Chapter 17 Hellish Training

When Zephyrion heard the dreaded word "training," he could feel the blood drain from his face. Despite his protests, Helga showed no mercy as she stoically grabbed his foot and dragged him behind her.

Zephyrion's mind raced as he tried to come up with any excuse to delay the training. "Can't we do the training tomorrow? I'm really tired," he pleaded, flashing his most charming smile. But Helga's expression remained unchanged, and she continued to drag him through the library and down the hallway.

As they walked, Zephyrion's desperation grew. He began to struggle and cry out for help, but Helga was unmoved. Eventually, he gave up and resigned himself to his fate.

Finally, they arrived at the training ground. Zephyrion's heart sank as he surveyed the area. The training ground, a spacious area that's surrounded by high trees, giving it a sense of privacy and security. The ground itself is made of packed dirt and gravel, with a few patches of grass growing in the corners. Along the edges of the training ground are a series of dummies and obstacles that are designed to help train combat skills. There are wooden dummies shaped like human beings, with different parts of the body marked out for specific training purposes. 

There are also various types of obstacles, such as low walls to jump over, narrow beams to balance on, and ropes to swing from. These obstacles are designed to test the agility, balance, and strength of those who use the training ground.

In addition to the dummies and obstacles, there are several wooden racks. These racks hold an assortment of weapons, including swords, spears, bows, and other traditional weapons, as well as different equipment for training purposes. The weapons are made of high-quality wood and are designed to simulate real weapons in weight and balance, allowing for more effective training.

The weapons themselves are crafted by skilled artisans. Each one is carved with intricate designs and patterns, making them not only functional but also beautiful. The weapons are maintained by the Thunderheart family's weapon master, who keeps them in excellent condition at all times.

Overall, the training ground looked like a well-equipped and well-maintained space that's ideal for practicing combat skills and refining one's techniques.

Helga released her grip on Zephyrion's foot and walked towards one of the weapon racks. She grabbed four cuffs and threw them in front of Zephyrion.

"Today, you will train with 20kg on each limb," Helga stated firmly, gesturing to the cuffs. 

Zephyrion's face paled at the thought of having to train with such weight. "Helga, can't I just use the usual 10kg?" he pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. 

Helga looked at him with her stoic expression and said, "Stop complaining and put them on. You are a man, so act like one." 

Zephyrion's face seemed to say, "I'm a five-year-old kid for fuck's sake." But he gritted his teeth and put on the cuffs, each weighing 20kg. As he stood up and tried to walk, he immediately fell forward, landing face-first on the ground.

Helga shook her head at the sight before her. Zephyrion looked like a fish out of water, flopping around as he attempted to stand up again. "Start with 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 20 squats, and run around the training area for 10 minutes. Don't even dare to start complaining. You have 5 seconds to start. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and go," Helga commanded.

Zephyrion groaned inwardly, but he knew better than to argue with Helga. He reluctantly began with the push-ups, but even the first one was way too hard for him. He struggled to lift his own weight, his arms shaking with the effort.

Helga watched him with her usual stoic expression. "Do the push-ups properly, young master, or I won't count them!" she barked. Zephyrion tried to do them properly, but his form was all over the place.

Next, he moved onto the sit-ups. Helga stood over him, her sharp eyes watching his every move. "Move your whole upper body up when doing the sit-ups!" she scolded. Zephyrion tried his best to follow her instructions, but it was a struggle.

Then, it was onto the squats. "Young master, I told you to move your arms up and down when you do the squats!" Helga barked. Zephyrion tried to remember her instructions, but he was already so tired that everything was becoming a blur.

Finally, it was time to run around the training area. Zephyrion set off at a slow jog, but Helga wasn't impressed. "You call that running? I said run. Also move your legs up when you run!" she shouted.

Helga kept on complaining about Zephyrion's every move, but after 32 minutes, he finally finished his training. He looked like he had just come out of a bath with his clothes on, his hair matted to his forehead and sweat pouring down his face. He lay there on the ground, breathing heavily, his face red with exertion.

Helga walked up to Zephyrion and raised her arms, saying, "Ice maker: ice balls." A magical circle appeared before her hand, and ice balls materialized onto the cuffs Zephyrion was wearing. "As punishment for being two minutes late with your warm-up, I added 5kg ice balls to each cuff," she declared.

Zephyrion's face turned from red to pale as soon as he heard her words, but he didn't dare complain, still trying to catch his breath.

With a clap of her hands, Helga continued, "Let's begin the training. You'll have to complete the parcour while I try to pelt you with snowballs. If you get hit, I'll increase the density of the balls. So, don't get hit!"

