Training Ground (1)

The class passed smoothly, with not much happening as the looming exams drew near. The teacher recapped all the topics related to the exam, and it helped me a bit as I recalled more than I thought from the lectures and especially from the notes Julia had prepared for me.

After classes, I went straight to the library to meet up with Julia. However, upon arrival, I couldn't spot her anywhere. Perhaps she hadn't arrived yet, maybe grabbing a bite to eat or something.

Undeterred, I delved into my studies, attempting the practice questions provided by the teacher.

As time ticked by, Julia finally arrived.

As she saw Augustus was inside of the library and is starting off without her, Julia felt a little bit of guiltiness in her chest.

"He's here already? Didn't he even grab lunch or change clothes first?" Julia pondered.

'I heard he fainted from stress yesterday. He's really going all out to study. Is he aiming for the top score?'

"Top scorers have a better shot at getting scholarships for college, some college only allow top scorer to enter. That's my main goal of studying," Julia reflected.

Little did Julia know that Augustus had no choice but to enroll in the military after completing compulsory education, as he was selected by the government.

He could only pursue college after three years of enlistment.

In his past life, Augustus had decided to sacrifice his own college education in order to support his sister's studies, as his family couldn't afford both. Which is why he stayed back in the military reluctantly.

Julia settled down beside Augustus and started studying, answering the same questions Augustus was answering at the moment.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Julia offered.

Augustus wasted no time in seeking help with a question he was unsure about.

"This, this, and this. Can you check my answers?" he inquired.

"No. 36 is incorrect. It's A, the square root of three. You must have made a calculation error. Let me show you," Julia corrected him.

The discussion went on and on until I'm satisfied with everything.

With Julia's help I'm confident that I could pass the exam with ease.

"With that math is done, next up is science. Do you have notes on the science topics?" Augustus asked.

"I didn't bring them with me. Let me call my maid," Julia replied.

"It's getting late. Let's call it a day and continue tomorrow," Augustus instantly intervened preventing her to call her maid.

"Yeah, you're right," Julia agreed.

"See you tomorrow then,"

Seeing Augustus hurriedly left, a small smile appears at the corners of Julia lips. "I thought he was a creepy guy, but looks like he's just a little weird,"

Augustus headed home, feeling famished and exhausted from hours of relentless studying without much rest.

He didn't actually "sleep", but instead meditated in the mystical Magic Tower, trying his best to increase his mana rating.

"I'm home," Augustus announced as he entered the house.

"Today, you're quite early," Mom exclaimed, glancing at the clock in surprise.

"Mom, brother is acting weird today," Anna complained, pouting as soon as I arrived.

I suddenly realized that I used to hang out at the Internet Cafe until late evening, around 7-9 PM before heading home.

Right now it's only 5 PM, way early than ever.

"The exams are just around the corner, and I'm feeling drained from studying all afternoon. No mood for gaming," I explained with a tired shrug.

"It seems like your brother is growing up, honey," Mom remarked to Anna.

"Hmph, he's just pretending to be cool. I won't believe he's grown up unless he becomes the top scorer and stops playing games for the whole week," Anna retorted with a smirk.

Is my reputation that bad back then. At least I passed the exam when I was young.

"If my son becomes the top scorer, that would be amazing, but no pressure, August. Dinner will be ready soon," Mom said, unwittingly adding more pressure with her words.

I hadn't intended to aim for a high score on the exams, just hoping to pass. But now, with the added expectations, it felt more daunting.

It's not impossible, right?

With Julia ranked third in exam scores and sitting right next to me, it could be possible. I still have two weeks left, which should be enough time. I'll just finish my daily quest and then take some rest.

Yeah, it's not impossible in this life.

After taking a refreshing shower and enjoying a home-cooked dinner, I quickly resumed my Dimension Traveling with the System.

Before diving into my daily quest, I decided to complete the progression quest by visiting the renowned training grounds. I was also curious to see what the place looked like, brimming with excitement and anticipation.

