"Wait, a marathon will take too much time. Let's just go for a five-lap race on the track field. Are you up for the challenge?" Austin corrected himself.
"Ha! You should be asking that question to yourself," William retorted arrogantly.
"Let's set up a bet as well. Whoever loses must crawl around the campus with their tongue stretched out like a dog," William added with a smirk.
"Deal!" Austin immediately agreed.
William was stunned and immediately stared intently at Austin, wondering why the latter sounded so confident in winning the match. It's not like there's any difference between basketball and a running race.
In William's eyes, Austin was still a hopeless nerd who never exercised. Compared to him, someone who was like an athlete, William believed his stamina surely surpassed Austin's by a large margin.
If Austin could hear William's thoughts, he would probably be laughing it off. After all, if there's one thing Austin felt confident about in his physique, it was his stamina!
Just like Alysia said about the Morphing phase being a gradual enhancement of one's body, Austin could feel his physique progressively improving. For instance, he was now able to perform a jump of nearly three meters.
However, among various aspects of his physique, it was his stamina that received the most significant benefit. Perhaps because the Morphing phase was all about 'progress,' his stamina kept getting supplied with energy, almost unlimited. Even now, he felt like if he were told to run from morning to night, he wouldn't be exhausted—though there's possibility his legs might turn to jelly.
This was the main reason why he proposed a race. As for a basketball match, although his physique had surpassed that of a human, he wasn't sure if he could win the match, considering his limited experience in playing basketball. He doubted if he could outplay William solely by relying on his physique without the knowledge of various tricks and techniques in basketball.
The two of them soon went to the track field. What initially began as a casual dispute between two students suddenly turned into a match that attracted quite a commotion. Dozens of students now followed them, interested to see how their match would turn out.
As it had captured the public's attention, there was no doubt that the match became a hot topic in the online campus forum.
"Shocking! A student named Austin suddenly issues a challenge to the vice-captain basketball team, William, for a ten-lap race! The reason behind the challenge is still unclear, but someone mentioned that when William was practicing, he did it with such recklessness that the ball ended up hitting a passing student's face. It is speculated that the challenger was upset about what happened to the person who got hit and immediately confronted William, leading to the present conflict."
When Lester, who only had a class this afternoon, saw the post, he quickly slapped the shoulder beside him. "Holy shit! Look at this!"
When Harry read the post, he said thoughtfully, "Is Austin seriously entering a race against him? Doesn't he realize what could go down?"
"You mean he's going to lose? Well, your words do make sense. I've never seen Austin go for exercise. Why would he challenge William to a ten-lap race? I could understand if it were a video game duel. But a race, where physical fitness matters a lot? Is Austin living in some protagonist fantasy, thinking he can pull off a miracle? Did he get a brain transplant along with that skin makeover?" Lester exclaimed incredulously.
"No, I was thinking, isn't Professor Smith's lecture starting in five minutes? If Austin goes for the race now, won't he miss his class? He should know better what would happen to him once Professor Smith learns the truth," Harry said, with a chill running down his spine.
"Who cares about that?! Let's go to the track field now!"
...
However, when Lester arrived at the track field about ten minutes later, what he witnessed left him utterly flabbergasted. It was as if the heavens themselves had crumbled right before his eyes. Well, it wasn't an exaggeration, as his sense of reality seemed to crumble alongside.
He was expecting to see Austin to be in an exhausted state, with his tongue stretched out wanting to vomit and sweat pouring madly over his body. Yet, what the heck did he just see?
Not only was Austin not panting, but it looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll in the park. His hands were comfortably in his pockets as he ran backward, with William chasing after him, gasping for breath and a face as red as a boiled lobster.
What on earth had just happened?!
...
Five minutes earlier.
Around fifty students had gathered on the track field. While some had come for entertainment, others came to cheer for William.
As the vice-captain of the basketball team, William naturally enjoyed a good reputation among the students. Paired with his good looks, he could be considered a pretty popular figure at Alves College.
On the other hand, a person named Austin was perhaps only recognized by those who had attended the same class as him. Even then, due to his previous tan, they might have failed to recognize him in his current state.
Therefore, the spectators were only divided into two factions: those there for entertainment and those there to cheer for William.
"You see the difference now?" William asked, smirking.
"What?" Austin pretended didn't understand what he was referring to.
"Listen. The cheers. They were meant for me. What about you? Does anyone even recognize you now? Perhaps, from today onward, you'll be remembered as a loser who only knows how to bark loudly." William spread his hands, tauntingly.
Austin rubbed his ears. "Huh? What did you just say?"
"I said, no one here is for you, and you'll be remembered as the biggest loser, crawling around the campus like a dog," William repeated.
"What was that again? The noise here is so loud. I can't hear you," Austin said innocently, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
William was about to speak again but caught the sly expression on Austin's face. "Damn it! You're playing with me! Hmph!" He then turned to one of his supporters, a girl with a big chest and a short skirt.
Although his attention was noticeably drawn to her figure, as a gentleman, he couldn't openly display his lust. So, with a refined smile, he said, "Hello, could you be the referee for this match, miss?"
The big-chested girl looks startled for a moment before revealing a sweet smile. "Sure,"
The track was five hundred meters long. So, five laps means two and a half kilometers.
Normally, covering this distance would be considered manageable for anyone.
However, in the context of a race, participants were compelled to go all out, pushing their stamina beyond normal limits. It was this added intensity that injected an element of intrigue into the event.
Of course, if Austin fails to perform well and is left trailing in the dust by William, the spectators might be left disappointed.
So naturally, those who came for entertainment began cheering for Austin.
"Go, go, Austin!"
"I've placed a bet on you; please don't disappoint my ten bucks, Austin!"
"There's even a bet?" Austin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Since this was just an unofficial match, the big-chested girl didn't use a starting gun but instead opted for a countdown.
"Three... Two... One... Go!"
William immediately transitioned from his running posture to a sprint, moving like a cheetah.
While sprinting in a mid-distance race wasn't the most strategic choice, William was determined to leave Austin in the dust, aiming to underscore how imprudent the latter was for challenging him.
It's not just about winning, it's about sending a message!
'Does this nerd truly believe he can beat me in a sport other than basketball? He must be dreaming!' William snorted silently.
'He must have lagged far behind me, right?' Thinking this, William slowed down his pace and glanced over his shoulder.
To his surprise, Austin was only a single step behind him. What shocked him even more was the relaxed expression on Austin's face, with none of the ragged breaths he had expected.
'How could this be? Does this nerd secretly train himself and have been waiting for this moment?' William thought, shocked. However, he soon dismissed the idea. He didn't believe Austin could be so farsighted and come up with this brilliant idea to trap him.
'He must be just pretending to be tough! If so, I might just need a couple of hundred meters to shake him off.' William concentrated on his sprint and began accelerating his speed.
After a while, his heart pounded furiously, and each breath became more laborious.
Huff...Huff... This should be enough to shake him off, right?
With that thought, William glanced back once again. However, what he saw left him in shock and despair.
"No way... is he still a human?"