Fail Or Pass?

The one everyone dismissed as being unable to complete even 50 laps had already run 40 and was still going, while others—who expected to outperform him—had already given up before reaching that mark.

Still, not many found it admirable. He was running at a slow pace, and most believed he wouldn't reach the 100th lap no matter what.

But Kael Ashford didn't care about any of that.

He was focused entirely on his physical body.

He had no clue how to use mana or skills, so he relied purely on his physical endurance.

At first, he was genuinely impressed by how far he could run without feeling exhausted.

He picked up his pace slowly, and until the 20th lap, he didn't even feel that tired.

Back on Earth, he would've collapsed by the third lap.

(At the very least, there is some perk to this transmigration!)

He thought, feeling blessed to have such a strong body—though it should be normal in this world.

By the 25th lap, he had already overtaken his first fellow student who had given up and collapsed.

He kept running until the 40th lap—by then, most had already dropped out.

Was it because he hadn't hit his limit?

No—he had hit his limit.

But there was one reason he couldn't stop.

(I have to survive!)

To survive, he had to get stronger—and this was step one.

He was still confused about this abrupt transmigration. It felt like a dream, but he had no choice but to accept it as reality.

With no way to return, survival became his only goal—and to survive, he needed strength.

He wasn't thinking about reaching 100 laps like the others. He was focused only on what he could do to grow stronger.

One thing was certain—he had to survive Sylvia's hellish training.

According to the novel, this was one of the most effective methods for building physical strength.

And he would like to believe that it would help him.

By the 50th lap, sweat poured down from his face like rain. He felt like he was already far past the limits of Kael Ashford's body.

His lungs were on fire. His legs betrayed him with every step. He was pretty sure even his hair hurt.

(Is this what hell feels like?)

But he still had no intention of giving up.

Students who had already collapsed looked at him like he was a fool, desperately chasing something he wasn't capable of reaching.

Still, there were some who admired him for his persistence.

By then, Elysia had finished her 100 laps.

"1 hour and 9 minutes," Sylvia announced.

Elysia simply nodded.

(Twenty minutes faster than before.)

She exhaled, eyes immediately turning to Edwin—who didn't even look like he'd broken a sweat.

(Still a long way to go…)

In her first life, she had always aimed to surpass Edwin—even if it remained only a dream.

But now, it wasn't just a goal—it was a necessity.

If she couldn't even beat Edwin, how could she defeat someone who had single-handedly taken him and an elite party down?

"Kael Ashford…"

She muttered as her gaze landed on someone still struggling on the training ground.

She remembered this scene well from her previous life.

Kael Ashford—looked down on by everyone—had reached 70 laps by the end of two hours.

In her previous life, Elysia had praised him for his persistence and scolded the others who looked down on his hard work.

But this time, she began to doubt.

(Was he just pretending to be weak all this time?)

Considering how powerful he had become when he betrayed humanity and fought against her party, she was certain that this kind of training should've been effortless for him—just like it was for Edwin.

So was he faking it? Or was he truly this weak at this point in time?

She didn't know. If she did, she wouldn't hesitate to act. 

But on the small chance that he was only pretending, any rash move could shift future events beyond her control.

What if he killed her? Then her regression to the past would be meaningless.

So, she decided to bide her time—to fully understand him, and to uncover the weaknesses of the man known as Kael Ashford.

Sylvia remained silent on the sidelines, her ice-cold gaze watching every one of them. Not shouting. Not encouraging. Just… observing. Judging.

Each time Kael passed her, he felt like she could see right through him.

(Do I look that pathetic?)

He thought.

Probably!

But whether he looked pathetic or not, he didn't care. He just wants to become stronger and survive until the protagonist party kills the Demon King and saves the world.

He pushed himself through lap after miserable lap, each one worse than the last. Eventually, he stopped counting.

He just kept going.

At last, the period ended. 

Sylvia raised her hand, and glowing numbers floated above each student—red or blue.

He saw his: 73. Red.

He had failed.

He wasn't too disappointed since he never expected to pass it in his first time.

Moreover, from this class only 24 students have managed to pass.

So, there was no need to feel down at all.

Sylvia's voice sliced through the wheezing and groans like an arctic wind.

"Those who failed to complete the required one hundred laps—congratulations. You now owe me the remaining laps, plus fifty more."

"What?"

"Weren't we only supposed to do 50 as a penalty?"

Shock rippled through the crowd as they realized they had to make up their missed laps and add 50 on top of that.

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Think you can give up and then only run 50 laps later?"

Sylvia glared at the students who has already given up half way.

"You have to finish all 100 laps, no matter what. If you don't complete them now, you'll just have to do them later—and if you can't finish them now, 50 more laps will be added along with your remaining laps."

A collective groan followed—but no one dared to argue with Sylvia, even if they wanted to.

With her usual poise and total disregard for their broken bodies, she turned and walked away.

"I think I'm gonna puke."

"Already did," another groaned.

Kael just lay there, staring at the sky, legs numb and chest burning.

(Year One is going to kill me.)

The next class was about to begin, and there was no rest—not even for the half-dead.

They had to go to their next class in this condition.

"Do you need healing magic?"

Kael turned his head toward the voice.

It was Cecilia. Of course—it had to be an angel.

He nodded weakly.

Cecilia began casting, light flowing gently over his body. He felt warmth, like water after a long drought.

(So this is what healing feels like?)

 It was almost… addictive.

"Feeling better?"

 Cecilia asked softly.

"Yeah. Thanks!"

Then Elysia stormed in, eyes sharp with disapproval.

"Come here!"

She grabbed Cecilia's arm, dragging her away.

Cecilia gave him a small wave as she was pulled back, and Kael returned it, dazed.

(What did Kael Ashford even do to make Elysia break character like that? Should I apologize or something?)

He didn't know what his predecessor had done, but he felt like he should at least try to fix whatever it was.

After all, Elysia was the Main Heroine of this world and somebody he would want to be close with, for survival.