03. I Really Hate Morning Exercise
03. I Really Hate Morning Exercise
NTR Academy Korean Branch
1st Year Male Dormitory, Room 302
"......Kkeueung"
The current time was 5:57 AM.
I barely managed to poke just my head out of the blanket and stared blankly at the clock.
"3 minutes..."
I would have much preferred waking up right at 6 o'clock on the dot, but why did my eyes always have to open at some ambiguous few minutes before?
Closing my eyes again didn't bring the sleep that was supposed to come, and just as my eyelids were finally drooping and I was starting to feel good, the alarm blared from the dormitory speakers.
"I hate this....!"
I really fucking hated this.
Why the hell did I have to do this life all over again?
Thinking of it as re-enlisting right after being discharged made my teeth practically chatter.
"Huuu... it's cold...!"
Well, I grumbled with my mouth, but my body was diligently getting ready.
I went out to the academy's front training field and lined up right in front of the instructor—no, the teacher.
"Today as well, Chrono. You're first place, I take it."
"Good morning, ma’am."
The teacher had short hair and wore a training suit.
She had a whistle around her neck and was more on the slender side than the muscular type.
"What are the others doing? Every single one of them skipping out..."
"Ah... haha..."
Just as the teacher said, for the moment, I was the only person on the field.
A few kids would come running out soon, but right now, it was just me.
How should I put it? Call it the fruits of early education.
The teacher patted me on the back, seeming quite pleased that, unlike the other academy cadets who were just starting their student life, I moved briskly from the very first week.
"Right. Even if your body is frail, at least your mind has to be packed with guts. No matter what, the steady ones are the ones who climb to the top."
"...Thank you."
She had an expression that suggested she meant it as well-wishing.
But for me, it only brought flooding back memories I'd rather forget.
"Haaa... cold...!"
"So sleepy......"
"Hey, how long do we have to do this?"
As I waited, more and more cadets gradually gathered.
The teacher checked the clock and then immediately began our warm-up exercises.
"The count will be led by Chrono of Class B! Understood!"
"Ack?!"
Why me?
...
..
.
First, a light warm-up to loosen up the body.
What followed after that was—— the joyous aerobic hell marathon that did not end until 8 o'clock arrived.
"Now now, wake up! There's still one hour left!"
"Aagh...!"
"Look at that voice!"
"Agh!!"
This shitty forced march.
This fucking morning PT.
If it were my old body, it might have been a bit better, but with this scrawny anchovy frame, I was on the verge of passing out after running for barely 10 minutes.
[Cronus's Protection (E)]
-A blessing from Cronus, bestowed out of pity for his apostle
-Active for as long as the activity continues
Effect: Recovery Speed Increase (Minor)
"Hyueurgh...!"
At some point, I had said to Cronus.
To take pity on me. Please feel sorry for me.
The reason I'd voiced such a thing was simple.
I was, after all, nothing more than an ordinary little citizen.
And an ordinary little citizen like that had limits on what actions he could take.
So I'd meant it as, 'please generously overlook it even if I shit the bed,' but...
[Emergency Mission]
[Training as an Apostle]
-A weak soul dwells in a weak body
-Temper your body to become an apostle befitting Cronus
1. Follow along until the march ends (0/1)
Reward: Contribution 2
On Failure: Minor disappointment
"Everyone wake up! Now 30 minutes left! Understood? 30 minutes left!"
"Agh!!!"
A dirt-poor quest.
That wasn't what I meant when I asked to be looked after.
"Alright, that's it for today! Everyone dismissed!"
"Huaaaagh....!!"
Ultimately, I barely finished the march, on the verge of half-collapsing.
My legs gave out at the word 'dismissed'.
Going past just slumping down, I outright collapsed and just panted for breath.
[Training as an Apostle - Success]
-Seeing his apostle's weakness, Cronus mutters that he will have to continue this several more times.
Reward: Contribution 2
"...Dear god."
Just how much did you intend to work me to the bone?
[Apostle of Cronus][Rank: E (EX)]
-Governs time [Limit:30s/30s
-Rank can be increased through missions [12/50]
I quietly stared at the skill window and let out a breath.
Right. All of this is Cronus's investment, in his own way, and also in mine.
If I manage to raise my rank, I'll be able to survive just about anything no matter how the process goes.
Actually, when I thought about it that way, I belonged to the incredibly lucky side.
If before the possession I was a fresh newbie with zero experience who had just gotten out of the military,
The current me was one of the very few apostles on Earth who had received a god's blessing.
Looking at future prospects, the latter was far better.
...The trap being that I could get sliced to death if I wasn't careful.
"I was impressed again today, Cadet Chrono. Good guts."
"...Ma’am."
When I raised my head, the teacher handed me a water bottle.
Did she mean for me to drink? I said thank you and opened it up to drink.
"Khuuuu....!!"
Maybe because it had been hit by the cold morning air, the water in the bottle was quite chilly.
Thanks to it, the heat that had built up in my body felt like it cooled down a bit.
"Thank you, ma’am."
"You'll be out here tomorrow too, right?"
"That's..."
Ma’am...
Tomorrow is Saturday...
[Mission]
[Training as an Apostle]
-Training, therefore, must be consistent!
-The time invested in effort never betrays you.
1. Participate in morning march (0/1)
Reward: Contribution 2
"Of course I'll be out here! I will definitely participate!"
"Fufu. Yes. Good guts."
The teacher immediately turned her back and walked away.
I watched her retreating figure blankly and whispered to myself.
