My routine at the training camp began earlier than that of the other hero disciples. At four in the morning, I sat down without bothering to make my bed and focused my consciousness on the Spirit Jade.
A now-familiar warmth seeped into me. It had just the right temperature to make me drowsy, yet the energy it contained was immense. Merely absorbing the faint warmth that leaked from it was an achievement in itself, but it wasn't enough for me, and certainly not for the Iron-Blooded Lord who had entrusted me with this elixir.
I clenched the Spirit Jade so tightly that its edges dug into my palms. At the same time, I stirred the Fire Qi accumulated within my body and directed it head-on into the Spirit Jade.
A sizzling sound followed.
How should I describe this process? It was akin to trying to melt fire with fire. While such a phenomenon was impossible in reality, manipulating internal energy and any type of Qi had always been abstract. Even when facing the same energy, each person's perception could vary widely.
The Spirit Jade's warmth transformed into a scorching heat. At this point, it felt more like a burning sensation than mere warmth.
This is it, I thought.
My Fire Qi intertwined with the Spirit Jade's Yang Qi, circulating through my bloodstream.
This flow resembled the most basic form of internal energy cultivation, but its efficiency was far greater. Not only did it enhance my internal energy, but it also amplified the effects of the First Fire Technique, boosting both my recovery and tempering. This was why I could function perfectly well on just two or three hours of sleep at the training camp.
As the faint light of dawn seeped through the window, I concluded my energy circulation. Today's session had been deeply satisfying, though the Spirit Jade in my hand remained largely unchanged in size.
There was no need to rush, though. I had always approached this task with a long-term perspective. Fully refining the Spirit Jade would likely take at least half a year.
" Hmm... " I rubbed my stiff neck joints, pondering, Should I go to the clearing and warm up? Or should I get some more sleep?
Normally, I would choose the former, but today was different.
The special trial loomed ahead, and we were even excused from the early morning run, a routine we had never missed before. It was evident that the instructors wanted us to take the trial in peak condition.
Let's just sleep, I decided.
The moment I lay down on the narrow bed again, I felt a vibration. It wasn't the Spirit Jade. The Seven Sins Sword beside me was trembling faintly.
—Martial God?
There was no response.
The sword's reaction didn't seem to indicate his awakening. Instead, it appeared to be inching toward a specific direction—the clearing.
What's out there, I wondered.
I hesitated briefly, then stood with the sword and quietly headed downstairs. I carefully walked down the creaky stairs, passed through the lounge, and left the building.
A chilly wind swept across the dim clearing. It was usually deserted at this hour. I had never encountered anyone during my warm-ups here. But today, there was a visitor.
Under the fading moonlight, a small figure swung a sledgehammer.
I finally understood why the Seven Sins Sword had vibrated.
"What are you doing there?" I asked.
Mir looked up, startled. "Blond Badniker?"
I stared at her silently.
She averted her gaze and mumbled, "I was just warming up."
Her lie was as transparent as her expression.
"I see."
Something seemed off, but prying wasn't my style. I ignored Mir and decided to continue my warm-up. I slowly loosened my aching joints and started some stretches, but soon, I felt her gaze on me.
"So, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Also warming up," I replied.
"I-I see."
Silence fell again. Then, for some reason, Mir hesitantly inched closer.
This is going to be annoying, I thought.
Just as I was about to stop my stretches and head back inside, Mir spoke up. "Aren't you nervous?"
As expected, Mir stopped me.
I turned to her, slightly off-balance. "Nervous about what?"
"The special trial today. What if you don't perform well?" She hesitated, then added, "Blond Badniker, you're treated as an outcast in your family, aren't you?"
She knew about me. Her tone suggested a vague kinship with me.
"I'm similar to you," she continued. "I'm a giant, but I'm so small. Everyone makes fun of me—my siblings, my people. They call me 'tiny' or 'pea-sized.' Even my parents see me as a disgrace..."
Her voice wavered. "Then, at some point, whenever I faced someone bigger than me, I couldn't move. My body just froze."
"What do you mean?"
"It's literal. The bigger the opponent compared to me, the more my mind and body lock up. I feel like I'm not even myself anymore."
Tears dripped from her chin. "That whirlwind woman was right. I'll just be a burden in this trial. If it comes to it, abandon me."
Now I understood. This was why Mir had such poor results despite her immense strength and why she had faltered against the giant centipede.
The winter dawn wind blew again, cold and biting. Mir, standing dazed, shuddered and hastily wiped her face.
"P-pretend you didn't hear that!" she said, her voice cracking.
"What?" I asked.
"I, a proud giant and Ymir's descendant, have shown such weak—"
"Hey," I interrupted, recalling a story buried deep in my memory. "Do you know the tale of Ymir, the Frost Giant who was cursed and shrunk?"
Mir rubbed her eyes and looked at me, puzzled.
"I read a lot of mythology and hero books when I was young," I explained. "One of the stories I came across was about Ymir, the Frost Giant. There was a tale about how he became smaller because of a mischievous god."
"As small as me?" she asked.
I replied with a smile, "About your size."
