"I want you t-"
But before she could give me instructions,
Slip—
Thump.
I had already fallen straight on my back.
Unable to balance.
"Haaa.. take the bands off. It seems like I will need to give you even harder training."
She sighed at my pitiful state.
Dammit.
I took off the bands and felt ten times more lighter.
I stood up and looked at her.
"Begin with doing twenty-five of the following—pushups, squats, burpees and leg-raises. Two sets each"
She explained concisely.
"When you finish, go for a 5km run. No breaks allowed."
"Go!"
She shouted and I begun right after.
I transitioned from standing to keeping my hands and toes on the ground.
My glutes were lowered.
I pushed my bodyweight down and up in the same motion.
I had a good stance, but that didn't mean that my pace was slow in anyway either.
I matched the pace with the stance, repeatedly, until I adjusted into squats within a couple of seconds.
No breaks, she said.
I followed that.
Even during the tiring burpees and aching leg raises.
It hurt.
"Aggghhh.."
I had no warm-up after all.
But, 'I kept up anyway as I had to do this to progress.'
To get richer.
To get stronger.
To allow my father and sister to live a peaceful life.
"Huuu..."
It may have not been the purpose I was supposed to look for, but it didn't matter.
All that mattered...
'Last set..'
Was that I completed this training.
I endured the exhaustion during my second set.
It wasn't easy—but I managed to move onto leg-raises.
Five were left.
Two..
One.
Wheeze—
Thud.
"Get up."
The person who was training me stared down, mercilessly.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."
I lifted my body up in immense pain.
My left arm felt noodled but I endeavored until..
I had gotten up from my knees to my legs.
I began running while my back tried to pull myself up from my terrible posture.
"Huff.. Puff.. Huff.. HUff.. Hufff..."
I maintained through.
My will was one push from being snapped.
—But, a golden notification arrived in front of my gaze.
「 Your rewards have not betrayed your efforts! 」
「 You have acquired the skill [Aerobic Endurance lvl. 1] 」
「 You have acquired the skill [Pain Resistance lvl. 1] 」
'Yes..'
My body immediately felt the effects of the skill.
The will of mine had hardened, like how a hammer hits hot steel.
My body was able to run a lot better now.
Although I still felt tired and felt aches on my body, it wasn't to the degree I used to feel.
I perceived and ran the first kilometer.
Then the rest.
I jogged like an old man prior to throwing my body on the ground.
Two meters away from her.
"Huff.. huff.."
"..."
"Okay effort."
She began walking away with no change in her emotions.
"It's getting dark so we will continue this starting tomorrow. Get some rest until then."
She shut the door and left me lying down in the garden as I tried to grab one of the stars in the sky.
"Okay effort, huh?"
I laugh as I cover my eyes with my right-arm.