Even wielders of universal energy adhered to training methods reminiscent of a bygone era. They, too, had to sculpt their physical forms to attain strength, much like individuals from a century ago. Yet, this never meant that there wasn't any difference between them and people of this age.
Prominent distinction, but of course, was their universal energy.
Those who wished to train had to meditate for a short period during each set break. And there was a logical reason to do this, in fact, two reasons.
The inner core served as a conduit that harnessed universal energy to fortify their bodies. Yet, this process had its limits. It was akin to suddenly feeling a surge of power after breaking through and having their newly found energy to sleep in their core lazily.
It was akin to storing energy in a warehouse. Albeit, in a useless, abandoned warehouse. So, the main objective was turning it into a useful one and this was the first reason for physical training.
As one need not consciously command each breath, the brain dutifully handles that job, and so too does the energy core, fortifying the vessel, weaving strength into the sinews without the need for conscious intervention.
'Then why the hell are we training? Can't we get stronger by only breathing, living?' This was also one of the most famous questions of the past.
The answer is, yes, it indeed was the case. But the crucial distinction lay in the pace of progression. And Leon's system stats exemplified this concept better than anything.
An individual eschewing training could gain 1 STR point in three to five days, while a diligent practitioner could achieve the same in a single day.
However, the stronger you are, the harder to get stronger. It was akin to that of heavy people trying to lose some of their weight. At least, around the first ten kilogram was easier to lose, than the real hard part starts. It wasn't any different in getting stronger.
In essence, the objective was to expel universal energy from the body more efficiently, facilitating rapid physical enhancement. Meditation during set breaks played a crucial role in this process, replenishing expended energy while continuously exposing the body to the universal energy.
The second reason why people meditate during set breaks is to prepare themselves for harsh times. Meditating in a tranquil atmosphere and a relaxed shape was as easy as breathing, but the genuine test lay in meditating under fatigue and stress.
Meditating meant gathering energy. Gathering energy in any and every state of body and mind was a pathway to ascending to the stage of higher leveled people.
Real strong people can gather energy even when walking and sleeping. And this action means a lot. Gathering your used-up energy even a tiny bit during a fight could be a lifesaver, game changer. On top of that, it meant non-stop power-up during ordinary days, getting closer to the next level quickly.
'Easier said than done.'
Leon pondered, gasping for breath after a demanding five-minute sprint on the treadmill. It was a hard ordeal for Leon.
And right after that, without even stopping for a minute, he had to sit down and start meditating.
'Meditating is the time for taking a breather,' was Triss's words.
Despite his heart threatening to escape its confines, Leon pressed on. He had to get his head together and use breathing technique. However, he couldn't achieve that in the blink of an eye like the Werewolf trainer Claire.
Compared to her, he was no different from a baby. That is why he, unknowingly, accomplished it the same way as others: having his tired self vanish when trying to meditate.
In short, he couldn't meditate.
All this ordeal of meditation lasted about three minutes. Opened his eyes slowly and dragged his feet towards the 50-kilogram dumbbells. Still, he had some disappointment in his eyes. Neither a ding ringed in his ears nor a blue screen appeared.
His expectations were quite high on a stat up, but he could only sigh for shattered dreams.
At least, he wasn't alone in this. Triss also undergoing the same regimen. After all, she was the one guiding him through all these ordeals.
"Those could be too much for you," giggled so while lifting one quite easily.
"Heh," as always, like it's his own life rule already, grinned with utmost confidence.
However, unlike the times before, his confidence had solid ground this time, 'I've put so many points into STR. So, of course, I should be lifting these up easily.'
True to his claim, he managed the lift with relative ease, marking a significant improvement. As he approached his thirtieth repetition, a brief respite signaled the initiation of meditation.
Leon mirrored Triss's routine, to be absolutely sure. It wasn't like he didn't know what he had to do. Let alone his own mother, even the teachers were instructing children about the training regime of an energy user.
Things were already downed into the stage of common knowledge. Albeit, those parts of the knowledge were only for lower levels.
Those at higher levels often navigated uncharted territory, relying on personal discoveries and the wisdom gained from their unique journeys.
Still, people tend to boast about themselves. It was even more so if they wanted to find followers on the internet or drag people to their websites.
Regardless of their power level, everyone was roaming around on the internet and talking about their own training regimes. Videos were also there to prove them.
Yet, how can you trust something you have seen on the internet?
The easy answer would be: 'I'd check if official websites also shared the same information or a bunch of famous people stating something along the lines.'
Both of the ways were correct, but what if someone were to be manipulating this information? A conspiracy theory. Albeit, a conspiracy theory that everyone would readily believe in since they were living under the Gods.
If you can't find the correct piece of knowledge through internet searching, you should try the books. In that case, history lesson one: history is written by the victors.
Then, what if those victors have been around for an entire century and were kept surveilling people? That means they could be writing everything constantly to their advantage.
In the absence of any trusted online resources, reliable books, or knowledgeable mentors, how can someone at the higher levels learn the way to train and get to the peak level?
The answer is: either become a God's Guard and get the unlimited support of the Gods or join to a clan that swore eternal obedience to the Gods. In short, people had to become workers of God in one way or another to surpass the limits set by their limited knowledge.
While alternative paths existed, such as joining the Rebellious. However, the inherent dangers of such a choice loomed large for obvious reasons.
Thus, the more realistic route involved stumbling upon a guidebook or some hidden knowledge, a prospect akin to a child's fantastical dream.
A broad grin of pure bliss spread across Leon's sweat-drenched face. The toil of countless sit-ups suddenly seemed justified as a tangible, undeniable reward lay before him.
Ding!
An obvious, undisputable reward of hardship was in front of his eyes, immediately fired himself up and turned his turbo speed function on for a few seconds more.
The reason showed itself on a tiny blue screen.
[STR +1]
[STR: 6 (+5)]
'Finally! I got a damn stat up!'
As Triss, having completed her set, patiently waited for Leon before starting her meditation, one of her eyes remained fixed on him.
Observing his sudden surge of energy, various speculations flitted through her mind. Yet, the most plausible explanation seemed to be his attempt to portray himself as a manly man.
"Are you trying to impress Claire?"
"Haah… Wh… What?"
"I mean, did you suddenly gain energy after checking on Claire?" Pointed at the person in question, on the horizon, working with weird-looking, different so to say, dumbbells.
"Haah… No…"
Despite his denial, Leon's gaze lingered on Claire, and he continued to push himself unnecessarily. The area his eyes fixated on lacked any conspicuous muscle.
"Hey! Stop ogling her!"
Leon's exhausted exhale prompted a brief pause.
"What? Do you have a problem with that?"
Her head turned to side, "Not really…"
"Really now?"
"What?"
"Nothing. Let's finish this first."
Their training took about a total of 45 minutes with all those breaks and meaningless talks from time to time. Most of them were composed of quarreling.
Nightfall ushered in telekinesis training, a relatively straightforward task involving lifting a knife and maneuvering it through the air.
The true challenge, and the reason it earned its title as training, lay in sustaining the knife's flight, continuously utilizing core energy to exhaust both body and mind.
As time passed, the third day in Rebellious seamlessly transitioned into the tenth day.