The Gods’ Gacha Game: Return of the God-King

Chapter 30: Training Like Our Life Depends on It

The difference between District E and District F was quite apparent.

By the time we reached it, we could see it with our own eyes. The roads were cleaner and paved with proper stone, the buildings slightly taller and more structurally sound, and the air lacked that grimy, stagnant edge that clung to District F. While it wasn’t a dramatic upgrade, the overall atmosphere was noticeably better; it was like comparing a decent slum to a commoner area.

Naturally, it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine—certain streets were still under the control of divine warriors who had ties to Graham’s faction. But at the very least, there were no beggars lurking in alleys or pleading for soul coins on the roadside.

“Huh. Not bad,” Boris said, crossing his arms as he took in the surroundings. “Still some rot if you look hard enough, but it’s definitely more civil than what we’re used to.”

Michelle nodded, glancing around. “Feels more secure, too. I guess this is where the stronger divine warriors tend to gather.”

“That, or those with the right connections,” I added, my eyes trailing toward a group of Bet-rank warriors entering a well-maintained shop, weapons at their sides and backs straight with practiced discipline. Perhaps they were preparing to challenge new scenarios after the god’s decree.

“The moment you reach a higher rank, the system seems to reward you with better living conditions,” I continued.

“Ain’t that what governance should be? A perfect meritocracy system based on contribution,” Boris muttered. “A meritocracy. Work hard, rise high. Simple.”

“This is already much better than where I came from,” Michelle chimed in. “Back home, the lord of the land would take most of what the villagers earned, leaving us with barely enough to last the winter.”

A perfect system, huh? Hearing that word made me chuckle inwardly. I couldn’t help but allow a smug smile to slip onto my face; I was the one who designed the divine warrior system, after all.

Though if I was being honest... it wasn’t all that perfect.

As if to prove my words, Boris added, rubbing his jaw, “Thing is, not everyone starts at the same line. Some folks get thrown into hell without even knowing where the fire’s coming from. Don’t matter how smart or strong you are if you die before you get the chance to prove it.”

I glanced at him, surprised. He wasn’t wrong. Sure, the system rewarded performance, but it never promised fairness. Talent meant nothing without opportunity. Potential was wasted the moment panic or ignorance got someone killed.

And the most ironic thing was, now I was stuck inside, part of the very system I created…

As I thought of that, I noticed Michelle was spacing out slightly. Curious, I asked what was on her mind.

“It’s nothing, really…” she replied, attempting to mask her thoughts behind a neutral expression, but the wavering in her emerald-green eyes failed her. After a brief pause, she sighed and confessed, “It’s just… I’ve been wondering if my father will be selected into Divine Will, like me. If he were here somewhere, I could protect him…”

I wasn’t surprised by her concern. But the truth was, whether her father had been—or would be—chosen as a divine warrior was information far beyond our current means to obtain. Even if he had been selected and passed the first scenario, there was no guarantee he would end up in Istellia’s divine realm. The divine realm assignments were… random, scattered across different gods who managed Michelle’s world.

In short, the chances of her ever reuniting with him were close to nil.

But rather than crush her hope with cold logic, I chose to respond more pragmatically.

“Trust me,” I said quietly. “It’s far better for him not to be selected. That way, he can live in peace. This world… It’s far more dangerous than you think. But if you climb high enough, you may be able to obtain the information you need.”

She nodded, and this time her expression became more relieved. “Thank you, Maxim.”

“No problem.”

We continued onward, passing through a few more streets before turning down a paved path that led to the training center. The area opened up into a sprawling complex equipped with a wide variety of tools and spaces: rows of training dummies, several sparring rings where divine warriors were sparring, a wide archery range, and obsidian-like stones etched with runes designed for testing offensive spells. It was far more advanced than what District F had to offer, not that we had gone to the one there before.

I glanced over the place with a small nod. “This will do.”

Boris grinned. “Seems like there are a couple of warriors here worth sparring with. Maxim, lad, I’ll teach you some proper martial arts once I’m done warming up.”

Without waiting for a response, he charged off toward the sparring rings like an excited beast.

“Maxim,” Michelle said softly beside me, “I want to train my archery a bit. I feel like I’ve gotten stronger after the class advancement, and I want to see how far I can push it.”

“Mhm. You should go do that.” I nodded. “There’s a skill I want you to learn after you’ve become more familiar with your bow. Something that will mitigate your shortcomings when being surrounded by enemies.”

“A skill to help mitigate my shortcomings?” Michelle tilted her head for a second.

“That’s right. I will teach you later, though, since I want to get some training right now as well. For now, focus on training what’s you’re best at.”

Hearing that, she nodded with determination. “Got it. I’ll practice hard.”

As she turned toward the archery range, I watched them both for a moment before finally turning away toward the training dummies. It was time to begin my own training.

Instead of jumping to physical training like I did previously, I picked up one of the wooden training swords resting on the rack nearby. Compared to the steel sword I used in combat, this one felt much lighter—almost too light—but it would serve its purpose.

Taking position in front of a sturdy training dummy, I inhaled deeply, raised the wooden blade overhead, and brought it down with as much force as I could muster.

Thwack!

The impact made the dummy shudder slightly, and a jolt ran through my arms. But the reaction of the dummy wasn’t what I was focusing on.

Because of my legendary class, which leaned more toward being a jack of all trades, I hadn’t received any ordinary offensive skills like other classes typically did. The only way for me to acquire such skills was either by purchasing them through skill books or learning them through repetition and practice.

So, I raised the sword again and swung.

Again.

And again.

