Chapter 51: The Training That Breaks Weaklings
Rei collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
His entire body was screaming in pain.
Every muscle in his legs felt like it was on fire.
But he had survived the first trial.
And so had four others.
💀 Only five remained. 💀
The rest of the students?
Scattered across the training field—unconscious, vomiting, or too weak to move.
Garreth Kane looked around at the broken students and snorted.
Garreth (shaking head): "Pathetic. I expected more than this."
His gaze landed on the five who remained standing.
His expression turned into a dangerous smirk.
Garreth: "You think the hard part is over?"
Rei barely lifted his head.
Garreth's voice grew cold.
Garreth: "That was just your warm-up."
Phase Two – Strength Training from Hell
The five students still standing were led to another section of the training grounds.
It was a brutal-looking setup.
✔ Enormous boulders stacked in the distance.✔ Thick ropes hanging from steel beams.✔ A deep mud pit filled with heavy logs.✔ And at the farthest end—weighted vests lined up in a row.
Rei's stomach sank.
He already knew.
This was going to be absolute hell.
Garreth turned to them, smirking.
Garreth: "Alright, since you five didn't collapse like the rest, I guess you're at least worth some effort."
He walked toward the weighted vests.
Garreth: "You wanna stop being weak? Fine. Let's see how much your bodies can actually handle."
💀 THUD. 💀
Garreth dropped a weighted vest in front of each of them.
Garreth: "Put them on."
Rei reached down, but—
⚠ It was way heavier than he expected. ⚠
Rei (thinking, tensing): What the hell—?!
The second he lifted it, he could feel the strain on his arms.
💥 It had to be at least 30 kg (66 lbs). 💥
Some of the other students struggled just to pick it up.
One of them, a lean-built guy with glasses, froze.
Student (shaking, whispering): "T-There's no way we can train wearing these…"
Garreth grinned.
Garreth: "Then quit now."
The student stiffened.
Garreth: "You either wear the vest and train—or you get the hell out of my sight."
A heavy silence fell.
Rei took a deep breath—and forced himself to put it on.
The second it settled onto his shoulders—his body protested.
His legs buckled. His back ached instantly.
Every single movement felt ten times harder.
But he endured it.
The other four also strapped their vests on, struggling under the sheer weight.
Garreth's smirk grew wider.
Garreth: "Good. Now—start running."
The Pain Begins – Training Under Extreme Pressure
💀 One Hour Later. 💀
Rei's body was completely drained.
💥 Running with a weighted vest was torture.💥 Pull-ups felt impossible—his muscles screamed with every rep.💥 The mud pit training nearly killed his legs, sinking him with every step.
One of the students—a short but muscular guy—collapsed face-first into the mud.
Student (gasping, weakly): "I… can't… move…"
Garreth sighed.
Garreth: "Then you're done."
💀 Just like that—only four students remained. 💀
But Rei?
He kept going.
✔ His arms were shaking.✔ His legs were numb.✔ His vision blurred from exhaustion.
But he kept moving.
Rei (thinking, determined): I can't stop. I won't stop.
Because if he gave up here—
💀 He would never survive in this academy. 💀
The Final Task – Endurance or Elimination
By the time the sun reached its peak, Garreth gathered the remaining four students.
They were broken.
Drenched in sweat and mud.
Barely standing.
But still here.
Garreth chuckled.
Garreth: "Alright. Time for the final task of the day."
Rei's heart pounded.
Garreth gestured toward a set of iron poles, each with a pair of hanging rings.
Garreth: "Your job? Hang on."
The students stared in disbelief.
Student 1 (panting, exhausted): "T-That's insane…! Our arms are already dead!"Student 2 (gasping): "We just ran for hours—how the hell are we supposed to—"
Garreth cut him off.
Garreth: "I don't care. You hold on for as long as you can. The last one standing… earns my respect."
Rei exhaled.
His arms were already failing.
But he grabbed the rings.
💀 And the challenge began. 💀
Minutes Pass – Who Will Break First?
✔ The first student dropped in less than 30 seconds.✔ The second fell at the 2-minute mark.
Now—only Rei and one other remained.
The last student was shaking violently.
His arms trembled. His fingers slipped.
And then—
💀 He fell. 💀
Now… only Rei remained.
His entire body burned.
His grip weakened.
Every single muscle in his arms screamed for relief.
But Rei refused to let go.
Rei (thinking, gritting teeth): If I drop now… it means I'm still weak.
Garreth watched carefully.
The other students stared in disbelief.
But Rei…
He wasn't thinking anymore.
His instincts had taken over.
The seconds dragged on.
Then—finally—
💥 His body gave out. 💥
Rei fell.
He hit the ground hard, chest heaving.
Garreth grinned.
Garreth: "Not bad, Kurogane."
Rei barely lifted his head.
Garreth chuckled.
Garreth: "Maybe—just maybe—you won't die in this academy after all."
Rei closed his eyes.
Exhausted.
Broken.
But for the first time… he felt stronger.