If you can outrun death here, you can outrun it anywhere.

BOOM

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!!"

Deren screamed as he threw another spear at Kael.

"Haaahh… Haaahhh… Haahhh…"

Kael gasped for air.

Every nerve in his body was focused on running, his muscles ached, and his lungs felt as if they were on fire.

This wasn't training, this was survival.

'W-When is this going to end…?'

He thought inwardly. He had only completed two out of ten rounds, and his body was already at its limit.

He had barely avoided stumbling and falling on the ground more than a few times, and he felt like if he continued, he really would die, even if that death didn't come from the spear.

It was then,

[Ding!]

Kael heard a voice.

[Stamina: +1]

A screen popped in front of him, a stream of energy entering his tired body, slightly alleviating the pain he was feeling.

'W-What…?'

Kael was surprised.

'That works?'

He thought that he could only get stronger as he leveled up, but seeing how his stamina increased without any change in his level took him aback.

Kael wasn't a fool.

He had read enough novels to understand how valuable stats gained without leveling up were.

In an instant, his eyes lit up, his mind motivated, and his tired body ready to push past its limits.

He sped up again, regaining some of his balance as his muscles were somewhat healed. It wasn't a big change, however, someone as experienced as Deren noticed it in an instant and narrowed his eyes.

'He improved…? Already?'

Deren was surprised.

'Is this what it means to be a hero?'

He couldn't help but think inwardly.

'This might be related to his talent…'

Deren, however, didn't say anything. Since Kael improved, he saw this as a chance to push him even further, and his hand reached out to another spear.

BOOOM

"Don't let me see you slow down!!"

He bellowed.

Kael sped up again, this time, not because he was intimidated, but,

[Ding!]

[Speed: +1]

His eyes shined brightly as he noticed the changes in his body.

Stronger...

He was getting stronger.

Soon, Kael's desire to get stronger consumed him.

The game continued.

Deren continued to push Kael to his limits, and motivated by the System messages and the foreign energy that continued to alleviate all the pain and fatigue he felt, Kael continued to run.

[Stamina: +1]

[Speed: +1]

[Stamina: +1]

[Strength: +1]

[Stamina: +1]

[Agility: +1]

…

…

"Enough!"

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Deren's voice rang out again.

Kael had succeeded. He ran ten laps, pushing his body to its limit multiple times in a single day.

"Haaaahh… Haaahhh… Haaahhh…"

Kael stopped, his chest heaving as he bent over, hands on his knees.

Sweat poured down his face, and his legs trembled like his muscles would give out any second now.

He momentarily turned back and saw Deren casually retrieving the spears from the floor, his movements steady and calm, as if he hadn't just nearly skewered Kael alive.

'Crazy geezer…'

He cursed in his head.

"You may be cursing me right now."

Suddenly, Deren spoke, and Kael's face turned pale.

'Can he hear my thoughts?'

"But you will thank me one day," Deren continued, making Kael sigh in relief.

"If you can outrun death here, you can outrun it anywhere.

That's the first lesson.

Now, are you ready for the next?"

"N-Next…?"

Kael stuttered.

"You didn't think this was the end, did you?"

Deren questioned back.

'It should end here!

Do you not see what state I am in!?'

He screamed inwardly.

"The Battlefield won't care how tired you are. It will just take advantage of your condition and try to overwhelm you."

Deren's voice echoed through Kael's ears and suddenly, the vision of dead Igni, while him being held down by those monsters appeared in his mind.

"What's next?"

He questioned, his expression completely different than before.

Deren was momentarily taken aback by the sudden change. Soon, however, a satisfied smile appeared on his strict face.

"That's a good look."

The General then walked to the middle of the Hall. In front of him was a rack stacked with thick iron weights.

"Now that I have tested your lungs, it's time to test your muscles."

Kael walked forward, trying to pick up the iron weights.

"The hell are you doing?"

Deren stopped him.

"Hm?"

Kael tilted his head in confusion.

"Pick one of those."

Deren pointed at the series of sandbags, some small and others larger than Kael himself.

"Which one?"

Kael questioned.

"Any of them,"

Deren said with a shrug.

Kael walked over and reached for a mid-sized sandbag, thinking it would be a manageable start.

He hoisted it off the ground, only for his arms to nearly give out under its unexpected weight.

"What is in this thing?"

Kael couldn't help but question.

"Sand. And rocks, nothing special."

"Are they supposed to be this heavy?"

Kael was surprised.

"Have you ever lifted them before?"

"…"

Kael turned silent.

He hadn't.

"Now carry it."

Deren ordered.

"Carry it where?"

"Across the hall. And back. Twenty times."

"Twenty?!"

"Would you prefer thirty?"

Deren raised an eyebrow.

"I won't mind,"

Kael answered bravely, showing some form of resistance in front of this giant.

Deren raised his eyebrow. Then, he just shrugged,

"Thirty it is then.

Don't give up."

The General smiled menacingly.

Kael didn't react. He just grabbed the sandbag and tried to put it behind his back.

"Ugghh!"

And he failed miserably.

The bag was too heavy for him to lift it up.

Kael's eyes fell on the smaller sandbags, but,

"Don't even think about it."

Before he could do anything, he heard a warning.

'Fuck…'

Cursing inwardly, he gave up on lifting the sandbag and decided to drag it. Something that, in theory, should be easier than lifting it up, but when it came to repeating the same action, it was even more nightmarish.

"Ugghhh…"

Each step he took was like a battle. His shoulders and arms screamed in pain, his legs were already trembling because of the torture they went through before, but Deren was merciless.

"Keep moving!"

Deren shouted from behind.

"A slow soldier is a dead soldier."

As he said those words, the blade of the spear that was in his hands shimmered.

Kael's body trembled. He gritted his teeth and continued, every muscle in his body begging him to stop.

The first lap was finally complete, but Deren didn't allow any rest.

Kael was forced to push his body even further, and a few minutes later, he was finally rewarded for his efforts.

[Ding!]

[Strength: +1]

Seeing the message, a light smile appeared on Kael's face which was drenched in sweat.

With his motivation sky-high and under Deren's heartless eyes, he continued and a foreign, mystical energy began to change his body.

[Ding!]

[Strength: +1]

[Strength: +1]

[Stamina: +1]

[Defense: +1]

[Stamina: +1]

[Defense: +1]

…

…

A/N:

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