"But it's the weekend..."
She'd go a bit easy, right?
Of course, I knew full well there was absolutely no chance of that, but even so, I wanted to try running my copium circuits.
"Huuu... now let's wash up. Wash up and go."
Class started at about 10 o'clock.
If I washed, ate breakfast, and got ready, the timing would be just about right.
***********
Name: Chrono (Class B)
Rank: ---
Strength: 7
Stamina: 14
Agility: 13
Intelligence: 31
Divinity: 20
"Pathetic..."
10 was the standard for an average adult, wasn't it?
At enrollment, the average cadet's stats were usually around 20~30, and in the case of heroines, they sometimes even hit 40.
Looking at it from that angle, my stats couldn't be seen as anything but below average.
'Especially that strength stat is a disaster.'
Indeed, what could I expect from this anchovy body, but even so, this was too much.
It was a wonder how I had even managed to beat Mars in the battle we fought a few days ago.
I looked at the 'Bracelet' fastened on my right wrist and pondered future prospects.
"For now... there's absolutely no cutting out training."
I couldn't skip the daily morning training.
Right away, if I attended without missing a single day for a week, one of Stamina, Agility, or Strength was guaranteed to increase. At this point where every single stat point was precious, it was a situation akin to a lifesaving rain in a drought.
Outside of that, I also needed to do separate Stamina Training during after-school hours——now that I thought about it, I also had to practice weapon skills.
"Weapon skills, stamina training..."
I also had to train Cronus's power.
I felt suffocated just thinking about it.
I turned off the Bracelet, lay my head down, and heaved out a sigh.
"I want to die....."
"If you want to die that badly, die after sparring with me first."
".....Mars?"
Why are you here?
When I slowly turned my head to the side, Mars was sitting next to me as if it were the most natural thing.
"Let's spar. Today, after classes, at 6 PM, there's a place called the 2nd Physical Training Room, you know? There's a separate sparring area there, so come there."
Mars set up the appointment as if it were already decided.
I didn't even need to agonize over how to answer.
"Don't want to."
"Right, as expected of a warrior, of course you... don't want to?"
"Yeah."
"............"
Don't want to.
I don't want to fight.
I'm a pacifist, you see.
"Why. Why do you hate fighting?"
"Because I hate it..."
"No, I said tell me the reason!"
"Euh. eh. eh. eh."
Mars forcibly pulled my body up and shook me by the shoulders.
I could feel the breakfast I'd eaten climbing back up my throat, so I really wished she'd stop.
"Hey, are you thinking what I think you are? That you already beat me once, so even if we go again you'll definitely win? You son of a bitch, you looked down on me that easily, is that it!"
"That's not it."
"Then what is it! Why are you avoiding a spar!"
"...I just don't want to pass out again, okay."
Even if you got up after 10 minutes,
It took me a full 3 hours to barely come to my senses, and by then exams or whatever, the teacher sitting next to me just handed me my acceptance notice and dorm key and vanished.
I was relieved they'd viewed the sparring process favorably; if it hadn't been the case, I would have dropped straight to Class C.
Although Class C was the last class in the first place.
'But the number of cadets is small, you see.'
It might be because it was the Korean branch.
In the first place, the NTR Academy worldview itself was one where superhumans blessed by gods don't appear easily.
With a narrow land and a small student body stacked on top, is that why it is the way it is?
Anyway, I tried to free my shoulders from Mars's grip...
Release...
Come on, let go.
It hurts, it hurts. My shoulders hurt, I said.
"You'll spar, right?"
"...You crazy sparring-addict bastard."
Did she listen to everything I said with the back of her ears?
I spoke toward Mars once again.
"You, didn't you see me during the morning run? The one who was about to half keel over?"
"I was sleeping this morning?"
".........."
"Sufficient rest is the basic requirement of a strong warrior!"
That's just cutting class.
As if recognizing that my gaze was turning oddly cold, Mars clutched my shoulder hard once and then released both her hands.
"Hah, fine. Whatever. We'll hear lectures anyway, so sparring is guaranteed to happen sooner or later. We'll just do it then."
".............."
Aha, I see how it is?
I'll absolutely have to avoid attending any class with you then.
Usually around this point, Cronus would try to force a mission on me to initiate a fight, but maybe because I'd already won once, no mission window appeared.
What remained was solely the act of dodging.
"Today, there will be a weapon skills lecture. Those taking close combat lectures, follow me. Those taking ranged combat lectures, follow the assistant instructor beside me."
"Yes!"
I stood up confidently from my seat.
Mars glanced at me and then strode toward the teacher,
"Ranged combat lecture, Cadet Chrono attending."
"Hey!!!"
Naturally, I followed the assistant instructor.
I don't like you.
You're scary.
"You... you! I will definitely catch you! Next time, I absolutely won't let you get away, you got that!"
"...Good Luck."
Leaving behind the screaming Mars, I continued following after the assistant instructor.
Once we exited the classroom, cadets from the remaining Class A and Class C soon came out and followed, and thus—— the ranged combat lecture hall we arrived at following the assistant instructor.
"Hello...?"
"........."
Apostle of Hera.
Yuno.
The moment I dodged the Apostle of Ares, the Apostle of Hera approached.
...No way?
[Emergency Mission]
[Apostle of Hera]
-An emergency mission given by Cronus
1. Challenge the Apostle of Hera to a duel and win (0/1)
Reward: Contribution 10 / A bit of anticipation
On Failure: Immense disappointment
"Aish."
Why are you doing this to me?