Arriving at the entrance of the training ground, Augustus was greeted by a giant stone wall reminiscent of the medieval era.

The entrance was guarded by towering walls adorned with intricate statues depicting ancient and legendary warriors whom Augustus had never met before. The statues evoked a sense of awe and reverence, earning Augustus's respect.

Upon entering the training ground, he found a verdant clearing dotted with towering oak trees, their thick branches providing ample shade. The air was thick with the scent of moss and dew-drenched grass, and the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves created a serene ambiance.

The training ground had been carefully designed to mimic various terrains and environments, providing soldiers with a realistic and immersive training experience.

There were sprawling fields for practicing weapon with wooden dummies set up as targets.

There was also a river that ran through the training ground, its crystal-clear waters offering a refreshing respite after a long day of training.

"This is next-level training even in the modern era," Augustus thought to himself in amazement.

At the heart of the training ground stood a formidable castle-like structure made of weathered stone. Augustus decided to explore the castle, intrigued by its imposing presence.

As he entered the castle, he was greeted with armories stocked with an array of weapons and armor for practice, as well as training halls. Just as he was about to explore more of the castle, someone called out to him.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded.

'There's somebody here?'

The man appeared out of nowhere behind him, approaching slowly with confidence.

The man's face was a map of battle-hardened grit, with deep-set eyes that gleamed with steely determination, and a chiseled jawline that spoke of his unyielding resolve. His grizzled beard, streaked with grey, framed a stern and forbidding countenance that left no doubt of his authority and experience.

The man looked like he was ready to kill if Augustus said the wrong word. "Are you also using the training ground?" Augustus asked cautiously.

Hearing Augustus's response, the man burst into laughter. "Puhahahah, me? Using this stupid training ground? For what?" he scoffed, glaring at Augustus with killing intent.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Bzzt*

A bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere, entering through a small window and striking the old man directly.

Augustus was taken aback, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

The old man's agonized screams echoed through the air as the lightning shock coursed through his body. "What the heck! You've imprisoned me for a million years, and now this?" he exclaimed.

[Leo, Trainer] [The man appointed to train the user with top-notch training methods and guidance]

A status screen materialized, displaying a description of the old man in front of him.

"You're my trainer?" Augustus inquired.

"Apparently, yes, I am, or I'll get shocked," replied Leo, the old man.

Augustus suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Leo. It seemed like he was imprisoned here against his will.

As Augustus pondered on it, the system released more information about Leo.

[Leo, Slaughter King]

Previously titled as the Slaughter King, he was known as one of the strongest aura users across dimensions. However, he was deemed a threat to the world due to his indiscriminate slaughter of beings from different dimensions. As a result, his soul was imprisoned in this dimension to maintain balance in the world.

"One of the strongest? The man in front of me?" Augustus couldn't help but feel awe-struck.

The system seemed to sense Augustus's guilt about Leo's imprisonment, but it only served to frighten him more, knowing that he was in the presence of such formidable power.

"Hah, this is annoying. Why do I have to babysit a random brat when you tell me to? Just let me live here peacefully like you always let me do," grumbled Leo.

"Okay, but I want you to double up my meal," demanded Leo.

"And a more comfortable bed. That bed is as hard as a rock. I can't lie down for hours without my back aching," Leo added.

"What do you mean no? I want--" Leo was cut off by a sudden jolt of electricity.

The old man seemed to be negotiating with the system, attempting to secure a reward for training Augustus, but his complaints only resulted in more shocks.

"I can't believe a childish old man is one of the strongest," Augustus thought to himself in amazement.

"Alright, let's get this over with so I can take a good nap. What do you want?" Leo finally relented.

