Chapter 83: The Ice‑Shatterer Warhammer

All afternoon, Lei En was in the training ground, sparing no effort, repeatedly charging.

Hoo!

Amid a sharp whooshing sound, Lei En's figure appeared.

He was drenched in sweat, his clothes reduced to a few hanging strips, his whole body aching, his stomach churning with nausea, forcing him to halt the charge, hands braced on his knees, gasping heavily.

Charging drains a lot of stamina; each burst of power is a heavy burden on the body.

Therefore, aside from Iron Guard and Berserker, few supernaturals can master the charge.

Even though Lei En has a steel body and his stamina far surpasses the Iron Guard and Berserker, after two or three hundred consecutive charges he still begins to falter.

Through repeated practice, his body adapted to the high‑speed sprint, and with the aid of a gyroscope, he gradually adjusted his posture, lowered his center of gravity, reduced air resistance, allowing the charge to become a bit faster.

Lei En estimated that his speed increased by about one tenth.

Each charge covers roughly twelve meters; with the most optimal running stance, body leaning forward, leveraging the rebound force of his feet on landing, the charge can extend another two to three meters, unleashing greater power.

Do not underestimate those two or three meters; in a critical moment they are the distance between life and death.

Moreover, Lei En tried to change direction during the charge, but the speed makes it extremely difficult; forcing a turn disrupts the running rhythm and instead causes a fall.

Falling while charging at high speed can be deadly.

Even with a phone gyroscope assisting fine control of his whole body, Lei En still slipped five or six times.

Given his impact force, each fall sounded like a car crash, echoing through the training ground, drawing the curiosity of the manor's servants, who guessed what Mr. Lei En was doing inside.

Fortunately, Lei En's body is sturdy; he only bruised his skin and tore his clothes to rags.

If it were someone else, a single fall could cause serious injury, and two or three could be fatal.

Falling a few times wasn't entirely fruitless; Lei En compiled experience, gradually discovering some tips, barely managing to slightly alter direction during a charge.

His charge is no longer a straight line; it can now trace a curved path.

Although the curve's angle is still small, only enough to bypass an obstacle half a human's size, it is already a great improvement.

Practice makes perfect; Lei En is confident that after another ten days to half a month of training, he should fully master the charge technique.

In the future, not only must he be able to change the charge's direction, but also control its distance at will.

Charge when you want to charge, stop when you want to stop!

When the charge's level is later upgraded, this seemingly ordinary skill will surely unleash astonishing effects, compensating for his speed weakness.

"Let's stop here for today; we'll train again tomorrow."

Lei En rested briefly, and his stamina recovered a bit.

Just as he was about to leave, a tall figure entered the training ground—Viola had arrived.

"It's already dark, Lei En, aren't you finished? Dinner is almost ready; I'm waiting for you to eat together," Viola said, dressed in casual home clothes, her hair simply tied into a ponytail that fell slantwise over her shoulder, bright and charming.

Lei En stood up and laughed, "I was just about to go back."

He walked toward the corner and casually picked up a refined iron war hammer.

He had originally planned to test his strength with the war hammer this afternoon, but he was busy practicing spells and charging, so the hammer became a mere ornament.

In fact, even without testing, he knew the hammer was now too light for him; holding it felt like carrying a wooden stick, clearly insufficient weight to unleash his full power.

Lei En swung the war hammer a few times, producing several harsh screeching sounds.

Sure enough, it's too light.

"I still have over two thousand Gold Shields; I'll find a time to buy a suitable war hammer," he thought.

Viola's keen eyes caught the scene, her expression shifting slightly, and she asked uncertainly, "Lei En, did you upgrade by merging a new magic soul?"

"Yes, just today," Lei En said without trying to hide it; it was obvious.

"So fast!"

Viola found it hard to believe.

She might be the person who knows Lei En's power changes best; she had witnessed him undergo the Soul Transformation ceremony less than two months ago, when he was a Level One Combat Wizard, and now Lei En says he has upgraded!

In just two months, he went from an ordinary person to a Level Two Wizard.

Such a startling cultivation speed would be hard for anyone to believe if spoken.

Viola knew Lei En's Soul Transformation was perfect; he meditates and trains without cease, works extremely hard, and his power growth surely far exceeds others, yet this efficiency still startled her.

"A genius with a perfect Soul Transformation, is cultivation really this fast?" Viola asked, a bit absent‑minded.

All this time, she has regarded Lei En differently, never treating him as an ordinary low‑level supernatural.

In the battle at Dong Ting Hu, Lei En displayed tremendous combat power, far surpassing peers of the same tier, daring to confront a sixth‑level Elemental Mage head‑on; Viola was only slightly surprised, not overly so.

Deep down, she also harbored her own pride.

As a Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard who reached sixth level before turning thirty, Viola was extremely confident; searching throughout Longshande and even the entire Empire, she could find few geniuses comparable to herself.

However, Lei En's rise to Level Two Wizard in such a short span shook her confidence.

At this rate, Lei En could become a Mid-stage Wizard in two or three years, catching up from behind.

