The Unyielding Spirit
One hour had passed since the children began their run across the training ground.
Burren and Runaan were still at the very front, and behind them, the collateral branches, the Sullion family, and the recommended students were jostling for position in a chaotic scramble.
Of course, not all 160 children were still running.
Those whose stamina had already run out had long since given up and were slumped in the corners of the training ground, and more were giving up even now.
Rimer lay sprawled on the stage, yawning, but his eyes darted rapidly from side to side.
The 61st kid had given up faster than his stamina allowed. The 62nd had outlasted his stamina.
He took in all 160 children with a single glance through his sleepy eyes.
But what Rimer was seeing wasn't the children's stamina.
Stamina alone doesn't mean anything.
The children had different levels of stamina depending on their growth environment. Honestly, aside from the two direct descendants and about twenty from the top groups, they were all pretty much the same.
Even with similar stamina, some kids gave up the moment their breathing got ragged, while others pushed through, pinching their chests or even crying, until the end.
The difference is more important than anything else.
Some give up easily, some don't give up until the end. The gap in spirit that looks small now will become enormous in the future.
Stamina can be trained. Talent can be nurtured.
But cultivating that kind of tenacity is incredibly difficult.
A child who doesn't give up from a young age won't give up as an adult either, and a child who is used to giving up will easily give up even as an adult.
Of course, there are kids who suddenly realize and change, but finding those is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.
It would have been much easier to just pick the kids with outstanding spirit and tenacity from the start.
Decisions have pretty much been made.
Rimer let out a chuckle. More than half the children had already given up, and the rest were also tiring, their pace gradually slowing.
As Rimer prepared for the end of the test, his eyes caught a blonde child running from the lower group.
Raon Zieghart.
The only child who had defied his expectations today. Rimer's eyes sparkled like stars.
I can't understand it.
Raon's stamina had long since hit rock bottom. With the cold aura pressing down on his body and his breathing growing ragged, he shouldn't even be able to stand, yet the kid kept moving his feet without faltering.
It's not just tenacity. Is it poison?
Having traversed countless battlefields and witnessed brilliant talents, among them were swordsmen who stood tall on the continent with their swords and mages who could change the world's order with magic. But none of them could endure like Raon.
Running with stamina at rock bottom? A 12-year-old born with a vicious physique?
That kind of spirit can only be gained after enduring dozens of life-or-death battles. I wonder how such poison sprouted in this pampered child.
Hmm...
Rimer's eyes spread over the entire training ground.
Even though they were conserving their strength, Burren and Runaan who were leading were impressive, but they couldn't compare to Raon who was still running with depleted stamina.
The collateral branches and Sullion family kids who had been ignoring Raon were also running, drooling as they tried to catch up because they didn't want to lose to him.
Hoo hoo.
The corners of Rimer's mouth curved into a soft arc.
This is going to be fun to teach.
Burren Zieghart couldn't focus on running and kept glancing back, his face growing more sullen each time.
Why? How is that guy still here?!
Raon Zieghart, that arrogant brat who had mocked the family head, had not dropped out as expected. He was slow but maintained a steady pace and kept running to the end.
He shouldn't be able to run...
Burren knew Raon's condition. He was born with cold energy in his body, so he couldn't move properly and grew slowly.
The kid in front of him was even more pathetic than what Burren had heard. Short, and no sign of training.
But...
He didn't give up.
The collateral branches, the Sullion family kids, and the recommended students who had been acknowledged for their talent had all given up and dropped out, but Raon was still running, panting as if he was about to die, without stopping his feet.
It's annoying, especially the one next to him.
The only one following him, Runaan, and Raon himself, who should have dropped out, irritated Burren.
Good. I'll show you the real difference.
Burren decided to crush the spirits of both Runaan and Raon and ran with rough steps.
Whoosh!
He amplified the muscles in his thighs and calves by using aura. Running at a speed that made his vision narrow, he looked back.
Those guys?
His rival Runaan and Raon didn't react.
They maintained their own speeds and ran, while only the collateral and Sullion family kids chased after him frantically.
Tsk!
Burren clicked his tongue and sped up a bit more. He had pulled far ahead of Runaan and Raon, who had been running similarly, enough to make a big difference, and Raon had been overtaken long ago.
Still, Runaan and Raon's speeds remained the same. They maintained their full power as if they didn't care about him.
Ugh!
Thinking that those behind him were ignoring him made his stomach boil.
Let's see if they can keep going like that.
Whoosh!
Raon spat out a rough breath and smiled.
Stamina is still coming in.
His stamina had long since hit rock bottom, empty like a dried-up well.
His head was spinning as if he was about to faint, but thanks to the vitality the 3rd Ring of Fire provided, he barely managed to hold on.
Compared to back then, this is heaven.
