บท 3: “High-Intensity Physical Training”

– Every one wanted a good achievement. But obtaining a good achievement was one thing, being able to maintain it was quite another thing. (Angus)

***

At half past nine in the morning, all the freshmen arrived at the finish. The group of teachers read the results and ranks of forty freshmen.

Angus finished second. Total running time was one hour forty-eight minutes six seconds, more than Iris only half a second.

Fred asked Angus curiously: "I thought you could get better result. Why didn't you run as hard from the beginning?"

The students coming after already heard about Angus and Iris' results from the ones coming first, curiously paying attention to Angus reply.

Angus frankly replied, "I want to save some energy for the next activities."

"Hm?" Fred raised his eyebrows, excited: "You know what we're going to do next?"

Angus shook his head: "I don't know. But yesterday at the introduction, you said the first four weeks are a period of high-intensity physical training. If it's "high-intensity", I guess it's not just running."

The corner of Fred's mouth lifted slightly, and he nodded in praise: "Smart kid!" Then he turned to the remaining freshmen who were still gaping: "You guys all heard that? We still have two more categories today. All have an hour to rest and eat. Then we'll assemble at ten thirty."

Because it was past breakfast time, the canteen announced that breakfast would be combined with lunch – "Brunch".

The students who came late in the morning cried as rain.

So, they wouldn't have both breakfast and lunch? And there were still two categories left?

This was not training, this was killing people!!!

At this time, a teaching assistant appeared to announce that, because breakfast and lunch were combined, the teachers decided to give the coming-late-in-the-morning group a portion of the meal, as half a lunch.

For a moment, the coming-late-in-the-morning students looked at teaching assistant Ralph just like looking at an angel radiating the most holiest aura.

Therefore, while the freshmen coming on time were sitting in the canteen eating a standard meal consisting of a portion of artificial starch, two portions of stew pork, two portions of beef stir-fried with butter and some stir-fried morning glory, the twenty students coming late - also seated in the canteen, but could only... slurped a bowl of bone broth and some shredded meat.

Some of them even had to wash the dishes after brunch time.

Crying, swear that we would never get up late again!!!

There was something happened in the lunch break.

Do not know accidentally or intentionally, Iris' seat right next to Angus' seat.

They did not talk to each other but quietly eating their meals.

After a long time, Iris suddenly asked: "Why did you yield to me?"

Angus gave him a glance: "I didn't yield to you. You ran really fast in the sprint phase."

"So why didn't you run faster at the beginning?"

Angus replied, "I answered the teacher, I want to save energy for the next activities."

"You don't need to try your best!" Realizing that his voice was a bit loud, Iris hurriedly drooped his eyes: "If you had run a little faster at first..."

If he had run a little faster at first, surely the winner would be him – That was exactly what Iris was thinking when he looked at Angus.

In the midst of a swarm of freshmen covered in sweat and dust, some even lying panting on the ground, this blue-haired boy standing there only needed some minutes breathing to restore. That showed he was really strong, he had more than strength to win.

Angus was silent for a moment and then said, "Maybe our goals are different. You want to be at the top of this category, and I... "

Iris raised his head.

Seeing the corners of Angus's mouth curved slightly, letting out a soft voice, "I want to be at top of today."

In a situation where he didn't know the true strength of all opponents and the how next challenges would be, properly Angus would try, but he also retained a little for himself.

They still had six months.

Compared to all freshmen in the base, Angus was a truly bookworm who craved for books more than anyone else. If he was ranked second, then no one would be ranked first.

However, books still lay there, in the library, waiting for him to read - At least there were six months to read. Whereas the training, would begin right on the first day.

So Angus held down the bookworm in his body, went back to the dormioty to go to bed early, prepared himself for the upcoming challenges.

Similar to reading books, of course everyone in a competition wanted a good achievement.

But obtaining a good achievement was one thing, being able to maintain it was quite another thing.

Who knew there would be what hell activities in the afternoon?

It's not that Angus was afraid. It's just... once he knew this place was full of challenges waiting for him, he wanted himself to be ready for every challenge.

"Playing it by ear" - The second rule of grandma Sienna was thoroughly applied by Angus.

By the afternoon, the freshmen group knew, the so-called "high-intensity physical training" was everyday sixty-kilometer of running, three-hundred-meter artificial mountain climbing and four-thousand-meter swimming. In addition, the time limit for each category would be reduced every week, and the penalties for the last five people in each category was to be cook assistants in the canteen kitchen or wash the dishes after meals.

