'Trumpet sounds!'
"It's so early in the morning. I can't wake up now." Alex said from his bed.
"Come on Alex, if we don't hurry we will be late for our training." I encouraged him to wake up. We both went to the Lunch Hall to eat.
"This is just disgusting."
"I mean. It could taste better but it is still food. I bet it's very nutritious too."
"Why are you always so positive? Makes me want to puke."
"Hahahaha, I don't know. I just am."
'Trumpet sounds!'
"Okay William, I'll see you after the training."
"See you!"
After I finished my meal I went over to the swords training grounds. I was the first. After that came some more.
"So I guess we'll have our fair share of late comers on the second day. All of you started doing the workout I devised for the group yesterday. Come on! We don't have all day! Move your asses!"
We all started to run laps around the training grounds. The morning training was devised into muscle and endurance workouts. We would süend 2h running, lifting wheights and other things. After that came lunch. We would all have 1 hour to eat and recover. After that came training with the sword. We would practice the moves Teacher Boris showed us before and he would sometimes correct my posture and movements. Just like that 15 days went by.
"Everyone gather around. As of today we will be starting with some sparring sessions. I want you all to partner up and start. Let 's go!"
"Hey, do you want to spar with me?" One of the trainees asked me.
"Sure."
We both got into our fighting positions. We would both start holding out swords in front of us. My opponent started with a strike from above. I lifted my sword to protect and as his sword stopped I countered with my own strike coming from the sides. I got in a clean hit onto his ribs.
"Owwww, that fucking hurts!"
"I am sorry if I was too aggressive."
"No, no, it's fine. Are you sure you have never used a sword before? I saw you when the teacher asked us on the first day who had already used a sword before. You didnt lift your hands."
"I was telling the truth. I never used a sword before."
"That sure is a surprise. My name is Clint, what's yours?"
"William! Nice to meet you Clint."
"Same. Okay, we can go again! Bring it."
Night time at the Village Captains Office.
"So Boris. Any news you want to give me?"
"Hahahaha, direct as always. Are you not even going to greet your friend here?"
"You know I don't like to delay things. Tell me your report."
"Well, the kid sure is something. He is very physically fit. On the daily training he rarely tires himself out and that gives him an advantage at the sword training later on. He is the most concentrated of all. He absorbs what I tell him like a sponge. I have no doubt that he will pass the first exam and enter the intermediate class at the end of the month."
"Thank you, that would be all. You are dismissed."
"Bye, Captain."
"He hast done anything that would give me any doubts. But I just can't shake this feeling. I guess I'll just have to wait."
Back at the Cabins.
"I can feel it. Before I was just doing a routine to keep my body fit. But now I am working out hard every day. I can feel the Ki I have stored, it's fixing the broken fibers in the muscle. I am getting stronger very fast. But that also means I'll reach a bottle neck where I will have to push myself harder than before. I guess there is not much to think about now. When I reach this bottleneck I'll think of something."
In the morning.
"Hey Alex."
"Hey Will."
"What happened, why are you so down today?"
"I lost yesterday. We started doing our sparring sessions and I lost. But I was so close, i'll tell you if I got another chance I would have definitely won."
"Hahaha, I am sure you would. You just gotta work hard. We still have 15 days until the exam. If you want to graduate at the top you will have to work hard."
"I know, I know. But man, my muscles are killing me. How do you always seem so relaxed?"
"Well I worked out when i was a kid. Maybe that is it?"
"No you're definitely an alien. Hahahahaha, okay Will. I'll work harder. So let's have a spar after we both pass the exams okay?"
"Yes. I can't wait to beat your ass, hahahahahaha."
"You wish! I'll beat you so much that you will have to start calling me master!"