When Eren heard that Azar was a brutal teacher, he thought it was an overstatement. Boy, was he in for a shock. Standing in the training yard, he watched as Azar barked orders at a group of trainees, his voice booming like thunder. This was an inhumane amount of training. Eren was pretty sure one trainee was crying, and he couldn’t tell if it was from exhaustion or sheer terror.
“Drop and give me twenty!” Azar shouted, and the trainees scrambled to obey, their bodies hitting the ground like sacks of potatoes. Eren swallowed hard. If that was just the warm-up, he might have to rethink his life choices.
In hindsight, he should’ve expected something like this. The first time he met Azar was a distant memory filled with excitement and naive ambition. He had heard stories of Azar’s legendary status as the commander of the Eoryla Guard, a man who had single-handedly held back a horde of demons with just a sword and a scowl. Eren was ready to soak up all his wisdom like a sponge. But now, standing there, he felt more like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding carriage.
The day he met Azar was nothing short of epic—or at least, that’s how he remembered it. He had been training on his own, feeling pretty good about himself after slaying a hundred goblins. He was practically ready to take on the world. Or so he thought.
“Eren! You have an audience!” his training partner shouted, pointing to a figure standing at the edge of the training ground.
He turned to see a tall man with white hair and an intimidating presence. His heart raced. Was this the legendary Azar? He was both thrilled and terrified.
“Hey! You there!” Azar called, and Eren felt his stomach drop. “What’s your name?”
“E-Eren! Eren Valestrix!” he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
“Great! Now let’s see how fast you can run!” Azar charged at him, and before he could comprehend what was happening, Azar was barreling down on him like a freight train. Eren sprinted away, fueled by pure adrenaline and fear. In the back of his mind, he thought it was kind of exciting to have such a legendary warrior interested in his training.
“Faster!” Azar yelled, and Eren pushed himself harder, feeling like he was being chased by a hungry beast. He didn’t stop until he collapsed, gasping for air. When he finally looked up, Azar was standing over him, arms crossed, a grin on his face.
“Not bad for a beginner. Welcome to my world.”
Back in the training yard, Eren blinked at Azar, who was now eyeing him as if sizing him up for dinner. He steeled himself and approached Azar, his heart racing.
“Um, so what do I need to do to train with you?” Eren asked, trying to sound brave.
“First, you need to get your stats up. You’ve been training, right?” Azar said, his tone casual, as if discussing the weather. “Let me see your status window.”
Eren hesitated. He didn’t want to show Azar his status window. The Regressor's Return (X Grade) title felt like a huge secret, and he feared what would happen if Azar saw it. Would he tell Eren’s father about this? What if he started asking questions Eren didn’t want to answer?
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“Um, I don’t think my stats are that impressive,” Eren stammered, trying to deflect.
“Come on! I’ve seen worse,” Azar insisted, crossing his arms. “I won’t bite. Just show me.”
Eren’s heart raced. He tried to brush it off, but Azar’s unwavering gaze made it impossible to back down. “But… my title…” he murmured, panic rising in his chest.
“Your title? Is that what you’re worried about?” Azar raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “I promise you, I’ve seen worse. Just show me.”
With a reluctant sigh, Eren opened his status window, trying to keep his expression neutral.
Status:
Name: Eren Valestrix
Trait: A Regressor's Return (X Grade)
Title: Goblin Slayer (+5 Strength, +6 Durability)
Quest: Major Quest - Reclaim Your Memories
Objective: Reach Floor 50 of the Tower to regain lost memories of your previous regression.
Stats:
Strength: 18 (+5)
Vitality: 13 (+6)
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 10
Mana: 9
Perception: 12
Azar’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced at Eren’s stats. “Your stats have improved significantly. This is far faster than I ever saw from someone of your level. But…”
Eren’s heart sank at the “but.” He could practically hear the impending lecture.
“You still need to work on your Perception. And I can’t see your Trait,” Azar said, scratching his head.
Eren blinked, his heart dropping. What did he mean he couldn’t see it? The fact that Azar couldn’t see his title was both surprising and terrifying.
Status Window Message: Azar cannot perceive your Trait due to its unique nature.
A chill ran down Eren’s spine. Was this normal? What did it mean? His thoughts spiraled, but he pushed the worries aside. He didn’t have time to dwell on that right now.
“Now that’s more like it!” Azar continued, glancing back at Eren’s stats. “But remember, it’s still not good enough. If you want to secure a high rank, you need to break through your limits!”
“How do I do that?” Eren asked, curious despite the nagging feeling of dread.
“Training! Lots of it! And pushing yourself past what you think you can handle!” Azar exclaimed. “And you can’t just focus on one stat. You need to be well-rounded. Your Perception could use work, and your Mana needs improvement too. We’ll focus on those areas as well.”
As Eren nodded, ready to accept the challenge, Azar gestured for him to follow to a more open area of the yard. “Today, we’ll start with strength training. You need to build a solid foundation.”
As the day wore on, Eren was put through the wringer. Push-ups, squats, agility drills—everything left him gasping for air. Azar was relentless, his voice echoing in Eren’s ears as he urged him on.
“More! Faster! You think those goblins will wait for you to catch your breath?”
After what felt like an eternity, Eren finally collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. He could hardly lift his head, his body screaming in protest. Azar walked over, his expression unreadable.
“Let’s see your status now,” he said, crossing his arms.
With a groan, Eren opened his status window again, trying not to let his exhaustion show.
Status:
Name: Eren Valestrix
Trait: A Regressor's Return (X Grade)
Title: Goblin Slayer (+5 Strength, +6 Durability)
Quest: Major Quest - Reclaim Your Memories
Objective: Reach Floor 50 of the Tower to regain lost memories of your previous regression.
Stats:
Strength: 20 (+5)
Vitality: 13 (+6)
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 10
Mana: 9
Perception: 15
“Impressive progress,” Azar acknowledged, glancing at the numbers. “But remember, this is just the beginning. We have a long way to go. You need to keep pushing yourself to reach new heights. Breakthroughs are not handed out freely. You have to earn them.”
Eren groaned again, half-laughing, half-exasperated. “Great, just what I wanted. To be broken every day by a demi-god.”
Azar smirked, crossing his arms. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s get back to work!”
As Eren pulled himself back up, he felt the fire of determination ignite within him once more.
This was just the beginning, and he was ready for whatever came next.