[Training Quest]

[Physical Training Lvl 1]

[Requirements: None]

[Level-up Requirements: Base STR at least 20, Complete Physical Training 20 times]

[Weapon Training Lvl 1]

[Requirements: Base STR at least 20]

[Level-up Requirements: 1 Star Aura User of any type of weapon, Complete Weapon Training 20 times]

Looking at the available choices, Augustus had no other option but to select Physical Training.

[Physical Training Lvl 1 chosen]

"So, Physical Training it is. Start with 50 push-ups. I'll take a nap," Leo said nonchalantly.

Bzzt*

"F*ck you," Leo cursed the system for releasing more lightning bolt at him.

"What are you doing? Start now!" Leo's voice boomed.

Augustus got into position and began doing push-ups with all his might.

"Oh? Not bad form for a brat. Have you trained before?" Leo asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Military," Augustus replied, gritting his teeth.

"You look too young for military training. Just kidding. You're over three hundred years old the system told me everything about you. Is that really all you've got?" Leo taunted.

Before Augustus could respond, Leo grabbed some weights and added them to his back, increasing the difficulty of the push-ups.

"Are you crazy, you bastard? My body isn't ready for that much weight yet!" Augustus exclaimed.

"I'm the trainer, I make the rules. And remember, I'm older than you, so show some respect," Leo retorted.

[Follow your instructor's commands during your physical training to complete it]

This is impossible. I'll break my arms if I force myself to push up an extra 40 kg with such a thin body.

I'll have to rely on my Qi to strengthen my body.

But before he could activate his Qi, Leo warned him instantly. "No Qi. You're not truly training your body if you rely on Qi."

"But it's impossible without Qi," Augustus argued.

Bzzt*

This time, the system shocked Augustus again.

[Please refer to your trainer respectfully]

Leo chuckled, witnessing the scene. "Puhahahah! You can be shocked too?! This is getting interesting."

"Sir, it's impossible without Qi," Augustus repeated with a tone of reverence, acknowledging the lightning shock and his instructor's superiority.

"Puhahahah, how would you know it's impossible when you haven't even tried?" Leo chuckled, his confidence radiating. "There's no time limit for this training, and if you get injured, the system will automatically heal you. Push harder!"

Augustus felt a surge of disbelief. His body weighed around 54 kg, and with the added weights of 40 kg, he was pushing up a total of 75 kg due to the 64% conversion of body weight during push-ups. It was an unimaginable feat of strength.

With every ounce of his determination, Augustus pushed himself to the limit, feeling his muscles tear with the strain. But as Leo had mentioned earlier, the torn muscles were restored almost instantly, thanks to the system.

"This training routine is not meant for those with weak mental fortitude," Augustus realized, gritting his teeth against the excruciating pain of torn muscles and the risk of breaking ribs. if his farm decided to gave up.

After an hour of relentless perseverance, Augustus finally reached the peak of the push-up, fully extending his arms. In a moment of desperation, he let himself slam to the ground, breaking his ribs in the process, just to complete the first push-up.

Leo's stern voice echoed, "Does not count! You need to lower your body slowly with full control of your body."

Augustus was devastated, feeling frustrated by the lack of clear instructions. "You didn't mention that earlier!" he protested.

Bzzt*

[Please refer to your trainer respectfully]

"I make the rules," Leo declared firmly, leaving Augustus with no choice but to comply.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Augustus continued with the push-ups, pushing himself to the limit and beyond, determined to meet Leo's standards.

Nearly two days passed, with just completing a mere 50 push-ups, but he finally felt a sense of relief as the weights were removed from his back.

"I'm done..." Augustus stood up, feeling a renewed sense of lightness, only to be met with another instruction from Leo.

"Run one lap," Leo commanded.

'Just one?' Augustus thought incredulously as he started running.

Once he completed the lap, the system displayed the average speed in km/h.

[Average: 13 km/h]

"Okay, now start running for 1000 laps while maintaining your normal speed," Leo ordered.

Augustus realized that his hell started early in this life, actually it's worst than the last hell he experienced.