" Ohh
Ymir lay heartbroken in a field when an ant approached him. " Great Frost Giant, a typhoon is coming, and this field will be swept away. Can you please block it?"
Ymir shook his head. " Your plight moves me, but I've grown much smaller. I don't have the confidence to stop a huge typhoon."
The ant replied, "To me, you are still enormous."
Mir tilted her head. "What does that mean?"
"From an ant's perspective, whether it's a human or a giant, both appear equally large," I explained. "What's the point of knowing which mountain beyond the clouds is the tallest? Just know it's high."
"I see."
Though unrelated, Ymir suddenly realized something after hearing the ant's words. " I may be smaller now, but so what? To an ant, I'm still enormous. Size is relative. What matters is how I see myself. My body has shrunk, but my spirit hasn't."
Mir repeated my words softly, "It isn't that my spirit has shrunk."
"And with that, he charged forward and tore the storm apart with his bare hands. The mischievous god had made him smaller, but his strength remained the same," I said.
Mir's eyes glistened.
"You withstood the giant centipede's tail strike with just your body—no mana, no blessings. No one else in this training camp could have done that."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes. Well, unless you count the instructors," I said with a smile. "At this special trial, let's show them what we're made of. You and I—the outcasts of our families—will stage a delightful rebellion."
"A delightful rebellion!" Mir exclaimed, waving her arms like a kid who couldn't hide her excitement.
"Thank you! Blond Badniker!"
"My name is Luan," I corrected her.
"Ah, I am Mir Giant!" she said, beaming.
"I know. Anyway, go to your room and get some sleep. You haven't slept at all, have you?"
"How did you know?"
"Your dark circles reach all the way to your chin."
" U-Umm...! You're right! I'll sleep and wake up full of strength! Thank you, Blond— No, Luan!"
"Don't sleep too hard. Just shut your eyes," I began, but she was already gone.
I watched the trail of dust she left behind and muttered, "She's simple."
Mir Giant was indeed a simple person. The advantage of simplicity was how quickly she regained her energy with just a little comfort.
Even my half-baked encouragement had worked. Yet, she had been dejected all the way to the training camp, which meant no one around her had offered her such encouragement.
Perhaps it wasn't just here—maybe her entire life had been like this. If so, was the confidence she sometimes displayed just an act? The less she had, the louder she became.
I glanced at the spot where Mir had stood. As a descendant of Ymir, she was a bigwig among bigwigs. If she had become a hero in my previous life, I would have heard of her alongside the other legends. However, I had never encountered the name Mir Giant in any tales.
Did Mir Giant of the past die at this training camp? I wondered.
***
Morning arrived at last.
For the first time, we skipped our usual dawn run, and the hero disciples hurriedly gathered in the clearing. The atmosphere remained tense. Ordinarily, the disciples would have chatted casually while waiting for the instructors, but the recent formation of groups had left us wary, each keeping the others in check.
Soon, an instructor appeared. It was Juan, the martial arts instructor, once again.
"Hero disciples, did you sleep well?" he asked with a smile, glancing at the silent group. " Haha. It's no surprise you had a sleepless night. Let's get straight to the point, then."
Then, Juan started to explain the trial. "First, there is no specific scope for this special trial. You are free to go anywhere in the forest. However, no instructors will be deployed this time. Do you understand what that means?"
He paused, his characteristic smile lingering. "It means don't expect any help. Keep that in mind. The Badnikers' training camp is about to become very real."
Silence fell over the group.
"The trial period is three days, or seventy-two hours, in total. In addition, attacking each other is against the rules. If caught, you will be immediately eliminated from the trial and have points deducted. Now, each leader should submit the list of purchases to me and receive the goods."
The leaders of each group stepped forward. Most of the standout disciples, like Charon and Hector, seemed to be leading their respective groups.
At that moment, someone called, "Luan."
I turned around and saw Seren. I hadn't expected it to be her. Her voice was much quieter than usual, and it felt strange hearing her call me by name when she typically just said "hey" or "you."
"What is it?" I asked.
"This is where it gets real," she said.
"What do you mean?"
Her words echoed Juan's, but her tone was strange. Though she said the same thing, it felt like she meant something entirely different.
"Be careful. Don't let down your guard."
"Of course," I replied. "But you seem pretty relaxed, worrying about others."
Seren didn't respond to my joke as she usually would. Instead, she looked at me with glass-like eyes. "Don't die."
I blinked.
Was this just concern? Was this special trial dangerous enough to kill me?
Something felt off. At that moment, my master's words resurfaced in my mind.
There was no time to ask Seren questions. Soon, it was my turn. I submitted the list to Juan and received the items.
When I looked back, Seren was already gone.
I took a moment to reflect. Over the past week, I had grown closer to Evan and the others, and my tension had eased. Most of us had.
In other words, at some point, we had forgotten Tanko's warning. "20%. Out of all of you here right now, at least six to seven won't make it out alive."
Seren was perhaps the only exception.
Looking back, her expression throughout this training camp had always been serious. What does she know?
I didn't have the answer. I had a hunch that no matter what I asked her now, she wouldn't respond. I would have to face this directly.
Juan smiled. "Then we will begin the second special trial."
And so, a special trial that I would never forget started.