There are three different ways to strengthen the body: through exercise, through medicine, or through a combination of both.
The first method relies purely on exercise. The body is repeatedly strained, pushed until damage occurs, then allowed to rest and recover. Through this endless cycle of destruction and repair, the damaged muscles gradually grow stronger. Its advantage lies in clarity—no foreign impurities are left behind by medicine. Its disadvantage, however, is time. Progress is slow, demanding patience and endurance before any tangible results appear.
The second method relies solely on medicine, and it carries two defining characteristics. By consuming stronger medicinal substances, the body can be reinforced without physical exertion. Strength is gained rapidly, almost forcibly. However, the cost is heavy. Greater impurities accumulate within the body, and the user must endure the medicine's overwhelming effects. Within the simulation, his simulated self had only ever heard of this method in theory—no one truly used it, especially among academy students. As for those outside the academy, he had no knowledge.
The third method combines medicine and exercise. In this approach, weaker medicine supplements training, supporting the body as it is pushed through intense physical strain. The benefit is a deceptive comfort—the user can drive their body beyond its limits without feeling pain or fatigue during training. But the drawback is severe. Once the medicine's effects fade, all the suppressed damage surfaces at once, crashing down in a single wave of unbearable pain.
Mario remained lying on the white floor of the training room, lost in thought while slowly resting his body.
After half an hour of resting, Mario's breathing and heartbeat gradually calmed.
"Urghhh…"
A low sound of pain escaped him as he slowly sat up on the floor. He reached for the bottle of pills once more.
This time, he swallowed three at once—one gray pill, one red pill, and one yellow pill.
The familiar sensation returned. Mario stood up. Pain and strain vanished, every warning signal from his body forcibly suppressed by the pills.
He returned the iron sword to the weapon rack, then walked to a different spot before lowering himself to the floor. Pressing his palms against the cold surface, he straightened his body.
Taking a deep breath, he lowered himself slowly. Invisible muscles in his arms and back tightened, his chest hovering inches above the floor. He exhaled and pushed himself up.
One repetition.
He inhaled again, lowered his body, then exhaled as he pushed upward.
By the tenth repetition, sweat slid down the bridge of his nose, dripping and darkening the dusty floor beneath him. Yet under the pills' effect, he felt little fatigue—and so he continued.
Inhaling... Lowering... Exhaling... Pushing...
Another rep.
And another.
With each push-up, the sensations granted by the pills faded faster and faster. By the time he reached nearly a hundred repetitions, their effects vanished completely.
Bang—
Mario collapsed face-first onto the floor.
Pain exploded through his arms, back, and chest. His legs trembled violently as fatigue and damage surged back all at once.
The familiar, intense pain returned. He clenched his teeth, enduring it without a scream.
After another fifteen minutes, the pain slowly subsided.
Mario turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling as he drew ragged breaths.
Huff… Huff… Huff...
"…It hurts," he muttered, pain radiating through every part of his body.
Yet the pain served a purpose—it drowned out the thoughts that had been troubling him since earlier.
He rested for another half an hour, allowing his breathing to return to normal, before slowly sitting up.
GROWL—
Intense hunger struck the moment he moved, his body forcefully reminding him of its needs.
This was also one of the drawbacks of the third method—intense hunger caused by the yellow pill. The pill accelerates recovery by consuming the body's stored nutrients.
However, it also has a major advantage. Unlike the red and gray pills, which last only about five hours—sometimes less depending on how much pain and fatigue they suppress—the recovery pill remains active until the user wakes.
Once the person wakes up, as long as the body receives sufficient nutrients, the strain from the previous day's training is completely restored.
Mario tried to stand, only to realize he couldn't push himself up.
"I… can't stand up?" he muttered, confused.
He tried again, forcing his body to rise—only for pain and weakness to flare, sending him collapsing back onto the floor.
'…It seems I've made a mistake.' Realizing this, he sighed and shook his head.
In the end, Mario could only crawl on all fours toward the weapon rack.
When he reached it, he used the rack for support, forcing himself upright with clenched teeth as pain wracked his body.
His legs shook violently as he slowly stood.
He took one of the staffs from the rack to support himself and limped toward the touch screen beside the door, calling for help.
Afterward, he slowly lowered himself back onto the floor, releasing the staff and placing it beside him as he waited.
Five minutes passed before the training room door opened and an AI staff entered.
[What may I help you with, sir?] it asked in the same emotionless voice.
"Take me back to my unit," Mario replied calmly, remaining seated.
After receiving his response, the AI human immediately lifted him and placed him over its shoulder.
Mario did not resist. He didn't mind being carried like a sack of rice. Although he could swallow another set of pills to suppress the fatigue, using medicine for such a reason would be wasteful.
And besides—though embarrassing for most—it was free.
