Refusing My God’s Advances

The feeling of moving fast woke me up, and before I even opened my eyes, I realized that Shelli wasn't beside me anymore. Moreover, I was lying on the grass now.

"You can stop pretending you are asleep," Mary growled and opened my eyes to look up and see the fox spirit glaring down at me.

"Where is Shelli?" I asked, rubbing my head. I still was feeling pretty drained from going to Hamazon.

Wait!

"Mary, can you give me a few minutes?" I asked as I pulled myself on the ground, but Mary's glare only deepened.

"If you wanted time to do things in the morning, you should have woken earlier. I told you that I would be training you every morning, or would you prefer not to ever be able to spend time with Aria?" Mary demanded, and I held back my growth.

I guess I would just have to wait a bit before I could get my next project going. To me, leaving a printer idle was the worst thing a person could do in my line of work, but I should have thought about that before going to the Interdimensional Hamazon Shopping Reality.

"Fine," I complained, but then looked around. "Where is Daryle? Aren't I supposed to be training with him today?"

Mary shook her head. "While I can't spar with you yet, basic fighting will not help you improve at the rate you need. So, I have devised a training regimen for you to complete each morning. This way you don't need me around, but I will watch to make sure you keep up."

"A training plan? What exactly does that entail?" I asked, and Mary nodded.

"First, we'll start with physical exercises to improve your strength, agility, and stamina. You'll then move on to magical exercises to enhance your mana control and magical abilities. Finally, we'll incorporate combat drills to improve your overall combat skills. I'll be guiding you through each step and monitoring your progress."

Mary handed me a rolled-up piece of parchment with detailed instructions for the morning training routine. It seemed quite comprehensive, covering various aspects of physical and magical conditioning. I unrolled the parchment and began reading through the exercises feeling the blood drain from my face.

"Let's begin with some warm-up exercises," Mary instructed.

I followed Mary's lead as she demonstrated the warm-up routine, including stretches and light cardio exercises. Despite the initial fatigue, the physical activity helped wake me up and get my blood flowing.

"Good, now onto strength training," Mary announced, leading me through a series of bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges. The only difference was that Mary placed some kind of gravity spell on me, making everything ten times as hard. As I progressed through the routine, Mary offered guidance on proper form and technique.

"Keep your back straight, engage your core," Mary instructed as I struggled through the push-ups.

After the strength training, Mary transitioned into agility exercises. She set up a makeshift obstacle course in the clearing, and I had to navigate through it with precision and speed. 

Again, what should have been a normal obstacle course became a literal fight for my life. Each obstacle seemed to be enchanted with some kind of offensive magic, and even if I avoided the obstacle, the magic usually got me. Any time this happened, Mary would heal me right away, but I would have to start over. 

When I finally finished the course, I flopped onto the ground. My body was covered in sweat, but my mind was more of a mess from getting hit with all that magic and then healed right after.

"Now, onto magical exercises," Mary declared, standing over me, and not seeming to care that I was completely out of breath.

I struggled to catch my breath as Mary started explaining the magical exercises. She demonstrated various spells and techniques, emphasizing the importance of precise mana control and concentration.

"Focus on channeling your magical energy efficiently. Feel the flow of mana within you and direct it with intention," Mary instructed.

I attempted to replicate the spells she demonstrated, but my control was far from perfect. Mary corrected my form and provided guidance, pushing me to refine my magical abilities. The magical exercises continued for what felt like an eternity, with Mary introducing increasingly complex spells.

Finally, we moved on to combat drills. Mary summoned illusionary opponents, and I had to engage in simulated combat, practicing the techniques and spells I had learned during the training. The opponents were relentless, and Mary increased their difficulty based on my performance.

"Stay on your toes, Leon! React faster and anticipate their moves," Mary shouted, her fox ears twitching with intensity.

As I fought against the illusionary foes, I realized the importance of combining physical and magical abilities in combat. Mary's training regimen was designed to make me a well-rounded and versatile fighter. It was challenging, but I could sense the improvements in my skills with each passing moment.

The training session concluded with a cool down and stretching routine. I collapsed onto the grass, utterly exhausted but with a newfound sense of accomplishment.

"Good job for today. We'll continue this routine every morning to ensure steady progress," Mary said, her tone showing a hint of approval.

I nodded, still catching my breath. "Thanks, Mary. This is intense, but I appreciate the training."

"It's necessary if you want to protect yourself and others. Now, get some rest. We have a busy day ahead," Mary said, disappearing into the forest.

I lay there for a moment, staring at the sky, and couldn't help but think that this world was turning out to be more challenging than I initially anticipated. As I closed my eyes, the image of the Scarlet Siren golem from Waifuland flashed in my mind, providing a distraction from exhaustion.

"Leon? How are you feeling?" Aria asked from above me.

I opened my eyes to see that not only Aria, but Shelli, and Lyra as well.

"Ran over, beat up, and exhausted, but I survived!" I laughed, still unable to get up.

"Mary is very intense with her training," Aria agreed but then looked at Shelli. "We were all wondering if you would like to go check out Emberfall today?"