Chapter 46: Training Session (1)

Chapter 46: Training Session (1)Adrian’s head spun as he ran, but he forced himself to keep going. His legs burned, and his chest felt tight.

He didn’t know if it was the pressure, he just knew he couldn’t stop. But his body betrayed him.

He pushed too hard, and his vision blurred. His knees gave out, and he collapsed on the track.

~SPLASH~

Cold water hit Adrian like a slap. His eyes flew open, and he gasped.

His clothes were soaked, sticking to his skin. Annoyance surged through him as looked up, seeing Master Von holding an empty pail.

’Why dump water on someone unconscious,’ he thought in annoyance. He hated being wet, but he clenched his jaw and stayed silent.

"Stand up," Master Von said sharply. "Join the others."

Adrian stood slowly, his wet clothes heavy. He stared at Master Von, wanting to speak, but he kept quiet.

Master Von turned and walked back to the track to watch the others, leaving Adrian standing alone in his thoughts.

’I’m too weak for this...’ The collapse proved it.



"What are you waiting for?" Master Von called.

"Sorry, Master Von, but I’m in no condition to continue," he said quietly with respect.

"I’ll be the one to decide that. Now go."There was no arguing with that tone.

Adrian swallowed his frustration, grumbling inwardly as he forced his legs to move. He rejoined the others on the track, his jog slow and labored, each step a reminder of his limits.

The others were already well ahead, their forms blurring in the distance. After three laps, Adrian’s sore legs begged for mercy, but he pushed on, driven by sheer stubbornness.

The others, meanwhile, were on their fifteenth lap and their pace was also visibly slowing. Sweat formed on their faces, and their breaths came in ragged gasps.

What had started as a disciplined running drill now resembled torture on the poor kids, with everyone struggling to keep going.

Master Von sat cross-legged in his meditation near where they ran on. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke. "One more lap for everyone, and you’re done."

The words were like a lifeline and hope surged through the group, and their paces quickened, fueled by the promise of rest.

Adrian watched as the others dug deep, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

One by one, each of them completed their lap, collapsing onto the floor and grabbing a water bottle from a heap Master Von had kept.

Adrian, however, was still out there. His extra lap felt like a punishment, each step heavier than the last.

The others were done, resting, while he trudged on alone. Five agonizing minutes after the last runner had finished, Adrian finally crossed the line.

He sank to the ground as his body screamed in protest. He’d never felt this drained before, as if every ounce of strength had been wrung from him.

"You did good, buddy," Karl approached him, holding out a water bottle.

Adrian took the bottle, downing the water in desperate gulps before nodding in appreciation.

The cool liquid soothed his parched throat, but it did little to ease the ache in his body or the weight in his mind.

He joined the others, who were now waiting in silence, their eyes fixed on Master Von. The man sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed in his meditation.

Ten minutes of silence dragged by until Von finally opened his eyes. "Okay," he said, standing. "Let’s head inside."

They followed him into the dojo and sat on their respective mats.

Master Von turned to face them, his expression stern but approving.

"I’m impressed with most of you," he began. "You’ve performed to my expectations, shown resilience and discipline."

Adrian kept his gaze forward, saying nothing. It was obvious the words weren’t meant for him. T

Then Von’s eyes landed on him, and the air grew heavier.

"Except you," he said, his tone filled with disappointment. "Your performance was pathetic. I’m honestly surprised you even made it through the trials to be here."

The words might have stung to any other person, but Adrian didn’t care. He was very much aware of how he got in.



He just looked back with an impassive face and Von’s gaze soon left him, sweeping across the group once again.

"But," he continued, "There’s something you all failed to notice, something the boy did that you didn’t."

The group looked in confusion.

"You all burned out quickly because you didn’t pace yourselves. You ran like it was a sprint, not a marathon."

The others exchanged glances, some nodding thoughtfully, others looking skeptical.

"I’ve assessed you all," Von went on. "You’re ready to begin your real training. Now, bring out your weapons."

The group stirred at Master Von’s command, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

Weapons clinked as they moved, some reaching for gear they already carried, others heading to the racks lining the dojo walls.

Karl hefted his spear from where it rested against his side.

Adrian, standing slightly apart, didn’t need to move. He reached into his bag and pulled out his mana gun, its sleek, silver barrel cool against his palm.

He wondered what the Instructor would say about it, but he was ready.

"Arrange yourselves by weapon type," Von ordered, his voice cutting through the noise.

The group moved quickly, forming clusters based on their choices. It was easy to sort themselves.

Eleven trainees gathered with swords, their blades ranging from broadswords to rapiers. Karl joined three others with spears, their long weapons held upright like sentinels.

The lone archer stood off to one side. Two trainees hefted their axe and mace, standing close as if their heavy weapons demanded camaraderie.

And then there was Adrian with his mana gun.

Master Von walked among them, his steps slow and deliberate. He stopped at each group, asking, "What’s your track?"

When Von reached Adrian, the dojo grew quiet. "And you," Von said, eyeing the gun. "What’s your track?"

"It’s a gun."

Von raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "What does it do?"

"It shoots," Adrian replied, his voice steady despite the weight of everyone’s stares.

Von’s eyebrow arched higher. "Show me."

Adrian looked around the dojo, then stepped forward before positioning the mana gun, aiming at a metal plate on the wall, a target probably meant for practice strikes.

The group watched with curious expressions as Adrian took a breath, steadied his hand, and pulled the trigger.

~ZAP~

A brilliant blue bolt shot from the gun, streaking across the dojo. It slammed into the metal plate with a deafening CRACK, leaving a smoking dent in the surface.

The group froze with wide eyes. Karl and the sword boy who had seen the weapon during their trial didn’t show as much surprise as others, but they still had the same awe seeing the weapon again.



The archer’s jaw dropped, and one of the axe wielders muttered, "What in the..."

Master Von stared at the dented plate, his usual stern mask slipping. For a moment, he looked almost impressed.

"This is... awesome," he said, his voice low but clear. The word felt foreign coming from him, and a few of the fighters exchanged glances to agree.

Adrian lowered the gun. But before he could savor it, Von’s expression hardened again. "But unfortunately, you won’t be using that in our training."

"What? Why?" he asked, his voice sharper than he intended.

Von crossed his arms. "It’s too easy for you. A weapon like that does the work for you. Out there, you won’t always have it. You need to learn to fight with your body, your mind, your will. I’ll help you master your weapon but that won’t be now."

Adrian opened his mouth to argue, but the look in Von’s eyes stopped him. There was no room for debate. He clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling, but nodded.

"I’ll be teaching you hand-to-hand combat. You’ll learn to fight with your fists, your feet, your instincts.

Pay attention. You’ll rely on this more than your toy whenever we fight here. I’ll make you adapt. If you ascend, you’ll be unstoppable."

The words hit Adrian hard. Hand-to-hand combat? He doubted that he’s be special on that, since he was physically weak go begin with.

’I’ll give it a try. There’s no problem adding a skill to my arsenal.’

Von turned to the group, his voice booming. "This isn’t about weapons. It’s about you. Pair up. We start hand-to-hand now."