A TEST OF MUSCULAR ENDURANCE

The colony's training grounds were silent in the early morning, save for the rhythmic chirping of insects and the distant hum of the workers already going about their duties. Anastasia stood before the recruits, her expression as stern as ever, while Ari, Rory, and Isla remained slumped on the ground, still recovering from their previous ordeal.

Ari rolled his shoulders, his muscles aching from the endless days of pushing that boulder. He never imagined his body could reach such levels of exhaustion and still function. Back when I was human, I would have collapsed on the first day, he thought. I was weak. Scrawny. Always last in gym class. But here… here, I'm stronger.

Even though his body protested, his mind felt sharper, more alive than it ever had in his past life.

Anastasia clapped her hands, drawing their attention.

"You endured a trial of endurance, but now we will focus on something just as crucial—muscular endurance," she announced. "In battle, it's not enough to last long; you must be able to sustain immense weight, resist collapse, and push beyond what you believe is possible."

Rory groaned, already regretting what was coming. Isla, still curled up from exhaustion, barely lifted her head.

"W-what exactly does that mean?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Anastasia smirked. "Simple. You'll be lifting a boulder non-stop for three days. Then, once that's complete, you'll hold a plank position while carrying the boulder on your back."

Silence.

Isla's face twisted in sheer horror. "I—I think I'm going to die this time," she whimpered.

Rory exhaled sharply but nodded. "So, just raw strength, huh? Fine."

Ari frowned. This sounds more like torture than training. But he didn't say it out loud.

Anastasia motioned to the designated training area, where massive boulders sat waiting. Just like before, each ant had a different-sized rock tailored to their abilities. Isla's was the smallest, Rory's was medium-sized, and Ari's—unsurprisingly—was the heaviest.

"You will hold the boulders above your heads as long as possible. If you drop it, you pick it back up. There will be no breaks. You will eat while holding them. You will drink while holding them."

Isla's eyes filled with tears before they even started.

"Begin," Anastasia ordered.

The moment Ari hoisted the boulder above his head, his arms screamed in protest. His body, already fatigued from the last challenge, wavered, but he dug his feet into the dirt and locked his elbows. The weight was immense, pressing down on his shoulders like an unrelenting force, but he refused to give in.

Beside him, Rory gritted his teeth, his muscles twitching under the pressure. "This… this is just another test… Just another test…" he muttered under his breath, as if convincing himself.

Meanwhile, Isla…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Her shriek echoed through the training grounds as she flailed under the weight of her significantly smaller boulder. "I CAN'T DO THIS!"

"You can," Anastasia corrected flatly. "You just don't want to."

"I REALLY CAN'T!"

"Then you'll stay here until you do."

Isla's sobs only grew louder.

The hours dragged on. The pain became unbearable.

Ari's arms trembled violently, his vision blurred from the effort. Every fiber of his body screamed at him to drop the weight. But he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay steady.

Rory had gone silent, his focus absolute. His breath came in controlled, even bursts, his mind locked onto the challenge. He had faced harsh conditions before—he would endure this too.

And Isla?

"I CAN'T—MY ARMS ARE NUMB! I'M GOING TO DIE—"

"You're not going to die," Rory muttered.

"I AM, RORY! I AM!"

Ari sighed. Even through his exhaustion, he found himself speaking before he could stop himself.

"If you have the energy to complain, you have the energy to keep going."

Isla gaped at him, eyes brimming with frustration. "HOW ARE YOU ALL SO CALM?! DOESN'T THIS HURT?!"

Ari glanced at her, sweat dripping down his face. "Of course it hurts. That's the point."

She hiccupped, unable to argue.

The first night arrived.

They still held their boulders.

No sleep. No rest.

Ari felt something in him break—not physically, but mentally. The pain became a constant, numbing sensation. I'm still here. I'm still standing.

On the second day, Isla collapsed.

Her boulder slammed into the ground as she sobbed, unable to continue.

Anastasia merely tilted her head. "Pick it up."

"I can't!"

"Pick it up."

Through her tears, Isla pushed herself up, her body shaking violently. With everything she had, she lifted the boulder once more.

Rory hadn't fallen yet. He was near his breaking point, his muscles twitching, his face drenched in sweat. But his willpower kept him upright.

Ari?

Ari was somewhere else entirely.

He wasn't in his ant body anymore. He was human again—small, frail, weak. He remembered the bullies shoving him in the locker just for talking to Keiko, the endless struggles to do a single pull-up, the way his body had always betrayed him.

That version of me would have collapsed already but I'm not that person anymore.

On the third night, they transitioned into the planking phase.

Ari lowered himself to the ground, the boulder resting atop his back. His entire body quaked under the immense strain.

This was different. This wasn't about pure strength anymore. This was about control.

Isla wept through every second of it. Rory grunted but remained steady.

Ari…

His mind went blank.

He didn't think anymore. He just existed.

He had long surpassed the limits of what he thought was possible.

By the time Anastasia finally called the exercise to an end, all three recruits collapsed.

Silence.

Ari stared at the dirt, his body completely unresponsive. His vision blurred, exhaustion clouding his mind.

He heard Isla sniffle beside him. "I… I thought I was gonna die," she whimpered.

"You didn't," Rory muttered weakly. "That's what matters."

Ari found himself chuckling—just a small, dry laugh. "Anastasia… you really enjoy torturing us, huh?"

Anastasia knelt down beside him, smirking. "If you think this is bad, you're not ready for war." I see, so this is what it takes for me to become strong" he said with a chuckle.

Ari then closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion finally consume him.

I was weak before. But now… I have to become strong and maybe one day I'll find a way to get back to my world...