Kael flopped to the ground, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down his face, and his arms felt like noodles after all the push-ups, planks, and sprints Varian had thrown at him.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Kael groaned, staring up at the sky. "I'm five, not fifteen. This is insane."
Varian crossed his arms, a faint smirk on his face as he loomed over Kael. "Five or fifty, it doesn't matter. If you're not physically fit, you're useless with a sword."
Kael rolled onto his side, glaring at Varian. "You're crazy. No one expects a kid to do this much. I'm pretty sure this counts as child abuse."
Varian let out a bark of laughter. "When I was your age, I did ten times this. And I didn't complain half as much."
Kael sat up, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Yeah, sure you did," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You probably fought off bears in your free time too."
Varian crouched down, meeting Kael's gaze. "Boastful, huh? Alright then, kid. Prove me wrong. If you can't handle this, maybe you're not cut out for sword training at all."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I said."
"Doesn't matter," Varian replied with a shrug. "Either you get stronger, or you don't. Up to you."
Kael groaned again, flopping back onto the ground dramatically. "This is the worst day of my life."
Varian stood, unfazed. "Take five minutes, then back on your feet. We're just getting started."
Kael groaned louder, but he didn't argue. Instead, he stared up at the sky, silently cursing his mother for signing him up for this.
Kael lay there on the ground, staring at the sky, his breath finally starting to even out. His body ached, and he was sure his legs would refuse to move when Varian called him back.
"System," he muttered in his head, hoping it would hear him. "Is there a way I can, I don't know, make this easier? Like... can I create a talent or something? Maybe some kind of cheat?"
The system's voice echoed in his mind, calm and clear. [Yes, Host. You can create talents, bloodlines, skills, or even unique abilities. As long as you can imagine it, it can be made. You could even make yourself a Path Awakener if you wanted.]
Kael froze for a second, then sat up, grinning despite the pain in his arms. "Wait, you're telling me I can just... make stuff? Anything I want?"
[Correct. The only limit is your imagination.]
He couldn't help it—he laughed, long and loud, startling Varian, who was standing a few feet away.
"You alright over there, kid?" Varian asked, frowning.
Kael waved him off, still chuckling. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good," he said, trying to keep a straight face. "Just... thinking about how ridiculous this all is."
Varian raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Five minutes are up. Back on your feet."
Kael sighed, muttering under his breath as he stood up. But in the back of his mind, he was already planning.
"Alright, System," he thought, stretching his arms. "Let's see what kind of cheat I can cook up."
Kael dragged himself to his feet, his legs wobbling like they were made of jelly. Varian was already waiting, arms crossed and smirking like a villain in a bad movie.
"Ready for round two?" Varian asked, his tone just smug enough to make Kael want to throw something at him.
"Thrilled," Kael muttered, rolling his shoulders and glaring at the man.
Varian didn't wait for a proper response before barking out his next command. "Ten laps around the field. Go."
Kael groaned but started jogging. Each step felt like a tiny punishment, his muscles screaming at him to stop. But as he ran, his mind started to drift back to what the system had said.
I can create talents... bloodlines... even become a Path Awakener? The possibilities were endless, and Kael couldn't help but grin despite the pain.
He imagined himself breezing through this training—stronger, faster, better than Varian could ever expect. Maybe he'd make himself super strong or give himself endless stamina. Or better yet, he'd give himself some kind of cheat that made this whole running-and-suffering thing unnecessary.
By the fifth lap, Kael's thoughts had shifted into full-on scheming. What if I made a bloodline that gave me insane reflexes and strength? Or maybe a skill that lets me copy whatever Varian does but ten times better? Oh, he'd hate that.
Kael almost tripped from laughing at the thought of Varian's face when he pulled that one out. He caught himself, his grin widening.
By the time Varian called him over for push-ups again, Kael's adrenaline was spiking. His arms still burned, and his legs still felt like dead weight, but now he didn't care.
"Why are you smiling?" Varian asked, his voice tinged with suspicion as Kael dropped into position.
Kael shrugged, lowering himself into a push-up. "Just... thinking about tomorrow."
Varian frowned but didn't push. "Focus on today, kid. You've still got a lot of work to do."
Kael just smirked to himself, counting the push-ups and already imagining Varian's expression when he gave him the shock of his life tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow's going to be fun.
Lior stood at the edge of the training grounds, arms crossed as he watched Kael struggling through push-ups under Varian's sharp gaze. The kid looked completely wiped out, his face red, arms shaking with each attempt to push himself back up.
"You think this is a bit much?" Lior muttered, glancing at the man standing beside him—a grizzled old warrior with a thick gray beard and a scar running down his left cheek. Baldric, his old trainer, just chuckled in response.
"That?" Baldric said, gesturing toward Kael. "That's nothing. Give it a few days, and the boy'll be crying to his mother to tell Varian to ease up."
Lior sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he shifted his gaze back to Kael. "He's just a kid, Baldric. Five years old. Varian's not exactly known for going easy."
"Exactly why this'll be good for him," Baldric said, smirking. "Varian might be a pain in the ass, but he's the Sword God for a reason. That brat'll come out stronger, faster, and meaner than you ever were at his age."
Lior shot Baldric a look, though the man's words weren't exactly wrong. "And if he breaks? If it gets too much for him?"
Baldric shrugged. "Then he'll either toughen up, or his mother'll pull him out. Not my problem."
Lior exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "If that happens... I want you to take over his training."
Baldric raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Me? You sure about that? I don't have Varian's flair, you know. No fancy techniques or godly titles."
"I'm not asking for fancy," Lior said firmly. "Just train him. Even if it's not at Varian's level, he'll still need someone to push him, someone who knows what they're doing."
Baldric scratched his beard, considering it. "Fine," he said after a moment. "If it comes to that, I'll whip him into shape. Just don't expect miracles."
Lior smirked, his eyes drifting back to Kael, who was now face-first in the dirt, trying and failing to push himself back up. "I'm not expecting miracles," he said, his tone dry. "Just make sure he doesn't end up hating swords."
Baldric laughed, clapping Lior on the back. "Kid's got your stubborn streak. He'll be fine."
Lior didn't respond, but his eyes stayed on Kael. Even as the boy struggled, he could see the determination in his little brother's face. For now, he'd let Varian do his thing. But if it got too much... Baldric would be ready.