Iya Continent: Card God

"A melee mage?" Linta felt a surge of curiosity upon hearing the boy's description.

However, what does this have to do with the spiritual cultivation I'm looking for?

The old man, Mr. Donkey, said in a weathered voice, "Master Gu's cultivation is different from other magicians. And his cultivation mentions what you call spiritual will. This is his magical insight he left behind. Take a look and see if it's useful."

"This book isn't valuable; almost nobody takes it seriously," the old donkey added, slowly walking back towards the counter.

Linta looked at the book "The Unusual Magic of the Mage Guru" in his hand with a somber expression.

The boy said with a hint of disdain, "Just take a casual look at this book, don't take it seriously."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Linta rental building.

Located in a remote area, it is sparsely populated by ordinary people and remains undisturbed year-round.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the turning of pages.

Linta was completely absorbed, intently studying the magical doctrines left behind by the mage Gul.

I have some understanding of the cultivation of magic and magical practice in this world. So-called magicians are a group of people who can summon wind and rain and perform all kinds of strange spells with a wave of their hand.

They are generally glass cannons, powerful in magic but with ordinary physical bodies, and can be defeated with a single blow.

But this Mage Gul is an exception!

He possesses a physique comparable to that of an iron warrior, able to withstand the blow of a giant without falling. Wielding a magic wand as his weapon, he uses magic to entwine enemies at close range.

His path of magical training is of no value to the vast majority of magicians. The very first step is to train the body and strengthen the physical form.

"Isn't this the training path for warriors?" Linta couldn't help but complain.

Strange as it may be, Linta inexplicably felt a certain degree of approval.

In his book, Guru Rinpoche mentions concepts related to mental power, such as will and intention.

The paths to cultivating magical power may differ, but they all lead to the same ultimate goal: the Great Way.

Ascend to the peak and become a god!

"Snapped!"

Linta closed the book, his eyes trembling, a flash of lightning in them.

My heart was churning and surging, like a vast ocean caught in a storm.

"call……"

"I understand."

Linta let out a soft breath and muttered to himself.

Guru said in the book that he completely understood!

The cultivation of spiritual power involves three stages: "forging the body, tempering the soul, and reshaping the spirit."

Each stage can bring a significant boost to one's mental strength.

Once you've completed the three stages, you can move on to the final step.

"What kind of magician is Master Gul?" Linta wondered to himself.

This mage was not the strange magician people imagined. He was far beyond everyone's imagination.

"The question is, how should I improve my physical fitness?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The blacksmith shop rented by the dwarves, the Gingon.

The blazing furnace burns continuously for 24 hours, melting strange metals within, with waves of heat emanating from it.

The hammer, having been roughly shaped, is placed in a corner, awaiting the next step of forging.

Jingong sat in a corner of the rest area, listening to his friend Linta's sincere questions.

"This time, you've come to the right person. When it comes to physical training, we dwarves have a lot to say!"

Linta smiled faintly, and believed it to be true.

Kim Gong's entire body was covered in bulging, rock-like muscles, not an ounce of fat. A single punch from him seemed capable of breaking a person's bones.

"We dwarves have to train our bodies from a young age. Every day of training is for us to become qualified dwarves in the future!"

“I can’t be a child anymore,” Linta said with a wry smile.

Kim Gong-hyung confidently laughed and said, "It's okay, it's never too late to start exercising! Haha!"

Linta thought to himself, "Is it never too late? Even when I'm old and need a cane, is it never too late?"

“You’re more hopeless than that hopeless Stone. That green-skinned, skinny guy, I’m afraid he’ll break. Yours is better, I promise, I’ll give you a new lease on life before I leave!” Jin Gong said confidently.

Linta's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately felt a pang of regret.

Should I try to find another way?

……

The next day, Linta began training with some regret.

According to the cultivation method I learned from the book of Guru Rinpoche, the first thing to do is to strengthen the body.

As for physical training, Jingon, being a dwarf, devised a plan for Linta.

Every day before dawn, when the fog blankets the mountains, we have to get up and run around the city.

Run around the city, the entire city of Sandel. Start with three laps, and gradually increase the number over time.

Linta was filled with despair. Sandel was the main city of the entire county. The Vasquez family had managed the city with almost the entire county's resources, and the city had nearly doubled in size since the family's existence. An ordinary adult male couldn't even run one lap before collapsing from exhaustion.

Linta had no choice but to run.

It was my first run, and I finished it with great difficulty. I was thankful for my previous travels and the fact that I'm a low-level Bronze-rank mage. But afterwards, I felt completely exhausted.

Jin Gong didn't care; as long as he didn't die, that was all that mattered. After catching his breath, he began a new round of training.

Simply moving materials around in the blacksmith's shop, from left to right and from right to left.

Linta doesn't remember how long it took to move, only that she collapsed from exhaustion, and when she woke up, it was already dusk.

After dinner, it will start again.

This time, it was no longer a tedious and grueling workout.

"What are we doing now? Stop doing the same things over and over again, I feel like I'm going to fall apart." In less than a day, Linta was completely dejected and said, half-dead.

I simply couldn't believe he'd been trained like that since childhood. There was definitely training, but it certainly wasn't all day long!

I know you're leaving, but there's no need to rush. Just give me a schedule, and I'll follow it.

"Defeat me! Without magic or divine power, defeat me with your bare hands!" Kim Gong said, his fighting spirit blazing.

"Huh?" Linta was stunned and didn't react.

"Me? Defeat you?"

Linta's throat tightened; he truly felt the impossibility.

Defeating GimGoon with only his physical body is impossible. Calling himself frail and weak is an understatement.

Moreover, at this moment, for the first time, GimGoon felt so powerful.

"If you don't take the initiative, I'll have to, hehe," Jin Gong said with a grin.

"No! I'll take the initiative, I'll take the initiative," Lin Ta said quickly, gesturing with his hand.

"call……"

Linta took a deep breath and slowly moved his feet, circling around Jingon.

A pair of dark eyes stared intently, searching for an opportunity.

Opportunity? What opportunity is there? Right now, he's as solid as a rock.

Jingong laughed and said, "I know what you're thinking, Brother Linta. I advise you not to overthink it. I'm not going to kill you. This is for your cultivation and growth, so let's just be straightforward."

Lin Ta suddenly realized, "That's right, this is cultivation."

"I'm here! Haa!"

Linta shouted and leaped forward.

"boom!"

With a swift and decisive punch, Linta was knocked to the ground and unable to get up.