One hour had passed since the children started running around the gymnasium.
Burren and Runaan were still running at the front, and the collaterals, vassal children, and recommended children were neck-in-neck behind them.
Of course, not all one hundred sixty of them were running anymore.
Those who lacked stamina had already given up and were resting in a corner, and the number of quitters kept increasing even now.
"Haaaah."
Rimmer's eyes quickly moved left and right, despite lying down on the platform and yawning.
'The sixty-first guy gave up earlier than his stamina could last, and the sixty-second one lasted longer.'
He was grasping all one hundred sixty children at a glance with sleepy eyes.
However, stamina wasn't the only thing Rimmer was analyzing.
'There is no point in just checking their stamina.'
How much stamina children had depended on how they grew up. Honestly, they were all similar except for the two direct lines and the roughly twenty best children.
Even if their stamina was similar, some children gave up as soon as they were out of breath, and some kept running until the end, while their sides pinched or they cried.
'That difference is the most important thing here.'
Just like there were people who gave up easily, there are also people who never gave up. That difference in willpower that looked small at present would grow to be tremendous in the future.
Stamina could be increased, and talents could be nurtured.
However, it was extremely difficult to develop perseverance.
Children who never gave up wouldn't give up in the future either, and children who gave up easily would grow up to be adults who did the same.
Of course, there were exceptions, as some would realize and change their way. However, that was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Looking for a child who already had the perseverance and the willpower was the easiest way.
'This is pretty much set in stone now.'
Rimmer smiled. Over half of the children had already given up, and the rest were getting slower as they tired.
As Rimmer was preparing to end the exam, the golden-haired child running in the back group crossed his sight.
'Raon Zieghart.'
He was the only child who had exceeded his expectations. Rimmer's eyes shone like stars.
'I don't understand it.'
Raon had run out of stamina a long time ago. He shouldn't have been able to stand, because of the ice pressing upon his body and shortening his breath. However, he kept moving his feet relentlessly, without breaking his posture.
'This can't even be called perseverance anymore. This is obstinacy.'
He had seen many brilliant talents, throughout countless battlefields.
Among them, there were swordsmen who would stand at the top of the continent with their swords, and magicians who would change the standard of the world with their magic. But none of them had as much persistence as Raon.
He kept running even after running out of stamina, especially when he was a twelve-year-old child who was born with a terrible constitution.
That wasn't possible without having gone through dozens of life-or-death battles. He couldn't figure out just how a sheltered child possibly ended up with such obstinacy.
'Hmm…'
He looked around the entire gymnasium.
Runaan and Burren, who were staying at the top despite saving their power, were amazing. However, that was nothing compared to Raon, who was still running with no stamina.
The collaterals and the children of vassal families who made fun of Raon were drooling as they ran, as if they didn't want to lose to him.
"Haha."
Rimmer's lips bent into a smooth arc.
"It's going to be fun teaching them."
***
"Hmm…"
Burren Zieghart kept turning back, as he couldn't focus on running. And each time, he had to frown.
'Why? Why is that guy still running?!'
Raon Zieghart. He was an insolent child who talked back to the head of house, and he was unexpectedly still going. He was slow, but he kept running at a constant speed until the end.
'He shouldn't be in any condition to run right now…'
He already knew Raon's condition. He was born with ice in his mana circuit, which not only made him incapable of moving his body properly, but also slowed down his growth.
And when he saw him for the first time, he looked even more pathetic. He was short, and he didn't have the slightest sign of having trained.
'And yet…'
He didn't give up.
The collaterals, children of vassal families, and the recommended children whose talents had been acknowledged were already giving up. And yet, he was still running despite, panting like he was going to die.
'And the person next to me, they're also annoying.'
Runaan, who was the only person who kept up with him, and Raon, who should've dropped out already, were both irritating.
'Alright. I'll show you the clear difference.'
Deciding that he would discourage both Runaan and Raon, he fiercely kicked the ground.
Swoosh!
Using aura, he amplified the muscles in his thighs and calves. Running at a speed that could create tunnel vision, he looked back.
'Those brats?!'
Neither Runaan, who he thought of as a rival, nor Raon were showing any kind of reaction.
They were both running at their own pace, and it was the collaterals and the children from vassal families who were carelessly following him.
"Tsk!"
Burren clicked his tongue and increased his speed. He was now far ahead of Runaan, who used to run next to him, and he had already run past Raon a long time ago.
However, Runaan and Raon's speed didn't change. It was like they were telling him that they weren't interested in him.
'Kuh!'
Realizing that he was ignored by those inferior to him, anger simmered inside him.
'Let's see how long you can keep up that act.'
"Huff!"
Raon smiled, exhaling vigorously.
'Power keeps flowing in.'
His stamina pool had gone empty, resembling a dried-up well a long time ago.
His head was spinning so hard that he felt like he would faint, but he managed to withstand it thanks to the vitality the three starred Ring of Fire provided him.