Viola suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

If Lei En were also a sixth‑level Wizard, she would have no certainty of surpassing him; his strength would inevitably outpace hers, leaving only noble birth and wealth as her advantages before Lei En.

But for Lei En, noble status and wealth are within easy reach.

For a moment, Viola felt a hint of panic.

She lightly bit her lip, stared intently at Lei En, her eyes filled with a complex expression, remaining silent for a long while.

Lei En himself was stunned, not expecting to cause such a psychological shock to Viola.

He opened his Soul Eye, saw Viola's soul color constantly shifting, instantly guessed her thoughts, and couldn't help a dumbfounded laugh—are women in love always this sentimental?

Or perhaps Viola, having lost her parents young, finally has someone truly close, making her a bit insecure?

Lei En quickly tossed aside the war hammer, stepped forward and comforted, "Don't overthink it; no matter where I go in the future, I will never leave you."

Viola's gaze flickered as she pressed close to Lei En's chest, unbothered by his foul sweat, whispering, "You must remember the words you said today."

"Hmm, I'll remember." Lei En, smelling her hair fragrance, responded earnestly.

The two continued to linger a moment, until the female overseer Abigel came herself to remind them that dinner was ready; then they exchanged a smile and left the training ground.

In the following half month, Lei En, apart from a night shift at the Security Bureau and a single mission with his squad against a fallen one, hardly left his home.

He spent the whole day in the training ground, tirelessly practicing Rainbow Light Beam and Charge.

Until one day, Viola suddenly returned home early, walked into the training ground, called out to Lei En who was charging, and laughed, "Lei En, look at this!"

As she spoke, a war hammer materialized in her hand.

The hammer was extremely heavy; even with Viola's strength, holding it was a strain, and as soon as she lifted it, it began to fall toward the ground on its own.

Lei En's eyes were sharp and his hands quick, and he caught the hammer.

"Viola, where did you get this hammer?" Lei En asked in surprise.

He kept asking while feeling the weapon in his hand.

This hammer was slightly larger than his steel hammer, but its weight was nearly double, at least two hundred twenty pounds.

The head was cylindrical, smooth and blue‑white, like a solid oversized glass goblet; the edges of both circular faces were rounded and rimmed with gold, and each of the two round striking surfaces bore a white rune at its center, exuding a cold aura.

A metal shaft passed through the head, securing it firmly; the egg‑sized handle bore concentric golden spirals, with hidden rune engravings inside that prevented slipping and could activate the enchantment on the head.

Clearly, it was an enchanted war hammer.

Viola said with a smiling tone, "How about this enchanted hammer, do you like it?"

"Not bad, it's heavy enough, perfect for my current use." Lei En felt the hammer fit his hand immediately.

Though it was still a bit light, not reaching the ideal weight, it was far superior to his steel hammer, and its value was worlds apart.

His appraisal skill was limited, yet he knew the weapon was far from ordinary.

Lei En didn't want to take Viola's item for free, and asked again, "What's the background of this hammer? It can't be an ordinary enchanted weapon—how did you get it?"

"It's called the Icebreaker; I commissioned a senior mechanic to forge it for you as a gift." Viola, realizing that without clarification Lei En might refuse it, added, "The Icebreaker is an enchanted weapon—its quality isn't top‑tier, but among enchanted weapons it's high‑grade, still far from a masterpiece."

Lei En felt moved and guessed that Viola had begun preparing it about half a month earlier.

"How much did it cost to make?"

He asked curiously, thinking it was fortunate the weapon wasn't a masterpiece; otherwise its value would be too high—no amount less than ten thousand gold would suffice.

Such an expensive gift, he would not accept.

"Actually, not much."

Viola replied with a smile, "I bought the materials myself from Violet House at the lowest prices: a premium ice crystal stone for the head, two hundred pounds of refined pure gold, some enchantment components, and I paid the senior mechanic three hundred gold for labor. All together, the hammer cost less than one thousand five hundred gold."

Lei En nodded.

This price was a bit cheaper than he had expected.

However, he had already opened his Soul Eye and saw that Viola was lying; the Icebreaker's cost surely exceeded one thousand five hundred gold!

Lei En let out a quiet sigh, without exposing her well‑meaning lie.

"Thank you for the gift, I really like it." He gladly accepted the hammer.

"As long as you like it, try it out right away." Viola was also delighted and explained in detail, "I named it Icebreaker; its enchantment is Frost Breath. Grasping the handle awakens both physical and soul energy, granting you a layer of Ice Armor Technique, and when it strikes a target it releases Frost Power, freezing nearby enemies."

"Alright, I'll give it a try." Lei En lifted the hammer and walked toward the center of the training ground.

After a moment, Lei En stopped, satisfied.

It was his first enchanted weapon; though not top‑tier, it represented Viola's heartfelt intention, and after a few tries he found it hard to put down.

He looked at Viola at the edge of the field, felt a stir, and said, "You gave me such a fine gift; give me some time and I'll prepare something for you too, but it won't be an enchanted item."

"Sure, anything you give me I'll like." Viola's eyes were full of anticipation.

Lei En gave a mysterious smile, "You'll definitely like it."

(End of chapter)