Dungeon of Niflheim-Chapter 890: Broken and beaten.... again (2)
Khione pushed Frost to his limits, broke him physically and drained him of all his energy and mana.
Through brutal adversity she forced him to bring his pitiful 20% chance in activating the third stance of the Lunar eyes to an acceptable 60%, a level she deemed barely battle ready.
Such aggressive training methods obviously didn’t come without a price....His eyes bled rivers from the strain and his brain that fought against overheating and the biting cold swelled to the point that he ended up suffering from a pounding migraine and bled profusely from the nose yet still he was forced to continue, to follow Khione’s barbaric regime.
Her smile was spine tingling, cold and terrifying, bereft of any mercy, a stark contrast compared to how she had been recently looking at him. She was completely devoted to her role as a teacher, a trainer who’s sole purpose was to achieve a minimum outcome in such a short amount of time, come hell or high water.
Of course Frost couldn’t be expected to maintain such intensity with his eyes bleeding out, threatening to burst and his head ringing and pounding like a clocktower bell every second. But fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you viewed the situation Khione was blessed with practically unlimited wealth so similar to how it was back home when Maya would cast high level healing magic on him she would douse him in health potions, forcibly patching his body back together in under 60 seconds before starting a new.
The young Dungeon core therefore had new traumas to add to his growing collection.
The following lesson however wasn’t nearly as haunting. With the lunar eyes now learned and battle ready Frost needed to learn some of the Niflheim royal family spear art’s basic movements. How he should stand, cycle his strength, breathe, hold the spear and even certain steps and strikes that would allow him to better utilise his weapon mastery.
In the early stages he picked the movements up well but failed to understand their depth, they even felt somewhat awkward, going against his natural inclinations but once they’d been drilled into him and Khione started to press her attacks he started to notice a change. Compared to how he’d normally react in the face of such aggression by using the Niflheim royal family spear arts the strain on his stamina was slightly less and the speed that he could recall his spear back to its neutral position was a tad quicker. A small improvement but considering how many exchanges could take place in a second between those at Frost’s current rank and those higher it was quite motivating thus he ignored the agony from earlier and went all in with Khione’s training and their subsequent sparring which brought a great deal of delight to the both of them.
"Haaaaa if only you were stronger my little Frost I wouldn’t be feeling so neglected." While Frost was fighting for every breath, not a single part of body free from pain and exhaustion Khione was sighing and sulking. Her eyes flashed between pride for her talented student and disappointment that she couldn’t relish in the same bliss. She needed a fight, a proper fight.
"..." There was a lot he wanted to say in response, but he was just too tired, he thus settled with an eye roll before focusing on his recovery, letting the contents of the health potion he was just fed work its magic. His wounds may be taken care of, but the strain would take time to properly heal. A hearty meal and a good old rest and he’d be good as new.
Given that she didn’t hear any kind of comeback Khione revealed a smirk as she sauntered next to him. She bent down and started poking him in different areas. "Does it still hurt? Do you want another potion?" Beating him senseless served as a catharsis for all the time she lost in the battle of words.
"....." Again Frost was too tired to respond
"Do you want me to kiss it better~" She further teased, pushing her finger firmly into his left shoulder an area she actually ended up stabbing not more than 30 minutes earlier.
"....You’re playing a dangerous game you know that." Frost reopened his eyes and looked at the figure of his lover as she bent down next to him, revealing an ever growing lust. Along with her destructive figure that was only amplified by those tight fitting and revealing workout clothes there was a faint sheen of sweat causing her chocolate skin to glisten. An appearance that was hard to resist, shown quite emphatically by the gradually rising dragon from his nethers.
"..." Khione simply stood in shock and probably no small amount of terror as that thick beast slowly rose to attention, stretching the fabric of Frost’s lower garments. She just wanted to tease him a little, mock him for his weak strength and let out some of her complaints. Why should Frost be the only one to enjoy a good battle, she was a junkie too.
"Well aren’t you going to kiss it better? The swelling seems to quite bad don’t you think~" He was determined to teach who the real master of flirtation was in this relationship.
"...Damn PERVERT!!" Khione screeched a couple moment later, a bright pink blush adorning her cheeks as she quickly backed away from his imposing dragon.
"Hehehehehe don’t mess with the master if you don’t want to get hurt." He mocked with a contempt laced glint in his eyes as he struggled to rise to a sitting position.
"I have to say though those health potions you gave me really worked wonders, even the hole in my shoulder’s all but vanished." The more time passed the more his strength returned. Going another few rounds with the Raging Valkyrie was off the table but regular day to day activities would be fine.
"Of course they are, Father doesn’t cheap out on my training budget." Still a little pissed by her loss against the pervert Khione snapped with pride hoping to mock Frost’s poor financial background.
’She really doesn’t like losing.’ He found her competitiveness both childish and endearing.
"....So my great and powerful teacher did I pass?" Throwing her a bone he addressed her in a fawning manner, an action that earned him brownie points, her mood instantly becoming positive again.
"...Barely....but yes I’ll consider it a pass...for now." He was pitifully weak in her eyes. His potential meant nothing if he couldn’t survive the ordeals of the present.
’Can’t believe I fell for someone so much weaker than me.’ Khione shook her head, puzzled by the wonders of her own heart. In her mind she always pictured herself being beaten in battle by a superior foe, submitting herself to a worthy adversary similar to her mother yet here she was doing the exact opposite.
The man of her dreams was younger, weaker and smaller....he did have an attractive appearance though, so it wasn’t all bad.
"An attack on my vanity, seems you do know me rather well my dear Khione" Receiving a barely passing grade deeply irked the young Dungeon core. Although he couldn’t be regarded as something overflowing with arrogance he did have his pride, the desire to always succeed and even overachieve any task that was given to him. Khione’s appraisal stoked the fire within, motivating him to do better.
He tensed his muscles and reached for his spear wanting to go another round but unfortunately his body could no longer pay the price....he had no strength left to draw on.
"I respect your commitment and unwavering determination Frost honey but too much of a good thing can sometimes be a poison rather than a medicine." Being the martial fanatic that she was Khione knew full well how far one should push their body before allowing it to rest.
Rewarding him for a job well done and as a form of encouragement she bravely planted a kiss on his cheek before looking away, such behaviour still being embarrassing for her. Silently inside her heart however she was praising her own boldness.
Frost blinked his eyes a few times and brought his hand to the kissed cheek before smiling from ear to ear. "...You know rewarding me in such a manner only make me want to work harder for your affection." His body’s exhaustion be damned.
"Good, I prefer a hardworking man." Khione giggled charmingly, enjoying their little loving exchanges.
Alas despite the highly effective encouragement Khione was set on ending his training, the body could only endure so much stress before being damaged. Pushing here may gladden the heart and entice their primal nature, but the negatives would outweigh the positives. Frost’s journey would begin tomorrow, and he needed to be in his best state in order to have the best chances of survival. She couldn’t have him dying in a ditch somewhere before their fateful reunion.
"On your feet Frost it’s time for us to get some dinner."
The promise of enjoying the palace’s dining once again stirred up his appetite. He rubbed his stomach as it started to loudly rumble, only now after getting the all clear did he notice how starved he was. Hard work deserved good food as company otherwise the reward was only half as good.
"Lead the way my love."