Over and over, I brought the wooden sword down in the same arc with full strength, focusing on putting my weight, balance, and momentum into every downward arc. It was a simple, downward slash, but with my enhanced strength, the force behind each swing began to make the training dummy bend visibly at the waist.

As I continued repeating the same motion, time seemed to pass unnoticed. Sweat began to build on my forehead, threatening to drip into my eyes. After what felt like the hundredth swing, a faint ripple of energy accompanied the strike, and I felt a sudden change in my swinging movement, like everything had finally clicked into place.

The force behind the strike seemed to surge manifold as the wooden blade slammed down with a thundering crack, cleaving the training dummy in two.

You have acquired a skill: [Heavy Slash Lv.1].

[Heavy Slash Lv.1]

Rank: Common

Type: Active

A powerful strike that channels the user’s strength into a single, forceful blow.

I exhaled, lowering the wooden blade as a grin crept across my face. I’d finally learned the skill.

Just like Boris’s Heavy Smash, this skill (Heavy Slash) was one of those basic offensive skills that any divine warrior could pick up through sheer repetition. Although it was of the lowest rank and not particularly flashy or powerful, it was dependable and reliable in most situations. Given my lack of conventional class-based skills, this was more than welcome.

Something was better than nothing.

“Now, I just need to repeat using this skill on all the training dummies here…” I muttered, glancing across the line of dummies scattered before me on the training ground.

Training facilities in lower-level districts were free to use, but any damage to equipment, like the destruction of training dummies, would typically incur a soul coin deduction upon leaving the area. It wasn’t a major expense… unless, of course, someone went ahead and destroyed dozens of them.

Which, naturally, I did.

“Heavy Slash!” I shouted, bringing the wooden sword down in a powerful arc. The training dummy before me splintered into pieces with a satisfying crack.

One by one, the training dummies in the training ground were destroyed by me. Sweat clung to my skin, soaking through my clothes, but I didn’t stop for even a moment and kept repeating the skill. The more I used it, the more refined and instinctive the motion became. Each repetition not only improved the proficiency of Heavy Slash but also honed my strength, endurance, and coordination, just like physical training would.

Your Strength has increased by 1.

Heavy Slash has leveled up.

“Hah… Huff…” I wiped the sweat from my brow, feeling my racing heart. Well, simple repetition alone won’t be enough to push Heavy Slash to higher levels—I must use this skill in real combat to truly master it.

But my training was not done.

Progress, no matter how small, was still progress. Even though I’d already reduced every training dummy in the area to splinters, I moved on, starting a steady fast jog around the field to push my limits. Thanks to my improved stats, I was able to jog for more than two hours nonstop—a feat that was impossible for me back on Earth. But at the same time, improving my stamina was getting harder than ever. Even after two hours, my stamina didn’t improve once.

There would come a time when even intense, prolonged combat wouldn’t boost my physical stats anymore. Once that threshold was reached, unless I underwent special training or consumed rare elixirs, it would be almost impossible to improve further other than by leveling up. Before I hit that wall, I had to get as strong as I could through effort alone.

It was important to note that a single increase in a stat equated to roughly a 2 percent improvement from the previous value. In layman’s terms, if someone could lift forty-four kilograms with five Strength, then with ten Strength, they could lift around fifty-three kilograms. This scaling held true up until the two-hundred-point mark. After that, the rate of growth would diminish, dropping to about 1 percent per point, and it would continue to decline further with each new milestone.

As far as I knew, I was probably the only one who understood this scaling system this clearly… So, despite being exponential, the value wouldn’t jump so much.

After finishing the jog, I dove into a brutal cycle: push-ups, sit-ups, squat jumps. One hundred repetitions each. I rotated through them without rest, ignoring the burning in my muscles and the complaints of my body.

I have to train as if my life depends on it!

So, I kept going until—

Your Stamina has increased by 1.

“Fuck! No more…” I gasped, collapsing onto the ground, unable to finish the last sit-up. I lay there sprawled out like a dried-out french fry that had lost all moisture. Unfortunately, I hadn’t had the chance to concoct any Elixir of Harmonic Balance, as I’d been preoccupied with challenging the scenario. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken so much effort for such a minuscule improvement.

Why am I doing this only to suffer? I wondered, staring blankly at the sky before closing my eyes.

Suddenly, a voice called out to me. “Maxim, are you okay?” It belonged to Michelle.

“Lad, not bad,” Boris added approvingly. “You’re doing what most youngsters back in the military couldn’t. Your willpower alone is commendable.”

I didn’t respond right away, focusing instead on steadying my breath. After a moment, I opened my eyes and looked up at the two figures standing above me. “How long have you two been watching?”

“For a bit,” Michelle replied, crouching slightly. “We finished earlier than you, so we came to check on what you were doing.”

Boris nodded with a grin. “Didn’t expect to find you grinding yourself into the ground like that. You’ve got the spirit.”

I gave a weak chuckle, still flat on my back. “Guess I got a little carried away.”

“Oh, and we also got you some food.” Michelle handed me something wrapped in cloth—it looked like a sandwich.

I pushed myself up with a groan, muscles still aching, and accepted it with a nod. “Thanks.”

Unwrapping it, I took a bite. It was simple—grilled meat between two thick slices of bread with some leafy greens—but the taste was surprisingly decent.

“Not bad at all,” I muttered between chews. After all that training, even a humble sandwich felt like a delicacy.

“I’m glad,” Michelle said with a small smile.

Boris chuckled. “You can’t get stronger with an empty stomach, haha! Once you’re finished eating, how about a spar?”

Once I swallowed the sandwich in my mouth, I said, “You’re on!”