Chapter 5 The Training Hell
I had a bad feeling about this.
Maybe it was the way Leon crossed his arms like some ancient warlord watching over his troops. Alternatively, it might have been the scale of the training area that all of a sudden, seemed much larger from the point of view when I was required to run across it.
Anyway, I was in for no good.
"So," Leon said, his voice calm—too calm. "Before we go too advanced, we have to know where you are physically."
That sounded reasonable. Logical, even.
Then he dropped the bomb.
"Start with ten laps around the training ground."
I blinked. "Come again?"
"Ten laps," he repeated. 50 push-up, 50 squats and a set of fundamental exercises.
"…Are you trying to kill me?"
Leon gave me a blank stare. "That's barely a warm-up."
Barely a warm-up? That was a full-blown survival test. Did he not notice the frail, twig-like body I was being caged in?
I paused, my legs already screaming at the idea of running, but then—.
Ding!
A familiar blue screen popped up in front of me.
---
[Quest: The Demon's Training]
finished all the following tasks within 2 hours.
Reward: ? ? ?
Failure Penalty: Extreme muscle pain for the next three days.
---
I wanted to throw up.
Was that a threat? My own system was basically saying, If you don't do this, you're going to be in hell anyway.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah, my entire existence is wrong," I grumbled before sighing. "Fine. I'll do it."
Leon nodded approvingly. "Good. Get started."
I took a deep breath and broke into a run.
Well, more like an awkward, stumbling jog.
---
Lap 1: Realization Hits
Okay. Not too bad. Legs feel a little stiff, lungs feel like they're working. This is fine.
---
Lap 2: This Was a Mistake
Why do my legs hurt already? Why does my chest feel tight? Was I always this unfit?
---
Lap 5: Regret
I am dying.
No, really. My legs are wobbly, I am gasping for breath, and I think my vision is getting foggy.
Is this what it feels like to be old?
I wanted to stop. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to just sit down and quit.
But then I glanced over at Leon.
The geezer was just about there, arms across, unconcerned at all.
Yeah, not a chance in the world would I let him see me succumb.
I pushed on.
---
Lap 10: Near Death Experience
When I reached the finishes of the final lap, I fell to my knees, gasping like a fish out of a well.
Leon walked over, looking down at me with the same expression someone might have when finding an injured bird on the road.
"Hm," he mused. "You're slower than I expected."
"Thanks," I wheezed. "That means a lot."
"Get up. You still have push-ups and squats to do."
I wanted to cry.
---
Push-Ups: The Struggle
I managed the first ten.
The next ten? Pure suffering.
By the age of twenty, though, my arms were like limbs lost in a hurricane.
I lived to the age of thirty-five before my body let me down completely and I went face-first over the ground.
Leon sighed. "Your form is terrible."
"Great feedback," I grunted, peeling myself off the ground.
"Keep going."
Somehow, somehow, I made it to fifty.
And that was only the first part.
---
Squats: The Final Boss
Squats seemed easy at first.
Until I realized my legs were basically non-functional.
Each time I went down, my thighs would cry out in pain.
By the age of thirty, I was meeting my ancestors.
By forty, I was questioning my life choices.
At fifty? I collapsed onto my back, staring up at the sky, wondering if this was how I died.
Leon crouched beside me, smirking. "You look like you're reconsidering your decisions."
"You think?" I panted.
Then the system had the audacity to ding again.
---
[Quest Complete!]
Rewards:
- +2 Strength
- +2 Endurance
- New Title: Beginner Masochist
---
Beginner what?!
I groaned. "This system is rigged against me."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"Nothing," I muttered, dragging myself to my feet. "So, what's next? Gonna make me fight a bear, just gonna make me an animal fight like that?"
Leon chuckled, standing up. "No, we're done for today."
Wait. What?
"You're… serious?"
"I was testing you," Leon admitted, arms still crossed. "I wanted to see if you'd quit."
Oh, you little—
I glared at him. I suffered through all of that pain, just for you to try me?
Leon smirked. "Pretty much."
I wanted to throw something at him.
However, I could not help but feel a strange feeling of pride welling within me.
I actually did it.
Yes, I almost died doing it, but I did it.
And the best part?
Leon noticed.
For the first time i saw something different in his gaze. Not pity. Not disappointment.
Approval.
Maybe, just maybe, I was changing.
I pushed myself up, ignoring my aching muscles. "Fine. Same time tomorrow?"
Leon blinked in surprise.
Then he grinned.
"Same time tomorrow."