If everyone thought the physical training from yesterday was hellish, then they were unprepared for what would come the next day.
What? Did you think we were forced to eat rats and worms for dinner or something? Wrong story, dudes. I wasn't going to spend the next ten chapters or so on a training camp. People were going to start screaming about fillers without even understanding the true meaning of fillers. Some readers just labeled whatever they were uninterested in as "filler" instead of understanding that these chapters had a larger role to play in the overall plot of the story. They failed to see the big picture, and because it wasn't constant fighting, they screamed and whined incessantly about fillers.
"We'll be running through this trail today," Feng Hai told us as we gathered at the edge of Sen Lin Forest. We were allowed outside of the military camp, having exited through the heavy gates. Sentries continued to monitor for any intrusions or monsters from Sen Lin Forest, and automated turrets continued revolving around their grids to track down any potential targets. I was relieved to see that there weren't any monsters nearby. But Feng Hai ended up bringing us through the main highway and into a much narrower trail that cut through the middle of the forest. "The route is uploaded through your smartphones. Check the academy app and it will show you a digital map. Stick to the path and signs on your phone. Don't stray from the route, or you'll have to bear the consequences."
Terence gulped. "What consequences?"
Feng Hai grinned. "If you want to stray away from the dirt track and go into the forest, don't blame me or the school if you get killed by a monster."
The students glanced uneasily at each other. We were all aware that Sen Lin Forest was a hotspot for Emergence events, and countless monsters dwelled in their depths. There was a slight barrier cast on either side of the dirt track, but the defensive enchantment was only capable of protecting against weak monsters. Fortunately, strong monsters rarely left the wilderness, so unless we were extremely unlucky, we shouldn't encounter any of them if we kept to the edges of civilization.
"However, you won't be penalized if you do so." For some reason, Feng Hai's gaze swept toward me and several of the students. "Fighting against monsters makes for excellent combat training too. In fact, I encourage you to hunt a monster or two if you happen to spot one. That said, you had best know your limits. Don't hunt a powerful monster if you have no way of defeating it. I don't want to explain to your parents how you got killed under my watch. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Feng Hai nodded in approval. Then he grinned again.
"Another thing. You're all not allowed to use magic power when running. You're only allowed to use magic when in combat, if you venture off the path and hunt monsters in the forest. But you're not allowed to use any spells to enhance your physical prowess or speed for even a millimeter atop the track. The moment I sense you use magic when you're still on the track, you'll be disqualified." He then turned toward a truck. "And to make your lives difficult, I have a gift for you."
After he whistled, a couple of soldiers emerged from the back of the military truck. They began throwing down gigantic backpacks.
"Each of you, take one. They're about fifty kilograms each. You're not allowed to receive assistance from anyone regarding your backpack. Each of you must only carry your own. No helping in sharing the load. The goal is to strengthen your stamina and physical condition."
Everyone glanced at each other in dismay. Not only were we not allowed to use any magic when running on the track, we still had to carry these insane loads? They might as well shoot us right here and now.
"Why? Is there a problem?" Feng Hai's voice was frosty. Everyone shook their heads without hesitation. After yesterday's training, we realized he wasn't someone we wanted to piss off.
"No, sir!"
"We can do it!"
"Good. Now get to it!" Feng Hai clapped his hands and gestured for us to start. "The track should run for about fifty miles. There are various obstacles, never mind the monsters. You're only allowed to eat after you complete your run." He smirked. "Make sure you return before it gets dark. The stronger monsters come out at night, and even the barrier enchantments we set up alongside the track wouldn't be able to stop them."
I gulped when I heard that. It was true that the more powerful monsters were more active at night.
Then we all set off. I regulated my pace, knowing that I couldn't afford to exhaust all of my strength right from the start. Especially with such a heavy load clinging to my back. Even with training from my dad, it wasn't as if I had reached superhuman capability.
However, even in my previous world, commandoes and marines underwent similar training, so it wasn't as if this was physically impossible for humans. We needed conditioning and all that, and in order to use magic, our bodies had to withstand the power and potential backlash from casting spells. So we already had some advantage in terms of physical constitutions when compared to ordinary humans.
At least that was the theory, anyway.
Ahead, the Holy Saints Society ran forward, led by Harrison Reed. Cody Crosby, Lily Liam, Adam Freeman and Terence Taylor followed him closely, and the five of them surged toward the front before anyone could say anything.
The rest of us randomly grouped up together and jogged along the track together. Dong Fang Yue Chu stayed close to me, and his stamina was pretty good too. He grinned at me as he jogged slowly at a steady pace.
"Fifty miles, huh? We probably can finish it in about five hours and reach the camp after noon."
"Yeah." I nodded. "As long as we maintain this pace, anyway."
Alicia and Pearl ended up leading the rest of us, and I suspected they slowed down so that we could jog as a group rather than split up. Craig and Theodore were slightly ahead of Dong Fang Yue Chu and me, the pair of them quietly jogging at their own pace. I suspected they were also holding back slightly for the rest of the group, otherwise the distance between us would have widened the longer the run went.
"Should we hunt monsters?" Craig asked without turning back. I shrugged.
"Normally I would be happy to, but with fifty kilograms on our back? And wouldn't we exhaust ourselves too much to complete the rest of the run before dark?"
