Chapter 13: Desperation and Determination

Chapter 13 - Desperation and DeterminationDespite this being just the first day of his transmigration, it had already been more than productive. He had learned more today than he could have ever imagined back in his life on Earth. The main reason was simple—he didn't know anything. And to survive, he knew he had to adapt as quickly as possible. Desperation and helplessness can surprisingly be the strongest motivators to push someone to work harder. The class had ended, but Kael Ashford couldn't just go back to his dorm and rest. No, he couldn't! Along with him, a group of other students groaned and complained because now that class was over, it was time for their punishment. Of course, just like how a few students had skipped class, there were also some who dared not show up for the punishment. Sylvia, punctual as always, was already waiting for them on the Training Ground. She ticked off names on her clipboard—marking those who showed up and leaving blank spaces for those who didn't. It went without saying that those who skipped would face an even harsher punishment later. Sure, they could run away now—but that also meant they might never graduate... or worse, get expelled. Kael Ashford couldn't help but think that those who gave up and quit Arcadia Academy might actually be lucky. They wouldn't have to die—like many others surely would. But that didn't mean they'd survive for long either. The Demon King's destruction spread far and wide, and eventually, the powerless would be the first to fall. There was no path of retreat. The only path to survival was forward—by becoming stronger. "You all can start running!" Sylvia declared without saying much. The students quietly obeyed and started running immediately. Kael Ashford body hadn't recovered from the morning's training, and after a long day of classes, Kael Ashford now had to drag himself through 80 more laps. "Hah... Hah..." Just like in the morning, Kael ran at his own pace. Unlike earlier, there was no time limit this time. But of course, he couldn't stay on the Training Ground all night either. He still needed to eat. He needed to rest. Without that, he wouldn't even be able to walk tomorrow. One hour later! "Damn it! I can't do it anymore." "Just kill me already!" "Just what kind of hell did I join? Would this even be helpful?" Students started to complain, as expected after an hour. Perhaps it is already surprising that they endure for one hour without complaining. Their entire bodies ached, and the punishment seemed beyond what they could handle. Kael had a somewhat manageable number of laps left—but not everyone was so fortunate. Many had gambled, thinking it was better to stop early in the morning and just accept the 50 extra laps after class. Most had only completed 30 or 40 laps before giving up, they now had to run more than 100 laps. It was nearly impossible, especially with no proper rest and a full day of classes behind them. Some students who had only missed the mark by a few laps grumbled as well. If only they had pushed a little harder... They might have avoided this punishment. There was even someone who had completed 97 laps in the morning and unfortunately he had to finish that 3 laps plus the 50 laps as punishment. While the others groaned and cursed their fate, Kael Ashford didn't utter a word. He just kept running at the same steady pace. It wasn't that his body was stronger or that he wasn't tired like them. It was simply that he had already accepted this reality. He knew this was what he had to do to become stronger. Sylvia had been watching Kael Ashford for some time now. (Even now, he isn't using any skills...) Unbeknownst to her, Kael didn't even know how to use mana properly, let alone any mana-based skills. But to Sylvia, it looked deliberate—as if he was intentionally avoiding mana use to train his body. And she respected that. She found herself rethinking her earlier impression of him. She had assumed Kael was someone who would give up before the real fight even began. But clearly, she was wrong. "Thirty laps, huh?" One hour in, and Kael had only completed thirty laps—slower than his pace from the morning, but understandable considering his exhaustion. Still, he thought it was acceptable. If he could maintain this pace, he'd be done in two more hours or less. Of course, that was just wishful thinking. His body was already beginning to give out. The fatigue and stress were catching up fast. Thirty more minutes passed. His pace slowed even further. He pushed himself, but it was no use. By now, most of the other students had collapsed or given up entirely. Some cursed the academy. Others claimed the punishment was too harsh and unfair. Amidst such atmosphere, only Kael Ashford was running, though it could barely be called running at the pace he was going. "Look at that guy. He's still at it." "Just give up already. You'll just collapse that this point." "Haha... even a turtle's faster than him." At first, they laughed at how pathetic he looked, dragging his body across the track even after clearly hitting his limit. But the laughter died soon. Because Kael completed 10 more laps in that state. That brought him to 50 laps done. Only 30 more to go. Anyone could see it now—even though Kael was barely running anymore, or maybe just walking, or even crawling—he was going to complete the rest of the lap. It would take him another two or three hours at this rate, but the most shocking thing was: There was no sign of giving up in his eyes. Determination, no perhaps desperation filled his eyes as he continued. (Just what is pushing him?) Sylvia wondered. In all her years—as a teacher, or even back when she was still doing her Hero work—she had never seen anyone with Kael Ashford's level of determination. She glanced down at his rank in the student records. 137! It was almost laughable. With that much willpower and hard work, how could he be ranked so low? Unless... he really had no talent. Or maybe—just maybe—this was the first time he had ever truly tried. seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She didn't know but it was for certain that this low rank wouldn't last for too long.