After I left the three of them, I was walking alone in the forest.
　And after a while, I arrived in front of a cave.

'Mmm, I miss it.'

　After all, it's been a thousand years since I've been here.
　However, this space of time and space is isolated from the space we live in.
　So even though we hadn't been here in a thousand years, the landscape around us hadn't changed at all.

　I'll need a year to do my best to defeat Bagnuba, so I'll need a year's worth of training.
　Hence the need to compress a year's worth of training, as I've already explained.


　The Cave of Trials.


　A thousand years ago, I named the cave in front of me.
　In this cave, there are three trials that are presented in order.
　When you clear them all, you'll have, if not a year's worth of training.......then half of that, if not more.

　But it's a year's worth of training compressed.
　Naturally, the ordeal will be tough.
　We need to brace ourselves.

So shall we go?

　However, I'm not going to shy away from it.

　I stepped into the cave.
　It's pitch black inside. There's not a single light in sight.
　Normally I would use magic to brighten up the area, but I can't do that.
　Not only is it darker, but you can't hear any sounds from your surroundings or the outside world.
　It was a place where my sense of equilibrium started to get weird.

'Magic ... can't be used. Hmm, it seems to be right(ish) always.

　I squeezed my hands together and checked.
　I try to draw a magic formula, but the moment I try to develop it in my brain, it disappears like a bubble popping.
　Even if you try to release your magic power, it's being held back as if a blood clot has formed.
　It was an obvious anomaly, but I didn't panic.

"I thought that after a thousand years, this space would be experiencing some kind of abnormality, but I guess we needn't worry about that.

　I mutter.

　The next moment....

Oh, it's happening.

　A light bullet was fired from a right slanting direction and came at me.
　I evade it just in time to avoid it.

'This is going to be the most fun exercise I've had in a long time.

　There was more than just one lightning bullet. Then it was several shots at me.
　I dodge them.
　Each and every light bullet is a high-powered one. Even if you just scrape it, if you don't have any kind of warding magic applied, it's not surprising that one arm could be blown off.


　--This is the first test.


　The inside of the cave is completely dark. In other words, vision is blocked.
　Moreover, you can't even hear sound. This is hearing.
　And to top it all off, you're making it impossible to use magic. This is because I, a thousand years ago, drew a magic circle around the area where the first trial takes place.

　In other words, sight, hearing, and magic....with these three things blocked, I have to avoid the hail of light bullets that are hurled at me like a barrage.

　By the way, the light bullets are fired from the magic circle drawn on the walls and ceiling.

''This is quite interesting.''

　I haven't done it in a thousand years, but I just get carried away.
　No matter how much of a magic sealing magic circle there is, I can nullify it right away... but if I do that, there's no point in doing it because it won't be a training exercise.

　I made the first trial to strengthen my 'body'.
　No matter how good your magic is, if your physical strength and body language are third-rate, it's useless.
　The ideal figure that combines magic and body, a combination of the two, is the ideal for a wizard...and even a magic swordsman.

　I don't know where the light bullets are fired from. There is no sound. There's no way to use magic.
　Despite this situation, I continued to avoid the light bullets using only my intuition(...).

　Eventually......

''Mm, it looks like it's about to end.

　The light bullets stopped.
　It was just when the ten-thousandth flare had been avoided.
　Poof, the light was lit up in the cave.

"I worked up a good sweat.

　Wipe the sweat off.
　At the same time that my vision and hearing became normal, I was able to use my magic as well. The first ordeal must be over.

　But........was the first ordeal like this?
　I don't think this would be a flattering way to train for a year....
　What was I thinking about a thousand years ago?

　Just as I was wondering that, it happened.

"Ugh.

　The magic circle drawn on the wall suddenly emitted light.
　Light bullets were fired without any gaps between them and came towards me.

　The light bullets fired at the same time - 100,000 rounds.
　I see that this one was the real target.
　The 100,000 light bullets were fired simultaneously, and there was no space at all to avoid them.

　........but it looks like....

"What? This is nothing to worry about.

　This time I used body strengthening magic to avoid 100,000 light bullets.
　Even though they were released at the same time.......it's impossible to have an error of 0.001 seconds.
　There must be a slight time difference.
　All I had to do was find the gap between the two and avoid the light bullets by trying to get into the gap.

　Eventually, the bullets hit the walls and ceiling, and we were all safe.

''A thousand years ago, I was pretty mean to you, too.

　Even for me, it was impossible to avoid these 100,000 light bullets without using body strengthening magic.
Pretending it was an ordeal to train the 'body', the moment it was over, it would create a situation where I had to use magic.
　If he was not careful, he might have hit one of the 100,000 rounds.
　It was a close call.

''The last trick you forgot all about.

　But it was good preparation.
　It was enough to loosen me up.

"But the ordeal is over. Let's do the next one.

　A door suddenly appears in the wall.
　I was going to go through that door and take on the second challenge.