'This is heaven compared to back then.'
In his previous life, wild dogs chased him when he was younger. He'd run down the mountain while grabbing a heart that felt like it would explode.
There were also times when the wild dog had caught him in the end, resulting in a fight to the death. Compared to that hellish life, what he was doing right now was child's play.
"Huff…"
Raon looked forward while panting. The collaterals and the recommended children, who were still running at full speed, were certainly exceptionally talented. However, Runaan and Burren were different from them; they were steadily running from the beginning, at a constant speed.
Just as he thought that they weren't called geniuses for nothing, Burren suddenly sped up. He ran past Runaan and became the front runner.
"Eh?"
"Lo… Lord Burren?"
"Run! Don't fall behind!"
The collaterals and recommended children who saw him forcibly increased their speed.
"Hmph!"
As if telling them to catch up, Burren peered at Runaan and Raon.
What are you doing right now? Are you going to do nothing when you are provoked? Catch up to him and crush those eyes.
Wrath ground his teeth, glaring at Burren, but Raon didn't react.
'I told you before. This isn't a competition.'
The run was a test to show how much stamina and willpower everyone had, not a competition. And there was one more person who knew that fact.
'Runaan Sullion.'
The silver-haired girl running in second place kept her pace, as if she didn't have a speck of interest in Burren.
'She is actually one step ahead of him.'
He'd thought that they were similar, but it looked like Runaan was mentally superior to Burren.
Burren was pretending to be an adult, but he was acting according to his age. If he went onto the battlefield as he was, he would've died quickly.
'That's not something I should care about.'
Raon kept running in the gymnasium, following Runaan's back instead of Burren's.
"Ra… Raon?"
"How…?"
"He… he was still running?"
The collaterals who exhausted themself running after Burren fell behind. They were the ones who were mocking him before the exam had started.
"Huff, huff! Wh… what did you do?"
"Kuh, there's no way…"
As Raon ran past them, the collaterals that were panting slowed their steps and sat down on the ground.
Raon kept running, using their astonished gaze as a driving force.
'Pathetic.'
It's a fact that those who couldn't stop talking no matter where they went were actually worthless. Since he wasn't interested in them to begin with, he forgot about them and kept running.
"Huff…"
Raon kept rotating his 'Ring of Fire' through slow breaths.
'The ring is developing rapidly.'
Even though he hadn't run for a long time, the cultivation of the Ring of Fire was progressing quickly. After all, the Ring of Fire was a cultivation technique that showed its true value upon going all out.
'It's still incredibly difficult, though.'
The rotating ring of fires didn't make the pain disappear. He felt like his heart and lungs were being crushed, and his side hurt as if it was stabbed by a dagger.
How pathetic.
Wrath clicked his tongue as he kept running full out.
I can't accept defeat from you whose body will become mine. Give your body to me right now. I will catch up and completely freeze that blue haired brat right now.
'Shut up.'
It wasn't a test to catch up. It was a fight against himself.
I can't accept defeat as long as The King of Essence has his eyes open.
'Then close your eyes. It's a miracle that I'm still running like this.'
It wasn't a lie.
Even though he had Wrath's system, he still couldn't get rid of the ice inside his mana circuits. The 'Ring of Fire' was a miracle that allowed him to keep running.
Then give your body to me.
Wrath transformed into the blue flame that he had seen the day before. His anger made him nauseated as it stimulated his emotions.
'Not now, of all times…'
Raon bit his lip. Wrath's stimulation felt twice as painful than the day before because of how tired he was.
'It's pointless, so go back to sleep already.'
He kept his calm expression using his Ring of Fire at full force. He kept moving his legs, pretending he wasn't affected.
Kuh! Why does The King of Essence's power not work on you?!
Wrath kept stimulating the angry emotion relentlessly.
"Huff…"
Raon withstood Wrath's mental attack with his already empty stamina.
'I'm dying…'
Cold sweat ran down his back. He felt like he would faint at any moment.
Thanks to the balance between the Ring of Fire and the experience of his previous life—one of countless life or death situations—he barely managed to hold on.
You stubborn brat!
'Give up and piss off!'
"Haa!"
While Raon was pushing back Wrath's power, Rimmer, who was lying on the platform suddenly stood up.
"Everyone, stop!"
The children who were running in the gymnasium stopped as they heard his clear voice.
"Huff! Huff!"
"Kuh!"
"Aww!"
The children could hardly keep their eyes open as they panted, sitting on the ground or holding their knees.
"Huff…"
Raon looked like he would die as he panted heavily.
What a monster.
Wrath ground his teeth and went back to the bracelet.
'I told you, you can't.'
He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. The test was difficult, but withstanding Wrath's attack was even more so. If he'd kept running, he could've really died.
'This life isn't normal either… Hmm?'
A new message popped up while he was drinking.
Ding!
[An extreme stamina-surpassing action was performed.]
[Ability points have increased.]