Kumi had washed herself clean and put on her clothes. The set of clothing was the same she had picked out during her previous visit to the bath house.
Raymond seemed surprisingly relieved when seeing Kumi still alive and kicking.
Raymond seemed to have taken extreme care in his culinary preparation, as the dishes were more exquisite than anything Kumi had ever eaten before. After eating her full, she was escorted straight to Hilde's office, where she gave a half-assed breakdown of events.
In short, she mentioned the glitching server, the broken butler and the name Libertas Procurro.
Both Hilde and Ayaka, who was also in the office, visibly reacted most to Vaeril's fanciful full name.
Regardless, there was little else that Kumi mentioned or spoke of. She would keep all her theories and thoughts on the matter to herself.
Kumi was dismissed as she was again escorted straight to her room, where she could finally have a proper sleep with a full stomach.
The next day, with little to no rest allowed, training continued. Kumi couldn't argue since she had been locked in that fancy nuclear power plant-like basement for the past two weeks. She guessed that this had messed with their planned schedule.
Even if Kumi wanted to argue she doubted her words would be taken into account.
Outside, Kumi faced Ayaka in silence and after a moment, Hilde showed up.
Now, Kumi wasn't particularly pleased as Hilde's appearance during training was hardly ever anything good.
This time, however, something positive did come out of it.
"You'll be learning a specific Resistance type Skill today. A Unique one that only I have ever obtained, as far as I know. For this session, it'll be only you and me."
As if right on cue, Ayaka left.
'Great... there goes my only potential human shield.'
"Just follow my instructions and you should be able to get it quick. After which, I'll call Ayaka back so you can continue with the usual schedule."
Hilde took out two of Ayaka's knives from the pouch on the side of her belt.
"First off, how many total resistance levels do you have?"
Kumi, although wary of taking her eyes off of Hilde, opened her properties and counted.
"46."
"Good, just enough. I'm guessing you don't yet have Fire, Earth and Wind magic resistances?"
"No."
"Okay. First off, you'll need to get both wind and earth magic resistances. Thankfully Ayaka has a very wide variety of knives."
Mana flowed from Hilde's hands into the two knives.
She casually tossed them towards Kumi as they were deeply embedded into the ground.
"Don't dodge." Hilde spoke casually.
From one, a sharp wind started blowing, cutting at Kumi's ankles while shards of stone started floating around the second one before exploding out like a grenade.
Kumi stood there, expressionless, as both wind and earth blew against her. It wasn't doing a large amount of damage, yet it did hurt a bit.
After a short while, the knives no longer held any mana and the magic stopped.
"Got them?"
"No."
"Again, then."
Hilde walked over and grabbed the knives. While walking away from Kumi, she recharged them with mana before tossing them back at her feet.
Again, wind and stone assaulted her. It took 4 of these cycles for Kumi to receive both {Wind Magic Resistance} and {Earth Magic Resistance} both at Level 1.
"Now there's a few more requirements that must be met. You definitely don't have the Fire Magic Resistance Skill, right?"
"No."
"Okay. Then this should be simple. Keep a focused watch on your Vigour. We will engage in combat while I use my fire on you. You need to fall below 50% before gaining the Skill. Before getting it, you'll need to obtain the fire magic resistance during our combat. So, at first, we'll go physical."
As Hilde ended her sentence, she was gone.
Faster than Kumi could hope to react. Hilde now stood next to Kumi, slapping the back of her head, which nearly made her face plant into the floor.
Kumi caught herself and flipped away.
"Vigour?" Hilde asked casually.
"80."
"Huh, I held back more than planned."
The back of Kumi's head was aching. She felt disorientated. Still, she landed on her feet as she concentrated fully on every micro movement that Hilde made.
Yet she still couldn't follow her.
Hilde appeared right in front of Kumi, sweeping her legs out from under her with a kick, as if hitting a pebble on the side of the road.
Kumi lost her footing, falling on her back.
"Vigour?"
