"Well, aren't you remarkable! Starting a fight on the first day of school. Stand up straight." The burly man, just like Carl, sported a head of short red hair. However, Carl seemed like an amateur compared to him. This man looked like he was in his thirties. If Carl was a calf, then he was a strong bull. His leopard-like face and imposing manner made him naturally intimidating.
"So you like fighting, huh? Excellent. An Yin Yang Demon Master who dislikes fighting isn't qualified. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to fight in the future. However, fighting publicly on the school playground, you sure have guts! You've violated the school rules. You three are excused from the opening ceremony. Immediately, right now, turn around and run twenty laps around the field. If you can't handle it, you may as well go home to mommy. The last one to finish will run an extra five laps. This will be your opening ceremony. Start."
Without any hesitation, Bi Su was the first to dash off. Although Ji Dong cursed his rotten luck, he had been thinking it over for the past few days. Since he was going to start over, he might as well do it properly. So, with no other choice, he followed Bi Su and started running. Red Hair Carl gave them a furious stare before following after them.
Li Fire Academy had two playgrounds belonging to the Bing Fire Department and Ding Fire Series. They were currently running on the Bing Fire Department's field. It wasn't large, only two hundred meters per lap. Nonetheless, twenty laps would amount to four thousand meters. For ten-year-olds, especially someone as frail as Ji Dong, this was a challenge.
Many new and old students had gathered to witness this scene. The older students chuckled while the new students looked with fear at the fierce, muscular middle-aged man.
With a menacing glare, the middle-aged man roared, "What are you looking at? Do you want to run laps too? Get to the auditorium immediately and attend the opening ceremony. Right now, I will count to ten. If there's still someone here, you'll join them running laps."
Instantly, students from all grades scattered. No one wanted to be the next unlucky one.
The muscular man touched his face, "Am I that terrible? Just because I have a few more horizontal wrinkles on my face. Humph." As he said this, his eyes shifted towards the three boys running around the field. He watched Ji Dong particularly closely and chuckled, "These three kids aren't bad, they remind me of my younger days, daring to fight on the first day of school. That's commendable. Especially the skinniest one, he surely got a strong kick in, didn't expect that. Wait, why don't I remember him from last year's freshman enrollment exam?"
As soon as they started running, the difference in physical strength became apparent. Carl, with his resiliently muscular body, maintained a strong power in his steps. Each stride was a heavy stomp propelling him forward. Despite starting last, he quickly overtook Ji Dong and Bi Su and took the lead.
Bi Su, while not as strong as Carl, kept up a light and graceful pace. He wasn't left too far behind and maintained his run with ease.
For Ji Dong, unfortunately, things weren't looking too good. At first, he managed okay as he had been exercising for a few days. He could barely keep up with the rest until the fifth lap when his breath became heavier as his legs felt more sluggish and heavy. His clothes became drenched with sweat and his distance from Carl and Bi Su became greater.
By the ninth lap, Carl had overlapped Ji Dong by one whole lap and showed no intention of slowing the pace.
When Bi Su overlapped Ji Dong for the first time, he looked at Ji Dong in confusion, "Mate, you aren't physically fit, huh! How did you pass the physical assessment during the entrance exam? Thanks for earlier."
Ji Dong gave him a glance and huffed out, "Seeing that you didn't abandon me in the fight just now, I won't hold this against you."
Bi Su pat his rather flabby chest, "How could I just leave, am I that kind of person?"
Ji Dong retorted, "You sort of seem like it."
"Uh... Do you want me to help?" Bi Su offered, reaching to support Ji Dong and relieve some of his body weight.
Ji Dong managed to dodge his hand, "Not necessary, I can manage. Run ahead, don't worry about me."
The burly man who was standing at the center of the field had noticed their interaction, "What are you doing? Hurry up and run. Do you want more punishment?"
Bi Su stuck out his tongue and resumed his fast pace to catch up to Carl.
By the fifteenth lap, Ji Dong was completely exhausted yet he hadn't considered giving up. He reflected; to become a Yin Yang Demon Master required thirty-two times the effort of a genius. He decided to view today's punishment as a new beginning.
The burly man stood in the middle of the field, watching the boys. Initially, he had admired Ji Dong, who had fought fiercely. However, in the progress of the punishment run, the burly man noticed the stark differences. Carl and Bi Su exhibited good physical ability, running twenty laps was nothing to them. But the skinny kid struggled significantly. He began to question how this kid made it through the entrance examination.
His thoughts changed abruptly as he noticed Ji Dong pushing himself hard despite severely depleting his strength. There wasn't the slightest hint of giving up or begging for mercy. The burly man admired his persistent determination and his tenacity earned him a silent nod of approval.
By the time Ji Dong completed his sixteenth lap, Carl and Bi Su had already finished their punishment. Surprisingly, Bi Su demonstrated an incredible amount of acceleration at the end and was almost neck and neck with Carl.
Ji Dong continued his unfaltering strides, suddenly, he felt that his body was lighter and running didn't seem as difficult as before. A light bulb went on in his head. He thought, "I've broken through my limit?" He knew during aerobic exercise, the body would eventually reach a limit. Surpassing this limit meant surpassing oneself. His steps became lighter and his breathing seemed less laborious. The lap from seventeen to twenty were noticeably easier and he persevered.
However, the punishment wasn't over. Being the last to finish, he had five more laps as punishment. As Ji Dong started his twenty-first lap, a figure suddenly caught up to him.
"What are you doing?" Ji Dong turned to see Bi Su running beside him.
Bi Su gave a cheeky grin, "The fight was my fault. You were just caught up in it. I can't let you bear this punishment alone, right? Let's do it together."
Before he could finish speaking, Red Head Carl appeared on Ji Dong's other side, speaking as he ran, "I didn't come to accompany you guys. I just want to prove that with my level of stamina, I shouldn't be running any less than you." Though his words suggested otherwise, Carl invariably kept pace with Bi Su and Ji Dong, and the three of them ran side by side.