4 Chapter 4

Just like the ticking sound of the never-ending time, the ephemeral cycles of days had gone by, and unknowingly, a month had already passed...

Clang!

With the final grunt and clanking of steel, Arthur and Tania looked into each other's eyes and smiled, culminating their training for the day.

"Not bad. You've turned from a squealing training dummy into a... decent fighter- albeit barely, in just a month."

Tania said acknowledging his bare progress after slightly nodding her head and inwardly thinking of something...

'Well, it's about time to implement adjustments since he already adapted to the current intensity.'

"Huff huff..."

Clang!

Slightly out of breath for overexerting himself, Arthur who was covered in sweat only smirked at what she had just said and directly slumped on the grass-covered ground along with his sword.

He could feel his body crying out to him as it ached due to the rigorous training from the past total of twelve hours.

"Here, drink."

"...Thanks!"

With his chest heaving rapidly, he responded before opening his once-lidded eyes upon hearing Tania's voice, handing him a glass of water to rehydrate himself.

This has been the daily occurrence within the manor for the whole month as Tania rigorously trained Arthur from dawn to dusk. Only stopping for slight, timely breaks and meals.

From day one to the present, Tania had been trying her best to shape Arthur into what he wanted- a warrior- not some flowery knight, but a real one at that.

Though at first, Arthur had been having a hard time whenever training started since Tania never had imparted and taught him the basics.

She preferred a more hands-on approach, with real blades and moves, while telling him about his faults. And because of that, his body would often be seen all cut and bruised.

Fortunately for him, his body's natural regenerative capability far exceeds that of a normal human.

....

"Ha~ a warm bath after the usual ridiculously brutish training feels heavenly~"

Currently in the artificially made hot spring, just a walking distance away from Arthur and Tania's usual training ground within the manor's walls,-

Arthur, alone for the time being, finds himself in the corner, leaning comfortably with his entire body submerged in the comfort of the steamingly warm water.

"Hey! Are you coming!?"

He shouted in an impatient tone at the silhouette of a person, who was none other than Tania, through the darkly tinted door glass.

'Mwehehe~ Oh those divine racks, her meaty bottom, and thighs. Kekeke can't wait~'

Arthur thought and was inwardly grinning from ear to ear as he kept on fantasizing about her oddly smooth and sensual body.

"Kekeke~ why, impatient, aren't we?", Tania who was still tussling from across the door replied with her usual cackle.

"Of course, who wouldn't? And I think you already knew that this was what kept me going despite your thrashings and wiping the ground with my face every time."

"Yeah yeah, I know."

And truth indeed, he told her. This has been Arthur's only solace despite having always been dominated by her on the training field since day one-

the fact that she would always let him feast his eyes on her body without much and any complaint or scorn from her whenever training ends.

'Too bad though, I don't have the right to touch her yet. But still...'

Again trapped in his own perverted fantasy, he was simultaneously enjoying the tranquil ambiance of the moment as he closed his eyes, and a foolish smile on his face, until...

[Notice... The host is once again eligible for claiming the Weekly Sign-In Rewards. Would you like to claim it now?]

A brief, yet sharp sound suddenly rang from out of nowhere which immediately caught his attention.

Thus, he halted his perverted thoughts and opened his eyes before looking at the blue holographic screen in front of him.

"Mwehe~ Mwehehe~ Mwhehehe- Kakaka! It's that time, already? Alright, System. Claim it now!"

His exhilaration was through the roof as he saw the notification on the holographic screen and remembered that it was about damn time he could get useful and cool rewards again.

[Affirmative...

Please wait a moment...

Storing in the System Inventory...]

And with bated breath, he waited in silence, inwardly praying for a good reward. Preferably, one which can enhance his strength as quickly as possible.

Truth be told, he was quite disappointed with the previous rewards after the first one. It only gave him gold bars and achievement point tickets.

[Congratulations! You have received the following:

Qty: 1 - Basket of a Downgraded Version of Idun's Golden Apples:

Description:

A basket that contains a dozen pieces of Idun's, the Goddess of Spring and Rejuvenation of the Nordic Pantheon's downgraded version of the apples of immortality.

A bite can heal any diseases and ailments, as well as a neutralizing effect for any kind of poisons.

Consuming a whole apple can increase one's lifespan by 20 years.]

As soon as the reward was revealed, Arthur, although honestly a bit disappointed that he didn't get something that he had imagined, was still satisfied with what he received.

"Well, well, well. Additional 20 years of lifespan for one apple, huh? Not bad- actually, it's better than the previous ones except the summoning ticket at the start."

He said after shrugging his shoulders before casually withdrawing a piece of a golden apple from his inventory.

Arthur, although he couldn't say much about it after eyeing the piece, was still marveling at the extraordinariness of a literal golden apple in his hand.

'It's even glowing, like literally... Hmm? what's this?... Smells delicious.'

He was about to take a bite at it when somehow, his nose twitched as he suddenly caught a fragrant scent that made him audibly gulp a mouthful of saliva.

"God, this apple is divine- yes, maybe because it really is, that's why it smells so good~"

Arthur took his time and almost smothered himself with its scent before he finally decided to try it out when...

"Hey, Arthur. What's that in your hand?"

Tania, with a curious tone, asked as her naked figure emerged and walked in through the door directly just behind him.

She strode behind him and stopped at the edge of the pool he was leaning his back against, looking down directly at him and the glowing thing in his hand.

"Oh, hey Tania, look at this. I have a dozen of this as a reward from my Weekly Sign-In from the Sys-"

Arthur turned his head while smiling as he presented the golden apple to her, only to freeze the next second when he saw Tania's bare skin, without a towel wrapped around her body, in close-up.

"F-fuck!"