Rhodes threw punch after punch into the sandbag before him, his bare upper body glistening with sweat under the dim light.
This was his latest training routine.
A few days ago, he had spent a "huge sum" to buy this sandbag, believing that if he invested money into his training, he'd feel too guilty to slack off.
After all, wasting money hurt.
After half an hour of intense punching, Rhodes finally stopped, panting heavily. He wiped the sweat from his face before gently massaging his sore arms.
Once his breathing steadied, he made his way to the shower.
Before stepping out of the bathroom, Rhodes paused in front of the mirror, flexing his arm with a smirk.
"Hmm... looks like I'm getting stronger."
He bent down and patted his calf, remembering how, not long ago, doing this would cause his legs to jiggle. Now, however—solid muscle.
Warm, lounging nearby, gave an enthusiastic snore of approval.
"Glad to hear it. Now, time to study."
Rhodes returned to his bedroom, sat at his writing desk, and opened his magazine and notebook.
Over the past few days, he had used enchanted glasses to speed-read through more than sixty issues, and now he had sorted them into two stacks.
One pile—containing about twenty magazines—held important information, including news on major guilds, famous wizards, notable cities, and even trouble-causing magic.
The other stack—roughly thirty magazines—held less significant information.
Rhodes focused on the first pile, carefully recording key details in his notebook.
To understand this world as thoroughly as possible, avoid unnecessary trouble, and prepare for unexpected situations.
Some magics, he noted, were "instant kill" spells—those that, if unfamiliar, could easily fool their targets.
But if one understood their mechanics, they could be countered effortlessly.
For example, Charm Magic, which had been banned by the Magic Council years ago.
After reading about its effects, Rhodes couldn't help but mutter:
"Honestly, I kind of want to learn it."
Flipping through the pages, he came across an article about a rogue wizard:
"Bora of the Prominence—expelled from the Titan Nose Guild for theft. Recently spotted near the border between Fiore and Bosco, committing various crimes."
Rhodes jotted the name down in his notebook.
This wasn't just random news, he needed to be aware of dangerous individuals, in case he ever encountered them.
Finally, he closed the notebook, took a deep breath, and moved into meditation.
The Guild Master's words echoed in his mind:
"If you want to become stronger, you must build a strong foundation. Even the most powerful magic needs the magic power to sustain it."
And Mira, in a rare serious tone, had warned him:
"Don't get too greedy. If you push too hard, you'll end up not only hurting yourself—but also your companions."
Rhodes was someone who valued advice, especially when it came to things he didn't fully understand.
So, instead of rushing things, he focused on steadily accumulating magic power and building his physical strength every day.
At the same time, he continued to explore the Summoner's Rift shrouded in black fog using his mental energy.
If the beasts he summoned ever lost control, it was fine as long as it happened in the wilderness—but if they rampaged inside a city, Rhodes had no doubt he'd end up thrown in prison.
Today's opponent: Cana.
And Rhodes felt good about this one.
As expected, Cana had already downed an entire barrel of liquor early in the morning.
Sitting beside her was Macao, one of her usual drinking buddies.
"Cana, aren't you getting a little too drunk these days?" Macao asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hah!" Cana wiped her mouth, side-eyeing Macao. "Who cares? You're drinking too!"
Macao shrugged. "Not that I care, but I just think it's better for women to drink a little less."
"Ugh, you're so annoying. I won money yesterday—of course I'm gonna drink all I want today." Cana rolled her eyes and lifted the barrel again, though she drank a little slower this time.
"Young people these days..." Macao sighed, speaking in his usual "old man" tone.
After a few more swigs, Cana finally put the barrel down with a loud thud.
"Almost." As an excellent worker, Rhodes had to finish his tasks first. "Also—stop drinking!"
"Relax! It's still early!"
Cana was very aware of her own alcohol tolerance. A single barrel in the morning? That was just a warm-up.
Mira once did a rough estimate and figured out that Cana alone accounted for over 20% of the guild's total alcohol consumption.
That is to say, a considerable part of the salary that Rhode earns now can be considered as Cana's contribution.
After finishing his chores, Rhodes and Cana headed to the backyard to prepare for their match.
Naturally, a few people came to watch, but not as many as usual.
Rhodes started as he always did—by summoning the Scuttle Crab for a test run.
"Just to be sure—let's confirm one thing." Cana pulled out three glowing cards from the pouch on her waist.
"If I hit this guy—will it die?"
Rhodes shook his head reassuringly. "Don't worry, once it takes enough damage, it gets sent back. It'll be fully recovered by tomorrow."
Besides, compared to Poro, both the Scuttle Crab and Krug seemed far less "intelligent" in personality.
"Good. Then I won't hold back."
Cana smirked. The cards in her hand gleamed with golden light.
At that moment, Rhodes felt something shift.
Even though she'd just been drinking like a hopeless drunk, when Cana got serious—her entire presence changed.
For a brief moment, Rhodes felt like he was facing Erza.
The Scuttle Crab charged forward at full speed, but Cana flicked her wrist, sending out three enchanted cards with pinpoint accuracy. They struck the Crab's head, and with a flash of golden light, the summon was instantly repelled.
Rhodes' eyes widened in surprise.
"That power...?" Read complete versıon only at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Without hesitation, he immediately summoned the Krug.
Cana responded by hurling two more cards. One burst into flames, while the other whipped up a powerful gust of wind. The attacks slammed into the Krug, causing its body to split into two smaller Krugs on impact.
But she wasn't done yet.
With another swift flick of her wrist, two more cards shot forward. This time, golden lightning crackled across the battlefield, striking all of them.
Rhodes could only watch in awe as brilliant magical effects exploded all around him.
"Light, fire, wind, thunder?" he murmured.
He finally understood, Cana was a true all-rounder.
As the Krugs shattered into even smaller Mini Krugs, Cana calmly pulled out six more cards and let them fly.
A series of explosions echoed through the yard as the remaining Krugs were completely wiped out.
Cana cracked her wrists, flashing a confident grin. "Alright, that should wrap up the magic battle. Time for the real fight—close combat, right?"
Rhodes exhaled sharply. He still had one more Scuttle Crab left, but there was no point in summoning it now.
"Yeah," he nodded, "let's do this."
'Next time, I need to summon the Krugs underground before the fight starts.'
A few minutes later, Rhodes lay flat on his back, staring up at the sky, questioning his life choices.
This speed. This strength, how is Cana so strong?!
"Of course, Cana is strong," she explained, "She's been an S-Class candidate for three years in a row."
Rhodes blinked. "Wait... what?!"
Mira nodded. "She keeps reaching the final round of the S-Class exams, but she always has bad luck with her opponents."
"Oh, you know Erza or Mystogan."
Rhodes immediately felt better.
"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense."
He thought back to Erza's overwhelming presence and Mystogan's absurdly powerful Sleep Magic.
No wonder Cana hadn't passed—but losing to someone like her was nothing to be ashamed of.
Still, as he glanced over at Cana, who had switched to sipping from a much smaller cup of wine, Rhodes couldn't help but wonder.
For someone who acted so carefree, she must have carried a lot of burdens in her heart.