Kumi answered after a second, "46." before trying to stand back up. As she did, she felt the temperature around her spike.
Hilde was holding up a single finger.
Her legs were on fire. The fire was dense like a liquid, she patted her legs with her hands yet the fire didn't go out, it only spread to her fingers.
"The moment you get the Skill, tell me."
With slow movements, Hilde hopped towards Kumi and threw a punch at her, which was easily dodged.
{Ace Becomes Level 2}
{Ace Becomes Level 3}
{Heat Resistance Becomes Level 4}
{Fear Resistance Becomes level 2}
Kumi kept trying to put out the fire on her hands and legs as she put some distance between herself and Hilde who continued to launch slow physical attacks with her free hand.
It was painful, this scorching feeling as if friction was peeling away at her skin and flesh, layer by layer. But she could handle the pain. Mostly.
"Vigour."
Hilde asked.
"28."
{Pain Resistance Becomes Level 8}
Kumi got out an answer, she had given up on attempting to put the fire out. All she could do was focus on her own Vigour and wait for her body to develop a Resistance.
Again, Hilde inquired.
"Vigour."
"19."
Her legs could barely keep her standing and she was now also losing feeling in her hands. But just in time.
{Resistance Skill: Fire Magic Resistance Level 1 Is Acquired}
{Resistance Skill: Aegis of Adaptation Level 1 Is Acquired}
Immediately upon feeling the change, Kumi spoke up.
"I got it."
Hilde lowered her one extended finger, sweeping her arm through the air as the fire engulfing Kumi's hands and legs was put out.
"You got Aegis then?" Hilde asked as she took a device out of her pouch and pressed two buttons.
"Yes."
The device started quietly ringing as three doctors ran out from behind the corner of the mansion.
"Boss! We're here! What-"
"Treat her. Immediately."
The doctors looked towards Kumi, who's hands and legs were burned up. It was as if she had tried to crawl out of an incinerator.
"By the hells! Get me five- No! Eight potions!"
The doctor screamed as he ran straight to Kumi, having her sit down on his knee as he started looking over the injuries.
Kumi's face remained unchanged as she let the doctor look over her body.
The doctor's thoughts were running and spinning around.
'What happened... fire magic inflicted over an extended period. Punishment? The kid isn't even reacting, as if she isn't feeling the pain. Surge of adrenaline maybe? That surge will drop in a short while. Her Pain Resistance should help her deal with it. With enough treatment-'
At the same time, the doctor had a secondary thought scratching at the back of his mind while fully analysing Kumi's wounds.
'Boss... what the fuck?'
The doctor took out a syringe from his back pocket, carefully injecting it into Kumi's unburned shoulder as it began to regenerate, ever so slowly. The doctor clicked his tongue.
Averting her gaze from Kumi, Hilde was about to speak while looking to the side.
Seeing Ayaka quickening her walking pace towards them, she averted the gaze, glancing to the other side as she spoke to Kumi.
"The following training won't be nearly as intense."
As if trying to alleviate the situation and calm Kumi down. Or, perhaps, calm herself down.
"This will be the first and last time such training will be done. Okay?"
Kumi didn't answer. She hadn't even looked straight at Hilde after the doctors had arrived.
Keeping her gaze on her charred hands, Kumi was thinking.
'Aaaggghhhhhh. fuuuuuuuuu-'
Simply put, the pain was ever-present. As if simply being in contact with air was continously hurting her.
{Aegis of Adaptation Level 1}
{Resistance}
{An Exceedingly Rare Type of Resistance. Provides a 2.5% Increase in Overall Defensive Capabilities.
For every Resistance Skill Level, the Effect of every Resistance Skill Increases by 0.1%.
The Speed of Acquiring New Resistance Skills is Enhanced.}
{Secondary Effect: Passively Adapt the Body to Acquired Resistances, Slowly Increasing Resistance Skill Level. These Passive Level Ups are restricted to the Level of {Aegis of Adaptation}.
Resistance Skill Effects, to a Minor Degree, also now apply to the User's Mana.}