As Ex-Machina In No Game No Life: Zero Chapter 42 42: Six Months Later!

After recording the grimoire's contents, I tossed it into a small portal that opened and closed at my side.

"Teacher, next ti I'll do be—"

"Warning: Overtraining yields no strategic benefits."

"Addendum: You are still a juvenile. Haste is an inefficient path to strength."

I knew what he was thinking, and I cut him off before he could make any foolish promises. There was no encouragent, no criticism. Just a cold, logical statent of fact.

I walked past him, leaving him standing there, staring at the ground.

A few seconds later, he quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, clutched his holy book, and ran to catch up.

I detected him following and let out an internal sigh. This had all been a test, a trial. I never expected him to succeed; the probability of him clearing the labyrinth was infinitesimal. My objective was to temper his eagerness, to show him the reality of his own weakness.

But it seed to have had the opposite effect. The boy's desire to grow stronger was too desperate, too impatient.

Motivation born from hatred and revenge is a double-edged sword.

….

Six Months Later:-

"Hah... hah..."

Takson gasped for breath, his small body drenched in sweat. He was in the middle of his daily physical training, a brutal regin designed by his teacher.

I had based it on the most advanced human athletic programs from my previous world's databases, optimized for his developing body.

I stood nearby, arms crossed, watching his form with a critical eye. My voice was a monotone, an emotionless counter.

"...999... 1000."

"Stop."

"Aaaah—"

Takson collapsed onto the ground, every muscle in his body screaming. He lay there, panting, completely spent.

But the results were undeniable. After half a year of this relentless training, his body had changed. He was lean, with the beginnings of defined muscle.

He was stronger, faster, and more resilient than he had ever been. He could, without a doubt, beat his past self into a pulp.

Observing him, I found myself processing so unexpected data. Was this world's version of humanity simply built differently?

He had endured a level of training that should have been impossible for a child his age, yet it hadn't stunted his growth at all.

In fact, his rate of progress far exceeded any human records I had from my previous life.

Is he... a genius?

A stray thought surfaced about the potential risks of intensive muscle training on a child's height. I glanced at the boy, who now ca up to my chin. I deleted the thought. This was the path he had chosen.

And now, it was ti for the next phase of his training.

….

A few minutes later, I led Takson to a wide, flat clearing.

He looked around, curious. What are we doing here? Is this a new exercise?

He was used to my thods by now. Spontaneous additions to his training schedule were common. She says 'overtraining is inefficient,' but then she adds more reps, he grumbled internally. But he never complained. Every drop of sweat was a step closer to his goal.

He waited patiently for to begin.

Two black conduits, my "tails," extended from beneath my cloak, their tips touching the ground.

"Endo Armant: Activate"

"True Endo: Virtual Combat Arena"

An invisible wave of energy, undetectable to Takson, washed over the clearing, forming a transparent, do-like barrier around us.

With the preparations complete, a golden portal shimred into existence before . Takson recognized it. It was the "teleportation magic" he so admired, the one his teacher had told him was not magic at all, but an innate ability of her kind that he could never learn.

"Complete," I said.

Complete? Takson thought. What did she do?

"Takson."

"Ah! Yes, Teacher!" He snapped to attention.

"Announcent: You. Go inside."

He trusted his teacher implicitly, but curiosity got the better of him. "Can I... ask what I'll be doing?"

"Answer: Combat."

"...I understand."

He tightened his grip on his axe and holy book. "Combat" had been part of his training for two months now.

My teacher would capture magical beasts for him to fight, or send him into labyrinths alone. She would only observe, intervening only when he was on the brink of death. At first, it had been terrifying.

Now, he could handle most common beasts on his own.

Without another word, he stepped into the portal.

He erged into the sa clearing. Nothing had changed.

Except for the massive, armored demon standing in the center.

….

I watched Takson's back disappear into the portal, my full attention on the shimring do I had just created.

This "Virtual Combat Arena" was a new armant of my own design, created using the fundantal principles of Ain Soph Aur. It could generate a perfect, solid-light simulation of any enemy I had recorded. All the thrill of real combat, with zero risk of actual death. It was the perfect training tool for the boy.

My initial calculations had indicated the armant was stable, but only live data from its first use would provide absolute certainty. After a quick scan, I was satisfied. The paraters were nominal.

Now, all there was to do was wait.

….

Clink~ Clank~

The demon's great axe sent Takson's small weapon flying from his hands.

Damn it!

He was no match for the creature in a contest of pure physical strength. Where did Teacher find this thing? he wondered. Just a few exchanges, and he had been disard.

I can't fight it head-on! That was the conclusion he had reached after the first few painful blows. As if to prove his point, a massive fist from the demon, who had introduced itself as "Zera," sent him sprawling to the ground.

He looked up to see the great axe arcing down towards him. But he did not give up. He was a warrior, yes. But he was also a cleric of the Goddess.

"Binding Spell!"

Chains of golden light erupted from the ground, wrapping around the demon's arms and axe, holding it in place for a precious half-second. It was just enough ti for him to scramble out of the way.

CRASH!

The axe slamd into the ground where he had been, shattering the earth.

He scrambled back to his feet and retrieved his weapon. The shadow of the axe fell over him again.

"To turn your back on an opponent," Zera mocked. "You die!"

….

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