[What floor do you live on, sir?] the AI asked as it headed toward the elevator.
Mario gave the location of his unit.
At the elevator, they encountered several youths waiting outside. Most were breathing heavily, while a few stood calmly.
When they noticed Mario's condition, some watched him being carried like a sack, stifling their laughter behind twisted smiles.
But a few looked at him with quiet understanding in their eyes.
Mario did not react. He remained calm, resting against the AI staff's shoulder and even closed his eyes.
Ding—
The elevator doors opened, and they entered.
***
They reached his unit. Mario handed his card key to the AI human, which scanned it, opened the door, and carried him inside.
"…Put me carefully on the chair in the kitchen," Mario instructed, not bothering to lift his head.
The AI staff moved toward the kitchen and carefully placed him onto one of the chairs beside the table, its movements precise and controlled.
[Is there anything more I may assist you with, sir?] it asked, pausing as if assessing his condition.
"Yes. Deliver food—especially wilderness beast meat," Mario answered. He crossed his arms on the table and rested his forehead against them. "Also, please hurry."
Under normal circumstances, he would never order such an expensive meal. But now, it wasn't indulgence—it was necessity.
Unlike in the simulation, where he spent four months resting and eating well before starting physical training—allowing his body to recover properly—he had no such luxury here.
Or rather, he refused to remain idle. So he could only rely on the best alternatives available: recovery pills and wilderness beast meat.
[Understood, sir. I will return in ten minutes with your food.]
The AI human turned and exited.
Ten minutes later—
The door opened again. The same AI human entered, pushing a cart, its wheels rolling softly as it guided it toward him.
Without waiting for instruction, it arranged the food on the table and gently nudged Mario awake.
Mario stirred from his light nap. Without a word, he handed his golden card to the AI staff.
Then he began cutting the cooked wilderness beast meat, but as the blade moved, his hands trembled from the lingering fatigue.
Seeing this, the AI staff beside him asked,
[Sir, do you require assistance with eating?]
Mario glanced at it for a moment before shaking his head. "No need."
He continued cutting. When he finally separated a piece of meat, he placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly as he carefully savored the flavor.
Unlike the soft fish monster meat he had eaten on the ship, the wilderness beast meat remained tough despite being thoroughly cooked, forcing him to put effort into every bite.
Yet the meat was rich and juicy. Each chew felt like drinking water in the middle of a desert—quenching not only his hunger, but something deeper that had been drained dry.
Gulp.
He swallowed a piece of meat with rice after a long chew. As it slid down, warmth spread through his stomach, a slight heaviness settling within.
Half an hour later, the meal was finished.
Burp~
Mario released a quiet breath of satisfaction. A napkin was immediately offered by the AI human.
'How considerate…'
He wiped his mouth as the AI human cleaned the table, stacking the dirty dishes neatly onto the cart.
Unlike from the books, Mario had learned far more about AI humans during the second simulation. The books portrayed them as mere assistants—tools meant to handle trivial tasks while humans dealt with important matters.
But within the simulation, he learned the truth. AI humans were more than assistants. While managing daily affairs, some performed tasks humans could not—tasks demanding endurance, precision, or consistency beyond normal limits.
He lightly shook his head, dismissing the thought as the AI human spoke again.
[Is there anything more I can assist you with, sir?]
"It's fine. You can go now."
[Have a good day, sir.]
It bowed slightly and exited, pushing the cart along with it.
Mario remained seated for several minutes after it left. Then, slowly, he used the chair for support and stood.
His legs still trembled, but only faintly now. He could walk again—slowly and carefully. He went to the bedroom, retrieved some spare clothes, and made his way to the bathroom.
Warm water flowed over his body, easing the stiffness locked in his shoulders and back. The heat seeped into his muscles, slowly unraveling the tension built from hours of relentless training.
After a few minutes, he adjusted the temperature. Cold water struck his skin, sharp and immediate. The sudden chill tightened his breath, but it also cleared the lingering heat beneath his skin, settling the inflammation in his muscles.
He stood still beneath the stream, letting the contrast pull his body back toward balance.
After showering, Mario dried himself with a towel, slipped into his spare clothes, and returned to the bedroom.
He glanced at the wall clock—7:25 PM.
He picked up the book from the small table beside the bed and leaned back against the headboard.
'Three months should be enough to reach the physical limit of a trainee swordsman,' he thought, slowly turning the page—before his fingers halted. 'But impurities remain a problem.'
From the simulation, he had learned that while cleansing addressed impurities, the instructor had explained more. It was better to undergo cleansing before beginning sword training, since sword training could still strengthen the body slightly afterward.
However, even the first stage of cleansing—'Muscle and Vein Cleansing'—was already expensive.
'I'll think about that before enrollment.'
Mario shook his head lightly, setting the thought aside, and continued reading.