Zephyrion begrudgingly stood up, still panting, but he regained control of his breathing and made his way to the first obstacle, a series of low wooden walls with a height of 1 meter, that he had to jump over.

As he started running towards them, Helga yelled out, "Don't trip over your own feet now, young master!"

Zephyrion couldn't help but roll his eyes at her comment, but he knew he had to focus if he wanted to make it through the course without getting pelted with snowballs. He made his first jump, but misjudged the distance and his foot got caught in one of the tires. He stumbled forward and barely managed to catch himself before falling face-first onto the ground. When he tried to stood up a snow ball pelt on his head. 

"Ah!" he cried out as the snowball exploded on impact, covering his head with snow and he felt on his face again. Helga couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Zephyrion trying to shake off the snow from his head.

Zephyrion gritted his teeth and got back on his feet, determined not to let the wooden walls get the best of him again. He quickly regained his focus and started jumping over the small wooden walls. As he did, Helga continued to pelt him with snowballs, but he managed to dodge most of them, occasionally getting hit on the shoulder or back, while keep shouting in pain when he get hit. 

"Now that's more like it!" Helga cheered sarcastically. "Let's see if you can handle the next obstacle."

Zephyrion finally reached the second obstacle, a narrow balance beam that spanned a distance of 30 meters above a sand pit, with two wooden blocks with a height of 10 meters connecting the two ends of the beam.

Zephyrion gritted his teeth and started to climb up the wooden block. With each step, he could feel the weight of the ice balls on his cuffs pulling him back, making the climb all the more difficult. He grunted as he hoisted himself up, his muscles straining under the added weight. Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting on his back as two snowballs hit him, causing him to lose his footing for a moment. He quickly regained his balance and continued climbing, determined to make it to the top. Finally, he reached the top of the block and took a deep breath before preparing to walk the narrow beam.

Zephyrion reached the narrow beam, feeling his heart beating rapidly as he looked down at the sand pit below. Helga looked up at Zephyrion and shouted, "Don't fall, or you'll have to climb all the way back up!"

As he started to walk, he couldn't help but wobble, causing his snowball-laden cuffs to clink and clank against each other. Helga seized the opportunity to pelt him with even more snowballs. With each hit, Zephyrion let out a yelp, resembling more like a puppy than a hero's child.

Helga wasn't going easy on him either, she had started using trick shots, aiming the snowballs at his cuffs to make them hit even harder. "Are you trying to break my wrists?" Zephyrion yelled, but Helga only smirked and continued her onslaught.

Zephyrion's feet began to slip and slide, causing him to lose his balance. As he started to flail his arms, he felt a sharp pain on his thigh. He looked down and saw a large lump of snow had hit him. "Ouch! Helga, can't you at least stop throwing this snow balls?" he whined.

But Helga was determined to make him work hard, and her snowballs were getting more frequent and harder with every passing second. Finally, Zephyrion reached the other end of the beam, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

He quickly climbed down the wooden block and charged towards the final obstacle, a series of ropes hanging on a wood plate above him, to swing across a pit with pebbles. With determination in his eyes, he leaped onto the first rope. Suddenly, a hard snowball hit him square in the back, making him yelp yet again. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the rope, determined to press on.

As he swung, Helga continued her relentless barrage of snowballs, causing Zephyrion to duck and dodge while trying to maintain his balance on the rope. It was like a game of dodgeball in mid-air, except with ropes and a pit of pebbles beneath him.

Despite getting pelted by snowballs, Zephyrion managed to reach the second rope, then the third, and so on. With each swing, he felt a sense of relief that he was one step closer to the end.

However, as he was about to grab the final rope, Helga launched a massive snowball that nearly knocked him off course. Zephyrion flailed in the air, but miraculously managed to grab onto the rope and pull himself towards the end of the pit.

As he sprinted towards the finish line, his body was drenched in sweat and covered in snow. He collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily and feeling a mix of exhaustion and relief. It was over. He had completed the course. 

Helga strutted over to Zephyrion in a flash, her icy demeanor matching the frosty climate. She surveyed the fallen Zephyrion with a critical eye, her face contorting with displeasure.

"You could have done better, Zephyrion," she tutted, wagging a disapproving finger. "But that's enough for today's physical training. You have a 30 minute break until we start the mana control training. Don't be late!"

She snapped her fingers and all the ice covering Zephyrion's body disappeared, leaving him shivering and dazed. As she removed his cuffs, he muttered under his breath, "You demon!"

But before he could protest further, he lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Helga simply walked away, ready to prepare for the next round of training.