Kalem fought for a while longer, his movements still sharp but his stamina waning. Eventually, he took a step back, repositioning himself behind the main formation to catch his breath.
He observed as the more experienced warriors pressed forward, hacking through the last remnants of the abyssal horde. Their movements were efficient—calculated, refined through years of battle. Unlike Kalem, they weren't expending unnecessary energy.
He would need to adjust.
A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Wait, you forged that yourself?" Garron asked, stepping up beside him.
Kalem, still holding the slightly charred greatsword, gave a small nod. "Yeah."
Garron exhaled, shaking his head. "Not only do you have power, but you can also make more of it."
Kalem tilted his head. "I know that switching through multiple weapons is a bit odd, but… is it really that much of a surprise?"
Garron gave him an incredulous look. "No, but the fact that every single one of those weapons is top quality and self-made? Yeah, that's damn near unheard of."
Kalem's expression remained neutral. "I see."
Garron groaned, rubbing his temples. "Again with that lackluster response! Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds?"
Kalem simply shrugged.
Garron sighed before gesturing toward the battlefield. "Anyway, you did okay. The horde is dispersing—this fight should be over soon."
Kalem glanced toward the battlefield. "That quick?"
Garron smirked. "Did you not see it before retreating? The fire you made scared the shit out of them. Literally. Some of them ran while pissing themselves."
Kalem frowned slightly. "I thought it was a minimal decrease in their numbers."
"It was," Garron admitted. "But it was enough for us old folks to finish the rest off."
Kalem took another look at the battlefield. Indeed, the fighting had largely ceased. The remaining abyssal creatures were either dead, burning, or retreating into the depths. The Gehenna warriors were finishing off the stragglers, making sure no survivors lingered to cause future problems.
Still, something about this encounter felt… strange.
Kalem sat on a nearby rock, resting his arms on his knees. His breathing had steadied, but the dull ache in his muscles reminded him of one fact:
He was still wasting too much energy.
It wasn't an issue of strength—he had plenty of that.
It was efficiency.
The battle-hardened warriors of Gehenna did not waste movement. They did not rely on chants or excessive weapon switching. Every action they took was the shortest, most effective path to eliminating their enemies.
His problem wasn't his fighting style—it was his methodology.
He relied too much on external tools. His weapons were excellent, but that alone wouldn't make him stronger.
He needed to bridge the gap.
Garron sat down next to him, exhaling as he wiped off his blade. "You're thinking too hard."
Kalem looked at him. "I just realized something."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"I rely too much on my weapons."
Garron raised an eyebrow. "Well, no shit. I could've told you that an hour ago."
Kalem ignored the jab. "I focus on my weapons to compensate for raw technique."
Garron grunted. "Hmph. That's not entirely wrong. But it's not just technique. You rely on your weapons because they do the work for you. Your runes, your enchantments, your designs—they all make your attacks stronger. But you? You haven't mastered them yet."
Kalem considered this. "Then what do you suggest?"
Garron gave a half-smile. "First, stop switching weapons so often. You're versatile, but it's making you inefficient. Second, start training without them."
Kalem's expression shifted slightly. "Without them?"
Garron nodded. "Use your body. Strengthen your fundamentals. Even a master weaponsmith is useless if they can't fight with their bare hands."
Kalem fell silent.
He had never trained unarmed combat seriously before. His entire fighting style was built around his weapons.
But…
Maybe that was the problem.
The battlefield was now quiet, save for the occasional crackling of still-burning corpses. The warriors of Gehenna began gathering their fallen, ensuring no bodies were left behind for the abyss to consume.
Kalem watched as a few other young recruits conversed amongst themselves. Unlike him, they weren't battle-hardened—most of them still looked shaken from the experience.
One of them—a young woman with short silver hair—walked over. "Hey."
Kalem glanced at her. "Yes?"
She hesitated for a moment before nodding at his flaming greatsword, now cooled and resting beside him. "That sword of yours… I've never seen anything like it."
"Because I made it," Kalem replied simply.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You forged it yourself?"
"Yes."
She looked as if she wanted to ask more but hesitated. "It's… impressive."
Kalem tilted his head. "Why do you sound surprised?"
"Because most warriors don't forge their own weapons," she replied. "Especially not weapons of that quality."
Kalem didn't respond.
She gave a small nod before stepping back. "Well… see you at the next deployment."
As she walked away, Garron nudged him. "She seemed interested."
Kalem frowned. "In the weapon."
Garron smirked. "Sure, kid. Keep telling yourself that."
As the cleanup efforts continued, Kalem thought back to Garron's words.
Fighting without weapons…
It was a strange concept for him, but not impossible. He was already trained in the Mana-Muscle Technique—perhaps it was time to refine it further.
Perhaps it was time to fight like a true warrior of Gehenna—not just as a weaponsmith.
He clenched his fists.
I will surpass my limits.
No more wasted movements.
No more dependence.
From now on—he wouldn't just make better weapons.
He would make himself better.
And that was how Kalem's next challenge began.