Chapter 14 — Six Times Stronger
At twelve years old, Ren's physical strength had reached six times that of an ordinary human.
He was currently practicing javelin throws at one of the training areas. Several other children were doing the same nearby, repeatedly hurling their javelins toward the trees ahead.
Ren reached for another javelin.
'97.'
He gripped it firmly and threw it forward with all his strength.
Whoosh!
The javelin tore through the air and slammed into a tree.
Its tip pierced straight through the trunk, emerging from the other side before the javelin became lodged in the wood. The shaft continued vibrating from the force of the impact.
'99.'
Ren grabbed another javelin and threw it.
It struck the tree beside the first.
'101... 102.'
This time, Ren grabbed two javelins and threw them simultaneously.
Afterward, he simply reached for more from the rack.
There always seemed to be another javelin waiting for him.
A few more throws later—
Stolen novel; please report.
Euaagh!
A loud tearing sound came from the tree.
The damaged trunk finally split apart, sending splinters flying as the tree toppled to the ground.
Bam!
Several other trees were already lying nearby, all of them victims of Ren's earlier throws.
Of course, none of the damage mattered.
The formation array would restore the trees at midnight, returning the training area to its original state.
The other children nearby couldn't help but glance toward Ren.
Their eyes were filled with envy.
They trained too, but most of them weren't nearly as dedicated as Ren.
Training was something they did.
For Ren, it was practically his entire life.
After years of relentless training, the difference between him and the other children his age had become enormous.
Just then, Ren noticed two familiar figures approaching.
He threw one more javelin before stopping.
"Looks like you didn't get lost today and actually came early."
"Haha."
Elias laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
"Don't mind the small details."
He then pointed toward the boy standing beside him.
"Here. I want you to meet my twin brother, Adrian."
Elias turned toward his brother.
"Adrian, this is the friend I told you about. Ren."
"Hello, Adrian," Ren greeted.
"H-He...llo, Brother Ren."
Adrian's voice trembled slightly.
His posture was somewhat hunched, and he avoided making eye contact with Ren.
Ren quietly observed him.
'So this is that transmigrator shut-in brother of his.'
A memory from several years ago resurfaced.
Back when Ren had been training at the center, he had occasionally heard Elias complaining to himself about his twin brother.
Apparently, Adrian had started muttering the word 'system' repeatedly in his sleep.
Since the two brothers shared the same room, Adrian's constant muttering had been disturbing Elias's sleep.
That was actually the reason Ren had bothered becoming friends with Elias in the first place.
Otherwise, he couldn't have been bothered to get close to another child.
From the information Ren had gathered through Elias, Adrian's personality had suddenly changed around the same time Ren himself had transmigrated into this world.
Not long afterward, Adrian became a shut-in who rarely left the house.
Instead, he stayed indoors and trained under the guidance of his mage parents.
And now, Ren was finally meeting him face-to-face for the first time.
'I may not have gotten any crazy luck or a cheat, but maybe he did.'
Ren believed transmigrators should possess considerable luck.
After all, transmigrating into another world without suffering any injuries seemed like something that would require quite a bit of luck.
'Does he have a system?'
Ren couldn't help but wonder.
"I'm curious. How much have you progressed, Adrian?"
"It... it's three ti...mes."
Adrian answered nervously, obvious shame present in his voice.
'Huh? How is it so low?'
Ren was slightly surprised.
They were the same age, yet Elias had already reached four times the strength of an ordinary human.
'Is he also a bum like his brother?'
Ren immediately reconsidered.
'No. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. He could be hiding his real strength.'
"Oh, that's good progress," Ren said.
He didn't press the matter.
"Actually, how about the three of us go hunting? We can get familiar with each other that way. What do you two say?"
"That's a great idea! Don't you agree, Adrian?" Elias said cheerfully.
"Y...yeah."
Adrian's reluctant tone made it obvious that he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea.
Ren didn't mind.
If anything, Adrian's reaction only made him more curious.
'I'll find out eventually.'