12 Endurance "Training"

The next day, when Ink was inside his room, he heard someone knocking on the door early in the morning.

"Oh, you are awake...Good. Mera-sama told me to take care of your physical training" It was none other than Gilberda.

'Why out of all people do I have to be the one who trains him? I am not even that good when it comes to teaching others but I guess that's why Mera-sama chose me. I don't have anything personal against you, kid...' Gil thought while looking down at Ink who was already fully awake.

They went out of their hideout for their training.

"Alright, let's take it slow today, and let's start with just endurance training. If you will follow all of my instructions without complaining, you might even become capable of doing this..." Gil told him before coming in front of the boulder that was several times bigger than her.

"HAA!" *BANG!* Gil punched the boulder and it crumbled into small pieces, flying all around.

"Hmph, it doesn't feel as satisfying as hitting a real living thing." Gil muttered while looking at her fist with a disappointed expression. This alone was enough to assume that she has a bit sadistic side to her.

"...If I can get stronger by following your instructions, I will follow them without complaining." Ink said after seeing Gil's physical strength.

"...Sure" Gil couldn't see Ink being determined or passionate about it but she could somehow feel him being fired up. It's something she didn't feel from him yesterday therefore she replied while looking to the side with her eyes, feeling a bit guilty.

"Well, your first training is 5 laps around these mountains filled with weak danger beasts. Not only will you need to move stealthily, but you will also need to run. Avoid any danger beasts since they will only drain your stamina, these mountains are pretty large so it will take you at least 40 minutes of running to do 1 lap." Gil said in low spirits unlike usual.

'No matter how you look at it, 2 laps should be more than enough for his age and skills but 5 laps are overkill. Mera-sama specified the number of laps I should give him after evaluating his abilities after their match. I can't go against Mera-sama words but I can at least give him some small hints, well, not like it will make any difference.' Gil thought.

"Follow this trail, there are several marks on the way around the mountains. I usually run that way as a light exercise, weak Danger beasts don't even dare to approach me so you should be vigilant of them. You can even use trees to finish the lap but jumping will cost you more stamina. I won't be there to help you so if you will feel like you can't continue, return. It's better to fail than die." Gil gave a few hints and even gave him the option to turn back. If it was any other time, she wouldn't have said such words but Ink was still a kid, and traversing those mountains could be very dangerous, not to mention when he will be exhausted.

"Then I will be going...!" Ink nodded his head and said before running right into the wilderness. Gil just watched his distancing back with a slightly guilty look on her face.

...After 30 minutes passed, Gil was shocked to see Ink already running out of the wilderness from the opposite side where he started.

'For his physique, it should take at least 40 minutes to do 1 lap...It would be possible if he kept running at full speed without giving any attention to Danger beasts but he doesn't look that exhausted. His breath is slightly ragged but nothing serious and unexpected.' Gil thought while lying sideways on the cloth laid on the ground, supporting her head with her left hand.

Another 35 minutes passed and Ink once again came running from the opposite side.

'He is not as much exhausted as I thought, maybe his real maximum is 3 laps but he is still getting more exhausted...5 laps are impossible.' Gil thought, still with a guilty look in her green eyes.

Another 40 minutes passed by and Ink returned with slightly tattered clothes.

*Huff* *huff*

'His breathing is more and more ragged, he must have also been attacked by some Danger beasts, considering the state of his clothes but it doesn't look like he is bleeding. However if he ran away from those beasts, they could be waiting for him at the same place once again...If he had his clothes torn now, what will happen once he meets them again and much more exhausted than before? It's admirable that he can keep running but...' Gil thought while observing Ink run past her before entering the wilderness once again, making her tightly close her eyes with an uncomfortable look on her face.

At first, she was feeling quite bored, waiting for Ink to return but right now she kept thinking about his safety. She was aware that Mera doesn't want to kill Ink and only wants to teach him a small lesson.

'Mera-sama is expecting him to give up after the 3rd lap or the most what she expects is 4th lap. That's why she told me to instruct him with 5 laps but it's getting too dangerous without any overseer. '

After 50 minutes passed by with Gil crushing small boulders out of frustration and worry to pass the time, Ink finally ran out of the wilderness...

"?!" Gil's eyes widened when she saw him running out of the forest without a shirt on or more likely he tore his shirt into small pieces to bandage several wounds on his body. There was even a small wound on his forehead and blood rendered his left eye completely useless.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Gil caught up to him and asked him while running next to him, looking at his face with a worried look in her eyes. She knew that he could have been easily poisoned so it was too dangerous to continue this training however Ink was completely ignoring her while staring in front of him with his unfocused and dull right eye.

"Hey! Let's stop and let me look at your wounds, this isn't a game!" Gil shouted when she noticed him ignoring her and she tried to catch his shoulder but he dodged her before his right eye took a quick glance at her before speeding up to run away from her.

'?!' Gil who saw how Ink dodged her hand and the way he looked at her afterwards stopped running altogether and just stared at his back with a surprised expression.

'He was treating me as an enemy once I tried to touch him...Tch! I need to go after him, if this is what happened to him during the 4th lap, what will happen to the 5th lap?! There are several intelligent beasts that can lie in wait to trap him after meeting him a few times on the same road. But that look...' Gil wanted to run after him but when she recalled the way he looked at her with his dull green eye, it was as if she heard him say "Don't butt in"

In the end, she gritted her teeth and went back to her original spot, once again powdering stones out of frustration.

.

.

'...It has already been over an hour and he still hasn't returned. Should I go look for h-' When Gil thought about looking for Ink, she noticed a large number of birds flying out of the forest. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the entrance just to see Ink run out of there.

Gil's eyes widened when she saw him, his body was full of new wounds and his shirt was no longer enough to bandage them so his entire upper body was covered in blood and his hands up to his elbows were also completely covered in blood but Gil wasn't sure if it was even Ink's own blood. The presence he was giving off was that of an injured bloodthirsty beast on its last steps.

*Thud*

Gil woke up from her shock only after Ink finished his 5th lap and instantly collapsed on the ground face-first without even falling onto his knees first.

She quickly ran to him and saw forming a small puddle of blood right under his head while a much bigger puddle of blood appeared under his upper body.

'This guy...is nuts!' Even Gil who was quite extreme felt like she can't best Ink in this matter while staring down at him with new-found respect in her eyes. She quickly used Oarburgh's special healing medicine on his most serious wounds before carrying him back to their hideout where she went to report everything to Mera while the other maids were treating the rest of his small wounds.