Kael exhaled sharply and released the rope. The crystal thudded into the sand with a dull clang.
Panting, he sank to the warm grains, feeling the weight of the armor pressing into his shoulders. The rising sun beat down mercilessly, and the effort of dragging the massive crystal over the hour left him utterly exhausted.
"Ha… ha… fuh… that's really tiring, Ogre!" Kael said, brushing sand from his hands and helmet as he leaned back against the crystal.
Grak'Mar crouched beside him, muscles rippling even in rest, and allowed a rare, approving smile.
"Yeah, but that's not all for ya training," Grak'Mar said, his deep voice rolling across the beach.
"Huh? There's more?" Kael asked, blinking through sweat and sand.
"Of course, human. It's still early for your Bilah training."
Sigh… alright, Ogre. Kael thought to himself. I guess it really is this hard if I want to become a Realm Protector.
"Okay, human, take off that iron armor. And your shirt as well."
"Huh? O… okay…"
Kael peeled off the heavy armor and his shirt, leaving only his shorts. The morning breeze from the ocean swept across his skin, tousling his hair and cooling the heat of the rising suns.
Done! What's next? Kael asked
"Next Follow me Human!" Nibsken said to Kael.
Alright Goblin… Kael follows behind NIbsken Petite muscular figure. Walking to wherever this Green goblin brings him around the shore
As they walk further from the crystal that Kael carry last time. Nibsken step slow as he looking down at the sand, Then suddently Nibsken stopped. He bent down, drawing a straight line in the sand with his finger. Then, with a burst of Wind-Might, he shot forward nearly 100 meters and drew another line, then floated back to Kael.
"Ha! Human! This is what we're gonna do!" he shouted, eyes sparkling.
"What… is this?" Kael asked, tilting his head.
Nibsken grinned broadly, flexing his lean, chiseled muscles. "This… is The Sprint Line!"
"The Sprint Line?" Kael echoed, unconvinced.
"Yah! Our Durvakian race has always prided ourself on being the strongest physically! So our ancestors created this tradition, a challenge to prove our attributes against all other races!"
Kael raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess….. no one has beaten you so far?"
"Nope, human! No race dares challenge us! Hahahahaha!" Nibsken puffed his chest, striking a dramatic flex.
Kael sighed inwardly, unimpressed. "And what is this tradition called?"
"It's simple, human.This is called Racial Race!" Nibsken declared proudly.
Kael's expression fell slightly, bored. Figures. Of course the Durvakians put muscle above all else. Not a single thought for creativity…
"Alright, human. The rules are simple, as the name says," Nibsken continued, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Race from this line to that line! The first one to reach the finish is da winner!"
"Alright then" Kael crouched slightly at the starting line, muscles tensing, ready.
Nibsken assumed his signature starting stance: hands on the sand, feet pulled back like coiled springs, body primed to launch like a rocket.
"One rule, human," Nibsken said, eyes blazing. "No Might allowed."
Kael smirked under his helmet slit. Alright… he probably means no magic. Good, I don't really need Might—or technology anyway.
Nibsken raised a hand, then shouted:
"In three… two… one… set… go!"
And with that, the race was off, Kael with his determination, and Nibsken with his experience.
.....
After fourteen rounds, as expected… Kael lost badly.
"Pant… pant… pant…" Kael sat on the sand, exhausted from the Racial Race.
"HAHAHAHA! Come on, human! Not even once did you win!" Nibsken shouted.
"Well, that's… pant… obvious, Nibsken. How would I… pant… win…" Kael replied, breathing hard.
"HAHAHAHA!" Nibsken laughed proudly as a few races stopped to watch them race over and over again.
Then Grak'Mar walked toward them, his huge figure casting a shadow.
"Alright, human. Let's stand up!" Grak'Mar said, suddenly appearing behind Kael and offering a hand.
"I've lost to Nibsken, Grak'Mar," Kael said as he grabbed the ogre's massive hand.
"Hahaha! I see that, human," Grak'Mar laughed.
Kael frowned, annoyed.
"But it's okay. At least you tried, human," Grak'Mar added, trying to cheer him up.
"Cih! Nibsken! I will beat you tomorrow!" Kael pointed at the goblin.
"HAHAHAHA! Try me, human!" Nibsken replied.
"Grrr…" Kael growled, clearly unsatisfied with his loss.
"Alright… alright. That's enough." Grak'Mar declared
Kael steadied himself and looked at Grak'Mar.
"Ready for another one, human?" Grak'Mar asked Kael.
"Another one?!"
"Haaa… how many is this going to take, Ogre?" Kael sighed, both hands hanging lazily at his sides.
"HAHAHAHA! No need to worry, human! This is your final physical training for today."
"Sigh… alright… but promise me this is the last one, Ogre. It's beginning to get hot here…"
"Grak'Mar the Mighty Ogre Promise you, human… Now follow me." Grak'Mar commanded, leading Kael straight back to the grassy area.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a green field, not far from the shore, the water still visible in the distance. Grak'Mar scanned the open field.
Then Grak'Mar summoned crystals from the ground, shapes varied from a circular, tire-like ring with handles to a rod-like structure for hanging.
There were five in total, each different, laid out for Kael.
"Whoa… what's all this, Grak'Mar?" Kael asked, eyes wide.
"HAHAHAHA! This is another of our race's traditions, human!" Grak'Mar replied proudly.
"This is the Muscle Maker, human! You know that Durvakians need strength, muscle above all. So our ancestors made this to train the body from childhood!"
"Sigh… another lame name," Kael muttered. No brainer name, obviously.
"Okay… okay, enough with the race stuff… what even can all this do?"
"HA! Alright, human. Now let me show you what our race can do with all this!" Grak'Mar shouted, flexing every massive muscle.
