finished a round of the Eighteen Forms, but he was drenched in sweat and felt on the verge of exhaustion.

“Myron, don’t stop. After you rest, do another round. You need to practice at least ten times a day, and remember the key points I emphasized for each movement. That’s the fastest way to improve!” Garen instructed, turning to Myron.

“Why? Why?” Myron muttered as he sat on the floor.

David looked at him, finding it both amusing and helpless. He couldn’t simply give Myron the knowledge sphere, after all. Not to mention the secret of the Shadow Attendant, he didn’t even know what would happen if someone else tried to use the knowledge sphere—success, or perhaps death.

The knowledge sphere worked upon the soul, and since David was the master of the Shadow Attendant, it seemed harmless to him. But such a mysterious thing was not something anyone would dare to experiment with lightly.

“David, Myron, today I’ll teach you how to use a war hammer,” Garen announced as he saw the two students resting, wasting no time.

His own time was short. If he dealt with the Sirius Mercenary Group today, he would only be able to stay three more days at most. The original schedule had to be cut short due to news from afar.

David and Myron focused their attention on Garen, ready for their lesson.

“No matter whether it’s a war hammer, a heavy axe, a spear, or any other light weapon, training always starts with the basic techniques. Then you integrate those basics into combat. It’s a long process, though those with talent can shorten it,” Garen said, glancing at David, who was listening intently.

“I won’t teach you the school’s basic war hammer techniques. With your strength and speed, you fully meet the entry requirements for the Storm War Hammer Style. This set has thirty-six forms—mastering even the basics will allow you to completely overpower those practicing the higher-level basic techniques,” Garen continued.

His words made both David’s and Myron’s eyes brighten. Not to mention high school, even most university students only had access to basic weapon techniques, never anything so advanced.

According to Garen, as long as they reached the entry level of the Storm War Hammer Style, they could defeat learners at the intermediate level of the basic techniques.

This showed just how precious the Storm War Hammer Style was. In using such a technique to lay their foundation, Garen was truly devoted.

“Now, I’ll demonstrate once. Watch closely!” Garen said, picking up a war hammer and giving it a light swing.

Then, with slow, deliberate movements, he began to perform the Storm War Hammer Style.

David focused all his attention on Garen. With a mental power of 3.0, his mind was exceptionally clear—every movement of Garen’s, including the exertion of muscles and bones, was captured in his eyes and etched into his memory.

Had he not previously absorbed 82% proficiency in war hammer mastery, he might at best have memorized the general postures. But with that high level of proficiency, he could see much deeper.

He completely immersed himself in Garen’s demonstration, and the Storm War Hammer Style was being perfected in his mind, bit by bit.

From David’s perspective, Garen’s slow demonstration was far more difficult than a fast display. It was much harder to move the war hammer slowly, muscle by muscle, than to swing it quickly with inertia.

“How much did you remember?” Garen finished his demonstration, unruffled and unbothered, and asked.

The two students got the distinct impression that the demonstration hadn’t tired him in the slightest.

“All of it!” David answered.

“The first six forms!” Myron replied.

Their answers came at the same time, though not in unison.

David glanced at Myron, his look saying, “Such simple techniques and you only remembered the first six?”

Myron looked back at David with an expression that said only one thing: “Braggart!”