Chapter 20 Going All The Way.

Words : 650 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Everyone was groaning in pain, so instructor Lawson said in encouragement, "You don't need to do as much as you did yesterday. You just need to perform enough to be in the first ten. Your competitors are your mates. So all you need to do is to hold out until others fail." That's what Arthur did yesterday. But he didn't do the same today. Today, he decided not to compete with the others. He decided to compete with himself, as that was the only way he could reach his limits and break them. He had the privilege to make that his goal because he was full of energy. He could hold on until he reached the top ten, but he wanted more so that the blood pills would be able to increase the strength of his body faster. He thought to himself, "They had one blood pill, probably even two, but I had three. So I must do better than them." As time passed, it was clear that those who got blood pills yesterday had an advantage. There were some upsets as some kids who didn't get blood pills yesterday sometimes beat out the ten of yesterday, but the advantage was mostly for those who got the blood pill. The blood pill had healed them to a certain extent so they could perform better than those who were still sore. But what was surprising was that Arthur managed to hold out against everyone else. It wasn't because he was the strongest. Being the one to perform best was only because he was the most dedicated. He still only had a stamina of 8, so the bigger kids still had a large advantage over him. He shouldn't have beat them if not for the fact that they weren't putting much effort into the exercise. Everyone just wanted to reach the top ten. So they gave up after securing that position. The top five kids aren't willing to give it their all because they want to secure the blood pill at all costs. They didn't want to overplay their hands and miss it. They know that if they miss a blood pill today, it will be much more difficult to get it tomorrow. It is something they had seen happen several times. So they prioritized conserving their strength so that they will always be in the top ten. Arthur got two rank 1 minor blood pills from his instructor that day. It made him lose his appetite and become sleepy. This time he was more prepared. He rushed to the carriage and chose to eat on the way back home. He actually didn't want to eat, but his mother told him that food is always good for growing stronger. More food meant more energy for development, which will increase the effectiveness of the blood pill. His preparation didn't help him stay awake, though. He still fell asleep after eating. Despite his tough body, the two blood pills were just too much for his young body to handle without his body dedicating the majority of its blood supply to his stomach to digest it. Maybe he could have struggled to stay awake if he hadn't eaten. But the phantom fullness caused by the blood pill and the actual fullness caused by his meaty sandwich combined to put a heavy burden on his digestive system and always put him to sleep. Then he got him, was carried to bed, and slept for five hours. His body got used to the pill after the first time, but this adaptation was to increase blood flow to his stomach faster and put him to sleep quickly. He still had to digest the blood pills, and they had to take effect on his body. So he slept for five hours every day after class.

Chapter 20 Going All The Way.

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