Training (1)
Training (1)
How many people in this world have never run in their lives?
Unless someone was born with a leg condition, practically everyone with an 'average' body has tried running on their own two feet at least once.
I'd run before, of course.
And I was running right now.
"Huff, haah..."
I couldn't see the sun because my eyes were closed. But I knew the sunlight was beating down on the ground.
I couldn't see the clouds floating in the sky, but I knew they were there from the cloud-shaped shadows etched onto the ground.
I sprinted along a vast track that defied comparison to ordinary school fields.
I'd heard that a normal school field is only about 200 to 300 meters per lap...
This one seemed to be measured in kilometers.
It felt less like running around a field and more like running a marathon.
"Hek, heh-hek... hek, heuk..."
I moved my legs. I balanced on one foot and shifted the other forward.
It was an incredibly simple process, yet it drained my stamina completely.
'How many laps have I done?'
As I ran, dragging my leaden legs, Professor Atra, who stood with her arms crossed, spoke.
"Six laps."
Even through the mental fog of exhaustion, those words reached me clearly.
Professor Atra had been leaning against a tree on the outskirts of the field, watching me as I ran.
I didn't bother thinking 'Why is she resting while I'm suffering like a dog?'
To a skilled combat instructor at Siyoram, this mere running would be utterly meaningless.
To her, this much running must be a piece of cake.
So I just kept running.
As I sprinted across the dirt ground, feeling like I could keel over at any moment, I let out a wry laugh.
It was because I remembered looking around the training facilities earlier. Back then, I wondered how these facilities were used, but now it seemed like a useless thought.
'Six laps...'
Six laps, she says. It's a huge achievement.
I roughly estimated the size of the field and thought I might collapse around the third lap, but I had doubled that and was still conscious.
Moreover, I still had a tiny bit of strength left. I controlled my heavy breathing and gritted my teeth.
"Seven laps."
The sensation in my legs faded. For the first time, I was glad I couldn't see. If I'd been using my eyes, my vision would have blurred and I'd have collapsed.
"Eight laps... stop."
"Kheuk."
The moment I heard the syllable 'sto-', the strength left my legs. My body rolled across the ground as my lower body collapsed like a deflated balloon.
"Hah... Hah... Huk..."
I flopped over, panting. It felt like my heart was pounding right next to my ear. As I lay there gasping, Professor Atra, who had been leaning against the tree, approached.
"Eight laps. Your physical abilities are thoroughly subpar."
After giving her cold assessment, Professor Atra rummaged through her pocket.
"Given your recent awakening, I'll let it slide, but you won't be able to hide behind that excuse in the future."
What came out of her pocket was a bottle of water. The water bottle, beaded with condensation as if enchanted, was placed beside my head.
"Setting aside the application of your unique ability, mana manipulation, and simple skills, I will first target improving your physical ability."
My consciousness was flickering, but my ears perked up at the mention of my future training direction.
I tapped my smartwatch with trembling fingers.
[Boㅤdy? Th-is??]
"...Just listen if it's hard."
My fingers were too exhausted to press correctly. Professor Atra glanced at the hologram and shook her head, telling me to just listen.
"Another professor will teach you magic later, so I won't concern myself with that. My domain is combat. I will teach you close combat based on physical ability. To do that..."
Poke—
Professor Atra bent down, pressed my forehead firmly with her index finger, and continued.
"Naturally, your physical capabilities must support it. In other words, before you develop fighting techniques, you must build a body capable of fighting. Do you understand?"
[Y-e]
"...Right."
Professor Atra straightened up and checked the time.
"Running eight laps took quite a while. That's enough for today. We'll start for real tomorrow, so steel yourself and come."
After saying that, Professor Atra turned around without hesitation. Even after she disappeared beyond my spatial perception range, I dazedly caught my breath for a long while.
It felt like I'd been lying here for nearly ten minutes, yet I was still out of breath. I reached out with my trembling hand and grabbed the water bottle.
"Bweh..."
While still lying down, I poured half of it down my throat. Though tasteless, it brought a refreshing sensation that cleared my throat.
I shook the remaining half onto my head. My drenched, heated body cooled down slightly.
'So hard...'
I needed strength to break my limitations. I had made my resolution, and I had anticipated the suffering that would come with it.
But when the pain actually hit, I couldn't help struggling.
'It ended early.'
Looking at the time on my smartwatch, only a little over two hours had passed.
Or had it taken as long as two hours? Two hours to run eight laps around the field? That's almost 20 minutes per lap?
My speed had dropped drastically after the first lap... but it still took an incredibly long time.
Shocked by the elapsed time, I lifted my upper body.
'Ugh...'
I nearly groaned. The moment I raised my upper body, my whole body was so stiff I thought it might break.
I carefully supported my torso with my arms and planted my feet on the ground.
After some grunting and groaning, I managed to stand up. My condition improved after resting for a bit. Earlier, it felt like my legs would break, but now they were just trembling.