"Richard has a point," Theodore conceded. "We can't afford to be too reckless."
"Aw…you guys are boring," Craig complained, but Alicia sent him a sharp glance.
"If you want to fight, you are welcome to do so on your own. But please refrain from putting the rest of the group at risk."
"Yes, ma'am." Craig sighed. "But it's boring to fight on my own. If only the rest of my members were here…"
The Crimson Spear Society was a small society like Ultimate Outcast, with about twenty members. As such, they only had one slot. Honestly, Ultimate Outcast would only have one slot too, but we stole one from poor Lin Zhan Long and Holy Saints, which was the only reason why we had two members in the training camp.
And so we continued to run for the next few hours. Before we knew it, the sun had risen to its zenith, signaling that it had reached noon. I glanced up and shielded my eyes as I studied the sky, grimacing at the increasing heat. Even with the trees by the side of the track affording us some shelter, it was still pretty hot.
At the edges of my peripheral vision, I could see dark shapes darting around the foliage of the forest, or creatures lurking just beyond view. From the nervous expressions of my fellow students, I could tell that they caught sight of the monsters too.
"I really want to fight them," Craig muttered as he fidgeted restlessly. Dong Fang Yue Chu rolled his eyes.
"Sure. Go ahead. We'll leave you behind."
"Why can't you join me?"
"Not all of us have the stamina to fight and run," Alicia explained, her eyes still forward. "I would prefer if we all stay as a group and move together. That way, we can protect and look out for each other."
Craig grumbled something under his breath, but he didn't break off. Instead, he continued running with us.
Just a few hundred meters ahead of us, Adam and Terence had slowed down slightly, unable to keep up with Harrison's punishing pace. They couldn't even keep up with the agile Cody and steady Lily. It wasn't as if they weren't fit or lacked the stamina. They could still run without pause, but they were the slow types, having built their bodies up with muscles for physical power over speed. They became aware that we were going to catch up with them.
"Whoa! It's actually the rest of them!" Adam exclaimed nervously as he glanced over his shoulder. "This is bad! If they overtake us, won't we be the last!?"
"How is that possible?!" Terence counted, and to his dismay, he realized that Adam was correct. "There should be stragglers behind. We can't possibly be the slowest in the training camp!"
To be honest, they weren't. There were a few students who were slower than the pair of them, but the both of them had slacked off slightly to take several breaks, allowing us to catch up eventually. If they didn't pause to sit about, they would have stayed far ahead. They had gotten complacent when they calculated that they would reach the training camp well before dark, and were taking any chance they could get to slack.
Consequently, they found us hot on their heels.
"Hmm…this is an obstacle course, isn't it?" Adam began to smirk as an idea occurred to him. "What if we create our own obstacles?"
"Huh? Isn't that against the rules? If we get caught…"
"Don't worry. Do you think Instructor Feng Hai cares about this trivial detail? He'll probably praise us and tell the others that everyone still has to remain vigilant even during training." Adam was grinning evilly.
The two of them veered off to the side and jumped into the forest. They made sure the area was clear and empty of monsters before they settled down behind a bush. Each of them took a rock in hand and got ready to throw it.
The ambush was simple. They hoped to take at least a couple of us by surprise by throwing rocks at us. That might cause us to accidentally use magic to defend ourselves and thus we would end up getting disqualified from this training. If we didn't counter with magic spells, then we would possibly be knocked out.
Adam, in particular, was trying to resolve a grudge for his vice-president, Lin Zhan Long. If his vice-president heard about this, he would definitely be delighted. Adam would receive a reward and climb in status within Holy Saints.
Both Terence and Adam were Lin Zhan Long's cronies. Even though Lin Zhan Long was barred from the training camp, he was still able to pull some strings to ensure that the both of them could participate in his place. As such, the both of them were extremely grateful to their boss. They were aware of his resentment against Ultimate Outcast, especially since we were the one who ended up eliminating Lin Zhan Long and taking his slot, and thus looked for any opportunity to repay the debt.
Thus they had already selected their targets from the beginning, and aimed at both me and Dong Fang Yue Chu.
"!!!"
Thanks to my training from my dad, I was sensitive to such surprise attacks. I had grown up over the last five years trying to escape kidnappers and professional mercenaries from criminal organizations and those bearing a grudge against my father. Thanks to that, I was able to sniff out a threat from a mile away.
"Get down!" I told Dong Fang Yue Chu. Scraping my foot on the ground, I whirled around and whipped my leg out, kicking both rocks.
Wham!
The rocks were flung back at where they came from, and two miserable screams echoed through the forest as Terence and Adam crashed back, clutching their faces. Blood streamed through their fingers as they groaned and rolled about helplessly on the ground.
"Richard? What happened?!" Alicia called out from the front, looking back in concern.
"Nothing," I replied, but Craig cut in with a chuckle.
"A couple of…uh, monsters, ambushed us. But their attacks couldn't get through the barrier, so they threw rocks at us instead. Richard just tossed them back at them."
"Monsters, huh?" Theodore muttered with a snicker.
"Those are definitely not monsters!" Dong Fang Yue Chu growled angrily. "They are…!"
"It doesn't matter who they are," I interrupted him. "They won't be coming after us for a while."
Glancing up, I exchanged a smirk with Craig and Theodore as the group carried on with our run without pause.