Training II

"Huff... huff... huff..."

'Ash' can be seen running at a slow and consistent pace. Circling around the large expanse of grassland outside the cave, panting with every step while barely keeping himself on his toes to finish the one-kilometer jog.

'A little bit more...' he thought.

[*... 1000 meter mark, achieved... 30 seconds rest countdown begins...*]

And indeed, it didn't take long for Wise's mechanical voice to echo in his mind informing him that he had already achieved the thousand-meter mark jog which allowed him to take a tiny bit of a break.

*Thud*

"Haaa... haaa... finally... haaa!"

Hearing the thousand-meter mark notification from Wise, he finally stopped moving his legs and collapsed on the ground while still panting heavily.

Knowing that he only has thirty seconds to rest, he regulated his breathing, attempting to at least calm himself down and regain even a little bit of strength.

[*... 15 seconds remaining before the next exercise starts...*]

Ash didn't mind Wise's voice counting down inside his mind. Instead, he concentrated on his own body and was trying to get a bit of rest within every second of the fleeting time.

It's only the first exercise among others that he needs to perform but he could already feel the pressure and intensity of the training that seems to be crashing down on him.

Sure, he could just ditch the training anytime he wants and could do whatever he wishes to do. However, he isn't the type of guy that would give up easily and would avoid struggling just because he's facing a bit of difficulty.

And although he knew that Wise, his system, didn't intend to make him look like a slave that would threaten him with some serious consequences if he failed to complete the task, everything was up to him--whether he would stop or persevere.

Nevertheless, consequences or not, he didn't choose to just abandon his training. In his mind, he wasn't just thinking of completing the training itself but establishing a sense of discipline upon himself.

Discipline... it would be the baseline and the foundation of his unwavering commitment... that's what he thought. It would represent who he currently is, and how he carries himself in the future.

[... 10 seconds remaining... 'Host' is advised to get ready...]

Upon hearing that, he pushed himself up with his arms, slowly got on his feet, although he was still breathing raggedly. And a few seconds later...

[*... 5...4...3...2...1... 100-meter sprint... first set... start!*]

---

Time quickly flies by and almost a couple of hours has passed. Ash is currently performing his last set of the final exercise... burpees. A series of jump, squat, plank, push-up, and stand in repetitions.

"Haaaa!... hup!..19... haaaa..."

'One more rep and I can finally take a long good rest...' he thought to himself.

Due to simultaneous and rigorous training with only thirty-second rests in between, he finds his whole body aching, his muscles trembling, and his mind going numb. He was exhausted not only physically but also mentally.

It was his first time to experience that kind of strain and he was only able to last due to his strong will that refuses to back down and keeps pushing him to break through his limits.

Knowing that he only needs to do one more repetition to finish his physical training, he mustered every bit of what's left of his strength and...

"Ugrhh... hup!... aarghhh... 20!... haaaa" he shouted and smiled knowing that he achieved what he's intended to do.

However, he was unable to stay on his toes even for at least three seconds and collapsed along with his rapidly fading consciousness. Ash's mind and body were finally unable to bear the physical and mental fatigue.

[*... 20 reps burpees... three sets... achieved...*]

Almost instantly, after he collapsed and was unconscious, Wise's voice echoed through his mind, notifying him that he successfully completed his quest but Ash was unable to hear him.

[*QUEST:

Status: COMPLETED

Duration: Daily

Description: Your body is the foundation of your strength. Start your day with a warm-up and strengthen yourself with some physical exercises.

Rewards:

*System Exp - 15

*System Points - 100

*Qty: 1 - Mystery Box (Random)

1 Kilometre Jog - [1000/1000 meter (30 Seconds rest)]

Sprint - [100 meter/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [100 meter/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Lunges - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Pushups - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Situps - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Bicycle Crunches - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Jump Squats - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]

Burpees - [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)] [20 reps/3 sets (30 Seconds rest)]*]

---

Noon came where the sun is at its peak. Ash regained consciousness due to the heat and opened his eyes only to be blinded by the bright rays of the sunlight.

"Ah!... urgh..."

He tried to get up but suddenly exclaimed feeling sore all over his body. He slowly supported his body with his arms and sat up.

"Haaaa... How long was I out?..." he asks.

[*Answering... It's currently 11:54 am... you were out for almost four hours...*]

*Groooowl*

Missing breakfast due to passing out and now... it's lunch, he couldn't help but sigh and took out the roasted leftover from yesterday's dinner inside his ring. He also took out the water bottle his wife had given him and took a sip.

"Urghh...aw... damn, I don't feel like moving yet but I'm going to get burned by the sun..."

Every action he made causes him to groan in pain but he still gritted his teeth, his entire body wobbling while he stood up, and was limping towards a nearby tree seeking shade from the skin burning rays of the sunlight.

"Argh!... ah!...ngnhh!"

Ash was almost crawling due to the painful tremors from within his body that caused him to stumble before reaching the place. He leaned his back against its trunk and just closed his eyes while still chewing his meal.

"Burp... haaaa... that hits the spot!" he said after finishing his meal.

Closing his eyes once again, he began to think about how he could lessen the pain he's currently experiencing so that he can continue his training... this time, with basic swordsmanship.

He couldn't help but sigh and think 'It would be good if I could use the shop function to buy some he-'

When he suddenly remembered that he got some healing pills from the starter pack Erethel gave him.

He took out one of those healing pills from his ring and held it in his hand with eyes full of curiosity. He couldn't help but ask Wise, for the most part of how effective it is, given his current predicament.

[*Answering... The pills you have right now are the lowest grade pills. If you want to interpret its rank based on its effectiveness, then it would be in rank I.*]

[*It's effective in healing non-life-threatening wounds, fractures, and physical and mental fatigue. However, it would take half an hour for the pill to be absorbed by the body and to take effect.*]

Upon hearing that, Ash's eyes lits up, and immediately gulped the pill down. While waiting for the pill to take effect, he leaned his back against the trunk of the tree again since his body is still hurting.

Moments later, he suddenly felt a comfortable and cooling sensation exploded from within him and spreads throughout his whole body.

He felt like It washed through his once trembling and aching muscle fibers and his exhausted mind that made him relax with a blissful feeling.

He couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief when he noticed that the aching feeling was slowly disappearing. And a short while later, he stood up without feeling any pain and difficulty.

He went to do some stretches to see if he really was fully healed and couldn't help but be glad when he found out that he's back to his top condition.

"Alright!... let's continue the training!..." he shouted thinking that he could now train his swordsmanship.

The following moments after that, Ash closed his eyes and sat in a lotus position. He focused his mind on studying the basics of swordsmanship.

From proper etiquette for sword handling, meditation before practice, basic stances/kamae, proper footwork, sword drawing /batto, sheathing/noto, and finally, basic strikes.