2 Summer in the Village of Reish - Chapter 1 [ Part 1 ]

July 1424, District 04, Reish Village.

The sun was directly overhead, perhaps around 1 in the afternoon. The scorching heat had forced the villagers to seek shade under the trees surrounding their homes. It was summer in a small village called Reish, a remote village on the outskirts of the city.

Emero Zan, a 15-year-old teenager, aspired to become the greatest Elga in his entire country.

Truth be told, Zan could only wield the power of lightning, and even his abilities weren't yet fully honed. However, he practiced diligently every day with the goal of becoming the most potent Elga.

Today, Zan was training as usual in a field within the forest. Currently, he was warming up for a run. He had already completed a hundred push-ups and sit-ups, yet Zan appeared far from tired.

"Hey, Zan, aren't you tired? You did a hundred push-ups and sit-ups earlier, and now you want to race me," said someone who had been sitting under a tree, clutching their stomach. This person was Hajuzy Glen, Zan's peer, and for some reason, his face looked rather pale.

"What's wrong, Glen? You're usually more enthusiastic than I am, but you don't seem so today?" Zan inquired.

Glen stared at Zan for a while, as if he was about to say something. "I have a stomach ache today; that's why I'm not enthusiastic. But today, Zan, you seem quite different."

"Hohoho! So that's it," replied Glen, with a slightly teasing tone.

"Well, anyway, let's have a running race!"

"Aren't you listening? I told you my stomach hurts! You..."

Zan looked at his friend for a while, contemplating something. After getting an idea, he quickly proposed, "Hmm, how about the loser buys sweet bread?"

Zan cajoled with a smile, knowing that Glen had a fondness for sweet bread, and it was unlikely he would refuse this offer.

Glen responded to Zan's proposal enthusiastically, immediately getting to his feet. His expression became highly spirited, as if he had never been unwell.

"That sounds interesting, Zan. Let's do it!"

While Glen was warming up, Zan was already getting prepared. It appeared that he was very ready to win.

"Are you ready, Glen? We're going to run to that big tree over there, okay!" Zan said, pointing in the direction of a large tree about 100 meters away.

"I'm ready to eat sweet bread, Zan!" Glen responded loudly.

"Alright, I'll count to three."

"One... Two... Three... Go!" Zan shouted as he took his first step. His initial strides were executed perfectly. However, Glen managed to overtake him with his speed. That was reasonable since Glen had a tall and robust physique for a 15-year-old.

Seeing his friend getting further ahead, Zan felt a little discouraged. Nevertheless, he promptly banished that feeling. His grim expression gradually brightened.

No... I'm not defeated yet!

Hope surfaced, and Zan adjusted his erratic breathing. His eyes widened, and his legs moved faster, perhaps faster than any running speed he had ever achieved before. After a few big strides, he successfully surpassed Glen.

"Zan, can you be this fast?" Glen wondered as he continued to step briskly. He didn't want to lose to Zan, but the fact that Zan had become so fast made Glen somewhat envious.

"Gah! I won't lose, Zan!" Glen shouted from behind Zan.

"Now, I'll use my power!"

Glen's body, which had begun to sweat, suddenly emitted heat, and sparks of fire appeared around his feet.

"Wait, Glen! Using Elga power is cheating," Zan exclaimed suddenly, while continuing to run. The tree they had been heading for was now not far away, but Zan had some concerns.

Meteor Run!

Glen yelled as he accumulated his power. His legs glowed, and his running speed increased drastically, as fast as a meteor's descent. The ground beneath him ignited, leaving black marks in its wake.

Zan, running at an ordinary pace, couldn't keep up with Glen. His speed couldn't be matched by an ordinary human.

"Hah, hah!" gasping breaths sounded from both of them. Although exhausted, Glen looked more spirited because he had won this race.

"Hohoho! Zan, I won this time. Quickly buy me the sweet bread you promised!" Glen said with a teasing tone.

"You cheater! Well, I'll buy the bread. Let's go to the bakery," Zan replied casually. They left behind the tree that had served as their finish line and headed to the bakery.

"Actually, why didn't you use your power, Zan? Maybe you could have run faster than me if you used your lightning," Glen asked, quite curious about what his friend was up to.

"Actually, I just wanted to test my physical abilities. Besides, I don't have any techniques like that, Glen," Zan replied, continuing to walk towards the village's bakery.

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