Chapter 8: Run 100 Laps

Chapter 8 - Run 100 LapsThe hallway outside the classroom buzzed with nervous energy as Sylvia led them through the Academy's pristine corridors. Students were excitedly talking to each other—some ready to show off their muscles, while others who hated exercise weren't exactly brimming with enthusiasm. They arrived at their destination within minutes—and the sight alone knocked the wind out of Kael Ashford. It was massive! The so-called "training field" was a coliseum-sized open space covered in enchanted turf, marked with lanes like a stadium track, surrounded by arcane walls and practice zones. You could probably fit three football fields in here and still have room for a dragon or two. "Welcome to Ground Zero!" Sylvia said, her heels clicking to a halt at the edge of the track. "This will be your morning training field for the rest of the semester." Some students gawked. Others already looked like they were regretting their life choices. Sylvia turned toward us, expression unreadable. "For today's physical training," she began, voice cool and sharp, "you will run. That is all!" Relieved sighs rippled across the group. Running didn't sound so bad, right? Sylvia raised one hand—and promptly shattered all that naive optimism. "One hundred laps." Silence! Not just stunned silence—soul-leaving-body silence. "...Excuse me?" someone squeaked. "One hundred laps around this field," Sylvia repeated with perfect calm. "Before the period ends. Those who fail will complete an additional fifty laps after class." "No way..." a student muttered in disbelief. "She's joking, right?" "Do I look like I'm joking?" Sylvia asked, her gaze sweeping through the crowd like a blade. No. No, she really didn't. "Do mages also need to run?" Asked one student—skinny and clearly not built for this kind of activity. She didn't look like she could run ten laps, much less one hundred. Sylvia gave her a sharp look that immediately shut her down. "Do you think your enemies will spare you just because you are a mage? No! Precisely because you are a mage, you must know how to retreat quickly." S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sylvia explained briefly. "Can we use magic to strengthen our bodies?" Another student asked. "It's acceptable!" Sylvia said. What she wanted students to learn and practice was running while also increasing their stamina. Running away from enemies was more common than most students thought. Though it might sound cowardly, it was foolish to fight opponents you couldn't beat. Sylvia believed that the ability to retreat was critical—especially when you were weak. Moreover, when going on campaigns against demons or exploring unknown areas, having good stamina was crucial. A single person could drag down an entire team just because they lacked proper endurance. As the Hero Academy, it was their duty to train students and prepare them for their future endeavors—though Sylvia often went overboard with her training methods. Mages sighed in relief. Without any body enhancement, they couldn't even dream of running ten laps—let alone a hundred. Though even with body enhancement, there was no way most of them could complete one hundred laps. Their mana would run out in ten minutes on average, and even the mages with insane capacity couldn't last more than thirty minutes of continuous body enhancement. But still better than being not able to use their magic. "No more questions?" The students looked confused but remained silent. No one dared to raise another hand. "You have two hours. Begin!" There was no whistle. No countdown. No mercy. Whoosh! The first students broke into motion—Edwin, of course, leading the charge like he was born to sprint across oversized battlefields. Elysia followed, her strides composed and calculated, as if even her jogging had grace. (Why do I have to go through this again?) Elysia thought grimly. In her first life, Sylvia had made them go through the same thing, but she had forgotten about it until now. She couldn't deny that this harsh training had helped her a lot in the future—but she still couldn't help but complain. Especially now that her body was back to how it had been before all that intense training. She gritted her teeth, going through this hell for the second time. Her eyes drifted to Kael Ashford, who was still standing at the starting line, dumbfounded. If she wanted to surpass Kael Ashford, she needed to strengthen her body and grow stronger—faster than before. Jin launched forward with so much force he nearly tripped over himself, while Cecilia moved at a steady pace, conserving energy. And then... there was Kael Ashford. He looked at the main characters who had already begun running. Compared to others, their judgment and decision-making were clearly higher. Since two hours was the time limit, they didn't waste time being confused—they simply started running. Honestly, Kael didn't think it was even necessary to panic for the main characters especially Edwin Leonhart. According to the novel, Edwin's physical strength was absurd. He'd probably finish the 100 laps in under an hour—two hours was generous for him. Others began moving as well. Kael started jogging. He still wasn't used to Kael Ashford's body and had no idea whether he even had the stamina to complete 100 laps. Judging by his class rank, he at least knew ther former Kael Ahsford wasn't anything special, and his body didn't feel particularly powerful either. So instead of burning through his stamina like some others—who would sprint and then crash within thirty minutes, as happened to many students in the novel—Kael decided to go at his own pace. In the blink of an eye, he was already at the back of the group, still jogging steadily, refusing to treat it like a competition. By lap three, Edwin Leonhart had already caught up to him and, without even sparing a glance, overtook him effortlessly. Kael just watched the protagonist of the novel pass him, nodding slightly. (He really does look like the hero of humanity.) Then came Elysia, her unmistakable glare landing squarely on him. He still didn't understand why Elysia acted that way toward him—perhaps blaming his predecessor, the original Kael Ashford, for some past offense. Jin Halden also passed him too, with Cecilia being the last. She gave him a small nod as she went by. (Such an angel!) Kael thought. She was the only one who acknowledged his existence , at least with a goodwill. Then other student one began to overtake him one by one. Everyone else looked down on him—he was dead last, even being lapped by students by the third round. But Kael didn't spare them much thought. He didn't have the luxury to. He still had to figure out his own limits—and exactly how strong, or weak, this body really was.