Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Hell's Fitness Test
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It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the Awakener Association provides every benefit imaginable for Awakeners—short of handing them the moon on a platter.
They even covered housing, for crying out loud.
Of course, that included top-notch training facilities where Awakeners could cut loose without a care.
Awakeners and training went hand in hand—you couldn't separate the two if you tried.
Training was just part of an Awakener's daily routine.
Whether honing their abilities or grinding basic physical conditioning, it was all essential.
Skip training, and your odds of dying or ending up crippled skyrocketed. What kind of deranged, safety-blind idiot would pass that up?
...Of course, I had zero intention of training myself.
Yoo Euisul handled all the heavy lifting anyway. No need for me to bust a sweat.
Whatever.
The real reason I was heading to the association today wasn't for training—it was for a fitness measurement.
No need to worry about wearing myself out.
Perfect timing, too. I'd been curious about my baseline stamina and strength levels.
Solving that Anomalous Phenomenon had driven it home.
This body's fundamentals far exceeded the average.
Think about it.
I'd dodged incoming blades for a solid ten minutes, scrambling like mad every which way.
After dealing with that golden piggy bank, a few deep breaths had my heart steady again.
A normal person would've keeled over from a burst heart long before.
Hell, people say three minutes of boxing sparring leaves you gassed.
And I wasn't dodging punches—I was evading swords.
Sure, my lack of finesse meant most blades shredded my clothes full of holes.
But I survived, so silver linings.
My stamina was definitely above average.
Strength? That was another story.
Before heading out, I checked myself in the mirror.
A sleek frame without a single strand of muscle.
Muscles? Yeah, right.
All I saw were two massive lumps of fat.
...No high hopes for strength, then.
The association was a five-minute walk away, so I arrived in no time.
"Uh... um...?"
Oh.
The receptionist lady again.
The one who'd witnessed me dive-headbutting that marble desk into oblivion, right up close and personal.
...She didn't live here 24/7, so why did we keep bumping into each other?
I gave her an awkward greeting.
"H-Hi there."
"..."
"Um... hello?"
"Ah, y-yes! Awakener Lee Jia, how can I assist you?"
Hmm.
Her reaction and expression screamed she was terrified of me.
I'm not a bad person, I swear.
I asked the receptionist where the indoor track was.
"G-Go down to Basement Level 32!"
"Ah, got it. Thanks."
"..."
"Um."
I debated saying anything.
Screw debating—just blurt it out.
"Sorry for the mess last time."
My apology caught her off guard. She stammered,
"N-No, it's fine! You were in an unavoidable situation, Jia."
"Huh?"
"Uh... the Price of Blasphemy, right?"
"..."
Right.
Spot on, but it stung a bit knowing I'd deliberately provoked it.
That aside,
How'd she know the term "Price of Blasphemy"?
...Did she watch my streams?
Female devotees of Reflecting Myriad Stars were rare as hen's teeth.
I'd seen netkama fans, but no actual women yet.
Whatever. I followed her directions to Basement 32.
And froze.
That receptionist.
She was still holding a grudge, wasn't she?
I'd specifically asked for the indoor track.
What greeted me was a puny conference room, maybe 20 pyeong at best.
At least Yoo Euisul was there, seated and waiting.
I approached and said,
"I'm here."
"House is close; you made good time."
She scanned me head to toe.
Then asked, deadpan,
"Is that all the clothes you own?"
"Most comfortable."
I'd bought some hoodies and casual stuff before moving, but oddly,
this white blouse and blue tennis skirt combo—the "Omnia Archive Archivist" uniform—felt like home.
Some kind of Archivist homing instinct?
Anyway.
"Wasn't this supposed to be fitness testing at the indoor track?"
"This is the indoor track."
"...Huh?"
"Press it."
Press what?
Yoo Euisul handed me a red button that screamed "do not touch."
A twinge of unease hit, but she wouldn't sabotage me, right?
I pressed it.
Whoosh!
The surroundings shifted like a game CG loading in.
