Hooooo!
Alfred took a deep breath, stretched his little fat limbs, shook for a while, and psyched himself up.
"Let's do this!"
Now he was ready!
He started off jogging slowly while checking out the scenery on the lake.
Whap!
The sound of a solid, hard, and brutal object could be immediately heard conversating with flesh.
"Ah!"
Alfred screamed from the agony of such vile conversations. Why did he need to connect his arse with a baton? He did not sign up for this!
"Run!"
John did care if he signed up voluntarily or not for anything. He told him to run 800 meters, and run 800 meters the fatty shall.
"There is no walking or jogging contained within the word 'run', so if you don't want to have another heart to heart with this baton, then get moving." John looked at him with glee. Hadn't this brat been having a good life recently? He, John Gibbs, was the master of this domain. Yet a wily brat was living like a king under his nose? Call him petty, but interest must be taken as soon as possible.
And as such, a strange scene could be seen taking place on the barrack's training ground. A little fatty was doing all he could to flee. While the Marshall walked behind him with a sadistic grin on the corner of his lips, and a pair of sharp eyes looking for an opportunity to pounce on him, while waving a meter-long dangerous-looking baton in his hand.
...
Alfred knew his old man was always looking for an opportunity to devour him clean without leaving bones. So all he could do was run and not give him the satisfaction he was searching for.
As Alfred ran for 80 meters, he could feel his chest heating up.
When he got to 170 meters, his lungs were on fire. One must understand, that this was the same person who could not finish a 200m sprint one day ago.
When he reached 210m, the lactic acid in his short stubby legs was more than he could manage, and he started staggering while breathing as heavy as the bellows being tugged on by five burly blacksmiths.
'Better than yesterday.'
John looked at him with approval.
As he neared 240m Alfred's speed gradually slowed to a crawl, with his legs and knees trembling. He couldn't take it anymore. He almost swore at the devilish figure behind him. In his mind, he was only 6 years old. Why should he suffer this much? It seemed that he had forgotten that in this world, there were many 6-year-old kids almost infinitely stronger than him.
...
Without being able to reach the 240-meter mark, he fell forward with his chest heaving, heart racing, and blood pumping faster than he had ever felt in a long, long time.
'How long has it been?'
He quietly asked himself.
A tear silently rolled down his cheek. As he looked back at his actions for the last four months.
'What was I doing?'
Was his second thought. In his memory, he could see a slim and handsome 5-year-old kid gradually swelling up like a blow doll.
'Was my past life's sufferings worth only that much?'
He watched as a now chubby kid laid lazily on a Yaiza, reaching out his grubby hands for smoked Abalone, while watching the soldiers working up a sweat running around the large lake.
'What was my thought back then?'
'Ah.'
He remembered.
'I've suffered enough my whole life, so I'll live life like a real pedigree this time.'
'How laughable!'
He started crying tears of deep sorrow, lament, and regret.
Such an excuse.
Such a lackadaisical behaviour.
Such cowardly actions.
A whole lifetime's worth of experience was almost wasted because of cowardice.
'So what if I've suffered? isn't this a new beginning? Why can't I rise? The opportunity to reach the peak of this world is right before me!'
...
[Ding!]
[The host has reflected on himself and achieved sublimation of the heart]
[Unlocking new skill]
...
Alfred didn't hear what the system was saying. Neither did he see or pay any attention to the notifications floating in front of his eyes. All he could see was the ground coming closer and closer to his face.
He wanted to move.
He wanted to continue.
He wanted to struggle against fate once more.
Suddenly, he felt it.
He felt strength welling up from deep within him. He felt his fatigue slowly being washed away from his atrophied muscles. He felt the vigour of his heart. He felt the pulsing of blood, coursing through his veins. He felt courage. Courage to face his fears. Courage to triumph over his challenges. And most of all, courage to face the future.
...
[Ding!]
[Skill: Heart Of The Strong, unlocked]
...
Alfred stretched out his hands and braced himself against the cold, hard, and unfeeling earth. He rolled for a round, then got up without delay.
He didn't need it.
He didn't need his father to wallop him.
He didn't need anyone to yell at him.
He didn't need anyone to guide him.
He had found his path. He will walk it to the end. And walk it with his back straight.
...
John watched as Alfred fell.
He took a step forward but drew his foot back. He had a serious but complex expression on his heroic face. He didn't know what was going through Alfred's mind, but he knew that this fall would be one of the most important moments in his life.
Would he get up? Would he stay down? Or will he faint from exhaustion? Each of these questions might seem very simple and inconsequential. But the resulting actions of such seemingly inconsequential questions might determine someone's future for the rest of their life.
...
John watched as Alfred rolled on the ground.
He watched as Alfred stood up.
He watched as Alfred continued to run.
John stopped running. He lifted his head and looked at the clear blue skies.
'The future is so bright.'
He thought to himself. To him, the future was as clean, clear, and bright as the sunless sky.
...
Alfred ran with his head held high for the next 288 meters, before falling unconscious.
Before he could fall to the ground, a sonic boom was heard. John materialized behind him and held him in his arms.
The baton was nowhere to be seen.
The sadistic and petty grin was wiped out of existence from his face. In its place was a look of approval and commendation, that couldn't be outshone by a 10 million kilowatt bulb.
If Alfred was awake right now, he would definitely ask where his statistic and petty old man went.