When he was raised as an assassin in his previous life, he was chased by wild dogs at a younger age than now. He ran through the mountains clutching his heart that was about to burst.
In the end, he had a life-or-death battle with the wild dog that caught him. Compared to that hellish life, this was nothing but play.
Whoosh...
Raon breathed heavily and looked ahead. The collateral branches and recommended students who were still maintaining their full power had talents that were hard to find anywhere, but Runaan and Burren were special. They maintained a steady pace from start to finish without faltering at all.
When he thought that it was strange that they were called geniuses, suddenly Burren sped up. He overtook Runaan and took the lead.
Eh?
"Burren-nim?"
"Run! Don't fall behind!"
The other collateral branches and recommended students who saw him rushed to speed up.
Hmph!
Burren looked at Runaan and himself as if telling them to catch up, and sneered.
-What are you doing? If you're being provoked, just stand there? Catch up and smash those eyeballs.
Wrath glared at Burren and gnashed his teeth, but Raon didn't react.
I told you earlier, this isn't a competition.
Today's run wasn't a competition, but a test to show the stamina and spirit you have. And only one other person besides himself knew that.
Runaan Sullion.
The silver-haired girl running second maintained her own speed as if she didn't care about Burren's dominance.
This side is actually one step ahead.
Although they were similar, Runaan seemed to be a bit higher in spirit than Burren.
Burren acted mature, but he was still a kid at that age. If he went to the battlefield like that, he'd die in no time.
It's not something I need to worry about.
Raon chased after Runaan's back rather than Burren's and ran across the training ground.
Ra, Raon?
"How... "
"Y, you're still running even now?"
The collateral branches who had been chasing Burren frantically started to fall behind. Those who had been mocking him before the test started.
Hah, hah! What the hell did you do?!
No way...
The panting collateral branches stopped their feet when they were overtaken by Raon and collapsed to the ground.
Raon used their shocked eyes as fuel and ran forward.
Pathetic.
Guys who talk big but have no substance wherever they go. Since he hadn't been interested from the beginning, he forgot about them and kept running.
Whoosh...
Raon rotated the Ring of Fire endlessly through his slow breathing.
The ring's growth is accelerating.
Even though he hadn't run for a long time, the ring's elasticity was improving rapidly. The Ring of Fire was indeed a technique that exerted its full power when used as full power.
Still, it's incredibly hard.
Even if the Ring of Fire was rotating, the pain didn't disappear. His heart and lungs felt crushed and squeezed, and his side ached as if pierced by a dagger.
Pathetic.
When Raon was pushing his body to the limit, Wrath clicked his tongue.
-This King cannot accept losing to the vessel that will become this King's host. Overhaul your body. Go chase that blue-haired brat right now and freeze him whole.
Noisy.
This wasn't a test to catch up. It was a fight against himself.
-As long as this King is awake, I won't let you see this sight.
Then close your eyes. Running like this is a miracle.
It's not false.
Even with Wrath's system, he couldn't remove the cold energy inside the mana circuit yet. Thanks to the miracle of the Ring of Fire, he had been able to run until now.
-Then hand over your body to this King.
Wrath transformed into the blue flame form he had seen yesterday. His anger stimulated the emotions, making Raon's stomach churn.
Of all times...
Raon bit his lip. The stimulation from Wrath in his exhausted state brought pain almost twice as much as yesterday.
Still, I can't show weakness.
If he showed fatigue here, Wrath might find a weakness. He ran with the most composed face possible.
Stop talking nonsense and go back to sleep.
Maintaining a calm expression while using the Ring of Fire at full power. He ran as if nothing was happening.
-Kuu, why doesn't this King's power work on you at all!
Wrath didn't give up and kept stimulating his rage emotions.
Whoosh...
Raon forced his depleted stamina to withstand Wrath's mental attack.
I'm going to die...
Cold sweat poured down his back. Honestly, he felt like he was about to collapse.
Thanks to the experience of crossing countless death lines from his previous life and the balance provided by the Ring of Fire, he barely managed to hold on.
This damn guy!
Give up and disappear.
Ugh!
When Raon pushed away Wrath's energy, Rimer who had been lying on the stage suddenly jumped up.
"Stop!"
His clear shout made the children who were running on the training ground stop their feet.
"Hah! Hah!"
"Kuuu!"
"Ouch!"
The children sat with unfocused eyes or clutched their knees and panted.
Whoosh...
Raon also breathed as if he was about to die.
Monster.
Wrath gnashed his teeth and went back into the bracelet.
-I told you. It's not possible.
He wiped the cold sweat flowing over his forehead. The test was hard, but enduring Wrath's attack was even harder. If he ran a little more, he would have really died.
This life isn't ordinary either... Hmm?
When he was moistening his dry lips, a new message appeared.
You have demonstrated extreme movement beyond your stamina.
Your stats have increased.