Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 338. Torturous training- Can I get Aura?

From the very next day, Theo’s true torture began.

And it wasn’t because of training his swordsmanship, but because he had declared such an unrealistic goal to his father.

The goal to manifest his aura.

Usually, manifesting one’s aura took months, or even years, depending on one’s talent.

And while someone like Cedric Merrick had managed to manifest a minuscule amount of aura within months, reaching a significant level had taken him at least a year.

But that was talent. The most difficult part about aura was acquiring it in the first place. Once that ability was added to a person’s status, the progress of their prowess could be measured quantitatively.

For now, all Theo had to do was train his body. His sword strikes were good in technique, but they severely lacked power, even though his raw strength was above average for his level.

Keeping one’s stats in check was necessary. Without training to maintain it, those values would become nothing more than simple numbers, with no actual power to back them up.

The training was so hellish that at one point, Theo genuinely felt like his life was at stake during a certain sit-up session.

The count passed more than a thousand, and whenever Theo tried to stop, the baron just shouted more and louder.

Again and again.

By nightfall, Theo had pushed his body to the point where he couldn’t even move a single finger.

But even that was accounted for.

The Baron had prepared potion baths that were unlike anything Theo had ever received when he had them made by Knight Rhys.

These potion baths contained more than just the ordinary potions.

It was the first time Theo realized that his father was truly intellectually gifted. The man had memorized an incredibly complicated recipe down to the smallest detail.

And the effects Theo experienced with the treatment were otherworldly.

For the first time, Theo felt, in terms of potions, that he was truly living in a fantasy world.

The normal potions only ever made him feel relaxed and healed him gradually, much like the medicines from his previous world.

There was also the mantis, which plucked many of the flowers growing on its back and flicked them into the potion bath to help him.

And according to the reports, these flowers had higher-grade healing effects when processed properly.

However, since Theo had to leave for the gate, not much could be done about it.

These hellish days continued until the fifteenth day. In Theo’s mind, it already felt like a few months had passed, as he had been training for more than ten hours every day.

Without his clothes on, the changes in his body could only be described as a miracle.

His abdomen, which once showed the outline of six abs, had transformed into a clearly defined eight-pack. Numerous lines ran across his body, as if years of training had been poured into him all at once.

When Theo questioned how he was able to reach this point in such a short time, a truth was revealed.

A fact that made him unsure whether he should feel happy or simply normal.

Apparently, every potion bath he took was worth more than a year of his pocket money. And one had to know that Theo received a lot of pocket money to operate his terrariums.

At least one thing hadn’t changed since he came to this world; he had been filthy rich in his previous life, and the same was true here.

The fifteenth day soon turned into a month, and soon the Ant Queen had finally reached level 10 too.

It was not just the Ant Queen though. Both Clara and Elias had also reached level 10 and met the requirements to break through.

According to them, this was a milestone in their life they had expected to reach only after turning 30.

There was simply no way for anyone to level up this fast within the kingdom, as there weren’t enough beasts to hunt.

The ape, the boar and the pup all reached level 10 one after another. Only Chip was left behind.

Elias and the ape did everything they could to help it level up too, and they were able to bring it to level 8, but there was still a long way to go.

The ant queen also managed to raise 5000 reinforced burrowing ants above level 5, a feat that could have only been achieved inside this gate.

Yet Theo’s mind was stuck on one thing. All the baron had made him do was train his body, and only recently had his sword training resumed.

Everyone in the camp noticed the changes to his fighting style; even the mantis tried to stay at least a few hours of the day with Theo now before going underground through the massive holes dug by the crawlers to hunt them down.

Thanks to all the training, Theo was finally able to pierce the body of the gigantic crawler using the same attack that had once ruined his wrists.

That alone showed just how much progress he had made. It wasn’t that his technique had improved or anything; rather, it was his raw strength itself.

Until finally...

"You are ready," the baron said, a proud smile forming on his face. Currently, they were standing just outside the camp walls, in a clearing where Theo had trained for the past month.

"Ready? Me?" Theo asked, confused.

"Yes. The same happened with Cedric," the baron nodded.

Theo could feel the excitement in his father’s voice.

"I can already feel the aura bubbling within you, Theo," the baron explained before pointing at his chest.

"Around the heart, I can feel it."

The more the baron spoke, the more Theo felt jitters all around his body.

"T-Then, how do I manifest it in my sword?" Theo asked with an excited grin.

"For now, you can’t manifest the aura," the baron said, unable to hide the smile on his face. "To do that, you need to complete one last task."

Theo leaned in for him to continue.

"You need to experience near death, my son."