After 45 minutes, Nicolaus was barely breathing because his small size couldn't endure the effort of running nonstop on a racetrack that is so wide that it encompasses a huge area on the north side of the tribe.
It was similar in size to a conventional track and field layout, if not greater since it was about 1 mile from the starting line to the finish line. He had put out his best effort only to complete a single lap while wearing a black vest that weighed around 5kg.
The fact that a 6-year-old kid is being made to go through this absolute madness of training would have people screaming in outrage on Earth, but to the old shaman in Nicolaus's vision, he has no intention of stopping him and even letting him to rest for a while.
He literally seems to be relaxing in his chair, smoking that strange pipe every few seconds, and seeming to be completely at ease.
Nicolaus's eyesight had already been disoriented as he weakly attempted to run, and his chest had constricted as if the airflow won't seep in.
Suddenly, a menacing voice could be heard in his ears saying, "Don't you crave power?"
With his present state, Nicolaus somehow managed to nod his head as a flash of cold light flickered over his eyes.
"Don't surrender! When I order you to halt, you are required to comply. Do you hear me?!"
Hearing those words, Nicolaus clenched his teeth and held his breath, sweat dripping down his face and the sensation of being drenched in water beginning to sweep over his face and eyes.
Time seemed to move at a glacial pace as if the minutes were stretching on indefinitely. It was too much for Nicolaus to bear any longer, and he fell heavily into the ground, his body twitching ever so slightly, and his strength evaporating in an instant.
"Fuck this master... " As soon as Nicolaus had the idea of those words, he was completely unconscious.
Shortly after, a blurred figure teleported next to Nicolaus as the old shaman grimly stared at Nicolaus.
Following that, he pointed at Nicolaus, as a surge of power erupted in Nicolaus's body, and his head immediately jolted in pain and forced him to wake up.
With a grunt, Nicolaus woke up, as he started viciously to the old shaman.
"Did I tell you to sleep? Get your feet moving... " While looking down at the little boy underneath him, the old shaman tossed a peculiar pipe in his direction.
With a peng! It struck Nicolaus square in the face, as Nicolaus winced his eyes as his temper had flared to dangerous levels.
"If you ever get the impression that you're ready to pass out, use that pipe, I crafted it solely for you. Inside it, it's a stimulant. It pushes your body to go past its capable limitations; even if you shatter your bones, you will still feel numb throughout your body since it boosts your blood circulation, respiration, and muscular strength to allow for exertion to take place. However," The old shaman said this while taking a prolonged silence, thus kneeling down so that he was at Nicolaus' eye level, and as he proceeded in a solemn tone.
"If you abuse it, and when the effects have worn off, you will... Then you shall perish..."
Nicolaus' face was expressionless as if he already had no fear at all. He had already died once, and after witnessing that being with the size of a planet, his heart now was carved in stone.
As a result of all that has unfolded, Nicolaus has shown his real nature: a drive to push ahead to his limitations and never again be a pushover. With the nature of Earth in his previous life, it was still a dog-eat-dog world, and particularly today, where power determines everything in this life, it was a world not suited for the weak, and so with that, he took the pipe and puffed out just a little bit extra.
Sure enough, it worked wonders, as his aching body began to go numb, and the increased blood flow caused his cheeks to become red and his muscles to tense somewhat in reaction to the stimulant.
Not wasting time any longer, so he got up and started running while smoking on his pipe at regular intervals.
He could feel that even though his body was quivering, he could still run without any hindrance.
His speed had been even faster before he began since the pain and weariness had kept him in check, but now his shackles were lifted, and with that, his body was now working at maximum capacity.
As the minutes went into hours, the sun began to gently turn, and with it, the day began to change towards sunset. Nicolaus had already puffed out his last smoke earlier, and the effect of the stimulant was already starting to wear off.
The faint light poured down on that wrecked figure who was still trying to run, his bones cracking in the meantime, indicating that something was really wrong.
Gradually, the pain returned, as his body was experiencing unbearable pain. However, the need to remain conscious was now strongly imprinted on his mind, since if he were to collapse right now and become unconscious, he would die definitely.
His body was already in a condition of complete fatigue and agony, and a sudden state of rest would cause him to suffer from shock, which would cause him to die.
Before completing his last loop, Nicolaus struggled to even stand up, and after crossing the finish line a few seconds later, Nicolaus made his way to the old shaman with his eyesight impaired.
As he focused his attention on the little kid, the old shaman was content with the little boy's willpower, and with that, phase two of his plan begins.