The golden sun of the Eastern Medicine Garden climbed high into the artificial sky, its warm light beating down on the vast competition field.
The eager energy from the start of the harvest had long since faded.
Now, a long, exhausting test of endurance had begun.
The Astralis Academy students, who had started the race with such explosive speed, were now paying the price for their sloppy technique.
Their unsealed power gave them great strength, but they used it like a blunt club, wasting energy with every jerky, inefficient pull.
Sweat poured down their faces, and their confident shouts had turned into tired grunts.
The huge lead they had built in the first hour was now shrinking.
They were learning a hard lesson, raw power means nothing without the stamina and technique to use it wisely.
They were strong, but the field was vast, and the day was long.
Some of them cast nervous glances at Daniel, their earlier looks of disdain had been replaced by uneasy frowns.
