Axe King's Approval

The training ground baked under the hot sun, each tiny grain of sand throwing off waves of heat.

Twenty minutes had passed. The First Group, the best of the new guys, kept pushing, already sixteen laps behind them, with just four more to go. Sweat stuck their clothes to their skin as they used every bit of strength they had left for one last burst of speed.

These last few minutes would decide if they could finish in under twenty-five minutes. And making them even more stressed, a new guy was right behind them, a worrying reminder of their own limits.

Damn it, they thought, we're supposed to be the best, right? We train every single day! We all have our pride to protect. How can we be beaten by some newbie who's barely been here a month? The thought was awful!

Far behind them, the Third Group was running out of energy and barely keeping up. They struggled to stay in any kind of line, recruits falling behind like paint peeling off an old ship. All they wanted was to make it to the end.

"He's coming! He's catching up!"

"Are we three laps behind?"

"The Instructor is going to yell at us when we get back!" Cries of sadness came from the Third Group as Roya zipped past. They were too tired to even complain.

Being slower than the First and Second Groups was one thing - they knew they couldn't beat them. But to be passed so many times by a rookie? Who would listen to their excuses?

That guy is a machine, they thought angrily.

Even the Second Group was starting to feel the pressure.

They could keep going, but they weren't great. They knew they couldn't beat the best in the First Group, but they never thought a fresh rookie would be right behind them.

They felt worried as Roya got closer. If he passed them again, he'd be a whole lap ahead!

But what could they do?

"Hey, should we try to block him?" one of them asked, panting.

"Block him? With our faces?" someone replied sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, let him have the inside lane!"

"If we're suffering, those guys in front are going to have a hard time too!" They all agreed. The Second Group unwillingly moved to the side, letting Roya speed past.

The First Group saw this happen as they went around a bend.

"Holy crap! Those guys in the Second Group are letting the rookie through!"

"Do they have no shame?!"

"Faster, everyone, faster! He's catching us!"

In the twenty-third minute, Roya finally caught up to the back of the First Group!

But by this point, the new recruits in the First Group didn't have time to think about the rookie behind them. They were all sprinting, sweat pouring down, thinking only about making it through the last thousand meters.

800, 500, 300!

The finish line appeared!

The line fell apart as each recruit found a last bit of energy, sprinting like crazy, tongues hanging out, desperate to finish a few seconds faster.

Their scores would decide their future!

"Faster! Faster!"

Roya squinted, eyes locked on the red line that marked the finish. Adrenaline rushed through him, making him forget his tiredness and filling his legs with new strength.

Just a little faster!

Even if I only save a second, I'll give it everything I have!

Twenty-fifth minute!

Roya bent over, gasping for air, hands on his shaking knees. Sweat dripped onto the ground, his skin red and hot from the effort.

His mind was blank.

"Nice job!"

A hand in an Iron Fist Gauntlet reached out, along with a rough compliment.

Slap!

Roya grabbed Fullbody's hand, using it to steady himself. After a deep breath, he looked up at the sky.

Whew... my heart almost stopped.

Fullbody, looking much fresher, clearly had more energy. He smiled and pointed behind Roya. "Take a look behind you."

"Huh?"

Roya turned.

The entire First Group was standing there, looking completely exhausted, holding their backs and groaning.

Wait a minute...

Roya looked at Fullbody, then at himself, and then at the other recruits. He realized something.

Did I just... come in first?

After a short rest, the others slowly walked over, each one giving Roya a hard punch on the chest, followed by a grudging thumbs-up.

"You bastard, that was awesome!"

"Not bad, rookie."

Roya grinned, giving a cheeky smile.

"There are other tests to come, you know."

"Damn it, you're not happy with beating us once!" The others cursed and grumbled, but their looks weren't angry anymore, just respectful.

Rookie or not, the fact that Roya had beaten them in training was enough to earn their respect.

The Military Camp had one simple rule: respect the strong!

The remaining recruits were still being tested. The extra five minutes were a welcome bonus for Roya and the others, giving them time to catch their breath and recover a little.

After resting, Roya walked over to Sergeant Monka, who was standing nearby. He felt grateful. During the running exercise, he had felt Monka subtly helping him.

"Sergeant Monka, thank you for your help!"

"No need to thank me. That was your own strength at work." Monka gave a small nod.

He liked Marines who were serious about training.

"Keep up the good work."

"Yes, sir!" Roya stood straight and gave a sharp salute.

Soon, the running exercise was over.

Four recruits had failed and walked off the training ground, looking disappointed.

Usually, just signing up for the test meant you could pass, even if you weren't great in regular training.

But this test checked more than just physical strength and stamina. It also tested mental strength. With so many Officers watching, it was common to perform badly.

After a short five-minute break, the next test began.

Two hundred push-ups, completed in five minutes, with perfect form, and no stopping allowed. To get an excellent score, you had to finish them in under four minutes.

"One, two..."

The recruits, burning under the sun, lay on the sand, rising and falling together. If their form was bad, the evaluator's whip cracked against their backs.

Three strikes and you were out!

"34, 35, 36..."

Roya pushed himself up, slowly and carefully.

The push-up test was easier than the running. Most of the recruits could pass, which made it less stressful, and his mind began to wander.

Is Koby going through this too?

Even if I just use the Branch's training amount, multiplied by two hundred, that'd be forty thousand push-ups. With 24 hours in a day, that's 80,000 seconds, averaging one push-up every two seconds. And that doesn't include the other training!

Impossible. Not even a machine could do that!

Thinking of the giant axe strapped to Monka's back, Roya started to understand.

If there's not enough time, you make up for it with weight.

Doing push-ups with a sandbag on my back would definitely be much more effective. I'll try it tonight.

Crack!

The whip hit his back hard, a sharp pain shooting through him.

"Focus!"

"Yes, sir!" Roya's face went pale, and he quickly focused on the training. Sergeant Monka's whip showed no mercy.

Hiss - that definitely drew blood!

3 minutes 53 seconds!

"200!"

Roya took a deep breath, pushing himself up. He felt relieved. The other recruits completed the push-up test one after another.

This time, no one was eliminated.

"Hmm."

Monka took out his notebook and wrote "Excellent" next to Roya's name. He thought even more highly of the young recruit now.

Compared to the running, Roya had completed this test easily, completely turning the skills he had learned from him into his own.

He has an amazing ability to learn!