He bent down and lifted two crystals with handles, holding one in each hand.
"Here! Lift this." Grak'Mar handed them to Kael, one in each hand.
"O… okay…" Kael grabbed the handles, immediately feeling their weight.
"Hmm? Not as heavy as I thought…"
"Of course! That's for beginners like you, human!" Grak'Mar laughed, his voice rumbling like a boulder rolling down a hill.
"Hah! How big is this thing if it's for someone as expert as you, Ogre?" Kael challenged.
"Hmm? Alright, human… let me show you," Grak'Mar said, feeling the challenge spark in him.
Nibsken just watched, arms crossed, clearly uninterested in lifting any of this weight himself.
Grak'Mar slammed his hand onto the ground and summoned another crystal from the earth.
This one was massive, about the same size as Kael's entire body.
"HARGGG!" Grak'Mar roared as he lifted it, one in each hand. His biceps bulged and pumped with every movement.
Kael stood frozen, wide-eyed.
"Whoa… Grak'Mar! That's more than a hundred kilos each!"
"HAHAHA! Now you see why our race is the strongest, human?" Grak'Mar laughed, hoisting the weight like it was nothing.
"Solid proof, Ogre!" Kael breathed, amazed.
"Yah! Now I want you to lift those weights in both hands like this!" Grak'Mar commanded.
He demonstrated, left, right, left, right, lifting the massive crystal handles in a smooth, relentless rhythm.
"Alright! Yah! Yah!" Kael shouted, doing exactly what Grak'Mar demonstrated.
Nibsken floated lazily nearby, wind Might holding him aloft as he watched them.
They continued, lifting the crystals over and over, without pause or count.
Kael's arms started to ache, and boredom crept in.
"How long do we need to do this, Grak'Mar?" he asked.
"I don't know exactly, human… I usually do this until I'm tired," Grak'Mar replied, sweat forming under his crystal-iron armor.
"Hmm… alright. Then I'll count how many times I lift this thing," Kael muttered to himself.
What about… 20 times? he thought.
"Alright. That's already ten. Now I need another ten. One… two… three…"
Grak'Mar squinted, trying to follow.
"Hmm… I think that's really smart," he Thought. "Human's method… brilliant."
He then mimicked Kael's counting method.
"Whoa! This really helps me track my limit… Haha…though I can only count to ten," Grak'Mar muttered.
"But it's okay. I'll keep going until the human stops! Ha!"
As Grak'Mar and Nibsken watched, Kael continued steadily, muttering numbers under his breath.
"And… ten!" Kael finally shouted.
"Yah! Done, Grak'Mar! I can feel these muscles growing already!"
"HAHAHA! Good one, human!" Grak'Mar laughed, dropping the weights onto the ground.
"Let's do another one!"
"Another one?" Kael frowned, confused.
"What do you mean by another one?"
Grak'Mar sighed, looking around.
"Look at your surroundings, human… Can't you see the various crystal shapes?" he said, pointing.
Kael's eyes followed.
"Oh… yeah, Grak'Mar. That's true," he admitted.
"Alright, if you understand, now, human!"
Grak'Mar pointed to a bar.
"Hang on this bar like this!"
Then he demonstrated another move.
"Lift yourself!" he commanded.
"Harghh! One! Two! Three!" Grak'Mar counted, powerful and precise.
"Alright… I'll try it…"
Hup! Kael jumped and grabbed the bar.
"Harghh! One! Harghh! Two!"
He followed Grak'Mar's rhythm but his arms shook, and he could only manage two pulls.
Thud! Kael fall to the ground
Pant! Pant! Wow, that's really harder than it looks!
He saw Grak'Mar Already at the end of his count
10!
Hargggh! Flexing his muscle
Tired Already Human?
Sigh Yeah Ogre but if there is another I w-
Yeah! Hahahah There is another glad you asked!
Now Try This One!
Haaaah ... .Kael sighs. But I can't complain this is the way the Commander wanted, right? He thought
He then commands Kael to do the other.
"This time push the crystal up while he lies on this bench". Grak'Mar tapped the bench.
Hargghh! Kael struggle to even lift once
"Fuahh! I can't Ogre, it's too heavy!" Kael complains.
"Alright then what about this one?" Grak'Mar demonstrates another one which is pulling the crystal up while he sits.
HYARGGH! Kael lifted it also 10 times before he no longer can
"HAHAHAHA! Good Human!" Now for the last one!
"Here do this!" Lifting the crystal while he squat down
One! Two!
...…
All those sessions had taken about an hour…
"HARGGGH! I'm done with this, Grak'Mar!"
Kael collapsed onto the ground, too exhausted to even stand. His body trembled as he smelled the grass beneath him.
"HAHHH! I can't stand up anymore!"
"HAHAHAHA! Alright, human… but how are we going to go home if you don't stand up?" Nibsken teased him.
Sigh… "I'll sleep here then!" Kael muttered.
"HAHAHAHA! Don't be such a weak human!" Nibsken mocked.
"Yeah, Nibsken… I'm weak… but that's only for today… HARGGHHH!"
Kael pushed himself up, hand on the ground, legs trembling.
"I will become a Realm Protector… the ceremony must select me to enter the academy… I need to go, no matter what!"
So if I want to reach the sky without wings… I'll have to make the wings myself!
Grak'Mar and Nibsken watched in silence as Kael stood, legs quivering, hands shaking, vision blurry.
He still wanted to continue.
"Alright… if you say so, human. Now, wear your armor back—we're going to—"
Thud!
Something dropped to the ground.
"Yo, human!" Nibsken shouted, seeing Kael collapse.
Kael had fainted.
End of this chapter
Our MC fainted after all that training. Will he become a realm protector or is it just a mere dream?