The teacher waited in the auditorium. He wore a nice floral shirt, cream-brown pants, and white shoes. He was absorbed in an old, worn book. Rolex and Sham entered first—they were nearby. They glanced at the teacher, who continued reading without even looking at them once.
"Hey, what is our teacher's name?" whispered Rolex, curious since they had never heard any introduction in yesterday's class.
"Camon Bone—he's said to be one of the strongest in the academy," replied Sham quietly. "I was shocked when I heard he would be teaching us, but… who knows the reason?"
"Camon Bone… he is…"
"Shuu, don't say anything." Sham stopped Rolex before he said anything, signaling him to keep quiet before things went south.
Camon Bone lifted his head, looked at both of them, and smiled—a bright smile that sent goosebumps down their spines.
"It is time for class," he said, addressing the other students who had gathered. "Today I will teach you how to absorb the Natural Energy of the world."
Relieved, Sham and Rolex moved a few rows back. They didn't want to get targeted.
"Don't talk for now, it might cause our death—I don't want to die yet," Sham said in a serious tone, as he was almost scared to death a moment ago.
"Sorry, I don't know…" Rolex apologized. He didn't know it was something sensitive, but he learned his lesson. He also felt as if he were losing his life.
Sham nodded.
"You all know that Natural Energy is the most powerful force to wield. To absorb that energy into your body, you must first make your body strong enough to receive and store it. Everyone, stand up," Camon Bone commanded, rising along with every student.
"First, raise both of your hands and form a cup shape," he instructed, mimicking the gesture. The students followed.
"Your body harbors toxins that you cannot expel naturally. And as you age, these toxins increase. To be honest, you are all too old to absorb Natural Energy without cleansing. The toxins block all your meridians—so you must open up every channel and let the toxins leave," he said, making sure the students understood their situation. "Here are nine points: the joints in your hands, the shoulders, the hips, the backs of your knees, and lastly—your heart. Beat each joint nine times and repeat the cycle nine times."
He spoke, then began the practice without any further words.
Rolex, Sham, and everyone followed his instructions. At first, they felt nothing; but as they continued, Camon paused and observed them carefully, ensuring everyone was performing correctly. For the first three rounds, there was little sensation. But from the fifth round on, the pain crept into every joint, and hearts began to beat faster—by the end, their heartbeats had surged well beyond their starting pace.
"Now, start running—don't stop until I say so," Camon ordered in a strict voice that brooked no refusal. With a collective breath, the students dashed out of the auditorium.
While most struggled, only Sham managed to keep pace without much effect. Rolex, shocked and gasping for air, kept running.
"Go from the second gate to the first gate and come back. Do not stop!" Camon shouted as the students sprinted out of the auditorium.
"Understood, Sir!" they called, racing as commanded. They exited through the second gate and, although they did not see the man who had taken their money, they pressed on until they reached the first gate. Some students reached their limits and collapsed, but no one stopped.
Even Rolex fell to the ground, out of breath. Encouraged by Sham, who hadn't even begun sweating; he mustered the strength to return to the auditorium, where Camon awaited.
"Follow me," Camon said, leading them into the forest. They bypassed the corpse that Rolex and Sham had buried and ventured deep into the woods until they came upon a lake.
Camon dipped his hand into the lake and, after a minute, said, "Jump into it."
"Huh…" Everyone was shocked—not by his order, but by the sight of a lake that, a minute ago, had looked normal; now a thin smoke rose from its surface.
"Don't worry, it is not hot... just jump!" Camon assured them. The first group of students hesitated before leaping into the water.
"AHH!" someone cried.
Rolex took a step back.
"I said it isn't hot… but I never said it wasn't cold," Camon said with a slight smile. "Now, don't waste time."
'Damn…' Rolex thought, as he hesitated. But he eventually jumped along with the others and experienced something he had never felt before—the water was ice cold, chilling him to the bone like it could turn him into an ice sculpture. Yet he endured.
Camon watched everyone plunge, and after a minute he raised his hand. The students in the lake slowly floated to the surface.
"This will shock your body, which opens all of your channels and meridians. This is the best time to absorb the Natural Energy. It will help you clean your body and make it strong," Camon declared as he walked away while the students collapsed onto the ground.
"Fuck…" Rolex thought, certain he was going to die for sure…
All the students then sat cross-legged.
"Now, close the right side of your nose and take three deep breaths," Camon instructed.
"Then take a deep breath and let everything out…" he continued, explaining a strange breathing technique that involved repeated inhaling and exhaling—with occasional pauses.
'This is… hard!' Rolex was out of breath; the practice was too hard, and he couldn't follow the instructions clearly at all.
"You should do this continually, till you can feel the Natural Energy…"