When Zeigel awoke, he found himself near a campfire with Reizo sitting on the other side. He jolted up and checked his body, finding himself fully healed. His metal coated teeth and the lingering foul taste in his mouth was proof that his fight with the invisible beast wasn't a dream.

Of course that wasn't a dream. That much pain and suffering couldn't possibly be from a dream.

His eyes shot towards the one responsible for everything he had just gone through. He took a deep breath and suppressed his malice before asking, "Was that supposed to be the method for leveling up quickly?"

"Yes."

Fucking piece of shit! I should've known he wouldn't have given me an easy way to level up!

"All you did was make me fight a monster, how was that illegal?"

"I just told you, vanguards are not allowed to hunt monsters unless it's for a mission or if they're an invasive monster like the zinite. This is to avoid causing any more species of monsters to go extinct." Reizo explained.

"And you couldn't just fucking tell me that this was your plan?" Zeigel snapped with a voice dripping with venom. "I wouldn't have done this if I knew what it was asshole!"

Reizo's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden outburst. "You were a lot calmer when I was healing you."

"That's because I was unconscious dumbass!"

"You weren't...nevermind. That's not important right now. Zeigel, the monster you've just slain is called a gendion, an intelligent and elusive three star monster. Do you know what that means?"

"It means fuck you!"

"...I get that you're mad," Reizo sighed. "But this was necessary for your growth."

"A few levels wasn't worth all that suffering!" Zeigel retorted.

"I'm not talking about levels. Being able to slay a three star monster at level 7 is an impressive feat. You should be proud of yourself."

"Oh wow, guess I should give myself a pat on the back for getting tortured by a monster." Zeigel said dryly.

"Do you really not understand what this implies?" Reizo asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Of course I do, it implies this." Zeigel said as he gave his trainer the finger.

"Maybe this wasn't the best idea for Zeigel." Reizo muttered to himself. "What this implies is that you're far more capable than you think you are. You were certain that you couldn't defeat a three star monster at your level and yet, you've managed to slay one."

"I only won because that gaydion or whatever it's called was an arrogant idiot!"

"But you still won. Even if you attributed your victory to other factors such as luck, it still doesn't change the fact that you faced it alone and emerged victorious."

It frustrated Zeigel how insistent his trainer was on proving a point he would never accept.

I know you're trying to convince me that I'm strong and whatnot, but I am not vanguard material! Bloody hell, did he put me through all that just to prove that I am?

"Why the hell are you constantly putting me through this sort of shit anyways? Is it because I'm not nearly as talented as Saliza? Are you not satisfied with my performance as a vanguard? Do want me dead? Just tell me already!"

Reizo silently stared at his fuming trainee. He waited for him to calm down before asking, "How do vanguards become stronger?"

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"Levels obviously!" Zeigel shouted.

"I knew a boy who thought the same. He relied solely on levels for strength and never once bothered pushing himself to become stronger. He only fought easy battles, learned nothing from his experiences, and never bothered honing his skills. Do you know what happened to him?"

"What?"

With a look of shame, Reizo continued, "He failed to save his invincible trainer who fought to protect everyone, he failed to save his friends as they were being slaughtered around him, and the only reason why he's alive was because the woman he loved gave her life to save his. Everything I do as your trainer is to ensure you don't wind up like that boy, and if you won't push yourself, then I will."

As much as Zeigel wanted to hate his trainer for what he did to him, he could understand where Reizo was coming from.

I mean I get it, he's technically doing his job, but...

"Don't you think what you put me through was too much?" He complained.

"In the future, you'll be fighting battles far tougher than the one you just had against enemies far crueler and merciless than that gendion. What you just went through was a glimpse of the future you'll be facing as a vanguard."

Then I really need to get the hell out of this world. But will Saliza be fine dealing with all of this herself? She's strong, she can handle it herself, right?

"How's your body feeling now?" Reizo asked.

Zeigel stretched his limbs. Not a single part of his body felt numb or sore. "Mostly fine I think."

Weird, shouldn't I be paralyzed by now?

"Then that means the antidote is working."

"Antidote?" Zeigel asked.

"I injected you with the antidote for the gendion's venom a few minutes ago."

Oh, so that's why I'm not paralyzed.

"We'll head back once you've gotten rid of the metal coating your teeth." Reizo said as he stomped out the fire.

"What if someone asks what we were doing here?" Zeigel asked.

"Don't worry. Even if we get caught, at worst I'll only be getting an earful from Meitre."

"So we won't get arrested?"

"If I don't want you to get arrested then you won't get arrested, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

----------------------------------------

"The damage doesn't seem too bad." Sarhen mumbled as she inspected the armour. "I should be able to repair this with the leftover zinite feathers, but of course I won't be doing it for free."

"Right, how much do I owe you." Zeigel asked as he dug his hand into his pocket and readied the 200 dollars given to him by Reizo as compensation.

I still don't know how to feel about Reizo. I know he's looking out for me, but he's also putting me through hell. I'm not even sure if the large sums of money he gives us is worth the all that torture.

"Why the glum look?" Sarhen asked she received her payment.

"Ah, it's nothing." Zeigel replied as he mustered up a small smile.

"If you're embarrassed that your armour got destroyed in less than a week, don't be. It's nowhere near as fast as the record set by your trainer."

"And what's that record?"

"Fifteen seconds."

"F-Fifteen seconds?" Zeigel exclaimed.

"I still remember that scene like it was yesterday. He came in to collect his armour, and as soon as he stepped out of the shop, another vanguard fell out of the sky and crushed him."

"Hah! I wish I was there to see that." Zeigel laughed.

"Yup, so don't feel too embarrassed. Besides, it's good for business if your armour keeps getting destroyed." Sarhen chuckled.

"Come back in an hour and I'll have your armour fixed up by then."

Zeigel thanked her before leaving the shop. As he walked back to the headquarters, he couldn't help but ponder about the future.

What's gonna happen to Saliza if I leave this world? Those future battles, can she handle them without me? What if she dies?

Worry and frustration plagued his mind as he contemplated an important decision he might have to make someday.

Damn it, I've already told myself, don't let our friendship keep me from taking back my life. I'm not even supposed to be in this world in the first place! If she dies, that's not my fault!

An image of Saliza dying alone inside the forest flashed across his mind.

But still, I don't want anything to happen to her. No, she's just one person, don't forget about the people you care about on Earth. Mom, Dan, I wanna see them again. I'll be losing one friends to see two people I care about, it'll be worth it, right?

Once again, that image of Saliza dead inside the forest flashed across his mind.

Why am I even debating this? Am I seriously going to let myself suffer just for a friend? I don't even have any romantic feelings towards her. Don't be a fucking idiot Zeigel, you have to return home, no matter the cost.

Once he reached the headquarters, Zeigel made his way up to his room with his head still in the clouds.

I'll just enjoy the time I have with her, but I absolutely cannot stay in this world just for her sake, and that's final.

He placed his hand on the door knob of his room and was hit with the strong odour of smoke. He looked up and only now realized that smoke was escape through the gaps of the door.

He frantically flung the door wide open and rushed to the kitchen where the smoke was coming from. Inside, he found Saliza standing in a kitchen engulfed in flames with a spatula in hand.

"Oh hey Zeigel, I made lunch."

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"