Next thing I knew, Yoo Euisul and I stood smack in the middle of an indoor track.
"Wha-wha-what the...?"
They say shock so deep steals your scream. Spot on.
That red button must've been an item.
Yoo Euisul eyed my slack-jawed shock with pity.
She tossed me two pieces of clothing.
"Change. Fitness test starts now. Running first."
What she gave me? A standard women's pink sports bra.
Yep. Women's. Pink. Sports. Bra.
"Bought the largest size. Might fit, might not—great stretch, though."
"...Pass."
"Why?"
"It's pink... and way too girly."
"You spout the most inventive bullshit sometimes. It's pink 'cause your melons are, and it's women's wear 'cause it's for women. Says the skirt-wearing chick?"
"Whatever, not wearing it!"
"Suit yourself. Get ready to run."
"Uh."
"What."
"...So I don't have to?"
"Told you—I won't force exercise on you. Wear it or not, your call. Ready."
She accepted my refusal way too easily.
Left a weird aftertaste, but fine—hated that bra anyway.
I prepped to run.
"Go."
At her signal, I jogged the track at a moderate pace.
400 meters per lap.
Slow pace took over a minute.
Around 200 meters in.
"Ugh, urgh, eek, uuu..."
Embarrassing noises leaked from my mouth nonstop.
Not tired yet.
But...
...It hurt.
Hurt. And felt weird.
I crossed my arms over my chest, cradling those damn fat lumps, and powered through the last 200.
Lap done, I gasped at Yoo Euisul,
"I-I'll wear it!"
"You're too dumb for words. How do you not know your own body's quirks?"
I'd been arrogant.
Not about skipping the bra out of hate.
It was a must-have for any workout.
"Where do I change?"
"Right here."
"...Huh?"
"Change here."
"...I'm not an exhibitionist."
"Just you and me. What's the issue?"
"Th-Then turn around!"
"Gonna keep bitching?"
"...Sorry."
Off it came.
Orders were orders.
I stripped and started donning the sports bra...
"What're you doing."
...only to get stopped.
"What now."
"Strip fully."
"I did."
"Bra too."
"..."
Oh, right.
Bra under sports bra? Bulky disaster.
Duh, ditch the bra first.
"Every time, it's mind-boggling. What'd you eat as a kid to grow those monstrosities?"
"Th-The blessing of Reflecting Myriad Stars!"
Truth? More curse than blessing.
But no headbutts today.
"Huff, huff, huff, huff...!"
How many laps?
No clue. Ten at least.
Ten laps on a 400-meter track. Nonstop, no walking—just pure running.
Breath heavy now, but not tapped out.
Sports bra for the win.
A tad snug, but performance solid.
Hair flopping annoyed me too, so I tied it up.
Mid-lap, I called to Yoo Euisul,
"H-How long do I run?"
"Til the end."
"Th-There's no end!"
"Til you collapse from exhaustion. Anything less defeats the purpose. Half-ass it, and we restart."
That demonic bitch.
Thought it was a simple checkup—no tension. If I'd known it'd be torture, I'd have faked sleep.
One more lap.
Two.
Three more, and my lungs burned to the limit.
"N-Now... heave, heave, haah, haah... r-real limit...!"
"Still talking? Three more laps easy. Keep going—or restart."
"You crazy bitch!"
"Mouthing off? Plenty of gas left. Stamina's exceeding expectations."
Yoo Euisul grinned at me.
No illusion.
A genuine, pleased smile.
Rarer than winning the lottery.
And she flashed it at me, sweating bullets in agony.
Confirmed.
Yoo Euisul was a sadist who got off on others' suffering.
"Jiya-aaaagh...!"
In the end,
I gritted through three more laps.
Til collapse, just as she said.
As I gulped air, she nodded approvingly.
"Stamina: pass. Upper-mid tier among Awakeners. Won't lag behind and die on Anomalous Phenomenon runs."
"Heave, heave... i-is that really it...?"
"What? We're just starting."
Then, in a voice utterly devoid of emotion,
Yoo Euisul said,
"Time for weights."