Although the Dragon race was the one holding great strength and vitality, this type of training was indeed too much for all freshmen.

Before coming here, they absolutely had no idea about military training.

It was not because of the adults in the family did not teach their children. They even wanted to prepare for their children before the course! But – in part they didn't have much time, on the other hand, they didn't have enough facilities as the training base – then the preparation just stopped at the level...

Jogging a few kilometers every day.

Indoor rock climbing some tens of meters every week.

Swimming in the city pool two hours every week.

But they only had time for one activity. There was no such a thing as doing all three activities on the same day!

So now –

The military training was hell, was devil!!! All freshmen screamed in their heart.

Everything then happened as what Angus told Iris.

Being the only person to remain physically stable after the morning race, Angus obviously ranked the first of the two climbing and swimming categories, becoming the highest-performing person of the day.

By the way, there was a huge information board with an electronic screen placed near the classroom block. The screen would update achievements and ranking of all freshmen every week, and update the results of all five training bases across the country at the end of every month.

This aimed to promote the will to compete among all freshmen, and this would also be the basis for selecting important positions later –

Individual result was already openly public, afterwards if anyone had any questions or complaints, please review!

"Again, get assembled here at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning. Now, dismiss!"

The group of teachers had just left, some freshmen immediately crawled to the ground.

Although Angus was not as struggling as the others, it took him nearly fifteen minutes to sit down and rest until he could slowly walk to the dorm.

The last-ranked ten freshmen of the two climbing and swimming categories were driven down to the canteen kitchen to assist the cooks, and were also responsible for washing dishes after dinner.

Haizzz ~~~ Life was a pain...

***

Just like the children growing up in the city had only known fifty, seventy-meter artificial mountains or five-hundred-meter swimming race, Neil embraced the mood fulled of anxiety and hope entering the run.

It was just a bit more than before – Neil thought confidently.

He took a deep breath, determined to set the Top Ten goal.

Being in the Top Ten on the first day would be such a good thing!

Using all of his strength right from the beginning, Neil began to get weaker after running a third of the way.

Seeing the twelfth and thirteenth students passed him, Neil told himself, Top Fifteen was still good enough.

But then the fifteenth, sixteenth, and even seventeenth gradually passed Neil.

When it came to the last ten kilometers, Neil consoled himself, just not being in the group of the last five to finish was okay.

Fortunately, his self-consoled came true this time.

Neil got the rank of Twenty-sixth for the long-distance race, and that was also his rank of the day after plusing the other two categories.

After finishing the long-distance race, Neil fell asleep on the ground. Until all the freshmen arrived at the finish, someone woke him up.

Then Neil heard the teacher Fred asking someone: "I thought you could get better result. Why don't you run as hard from the beginning?"

That one replied, "I want to save some energy for the next activities."

"Who's that?" Neil asked in a low voice. He was not fully awake, hic.

"The runner-up!" The freshman next answered, "Heard that he was only half a second later than the first ranked."

Runner-up! Neil rolled his eyes.

Said "save energy" but still be able to reach the finish secondly?

Neil tiptoed, wanting to see who that one was. When he clearly saw theone, his eyes widened.

It's... it's him!

The whole day's training really drained Neil's strength, but Neil could not sleep. He felt like he had missed something very important.

Neil fell asleep with that thought stucking in his head, then suddenly got up in the middle of the night.

Ever since he met Angus on the bus, Neil was surprised.

But with the pride of a young dragon, Neil decided not to care about Angus.

But he forgot something important.

In the past, when seeing Angus calmly maintaining his humanoid walking around, Neil assumed that Angus was older than him.

At this moment he suddenly remembered: The training course only accepted students of the right age, according to the Education Law.

If for some reason a freshman missed the admission date and wanted to go school later, he or she would be given a comprehensive test, then follow a specialized program to make sure that they could catch up with friends at the same age.

That meant, Angus and him were at the same age.

When was the first time that his friends saw Angus reading a book in the pavilion? Looks like six years ago... Then a year later, Flynn just happened to see Angus' original form.

Being able to maintain humanoid sitting in the pavilion for such a long time, certainly that wasn't the first time Angus turned into humanoid. So, the first time transforming might be sooner!

The first successful transformation was at the age of twelve?

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