Training Begins

"Let's move to the next segment, which is training," she said as the items related to the previous segment seamlessly melded into the ground.

With the transition of segments, scenes also changed. The gym and running track opened up in just an instant.

'Why am I having PTSD seeing this stuff again,' he thought, his expression playfully showing a mix of concern and amusement.

'This segment will be similar to tomorrow... No, let me correct myself, everything is the same, but the intensity is increased even further with some little additions. So, brace yourself; that's the only way you will become stronger,' she said, giving a rough detail about what he was going to go through.

"Firstly, do you see that track?" she asked, pointing at the track.

He nodded as she pointed towards the track which was barely fifty feet away from them.

"Then go run 10 miles on it in under one hour," she said in a stern tone, a demeanour resembling that of a drill sergeant.

'Damn, that's a change,' he thought, dumbfounded by the strict shift in her tone.

Not minding her change in tone, he went to run.

"Well... Isn't 10 miles a bit too much? I was barely able to do 5kms yesterday," he thought, his expression revealing a mix of disbelief and slight concern.

*Bang*

With a shot from the dummy pistol, the shot signalled the start of his run.

"Let's hit it," he said, pumped up.

As soon as he heard the sound, he moved forward using his feet and began to run.

The settings of the ground were just like yesterday. At each turn, the settings of the track changed. Sometimes, the terrain he was running on would be sandy... sometimes snowy... sometimes rocky, and just like that, it would shift to different terrain every mile he completed.

The change in terrain was designed to help him control his pace and improve his stability on different surfaces. It made him experience different conditions at the same time.

'Well, I'm on full stamina right now, maybe I can pull it off since yesterday I was tired to death before running,' He thought, a hint of determination showing on his face mixed with slight anxiety due to the long distance.

In the first mile, he was confident, fueled by the full stamina he possessed, unlike the exhausted state before yesterday's run. He hoped that he would be able to complete his run within the hour's time.

"Phew... It feels kind of easy since I'm not feeling too exhausted and still able to run fine," he thought.

In the first few miles, he didn't feel very exhausted and was running smoothly, without being short of breath or stumbling on his way. He navigated through various terrains well without facing any significant challenges.

'Well, I can feel my legs now. Finally beginning to feel some exhaustion.'

As he ran a few more miles and got to the fifth mile, he started to feel some exhaustion, being a little short of breath and experiencing minor soreness in his legs.

*Huff huff*

'Well, one more mile and I will be done,' he thought.

As he entered the final mile, he was completely covered in sweat from head to toe, panting in exhaustion, catching his breath through his wide-open mouth.

*Argh* He groaned at a sudden spiking ache.

All of a sudden, he got a cramp in his lower leg, causing him to groan in pain.

'Damn! It hurts,' he thought in pain, holding back his tears due to the sharp pain.

The sudden cramp was agonizing enough to bring tears to his eyes, and a few rolled down from his cheeks.

His calf muscles began to cramp due to strain, causing him to struggle on his last mile.

'Should I go help him?' Naya asked, noticing his distress.

"No, wait. Let's observe what choice he will make," she said, watching him and silently rooting for him to push through without asking for help.

"Argh, shit!" he groaned.

The pain was visible on his face, yet he decided to push through it and complete the last mile.

'Only 400 meters now... I can't give up at this point! I'M NOT A FUCKING PUSSY!' he riled himself up, pushing himself to complete the run.

Even though he was in constant pain, instead of giving up and asking for help, he decided to complete the remaining 400 meters and finish the run.

"Do you see that? Let me tell you, if someone truly wants to get strong, they must have the will and determination to go through the pain, both mental and physical," she said, smiling with pride as Lloyd pushed through his mental limits.

'Not now! If not me, then who is gonna carry the logs and boat! MAN UP, YOU BASTARD! SAY WHO'S NOT A PUSSY! ME! SAY THAT AGAIN, WHO'S NOT A PUSSY! ME!...' He screamed motivational words to push himself through the pain.

His legs were trembling with each step, and he was on the brink of falling down, but he kept pushing through, getting closer to the finish line with every step.

"Look, he is pushing through his mental limits, as expected if he wants to become stronger," she said with a proud smile, observing Lloyd pushing through his mental limits.

Although the distress, groaning, and grunting were evident, it didn't waver his will to complete the run. He kept going, groaning and stumbling with each step, enduring the intense pain. Finally, he put his foot on the finish line, completing the first part of today's training.

'Damn, finally.' He heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

After enduring the pain and pushing through the challenge, he made it to the finish line, collapsing into exhaustion.

"Now, lend him a hand, Naya," She instructed.

Naya approached him, gently placing her hand on his tired legs, channelling healing magic to replenish his strength.

'Well, the pain is gone in an instant. That's expected from an existence like her,' he thought.

"You did great, pushing beyond your mental barrier. Well, that's to be expected from you, taking after the patriarch," she smiled and applauded his efforts. She extended a hand to help him up.

"Now that you're healed and in perfect condition, let's move to the next strength training. It's time to see how well you handle some weight," she said with a hint of challenge in her eyes.

*****

This would have been uploaded yesterday if it wasn't for me getting in trouble. The thing about the previous chapter's note is the reason behind that is this app fucking sucks! I was writing in and suddenly the app glitched and made multiple copies of my chapter inside the draft which I had to sort out and it took fuck ton of time that's why I couldn't write an A/N for that chapter. I know you enjoy reading my Notes more than my chapter lol.