I considered going to the dormitory, but inwardly shook my head.
My body was sore and tired, that was true. The desire to collapse into my bed right away welled up within me, but it was also true that I had some leeway.
To be precise, my body had reached its limit, but my mind was still quite clear.
I dragged my trembling legs and headed toward the library.
Since I had just pushed my body to the ground, I thought I'd use my head and read some magic books this time.
It was still too early for the sun to set.
.
.
.
I was worried I'd be so sore that my body would fall apart the next day, but surprisingly, I wasn't in that much pain. My whole body ached, but it was bearable.
The next day unfolded similarly to the previous one.
General lectures focused on theory in the morning. Grade-specific major lectures in the afternoon.
Early in the morning, I stamped my attendance in the Ipchun Room and received candy from Hong Yeon-hwa again.
After Professor Liana's morning announcements, I listened to the morning lecture.
I had lunch with Hong Yeon-hwa again. The problem was that I couldn't bring up the topic of my tongue again this time. It was a difficult topic to broach.
After that, we parted ways for our major lectures.
During my major session, I had a one-on-one lesson with Professor Atra.
The lesson was similar to the first day: running.
"Today, we aim for ten laps."
"......"
The bar had been raised since yesterday. And I hadn't even shaken off the aftermath of yesterday's run yet.
Could she not see my still-shaking legs? I sent her a silent look, asking her to reconsider.
"Alright, start."
Unfortunately, since my eyes were closed, my earnest gaze didn't seem to reach her.
I sighed inwardly and kicked off the ground, nearly falling over instantly. I steadied myself and ran along the track again.
One lap, two laps, three laps...
'Huh?'
While I was running in a daze, I felt a strange sensation after passing three laps.
It was hard. My legs hurt. My breathing was ragged, and my heart pounded as if it would burst.
But it was better than yesterday.
The pain I felt during the second lap yesterday was now hitting me during the third lap.
"Ten laps... stop."
Finally, ten laps. The moment I heard the word 'stop,' I flopped to the ground.
Thump, thump.
Footsteps approached my head. Professor Atra looked down at me.
"Did you realize?"
"Huff... huff..."
It was an unexpected question, but I nodded. I was puzzled, but I'd just grasped a clue.
"With the Blessing of Growth, cadets can grow at a speed on a completely different level than before."
The Blessing of Growth was one of the main reasons all sorts of superhumans desperately wanted to enter Siyoram. Its effect amplified growth in every positive aspect to an absurd degree, and the multiplier alone was tremendously high.
"Your growth multiplier is probably set higher than other cadets."
Special Admission Cadet. I remember that even in the original story, the protagonist had a higher multiplier than the other main characters.
"Thanks to that, your body has grown enough to feel a significant difference in just one night. Do you understand so far?"
Nod.
In short, I had superior conditions compared to others.
"Well, it's partly because your physical level is currently at rock bottom, but you can't deny the blessing's effectiveness."
Professor Atra placed a water bottle beside my head.
I emptied the water bottle and took a short rest lying down.
"In other words, even with simple running, your physical ability can experience explosive growth. So run with all your might. Do you understand?"
Nod.
"Good. Then get up now."
It seemed her warning to be prepared starting from today wasn't an empty threat. Yesterday just ended with running.
As I barely managed to stand up, Professor Atra handed me the long object she had been carrying at her waist.
As I took it, it felt quite heavy.
It was a Western-style sword, the kind you'd often see on the internet.
"Starting today, we'll combine sparring as well. Judging by your growth rate, I decided it won't be a problem to start today."
As I inspected the sheathed sword, she took out a wooden sword.
"Let me tell you in advance, I don't do systematic teaching."
"?"
"Swing the sword freely. There's no need to hesitate, as I won't get hurt."
Something about those words was strange.
Not systematic teaching? Swing freely? Don't worry because I won't get hurt? What did she mean?
A chill ran down my spine.
Shiver.
"...!!"
The fine hairs on my body stood on end. Acting on instinct, I swung the sheathed sword.
Bang! My arm was violently shaken. I gripped the trembling hilt of the sword tightly. I almost dropped it. My body, unable to dissipate the shock, was pushed backward.
"Hmm?"
Professor Atra let out a puzzled hum. She recovered from the sword-slashing posture and narrowed her eyes.
"Have you held a sword before?"
An unexpected question.
Feeling bewildered, I tapped my smartwatch.
[Noㅤ?]
"...I see."
At my answer, Professor Atra nodded as if she had understood something on her own.
I had a bad feeling.
Before I could even ask what she understood, Professor Atra gripped her wooden sword tightly.
"Then, here I come."
'Please don't come.'
I couldn't say it. I didn't even have time to tap my smartwatch. Professor Atra's figure closed in rapidly.
The fierce sound of the wind coming toward me painted a clear picture of my immediate future.
That the days ahead were going to be excruciatingly hard.